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10Rate Announces Its Top 10 Best Golf Balls for 2012 | Titliest ProV1x Wins #1 Spot | Nike One Tour and Tour Distance Wins Best Value

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Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) January 27, 2012

Editors from 10rate spent some time researching and trying out some of the newest Golf Balls and rating and reviewing them on the following criteria:

Consistency in length off the tee, spin control and the ability to hold greens, “feel” of the ball around greens for chipping and putting, durability, and price/value.

The annual 2012 Top 10 Best Golf Balls awards list was topped by the Titliest ProV1x winning the top quality spot and a 9 out of 10 rating. The review noted several strengths of the ball including the following exerpt, “More professional golfers prefer this ball or the original ProV1 to any other ball. The reason is simple – a great combination of length, feel, and pure distance. It’s also got improved scuff resistance for increased durability and good spin control capabilities. ”

The best value golf ball in the Comparison Golf Ball Ratings as rated by the author was the Nike One Tour and Tour Distance ball which editors noted is strong in many areas such as the following:

“This ball was once a competitor to the best balls on tour. It has an impressive 378 dimples and 4 layer construction (the Tour Distance ball has 3 layer construction). It contains a soft seamless outer cover and is a top ball in distance, control and feel.”

Next, the best budget award from the Best Golf Ball Reviews was the Bridgestone e5 Golf Ball for which the reviewer commented, “Though a very good value price point, the Bridgestone e5 Golf Ball has great distance off the tee and isnt bad around the greens either. It has 330 dimples with an unusual dual dimple design, and a 2-piece cast urethane cover.”

Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone and Nike all had two balls to make the Top 10 list.

10rate.com conducts reviews in various product and services categories and publishes “Expert Top 10 Lists for Everything in your life.” The company’s web site strives to “Make it Easy” to select from the hundreds of choices there are in the product and service market place. All products and services are thoroughly researched by the companies expert editors prior to receiving a rating on a 1-10 scale. In addition to product reviews the companies editors write guidelines, buying guides and articles on various topics surrounding each product or service category covered to help educate the consumer.

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What Is The Perfect Golf Swing?

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You might be wondering, “what is the perfect golf swing?” Many experienced golfers and golf instructors argue that there is nothing like a perfect golf swing but that it involves a combination of good techniques that are applied consistently to ensure that a person delivers a great shot.

What Is The Perfect Golf Swing – The Grip

The first place to start in answering “what is the perfect golf swing”, is with the grip. A perfect swing starts with good grip something golf instructors always insist upon. Since the golf swing will involve your whole body it requires that your hands firmly grip the golf club as you swing it and deliver the impact. Your hands should act as conductors which transfer speed and power that has been generated by your body’s turning motion to the golf ball. Your hands should hold the golf club in such a way that it approaches the ball in a square position and to achieve this, your hands must be in a neutral position, that is, palms facing each other across the club shaft while being square to the golf ball.

What Is The Perfect Golf Swing – The Backswing

Next is the backswing, for a perfect golf swing you need to draw the golf club in one motion then as the club starts back it should be accompanied by a turn of the left shoulder and hips so that weight is transferred to the right side. Your hands should begin to set when they are at waist height and your shoulders should continue to turn as the club continues its rise to the top. Your hands should remain set even as you raise your golf club to the top for consistent shots.

What Is The Perfect Golf Swing – The Downswing

The down swing should be delivered in a strong but controlled manner so as to get the best shot possible. The point of the down swing is to deliver maximum but controlled impact to the golf ball. Avoid going too fast or too hard as this will result in bad shots. Too much speed causes the golf club to reach maximum speed and force before reaching the ball and results in weaker shots. Studies recommend that you should either use maximum power to start your backswing or build up the power through the entire swing so that the golf club is at maximum force by the time it hits the ball. There are other studies that suggest that you should increase the torque to a maximum slightly after starting the backswing and maintain the force until you hit the ball. You should avoid pulling your left arm from the top and leading your downswing with the left side as this will result in weak shots.

