Tournament Rounds always get Fresh Balls in the Bag.

If I'm playing casual or practice rounds I usually play one ball till it's time to retire it from play...

Dr. K

Always a new ball Titleist [ usually PRO V1 X ]  at the start of each nine, just a habit or superstition of mine.

I have done this ever since the first time I did I shot my personal best and from that day forward have done it every round.

I'm not a superstitious person and don't believe that my golf shots have any connection to my ball being old or new.  However, I am a believer in positive thinking.  Every round has good and bad shots.  I learn from the bad and feed off of the good.   When I pull out a ball from a previous round I immediately  think of the some of the great shots that I hit and it builds my confidence before I make my first swing.  Like Bubba said, its like an old friend.

that being said, there is still something special about pulling out a pristine new PRO V1X from the sleeve.  I usually just stare at it for a minute...

Tee up a New Pro V1. New Round. New chance for a career round.  

That's my goal this year, Mike, as my game is consistently improving.  With OB on left and range on right, it kills me to lose a new ProV on my first swing, unless of course it's a money game or a tournament, then absolutely.  I also love to pull out my new ProVs from the sleeve and not just dump them in my bag.  I love the ritual of taking it out of the sleeve and only throw away the sleeve after the last new ball is put into play.  This way I know which are new and which balls have experience a beating!  Great post!

Great poll Mike!!

I usually start with a ProV1 or X depending on what I want to play for that course that day and the conditions.  If I have a good ball that I played with last round in good shape I most likely start with that one.  See how it goes and I like to see how long I can play with a ball before I lose it.  If I lose the old one then I will get a new one out and start with it.  Great stuff and interested to see what others say as well!!

No I dont I play the yellow balls nxts and I only tee a new ball every other round harry

Naw, play the NXT or Velocity until I lose it, damn things last forever! 

I selected no preference,but normally tee up a new ball when playing competitively,but during practice rounds I have no preference as long as the ball is in good shape.,all the well used balls go into the shag bag.Nothing beats the feeling of pulling out a fresh new ball out of the sleeve and admiring the Titleist logo and the pristine little white sphere..

New if playing for $ Old if with my buddies.

Okay, so this post by the inimitable Mike DePaolo is fantastic!  Why?  Because it's had me thinking since he posted it a few days ago.  In the past, I rarely used a new ProV1 unless there was something on the line like money or a tourney.  But then I started thinking, why not?  Life is short.  Why not use the best?  Always.  Use what makes you happy.  What makes you feel great!  Mike had a great point.  Why not start the greatest game in sports with the greatest ball in sports?  I was always afraid of losing a prized possession.  A brand new Titleist ProV1 on the first shot.  Lose it to the masses.  Lose it to the great abyss.  But I started thinking?  What was I losing really?  I wasn't "losing" anything at all.  I was sharing the greatest ball in golf to someone or something.  (That is, if I really did lose it on the 1st tee because the first drive is the hardest shot in golf, in my humble opinion).  So after careful thought, it would be a WIN/WIN no matter what the outcome.  I could enjoy the greatest satisfaction in golf by pulling out a new ProV1 out of the box and teeing it up on the 1st tee box.  Or worst case scenario, I would hit it out of bounds or on the range for the picker to pocket.  So I decided to try Mike's philosophy.  I teed up on the number one tee.  I hit a booming drive.  Into the range!!! NOOO!  This was just a friendly game with a friend.  I looked and looked and looked.  My friend looked and looked and looked.  "it's a NEW PROV1 fresh out of the box!," I told my friend.  "I know!" he said.  He knew how much I loved Titleist, especially the PROV1s.  As a matter of fact, he got all Titleist equipment and apparel after I did because he saw how much joy and satisfaction I had with this great brand.  Anyway, back to the story and my new, lost ball.  "I didn't even practice putting with it!," I woefully told him.  "I know!" he said.   Alas, we didn't find it after looking forever it seemed.  People on the range were getting more and more perturbed.  Finally, I gave up the hunt.  I went back to the1st  tee box and hit an "experienced" PROV1.  I didn't want that happing again!   I double bogeyed the first hole!  I wasn't happy.  On the fourth hole, I hit a six iron into a long par 4.  BOOM!  Right in the cup!  Eagle! !  I was back to even.  But even with that amazing shot, I couldn't stop thinking about that lost PROV1 on the first hole throughout the entire round.  After teeing off on 9, I cut through the back of the range and kept looking!  Still no dice!  No brand new PROV1 for Vern.  Long story short, I shot my all time low score for 18.  70!  And I owe it all to teeing up a brand new PROV1 on the first tee box.  So Mike DePaolo, thank you so much for this post and your amazing insight and inspiration.  It took losing a new PROV1 to gain my lowest score of my life.  From now forward, I will tee it up the Mikey D., way!  A new PROV1 every day.  It keeps the high scores away!  Thanks Mike and thanks to Team Titleist for the greatest brand and the greatest ball in golf!!!  

P.S.  There was a happy ending to this story.  After posting my lowest score and best round of my life, I told the range picker about losing the ball and I that I had my normal marking of a metallic V under the number for "Vern" and a long alignment line.  He found it that day and gave it back to me!  But in the true spirit of the great game of golf, I gave it to him.  He's a young, budding golfer who has dreams of playing on the pro tour.  I told him, use it in great spirit.  There's magic in it!

Team Titleist Forever!

Vern Urich

Great topic Mike D.,

I would say for the most part i use a new ProV1 every start of a new round. The reason for the most part in my area, El Paso, the ball tends to get scratched up due to some off tee shots that may or may not be in the fairway. I would not say its a ritual like others may have but i do mark a new ball every start of 18, maybe a good luck or good round thing  but i do understand why some people may not use a new ball due to the durability as well of the Prov1 Balls.

Jeff Y.

Unless it's a blind first shot, I need to use a new ball to get my confidence right out of the gate.

To me using a marked up ball on the first tee says, I'm not ready.  

Im currently a student and so I cant start out with a fresh ball every round because I play several rounds. I play a ball until its scraped or lost which has gotten to be a lot of holes lately. I played my last ball 32 holes over a week end. My max hole count was 54 holes over a 3 day weekend and it went down because I hit a cart path :( .

I always put a new ball in play on the first tee. New day new ball. I love to look at that shiny new white ProV1X  on the first tee and watch it fly. Not always where I want it to go and have given away some one hit wonders. You know what I mean. Even a couple of Test Balls. Thanks for the polls interesting questions. Keep it up. Fairways and Greens.

I like to hit a ball thats fresh but not necessarily new. If I am feeling it and I know exactly where my ball is going to go, I will hit a new one. If I'm not feeling it and I just want to get it in play, I will save the new sleeve for the next Tee.

If I have time to warm up prior to teeing off then usually I will start with a new ball.  Should I not have the time to warm up then I will pull a used ball out first. 

Im with john. The Shiny new white golf ball looks beautiful, New Day New Ball.