Finding the correct golf ball,after testing 5.Need help & Suggestions

[Miander]

i decided to conduct my own test, to actually see what balls I liked. I have a swing speed of around 105 mph and a ball speed of around 150 mph, With A R11 TP Driver 9 degree, Diamana kai'li 70gm shaft, and G15 Reg, Black Dot Irons with a Taylormade Corsa Ghost putter, at 31 inches. I play off 20, but that's only due to my, lack of putting skills and inconsistency, I know I should be shooting in the low 80s, if I could just get to practise more. I have been working hard on my putting and very rarely now 3 putt.

I used 5 balls, over 5 holes on my local course. Took the afternoon off to play.

Balls
Callaway Big Bertha Diablo
Srixon Z Star
Srixon AD333
Nike One Tour
Nike SFT

I was totally amazed on how different each of the balls performed on what can only be explained as totally unscientific, but has answered some questions and caused even more. I tried to rank the balls over

Driving / Long Iron
Pitching/High Iron 130 – 160 yrds
Pitching <100 yrds
And putting

I have put them, in what I think performed better to worse.


Driving•Nike One Tour (long and straight) very little side spin.
•SFT, longer than the One Tour, but more of a bullet.
•Srixon AD333: not as far as the One Tour, and for some reason, always pushed straight right. Which in my case was always in the rough
•Callaway BBD: good distance, but tended to differ every shot, about as far as the AD333, you could see my draw in this ball.
•Srixon Z Star: the least amount of distance, but generated a lot of side spin, my draw turned into a hook, every time.
Irons: pw / 9 iron.
•Nike One Tour: Clicky, but did well from the hard ground. Landed and stopped
•Srixon Z Star: fizzed in the air, but my draw came into play
•Srixon AD333: a slight fade come from somewhere, and I missed the green to the right
•Callaway BBD : out the back of the green.. it just feel like I got way more contact.
•SFT: nice, landed on the green, trickled off. Every time, quite a consistent performer really. I actually really like it but.. not for putting

Pitching <100 yrds 50 Deg wedge.
•Nike One Tour: Generated backspin, jumped back about 4 feet
•Srixon Z Star: Stopped dead. With a small hop forward
•Callaway BBD / SFT: Landed and ran forward 5-6 feet
•Srixon AD333: this ball landed and rolled off the back of the green

Putting
•Srixon Z Star: I Just couldn't miss, generating true end over end roll, and rolled in 2 birdy puts! I loved it
•Callaway BBD: Great ball, but I was used to this on the green, the soft feel is just right
•Srixon AD333: always short. Didn't get on with it
•Nike One Tour: explodes off the face, I left the ball a few feet past the hole
•SFT: explodes off the face, I left the ball a few feet past the hole, but it reacted a lot like the One tour, but the sound isn't the best

I was amazed at the results and now If anyone can help me find a ball, that fly's like a Nike One Tour off the tee , but putts like a Srixon Z star, then I'm laughing.

Help / suggestions appreciated.


Thanks

Brian

 

[One Planer]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

Did you not try the Pro V1 or V1x?

 

[Miander]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

I didn’t no. I don’t have any, the ones i had were ones i had found. I cannot condone the amount of money that the ProV1 costs.

 

[Alex1975]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

I totally agree that lots of balls feel totally different but in your opening paragraph you say that you would be shooting lower if you were more consistent, a pretty familiar war cry, however... does this very fact not skew your results a little? I am not meaning to take the piss at all but you sliced the AD333, could it just have been some bad shots? Do you trust yourself is the question I guess?

 

[USER1999]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

I cannot see how one ball would draw, and one would slice. That can only be your swing.

With the putting, if you can putt, you can putt with any thing, and would soon adjust to the ball used.

Chipping, no suprise that the tour models tested span more. However, is this actually something you want? Personally, I find a consistent roll out more predictable than silly amounts of spin.

Have you tried the Bridgestone E6? a good all rounder.

