Lake balls or not?

Why shouldn't you play with used golf balls or so-called Florida balls?

Our vision with Hitpin Golf is that everyone should be able to afford to play premium golf balls with the same quality and performance as the best golf balls on the market – but at a price that allows all players, regardless of background and budget, to afford to play a really good golf ball. We often get the question; There are used golf balls and "Florida balls" available, aren't they just as good as new ones? The answer is no. A used golf ball or so-called "Florida ball" is not as good as a newly manufactured golf ball. Especially not when compared to a 4-piece, 3-piece, or 2-piece premium ball.

When suppliers of used golf balls refurbish old balls that have been in the water, they use various methods. Often, sandblasters are used, which harshly wash the cover of the ball. This removes the outermost transparent layer that protects the golf ball's dimple pattern. It is not uncommon for the ball to then be lightly sprayed with new paint to make it look new and unused. The result is a ball that does not live up to its promise.

Here we have compiled the most important reasons why you should not play a used golf ball or a so-called "Florida ball."

Florida balls worsen your golf game.

Florida Ball Rule No. 1

To play good golf, lower your score, and improve your handicap, you need to know how a ball behaves. How far does it go with a 7-iron, how much spin does it have with a driver, can you rely on it to bite on the green with a 56° wedge? Florida balls or used balls behave inconsistently. If you buy a dozen used golf balls, all 12 balls can behave differently. How then are you supposed to improve your game?

Professional golfers replace a used golf ball at the slightest damage.

Florida Ball Rule No. 2

Watch how Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and all the other pros on the PGA tour handle a used golf ball. After each hole played, they check their golf ball. At the slightest sign of damage, discoloration, or other impact on the ball, they replace it. This is the best proof that a used golf ball is a bad golf ball. They would never touch a Florida ball.

The quality varies a lot.

Florida Ball Rule No. 3

When you buy used golf balls or "Florida balls", you can certainly get balls that are high quality and perform as intended. However, the quality varies. It is impossible for companies selling used golf balls to guarantee consistent quality. Therefore, in the end, you don't know what type of golf ball you're playing with. It could be a Titleist, Bridgestone, or TaylorMade that behaves exactly as it should, but in the same package, there's a good chance you'll also find balls that look good but don't perform as they should at all.

A golf ball that has been in water for a long time is severely degraded.

Florida Ball Rule No. 4

Tests show that the performance of a golf ball that has been in water for a long time is significantly impaired and travels shorter distances. When Mygolfspy* conducted tests on Titleist Pro V1, there was a difference of up to 3 mph when hitting a normal driver. This resulted in drives up to 11 meters shorter. A 7-iron could go more than 6 meters shorter. 6 meters! That's often the difference between short or long of the green! The R&A, which approves golf balls for competition, has strict rules on how a ball should look and what size it can be. Tests also show that golf balls become more compressed when used and that their size changes.

Good price for a very bad product.

Florida Ball Rule No. 5

Used golf balls and Florida balls are cheap. But that doesn't mean they are good balls. You get what you pay for. Ultimately, a used golf ball or Florida ball is a used, washed, and often repainted golf ball that does not perform at all like the ball it is labeled as. There are often hidden damages, the ball's material is degraded, and even if you buy a dozen of a specific manufacturer and model, the package will contain balls from different years and often different materials.

Hidden damage affects a golf ball's trajectory and performance.

Florida Ball Rule No. 6

Every golf ball is thoroughly tested by a swing robot. Titleist Pro V1, TaylorMade TP5, or Bridgestone Tour B, just like Hitpin's golf balls, behave very accurately when struck with a golf driver, an iron, or a wedge, respectively. A "Florida ball" or a used golf ball is washed and even re-dyed white to make it look as new as possible. However, this does not mean the ball will perform as intended. Often, there are hidden damages that affect the ball's trajectory and performance.

The ball spins to the right, left, or not at all.

Florida Ball Rule No. 7

How a golf ball behaves in the air is determined by its construction and dimple pattern. If any of these components are damaged, the golf ball will behave differently. When you play, for example, a 3-piece ball or a 4-piece ball, the materials work together to make the ball spin less when you hit it with a driver and more when you use your wedge. The cleaner the dimple pattern is from damage, the more stably the golf ball flies and the spin is consistent. If the ball is damaged or its round shape is affected in any way, there is a risk that the ball will go in one direction or the other. In other words, a stronger draw or fade. The ball suddenly spins less. Ultimately, with a used golf ball, you don't really know how your golf ball will behave.

A used Titleist Pro V1 or a used TaylorMade TP5 is not a Titleist Pro V1 or Taylor Made

Florida Ball Rule No. 8

When you buy a used Titleist Pro V1 or TaylorMade TP5, it's not actually what the package contains. Even under perfect conditions, a golf ball changes over time. It is common for used golf balls, or so-called Florida balls, to actually be balls produced several years ago. Even more common is to mix balls produced in different years. Tests by MyGolfSpy* show that a dozen used Titleist Pro V1s contained balls from 3 different production years.