• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Practical Golf

Golf Tips Made Simple

  • Home
  • Deals
  • Content
    • Physical
    • Mental
    • Reviews
    • Videos
    • Practice Games
  • Practical Golf
  • Insider Access
    • Videos
    • Practice Games
    • eBooks
    • Interviews
    • Contributors
  • Forum
  • Contact
golf tips
Big news!
My new book, The Four Foundations of Golf, is now available on Amazon ➡

How Do Range Balls Perform vs. Premium Golf Balls?

range balls vs regular balls

Did you ever stop to think how different the typical range ball would perform against a premium golf ball that you play on the course? I’ve been curious for a while, so I put it to the test.

In this article, I’ll help you understand how a range ball is manufactured differently, and more importantly, how that can alter the ball flight you see on the driving range.

The Main Differences

I think most golfers know there is a difference between range balls and premium balls, but I was interested to find out what exactly it was.

So I reached out to one of the foremost authorities on golf balls, Dean Snell. Dean is the founder of Snell Golf, and he spent more than 28 years in golf ball research and development. He is listed on 40 U.S. patents and was part of the team that developed the original Pro V1 ball for Titleist. He also launched several popular golf ball lines for TaylorMade. Long story short – Dean knows a thing or two about golf balls.

According to Dean, most range balls use a very cheap base rubber. There are very loose specs, which means you can expect different performance within the same batch.

The covers of range balls are typically made of a thicker (and firmer) Surlyn blend to make them more durable. Additionally, there is a thick layer of paint applied to help preserve the external finish. Overall, Dean says you can expect slower ball speeds and very different performance on crucial launch characteristics such as spin and height versus a premium ball.

In his opinion, they are suitable for warming up before a round, but you should not base any kind of data off of range balls for club fitting.

Range Balls Tested

My golf course has two kinds of range balls, a limited-flight ball, and a typical practice model. I collected a random sample of both (don’t worry I returned them!) to get an idea of how they would perform versus a premium ball.

For my test, I used the Snell Golf MTB Black. I have been playing with this ball the last several years, and I showed that they performed almost identically to the Titleist Pro V1 in my review earlier this year.

To get an idea how the balls performed, I took full swings with my Sand Wedge, 7-Iron, and Driver.

Club - SWBall Speed (mph)Launch AngleTotal SpinCarry YardsTotal YardsHeight (feet)
Limited Flight Range8126.492139710154
Normal Range8129.775669810463
Snell MTB Black8529.7821310410972

You can see with my Sand Wedge there was a progression in ball speed, distance, and height. Both range balls are flying lower and shorter than the Snell MTB Black. They’re in the ballpark, but there is a difference in performance.

Club - 7-IronBall Speed (mph)Launch AngleTotal SpinCarry YardsTotal YardsHeight (feet)
Limited Flight Range11215.8527815616863
Normal Range11518.3396116818375
Snell MTB Black11918.8448917619187

With the 7-iron I start to see more significant differences. The same trends hold up, but the discrepancies are much larger. I can launch my 7-iron significantly higher and farther with the Snell ball versus both range balls.

Club - DriverBall Speed (mph)Launch AngleTotal SpinCarry YardsTotal YardsHeight (feet)
Limited Flight Range14013245722424566
Normal Range14415.6206424126681
Snell MTB Black15114.3199525228181

Lastly, with the driver, you see even bigger changes in ball flight. Between the Snell ball and the limited flight ball, I am gaining nearly 40 yards in total distance.

Key Takeaways

I think the test shows that there are some significant differences between range balls and premium balls. While I don’t think you should ignore what happens on the range, you should be aware that there can be changes in the trajectory and distance.

Therefore, I wouldn’t use your distances on the range to benchmark your club distances. It would be best to do that with a launch monitor using premium balls or with an on-course shot tracking system like GAME GOLF or ShotScope.

However, I don’t want to discourage you from practicing with range balls either. I have been practicing my whole life on practice ranges and used my ball flight to make significant swing changes. Think of it more like a relatively close simulation of what you would see on the course.

Want to Get Exclusive Discounts on Some of the Top Golf Products?

Check out our deals for Practical Golf readers!

SEE THE DEALS

About the Author

Jon Sherman is the owner of Practical Golf, a website dedicated to being an honest resource for the everyday golfer who is looking to enjoy the game more, as well as improve. He is the author of the bestselling book 101 Mistakes All Golfers Make (and how to fix them). You can find him on Twitter here - @practicalgolf, where he is happy to chat about golf with anyone.

More Practical Golf Articles:

longer driver shaft experiment

The Longer Driver Shaft Experiment: Is Longer Better?

Replace Your Grips, It’s Worth It

how to sell used golf clubs

How To Sell Used Golf Clubs: 3 Ways to Get Cash for Your Equipment

Golfers Shoot The Scores They Are Comfortable With

Primary Sidebar

Before Footer

  • Insider Access
  • Account
  • Logout
  • Login

Footer

About The Site

Practical Golf is an honest resource for the everyday golfer who is looking to enjoy the game more, and find ways to improve - Learn More
golf tips

The Book

101 Mistakes All Golfers Make is your complete guide to golf. It will be your reference guide for years to come!

Subscribe To The Newsletter

Join more than 30,000 golfers and receive email updates when new articles post. We'll also send you a free copy of our bestselling eBook on course strategy

Become a Fan On Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter

Copyright © 2022 Practical Golf | Powered by: WP Engine | Built on: The Genesis Framework
Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclosure | Site Design by 3200.PRO

/* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Single Post - start */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /*.logged-in .non-logged-in-ad-block { display:none; } .non-logged-in-ad-block { display:block; position: fixed; right: 0px; top: 250px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1400px) { .non-logged-in-ad-block { display:none; } } .code-block-2:nth-of-type(even) { display:none !important; } */ /* ----------------------------------------- */ /* Content Template: Single Post - end */ /* ----------------------------------------- */
Practical Golf
  • Home
  • Content
    • Physical
    • Mental
    • Reviews
    • Videos
    • Practice Games
    • Back
  • Deals
  • Forum
  • Insider Access
    • Videos
    • eBooks
    • Interviews
    • Practice Games
    • Back
  • Insider Login
  • Contact