Accuracy or distance: Which anti-slice golf ball is right for you?

Golf is a game of trade offs. Swing with power to get nearer to the hole and risk accuracy. Or swing with restraint to increase accuracy at the expense of distance?

Why not, then, play the ball that’s best suited to your game?

That’s the thinking behind Polara Golf’s XD ball. It’s not a replacement to popular, pioneering, and controversial Ultimate Straight™ ball. Rather, it's an evolution. 

“We debated a long time whether to introduce a 75% correcting ball first, knowing some people would have distance issues if they had low swing speeds or low loft drivers,” says Dave Felker, president of Polara Golf, “Or start with the 50% correction model, knowing it would have extra distance but not be as helpful for people with a terrible slice.”

Ultimately, the company chose to release the 75% correcting Ultimate Straight first, “so that nobody would question our claims,” Felker says. “We envisioned people saying ‘Wow, I hit every fairway!’ and this is happening.”

It certainly is. In addition to glowing reviews by The New York Times, Fox News, CNBC and others, the Ultimate Straight averages “four out of five star” user ratings on Amazon, with many of the minority negative reviews taking issue with the nonconforming nature of the ball and the lower trajectory used to maximize straightness, while still noting its straightness.

“With 75% slice correction, the Ultimate Straight virtually ensures you will be in the fairway every shot,” Felker says. “Now we are making sure that golfers with improved mechanics or lower swing speeds can remain on the fairway while achieving maximum distance. That’s the justification for the two- and three-piece Extra Distance golf balls.”

So which model of Polara’s self-correcting golf balls is right for you?

The quick and dirty is this: the Ultimate Straight Series works best for players with a terrible slice or those with a high swing speed (i.e. men that like to hit hard which increases the chances of recklessness which often results in more slice).

Conversely, the Extra Distance Series works best for men with a slower swing speed, women in general — since they don’t try to kill the ball as often as their counterparts — or anyone prone to minor slice rather than major.

As Felker explains, “Women rarely hit the 160 foot slices because they don’t hit hard enough to generate enough spin to generate enough lift to cause a terrible slice. So the XD or XDS is best for them.”

It’s not just for the ladies, though. “Men with a slow swing speed should also use the XD or XDS,” Felker adds. “This is because the Ultimate Straight will have too little lift for them to get distance, unless they use a high lofted club or three wood at all times.”

To give a specific example, let’s say “terrible slice” is 100 feet or more off the centerline. Keep in mind fairways range from 90–135 wide. So when armed with an Ultimate Straight ball, said “terrible slicer” would reduce their slice to only 25 feet off the centerline, “in the fairway for sure,” Felker says.

On the other hand, the XD’s 50% correction of a 100 foot slice would still make a shot vulnerable to the rough on narrower fairways, since 50 feet off the centerline would put you in the tall stuff.

“So if you hit a big slice, and your aim is off just a little from the centerline, you are definitely going to be in the rough,” Felker says. “Even with 50% correction. Hence, the original Ultimate Straight works best in this scenario.”

Conversely, if your slice is less than 100 feet wide — light hitters and players with better mechanics — the Extra Distance is preferred since it mitigates the risk of missing the fairway while increasing loft and distance.

Given the range of fairway widths, “some people play both golf balls,” Felker says. “On tight fairways, they choose the Ultimate Straight and on broad par fives, the go with Extra Distance.”

Another thing to consider when selecting a Polara accuracy golf ball is that both models have an “Extra Spin” variant. How do you know which is right for you? In short, “Extra Spin” models are best for those who value a softer feel and greater stopping power.

“We developed the regular and extra spin versions from the start,” Felker explains. “Making the ball extra spin requires an extra cover layer, which means higher costs. Some golfers do not want to pay 40¢ more per ball for extra spin, which is why we offer both variants.”

Whether you choose the greater loft of Extra Distance, the proven straightness of the Ultimate Straight, or Extra Spin, you’ll more than double your chances of hitting the fairway in lieu of traditional balls, Felker says.

It’ll also help you play faster, lose fewer golf balls, and have more fun.

Science fair winner “confirms proposed effects” of Polara Golf balls

When I was 10, I built a lame baking soda and vinegar volcano for my science fair. I lost.

As for Ethan Cossu of Florida, he built a sweet modified skeet shooter last year to independently test the advertized effects of Polara’s anti-slice golf balls. (No, we didn’t put him up to it. It was all Ethan’s doing, for reals.)

