Balls

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Okay, going full nerd mode, I compared some stats from the Today's Golfer test and MyGolfspy. I focussed only on balls in discussion in this thread or those that I am interested in. Takeaways: the TP5 is marginally shorter in high swing speed carry stats, but it's only a few yards. Then, there is a really strange mismatch in the wedge spin numbers that they report.

Here are some numbers:


View attachment 59521

Altitude and air temperature are going to be the major factors here. MGS uses robot testing so they’re guaranteed perfect Smash factor x swing speed to get optimum ball speed and spin every time, plus they even state when testing the location they use will often give optimal numbers due to the weather being perfect.

Today’s golfer tends to be a dude hitting balls indoors on a GCQuad or similar so what they’re getting is optimal numbers for that person hitting it only compared to MGS. I’d be more inclined to take MGS numbers as it’s usually a far more controlled scientific test.

Does make for interesting reading though. I’ve got my fitting tomorrow so I’m interested in seeing how that goes.

 

[jim8flog]

Okay, going full nerd mode, I compared some stats from the Today's Golfer test and MyGolfspy. I focussed only on balls in discussion in this thread or those that I am interested in. Takeaways: the TP5 is marginally shorter in high swing speed carry stats, but it's only a few yards. Then, there is a really strange mismatch in the wedge spin numbers that they report.

Here are some numbers:


View attachment 59521

Not sure why you would compare Trufeel/ Tour Soft balls with the others as they are 2 piece balls.

Although a lot of the benefits of 3 or more piece balls have diminished with the new Equipment Rules for balls one of the benefits still remains to a certain extent, as the face gets flatter the less spin so should equal greater distance of a driver whilst retaining high spin levels with wedges.

 

[sunshine]

Altitude and air temperature are going to be the major factors here. MGS uses robot testing so they’re guaranteed perfect Smash factor x swing speed to get optimum ball speed and spin every time, plus they even state when testing the location they use will often give optimal numbers due to the weather being perfect.

Today’s golfer tends to be a dude hitting balls indoors on a GCQuad or similar so what they’re getting is optimal numbers for that person hitting it only compared to MGS. I’d be more inclined to take MGS numbers as it’s usually a far more controlled scientific test.

Does make for interesting reading though. I’ve got my fitting tomorrow so I’m interested in seeing how that goes.

Also MGS is US. Everything is bigger in America.

 

[rulie]

Not sure why you would compare Trufeel/ Tour Soft balls with the others as they are 2 piece balls.

Although a lot of the benefits of 3 or more piece balls have diminished with the new Equipment Rules for balls one of the benefits still remains to a certain extent, as the face gets flatter the less spin so should equal greater distance of a driver whilst retaining high spin levels with wedges.

What are the "new Equipment Rules for balls" and when did they take effect?

 

[jim8flog]

What are the "new Equipment Rules for balls" and when did they take effect?

Extract of the applicable rule is

In addition, the design of the golf ball may not include parts or components that move with respect to each other

I first noticed it in the 2020 changes (it may have been in there earlier)

The original concept of the mantle ball was that the mantle was not fixed to the outer cover. In that way when a wedge was used the outer layer would slip against the mantle allowing for much higher levels of spin compared to a straight face club hitting the ball which would just compress the ball.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Soooo buckle in this is gonna take a while….. just back from my Ball fitting in time for the RC. All I can say is what an experience, was allowed a little warm up to get myself loose and swinging freely before kicking off the fitting.

I tried many different balls using GC Quad including ones I hadn’t even considered as I was told keep an open mind and don’t look for confirmation bias let the stats do the talking.

We tried:

Wilson Staff Tour and Tour X
Prov 1 & ProV1X
Chromesoft and Chrome Tour
TP5
Mizuno ProX
Vice Pro, Pro air and Tour
PXG Tour and Tour X

We started with the ChromeSoft as that’s what I’ve been playing recently and numbers were decent, then we moved on to the other balls and started weeding the results right down to what was giving me optimal performance and eventually ended up with the preferred recommendation essentially of a top 4 balls I could use and not see any real differences to my game with so essentially balls that are interchangeable depending on personal preference.