What Is The Perfect Golf Swing – The Finish

A good finish is also important for a great shot and your finish needs to be high. A low finish results in toppled shots and a hard time getting the ball air borne and should therefore be avoided. The club needs to remain square several inches after impact in order to ensure that the ball attains the proper flight. You should transfer the weight from your left side to your right during the finish and for a proper finish your right knee should be the one facing the target and your hands should end up high and near your left ear.

So if your quest to find out what is the perfect golf swing still has gone unanswered, then you might want to try apply these basic steps to help answer your question for you.

How to keep your eye on the tee during your golf swing

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Range Golf Balls – John O' Hurley's Balls – watch more funny videos

“See the Tee”

How many times have you heard your playing companions say to you after a missed shot that you didn’t keep you head down. You somehow raised your head and this caused you to weakly top the ball.

There may be more than one reason you top a shot. Proper stance, grip, and ball position top the list and should be among the first things considered. However, with that said a common flaw of the occasional golfer is raising or turning of the head just prior to impact with the golf ball. We all want to see that perfectly struck 300 yard drive as it lands safely in the middle of the fairway.

If you can comprehend some basic laws of geometry, consider for a moment that the golf swing as a circle. The golf ball is a point along the arc of that circle. Your arms are the radii and the core of your body is the center of that circle. More specifically a line down your nose and continuing along your sternum is the center of the circle. If you move your sternum or your core through the swing you also alter the radius (arms), which in turn alters the club path on the arc of the circle. The ball stays in the same place. It doesn’t move. So when someone tells that you raised your head through the swing you have essentially tilted the swing and established a new center. Maintaining your center, staying down over the ball, keeping your head down, these are all terms that relate to keeping your swing on plane and making successful contact with the ball.

A good drill for this would be to practice swinging the golf club like you are swinging a baseball bat. Keep your eye on the imaginary baseball as you swing around your body. Feel the arms as the radius of the swing and feel them rotate around your body. Next bend slightly at the waist and let the club head drop down into a normal golf address position. Practice the same swing. Let your arms rotate around your core. Don’t try to over swing. Control your backswing accelerate through the ball and let your arms fully extend into the follow through.

Another tip is to concentrate on something other than the ball as you make your swing. “See the tee” as you make your swing. This will maintain a centered swing arc a split second longer through the swing. Keeping the swing centered should promote a better swing arc and thus better contact. If you are on the fairway imagine a tee under the ball or concentrate on seeing the divot. The ball is struck before a divot is taken so if you see the divot you should have already made contact with the ball.

“See the Tee”, and hit better golf shots.

Have Fun on the Golf Course!

How to Hit a Golf Ball…Becoming A Golfer is as Easy as 1-2-3

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First, THE BALL:

Put the ball on the ground and casually (just relax in other words) look down at it. Stand as you normally do when you are standing alone. In this position, move the ball so that it is about a foot in front of your feet, roughly in line with your nose. (Imagine a string reaches from the tip of your nose to the middle of the golf ball). I call this the STARTING TRIANGLE; use this starting position with ANY club. That’s half the battle right there!

Second, THE CLUB:

Take the club in your hands. How? It’s easy. Put your hands together (no gaps), with your dominant hand lowest on the club. That is, if you’re right-handed, as I am, your left hand is top, and your right hand is directly beneath it. When you shake hands with someone? That is how you want your hands placed on the club. So, shake hands with the club, first your right hand, then your left hand, (if you’re right-handed; reverse, obviously, if left-handed).

If you’re stumped as to equipment, try clubs from either of these time and player proven brands: Titliest, Callaway, Cleveland, Nike, Taylormade, Srixon, Cobra, Bridgestone, Mizuno, Adams; and,Wilson.

