Pros get better balls than we do?

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By Tom M

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  • 5 Replies
  1. Tom M

    Tom M
    Red Hook, NY

    For many years I have heard the rumor that the balls the pros are given to play with are 'better' than the ones from our retailers shelves. In other words, the pros play the 'pick of the litter' as to manufacturing tolerances. The golf ball manufacturers may not want to discuss this openly, but is there anyone out there who can opine?

  2. Mike D., Titleist Staff

    Mike D., Titleist Staff
    Ashland, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Tom M said:

    For many years I have heard the rumor that the balls the pros are given to play with are 'better' than the ones from our retailers shelves. In other words, the pros play the 'pick of the litter' as to manufacturing tolerances. The golf ball manufacturers may not want to discuss this openly, but is there anyone out there who can opine?


    Hi Tom,

    This is a question that we hear from time to time and it is important to note that we apply the same, stringent manufacturing tolerances for all of our golf balls. Titleist has always been committed to manufacturing and design excellence with a focus on providing the most consistent, superior quality golf balls.  Also, the golf balls sold through authorized Titleist retailers are the same golf balls that are found out on the professional tours. 

    And just in case you were wondering about equipment, here is an answer from one of our Titleist Tour Reps in response to another Team Titleist member's question...

    Aman M. asked:     Is the equipment that tour players use a little different from what we use?

     

  3. Tom M

    Tom M
    Red Hook, NY

    Thx for the reply. I posted this question a while back on the NY Times and one of the replies from an industry insider was:

    As to question about special balls for the tour, the answer is that the pros play with (usually) the same golf balls that is available to the public. The difference is that the golf balls for the pros are sorted to a tighter specification.

    So I guess this says the same thing you are saying, but adds something about 'sorted to a tighter specification.' What does this mean?

  4. Mike D., Titleist Staff

    Mike D., Titleist Staff
    Ashland, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Tom M said:

    Thx for the reply. I posted this question a while back on the NY Times and one of the replies from an industry insider was:

    As to question about special balls for the tour, the answer is that the pros play with (usually) the same golf balls that is available to the public. The difference is that the golf balls for the pros are sorted to a tighter specification.

    So I guess this says the same thing you are saying, but adds something about 'sorted to a tighter specification.' What does this mean?


    Hi Tom,

    I'm not sure I can answer that question for you as we don't apply a different specification for our golf balls based on a final destination. You would need to ask that person to clarify their comment.

    As I noted above, we apply the same stringent manufacturing tolerances for all of our golf balls and the golf balls sold through authorized Titleist retailers are the same golf balls that are found out on the professional tours.  

    Another importnat note is that every Titleist golf ball is made at a Titleist facility by Titleist employees and our goal is always to set the bar in the industry for manufacturing quality and consistency.

  5. Brent W

    Brent W
    St George, UT

    By "sorted" they might have meant the players themselves check each ball. If you spin a ball in a heavy concentration of salt water so they float, You can mark the top with a sharpie and if the same spot keeps coming to the surface all the time then the heavy end is on the bottom. Sometimes the ball rocks back and forth a lot and that is a ball which is heavier on one side by quite a bit, Keep the top mark on top when you putt as it will roll better. And use these for practice rounds. Now if you get balls that dont come up the same all the time you have a ball that is well balanced use these for tourney's or for the last few holes in a tourney so you have the confidence in knowing you have a perfect ball.  Whew hope this helps

  6. Tom M

    Tom M
    Red Hook, NY

    Well, I guess I will go with Brent's 'sorted by self' theory for the moment . . . However, in a sport as competitive and lucrative as professional golf, I have to think there are some guys out there getting some kind of doping (sorting) of their balls in the manufacturing cycle for that .00001 advantage they might get. I mean, when a pro steps on the tee and his caddy hands him a ball, is that the eggsack same ball that I bought at Golfsmith last week? The pros equipment is tweaked to the Nth degree - can't imagine they are not getting the best balls that the factory turns out.

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