Free Ball Fitting for First 50 "Volunteers"
 

Despite all of the hoopla about golf clubs, most PGA Tour players who aren't afraid to get quoted say that the ball they play is more important than their clubs.

Until now there has been very little actual knowledge about golf ball performance. Marketing golf balls has been focused on PGA Tour endorsements. Titleist is the gorilla, with a monstrous lead in market share. The majority of tournament players at all levels play Titleist. And it's big business. Golf balls are the razor blades of the golf industry.

But why? Is Titleist the best ball for your game? Is there is a better ball than the one you're currently playing? If so, how would you know?

If golf balls are like golf clubs, there is little correlation between price and quality. Why should you fill your bag with $50 per dozen balls if you can get an 18 pack, just as good, for $12.99?

The answer might now be available. At the Golf Lab, our mission is to stay as far out on the "bleeding edge" of golf technology as possible. We've been in close contact with the two companies who are trying to help us understand how to choose golf balls scientifically. We think we have the inside track on how to help you find the right ball to fit your game. This newsletter focuses on the Advanced Golf Solutions ball fitting system.

Follow-up emails will cover an on-line, subscription- based option: Golfballselector.com. (That website will be operational within a couple of weeks.) And, Taylor Made is getting into the ball game and has an interesting philosophy.

 

 We love Golf Nuts
 

Advanced Golf Solutions is a small company that set out over three years ago to try to figure out how and why golf balls perform. The project took a lot longer than they imagined. Thousands of shots were "hit" and recorded. We received one of the very first copies of the AGS ball fitting software and have been working with it for a week. The software requires launch monitor data: ball speed, launch angle and spin rate. It wants to know the exact ball that was used for testing. From there, it makes a recommendation for the best ball to fit a specific player's game.

You can influence the outcome based on whether you're looking for distance or accuracy. There is a "slider" that lets you test various scenarios: all distance, all accuracy, 50-50 or 80-20. You can sort the outcome by manufacturer and price range if you don't want every option presented.

This is heavy duty software. All of the underlying data is made available for club fitters to "tweak" a fitting. So far, we have only worked with a few players so we're eager to gain experience. The recommendations have been surprising. If you're thinking about trying a new ball, you are guaranteed to get some radical ideas from the AGS ball fitting system.

 

 Free Fitting Offer
 

For the first fifty Golf Lab customers who "volunteer" to go through our ball fitting procedure, we will waive the fitting fee. That doesn't mean that the deal is totally free. We will provide you with several ball recommendations, based on whether you value distance or accuracy. It will then be your responsibility to buy a few sleeves of the recommended balls from your favorite source and give them a try on your course. Your testing doesn't have to be totally scientific, but we expect you hit some of our recommended distance balls from familiar tees - against your favorite balls - and note where they end up. If you decide to try some "accuracy" balls, we ask a few hours of short game practice and a report back on your findings. Our objective is to find out if all of the scientific study that went into the development of the AGS software results in improved performance on the golf course for normal players. As you know by now, we're always looking for "proof". We value your feedback.

The upside could be significant. The AGS fitting software has predicted up to 20 yards in additional distance just from changing balls. Same player, same swing, same ball speed, same launch angle, same spin - plus twenty yards. The reason for our free fitting offer is to find some of those players. We don't know any yet, but you could be the winner.

If you would like to take advantage of our "free ball fitting" please telephone the Golf Lab, 650-493-1770 and reserve a convenient time. The testing will be relatively quick, less than half an hour is required. You can combine the free ball fitting with a complete driver fitting for just $95 - a $30 incentive that we'll honor for players who book their fitting in the next two weeks. A complete driver fitting takes about an hour and a half.

 

 AGS Testing Methodology and Discoveries
 

The AGS project might very well be the most painstaking testing of golf balls that has ever been performed independently.

Virtually every golf ball in the market was acquired, "floated" to find the center of gravity and then marked with six specific impact points. The goal was to limit the effect of imperfect manufacturing by testing each ball in the same orientation.

Testing was done with an air cannon and a robot. The air cannon propels the ball at a precise rate. As the ball leaves the barrel of the cannon, it emerges without spin. The balance and aerodynamics of the ball then determines how it will fly. If the balance and aerodynamics are good, the ball will fly straight and long. A group of six balls from the same manufacturer might end up down range 250 yards grouped in an area the size of a large blanket. If the aerodynamics are bad, the balls might never be found.

When I head that story it got my attention. I wanted to know what brands AGS couldn't find.

AGS used the Cheetah radar-based launch monitor to track ball flight in the air. A characteristic of radar tracking devices is that they "ping" the ball at regular intervals. From those radar contacts, a very precise flight path can be plotted. AGS discovered one golf ball model that produced a significantly more stable path than all other balls. We can't identify that ball in our published newsletters, but we can tell you which ball looks different - and better - on the radar when you come in for your ball fitting.

 

 Surprises
 

We've spent a lot of time with launch monitors over the last five years. We know that each electronic gizmo has its strengths and weaknesses. There is one thing most launch monitors can't tell you. Launch monitors are not programmed to distinguish golf balls. The launch monitor assumes that every ball that travels at a certain speed, on a certain trajectory, with a certain spin rate will go the same distance. The AGS testing contradicts these assumptions. The AGS theory is that different balls will fly differently, even if hit with the same force. At the Golf Lab, we have been frustrated by trying to detect differences in ball performance with the tools that we have available. With the help of AGS research and testing, we think that we can help players find the right ball.

 

 How about Titleist?
 

So far, the Titleist ProV1 and ProV1x have never been recommended as the best distance ball. The main benefit of the Titleist brand appears to be consistency. Titleist factories manufacture a lot of golf balls and they do it well. If you play Titleist, you can find out from the AGS software exactly how much distance you are giving up. If you're going for pure distance and trust the AGS software, you will find yourself putting a new ball on the tee.

 

 Next Steps
 

If you want to take advantage of the latest developments in golf technology, give us a call at the Golf Lab and reserve a convenient time for your free fitting.