The Timewarp Golfer - Testing wedge design 1800 - 1920.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Were the ball weights similar? Your experiment mirrors my experience with old balls, not as old as those you experimented with but 40 or 50 years old. I find that the shorter shot distances are not too different to modern balls but when longer shots are attempted the modern ball far exceeds the older ball distances. Which I guess proves that modern balls are developed for spin around the greens and maximum distance on the long shots.

[@timewarpgolf]

there are quite similar to modern balls ... within a couple of grams.