I have to say I was shocked by some of the numbers and what I thought would be recommended wasn’t. Pro V1 and 1X just scraped in as the 5th best ball for me, they were good off the tee but with the irons just weren’t giving enough stopping power compared to others, TP5 was a waste of time so much lost distance off the tee and to much roll on the shorter irons.

In the end the recommended balls were:
Callaway Chrome Tour
Wilson Staff Tour Model X
Vice Pro ( Was giving me similar distance to Pro V1 but the stopping power and spin numbers for me were far better.
PXG Tour X

I was really surprised as the only real what I’d call top premium brand amongst the recommended balls was the Callaway. After the GC quad we ventured out to the putting green and was allowed to try the top 4 to see how I felt with them and the flat stick. Gonna be honest they all felt pretty much the same but I was erring toward the Vice and PXG purely because the differences in Spin and distance were negligible across all 4 balls so price then becomes a factor especially with the PXG as I get 20% off any order with them as they do Heroes discount for serving and ex military .

I couldn’t make a decision there and then so thought I was going to walk away and to think about it. But I had so much fun I stayed longer as he offered me a Club gapping session with both the Vice and PXG back on GC quad for £15 (usually £25). So spent another 30mins doing that with every club in the bag with both balls. Absolutely superb thing to do and at the end of it decided I’m going with the PXG Tour X as the distance differences was 1-2 yds but spin and stop on short irons was good and got a dozen for £32

He’s going to email me over all the data later on today with Spin numbers etc and the Gapping data I’m really pleased with and where my games at even got some good compliments and couple of nice tips for free.

What a fun morning was only meant to be there around 45 mins but ended nearer 2hrs and I’m now happy with the ball of choice and it’s something a little different and saves pennies in the long run. Thought today didn’t good job of saving me money but I’m going away soon to recoup that money

 

[Neilds]

Soooo buckle in this is gonna take a while….. just back from my Ball fitting in time for the RC. All I can say is what an experience, was allowed a little warm up to get myself loose and swinging freely before kicking off the fitting.

I tried many different balls using GC Quad including ones I hadn’t even considered as I was told keep an open mind and don’t look for confirmation bias let the stats do the talking.

We tried:

Wilson Staff Tour and Tour X
Prov 1 & ProV1X
Chromesoft and Chrome Tour
TP5
Mizuno ProX
Vice Pro, Pro air and Tour
PXG Tour and Tour X

We started with the ChromeSoft as that’s what I’ve been playing recently and numbers were decent, then we moved on to the other balls and started weeding the results right down to what was giving me optimal performance and eventually ended up with the preferred recommendation essentially of a top 4 balls I could use and not see any real differences to my game with so essentially balls that are interchangeable depending on personal preference.

I have to say I was shocked by some of the numbers and what I thought would be recommended wasn’t. Pro V1 and 1X just scraped in as the 5th best ball for me, they were good off the tee but with the irons just weren’t giving enough stopping power compared to others, TP5 was a waste of time so much lost distance off the tee and to much roll on the shorter irons.

In the end the recommended balls were:
Callaway Chrome Tour
Wilson Staff Tour Model X
Vice Pro ( Was giving me similar distance to Pro V1 but the stopping power and spin numbers for me were far better.
PXG Tour X

I was really surprised as the only real what I’d call top premium brand amongst the recommended balls was the Callaway. After the GC quad we ventured out to the putting green and was allowed to try the top 4 to see how I felt with them and the flat stick. Gonna be honest they all felt pretty much the same but I was erring toward the Vice and PXG purely because the differences in Spin and distance were negligible across all 4 balls so price then becomes a factor especially with the PXG as I get 20% off any order with them as they do Heroes discount for serving and ex military .

I couldn’t make a decision there and then so thought I was going to walk away and to think about it. But I had so much fun I stayed longer as he offered me a Club gapping session with both the Vice and PXG back on GC quad for £15 (usually £25). So spent another 30mins doing that with every club in the bag with both balls. Absolutely superb thing to do and at the end of it decided I’m going with the PXG Tour X as the distance differences was 1-2 yds but spin and stop on short irons was good and got a dozen for £32

He’s going to email me over all the data later on today with Spin numbers etc and the Gapping data I’m really pleased with and where my games at even got some good compliments and couple of nice tips for free.

