If you’re looking for a golf ball that can fix your game or want something to use to finally beat your buddy then you might want to consider an illegal golf ball. There are a bunch to pick from but most of them aren’t worth it. This post will talk about the longest illegal golf ball.
The longest illegal golf ball is the Polara Ultimate Straight. These golf balls are 75% self-correcting and that’s going to help reduce hooks and slices. They won’t generate as much distance as a normal golf ball but they’ll hit a lot more fairways.
I’d be completely fine with losing 10 or so yards on my drives to be able to hit the fairway more. That’s one of the best ways average players can lower their scores. You can’t use these balls in tournament play but they’ll work perfectly for your Sunday golf match. One thing you should know is that you have to hit these balls a particular way. We’ll get into that next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cofO5-SYVn4
The Longest Illegal Golf Ball
There are a number of illegal golf balls on the market but the majority of them will not perform well at all. A lot of them will generate a good distance but they’ll have a major slice or hook if that’s what you normally hit.
I wanted to find a ball that would fly far but one that would also fly straight. I ended up trying a few of the more popular models and I found one that was my favorite. It’s not something I’d personally play but it was fun taking a few shots.
In my experience, the longest illegal golf ball is the Polara Ultimate Straight. It was pretty tough to miss the fairway and as long as you struck the ball well, it did have a good amount of distance. Not as much as my normal ball but it was pretty reasonable.
Even though I didn’t get as much distance with this ball, the fact that I hit almost every fairway made this ball the best choice for lowering scores. Slicing the ball two fairways over is not fun.
If you want to make golf a little bit more enjoyable or you want to finally beat whoever you normally play with, this could be a perfect ball for you.
Polara Ultimate Straight Specs
| Product | Polara Ultimate Straight |
|---|---|
| Layers | 2 Piece |
| Weight | 45 Grams |
| Compression | 85 |
| Cover Material | Ionomer |
| Recommended Driver | 10.5 Degree+ |
| Price | Check On Amazon. |
What Makes Golf Balls Illegal?
There are a number of factors that make a golf ball illegal and unplayable in tournament action. I’m sure most people reading this don’t play many of those so it doesn’t really matter. Here is what makes golf balls illegal:
- Fewer dimples.
- Low spin.
- Smaller size.
- Heavier.
- Bigger core.
The first way to tell if a ball is illegal is by looking at how many dimples it has. This isn’t always a given but illegal balls normally have more dimples than standard balls. Pro V1 balls have 352 dimples while the Pro V1x has 328. The Polara balls have 386 dimples while some of the others have over 400.
The next thing you’ll notice is that illegal balls have very low spin. That means you’ll get a lot less curve on your shots and they’ll also fly lower than normal. If you get a lot of sidespin then you’ll have a tough time hitting the fairway. If you get a lot of backspin then your ball will balloon up and lose distance.
Illegal golf balls are sometimes smaller in size. Legal golf balls can’t be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter. The Polara balls have a diameter of 1.68 inches (the same size as normal). If you have a smaller ball, you’ll have less drag and that should give you more distance.
You’ll also notice that illegal balls are slightly heavier. Legal golf balls have to be at least 1.62 oz but the Polara balls are 1.6 oz. It’s not a huge difference but it can help with distance and forgiveness.
The final (and maybe the biggest) factor for illegal balls is that the core is bigger and it generates more ball speed. Pro V1 balls have a core that’s 1.53 inches while the Polara core is 1.535 inches. It’s a small difference but it obviously does work.
Do Illegal Golf Balls Fix A Slice?
Since these balls are supposed to be 75% self-correcting, their main goal is to fix your hook or slice. My natural shot shape with my driver is a fade and my miss is a slice. After testing them out, they definitely are much straighter than a standard ball.
Hitting more fairways is one of the best ways an average golfer can improve their scores. It’s not legal to use this ball in tournaments but most people aren’t playing in them anyway. It’s kind of a neat thing to have because it almost makes you feel like you can actually golf. Obviously, lessons would be best but this could be a close second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBfYH49dOxE
I don’t know the science behind why these balls fly straight but as long as they work I don’t really care. They have an odd dimple design so I’m guessing that has a lot to do with it.
It was pretty crazy because when I tried them I actually tried to put a major slice on the ball and they still went pretty straight. The ball flight wasn’t exactly pretty but it was impressive with how forgiving they were.
Long story short, using this ball helped me hit more fairways, and even though it was a bit of a pain to have to aim the ball on all shots, it’s still an effective way to play better golf. I was pretty impressed, to say the least.
Are Illegal Golf Balls Longer Than Normal Balls?
This is the major downside to this ball but it’s really not that big of a deal in my opinion. I found that on average, I hit this ball around 10-15 yards shorter than my normal ball. As long as I’m in the fairway I don’t really care though.
There are probably a number of reasons this ball doesn’t go as far as others (shell, dimples, etc) but the main reason is that it doesn’t launch as high. It’s pretty low flying compared to others and you’ll need a higher loft driver to get the most out of it.
They recommend at least a 10.5-degree driver but something a bit higher would probably work best. If you don’t get them up enough they tended to die a bit in the air and fall short. You’ll also want to hit them pretty solid to get the most out of them.
There are always pros and cons to any product out there so you’ll have to decide whether or not the tradeoff is worth it. If you’re just playing with your buddies and are sick and tired of slicing into the trees then this could be worth a try.
How To Use Illegal Golf Balls
The important thing to remember with these balls is that you have to align the marker on the ball with your target. It’ll still fly decent if you don’t but you’ll get some weird ball action if you don’t. You’ll even have to align it from the fairway.
It’s not really a big deal when you’re on the tee because most people align their ball already. When you hit the ball to the fairway you’ll need to align the ball to the green again. If you’re just playing for fun then it’s not a problem but if you’re playing for dough then you’ll have to be somewhat sneaky.
Once you get onto the green you should probably still use the alignment line on the ball. It’ll roll completely fine if you don’t but it’ll help you stay on the right line when you’re putting. It actually rolls pretty decently on the green.
It’s kind of tedious to always have to be moving your ball but if you want to finally beat your buddy then it’s something you’ll have to do. Just make sure you always align the ball properly and be discrete with your play.
If you’re someone who’s just out for fun and doesn’t care about improving your game (legally) and you aren’t playing for money then why not give something like this a try. You’ll probably have a lot more fun out on the course. If you’re playing for money then I think that’s up to you whether or not you want to play that way (I won’t judge).
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API