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**AussieGolfBoy** · 03-18-2009, 12:13 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

If all your chasing is pure distance then you can't look past the Callaway HX Hot (Red Logo)... these things go an absolute mile.... but they are a hard ball. no good for feel, around the greens or u want something that will stop on a 20c piece. They are also cheap.

Next up in price i would go the Callaway HX Hot Bite (Green Logo). The cover is a little softer, they go almost as far, but have a better feel to them.

What i'm using now is the Taylormade TP Red balls. top of the $$$ out of the 3, but best all round ball IMO. i hit these further than the Callaways Tour i. in saying that i chose this over the callaway tour i as it has a better feel for me off the putter. they also also designed to promote a lower trajectory.

I play off 14 also.. here are my stats / ball.
distance averages in metres
Tour i - 240m
HX Hot - 250m
hX Hot Bite - 235m
TP Red - 250m

stopping ability on green
Tour i - spins back - biggest one to spin came back 3m
HX Hot - rolls 4m
HX Hot Bite - rolls 1m
TP Red - spins back - biggest one to spin back 2m

prob a little more technical than what you were chasing, but thats what i find from these 4 balls.

**rotator** · 03-18-2009, 02:57 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

Hi mariner,

I believe your question may be dependent on some other factors as well. Your particular swing and the characteristics of your driver setup may make a difference in what ball goes the farthest for you versus someone else.

Distance is more dependent on the ball speed you develop, not club head speed. Ball speed is a function of launch angle, characteristics of the shaft and your loading ability for that shaft, and the spin rate developed. So loft of head, shaft flex and club speed make the difference in the ball speed. Look up Smash Factor.

Certain balls are made to spin more or less, so they have to be matched with the above factors.

That is why certain balls, like the Noodle, Precept Lady are recommended for players who have slower club speeds. You know the story about the Precept Lady, which was found to be the ball of choice for many Nationwide Tour players, because it gave them additional length. There was a massive run on them by the public in proshops and ebay, and the prices went up. There may a reference to this on Google.

I believe that the Pro V was tested and it was found it may give most casual golfers low single digit yardage increases in distance, but the pros are able to get double digit increases.

Having said this, I've played most balls before being aware of the above, and I was getting more distance with certain balls, such as the TM Red, Callaway HX Red.

Ted

**bdbl** · 03-18-2009, 05:38 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

As others say Mariner, there is no simple answer so I wont try to give you one.
However I will say how pleased I was to read a post from someone who doesn't hit 300+ but still has a respectable handicap. Having put into practice some lesson advice I've extended my range from 180-220 to 180-240 depending on on how good or poor a swing I manage. I plan some experiments with different balls over the coming months - I'll share the results if you want.

**dagosa** · 04-04-2009, 01:35 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

I agree with Mr. bdbl and rotator
I am of the foolish opinion that many of the real cheapos can give you excellent distance. What you don't get is consistency in ball flight and distances more than a few rounds you can depend upon in the better golf balls. So I concluded that the biggest distance increase, if you are already using a good quality golf ball will be other factors and how well you match ball to your swing.

I've informally tested ProV1 vs some cheap Dunlops models and found for me, as long as the Dunlops are new, their distance compared well, and very often longer...With variation in ball flight with other clubs and inconsistent distant control, they couldn't touch the ProV1 though; where the scoring matters.

**AussieGolfBoy** · 04-04-2009, 02:47 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

on the other end of the scale, you should be choosing a ball for it's putting ability over it's distance off the tee. find a ball that you like the feel of off the putter and you score will increase... no one wins a golf comp by driving long.

**GolfJunkieSr** · 04-05-2009, 08:33 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

My swing speed is not what it use to be, but I have proven to my self that the lower compression balls travel farther for my swing. Right now I am playing a Volvik 70 compression ball since bought a few dozen at a "going out of business" sale. ($10 P/Dz) Normally I play Wilson Staff 50 ball. Both play well for me, with the WS 50 being the longer, more accurate of the two, but he Volvik is saving me 1 or 2 putts per round. It is my belief that a golfer's short game will always save more strokes than distance, regardless of their handicap. GJS

**dagosa** · 04-05-2009, 09:34 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

Originally posted by AussieGolfBoy View Post

on the other end of the scale, you should be choosing a ball for it's putting ability over it's distance off the tee. find a ball that you like the feel of off the putter and you score will increase... no one wins a golf comp by driving long.