His methodology was so good, in fact, he took first place at the Saint Charles Borromeo School Science Fair. After countless hours, more than 30 trials on a local football field, and a standardized swing apparatus, Ethan concluded, “The Polara golf ball with its unique asymmetric dimple pattern allows for less slice on the ball when struck, while only slightly affecting the distance traveled.”

Said Ethan after his scientific victory: “I would like to thank my mom and dad for helping me with this project, the Charlotte High School for allowing me to perform my experiments on their football field, and Jeff Burroughs and Mark Wysocki who helped me adapt the skeet shooter to strike golf balls consistently.”

When alerting us of his son’s accomplishment, Ethan’s dad wrote via email, “I wanted to inform you that our findings completely agreed with yours. We had an incredible fun time with this project. Thanks for a great golf ball and great time.”

Kids these days.

Congratulations, Ethan—keep up the hard work! (Oh, the places you’ll go).

UPDATES FROM THE PGA SHOW

Dr. Dave Felker, Polara CEO and Inventor speaks at the PGA Media Day 

The Polara Golf team presented the revolutionary anti-slice golf balls to the country's top media representatives at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. Dave Felker, CEO of Polara Golf, also introduced the new Polara Golf Wedges that are scheduled for release this spring as well as the launch of the new Recreational Golf Association of America.

The wedges are sure to please Polara Golf advocates. The clubs feature a corrugated grooved plate placed behind the face plate that will create 35% higher backspin, resulting in more green-stopping power. Now the average golfer has more opportunity to perform on a whole new level. "The new wedges and the RGAA were received very well," shares Felker.

Felker's team hosted the Polara Triple Challenge where the media demoed Polara Golf's line of products including the anti-slice balls, new drivers and the new wedges on the range. About half of the media played the ball in the on-course scramble, creating a buzz for more information on the equipment. Polara Golf's good at brewing up buzz – especially where tradition is deep and non-conforming is still breaking through as an industry term.

Top 5 reasons to try Polara this year

As a company, we’ve seen a lot of growth over the last couple of years.

In 2011, we broke through mainstream media with glowing praise of our inaugural Ultimate Straight ball, the first and only anti-slice golf ball that puts you on the fairway, guaranteed. Last year, we listened to our customers and released a complimentary ball with less correction but greater lift for players with better swing mechanics.

That too, excited the press.

This year, we’re excited to unveil a new host of golf related equipment to help you enjoy the game of golf even more. But before we do that — all in good time, you see — we’d like to remind you of why 2013 is as good a time as any to try our original anti-slicing golf balls if you haven’t already:

1 Seeing is believing. The biggest reason you should try a Polara this year, is because they simply work. Google reviews of our product if you don’t believe us. The press says so. User reviews say so. They just work. If you’re tired of slice and tired of playing from the words, trees, or out of bands, try a box today.

2 Everybody else is doing it. We’d love to say that everyone uses are balls already, but we have our work cut out for us. But we can say that 73% of golf already admit to bending the rules, something every Polara player must do when playing balls. It all comes down to a simple question: Do you want to play by professional, time consuming, and overly demanding rules every time you play, or do you want to have fun? The vast majority answer with the latter, making them prime candidates for playing Polara (which is what we aim to do).

3 They give you better grip and backspin on your approach shots. One of the added bonuses of Polara balls is they give you more backspin on your approach shots (plus a whole lot more). Not only is it the straightest ball in golf, it’s the most versatile and can help you get even more than just distance when needed.

4 Traditional golf is out of touch. Despite the fact that more golfers play for recreational reasons and therefore bend the rules when they play, the golfing establishment is actually making the rules more unrealistic than they already are. They still think everyone should play by professional rules at all times. They’re more concerned with tradition than getting the most out of the game and what makes more sense for evolving taste, lifestyles, and time constraints. We appreciate the rules when applied to professional golf. But for everyone else, there is a better way. Polara balls are leading the way.

5 Because playing from the fairway is more fun. You know the feeling; sometimes you have great times on the golf course, especially if the slice gods are on your side. Often times you don’t. After switching to Polara balls, I rarely leave the golf course disappointed and defeated. The game is still a challenge. But it’s not discouraging with Polara. It’s fun. It makes me feel like I’m a pro on select shots. It makes it so I don’t have to hunt for, replace, or slow up play as often as I used to. It makes for shorter rounds so I can enjoy myself then get back to my family. It just works.

Golf is a game. Go have fun.