38 replies to this topic

[dhc1]

Do they use v1/v1x even though many cannot compress like the men do?

[DECR]

Interested also. Anyone?

[tbowles411]

It depends on who you believe.  I've seen a LOT of ProV1's used.  I've seen Volvik used as well as Pentas.

Edited by tbowles411, 01 May 2012 - 10:30 AM.

[golfbum9]

Chances are they play the 1 over the x, but with that said, swingspeed in and of itself isn't the end all be all in regards to ball fitting. LPGA players "compress" the ball just fine- in fact FAR better than most

Edited by golfbum9, 01 May 2012 - 10:32 AM.

[tbowles411]

golfbum9, on 01 May 2012 - 10:32 AM, said:

Chances are they play the 1 over the x, but with that said, swingspeed in and of itself isn't the end all be all in regards to ball fitting. LPGA players "compress" the ball just fine- in fact FAR better than most

+1

And it depends on what you want the ball to do, in regards to your style of play.

[eric_b]

golfbum9, on 01 May 2012 - 10:32 AM, said:

Chances are they play the 1 over the x, but with that said, swingspeed in and of itself isn't the end all be all in regards to ball fitting. LPGA players "compress" the ball just fine- in fact FAR better than most

Watch out.....Gary Koch owns that line....he may sue....as that's pretty much all he's got....

But I digress....according to golf digest .com's what's in the winner's bag slideshow.....there's been a bunch of titleist (Yani plays a prov1x...so get ready to see that a lot), a bridgestone (Ai Miyazato) and a penta (Jessica Korda).....

[Vindog]

I can't imagine that the ProV wouldn't work for skilled pro golfers if they can work for amateurs with more "pedestrian" swing speeds.

[monkeynaut]

Compression is so overrated.  Are we thinking these ladies can't swing over 90 mph?  That sounds like a lot of male ego.  
The top 150 LPGA players in driving distance average 254 yds.  
I've seen a lot of prov1/v1x, and the like, around golf courses that didn't make it anywhere near 250.  
So, the idea that these little gals couldn't handle the same ball a lot of weekend warriors picks doesn't ring true.

I'm guessing they're more concerned with spin and approach shots, though, which they're not going to get with a lot of "ladies" balls/"distance" balls.

[jaskanski]

Compression is indeed a common myth.


SHOULD I PLAY A GOLF BALL WITH A LOWER COMPRESSION IF I DON'T COMPRESS IT LIKE A HIGH SWING SPEED PLAYER?
There is a common misconception that a player must match the compression of the golf ball to his or her swing speed in order to properly "compress" the ball. Every golfer compresses the golf ball on every full swing shots. In fact, the differences in the amount of compression across driver swing speeds are virtually indistinguishable as depicted in these photos taken from a high speed camera at impact.


Another myth is that lower swing speed players will hit a lower compression golf ball longer. No single element of golf ball design determines the golf ball's performance or its distance. The Titleist Golf Ball R&D team has a wide range of tools to design our golf balls to achieve specific performance characteristics. Its compression is simply a result of this process. Compression is a test of the relative softness of a golf ball and relates to how firm or soft a golf ball feels to a golfer. While there is no performance benefit to choosing a specific compression, many golfers (regardless of swing speed) do have feel preferences. Golfers who prefer softer feel may prefer lower compression golf balls.




Titleist has the highest ball count at most LPGA events.

Edited by jaskanski, 01 May 2012 - 01:12 PM.

[dhc1]

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 11:34 AM, said:

I can't imagine that the ProV wouldn't work for skilled pro golfers if they can work for amateurs with more "pedestrian" swing speeds.

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

[tbowles411]

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 11:34 AM, said:

I can't imagine that the ProV wouldn't work for skilled pro golfers if they can work for amateurs with more "pedestrian" swing speeds.

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

[Vindog]

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Now that makes a lot of sense.  I think that a lot of male amateurs could learn much from watching the Ladies game, as the top LPGA pros are doing about the same stuff as a regular fella.


Having said that....how on Earth was I to glean that from the original question?

