From: mibrunou@sara.cc.utu.fi
Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf
Subject: Do You Really FEEL The Difference?
Date: 12 Nov 92 20:49:33 GMT
Organization: University of Turku, Finland

Balata vs Surlyn:
Do You Really FEEL The Difference?

   I read an article in GOLF magazine June-90 which has a name
"The Fallacy Of Feel".
   There were six PGA Tour pros(Cook, Brooks, Pernice, Twitty, Estes and
Wolcott) hitting balls in the test. They had three different kinds of balls:
Balata-covered three-piece, Surlyn-covered two- and three-piece balls.
Pros had their own drivers, 6-irons and sand wedges(for 30-yard shots).
Each player hit a minimum of six shots - at least two of each ball with each
of the three clubs - under four sets of conditions that limited what they
could see and/or hear of their shots. They hit a total of 468 shots.
The purpuse of the test was to see how well FEEL alone could determine which
ball was which.
   So they had four different conditions:

1) Normal: They could hear the sound of the impact and see how the ball flew
           and landed.
2) Blind : They could see the ball at address, but not during the flight and
           landing.
3) Deaf  : Their ears were filled with ear wax and covered with sound-absorbing
           headphones.
4) Blind&
   Deaf  : 2) + 3)

The Results:

  Here are the results of the test, charted by the correct responses and
  the condition of sensory deprivation.

    Three-piece   Three-piece   Two-piece  |
      Balata        Surlyn       Surlyn    | Total
                                           |
4)      16            11            9      | 36/117 = 31%
                                           |
3)      19            18            9      | 46/117 = 39%
                                           |
2)      19            12           19      | 50/117 = 43%
                                           |
1)      18            19           16      | 53/117 = 45%
---------------------------------------------------------
      72/156        60/156       53/156    |
       =46%          =38%         =34%     |

The conclusion:

   For example, pros could have easily guessed the ball at random more often
than they "FELT" when they were blind and deaf. And when the conditions were
normal they identified the right ball 45 percent of the time. That's less
than half the shots!!
   When a player made a solid contact with the ball he'd usually say it was a
good shot and identify the ball as balata. And when the contact was less 
solid he'd say it was one of the Surlyns. When the contact was terrible the 
pick was usually two-piece Surlyn.
   So, this test may show that a player can "FEEL" the quality of impact not
the ball he is hitting.
   Another statistic point was found: The pros identified the right ball most
accurate on wedge shots and least accurate with their drivers.
   So, now You can draw Your conclusion...

   I would like to hear Your opinions!


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Mika Brunou            ! Master of Golf:        ! Extremely Long with the Driver
Student of Mathematics ! HCP -5.5(R&A  System)  ! Deadly Accurate with Irons
University of Turku    !     -4.8(Swe  System)  ! Wizard with Wedges       !19>
Finland, Europe        !     -4.4(USGA System)  ! Genius on the Green      !
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