What a fun morning was only meant to be there around 45 mins but ended nearer 2hrs and I’m now happy with the ball of choice and it’s something a little different and saves pennies in the long run. Thought today didn’t good job of saving me money but I’m going away soon to recoup that money

Good write up and seems a decent experience.

You mentioned the cost before, was it £25?

What clubs did you hit during the fitting? For 2 hrs I would think you hit most of the bag!

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Good write up and seems a decent experience.

You mentioned the cost before, was it £25?

What clubs did you hit during the fitting? For 2 hrs I would think you hit most of the bag!

Was a great experience really glad I did it.

The fitting was £25, that usually gives you 30 mins on GC quad hitting Driver, 7 iron and PW. Then 15 mins on putting green refining the feel.

I was only there nearer 2 hours as we did the additional Gapping session with both balls which was every club in my bag Driver-LW., plus my numbers with the recommended balls we’re so close he took extra time to make sure and wasn’t missing anything out. So realistically the 2 sessions together would be around 90mins, but he let me have a long play and a chat after totalled just under 2hrs.

Thoroughly enjoyable and I also now have my exact numbers based on perfect conditions and being a geek I’ll go though the numbers again when he email them over this afternoon will give me something to do on my flight tomorrow

 

[sjw]

2025 ball test - this is the sort of thing that annoys me about the MGS tests...

Take a look at this graph...

What sort of scale is that?! Misleading as a misleading thing. They are always preaching about that Maxfli as well. Feels very very dishonest to represent the graph in such a way that it looks like they're way ahead at a glance.

Another one

They're all like it. Really poor

 

[slicer79]

Soooo buckle in this is gonna take a while….. just back from my Ball fitting in time for the RC. All I can say is what an experience, was allowed a little warm up to get myself loose and swinging freely before kicking off the fitting.

I tried many different balls using GC Quad including ones I hadn’t even considered as I was told keep an open mind and don’t look for confirmation bias let the stats do the talking.

We tried:

Wilson Staff Tour and Tour X
Prov 1 & ProV1X
Chromesoft and Chrome Tour
TP5
Mizuno ProX
Vice Pro, Pro air and Tour
PXG Tour and Tour X

We started with the ChromeSoft as that’s what I’ve been playing recently and numbers were decent, then we moved on to the other balls and started weeding the results right down to what was giving me optimal performance and eventually ended up with the preferred recommendation essentially of a top 4 balls I could use and not see any real differences to my game with so essentially balls that are interchangeable depending on personal preference.

I have to say I was shocked by some of the numbers and what I thought would be recommended wasn’t. Pro V1 and 1X just scraped in as the 5th best ball for me, they were good off the tee but with the irons just weren’t giving enough stopping power compared to others, TP5 was a waste of time so much lost distance off the tee and to much roll on the shorter irons.

In the end the recommended balls were:
Callaway Chrome Tour
Wilson Staff Tour Model X
Vice Pro ( Was giving me similar distance to Pro V1 but the stopping power and spin numbers for me were far better.
PXG Tour X

I was really surprised as the only real what I’d call top premium brand amongst the recommended balls was the Callaway. After the GC quad we ventured out to the putting green and was allowed to try the top 4 to see how I felt with them and the flat stick. Gonna be honest they all felt pretty much the same but I was erring toward the Vice and PXG purely because the differences in Spin and distance were negligible across all 4 balls so price then becomes a factor especially with the PXG as I get 20% off any order with them as they do Heroes discount for serving and ex military .

I couldn’t make a decision there and then so thought I was going to walk away and to think about it. But I had so much fun I stayed longer as he offered me a Club gapping session with both the Vice and PXG back on GC quad for £15 (usually £25). So spent another 30mins doing that with every club in the bag with both balls. Absolutely superb thing to do and at the end of it decided I’m going with the PXG Tour X as the distance differences was 1-2 yds but spin and stop on short irons was good and got a dozen for £32

He’s going to email me over all the data later on today with Spin numbers etc and the Gapping data I’m really pleased with and where my games at even got some good compliments and couple of nice tips for free.

What a fun morning was only meant to be there around 45 mins but ended nearer 2hrs and I’m now happy with the ball of choice and it’s something a little different and saves pennies in the long run. Thought today didn’t good job of saving me money but I’m going away soon to recoup that money

Interesting to see yet another situation where the Wilson tour ball shows up well. I'm definitely going to have to get a box to try out.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Interesting to see yet another situation where the Wilson tour ball shows up well. I'm definitely going to have to get a box to try out.

