Searching for the best golf balls below $30

Hi everyone, I have been trying out all sorts of golf balls below $30 to find the best one to stick to for the long term.

I was just wondering if any of you have any comments to add on the new balls below $30 from 2012. Maybe I shall list a few and whoever has tried before helps give some ideas?

So far I have tried the following:

Titleist New DT solo
[Zixter] - Longest off the tee among those I have tried, but spin off the wedge and irons isn't good on the green. Bounce and can't stop rolling ...

Top Flite V2 gamer
[Zixter] - Didn't notice any additoinal or lack of distance off the tee. Spin better than DT solo on green. Sound is like a mechanical click off the putter and doesn't give much a feel.

Srixon AD333
[Zixter] - Didn't notice any additoinal or lack of distance off the tee. Spin better than DT solo on green, but still took a few more bounce. Normal putting feel.

Maxfli U2
Has anyone tried this? Golfdigest has very high rating in its 2012 hotlist balls.

BRIDGESTONE XFIXX
Has anyone tried this?

I have been using used DT Solo abd also the NXT Tour. But I was given the Tour SF balls recently as a gift.. tried it and tot that the feel was good.. happen to see it being sold at Pan West going for $30 for 2 boxes (buy 1 get 1 free).
If u r a newbie.. try this ball. I tink it's better to use cheap new balls rather than used branded balls. And at $30 for 2 boxes.. it won't hurt so much should u lose yr balls in the water.. or in the forest.. hahhahaha

the old burner tour is my favorite after recently i can't fine the ball anywhere now trying Nike PD soft 2 box for 39 in golf direct. no comment as i will only play with them this thursday.

dmateo wrote:

the old burner tour is my favorite after recently i can't fine the ball anywhere now trying Nike PD soft 2 box for 39 in golf direct. no comment as i will only play with them this thursday.

Ok thanks! If you could give a quick feedback here after Thursday that would be great ...

dmateo wrote:

the old burner tour is my favorite after recently i can't fine the ball anywhere now trying Nike PD soft 2 box for 39 in golf direct. no comment as i will only play with them this thursday.

i using nike pd soft and the ball doesnt bite the green well... i had a shot that bounced off the green into oblivion..

I am gaming refurbished TM LDP Black ($29+) or NXT Tour for awhile... but the NXT felt abit hollow so will be sticking to TM for awhile till he runs out of it... likely switching to Penta3...

My feel is anything below NXT Tour is not gonna give u enough feel...

BigblackGoof wrote:

I am gaming refurbished TM LDP Black ($29+) or NXT Tour for awhile... but the NXT felt abit hollow so will be sticking to TM for awhile till he runs out of it... likely switching to Penta3...

My feel is anything below NXT Tour is not gonna give u enough feel...

er....penta tp3 above $30 leh....

Am using the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo balls.

18/dozen.

feels great for something at that price point.

Gave me some distance gains as compared to the Pro V1.

but prolly slightly...just slight less spin when landing on the greens.

still bites pretty welll.

Hey Zixter .... what are you looking for in a golf ball? e.g. distance? feel? spin?

strangely I find pro v is a bit to hard to my liking. Not sure if it's just me or maybe I'm just to used to cheapo ball so can't play with the expensive one...

Damn, when will they start bringing back those burner tour ball I love so much .. !#@$%

I have been using Pinnacle Gold. $28 for 15 balls. You could try that.

zixter wrote:

Hi everyone, I have been trying out all sorts of golf balls below $30 to find the best one to stick to for the long term.

I was just wondering if any of you have any comments to add on the new balls below $30 from 2012. Maybe I shall list a few and whoever has tried before helps give some ideas?

So far I have tried the following:

Titleist New DT solo
[Zixter] - Longest off the tee among those I have tried, but spin off the wedge and irons isn't good on the green. Bounce and can't stop rolling ...
Quoted in the May issue of Golf Magazine to have a surlyn cover (hardest), and a more penetrating trajectory with more roll. No wonder the ball won't stop once it's on the green. Upside is that this would probably serve slicers well since there is little side or backspin, translating to a straighter flight and more distance from the roll.

