I chip, pitch and putt most every day and my shag bag has a mix of the performance balls(ProV,TP5,Chromesoft,ZStar etc.). Recently someone suggested to me that I practice w/ all the exact same brand and model that I play with so that there’s more consistency. It actually got me to thinking if there is some feel that I may not be gaining or developing by using such a variety in my greenside practice or if it’s all negligible?
It’s going to be negligible on any sort of measurable data (proximity, spin, etc), but the feel factor is qualitative and up to the individual. To you play with a single ball every round and is it feasible to practice the short game with just that ball? If so, then go for it as it certainly won’t hurt. If that’s not feasible though, it’s not going to be a big deal.
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One of my goals this season is to pick one ball and stick with it the majority of the time… I do think there is value in knowing how a ball will perform in most situations, and not having to worry about it behaving differently.
I will not practice with that ball consistently. I’d love to if I could, but it’s not really feasible on my practice facility with my budget… I don’t think it’s going to impact the way I play or practice… I’ll be using hard range balls and they will fly a little differently (and spin a little differently on the short range) but I’m hoping the time I spend on technique will be enough to help me improve.
In an ideal world, you’d practice with what you play… in the real world, I don’t think it’s worth the time and energy to worry about, especially if your bag is filled with premium urethane balls that will mostly react the same.
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I believe it was My Golf Spy that did a meta-analysis of the impact of using just one golf ball, and found that it had a statistically significant impact (positive outcome) to be consistent with the ball you use. Their data is Extensive on this topic. I urge you to use the same ball at all times. If you are afraid of losing good golfBalls, go to a less expensive brand. Work your way up to a better brand as your game improves. I still use a two ply ball though on record I prefer the Snell MTBX.
I think playing with and practicing with are 2 different kettle of fish… I’d bet practcing with the same balls is better overall, but impossible for amateurs without a ton of extra work (shag bag + empty practice facility).
On the course, I think it makes the most sense to play with the same ball as much as possible… I lost a chip off once accidentally using my partners Surlyn ball that didn’t check like mine would have… 100% anecdotal, but nothing worse than hitting a good shot and getting a bad result because of the ball.
Agreed about practice balls on the range; you have to use what’s there. I was thinking more along the lines of chipping, pitching, and putting practice which constitute the greatest opportunity for strokes gained. You make a good point.
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I do exclusively putt with the balls I game on the course… That is a simple one for me!
My solution is to buy lake balls via eBay to enable play and practice with same type of ball and at a reasonable cost. I don’t consider the ball to be that significant when doing range work compared to short game and putting.
I try to do my full shot practice on the course. Up until covid our course would be empty most weekday afternoons. And being a season pass holder, it was free. Compared to paying $10 for a bucket of rocks I could go out and use my urethane balls and hit every shot I wanted. Normally hit 2 drives, 3 or 4 approach shots from different spots and a couple of pitches or chips. No putts…save that for the putting green.