Over recent years, technology used in manufacturing golf balls has witnessed massive leaps forward.  The days of liquid-core balls that would lose compression and distance after exposure to heat or water are far in the past. The modern solid-core ball offers consistency, longevity and durability that far exceeds the golf ball of yesteryear. This has opened a market for recycled balls.

Of course, saving money is one of the many reasons to choose recycled golf balls. With every major make and model of a ball at a fraction of the price compared to new, recycled is always the smart financial choice. But what about those golfers who want to save money, but are concerned that those savings may come at a decrease in performance? Well LostGolfBalls.com is putting that fear to rest by contracting an independent, industry-leading research facility to find out once and for all if used golf balls are as good as new.

TaylorMade® R11 driver used for testing the distance between brand new and recycled golf balls.

The study began with a robotic golf swing device used to provide consistent club head speed and contact as well as a TrackMan® Launch monitor to provide precise measurements. Then, both a driver and 7-iron were used to hit a brand new dozen, 5A and 4A versions of six different models of golf balls. In an effort to mimic the swing of an average golfer, the driver was swung at a speed of 96 MPH while the seven iron was swung at 83 MPH. In order to ensure accurate results, all shots were hit during similar weather conditions with a head wind that varied between 2-10 MPH. Once the distance of each shot was recorded, the data was compiled and analyzed, and the results speak for themselves.

With 216 golf balls hit, the difference in the average distance traveled between the brand new balls and those from LostGolfBalls.com was negligible. With the driver, the fresh-out-of-the-box golf ball traveled a distance of 211.4 yards. The balls from LostGolfBalls.com, you ask? An average of 209.7 yards for the 5A variety. That is a difference of less than 2 yards. The same held true when the balls were struck with a seven iron with the new balls traveling 155.4 yards, just two yards more than the 5A’s 153.4 average.

With many of the used golf balls on LostGolfBalls.com less than half the price of their brand new counterparts, the minuscule difference in the performance of these balls is easily overlooked when the prices are compared. The rigorous quality control checkpoints in place guarantee that every ball is precisely graded and sorted for sale, so you are purchasing a consistent quality of golf ball. For a golfer who wants top quality performance without spending a fortune, the choice is easy.