It was a good ball, the Tour Model X just a little bit better in the numbers for me and really couldn’t fault it at all. PXG just edged it on the wedges and price point due to discounts but well worth considering and trying.

 

[timd77]

The srixon zstar XV balls I ordered from eBay arrived and weren’t the ones pictured in the advert! The photo was of the latest variation, they sent the 2023 model, so I sent them back. Naughty buggers.

After reading all the stuff about Wilson staff on here, but still wanting to play something similar to the prov1x, I decided to take the plunge on the Wilson staff model x, which is apparently quite similar. Managed to find them on a 3for2 and also a 5% discount code, so they’ve ended up costing just over £27 per dozen. Looking forward to giving them a try.

Wilson Staff Model X Golf Balls - White - 3 For 2 Offer

3 FOR 2 OFFER - BUY 2 DOZEN AND RECEIVE 1 FREE The Fastest Urethane Golf Ball on the Planet The Wilson Staff Model® X golf ball is a tour-caliber, four-piece urethane golf ball that delivers unmatched precision, speed and consistency. Made for players who want a firm, fast ball, the Staff Model...

www.majorgolfdirect.com

@slicer79 let me know if you want me to dig out the discount code.

 

[Orikoru]

2025 ball test - this is the sort of thing that annoys me about the MGS tests...

Take a look at this graph...

What sort of scale is that?! Misleading as a misleading thing. They are always preaching about that Maxfli as well. Feels very very dishonest to represent the graph in such a way that it looks like they're way ahead at a glance.

Another one

They're all like it. Really poor

Yeah, the bar lengths make it look like the Maxfli is ten yards longer than the next one.

 

[sjw]

Yeah, the bar lengths make it look like the Maxfli is ten yards longer than the next one.

Look at the PXG, Titleist, Mizuno run. Same difference between them but the bars vary by different amounts. Poor show

 

[CliveW]

The longest ball is not necessarily the best ball for your game. Accuracy and short game should also be considered.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

The longest ball is not necessarily the best ball for your game. Accuracy and short game should also be considered.

That’s why the ProV1 and ProV1x were ruled out for me today. They were the longest I hit but with the irons and wedges they just weren’t on par with the others so sacrificed a couple of yards for accuracy and control.

 

[Skytot]

Was a great experience really glad I did it.

The fitting was £25, that usually gives you 30 mins on GC quad hitting Driver, 7 iron and PW. Then 15 mins on putting green refining the feel.

I was only there nearer 2 hours as we did the additional Gapping session with both balls which was every club in my bag Driver-LW., plus my numbers with the recommended balls we’re so close he took extra time to make sure and wasn’t missing anything out. So realistically the 2 sessions together would be around 90mins, but he let me have a long play and a chat after totalled just under 2hrs.

Thoroughly enjoyable and I also now have my exact numbers based on perfect conditions and being a geek I’ll go though the numbers again when he email them over this afternoon will give me something to do on my flight tomorrow

I would love a ball fitting but my club pro doesn’t do them . If anyone knows where I could get a ball fitting in the Manchester/ Cheshire area ?

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I would love a ball fitting but my club pro doesn’t do them . If anyone knows where I could get a ball fitting in the Manchester/ Cheshire area ?

Quick google says Birchwood Golf club in Cheshire has a ball footing service available in their studio

 

[Skytot]

Quick google says Birchwood Golf club in Cheshire has a ball footing service available in their studio

Cheers , when ever I tried google nothing csme up

 

[sunshine]

2025 ball test - this is the sort of thing that annoys me about the MGS tests...

Take a look at this graph...

What sort of scale is that?! Misleading as a misleading thing. They are always preaching about that Maxfli as well. Feels very very dishonest to represent the graph in such a way that it looks like they're way ahead at a glance.

Another one

They're all like it. Really poor

That's not accidental. It's poor journalism trying to push their agenda.

Also, I have 100mph swing speed and I do not hit driver anywhere near 290 yards. Obviously not as good a swing as the robot, but the people I know who hit it 280+ have much faster swing speeds.