The Soft Shot Indoor Practice Ball

Whitley Golf Editor Joe Whitley takes a sneak-peek at one of the latest short game training aids to hit the market. The Soft Shot is a practice ball which, the designers say, provides the flight and feedback of a real ball without the distance. But does it work? And more importantly, is it something that could make an impact on your game?         

What they say:

The Soft Shot indoor Golf Ball is a practice golf ball specifically designed for the practice of the short game, indoors. They work best when hit from a plush carpet or hitting mat but can be used on other surfaces. Now you can have the freedom to practice your golf game when ever and where ever you like.

What we say:

If you are anything like me, you’ll have a multitude of broken mirrors, chipped skirting boards and smashed windows from hitting golf balls in your house. It’s inevitable — practicing golf in the home is something all avid golfers enjoy, but the damage it can lead to is something everyone would like to get shut of.

But we think we have found the answer — the Soft Shot.

The Soft Shot is a fabric practice ball which has been specifically designed to be used indoors. It comprises of a woven cover, a middle liner layer and a proprietary fill of, what sounds like, small beads, and is so soft it can be pelted against windows and still not make a mark.

“A very simple yet clever training aid which will provide you with hours of fun and confidence in your short game.”

It is claimed that it accurately replicates the flight of an actual golf ball, too, and therefore provides excellent feedback — unlike the plastic, holey balls it is looking to replace (you know, the ones which travel about five yards and swoosh in the wind)

But does the Soft Shot live up to these claims? And can it sort out your short game?

After a few days with the Soft Shot, I can safely say yes. Admittedly, it will never be able to provide the exact feedback of hitting an actual golf ball. But when placed against its rival, the holey plastic training aids I mentioned earlier, it proves to be in a world of its own in terms of replicating how a ball reacts when hit.

Instead of whipping up in the air on impact, the extra weight promotes a scaled-down version of what a real shot would look like with the same trajectory, just a lot less distance. The result is invaluable feedback on where you hit the ball at impact and this allows you to compensate and train your swing to middle the ball more often. It also helps to eradicate thin and fat shots because it reacts to them like a real ball — it stays very low with a thin, and loses all distance with a fat. Quite ingenious really.

When I transferred the Soft Shot practice onto the course, there wasn’t what I’d call an instant change. But I did feel much more confident with shots of 50 yards and under, and felt at ease with the shorter clubs — something I’m sure everyone would like to experience. There is a problem, though — the price.

At just over $7.00 AUD per ball, the Soft Shot costs roughly the same as a premium ball, such as the Titleist Pro V1. But they are deceptively durable, and will thus last you quite a lot longer than a Pro V. And what’s more, the time you spend whacking balls into your bedroom wall will provide you with a lot of fun as well as practice. My verdict is that the Soft Shot is definitely worth the investment.

To Sum Up…

A very simple yet clever training aid which will provide you with hours of fun and confidence in your short game. It is a little pricey, and this could put some people off, but it can help you a lot with your smaller clubs. Anyone short of confidence in and around the greens should really give these a go.

Whitley Golf Ratings
Functionality: 9
Fun: 10
Impact On Game: 8
Versatility: 10
Value: 6
OVERALL: 43/50

Available in Australia from Golf Clubs Down Under