How to Test Golf Balls in Water

A stubborn putt that lips out or a drive that inexplicably slices might not be a flaw in your swing - it could be the golf ball itself. Performing a simple water test is an easy and revealing way to check if your golf balls are properly balanced and ready to perform. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, helping you understand how to separate the perfectly round performers from the wobbly rejects in your bag.

Why a Balanced Golf Ball Truly Matters on the Course

As a coach, I see players blame themselves for poor shots when their equipment is secretly the culprit. Imagine a car tire that’s out of balance. At high speeds, it wobbles, creating an unstable and inefficient ride. A golf ball with an off-center core or an uneven weight distribution behaves in the exact same way. The center of gravity isn't in the geometric center of the ball.

What does this mean for your game?

• On the Greens: This is where an unbalanced ball is most noticeable. When you strike a putt, you're trying to get the ball to roll end-over-end. If the ball’s heaviest part is on the side, it will pull the ball offline as it rolls, especially as it slows down near the hole. It looks like a slight wobble and is enough to turn a perfectly struck putt that was tracking for the center into a frustrating lip-out.
• Through the Air: While harder to detect with the naked eye, a significant imbalance affects ball flight. On a drive or iron shot, the ball is spinning at thousands of RPMs. An off-center weight distribution can exaggerate side-spin (contributing to a bigger slice or hook) or lead to less predictable flight patterns. At best, it robs you of distance, at worst, it sends your ball into trouble you thought you’d avoided.

This imbalance can come from a manufacturing defect in a new ball or, more commonly, from use. Recovered lake balls that have sat in water for extended periods can have their internal layers warped. Even balls hit hard into a tree or cart path can become deformed. Testing them gives you peace of mind that your equipment isn't working against you.

Everything You Need for the Water Test (It’s Simpler Than You Think)

You don't need a laboratory to perform this test. In fact, you probably have almost everything you need in your kitchen already. The goal is to create a solution dense enough for a golf ball, which would normally sink in fresh water, to float.

Here’s your simple checklist:

• A Container: A large clear bowl, a small bucket, or even a glass casserole dish will work perfectly. You want it deep enough for the ball to float freely without touching the bottom.
• Sufficient Water: Enough to fill your container about three-quarters full.
• Salt: Epsom salt is the gold standard here. Its chemical composition (magnesium sulfate) dissolves easily and makes the water very dense. If you don't have Espsom salt, regular table salt will work, but you'll need to use quite a bit more to achieve the same effect.
• A Permanent Marker: You'll need this to mark the balls as you test them. A fine-tip Sharpie is ideal.
• A Towel: For drying off the balls after the test.
• Your Golf Balls: Gather up the gamers, the practice balls, and especially those found and lake balls you've been curious about.

The Step-by-Step Saltwater Balance Test

Once you have your supplies ready, it's time to become your own quality control expert. Follow these steps carefully for each ball you want to test. The process is quick, and after the first one, you'll get into a rhythm.

Step 1: Prepare Your Float Solution

Pour warm water into your container. Warm water helps the salt dissolve much faster than cold water. Start adding your Epsom salt. A good starting ratio is about one cup of Epsom salt for every two cups of water. Stir thoroughly until the salt is completely dissolved. To check if your solution is ready, gently place one golf ball in the water. If it floats with some of the ball showing above the surface, you’re good to go. If it sinks, just add more salt and stir until it floats.

Step 2: The First Drop and Settle

Take your first golf ball and gently place it in the center of the water. Let it go and watch. It will bob around for a moment before settling into a resting position. Every golf ball, even a perfectly balanced one, has a natural buoyancy and will settle. What we're interested in is how it settles after being disturbed. Don't mark anything just yet.

Step 3: Mark the “Light Spot”

Once the ball has come to a complete stop, take your permanent marker and place a small, clear dot on the very top of the ball - the point that is furthest out of the water. Think of it as the North Pole. This mark represents the ball's lightest point. Logic follows that the ball’s absolute heaviest point is now directly opposite your dot, at the very bottom (the South Pole), submerged in the water.

Step 4: The Spin Test - Confirming the Imbalance

This is the definitive part of the test. Gently spin the golf ball in the water. Try spinning it in different directions - like you’re spinning a globe. Let it go and allow it to settle again without any interference. Now, observe where your mark is.

• If the ball is unbalanced, it will consistently return to the exact same resting position, with your marker dot pointing directly at the ceiling. No matter how many times you spin it, the heavy side will always sink to the bottom, forcing the light side up.
• If the ball is well-balanced, it will settle in a random position each time. Your marker dot might end up on the side, partially submerged, or somewhere else entirely. It has no "heavy side" compelling it to one specific orientation.

Give each ball at least three or four spins to be certain. A truly unbalanced ball will reveal itself very quickly.

Step 5: Sorting Your Collection

As you test, create two piles: a "good" pile for the well-balanced balls and a "bad" pile for the unbalanced ones. You'll quickly get a feel for the process. A balanced ball feels "free" in the water, while an unbalanced ball feels "loaded" and almost magnetic in its pull toward one position.

I Found an Unbalanced Ball... Now Что?

Discovering you have a few unbalanced balls doesn't mean you need to throw them in the trash. You just need to re-categorize them. These balls still have a purpose, just not in a situation where precision is paramount.

Relegate Them to the Practice Bag

Unbalanced balls are perfect for non-critical practice situations.

• Warm-ups: Hitting them on the range before a round to simply get loose.
• Hazard Shots: If you're playing a casual round and are facing a long carry over water, use one of your reject balls. If you lose it, there’s no love lost.
• Short Game Practice: They're perfectly fine for general chipping and pitching practice in the yard where you're focused on honing your technique, not holing out.

I do not recommend using them for serious putting practice, as they can build bad habits and erode confidence by making straight rolls difficult.

The "Equator an" Alignment Trick for Putting

If you absolutely must use an unbalanced ball, there is an advanced technique to minimize its wobble on the greens. Since you've identified the heavy point and the light point (the dot you made), you can visualize a line running around the center of the ball, exactly halfway between these two points - like the Earth's equator.

Draw this "equator" line around the ball. This line is now your putting alignment aid. Place the ball on the green so that the equator line is vertical, pointing directly at your target line. When you strike the ball, the imbalance is now rotating on a horizontal axis (like a rotisserie chicken) rather than a vertical one (like a wobbly top down top). This minimizes the side-to-side wobble that would otherwise pull the putt offline. It's a neat trick that can neutralize the negative effect, but it’s far easier to just use a balanced ball to begin with.

Final Thoughts

Taking a few minutes to water-test your golf balls is an eye-opening exercise that can bridge the gap between a "good swing" and a "good result." It removes a hidden variable from the game, replacing uncertainty with confidence and ensuring that the equipment you rely on is as consistent as the swing you're working to build.

Just as validating your equipment builds on-course confidence, so does stepping up to a shot with a clear, simple strategy. That's the feeling we designed Caddie AI to deliver. It gives you instant, on-demand advice for any situation - whether you need a smart plan for the tee shot or expert analysis when you find your ball in a tricky lie. Our app helps you remove the guesswork so you can commit to every swing, knowing you’re making the smartest play.