Golf Ball Names

[Region3]

There seem to be 2 different approaches by golf ball manufacturers when each new 'improvement' is made to their product.

Titleist, Bridgestone and Srixon keep the name, ie. ProV1, B330 and Z-Star have been around for ages.
Callaway, TaylorMade and Nike give each successive ball a new name.

I'm not particularly loyal to any brand of ball, will usually pick up whatever premium ball I can find a decent deal on, but often I can't be bothered to find out what ball of a particular range is the 'premium' ball.

For example, Nike have gone from One Tour to 20Xi to RZN. There is now RZN white, black, platinum and red. It's so much easier to order a ball I know than to find out which of Nike's 4 new ones I might prefer.

For all I know the ProV1 from 5 years ago might be as different to today's ProV1 as the Nike One Tour is to the Nike RZN, but I know what a ProV1 is so it's 'safe' to buy them.

What do you think?

Better to stick with the name and you can do what you want to the ball and people will still know it, or call every new ball something different to generate interest in the latest 'new thing'?

I often hear/read about people wishing they could still get a particular old ball - in fact I'm an example of that with the Nike One Tour D - but I never hear "I wish I could still buy the 2012 ProV1".

Who's got it right?

 

[pokerjoke]

I don't like change.
I tend to stick to certain brands and for me I would go for the same 99%
of the time.
I might be wrong here but Titleist are the number one and every one knows
there a premium ball.
With TM and Nike I believe they are still looking for a position in the market
so are still basically looking for the person who likes to try different balls and brands,so people who buy on impulse.
Probably wrong though.
I believe Titleist have it right.

 

[john0]

The good thing about the likes of Nike and TM releasing new balls every year is you can then pick up the old models for around £25 a dozen. No chance of buying a dozen 2013/14 Pro V's for £25 is there.

 

[Mag]

I reckon you can put it all down to marketing to be honest. Nike and TM, to use those examples, are much flashier in their marketing and advertisements than Titleist. Whereas Titleist have established a brand name and can live off that, challengers have to come up with something else to get the same amount of traction.
You could easily argue the same for clubs. Whereas Titeleist have had the 907, 909, 910 etc drivers for some time, TM have gone Burner Superfast to RBZ to Jetspeed to AeroBurner. NSame with Nike has gone from Ignite to Sasquatch to VR Pro Limited to the Vapor.
End of the day it's all about appealing to your client base. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[Jimaroid]

Golf ball names? I'd write what I call them but the swear filter won't let me.

 

[palindromicbob]

The good thing about the likes of Nike and TM releasing new balls every year is you can then pick up the old models for around £25 a dozen. No chance of buying a dozen 2013/14 Pro V's for £25 is there.

If you aren't bothered about buying "blemish" or logo over runs then there are deal to be found on 2013/14 Pro Vs.

 

[fundy]

The good thing about the likes of Nike and TM releasing new balls every year is you can then pick up the old models for around £25 a dozen. No chance of buying a dozen 2013/14 Pro V's for £25 is there.

Srixon dont change their name either but you can often pick up the outgoing version of the Z Star for £20 a dozen

 

[sawtooth]

Perhaps a little off-topic but I do wish that Titleist bring back practice Pro V1's. More or less a perfect V1 but at half the price - you can see why they stopped selling them.

 

[pbrown7582]

The good thing about the likes of Nike and TM releasing new balls every year is you can then pick up the old models for around £25 a dozen. No chance of buying a dozen 2013/14 Pro V's for £25 is there.

and the 4 for 3 offer brings the price per dozen down if you buy in bulk.

 

[GB72]

I have not idea what ball sits in what range for a couple of manufacturers now. Nike I find the most confusing as the Nike One used to be their premium ball and now it is at the other end. The RZN has also been higher up their range I am sure. No idea which one is where now so tend to ignore them.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I stick with what I know. Z Star, B330 RXS or Pro V1x and these haven't changed much in the last few years despite several incarnations

 

[freddielong]

If it is not successful there is no reason to keep it

 

[palindromicbob]

I have not idea what ball sits in what range for a couple of manufacturers now. Nike I find the most confusing as the Nike One used to be their premium ball and now it is at the other end. The RZN has also been higher up their range I am sure. No idea which one is where now so tend to ignore them.

I find it funny that the only ball they have kept a consistent naming policy on is the PD range. No idea why they felt the need to change the premium range name each time unless they will stop when they finally start to establish a stronger foothold in that market.

I personally like Wilson Staff naming convention. D for distance F for Feel. So the DX is lower end and the FG is the premium.

If they had followed the naming convention of their irons then maybe we would have the DX2, CX3 and the FG Tour.

 

[Smiffy]

I will buy any ball with "soft" in the name.
That's because I am "soft" in the head I guess

 

[JohnnyDee]

The Dunlop 65. Now there was a ball

 

[Rooter]

I personally like Wilson Staff naming convention. D for distance F for Feel. So the DX is lower end and the FG is the premium.

I never knew that! Have used the DX3 loads too! Its a decent budget ball!

 

[Snelly]

There seem to be 2 different approaches by golf ball manufacturers when each new 'improvement' is made to their product.

Titleist, Bridgestone and Srixon keep the name, ie. ProV1, B330 and Z-Star have been around for ages.
Callaway, TaylorMade and Nike give each successive ball a new name.

I'm not particularly loyal to any brand of ball, will usually pick up whatever premium ball I can find a decent deal on, but often I can't be bothered to find out what ball of a particular range is the 'premium' ball.

For example, Nike have gone from One Tour to 20Xi to RZN. There is now RZN white, black, platinum and red. It's so much easier to order a ball I know than to find out which of Nike's 4 new ones I might prefer.

For all I know the ProV1 from 5 years ago might be as different to today's ProV1 as the Nike One Tour is to the Nike RZN, but I know what a ProV1 is so it's 'safe' to buy them.

What do you think?

Better to stick with the name and you can do what you want to the ball and people will still know it, or call every new ball something different to generate interest in the latest 'new thing'?

I often hear/read about people wishing they could still get a particular old ball - in fact I'm an example of that with the Nike One Tour D - but I never hear "I wish I could still buy the 2012 ProV1".

Who's got it right?

I think you make an excellent point here. I am in the same boat. I tend to buy Pro V1's just because I know them and the ball works for me.

The only other balls I have come across that I liked are ones that I have found, given them a test bite, decided they were quite soft and given them a go. In this way I have found the Bridgestone B330-S (?) to be a very good ball and the same goes for a TM Penta that I found.

In my view, Titleist absolutely have the right strategy. Familiarity means they are a reliable choice. Additionally, if I am ever in a pro shop and see some balls on offer from another manufacturer, my stock question is always, are these XXXXX balls the same as a Pro V1? If the guy says yes and they are much cheaper then I might go for them, otherwise it is the usual sleeve of Pro V's for me. I actually did this a couple of weeks ago at the RAC Club and ended up buying a sleeve of new Callaway balls and played with one that was brilliant but I couldn't tell you what it was called!

All these new names and supposedly new technologies are a turn off for me and I have no inclination to buy them although I would be persuaded if all of a sudden, a large percentage of tour pros switched to something new.