Anyone tried X-OUTS???

[HTL]

http://www.americangolf.co.uk/golf-balls/golf-balls/titleist-x-outs--12--balls/

Popping into AG tomorrow morning and thinking of getting some of these, anyone tried them?

From the description they sound ace! So that's why i'm so sceptical.

If they are crap I am just going to get 2 boxes of Warbirds to last me until the weather gets a bit warmer.

 

[Imurg]

In all honesty I'd opt for warbirds or 333's or Dx2's over X-outs. To be fair the X-out means there is a fault that makes them "seconds". It could be the wrong shade of white, a bad print or poor paint. But you don't know.

Could not open the link so can't see the price but I reckon they're from the same pot as lake balls - cheap but probably not worth it in the end.

 

[Herbie]

Titleist are a quality make so I wouldnt think they would turn out crap, just give them a try is the only way to find out, looking at this add though, I smell a short comming end of run sales here, especially when all that seems available is yellow, so if you do try them and love them expect them not to be around later.

 

[HTL]

The link does work, its just taking a while to load, they are £6.99 for 12 so I will prob just get some to try.


I also love the DX2 + PX3, they are the best balls for the money by far. Only going with the warbirds to get some more roll and distance in this crap weather.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think I am right in saying (and a wise old head will no doubt correct me) that an X out is factory standard production and has not been used but has been pulled out during quality control for errors in colour or printing. Therefore it should be as good performance wise as a ball that has made the grade and been packaged. I'm sure lake balls are always balls recovered on course and therefore quality cannot be guaranteed.

In plain terms the X out should play as well as a regular ball. I seem to remember in the 80's a lot of manufacturers sold X-outs. These days the only ones I have seen are the Titleist PTS. I'm sure there is a missed opportunity here for the main players in the market to make some extra revenue or maybe I'm living in the past and the X-out market has long since gone.

 

[medwayjon]

X-Outs are not legal in competition play.

As for the warbirds Hywel, DONT DO IT!!!!

They are so crap its unbeliveable, yes they roll a bit but anything inside 100yds and for putting you may aswell chuck a flint down and hit it.

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

I would totally disagree on the Warbirds. I shot a round of 80 with them last week so they cant be that bad.

You just need get on the putting green and hit them about 20 times to get the feel as they do come off the face a bit quick.

 

[TonyN]

Warbirds to hard for me.

What ever you do, dont get any refurbed, I got a dozen bought for me for xmas. I hit a great 9 iron with one today, guess how far it went......98 yards I hit my 9 130 with normal balls.

 

[DCB]

htl,

Perfecty usable for winter play. I've used them myself this winter. Yellow shows up well against the frost.

There was a previous Post about Yellow balls a month or so ago, price then was £9 a doen.


Medwayjon,

Nothing in the rules against these in normal competition play. Unless of course your taking part in elite competition with single ball rule in force.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not legal in competitive play. Cheers MWJ I knew there was something about them but couldn't put my finger onit. I still think they will perform as a properly printed and painted ball so would be worth a punt especially given your warbird option. Not a good ball and you would be better spending a few quid more on something less like a rock.

To be honest I think balls are quite important and that there is a lot to be said about getting something to suit. Granted not everyone has the game to justify a top dollar ball but there are plenty of middle of the road balls (AG are doing Nike Black at £19.99) that will give you some sort of feel off a putter and wedge and still give you distance. Sadly I don't see warbird as a brand that does that. As for lake balls, unless you plan to use them to replenish a practice bag wouldn't touch them. End of story (and I'd be reluctant to use them for practice too)

 

[USER1999]

I have played the much maligned warbirds for a couple of rounds this winter, and to be honest, was not unimpressed. Yeah, not a summer ball, but not bad for winter. Give it a try.

Nothing is as hard as a topflite XL11. These are the orignal rocks.

 

[andiritchie]

I got some only because if i ever need yellow balls at least i will be using i decent ball,

Mine say dts-roll instead of pts-roll so only a printing error

 

[SammmeBee]

htl,

Medwayjon,

Nothing in the rules against these in normal competition play. Unless of course your taking part in elite competition with single ball rule in force.

If they are not on the conforming list from the R&A then you can't use them.....as far as I know XXX outs are not on the conforming list....

 

[DCB]

Sammmebee

Does your club use the Conforming Ball list on a weekly basis? How does the secretary have time to do all that each week? How do the members keep up to speed with what is on the list?

Have a look at Q 2 here for carification.

http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?action=rules.rulessub.faq&cfid=17532810&cftoken=21818546

X Outs are acceptable.