[tbowles411]

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Now that makes a lot of sense.  I think that a lot of male amateurs could learn much from watching the Ladies game, as the top LPGA pros are doing about the same stuff as a regular fella.

Having said that....how on Earth was I to glean that from the original question?

This is perhaps one of the truest statements ever.  I believe this 1000%!  Their swingspeeds, distances and games approach ours, no matter how we want to have our egos stroked.  They play shots we should play.  It's fairways and greens, and from yardages most men should play from at a MAX!  But of course, it will all be debunked about how the ladies of the LPGA couldn't beat their way out of a paper bag...which we all know is wholly untrue!  

And yes Vin, I was a little lost too on the question.  

[monkeynaut]

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:45 PM, said:

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Now that makes a lot of sense.  I think that a lot of male amateurs could learn much from watching the Ladies game, as the top LPGA pros are doing about the same stuff as a regular fella.

Having said that....how on Earth was I to glean that from the original question?

This is perhaps one of the truest statements ever.  I believe this 1000%!  Their swingspeeds, distances and games approach ours, no matter how we want to have our egos stroked.  They play shots we should play.  It's fairways and greens, and from yardages most men should play from at a MAX!  But of course, it will all be debunked about how the ladies of the LPGA couldn't beat their way out of a paper bag...which we all know is wholly untrue!  

And yes Vin, I was a little lost too on the question.  

I ain't wearin' Girly Clothes!

[is1ander]

I had the impression the Pro V1x was just as if not more popular than the Pro V1 on the LPGA.  I think the lower spin off the tee is what gives them the extra distance everyone is looking for.  The Pro V1x feels a bit hard to me though.  I'll have to do a head to head again this summer.

[dhc1]

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 11:34 AM, said:

I can't imagine that the ProV wouldn't work for skilled pro golfers if they can work for amateurs with more "pedestrian" swing speeds.

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

Are any of these balls in play for the LPGA? If not, then the V1s short game feel isn't offset by the inability to maximize compression. Maybe I'll try the 330s

[dhc1]

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

Having said that....how on Earth was I to glean that from the original question?

Fair enough. It wasn't obvious.

[tbowles411]

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 04:40 PM, said:

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

Are any of these balls in play for the LPGA? If not, then the V1s short game feel isn't offset by the inability to maximize compression. Maybe I'll try the 330s

The 330 is a great ball.  But if I may ask, why must the ball be played on tour?  Shouldn't it fit what you do or want it to do?

[monkeynaut]

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 05:26 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 04:40 PM, said:

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

Are any of these balls in play for the LPGA? If not, then the V1s short game feel isn't offset by the inability to maximize compression. Maybe I'll try the 330s

The 330 is a great ball.  But if I may ask, why must the ball be played on tour?  Shouldn't it fit what you do or want it to do?

+1
Just bc LPGA is more similar to amateur it doesn't mean you'll have same swing speed, angle of attack, launch angle, ball spin...  Just finding the most popular ball on LPGA doesn't do you any better than grabbing the top ball on men's tour.  B330s has more in common with prov1.  If your swing speed is a concern, it sounds like it is based on this whole premise, then b330rxs is probably your ball.

[nbg352]

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

Vindog, on 01 May 2012 - 11:34 AM, said:

I can't imagine that the ProV wouldn't work for skilled pro golfers if they can work for amateurs with more "pedestrian" swing speeds.

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

Sorry to butt in here....could I make one little correction?
While the NXT Tour S is a 2 pce ball, it, according to Titleist, is the softer, spinnier of the two NXT balls.

