Our Ball Fitting Process
With so many golf balls on the market, how do you know which ball is right for you?
At Golf & Ski, we specialize in fitting you to the right ball for your ability, preferences, goals and budget. It’s a process that will help you play with more confidence and lead to better results.
You may not think there’s a need to be fit to a golf ball, but the truth is, everyone has an ideal ball that will maximize your performance and enjoyment.
So let’s take a look at how our ball fitting process works and learn how it can help you.
Background Information
We like to start our ball fitting process by learning which ball (or balls) you currently like to play.
We then ask some questions about what you want your ball to do. This is the most important element in our ball fitting process.
Do you like the feel of something a little firmer? Or do you prefer a ball that’s a little softer?
Are you focused on more distance? Or do you want more spin and control around the green?
Maybe you want a ball that goes straighter. Or you’d like to launch the ball higher. Or lower.
Maybe you want to reduce a slice.
Or perhaps you want a combination of qualities. No matter what you’re looking for, we can introduce you to the best solution.
Let’s Talk Options
Once we know the ball you’re playing now and the qualities you’re looking for, we can compare your current ball to other options.
We will explain what other balls will do better. And the ball choices you have, given your objectives.
Our goal is make sure you wind up with an option or two that you’re comfortable with—because golf is game of confidence and you need to feel assured you’re headed in the right direction.
Ball Fitting is Unique
Keep in mind, being fit to a golf ball is not as cut and dried as a driver fitting. There are more variables and more feel involved in a ball fitting.
That said, we can and do have some customers hit different balls in our hitting bays and use our sophisticated launch monitors to measure the results.
Doing this, we can see spin rates and trends—a grouping of balls, whether a ball is consistently a little longer, or if it has a higher or lower ball flight.
What the monitor cannot measure is how the ball responds around the green. The only way to judge that is for you to try the ball on the course or a practice area, see how it goes, and decide if the feel is good for you.
Golf Ball Construction & Categories
The way a golf ball performs is based on how it is constructed. As a result, golf balls fall into different categories based on how they are made.
Lower priced balls are generally constructed with two pieces—a solid core and a cover—and built for pure distance.
In this category, core construction and density varies between balls, which affects how firm or soft they are. All are made with some blend of a hard surlyn cover.
Most lower priced balls do not spin much. The softer two-piece balls can feel like a marshmallow at impact.
Mid-priced balls have the biggest variance in construction. Some are two-piece (core and softer urethane cover), while others are constructed of three-pieces (two core densities and either a urethane or a surlyn cover).
The added layer in a three-piece ball allows the club head to interact with different layers at impact, based on club head speed.
Shots hit with your driver, fairway woods and hybrids compress the inner core or cover for greater distance. Shots hit with your short irons and wedges interact with the outer core or cover for more feel and spin.
Mid-priced balls come with either harder surlyn covers for distance or softer urethane covers to enhance spin and provide greater feel.
Premium level balls are universally made with soft urethane covers and can have three, four or five layers, depending on the ball.
When you strike these balls, you’re interacting with the different layers based on club head speed to maximize your performance for that specific shot.
Manufacturers can optimize distance, spin and feel by incorporating multiple covers and/or cores for the variety of shots you hit in a round.
There’s a great deal more technology in premium level balls, and the upgrade in performance is noticeable.
Club Head Speed
Some golf ball manufacturers talk about the importance of your club head speed in ball fitting, while other ball makers don’t mention it as a key factor.
Our view is that every golfer is looking for different qualities, so club head speed, while worth considering, should not dictate ball selection.
Typically, lower swing speeds benefit from using a softer ball. But you might like a firmer ball even though you have a slow club head speed.
And Phil Mickelson, who has a very high swing speed, plays a softer ball (Callaway Chrome Soft).
So it’s all up to the individual. We can help guide you to the right solution.
Be Consistent
Once you decide on your category and your cover, it’s crucial to stick to playing the same type of ball.
The average golfer has five or six different balls in their bag at any given time— balls that often have different characteristics and as a result perform differently.
Since golf is all about reducing variables, moving from one type of ball to another within the same round or from one round to the next makes the game more difficult.
We highly recommend that you play the same ball—or the same type of ball within the same category—from round to round.
This will reduce your variables. You’ll know how your ball performs and have better results.
The Right Ball For You
Come let us fit you to the best ball for your game. With our help, you’ll optimize your performance and enjoyment—and isn’t that what it’s all about?