How to Tell if a Golf Ball Is Waterlogged

Finding a barely-used, premium golf ball sitting by a water hazard feels like discovering treasure, but playing that ball could sabotage your score without you even realizing why. A waterlogged golf ball can turn a perfectly struck shot into a frustrating mishit, leaving you questioning your swing instead of the equipment. This guide will walk you through exactly how to tell if a golf ball is waterlogged, using simple tests you can do at home or on the course, so you can stop guessing and protect your game.

What Exactly Is a Waterlogged Golf Ball?

To understand why a waterlogged ball is a performance killer, you have to know what's happening on the inside. Modern golf balls are engineering marvels with multiple layers: a high-energy core (or multiple cores), one or more mantle layers, and a durable cover. The cover, typically made of urethane or ionomer, is designed to be waterproof.

However, no cover is invincible. Scuffs from cart paths, nicks from wedges, or even microscopic cracks that are invisible to the naked eye can compromise this protective layer. When a ball sits submerged in a pond, water slowly but surely seeps through these imperfections.

Once inside, the water saturates the core. This has two disastrous effects:

1. It Adds Weight: The absorbed water makes the ball uniformly heavier and out of balance, throwing off its core arodynamic properties.
2. It Deadens the Core: The core's job is to compress and explode off the clubface, transferring energy into ball speed. Water inhibits this process, causing a dramatic loss of compression. Think of it like comparing a trampoline to a wet sponge. One a dry, sunny day the ball would feel springy and jumpy, while the waterlogged trampoline would produce little more than a dead "thud".

The result is a golf ball that flies shorter, has an inconsistent and lower trajectory, and spins unpredictably. Hitting a perfect draw might instead produce a weak, low-flying hook. A solidly struck iron shot might fall 15 or 20 yards short of the green for no apparent reason. It's the ultimate confidence-crusher because the feedback from the shot is a lie.

The Definitive At-Home Tests for waterlogged Golf balls

Sorting your "found" collection is the best way to separate the gems from the duds. Grab a new ball from a sleeve to use as your "control" for comparison - this is your benchmark for how a healthy ball should perform.

Test #1: The Sound &, Bounce Test

Your ears and eyes are some of the best tools for this job. This test requires a hard, flat surface like a tile floor, concrete patio, or even a sturdy kitchen countertop.

• Step 1: Hold your control ball (the new one) and the suspect ball at the same height, about shoulder level.
• Step 2: Drop the control ball first. Listen carefully to the sound it makes on impact. It should be a crisp, sharp, relatively high-pitched "click." Watch the bounce, it should be lively, rebounding to a significant height.
• Step 3: Now, drop the suspect ball from the exact same height. A waterlogged ball will make a noticeably different sound&mdash,a dull, heavy, and low-pitched "thud" or "thunk." The sound has no life to it.
• Step 4: Observe the bounce. A dead, waterlogged ball will have a very weak rebound, hopping just a few inches off the ground compared to the lively bounce of the control ball.

The difference is often so stark you'll notice it immediately. If you're unsure, try closing your eyes and having a friend drop them for you. Focusing solely on the sound removes any visual bias and makes the "click" versus "thud" incredibly obvious.

Test #2: The Saltwater Float &, Balance Test

This is the most reliable method and reveals not just waterlogging but also if a ball is simply out of balance, which is just as bad. Water is less dense than a golf ball's core, so we need to make the water denser to get a proper reading.

How to Prepare the Solution:

1. Fill a clear glass or a large bowl with warm water. Warm water helps the salt dissolve more easily.
2. Start adding salt and stirring. Table salt works, but Epsom salt dissolves very effectively. Keep adding salt until your control (new) golf ball floats freely. This might take a fair amount of salt - a half cup or more per pint of water isn't uncommon.

Performing the test:

• Step 1: Place the suspect ball into the saltwater solution. First, does it sink? If the ball sinks while your control ball floats, it's definitely waterlogged and far too heavy. Get rid of it.
• Step 2: If it floats, the next step is to check its balance. Water inside a ball will create a heavy spot. Give the ball a gentle push to make it spin. Let it settle. A perfectly balanced ball will stop at random. A waterlogged or unbalanced ball will always rotate to the same position, with its heavy side settling toward the bottom.
• Step 3: To confirm this, take a permanent marker and put a dot on the very top of the ball as it rests. Push it under and spin it again. Let it settle. If that dot returns to the top (or very close to it) every single time, you've found the heavy side. That ball is compromised and will not fly true.

Any ball that fails the sink test or the balance test should be removed from your bag and relegated to chipping practice in the backyard.

Quick "On-the-Course" Checks

What if you find that beautiful Pro V1 on the 12th hole and your bag is running low? While you can't perform a saltwater test between shots, you can get a pretty good idea with some feel-based methods.

The Wedge Juggle

This is a favorite among golfers. Grab a wedge and bounce the suspect ball on the face a few times, then do the same with a known good ball from your bag.

• A good ball will feel "hot" or "jumpy" off the face. It's responsive and easy to pop up.
• A waterlogged ball will feel "soft," "heavy," or "mushy." It will feel dead on the clubface and won't bounce nearly as high with the same effort.

After a little practice, your hands will be able to detect the difference in rebound energy immediately.

Visual and Squeeze Test

Look for tell-tale signs of long-term submersion.

• Discoloration: Is the ball abnormally yellow or browned? This can indicate it's been sitting in stagnant, muddy water for a long time.
• Significant Damage: A pristine cover doesn't mean it's safe, but a heavily scuffed or cut cover is a huge red flag. It's a guaranteed entry point for water.
• The Squeeze: This is more subjective, but sometimes a badly compromised ball will feel almost imperceptibly softer when you squeeze it firmly between your thumb and forefinger compared to a new ball.

The Coach's Advice: Is It Worth the Risk?

As a coach, my advice is straightforward: never use a suspected water ball in a round that you care about. Golf is a game of managing variables - wind, lie, your own swing thoughts. A waterlogged ball is a completely unnecessary and unpredictable variable that can ruin your confidence.

Imagine you're 150 yards out. You select your 7-iron, your 150-yard club. You make a perfect, pure swing right on the sweet spot. You're holding your finish, expecting a great result, but the ball lands weakly in the bunker short of the green. You’re left wondering, "What happened? Did I misjudge the wind? Did I decelerate? Is my 7-iron no longer my 150 club?"

That doubt is more damaging than the single shot. You've now lost trust in your swing, your club, or your arodynamics estimate. The small amount of money saved by using a found ball isn't worth the mental damage and score-wrecking inconsistency it can cause. Use them for chipping practice, give them to a junior who is just starting out, or simply build a proud pyramid of them on your desk. Just keep them out of your golf bag on game day.

Final Thoughts

Learning to spot a waterlogged golf ball is a simple skill that pays off by removing doubt and building consistency in your game. By using the at-home sound, bounce, and float tests, you can reliably sort your found golf balls and ensure you're only playing equipment that performs as it should.

Taking unknown variables out of the equation is one of the fastest ways to improve on the golf course. The same logic applies to decision-making during a round. For those moments when you aren't sure about the correct club for your approach or how to handle a complex shot from a bad lie, Caddie AI acts as your 24/7 on-course expert. By providing you with instant, smart strategy based on your situation, it helps you make confident choices, avoid big mistakes, and focus on what matters most - hitting a great shot.