The ball has always been said to be a crucial factor when choosing foursome pairs in a Ryder Cup. It’s quite evident. It’s two golfers playing the same ball. So, either they both happen to use the same one, or one of them will have to adapt to the other’s. Simple.
However, there are still fans and some specialists who might find this science fiction. If they are the best in the world, they shouldn’t have problems adjusting to new equipment after spending some time on the practice range. It’s like saying that Mbappé or Lamine Yamal don’t score goals because the ball has been changed from one match to another and they need to get used to the new behaviour… It does happen, but they take less time.
Yes, they are the best in the world, but changing the ball, if it’s really very different, is not that simple. Depending on each player’s swing, club speed, attack angle, and other factors, the ball’s behaviour can be very different. It can basically drive you crazy.
In this regard, it has been very interesting how Russell Henley explained it, who will most likely partner with Scottie Scheffler in this format next Friday. Almost like for children. “Statistically, last year in the Presidents Cup, there were a couple of guys I paired well with, like even and odd holes for alternate shots. Tony Finau was one of them. However, he plays the ball with less spin and less attack angle, it comes out lower because he already gives it enough height and has a lot of spin. I’m the opposite, I play the ball with more spin and more angle, so we’re at opposite ends. For me, hitting one of his balls with my driver would have been… I don’t know if I could have made it spin over 2,000 revolutions. It’s an important issue. It’s especially noticeable in shots to the green. For someone like me, who puts a lot of emphasis on controlling the ball with irons, if the ball spins less, it’s going to be really difficult for me to adjust. It’s a big difference.”
Henley even specifies how it affects him. “It would be inconsistent. If you’re against the wind and have much less spin, I think it would cut through the wind. If there’s no wind, it might ‘drop’. Or for example, if the clubface is a bit wet and the ball slides through the grooves, you could launch it higher without spin and it could go further. You don’t get consistency. Spin is really a very important factor,” he notes.
Of course, like everything in life, there are players who then find it easier to adapt to a change than others. There also comes the skill and resources of each player.
To give you an idea, these are the balls played by the American and European teams:
USA
Collin Morikawa: TaylorMade TP5x
Ben Griffin: Maxfli Tour X
Harris English: Titleisy ProV1
Justin Thomas: Titleist ProV1x
Bryson DeChambeau: Titleist ProV1x Left Dash
Scottie Scheffler: Titleist ProV1
JJ Spaun: Srixon Z Star Diamond
Russell Henley: Titleist ProV1x
Cameron Young: Titleist ProV1x Prototype
Xander Schauffele: Callaway Chrome Tour Dot
Patrick Cantlay: Titleist ProV1x
Sam Burns: Callaway Chrome Tour X
EUROPE
Rory McIlroy: TaylorMade TP5
Jon Rahm: Callaway Chrome Soft X
Tommy Fleetwood: TaylorMade TP5x Pix
Tyrrell Hatton: Titleist ProV1x
Justin Rose: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dash
Viktor Hovland: Titleist ProV1
Ludvig Aberg: Titleist Pro V1x
Sepp Straka: Srixon Z-Star XV
Robert MacIntyre: Titleist ProV1
Rasmus Hojgaard: Callaway Chrome Tour X
Shane Lowry: Srixon Z-Star XV
Matthew Fitzpatrick: Titleist ProV1x
