Jack Nicklaus has been talking about reining the ball in for years. Now somewhere, most likely a long way down the line, bifurcation might kick in to the men’s game and the tour golfers will use a different ball to the rest of us.
So would we want to carry on with the ball that will give us the most yards or play with the same ball as Tiger and co? For reference Hannah is a scratch golfer who plays in a lot of elite amateur competitions while the rest offer a spread of handicaps with Alex (14), Steve (11) and Mark (8).
- More on bifurcation: What is it and how will it affect you?
Alex: Like most hackers I feel nothing but adrenalin when I let one loose out the middle of the big stick. It’s one of golf’s genuine thrills.
So why on earth would I want to use a different ball to the one I’ve been using my entire life, the ball that gives me so much unrivalled joy?
If it happens at the top of the game then so be it – it will never affect me in any way. Leave us alone with our balls that, if we catch a tasty one, might feel like they’re going 300 but actually go about 230. Nothing feels better.
If I wanted to smack something really hard and watch it go nowhere I’d play badminton.
Steve: No. I feel like, to an extent, we have a similar choice now anyway – go with a big premium ball or go for something a bit more in our price range. I’ve tended to take the latter option – premium balls are expensive when you’re losing them – and I reckon I’d feel a similar way if a tournament ball came into play.
I suppose there’s an element of wanting to play what the pros do but it wouldn’t be very practical. Given I can barely carry it onto the fairway as it is, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to sacrifice distance just to say I’m shipping the same ball as Tiger.
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