Equipment
The truth: scuffed golf balls
It may seem like you’d need to do a fair bit of damage to a golf ball to have an impact on how it flies, but the slightest blemish can actually have a big impact on how they perform.
The same can be said for other fast-moving objects, consider a race car. If a rally car suffers noticeable damage, it can massively affect the speed, control, and overall performance the car has going around a track.
We’ve all no doubt found balls on the course and added them to our bags, but if we asked you to go and have a look in your ball pocket now, what would you find? Do you regularly play with fresh balls or do they tend to be on the scuffed side?
Today we want to remind you of how wear and tear directly affects ball performance as well as the differences between and purposes of firm and soft golf balls.
The impact of scuff marks
Scuffing a golf ball is one of the easiest things in the world to do. You are striking it with a metal club after all, so it’s only inevitable that a golf ball’s condition is going to deteriorate the more you use it.
Studies have shown that scuff marks can affect a ball’s performance in a number of ways, most noticeably the ball flight. If a section of the ball’s surface is scuffed, the ball is more likely to fly lower and have less carry distance when compared to a fresh golf ball.
We’d certainly recommend always heading out on the course with plenty of backup balls in your back to avoid having your score impacted by damaged balls.
The impact of mud
If you ever hit your shot away from the pristinely cut fairway, there’s a good chance you’re going to end up with mud on the ball. Wet conditions churn up the ground, and you can certainly expect to be cleaning your ball regularly if there’s recently been a spell of rain.
As you can expect, having mud on the ball automatically adds mass to it, and interferes with the ball’s aerodynamics. Mud tilts the ball off its axis while it’s flying through the air, and directly impacts certain factors including ball speed, launch angle, and spin. It’s therefore best to clean your ball should you land in any thick mud.
The impact of cracks
Having a crack in your ball, even a little one, is a sure sign that it’s time to throw that ball away and a grab a new one. Even if it’s not a deep one, a crack completely disrupts a balls exterior dimple pattern, ruining the airflow and flight efficiency.
A cracked ball will have an unpredictable ball flight, short travel distance, and be hard to control. So overall, we’d sum up that you should clean your ball if it’s dirty and bin if it it’s damaged.
We have a huge range of golf balls available in the pro shop that will have you boosting your confidence and playing better golf, but which kind do you go for? We now want to give you our recommendation of the best Wilson golf balls you can find in the shop.
Wilson's latest golf balls
Just as clubs have different models to suit golfers of varying abilities, so too do golf balls, and the latest balls from Wilson are a real joy to play with.
If you’re a high-handicap player, you’ll feel at home playing with the Duo Soft golf balls. As the name implies, Wilson has given this ball a two-layer construction that not only gives it a phenomenally soft feel when you strike it, but also reduces spin on longer shots to give you predictable, penetrating ball flights. The Duo Soft also features a high-energy core that provides faster ball speeds off the tee for exceptional distance down the fairway.
The Duo Soft is also available in a separate model that comes with a dynamic alignment aid. The Duo Soft TRK360 model features a bold two-colour circular visual aid that encompasses the center of the ball. This distinctive design makes it very straightforward to line up your putts when you’re honing in on the hole. Why not give this ball a go? You might just find your new favourite piece of kit.
If you’re a skilled player, you’ll get on well with Wilson’s Staff Model series of golf balls. Both the standard and X variations have a 4-piece urethane construction that brings excellent stability and speed on your strikes, giving you penetrating ball flights with long distance off the tee. The standard Staff Model ball provides an ideal all-round performance; a medium compression core helps contribute towards giving you more distance while the thin urethane cover provides a great sense of feel on your wedge shots.
Another excellent golf ball offering from Wilson is the Staff Model X. This ball features a lot of same great tech as is found in the standard model but has a firmer core unless greater distance and spin. This ball is ideal for players seeking a workable golf ball that sill help them shape shots and get the spin they’re after when approaching the greens. A flawless paint finish also makes this ball fantastic to look at from all angles.
We understand golf ball knowledge may not be your forte, but that’s where we come in. We’re always available in the pro shop if you’d like to seek out our professional advice.