Top Flite V2 gamer
[Zixter] - Didn't notice any additoinal or lack of distance off the tee. Spin better than DT solo on green. Sound is like a mechanical click off the putter and doesn't give much a feel.
Loaded with tech and features. Has more spin than some mid priced balls because it has a softer ionomer cover than the DT Solo's surlyn. Still, like you, I find the ball feels hard and clicky off the putter. The earlier versions of the Gamer used to peel in the weirdest way. Circular bits would come off partially on wedge shots, leaving one side attached to the ball. Frustratingly hard to tear off with the fingers. A ball with good spin performance for the most part, sans putting and peeling.

Srixon AD333
[Zixter] - Didn't notice any additoinal or lack of distance off the tee. Spin better than DT solo on green, but still took a few more bounce. Normal putting feel.
Touted as a semi spin ball like the Gamer, but with a much softer feel off the putter. Another ball that approaches mid price performance.

Maxfli U2
Has anyone tried this? Golfdigest has very high rating in its 2012 hotlist balls.
Never tried this one before, but it seems like very good value for money since they use expensive urethane in the cover. Best value for money and performance based on the materials used and the spin numbers from the Golf Digest article. Another ball to consider that uses urethane for the cover is the two piece Bridgestone e5.

BRIDGESTONE XFIXX
Has anyone tried this?
Never tried this ball before also, but Golf Magazine (May) does say it's for the casual golfer who wants less sidespin.

Zixter, I've included my personal opinions in red on the balls you've mentioned.

At the price level you've indicated, you're looking at the just the lowest rung in the heirachy of balls, ie - value or distance balls. In this category, general characteristics are a two-piece construction (surlyn/ionomer cover and soft core), minimum spin (straighter tee shots, no greenside bite), cheap. Notice I didn't mention longer distance.

Since ball testing has come into the picture, it's been proven that distance balls are not any longer than the balls with the most spin, or performance balls. It's a marketing fallacy perpetuated from the days of balata and surlyn covered balls. It was true in those early days, but not in this modern day and age where rocket science and high tech polymers are everything in the golf ball industry. Distance balls are still called distance balls just like woods are still called woods even though they are no more made of persimmon.

Derek's question is most valid, what are you looking for in your ball? Spin, feel or distance?

Spin - This is where you get the greatest variation in this category of balls. Looking at the Golf Digest article you mentioned and the chart, the Maxfli U/2 produces the most spin at around 6,500rpm. The lowest spinning ball is the Callaway HX Diablo at around 4,700rpm. A massive difference of 1,800rpm! Unless your short game is all chunks and tops, your best value would be the Maxfli U/2, since you get a lot more greenside spin over the other distance balls in this class. And that spin is due to the use of a urethane (Pro V1) or the softer ionomer covers (NXT Tour), usually found only on more expensive performance balls. Slicers and hookers should have little to fear since spin is generated by two very parts of the ball on full and greenside shots. See below.

Feel - This is entirely up to the individual. The only way to find out if you like the feel is by playing the ball. Generally though, the softer the compression, the softer the feel.... on full shots, since that is when you compress the core. In that respect, a lady or junior ball would theoretically feel the softest (Remember the phenomenal Precept Lady?). Greenside feel is a different matter altogether, since only the cover of the ball activates, and this is where a surlyn/ionomer cover loses out to softer and more expensive urethane.

Distance - Tests over the years have shown that the surprising difference between top end performance balls and value distance balls have been less than 10 yards, more typically a plus minus average of 5 yards. Bear in mind also that the higher the swing speed, the bigger distance gain with any given ball. A 5% distance gain between an 85mph, 100mph, and 120mph swing speed translates into very different absolute numbers. Which then begs the question, does someone who already hits it farther than most want more distance or more control out of a ball? And at the other end of the spectrum, if the distance gain is negligible for a slow swing speed, might greenside spin better serve the slow swinger than a minute distance gain, if any?

Here's something to think about when buying your next ball:

Ball fitting, as opposed to driver fitting, for the most part, starts from the green and moves backwards to the tee. Distance is the last consideration in ball fitting. This has been consistently repeated in any article over the years by technical and product managers involved in ball development. There are some ball companies however, who beg to differ.