[monkeynaut]

Titleist Pro V1x
Yani Tseng, Brittany Lang, Brittany Lincicome, Catriona Matthew, Karen Stupples, Wendy Ward, Maria Hernandez, Nannette Hill, Aree Song, Jenny Suh, Na Yeon Choi, Diana D'Alessio, Karlin Beck, Cydney Clanton, Jodi Ewart, Lisa Ferrero, Junthima Gulyanamitta, Katherine Hull, Amy (Chin-Huei) Hung, Tiffany Joh, Jimin Kang, Cindy LaCrosse, Sydnee Michaels, Belen Mozo, Gerina (Mendoza) Piller, Dewi Schreefel, Hee Kyung Seo, Stephanie Sherlock, Stacy Lewis, Kimberly Kim, Christina Kim, Danah Bordner, Shanshan Feng, Heather Young, Maria Jose Uribe, Alison Walshe,

  Titleist Pro V1
|Jiyai Shin, Cristie Kerr, In-Kyung Kim  Angela Stanford, Song-Hee Kim, Kristy McPherson, Lindsey Wright, Hee Young Park, Sun Young Yoo, Ji Young Oh, Candie Kung, Se Ri Pak, S tacy Prammanasudh, Alena Sharp, Louise Stahle, Hanna Kang, Valentine Derry, Lucy (Yoo Kyeong) Kim, Amy Yang, Mi-Jung Hur, Isabelle Beisiegel, Min Seo Kwak, Christel Boeljon, Dori Carter, Irene Cho, Meredith Duncan, Meaghan Francella, Kathleen Futcher, Julieta Granada, Hee-Won Han, Mina Harigae, Karine Icher, Haeji Kang, Molly Martin, Na On Min, Janice Moodie, Becky Morgan, Azahara Munoz, Ryann O'Toole, Jenny Shin, Jennifer Song, Beatriz Recari, So Yeon Ryu, Jennie Lee, Pernilla Lindberg, Seon-Hwa Lee, Mindy Kim, Nicole Castrale, Mollie Fankhauser, Allison Hanna-Williams, Marcy Hart, Pat Hurst, Juli Inkster, Juliana Murcia Ortiz, Nicole Hage, Caroline Hedwall, Jane Rah, Amelia Lewis, Kris Tamulis,

   Callaway HEX Black
Leta Lindley,Maude-Aimee LeBlanc,Morgan Pressel,Sandra Gal,Vicky Hurst,
Taylor Made Penta
Natalie Gulbis,Paula Creamer? (Also listed as Bridgestone B330RX),

  Srixon Z-Star    Laura Davies, Paige MacKenzie,

[Awsi Dooger]

What's the story on the Volvik ball? Can't say I've ever played it, or even seen one surface via my scoop. I scoop plenty.

That company now advertises heavily during the LPGA telecasts. And on the Symetra Tour live scoring they now list the players who use Volvik, not the ones who play Titleist. Quite a few of the Symetra players use Volvik, including Esther Choe, who won the two most recent events but now has to wait more than a month before opportunity for the battlefield promotion.

Nicole Smith of Big Break Ireland also plays Volvik. She's 3rd on the Symetra money list, albeit not much separation to 10th, which is the cutoff for a high status LPGA card.

On the LPGA live scoring they still list the players who use Titleist, not Volvik.

[tbowles411]

nbg352, on 01 May 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

tbowles411, on 01 May 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

You have misinterpreted my question. I am trying to figure out what golf ball I should use and think that the LPGA is a better proxy for me than the PGA whose SS I can't even comprehend. I assume that the LPGA players optimize all of their equipment including balls so I wanted to see if they used a different ball than the default v1s. Looks like theydo use the same balls as the PGA so no insight there for me.

Well, that's a different question.  There are a few balls you can try depending on what you want to accomplish:

a.  Srixon's Q Star (for distance) or Z Star SL (more spin).  Both have better compression for average SS's.  
b.  Titelist has the Velocity (distance), DT Solo (softer distance), NXT Tour (More tour like, less spin) and Tour S (less spin than the NXT Tour).  
c.  Bridgestone Soft Feel, 330-RX (distance, less spin) and the 330-RXS (more spin around the greens).

All of those may give you what you're looking for.  

Sorry to butt in here....could I make one little correction?
While the NXT Tour S is a 2 pce ball, it, according to Titleist, is the softer, spinnier of the two NXT balls.

You're right!

Edited by tbowles411, 01 May 2012 - 09:05 PM.

