Practice balls are for practice only.  You should never use them during play.

Why?

Acording to the places i see selling them they are factor blemish balls that cant be sold as normal balls. I was curious about this to i saw a box of prov1 practice balls and thought they would be good for practice rounds and balls for when u want the performence of the prov1 but dont want to lose them trying to  go for it over water.

Practice Balls usually mean that there is a paint blemish or the color of the ball is slightly off, X-OUTS means the ball is either out of round or the core is off center or something along these lines. Practice balls are fine to play with but generally do not conform to the USGA rules because balls with the word "Practice" do not appear on the conforming list.

Matthew S

Practice Balls usually mean that there is a paint blemish or the color of the ball is slightly off, X-OUTS means the ball is either out of round or the core is off center or something along these lines. Practice balls are fine to play with but generally do not conform to the USGA rules because balls with the word "Practice" do not appear on the conforming list.

Hi guys,

Here is a little more detail on the differences between practice balls and x-outs.  

Pro V1 Practice golf balls are conforming products that differ only due to a cosmetic blemish such as paint, ink or registration of stamping. Pro V1 Practice golf balls do not have any construction or performance deficiencies. 

Pro V1 X-Out golf balls are also conforming products. However, they usually have a cosmetic blemish and/or occasionally have a minor physical defect that should not significantly affect its performance. More often than not, the physical condition causing the ball to be stamped as an X-Out is so minute that it is not recognizable by the player.

Both products may be used in the casual round of golf including those with scores posted for handicaps, and most competitions, with the possible exception of high level competitions invoking the Local Rule requiring balls to be on the List of Conforming Golf Balls. 

As for whether or not you can use these golf balls during a round of golf, you can refer to  the USGA Official Rules on the subject listed below for your reference:

Q: May I use a ball stamped with "Practice" or "X-Out" to play a round of golf?

A: Our present policy provides that if the List of Conforming Golf Balls or the One Ball Condition is in effect, a practice or logo ball may be used provided the other markings on the ball (i.e., pole and seam) correspond exactly to a ball listing on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls. Balls labeled with ''PRACTICE'' or a circled ''P'', are essentially treated as a logo ball (such as a Mickey Mouse emblem). A player's name stamped on the ball is also acceptable. However, the original ball markings (i.e., pole and seam markings) must be readable in order for a Rules Official to determine whether that ball is on the List of Conforming Golf Balls. X-Out balls are not permitted to be used in any competition in which the List of Conforming Golf Balls or the One Ball Condition is in effect. However, if neither of these Conditions are in effect, X-Out balls may be used because all balls are presumed to conform unless they have been tested and found not to conform or are obviously non-conforming (e.g., too small or too heavy). (See Decisions 5-1/4 and US/5-1/101).

As a result of the potential for an X-Out to be non-conforming if tested, we do not recommend using this model during tournament play. 

How about NXT Tour practice balls.  I was doing a fitting the other day and my member was hitting our NXT Tour practice balls with an average ball speed of 144.  We switched to a ProV1x and all of a sudden his ball speed jumped up to 149 average.  What would cause that?  Is it the quality of the ball, or just the fact that a ProV1x fits him better?

Thanks for the all the useful info Mike. 

Mike,

 

Please, can you confirm this is the same for the England?

 

Alan Bannister

Hi Alan,

I'll be more than happy to help. Can you clarify which part of the prior response you are seeking clarification on?

Best,

Mike

Mike,

I was asking in regard to being able to use the practice balls in my club completions. I have since been on the R & A rules site and it has the same rule as you have in the USA.

Thanks for your reply though.

Kind regards,

Alan

Hi Alan,

Sounds good. Let me know if you have any other questions and have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Mike