As the 2018 golf season starts to heat up, one of the major trends we're noticing is the rise of high-visibility golf balls (i.e. coloured ones). So what is the deal with these brightly coloured balls? Could they be the saviour you're looking for on the course later this year? Or are they just a bit of nonsense that will distract you from the task at hand? Here we take a hard look at the latest offerings from big brands like Titleist, Callaway, Volvik, Wilson and more. Read on to see if colour should be in your future rounds.
Tradition or Standout??? The choice is yours…
Golf is a game steeped in tradition. Tradition that is often hard to break. For years players have hit the course with the standard white golf ball. Sure there's been the occasional rebel who rocked up to a PGA Tour event with a coloured ball, but they definitely weren't the norm. And golfers who used them at their local course risked being scoffed at or just not being taken seriously.
However, in recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of players, both professional and amateur, who have switched to coloured golf balls. LPGA star Paula Creamer is known for her hot pink variety and last year the PGA Tour got spiced up when two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson signed with Volvik and also started playing with a hot pink ball. In November Watson announced he was no longer signed with the company and went back to playing his standard white Titleist but colour was already on the map!
Golf ball innovation has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades. The truth is no matter what brand/model you decide on the science behind your chosen golf ball remains the same, regardless of the colour on the front. The choice of colour then becomes about better visibility (in the air, on the fairways or in the rough) but also centres around personal taste (with many converts just leaning towards the colour they favour most).
“Coloured golf balls are clearly becoming more popular, so we are giving golfers a greater choice of colour options in the most popular Wilson Staff ball,” Lee Farrar, Wilson Staff's National Accounts Manager for the UK and Ireland said last October following the announcement that the brand's DX2 balls would now be available in five matte finishes.
Farrar went on to explain, “We're proud to launch the first low-compression Matte finish coloured ball in the DX range, providing the avid winter golfer with even greater performance benefits.”
It's taken some time but the major golf brands seem to be sensing the trend and are now employing their latest golf ball technologies into coloured varieties. So what could this mean for your game?
The Science of Colour
While there are many theories regarding why you should use a coloured ball, better visibility being cited most frequently, we found the argument that certain colours can have a positive effect on the psyche the most intriguing. Could the colour of your golf ball really help your confidence on the course and lead you to shave strokes off your score?
The psychology of colour refers to the mental, physical and emotional effect colours can have on our everyday lives. Broken down into warm and cool categories there is an emotional response associated with every hue. Warm colours such as red, orange and yellow are linked most with feelings of stimulation – such as excitement, energy and intensity. While cool colours like blue and green are most associated with feelings of calm and peacefulness.
So while the colour of your golf ball won't alter the technology inside it, it does seem possible that a different colour could give you more confidence at address or ease any anxiety you might feel as you step up to the tee. Also, colour adds a bit of fun to the game and helps players to stand out from the rest of the group. Whatever the cause, all these factors could go a long way in helping you reach new levels of confidence in your game.
“We've seen an increasing preference among golfers in general to play products that they truly identify with and colour is a big part of that,” said Titleist Golf Ball Product Manager Michael Fish last month when announcing the latest high-visibility colour options for the brand's Velocity golf balls. Adding, “We're confident these new colour options combined with the improved performance of Velocity will only make the game more enjoyable for these golfers.”
Want to give colour a try?
Here's a look at the latest ranges of coloured golf balls available now at GolfOnline. Whether you fancy a pink, blue, yellow, green or orange ball you'll find it below.
Volvik Vivid Golf Balls
The Volvik Vivid Golf Balls have been specifically designed to increase your focus when standing over the ball and were developed for golfers with a slow-mid swing speed. Boasting the world’s first-ever matte finish, the Vivid will also provide excellent greenside feel, control and spin.
Volvik Vivid XT Golf Balls
The Volvik Vivid XT Golf Balls feature much of the same technology as the standard Vivid but have been specifically engineered for players with faster club head speeds. Giving the mid-advanced golfer lower spin rate off the driver plus a longer and straighter ball flight.
Volvik S3 Golf Balls
The Volvik S3 Golf Ball is geared towards the advanced golfer looking for a very soft feel to generate maximum short game spin and added greenside control.
Volvik S4 Golf Balls
The Volvik S4 is a 4-piece premium golf ball created to deliver a “tour” feel around the greens with the added bonus of pure distance off the tee.
Titleist Velocity Pink Golf Balls
Titleist Velocity Orange Golf Balls
The new Titleist Velocity Golf Balls feature two high-visibility options to provide easy identification in the air or on the greens. New tech includes a softer, high speed core and a faster cover to give players improved distance, higher ball speeds and a low long game spin.
Wilson Staff DX2 Soft Yellow Golf Balls 2018
Wilson Staff DX2 Optix Orange Golf Balls 2018
The Wilson Staff DX2 Optix Golf Balls come in two high-visibility colour options to make it easier for amateurs to see their ball. Featuring the brand’s low compression technology, the DX2 is 25% softer than the previous model making it even longer.
Callaway Chrome Soft X Yellow Golf Balls
The Callaway Chrome Soft X Golf Balls provide a tour level performance with the brand’s Dual SoftFast Core that has been engineered to promote faster ball speed and distance off your longer clubs and more control in the shorter clubs.
Callaway Chrome Soft X Truvis Red Golf Balls
Callaway Chrome Soft X Truvis Yellow Golf Balls
The Callaway Chrome Soft X Truvis Golf Balls come in two colour patterns to bring golfers exceptional visibility and increased confidence in all weather conditions.
Callaway Supersoft Pink Golf Balls
The Callaway Supersoft Pink Golf Balls feature the brand’s innovative premium HEX Aerodynamics, reducing drag and enhancing lift to help get an increase in distance.
Srixon Z-Star Tour Yellow Golf Balls
The Srixon Z-Star Tour Yellow Golf Balls feature a combination of the brand’s E.G.G. Core technology and a 338 speed dimple design to deliver exceptional stability and straight ball flights.
Srixon Z-Star XV Tour Yellow Golf Balls
The Srixon Z-Star XV Tour Yellow Golf Balls feature much of the same technology as the Z-Star but in a 4-piece construction.
Srixon Ladies Soft Feel Pink Golf Balls
Specifically designed for the female golfer’s swing, the Srixon Ladies Soft Feel Pink Golf Balls feature an energetic gradient growth core to help produce incredible ball speeds and optimal launch. Resulting in improved distance and forgiveness.
Pinnacle Soft Pink Golf Balls
The Pinnacle Soft Pink Golf Ball have been specifically engineered with a low compression, high-energy core to give golfers a soft feel with low spin for increased distance and feel.
Pinnacle Rush Yellow Golf Balls
The Pinnacle Rush Yellow Golf Balls feature a high-energy core plus a 332 advanced icosahedral dimple design with a soft durable ionomer cover for great feel as well as a consistent and powerful ball flight.