 

[Miander]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

Thanks Alex1975

Your very right in what you say, I actually believed the same. I would also think this, but it was the same ball that did the same thing, I wouldn’t say it was a slice, It was dead striaght, if the Nike was middle the AD33 was always on the right side, offline and the Z Star down the left.
I may be me, i agree, but when I hit the Srixon Z star it seemed to extenuate the spin i seem to be adding to the drive, yet the Nike Tour, flew. Which was the opposite around the green.

As for spin, i don’t know. I seem to read everywhere, generate spin / control but all i want it to do is stop! (only been playing a year and i shot an 84 yesterday, so its getting better)

 

[Miander]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

With the putting, if you can putt, you can putt with any thing, and would soon adjust to the ball used.

With this, its distance judgement, i seem to be able to putt better with a soferball than a harder one. I dont know why.

Chipping, no suprise that the tour models tested span more. However, is this actually something you want? Personally, I find a consistent roll out more predictable than silly amounts of spin.

Totally, Stopping the ball would be the best... for me anyway.

Have you tried the Bridgestone E6? a good all rounder.

Not really. For some reason i have always stayed away from them, I did have some TREO-Softs, but they were so unpredictable off the driver.. but loved around the green.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

If you want to look at some reasonably priced others I'd go with the TM Burner TP, THe Srixon Trispeed and the Titleist NXT or NXT tour and see how they compare

 

[Ethan]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

I am sure some of what was observed is broadly accurate, i.e. one ball feels firmer or jumps off the club a bit more, but 5 holes for 5 balls is a very very small sample for evaluating them, especially if, no offence, you are a higher handicapper and by definition not a consistent ball striker. Club type makes a difference too, as certain ball/club combos will work better than others.

 

[golfinger]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

Unless I'm putting I can't tell the bloody difference to be honest. It doesn't stop me buying premium balls (because in my warped and fragile mind I just can't take the risk!!!) but in my amateur opinion it's 0.00005% balls and 99.99995% my wild and inconsistent swing.

With that said I'm generally a low 80's golfer with the odd late seventy (and early 90!) carded and I can lamp the ball further than most I play with. Maybe I just lack touch/feel.

If I were brutally honest, I probably hit the really crap ones (by price definition) better then a premium ball but my ego forbids their use in most company. I think I went 2 rounds with a Pinnacle Gold recently.

On another similar note, if you find a ball, can you guarantee it will perform as well as one fresh out of the box? e.g. might you be analysing a ball that has spent 2 months at the bottom of a pond?

 

[Miander]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

golfinger

Unless I'm putting I can't tell the bloody difference to be honest.

I used to think that until very recently. I have noticed the difference on the driver especially.

On another similar note, if you find a ball, can you guarantee it will perform as well as one fresh out of the box? e.g. might you be analysing a ball that has spent 2 months at the bottom of a pond?

Agreed. but i have to start somewhere P

Ethan

but 5 holes for 5 balls is a very very small sample for evaluating them, especially if, no offence, you are a higher handicapper and by definition not a consistent ball striker.

I know. but my ball striking is actually my best part of my game. Its the putting and chipping that i lacked feel. I was told to try the Z star for this reason, which is making a MASSIVE difference, but now the driving is falling short. And yes, i may not be that constant at the moment, but if i can reduce the errors in the swing and compliment the way i play with a ball that will help then im sure i will improve...if i dont i will give up

I simply think i need a ball (at least atm) between the one tour and z star, but i know they are both premium balls. It has been suggested a PROV1x is a good idea. Now i need to find a few to give a go.

The new Srixon Q star sounds like the perfect ball but it isnt out over here yet

 

[DaveM]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

Find the ball, you find the best for you from 100yrds out and putting. Thats where you will save most of your shots. Let the driver look after its self. After all you can reach a par 5 in reg. Using a 5 wood or such club from the tee.

 

[Ken_A]

Re: Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggesti

Bridgestone B330s - spins well but not too much and is great to putt with.