{"id":1086,"date":"2023-02-28T10:09:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T10:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/?p=1086"},"modified":"2023-03-28T12:48:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T12:48:06","slug":"are-nitro-golf-balls-legal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/golf\/are-nitro-golf-balls-legal\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Nitro Golf Balls Legal? (My Honest Take)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nitro golf balls have gained much popularity in recent years for their design, affordability, and hardness, but the question is, <strong>are Nitro golf balls legal<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The short answer is no.\u00a0 While you can use Nitro balls in amateur games, but the two golf governing bodies have banned Nitro balls from being used in the tournaments for good reasons which I am gonna reveal in this article.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image aligncenter uagb-block-6d84b472 wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal-1.webp \" src=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal-1.webp\" alt=\"Are nitro golf balls legal\" class=\"uag-image-1097\" width=\"\" height=\"\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption class=\"uagb-image-caption\">Are nitro golf balls legal?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-adf52f9f gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Are nitro golf balls legal?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> (The Truth)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While Nitro golf balls are popular for their price point and have turned many heads in the casual golfing community, the question arises about their legal status.&nbsp;Various authorities monitoring the golfing sport have their opinion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The R&amp;A has specifications for golf balls divided into several categories:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>General: The balls should comply with the form and make of traditional balls and must not be contrary to the purpose.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-ast-global-color-4-background-color has-background\">\n<li><strong>Weight:<\/strong> The ball should not weigh more than 45.93 g<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Size:<\/strong> The diameter should not be short of 42.67mm.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Symmetry:<\/strong> A standard ball must not be designed, manufactured, or modified in any way, which makes it different from other symmetrical balls.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Velocity:<\/strong> The ball&#8217;s velocity should not exceed what&#8217;s mentioned in the Initial Velocity Standard by R&amp;A and USGA.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Distance standard:<\/strong> The final carry and roll of the ball will be tested by the R&amp;A and USGA.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Rules and Regulations of the USGA and R&amp;A:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These two authorities store information about illegal golf equipment. This applies to all gears that don&#8217;t comply with the rules set by the two bodies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>As per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usga.org\/\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">USGA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.randa.org\/en\/\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">R&amp;A<\/a>, Nitro golf balls are illegal for causal, high-level, or novice games. According to these two bodies, Nitro balls are banned from professional golfing tournaments and games.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nitro golf balls have been rendered illegal based on the rules set by the R&amp;A for testing golf balls and maintaining a standard for the industry. USGA and R&amp;A agree on this point banning Nitro balls in all golfing tournaments across levels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-1c73c9cc gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>What balls are illegal in golf?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides Nitro balls, the USGA has barred a few other <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/golf\/what-are-x-out-golf-balls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"839\">balls<\/a> from being used in tournaments. While these balls can help amateur players with extra distance and performance enhancement, pro players never use these.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The list of illegal balls (as determined by the USGA) is long. We have picked the top four options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-5783f821 gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Bandit Maximum<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This company makes some of the top non-confirming balls in the market, and Maximum is the best ball that gives the players extra distance, unseen in the past.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image aligncenter uagb-block-3e7bcc1c wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bandit-Maximum-1024x332.webp \" src=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Bandit-Maximum-1024x332.webp\" alt=\"Bandit Maximum\" class=\"uag-image-1100\" width=\"923\" height=\"299\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption class=\"uagb-image-caption\">Bandit Maximum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>USGA disapproved of this ball for its dimple pattern and low spin. While the ball offers extra distance coverage, it&#8217;s not a good choice for feel and short games.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-6112f36d gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Volvik Magma Golf Ball<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Volvik Magma is larger than standard <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/golf\/how-many-golf-balls-fit-in-a-747\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"986\">golf balls<\/a> on the market and is easier to see and contact. These two characteristics of the ball make it the primary choice for amateur players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image aligncenter uagb-block-35cc32ed wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Volvik-Magma-Golf-Ball-1.webp \" src=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Volvik-Magma-Golf-Ball-1.webp\" alt=\"Volvik Magma Golf Ball\" class=\"uag-image-1102\" width=\"\" height=\"\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption class=\"uagb-image-caption\">Volvik Magma Golf Ball<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>These balls, too, feature a dimple pattern with high ball flight. The balls are ideal for slower swing-speed players, providing extra distance and velocity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-6c829b87 gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Polara Ultimate Straight Golf Balls<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These balls have the unique feature of flying consistently straight. The innovative 2-piece design of the call comes with advanced tech that fights hooks and slices. The ball is also much smaller than the standard diameter set by the R&amp;A and USGA, making it illegal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-cbcbb3a3 gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>MG Senior Balls<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name suggests, these balls are ideal for veteran players who don&#8217;t participate in tournaments. These balls are perfect for slow-swinging players who require distance. The balls also have a good feel and control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-1ac73586 gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>What balls are banned in PGA?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Professional Golfers Association of America, a.k.a. PGA, was formed in 1916 by a businessman from Philadelphia. The organization&#8217;s goal was to promote interest in professional golfing and enhance gaming standards. Today PGA is an elite organization that hosts many tours, and golfers dream of joining them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like all golfing tournaments, PGA has certain specifications about the balls they consider legal in their tournament. As per the rules, legal balls used in the tournament cannot be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter and have <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/golf\/how-many-dimples-does-a-golf-ball-have\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1005\">fewer dimples<\/a>. The organization does allow the use of color balls in the tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What&#039;s inside ILLEGAL Golf Balls?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GMNXeTHNwZ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, recently, the golf governing bodies are amending the threshold of confirming balls. As per the current notice, professional golf balls must meet the overall distance limit of 317 yards and have a 3-yard tolerance. If the proposal is implemented, the new standards will be introduced in Jan 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-2a33c6bd gb-headline-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Why are liquid golf balls illegal?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, golf balls used to have a liquid core. These balls were hard and spun too much. However, today&#8217;s golf balls don&#8217;t use that technology, instead feature a uniform shape that bounces and flies better. The new golf balls have low core compressions that keep the spin rate low.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Conclusion<\/strong>:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nitro balls are unique with their bright colors, simple dimple design, and solid core. These features combine and make the balls fly. While they are not an option for golf purists, amateurs can take the putt on them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nitro golf balls have gained much popularity in recent years for their design, affordability, and hardness, but the question is, are Nitro golf balls legal?\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal.webp",1000,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal-300x150.webp",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal-768x384.webp",768,384,true],"large":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal.webp",1000,500,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal.webp",1000,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Are-nitro-golf-balls-legal.webp",1000,500,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Michael Brown","author_link":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/author\/michael\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Nitro golf balls have gained much popularity in recent years for their design, affordability, and hardness, but the question is, are Nitro golf balls legal?\u00a0 [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1086"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1086"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1110,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1086\/revisions\/1110"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsuntangled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}