Which ball should you play in alternate shot? We have the answer
FRANCK FIFE
Question: My club holds our own Ryder Cup in conjunction with the real one. Any tips for what ball to play in foursomes? My partner and I play two very different golf balls.
Answer: Well, maybe fire your captain for the pairing. But we digress.
The Ryder Cup used to be full on intrigue as to pairings for foursomes in terms of what ball the team would employ. A rule change that now allows for players to switch balls on each hole provides a different kind of strategery.
That’s because even though you can change balls on each tee box, pairings still are likely to be made up of players using different balls.
This year’s U.S. team, for example, has 12 players using 11 different types of golf balls because even though players might use the same model, it might be a version from a different year or slightly tweaked to fit a player’s specific flight or spin preference (the seven Titleist users employ six different models). Ben Griffin is the lone player on the team playing a Maxfli ball, Collin Morikawa uses a TaylorMade ball and J.J. Spaun plays a Srixon.
Nearly two decades ago at the 2008 matches, Phil Mickelson summed up the players’ approach, given the opportunity to play a different ball on each hole. “I tee off with their ball and they tee off with my ball,” said Mickelson. “Off the tee it's not going to make too much of a difference. It's the distance control and how it comes off the irons and the trajectory and so forth [that is important]. And we will be hitting our own balls with our iron approach shots.”
That makes perfectly good sense. Players get out of their comfort zone when the trajectory of their approach shots is off, so hitting their own ball into the greens is a good call. It’s easier to make an adjustment off the tee than on the scoring shots where the ball may climb up the face a little if it’s a firmer ball than they’re used to. That can make a huge difference on a wedge shot, while it will make little difference off the tee.
As you prepare for you own Ryder Cup-style event this fall, take this tip from the pros when playing alternate-shot matches. It might just put you 1 up on the first tee.
