Golf ball snobbery or not

Hobbit

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To be honest, and in my humble opinion, if you grouped balls by their performance into 3 groups, rocks, mid-performance and premium balls, most people would be hard pressed to identify which was which, in any particular group, in a blind test.

I've been using the TP5 and Mizuno MP-S, with the odd sleeve of Pro-v's, for most of the last year. All 3 seem much of a muchness - maybe the MP-S the softest but no real difference and feel to the others. However, I put some Bridgestones in the bag a few weeks back - same top of the range stuff. I won't be buying them again. Off the tee and the fairway they feel the same and are pretty much the same distance-wise. They just don't seem to bite as much when hit into the green. That doesn't mean they are a worse ball, maybe I just don't compress them enough.

As to same manufacturers owning different brands, didn't Orio used to make bags for a number of brands?
 

GB72

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To be honest, and in my humble opinion, if you grouped balls by their performance into 3 groups, rocks, mid-performance and premium balls, most people would be hard pressed to identify which was which, in any particular group, in a blind test.

I've been using the TP5 and Mizuno MP-S, with the odd sleeve of Pro-v's, for most of the last year. All 3 seem much of a muchness - maybe the MP-S the softest but no real difference and feel to the others. However, I put some Bridgestones in the bag a few weeks back - same top of the range stuff. I won't be buying them again. Off the tee and the fairway they feel the same and are pretty much the same distance-wise. They just don't seem to bite as much when hit into the green. That doesn't mean they are a worse ball, maybe I just don't compress them enough.

As to same manufacturers owning different brands, didn't Orio used to make bags for a number of brands?

Think I read that Callaway have just bought Ogio. Always liked their bags and it seemed sensible to buy a bag from a company that just made bags.
 

jim8flog

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Saying Pinnacle balls are hard no feel balls etc

Is exactly the same as saying

Toplite balls are hard no feel etc

It just shows a lack of knowledge.

eg, Over the years there have been in XS of 50 ball types made by Topflite (Spalding as they used to be) which ranged fro high spin very soft ball eg the exceptional spin to the rock Topflite XL.

Pinnacle have produced some really soft high spin balls such as the Exception and the Dimension.
 

jim8flog

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Srixon and Dunlop balls used to be made in the same factory (could still be).

The Dunlop v3 golf ball was the exact same as a zstar. They don’t seem to make them anymore but was in sports direct the other day and they had a box for £8. 3 piece urethane golf ball for a fraction of the price. I would have bought them but have about 6 boxes of balls in the house.

Marketing and branding can do some phenomenal things

Yep I have 5 doz DP1 V3s in the cupboard for when my Bridgestone 330X run out
 

jim8flog

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Srixon and Dunlop balls used to be made in the same factory (could still be).

The Dunlop v3 golf ball was the exact same as a zstar. They don’t seem to make them anymore but was in sports direct the other day and they had a box for £8. 3 piece urethane golf ball for a fraction of the price. I would have bought them but have about 6 boxes of balls in the house.

Marketing and branding can do some phenomenal things

You are right the Srixon AD333 Tour is made by Dunlop (or it was last time I looked at the small print on the box).
 
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You are right the Srixon AD333 Tour is made by Dunlop (or it was last time I looked at the small print on the box).

See post #9.

Srixon/Dunlop very different to Sports Direct/Dunlop.

The Dunlop balls sold by Direct Sports in UK are unlikely to have been anywhere near a Srixon production line
 

Tashyboy

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Think I read that Callaway have just bought Ogio. Always liked their bags and it seemed sensible to buy a bag from a company that just made bags.

On top of that GB am sure someone mentioned that Callaway have just bought someone like Jack wolfskin or north face or one of those kind of companies.
 

drdel

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In another 30 or 40 years with practise I might develop a consistent enough swing that I could detect significant differences between balls. Until then expensive balls will seem to me just that - expensive!
 

Tashyboy

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Got to the range today and a PP turned up with a bag of balls. Lots of top flight etc. One was a pinnacle gold. I lost a ball on the 16th. Played the pinnacle as a provisional. Thought I had broke both of my wrists. It's going down the range tomorrow.
 

PJ87

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I’m definitely not a ball snob

I’m not good enough for tp5 or pro v1

So I’ve switched to snell “get sum” on the recommendation of users on here.

Fantastic ball
 

jusme

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Got to the range today and a PP turned up with a bag of balls. Lots of top flight etc. One was a pinnacle gold. I lost a ball on the 16th. Played the pinnacle as a provisional. Thought I had broke both of my wrists. It's going down the range tomorrow.

Interesting, given I play very soft balls for most of the year and although I can feel the Pinacle gold is harder, it did not strike me as that hard. I'm clearly not good enough to feel the difference :)
 

Tashyboy

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Interesting, given I play very soft balls for most of the year and although I can feel the Pinacle gold is harder, it did not strike me as that hard. I'm clearly not good enough to feel the difference :)

I think the problem was jusme, I don't know how old the ball is. My PP got the balls off an old guy who has packed in golf. It looked perfect, like it had never been hit. When I hit it the ball you could feel it vibrate through the club,M ut the noise it made on impact. A PP said " Bloody hell" when I hit it. It will be history in 2 hrs.👍
 

backwoodsman

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I think the problem was jusme, I don't know how old the ball is. My PP got the balls off an old guy who has packed in golf. It looked perfect, like it had never been hit. When I hit it the ball you could feel it vibrate through the club,M ut the noise it made on impact. A PP said " Bloody hell" when I hit it. It will be history in 2 hrs.👍
Yeah, l sometimes hit the ball like that too ...
 

patricks148

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To be honest, and in my humble opinion, if you grouped balls by their performance into 3 groups, rocks, mid-performance and premium balls, most people would be hard pressed to identify which was which, in any particular group, in a blind test.

I've been using the TP5 and Mizuno MP-S, with the odd sleeve of Pro-v's, for most of the last year. All 3 seem much of a muchness - maybe the MP-S the softest but no real difference and feel to the others. However, I put some Bridgestones in the bag a few weeks back - same top of the range stuff. I won't be buying them again. Off the tee and the fairway they feel the same and are pretty much the same distance-wise. They just don't seem to bite as much when hit into the green. That doesn't mean they are a worse ball, maybe I just don't compress them enough.

As to same manufacturers owning different brands, didn't Orio used to make bags for a number of brands?
one of the Bridgestone balls is meant to be for SS of over 105 MPH, might be that one.
 

patricks148

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Just looked at the spec for B330 RXS. It says for swing speeds below 105. I’m not getting much bite off ‘em though.

not that then, The old 330 was like the old prov1 with the thick black arrow, not much use if you were under 110, found a few could get nothing out of it.

I have tried one of the newer Bridgestones and that stopped fine but TBH a rock would stop on most greens this time of year..... here that is;)
 
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Hobbit

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not that then, The old 330 was like the old prov1 with the think black arrow, not much use if you were under 110, found a few could get nothing out of it.

I have tried one of the newer Bridgestones and that stopped fine but TBH a rock would stop on most greens this time of year..... here that is;)

Mmm, you may be right. I bought them on a cheap deal, which suggests they're old stock. Only 9 to go.
 
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