Third, THE SWING:

The imaginary string from your nose to the ball? Now take that same string and put it from the middle of the ball to an inch or so behind the ball. That is where you want to put the bottom of the golf club (otherwise known as the face of the club head. If that club head had a real face, the center of it would be the nose…so put the nose an inch behind the ball, centered to the middle of the ball. Now, here’s all you have to do: slowly swing the club back, about a yard or so, and just SWEEP back through the ball, as if it were a dust ball on your kitchen floor. Sweep it all the way through, as if your were sweeping the dust ball to a specific point across the room. For longer hits, just sweep further back, and further through!

That’s it…now you can play golf better than the average Joe (or Josephine!)

Go forth now and … play golf!

The Longest Hitting Drivers in Golf

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What is the longest hitting driver in golf? All the major golf manufacturers claim they make the longest hitting driver. The Internet is filled with all sorts of ads about finding the driver with the most distance off the tee. Even your local paper golfing magazine has features about special products that guarantee you can drive like a champion. So, what’s the great secret?

The answer may already be in your bag or as close as your golf professional or online Internet

golfing store.

But, before dashing off to purchase that magical driver, lets look at what really makes drives go

long and straight.

A longer club shaft

Conventional wisdom suggests that a driver with a loner shaft will hit a golf ball farther

than a shorter shafted golf driver.

The pun is intended. The bad news is that not everyone can hit a long shaft driver and the results can often be disappointing. Tests have shown that if a golf ball is mis-hit by as little as ½ inch, driving distance can be reduced by as much as 20 yards. The more you miss the sweet spot, the shorter the drives. And we’re talking about distance, not accuracy. Unless you are a low handicap golfer, by itself, a longer shaft could, in fact, hurt your distance off the tee.

Lighter club

It certainly helps, but it depends where the weight is removed. The theory is that the lighter the club, the faster the swing. The faster you swing your driver, the farther the golf ball flies down the fairway. Since the shaft has the most weight, that is the best place to remove club weight in order to speed up the swing. Here is where shaft flexibility enters the picture. If the driver’s shaft is too stiff, a lighter shaft weight may cause your shot to be short and a bit to the right. If you want to lighten the shaft, make sure shaft flexibility is part of your calculations.

More loft

Conventional wisdom also weighs in on loft. Simply put, the slower your swing speed, the higher the required trajectory necessary to keep the ball in the air. Check this out by comparing the distance with a three wood, versus the driver. If they are about the same, a common occurrence, consider a driver with a little more loft with the CG (center of gravity) slightly back from the club face.

Clubhead Design

This is where modern technology and strong clubhead design can really help the average golfer and is the place where technology has really helped long hitting drivers. Most of the above techniques work great if the ball is struck directly on the sweet spot. Unfortunately, only PGA golfers do that almost every time. Perimeter weighted clubs like the Callaway Big Bertha and drivers from Ping (who pioneered the technology), King Cobra and TaylorMade have become extremely popular driving companions for golfers, worldwide.

The Grip

The grip is one of the most overlooked aspects when choosing a driver, but one of the most important. This is the connection for you to the club and if everything isn’t comfortable and natural, your swing, and the resulting distance off the tee, hasn’t a chance.

The size of the grip is totally dependent on the size of your hands. The bigger the hands, the thicker the grip. If the grip is uncomfortable or irritates your hands, change it quickly. This is where totally comfortable is really good.

Believe it or not, grip weight is also a distance factor. A light grip increases the relative weight of the club head. This is good for players with good strong swings. A heavier grip decreases the relative weight of the clubhead and makes it feel lighter. This helps the golfer with a slower swing.

There are many answers to the question of what is the longest hitting driver in golf. Almost as many as there are golfers. Modern technology can help you find the best driver for your game. It also wouldn’t hurt to work on your swing so you can take advantage of the advanced weight and flexibility features on the big name clubs. Match your driver to your skills and play within yourself. That old sports saw really fits finding the longest hitting golf driver.

