Caddie Missions — on-course A/B testing for golf balls
Last updated: October 24, 2026 · By the BallCaddie Fitting Desk — independent ball-fitting methodology since 2024.
Caddie Missions is a 3-mission A/B test for golf balls: 5 putts per ball, 5 pitches per ball from about 40 yards, then 3 or 18 holes on the course alternating the two balls. The Caddie Mode session scores both balls head-to-head against your actual game and names a winner per mission and overall. It comes with the $29 one-time Full Unlock, or with BallCaddie Pro at $4.99/month.
How Caddie Missions work
One session compares two balls. You mark Ball A and Ball B with different dot patterns, then run three missions in order:
Mission 1 — Putter Click Test
5 putts per ballLog: Which ball gave the better click and feel off the putter face
Feel off the putter is the thing you notice on every hole for the next 12 months, and it never shows up in a launch-monitor bay. Five putts each, same line, then pick one or call it even.
Mission 2 — 40-Yard Check
5 pitch shots per ball from about 40 yardsLog: Which ball stopped closer to the target
The 40-yard wedge is the shot that separates a urethane cover from an ionomer one. In 2026 robot testing, urethane averaged roughly 1,250 rpm more spin than ionomer on a 35-yard pitch; this mission shows whether that gap reaches your greens.
Mission 3 — On-Course Protocol
3 holes (quick) or 18 holes (full), alternating ballsLog: Per hole: score (optional), short-game proximity 1–5, putting feel 1–5
Real turf, real greens, a group behind you. The quick version takes about 15 minutes and gives a preliminary winner; the full 18 gives the definitive one. Running averages update as you log.
Verdict
Auto-generated scorecardCaddie Mode shows the winner of each mission (putter click / 40-yard check / on-course) and an overall pick, then saves the session to My Bag.
Why on-course testing beats indoor fittings
Indoor fittings optimize for launch-monitor consistency. On-course fittings optimize for the score you actually post. The gap between those two is wider than most golfers realize.
- Weather changes ball flight. Titleist’s rule of thumb is about 1.5% distance loss per 20 °F drop, roughly 3 yards on a 200-yard shot from 70 °F to 50 °F. A fitting done indoors at 72 °F won’t tell you what happens on a 45 °F morning in October.
- Real turf changes spin. Launch monitors use a mat; the course uses fairway lies, rough, and imperfect strikes. Iron spin on a real lie averages 400–800 rpm lower than the same shot from a tee, per TrackMan’s published fitting literature.
- Feel only registers under pressure. The single most-reported reason golfers switch balls within 3 months of a fitting is feel — which never surfaces in an indoor bay. Caddie Missions force a 1–5 feel score on every short-game shot, where feel actually matters.
What you need to run a Caddie Mission
| A paid BallCaddie account | $29 one-time (never renews) or Pro at $4.99/month — either unlocks Caddie Mode, your named top 3 with match scores, Smart Buy Plan, Settle the Debate, and round logging. |
| Two golf balls | A sleeve of each is enough for the practice-green missions and a 3-hole test; bring more for a full 18. Marked with visible dot patterns so you don’t confuse them on the course. |
| A phone | Caddie Mode runs in your browser or the BallCaddie app. Shots log in under 10 seconds each; there’s no launch monitor integration required. |
| 3 holes minimum | The quick On-Course Protocol is 3 holes; the full version is 18. You can run the two practice-green missions on a different day from the holes. |
Pricing
BallCaddie Pro
$4.99/moBilled monthly. Cancel anytime.
Prefer not to subscribe? The $29 one-time Full Unlock includes Caddie Mode and everything else, and it never renews. See the full breakdown at /pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Caddie Mission take?
The first two missions take about 10 minutes each on a practice green: 5 putts per ball, then 5 pitches per ball from about 40 yards. The On-Course Protocol is your choice: 3 holes (about 15 minutes, preliminary winner) or a full 18 (definitive winner). Caddie Mode saves progress after every mission, so you can run the practice-green missions one day and the holes another.
Do I need a launch monitor or simulator for Caddie Missions?
No. Caddie Missions are designed for real grass, not launch monitors. You log with your phone: which ball won each practice-green mission, and on the course a score, a 1–5 short-game proximity and a 1–5 putting feel per hole. The protocol trades lab precision for the weather, turf and nerves a launch monitor can’t reproduce.
Can I pause and resume a mission?
Yes. Caddie Mode saves the session on the device you’re using after each mission and after each hole, so you can close the app mid-round and pick up later from the same screen.
What if I can’t tell the two balls apart mid-round?
Mark the two balls with different dot patterns or numbers before you start, for example three dots on Ball A and one line on Ball B. For blind tests, a playing partner can shuffle which ball you play each hole and only reveal the ID after all three missions are complete.
Is Caddie Mode included in free BallCaddie?
No — Caddie Mode is a paid feature, but it does not need a subscription. It comes with the $29 one-time Full Unlock, which never renews and also includes your named top 3, the Smart Buy Plan, My Bag round logging, and unlimited re-fits. BallCaddie Pro at $4.99 per month covers the same features on monthly billing. Free covers the ball catalog, the side-by-side comparison tool, the fitting quiz, and your six-section fitting report.
How is this different from a traditional ball fitting?
Most ball fittings happen indoors on a launch monitor with a pro handing you 3–4 candidate balls in ~45 minutes. Caddie Missions run on the actual course where you play, across multiple rounds if you want, and track the short-game and feel data that launch monitors can’t measure. The tradeoff: slightly less spin-axis precision, a lot more real-world relevance.
Which two balls should I A/B test first?
Pick the ball you currently play versus the top pick from your fitting quiz. If you haven’t taken the quiz, pick the ball you currently play versus a highly-rated alternative at a different compression tier — the bigger the compression difference, the clearer the result. Caddie Missions are most useful when Ball A and Ball B have a real hypothesis behind the matchup.
Related BallCaddie tools
- Compare Balls — side-by-side specs for any two of 72 models (free).
- Settle the Debate — personalized head-to-head verdicts.
- Smart Buy Plan — the 3-step framework for buying golf balls without wasting money.
- Fitting Quiz — the 90-second quiz that drives every Caddie Mission.