Here's a Golf Digest opinion article on ball fitting with links to the various ball fitting sites. Just click on the brand names.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/bomb-and-gouge/2010/05/online-golf-ball-fitting-not-s.html

R-A -N-G-E. ...

Oh my thanks everyone for the inputs! Especially to Birdman on explaining in detail the material used for each type of balls, like surylyn being the hardest, followed by ionomer and the most expensive urethane.

As I think about the question of whether spin, distance and feel is the most important, I think my priority would be spin, then greenside feel, distance and lastly full shot feel. After all, I started this topic because I really liked the ball flight of the DT solo but felt that it didn't spun enough.

All that said, I would say that Maxfli u/2 might really be what I am looking for. I would go buy a box of it to try for my Saturday game and update everyone again!

Keep the reviews coming!

Lynx balls(3 piece) from GD are @$19 per dzn. Recommended by bro Turbo, I've personally used them and found them pretty good.

Easy to find ball also cos I've nvr seen anyone else using them.. "BLACK CAT?" <-- means someone found your ball alr..

zixter wrote:

Oh my thanks everyone for the inputs! Especially to Birdman on explaining in detail the material used for each type of balls, like surylyn being the hardest, followed by ionomer and the most expensive urethane.

As I think about the question of whether spin, distance and feel is the most important, I think my priority would be spin, then greenside feel, distance and lastly full shot feel. After all, I started this topic because I really liked the ball flight of the DT solo but felt that it didn't spun enough.

All that said, I would say that Maxfli u/2 might really be what I am looking for. I would go buy a box of it to try for my Saturday game and update everyone again!

Keep the reviews coming!

Can't find Maxfli U/2 ... walked all the shops already .. seems like it's not available in Singapore

Just saw Pan West selling the Warbird golf balls at a discounted price.. can try, i remember it's worth the $.

Anyone tried noodles long and soft... I love them

i came by some callaway HXbite few weeks back 3 piece quite soft and cheap @ 55 per 3 box from GD

I am very particular about the golf balls I use....be it for frenly or competitive games where there is $$ wager.....even if its only for $1



I only insist on 2nd hand balls....

madmaru wrote:

i came by some callaway HXbite few weeks back 3 piece quite soft and cheap @ 55 per 3 box from GD

Wow! Sounds good.. thanks! Might want to try that but 3 boxes a bit too much .. must find friend to kup

zixter wrote:

madmaru wrote:

i came by some callaway HXbite few weeks back 3 piece quite soft and cheap @ 55 per 3 box from GD

Wow! Sounds good.. thanks! Might want to try that but 3 boxes a bit too much .. must find friend to kup

No need lah....can keep mah, don't tell me you never lost a ball before?

enwee wrote:

zixter wrote:

madmaru wrote:

i came by some callaway HXbite few weeks back 3 piece quite soft and cheap @ 55 per 3 box from GD

Wow! Sounds good.. thanks! Might want to try that but 3 boxes a bit too much .. must find friend to kup

No need lah....can keep mah, don't tell me you never lost a ball before?

Didn't mean that =)

Happen to buy that 5 boxes of srixon from Transview and i only play every other week ....

zixter wrote:

enwee wrote:

zixter wrote:

madmaru wrote:

i came by some callaway HXbite few weeks back 3 piece quite soft and cheap @ 55 per 3 box from GD

Wow! Sounds good.. thanks! Might want to try that but 3 boxes a bit too much .. must find friend to kup

No need lah....can keep mah, don't tell me you never lost a ball before?

Didn't mean that =)

Happen to buy that 5 boxes of srixon from Transview and i only play every other week ....

Wah..u machiam balls collector...btw can keep the most this whole year no need buy anymore lor.

I am using Srixon Soft Feel for 3years now. Love the soft effortless feel upon impact. Me slow swing speed so can't use hard / distance ball. I alternate between this & DT Solo (on easier holes). Recently, I tried Bridgestone E-6 which is 3-piece. Feels a bit harder then the DT but more control & spin. Still love the Srixon Green.

Cheers