My way of agreeing...pick a ball for reasons other than just distance; because the distance is seldom that much more to be worth the loss of other factors.

**AussieGolfBoy** · 04-07-2009, 11:07 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

as you can see from my examples in my first post. between all the different balls i listed there is only 1 club length distance between the shortest and longest ball chosen. thats nothing on the golf course.

a typical par4 is about 365m (?? 390 yards ??) the average golfer drives the ball 200m (220 yards). so your left with a 165m (180 yard) shot in for your 2nd. an extra 10m either way really isn't going to change too much. if your a high handicapper and can't reach this in 2 then aim your 2nd shot short of the green then chip close for 3.. 2 putt for 5 and you still walk away with a net PAR.

**Mox** · 04-07-2009, 11:19 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

Originally posted by AussieGolfBoy View Post

as you can see from my examples in my first post. between all the different balls i listed there is only 1 club length distance between the shortest and longest ball chosen. thats nothing on the golf course.

a typical par4 is about 365m (?? 390 yards ??) the average golfer drives the ball 200m (220 yards). so your left with a 165m (180 yard) shot in for your 2nd. an extra 10m either way really isn't going to change too much. if your a high handicapper and can't reach this in 2 then aim your 2nd shot short of the green then chip close for 3.. 2 putt for 5 and you still walk away with a net PAR.

And if you spend just as much time on the practice greens learning to chip it close as you do on the driving range, learning to hit it far, I'm willing to bet, that you'll have quite a number of 1-putted greens.

**AussieGolfBoy** · 04-07-2009, 11:25 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

I played a game on Sunday just gone.. relatively short course, but i was hitting just about as good as i can.

I ended up with 81 off the stick and 24 putts.

needless to say, a lot of my 2nd shots came just off the green and my chipping was good. inside 5ft. i only had six 2 putts all day and 1 double bogie.

**mariner** · 04-07-2009, 11:41 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

Originally posted by Mox View Post

And if you spend just as much time on the practice greens learning to chip it close as you do on the driving range, learning to hit it far, I'm willing to bet, that you'll have quite a number of 1-putted greens.

Oh yeah I know that, I just feel I'm lacking length for my handicap of 14, being outdriven by people who are taking 10-20 shots more than me at the end of the round. My chipping is quite good, I'd give myself 7 out of 10, but 4 out of 10 for driving distance so I figured that's what I need to work on.
Putting comes and goes, as long as the ball goes where I aim it, I feel I'm technically sound there and they drop or they don't.
I am surprised that with all this stuff you hear about distance balls and "feel" balls that there is only a clublength's difference between the lot of them?? Is that really true?
I assumed we would be talking 20 yards or so!
I used the Callaway HX hot yesterday and it was ok, but I still got outdriven by those people that land behind where I did but then roll past me, but that's me hitting it too high, not the ball.

**AussieGolfBoy** · 04-07-2009, 11:53 AM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

it sounds to me that your swing mechanics are off. and if your not getting any roll, without seeing your swing you could be hitting off the back foot... big no no...

can you get some video footage of your swing.

also. you may need to see a golf pro and have a lesson.. when i did this i picked up 20 - 30m within 3 months.

**mariner** · 04-07-2009, 12:57 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

Ah well, I have a current thread going in the golf swing section asking how can I stop hitting the ball up in the air with excess spin on it!
I've had a lesson concerning this and the pro said it's because I'm chopping down on it too much and not sweeping it off the tee wth an upward motion - I definitely don't hit off the back foot though.
I tried a few of the things suggested concerning set up change and lost my swing for a bit - everyone said don't tinker with a consistently straight 200 yard drive, so I'm not going to.
It was suggested I maybe change my driver, which is an offset square-headed 12 degree 460cc, I've tried 10 degree ones but the trade off is more distance less accuracy in equal measure, and I'm not giving up the accuracy.
All of which explains why I'm here looking for balls that go further in the first place!

**bill reed** · 04-07-2009, 01:44 PM

Re: What are the longest golf balls?

hi Mariner
try putting a tee an inch to two inches in front of your tee'd up ball and when you set up look at the tee and not the ball. this helps you sweep into the ball more and may be just what your after. it also makes you move your head more to the left a little so you look at the ball out your left eye more. when you set up without the tee in front of the ball you look more out your right eye at the ball.
hope it helps.
Bill

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What are the longest golf balls?

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