If you liked this article, you can learn more about long hitting drivers and get discounted prices on all brands of drivers by visiting The Longest Hitting Drivers in Golf

Click here for Discounted Golf Equipment and Free Golf Tips

Father's Day Craft Project: Golf Ball Napkin Holders Kids Can Make for Dad

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To Make a Father’s Day Golf Ball Napkin Holder Craft Project You Will Need:

Golf Ball

Poster board or sturdy thick paper

Circle Cookie cutter (optional)

Pencil

Scissors

Air Drying Clay

Butter Knife (Plastic or Metal)

Tooth Picks, pencils, wooden skewers, or clay tools

Rollin pin

Acrylic Paint

Clear Acrylic Spray Paint

To start this craft project first have the kids draw a simple circle shape on some paper. This circle should be about 6 inches tall and about 4 inches wide.

If you have an circle shaped cookie cutter this size you could use this instead.

Next, cut the circle shape out with scissors.

Break off a hunk of air drying clay and roll it out to a sheet of clay that is about ½ inch thick. You can use a rolling pin to do this.

Lay the circle golf ball cut out on the clay and trace around it with a toothpick. Repeat this process making two golf balls. Cut the shape our with a paring knife or plastic butter knife. Next, cut out a rectangle that is as wide as the base as the golf ball and about 3 inches deep. This will be the base of the napkin hold that allows it to stand up.

Now, take your real golf ball and start rolling it onto the clay circle you cut out. This will leave the imprint of the real golf ball on your clay golf balls. Do this on both sides of the golf ball napkin holder Father’s Day gift.

The kids can also carve details in to the two golf ball shapes or even add details making three-dimensional pieces out of left over clay. Circles, stripes, squiggle’s and curly cues are all good shapes.

It is a good idea to make sure the Father’s Day golf balls will be standing in the same direction when they are standing up, but that is optional. The golf balls should be able to hold your napkins either way.

Once the golf balls have received all they’re carving a detail you need to attach them to their base. Score the edge of the base by scratching it with your toothpick. Rub some water over the marks and place the golf balls upright. Use your finger to shape it into the clay and really connect it. Repeat this process on the other side.

I like to support the Father’s Day golf ball napkin holder while it is drying with a canned good on either side. Wrap your canned food in plastic wrap to keep it clean. You may find that you need to ball up some newspaper and put it in between the two golf balls to keep them sanding up right while they dry.

Once you Father’s Day golf ball inspired napkin holder is dried let the kids paint it any way they want with acrylic paints. They can glue beads on or paint whatever they want with pastel acrylic paints.

Once the paint has dried take the golf ball napkin holder outside and spray it with a thick coat of acrylic spray paint. Let this layer of paint dry and then display it on your kitchen table or counter!

For an added detail to this craft project cut out a piece of felt the same size as the base of the golf ball napkin holder. Glue it to the bottom of your napkin holder. This will keep the dried clay from scratching your table. You could also attach those little rubber stoppers meant to hold pictures in place on the wall.

Golf Tips for Women -Golf Ball Marking Procedure and Rulings

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During my time spent playing in local ladies golf tournaments, running Ladies Golf Associations, and even while managing a local golf course, I have noticed quite a bit of confusion regarding marking your golf ball. Knowing when you can mark your golf ball, or have another player mark their golf ball, is important to correct scoring and protocol on the golf course. It can also lead to a more enjoyable round for you and your women golfer friends and opponents.

First off, any golf ball that is lifted must be marked, period. The USGA recommends using marking directly behind the ball, but marking your golf ball that way is not a rule. Decision 20-1/19 requires that a mark be placed as close as possible to a golf ball before lifting. That means you can mark to the side of it, or in front of it. However, you can’t mark 6 inches away (unless you have been asked to move your mark for another player to putt), you may not improve your line, and you may not press anything down in front of your golf ball. Basically, if you are using one of those cute little golf ball markers that stick into the turf and are “flat”, you may not use that to mark in front of your golf ball. If you do, it is a one stroke penalty.