 

[SammmeBee]

Sammmebee

Does your club use the Conforming Ball list on a weekly basis? How does the secretary have time to do all that each week? How do the members keep up to speed with what is on the list?

Have a look at Q 2 here for carification.

http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?action=rules.rulessub.faq&cfid=17532810&cftoken=21818546

X Outs are acceptable.

Yes they did (not a member any more) the list as they had this very discussion.....so X Outs are not acceptable....I ken what ye mean tho.....

 

[redmike]

I did a thread about these balls a while ago as direct golf had them for a tenner, but had sold out while i was deciding. Am going to get some of these tomorrow - have no yellow balls left and am playing twice this week in what looks like frosty conditions and find yellow much easier to see. Also find them easy to see against a grey cloudy sky when the light isnt so good.

 

[medwayjon]

X outs are definately NOT permitted.

This came up recently and I checked it out.

 

[backwoodsman]

X outs are definately NOT permitted.

This came up recently and I checked it out.

MJW - since the rules & the R&A say differently, would be interesting to know where your advice came from?

 

[Parmo]

I think this might answer the question:-

X-Out golf balls are sold in many golf shops and retail stores in dully packaged boxes at steep discounts to "regular" golf balls. That's because an X-Out ball is the result of a mistake in the manufacturing process.
X-Outs are name-brand golf balls on which that brand has been stamped out, usually with a row of X's, because of imperfections in the ball. Those imperfections are often cosmetic in nature, and usually so small as not to be noticeable. The balls usually play the same as their counterparts, or at least close enough that most recreational players could never tell the difference.

Let's use Titleist for the sake of illustration. If during the manufacturing process some tiny little error occurs and the resulting balls are not up to Titleist standards, the company will not package those balls and try to pass them off as Titleist golf balls.

But Titleist doesn't want to toss them out with the garbage either, because that would be a complete loss of money. So instead, Titleist stamps a row of X's across the "Titleist" name on the ball, packages such balls in generic packaging and puts a very cheap price on them. Titleist still makes money, and many golfers get practice balls - or play balls - on the cheap.

So that's what an X-Out is. Should you use them? Are they "legal" under the Rules of Golf?

The USGA and R&A maintain a list of conforming golf balls, and only balls that appear on that list are "legal" in tournaments or at clubs where the Conforming Ball condition is in effect.

X-Outs are played mostly by beginners or by golfers on a strict budget. Better golfers wouldn't be caught dead using an X-Out for play, but might buy them as practice balls.

Here at About Golf, we believe that there's no shame in price controls. If an X-Out is what fits your budget, and you don't have to worry about the Conforming Ball condition, then there's certainly no shame in using an X-Out.

As for the official stance on X-Outs from the USGA, it appears in Decision 5-1/4 and reads like this:

"Q. 'X-out' is the common name used for a golf ball which a manufacturer considers to be imperfect and has, therefore, crossed out the brand name on the golf ball. What is the status of an 'X-out' ball?

"A. The vast majority of 'X-out' balls are rejected for aesthetic reasons only, i.e., paint or printing errors. In the absence of strong evidence to suggest that an 'X-out' ball does not conform to the Rules, it is permissible for such a ball to be used. However, in a competition where the Committee has adopted the condition that the ball the player uses must be named on the List of Conforming Golf Balls ..., an 'X-out' ball may not be used, even if the ball in question (without the X's) does appear on the List."

http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf/a/faq_xout.htm

Or there is this from the R&A website:-

Conforming Golf Balls
In the note to Rule 5-1, it states that "The Committee may require, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), that the ball the player uses must be named on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by The R&A".

This List includes all those balls which have been submitted by manufacturers for testing, and which have been found to conform to the specifications laid down in Appendix III of the Rules of Golf.

It is recommended that the List is used for competitions involving expert players (ie Professional and top Amateur events). Use of the List in other events and Club golf is not recommended, but it is at the discretion of the Committee.

A Committee wishing to implement the 'Conforming Golf Ball Condition' should refer to the Rules of Golf, Appendix 1, Part C, Item 1.

http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?action=rules.equipment.conformingballs

here is the link to the USPGA & R&A approved ball list: -

http://www.usga.org/equipment/conforming_golf_ball/gball_list.pdf


I think this is the answer, they are not permitted as they have not been approved by the R&A as a conforming ball unless a club bypasses this rule.

 

[HTL]

Great post Parmo! Thanks for doing all of that.