Golf Equipment – Golf Balls
Do you use a type of golf ball because you found it, were given it as a present or because it is the latest being used by the golf pro’s?
To understand the importance of selecting a golf ball to suit your ‘game’ you need to know a little of golf ball aerodynamics and ball flight.
Put simply every golf ball is hit with back spin and when any rotating spherical object comes into contact with a horizontal surface in a different plane, the object will reverse it’s rotation and that is why a golf ball back-spins on the second bounce.
In addition under laboratory conditions using a robotic arm on a perfectly flat surface putts of 6ft were missed on a regular basis as a result of the reaction between the dimples on the ball and the putter face
Still with me, I bet that you will not think about a golf ball in the same way again?
Now I know that a golfer receives a small confidence boost on the first tee from his Titleist Pro V1 golf ball costing 5 Euro’s but this soon disappears as the ball curves left or right either out of bounds or into the nearest lake.
Remember that these balls are designed to spin at a higher rate BUT this means laterally as well as backspin and therefore poorer shots with a hook or slice are accentuated.
In addition here in the Vega Bega the courses are generally over-watered with resulting soft greens and landing areas so the new balls cannot spin as designed because the surfaces are not firm enough to react against.
How can this help my thinking process I hear you ask?
Do not use a ball because of it’s name but choose one that suits your game and a harder ball with a longer flight time is better suited to the conditions here on the Costa’s.
If you consistently use the same golf ball and you understand the flight characteristics relative to your ‘game’ you will find club selection easier and eliminate doubt about how the ball will fly from rough or distances to carry bunkers and water hazards therefore allowing you to play the shot in a more positive manner.
Remember that confidence is POWER and clear thinking is POSITIVE.