The USGA also makes no rule about what you may use to mark your golf ball with. They recommend a coin or small object, but that, also, is not a rule. If you want to mark your golf ball with a flower or leaf, go for it. However, a small blemish on the green, or the like, does not constitute a proper mark. You must actually use an object to mark your golf ball properly.

Here’s a big golf ball marking issue I see come up quite often that seems to cause a good bit of confusion. Let’s say you are lifting your mark after replacing your golf ball and the ball accidentally moves while removing your marker. Now what? There is no penalty, ladies, if your ball accidentally moves. Simply replace the ball to where it should be on putt as originally planned.

As for asking another player in your golf group to mark their ball – You may ask any other player in your golf group to mark her golf ball anywhere on the course, period. This is not against the rules, nor is it bad etiquette. If her golf ball is in your way, meaning impeding your stroke, stance or play, you may ask to have it marked and lifted. If her golf ball is in your line while putting, simply ask her to move their mark. When you are finished putting, it is very good etiquette to remind the player to replace her ball to its original, and correct, location so she does not incur a penalty.

As for penalty strokes regarding marking golf balls. We already determined that there is a one-stroke penalty for pressing down an object in front of your ball when marking. Another instance where a penalty stroke can be incurred is if you, or another player, pick up the marker without replacing the golf ball. In this case, replace the ball, finish out the hole, and add one stroke to your final score. Remember, you must finish out every hole before play can continue to the next hole.

Lastly, let’s say, for example, that one of the golfers in your group has used a tee to mark her golf ball. Now we know this is a legal way to mark your golf ball, but what if your ball hits that tee as you chip onto the green or putt? Is there a penalty stroke? No, there is not. Simply play the ball that was deflected by the marker from where it comes to rest and move on.

Knowing the correct procedure and ruling for marking your golf ball can make your golf round much more enjoyable and your score more accurate. I have also noticed that the more women golfers are aware of the rules, the less friction we have at the end of a round.

A guide to sweeping the golf ball with your woods

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Off the tee, or off the fairway, using the woods is valuable. They can provide you with both good distance and accuracy, a combination that the longest clubs do not always deliver. It is perhaps not surprising that beginners often take to the woods’ better than with most other clubs.

Different shots can require slightly different techniques. When it comes to taking a shot with the Woods, a sweeping action will be required that can differ from how you would use your longest club in the bag.

When using the longest clubs, because of the lack of club-head loft, it is often a requirement to strike up on the ball. This is quite understandable, for otherwise the shot might lack height. With the Woods, however, they have greater club-head loft, which allows for a more descending blow. As such, in the first instance it must be stated that you should not seek to strike up on the ball with the Woods, in an attempt to get the ball airborne. Trust in the loft of the club to do this!

In many respects, this makes using the Woods more similar to using the Irons. However, to sweep the ball off the ground effectively a different set-up is required due to the longer length of the Wood club shafts. Never should you address the ball as you would with a short iron, but more like that of how you would address with the longest Iron clubs. Ball should be more to the left of center, a couple of inches of the right heel, and you should stand further back from the ball with knees flexed and weight distributed as with all standards shots.

With a sound address, making the crisp sweeping action with your Woods off the fairway will be left to the swing. Bring the club head back gradually and with good tempo. Aim for a good tempo, and then for the downward ball strike, which should send it sky-high off the fairway and towards the green. Remember to swing at a comfortable speed, and it should be okay.

At any rate, you can practice sweeping the Woods on a practice range. So you can prepare for the fairway shots, take shots off the mat as well as off the tee. The mat is not always a perfect replica of grass on most practice ranges, but it will be the closest thing to it. Some do provide grass mats which is ideal, and if they do you can check for divots. Sweeping the golf ball with Woods should not take any divots from the grass.

