Lightweight Golf Balls?

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samnation44

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To follow Argonia Cup rules, the payload golf balls need to be USGA certified. USGA does not define a minimum mass to be approved. This leads me to wonder if lightweight golf balls exist. All brands tend to shoot for the maximum mass, since that tends to give better performance for golfers. I haven’t been able to find any helpful information online, does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
-Sam
 
To follow Argonia Cup rules, the payload golf balls need to be USGA certified. USGA does not define a minimum mass to be approved. This leads me to wonder if lightweight golf balls exist. All brands tend to shoot for the maximum mass, since that tends to give better performance for golfers. I haven’t been able to find any helpful information online, does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
-Sam
From what I recall many many moons ago there used to be lighter ones marketed for women and I think for improved short games.

Take that with a whole shaker of salt though I haven't golfed in like 20 years.
 
To follow Argonia Cup rules, the payload golf balls need to be USGA certified. USGA does not define a minimum mass to be approved. This leads me to wonder if lightweight golf balls exist. All brands tend to shoot for the maximum mass, since that tends to give better performance for golfers. I haven’t been able to find any helpful information online, does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
-Sam
Found this online:
The United States Golf Association (USGA) states that a golf ball's maximum weight is 1.620 ounces (45.93 grams). There is no minimum weight, so manufacturers can make balls as light as they want.

I'm not sure if that helps any.
 
To follow Argonia Cup rules, the payload golf balls need to be USGA certified. USGA does not define a minimum mass to be approved. This leads me to wonder if lightweight golf balls exist. All brands tend to shoot for the maximum mass, since that tends to give better performance for golfers. I haven’t been able to find any helpful information online, does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
-Sam
Hello I would also look at womens golf balls if they are legal as well
 
If you try to find a way to beat the rules it’s likely to get you disqualified.
The rules state to use a golf ball, they don’t state that it must weigh a certain amount so if lightweight official balls exist, they are still within the rules as by definition it is a legal golf ball and the argonia cup judges cannot say anything as nothing has been broken.
 
The rules state to use a golf ball, they don’t state that it must weigh a certain amount so if lightweight official balls exist, they are still within the rules as by definition it is a legal golf ball and the argonia cup judges cannot say anything as nothing has been broken.
This statement isn't exactly true. Here is the actual wording from the published rules document: "All golf balls must conform to USGA specifications and cannot be modified in any way."
In a post a couple above this one, SolarYellow posted a link to the list of conforming USGA golf balls. If you can find a lighter golf ball on the market but it isn't on this list, it won't be allowed. We intentionally disallowed LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) conforming balls.
The reason only an upper weight is listed in the rules is due to the fact that men can drive a heavier ball further than a lighter ball. Every manufacturer tries to get their balls as close to the maximum weight as possible without going over. To manufacture a lighter ball (for mens professional golfing) would be a bad business decision as no one would play them because being light is a detriment not a feature. The teams decide which balls they will be purchasing and using. You can be sure they will be checked against the conforming golf ball list. Showing up with balls not on the list will cause the team to go golf ball shopping again prior to competing or they will not qualify.
Bob Brown
Contest Director, 2025 Argonia Cup
 
Why is it that I find the possibilty of a hail of golf balls coming down after a RUD more terrifying than a ballistic recovery?
One - been there/done that. The north end of the Sayre runway is covered in "lost" golfballs.
Two - have you BEEN to an Argonia Cup Competition? We usually get stuck at the south end of the flightline. I can remember more than once having the booster come in ballistic on one side of us, and the sustainer coming in hot on the other.
 
When golf balls had liquid centers they were rated by compression. 100, 90 and 80. That loosely corresponds to swing speed. Someone with a club head speed over 100 mph would use a 100 compression ball. If you used a ball like that and didn't have that fast a swing speed it was like hitting a rock. At that time 80 compression were considered ladies balls. When golf balls all started having solid centers that all went away. Now golf balls aren't rated by compression because it's meaningless. Almost all golf balls feel soft when you hit them. There isn't any balls that are considered ladies balls. Somewhere in my garage are hundreds of balls and I'll look for them. I weighed the balls I have in my bag. They are from different manufacturers. A TaylorMade ball I have weighs 45.53 grams. A Srixon ball weighs 45.59 grams. A Titleist Pro V1x weighs 45.64 grams. A Titleist Pro V1 weighs 46.02 grams. Now a days there isn't a distinction between mens and ladies balls. A lightweight golf ball wouldn't have the same performance as a regular ball so no one would buy them. There are practice balls that are lighter so they don't go as far. But they are non-conforming. Now I want to go play.
 
Yeah, there are only a gram, or fractions of a gram difference between the lighter balls and the heavier ones. It's not really going to make much difference. Besides, I know who will win, anyway.
 
Yeah, there are only a gram, or fractions of a gram difference between the lighter balls and the heavier ones. It's not really going to make much difference. Besides, I know who will win, anyway.
Yeah, that amount is not going to make much of a difference.
Who is winning btw? Asking for a friend…
 
When golf balls had liquid centers they were rated by compression. 100, 90 and 80. That loosely corresponds to swing speed. Someone with a club head speed over 100 mph would use a 100 compression ball. If you used a ball like that and didn't have that fast a swing speed it was like hitting a rock. At that time 80 compression were considered ladies balls. When golf balls all started having solid centers that all went away. Now golf balls aren't rated by compression because it's meaningless. Almost all golf balls feel soft when you hit them. There isn't any balls that are considered ladies balls. Somewhere in my garage are hundreds of balls and I'll look for them. I weighed the balls I have in my bag. They are from different manufacturers. A TaylorMade ball I have weighs 45.53 grams. A Srixon ball weighs 45.59 grams. A Titleist Pro V1x weighs 45.64 grams. A Titleist Pro V1 weighs 46.02 grams. Now a days there isn't a distinction between mens and ladies balls. A lightweight golf ball wouldn't have the same performance as a regular ball so no one would buy them. There are practice balls that are lighter so they don't go as far. But they are non-conforming. Now I want to go play.
Thanks, @teepot I knew based on your earlier comments from other posts you would probably have some good insight on this subject.
 
When golf balls had liquid centers they were rated by compression. 100, 90 and 80. That loosely corresponds to swing speed. Someone with a club head speed over 100 mph would use a 100 compression ball. If you used a ball like that and didn't have that fast a swing speed it was like hitting a rock. At that time 80 compression were considered ladies balls. When golf balls all started having solid centers that all went away. Now golf balls aren't rated by compression because it's meaningless. Almost all golf balls feel soft when you hit them. There isn't any balls that are considered ladies balls. Somewhere in my garage are hundreds of balls and I'll look for them. I weighed the balls I have in my bag. They are from different manufacturers. A TaylorMade ball I have weighs 45.53 grams. A Srixon ball weighs 45.59 grams. A Titleist Pro V1x weighs 45.64 grams. A Titleist Pro V1 weighs 46.02 grams. Now a days there isn't a distinction between mens and ladies balls. A lightweight golf ball wouldn't have the same performance as a regular ball so no one would buy them. There are practice balls that are lighter so they don't go as far. But they are non-conforming. Now I want to go play.
Thanks for that info. I expect they will all be very close to the max mass of 46 grams.
 

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