[tbowles411]

Awsi Dooger, on 01 May 2012 - 07:18 PM, said:

What's the story on the Volvik ball? Can't say I've ever played it, or even seen one surface via my scoop. I scoop plenty.

That company now advertises heavily during the LPGA telecasts. And on the Symetra Tour live scoring they now list the players who use Volvik, not the ones who play Titleist. Quite a few of the Symetra players use Volvik, including Esther Choe, who won the two most recent events but now has to wait more than a month before opportunity for the battlefield promotion.

Nicole Smith of Big Break Ireland also plays Volvik. She's 3rd on the Symetra money list, albeit not much separation to 10th, which is the cutoff for a high status LPGA card.

On the LPGA live scoring they still list the players who use Titleist, not Volvik.

I'm actually shocked.    

I don't know anything about the Volvik either.  I've got to do some digging!  Maybe a Asian Tour ball?

EDIT:  Evidently, they sell them here too, but have never seen one.

http://www.volvikgolfusa.com/

Edited by tbowles411, 01 May 2012 - 09:09 PM.

[Mr22putt]

Also..........I believe all LPGA events...the ranges ball are ProV's or at least the ones I've attended.

Volvik's currently premium ball is kinda like a NXT tour...they have yet to commercially produce a urethane ball....who knows if the LPGA pros who use them have an approved urethane prototype.

Most of you likely know the Volvik Crystal ball...my wife's fav...more a gimmick ball....but then again my wife shotos 105-110.

[is1ander]

Well there you go.  Looks like I might be playing the right ball after all. JK.  Every ball has strengths and weakness.  You just have to experiment enough to find the one that matches up with what you want it to do.  I think the most important rule is to avoid any preconceived notions about ball models or brands.  Let your game decide what's right for you.

[Rich1234]

dhc1, on 01 May 2012 - 10:24 AM, said:

Do they use v1/v1x even though many cannot compress like the men do?

Amateur men can't compress like the pros, but that doesn't stop them from playing high compression balls - "Gimme a sleeve of them Pro balls!!"

One would hope the women pros have a better insight into their golf ball needs.  

[Miss Shanksalot]

I use the Volvik Lady 350 when available. Apparently, according to golfballs.com, there's some sort of distributor muck-up with these (non-crystal 3-piece) balls right now. Fortunately, I still have a few sleeves left. I don't know what I'll use when they're gone, though. Maybe by that time they'll have the distribution issues solved. Anyway, I like it better than the Bridgestone e6 or the Lady Precept.

Kim

[Miss Shanksalot]

Mr22putt, on 01 May 2012 - 09:26 PM, said:

..but then again my wife shotos 105-110.

Is that good or not?

[LOVE4LPGA]

Why do they make the SoLo low compression ball?

Funny how the only major ball OEM deriding compression is the company with least number of low compression models.

I don't buy that it's a myth. I would agree that it is not the only important consideration.

jaskanski, on 01 May 2012 - 01:10 PM, said:

Compression is indeed a common myth.


SHOULD I PLAY A GOLF BALL WITH A LOWER COMPRESSION IF I DON'T COMPRESS IT LIKE A HIGH SWING SPEED PLAYER?
There is a common misconception that a player must match the compression of the golf ball to his or her swing speed in order to properly "compress" the ball. Every golfer compresses the golf ball on every full swing shots. In fact, the differences in the amount of compression across driver swing speeds are virtually indistinguishable as depicted in these photos taken from a high speed camera at impact.


Another myth is that lower swing speed players will hit a lower compression golf ball longer. No single element of golf ball design determines the golf ball's performance or its distance. The Titleist Golf Ball R&D team has a wide range of tools to design our golf balls to achieve specific performance characteristics. Its compression is simply a result of this process. Compression is a test of the relative softness of a golf ball and relates to how firm or soft a golf ball feels to a golfer. While there is no performance benefit to choosing a specific compression, many golfers (regardless of swing speed) do have feel preferences. Golfers who prefer softer feel may prefer lower compression golf balls.




Titleist has the highest ball count at most LPGA events.