With the Woods in your arsenal, you will have more club choices on the course. Sweeping the golf ball with your Woods will allow for shots off the fairway and tee on suitable holes, and enhance your game.

Elements to Think About to Get Back into the Game of Golf

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When we begin getting into nice weather conditions and begin getting that desire to get back to our golf game, just where must our focus be?  Maybe a question that should be asked prior to that is: what is actually the most vital role in striking a golf ball?  Should you search for guidance on what you should focus on, you may read “practice” and “take lessons”.  That of course goes without saying.  If you ever want to play good golf, you must practice and it is best to get some qualified advice.

But for me the most important role in striking a golf ball is “ball contact”.  The crispness of how you hit a ball will not just influence your distance, but your accuracy.  Anytime you hit the ball with a glancing blow will take distance from your golf ball flight, and when it’s hit with sidespin, the ball will form either left or right.  That is not automatically bad, as long it is controlled and you are able to understand what you’re doing.

Having the ability to consistently make great contact on the golf ball is going to optimize the outcomes of the shot more than anything.  So what could you do to best work on to consistently hit a shot?  I do that with the pitching wedge.  The reasons:

1.            Being an iron, they have a similarity with other irons as part of your golf bag, so as you move down in loft your ball-strike is basically the same.

2.            It really is an adaptable golf club when you learn the various ways to use it, so it is possible to work popping a shot high or take the spin of the golf ball and allow it to run, all depending on how you hit the ball.

3.            You are able to work in a relatively small area, and it does not even cost you the price of a bucket of range golf balls.  With eight or ten balls and some space around the practice green it is possible to hit numerous golf balls in a short period of time.

What goes into the swing is very important, but that split second that you strike a golf ball will be the payoff for everything which goes into your swing.  You can have the most ideal backswing or a picture-perfect follow through, but if you hit an inch behind the ball it isn’t going especially far.  As a result my bit of guidance, particularly as you are just getting back into the swing of things and you are building callouses on your hands again is to easily hit short golf shots using an abbreviated swing.  Once it begins to feel natural again, start building yourself for a full golf swing.

Which Golf Ball Is the Best For Me?

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There are three questions that you need to answer in order to find the best golf ball for you. These are:

What type of a golf player are you?

Your level of play greatly influences your choice. The type of ball that is used by a beginner cannot be used by an intermediate or advanced level player.

How do you play?

How you play your game also determines the type you should use. Do you consider yourself a long or short hitter? Do you prefer hooking or slicing? You need to answer these questions in order to choose the right ball.

What do you require from your ball?

What you need from your ball is yet another determining factor in the type of ball that you should choose. In case you are a short hitter, you should go for balls that offer a bit of distance.

Golf Balls for Novices

If you are a novice, than it is best for you to choose the least expensive one for yourself. When you start playing this sport, you should prepare yourself to lose quite a few balls, which is why getting an expensive one is not a good idea. You should opt for used, wholesale, experienced, recycled or bulk balls.

When you start moving towards the intermediate status by losing just three golf balls per round, you should try out Two piece distance balls like Callaway Warbird, Wilson Ultra, Top-Flite XL etc.

Golf Balls for Intermediate Players

Now that you have progressed on to the intermediate level, your ball choice should not be based upon price as you might finish off a round without losing any balls. Now, you should look into getting Two piece low compression balls such as Precept Laddie Xtreme, or Maxfli Noodle or even the Titleist DT SoLo. These are rather helpful for those with slow or medium swing speeds.

Golf Balls for Advanced Players

Now that you are a skilled golf player, the best golf ball for you is one that has a multilayer construction. These include golf balls such as the Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x, the Bridgestone Golf Tour B330, Nike One Platinum, Callaway Golf HX Tour etc. Certain aspects of your performance would be greatly influenced by the multiple layers of these balls. The firm mantle increases energy transfer to the core for distance, soft covers for feel etc are all such aspects.