What Balls Do you Use?

Folks,
I browse thru all the topics and did not find one thread on the choice of balls.

There are threads asking where to buy cheap new / used balls, how frequent you top up your ball supply, etc. But none about choice of ball. If there is, please share with me. I find that balls are impt, especially around the green.

I read Rick's posting on Titleist balls - difference between types of ProVs and NXTs. Then Right Sided Coach (aka Paul?) lamenting about Callaway balls in different threads. I thought it would be interesting to ask you all about your choice of balls.

For me, it will be NXT tour for the balance of softness, spin and distance plus, it does not cost me an arm and a leg that Pro Vs do. Plus I find Pro Vs tend to cut easier due to the softer cover.
Bridgestone E+ series is also very nice. Srixon balls also don't disappoint.

I do not like Callaway balls too, the HX series are too hard for my liking, Warbirds are hard like old Topflites. Tried TM & Nike balls... not for me.

What bout you?

I like Pro V1s and V1Xs. If it gets rather windy here, I switch to the V1Xs.

There are alot of contenders out there but in terms of feel and distance off a multi-layered ball, there is no comparison.

I have tried Bridgestone B330s, Srixon Z-Star and Nike Ones. Good but still lacking in terms of feel and distance.

The only downside is its price.

Good thing is Titleist USA lowered their pricing to USD$39.99 per dozen till X'mas. A good USD$6 off from its usual price.

I have read mixed reviews of the new TM Penta. I will mebbe try those out although I have never been a fan of TM balls.

i am inbetween Tour i / Pro v1...

happy holidays.

Tried the following:

Dunlop Distance = Very hard feel, dun like...
Noodle = Find too hard for me...
Pro V1 = Very good and soft on green. Distance wise also quite good. Easily spoilt due to soft outer shell...
Nike One Tour = Very good and soft feel; comparable to Pro V1, sometimes can get some spin on green also. My first choice over Pro V1 as its much cheaper (get from Lukewa).
Nike Juice = ok, can fly very far. Less soft in green.
Nike Soft = Cheap & Good. Quite soft on green, distance also quite good. Cant compare to Pro V & One Tour of cos. But ever since my balls start flying everywhere, start to be more realistic liao... Currently am using this.

As far as feel around the greens go, I have to admit that ProV's are the best for me too. I used to play with crappy used balls but ever since I started improving, I've become a bit of a ball whore.

ProV - Good distance with unbeatable spin and feel around the greens.
B330-RX - Very good contender to ProV but since price is similar or same, I'll just go ProV
E5+ - Good alternative with nice launch characteristics. Not enough approach spin
E6+ - Easy to keep the ball straight but greenside feel is not there
Z-Star - Good distance and feel but not as soft as ProV when putting
Srixon Soft Feel - Go to ball when game is suffering and I'm lacking confidence
Srixon AD333 - Good distance but lacks spin and feel
Srixon Trispeed - Lacks distance for me and feel is only marginally better than AD333. Always had crap luck with this ball. Phobia.
Nike ONE Tour Vapor - Good on paper but performance is only so-so.
Top Flite Gamer - Surprisingly a good ball in terms of distance and spin but scuffs way too easily. Two holes max. Putter feel is not good.
Top Flite D2 Feel = No feel.
Precept U-Tri Tour - Good feel and approach spin but lacks distance on drives. Putter feel is good too.
Super Newing Brill - Easily the longest ball I've played. Feel is quite horrid but it does spin on approaches. I don't know how they do that.
Tourstage V10 - Also phenomenal distance with good approach spin but putter feel is crap
XXIO Super XD - Good distance but launches a bit high. Weirdly, rolls out quite a bit tho. Spin and feel is not worth talking about.
XXIO Premium - Good ball for slower swing speeds (like mine) but oddly, does not feel as soft as it plays. Expensive too.
Callaway Big Bertha/ Warbird - Rocks. Feels like. Not Rockin' good.
Mizuno D201 / S201 - These should be rated as range balls. Rip-off
Mizuno MP801 - Top of the line Mizuno ball that's made in Taiwan (?). Absolute ripoff. Good thing mine was a 2 ball giveaway sampler. It even looks cheap if a golf ball can somehow manage that.
Michelin Blue - errm.. I'll admit it, I got suckered by the packaging. Plays at best like a Srixon AD333. Love the divot tool that came with it tho.

Thats all I've got for now. I know I'm missing a few but since I can't recall off the bat, they're probably not much to talk about. Please note that these are my own personal observations only. I'm certain everyone gets different results.

oh yah, tried 2 more brand before:

Precept = Cant recall the performance, think lost them quite fast...
Srixon = Dunno which model liao, but alway "Six On"... bad score with these balls...

ditt wrote:

As far as feel around the greens go, I have to admit that ProV's are the best for me too. I used to play with crappy used balls but ever since I started improving, I've become a bit of a ball whore.

ProV - Good distance with unbeatable spin and feel around the greens.
B330-RX - Very good contender to ProV but since price is similar or same, I'll just go ProV
E5+ - Good alternative with nice launch characteristics. Not enough approach spin
E6+ - Easy to keep the ball straight but greenside feel is not there
Z-Star - Good distance and feel but not as soft as ProV when putting
Srixon Soft Feel - Go to ball when game is suffering and I'm lacking confidence
Srixon AD333 - Good distance but lacks spin and feel
Srixon Trispeed - Lacks distance for me and feel is only marginally better than AD333. Always had crap luck with this ball. Phobia.
Nike ONE Tour Vapor - Good on paper but performance is only so-so.
Top Flite Gamer - Surprisingly a good ball in terms of distance and spin but scuffs way too easily. Two holes max. Putter feel is not good.
Top Flite D2 Feel = No feel.
Precept U-Tri Tour - Good feel and approach spin but lacks distance on drives. Putter feel is good too.
Super Newing Brill - Easily the longest ball I've played. Feel is quite horrid but it does spin on approaches. I don't know how they do that.
Tourstage V10 - Also phenomenal distance with good approach spin but putter feel is crap
XXIO Super XD - Good distance but launches a bit high. Weirdly, rolls out quite a bit tho. Spin and feel is not worth talking about.
XXIO Premium - Good ball for slower swing speeds (like mine) but oddly, does not feel as soft as it plays. Expensive too.
Callaway Big Bertha/ Warbird - Rocks. Feels like. Not Rockin' good.
Mizuno D201 / S201 - These should be rated as range balls. Rip-off
Mizuno MP801 - Top of the line Mizuno ball that's made in Taiwan (?). Absolute ripoff. Good thing mine was a 2 ball giveaway sampler. It even looks cheap if a golf ball can somehow manage that.
Michelin Blue - errm.. I'll admit it, I got suckered by the packaging. Plays at best like a Srixon AD333. Love the divot tool that came with it tho.

Thats all I've got for now. I know I'm missing a few but since I can't recall off the bat, they're probably not much to talk about. Please note that these are my own personal observations only. I'm certain everyone gets different results.

oh my gawd!!! that's one helluva lotta balls you tried! impressive review!

i am more impressed with the avatar!!

jaketang wrote:

i am more impressed with the avatar!!

haha... a bit OT... but yeah... me 2...

pocketace wrote:

jaketang wrote:

i am more impressed with the avatar!!

haha... a bit OT... but yeah... me 2...

me 3..

btw, i like noodle ..

Actually, whats the actual difference between prov1 and proV1x ?

noodle+ is what i usually play since they cost S$1/ball brand new...
good distance and decent feel on and around the greens...

played the ProV1 in my last game and was totally blown away... SUPER feel! but after 14 holes, the ball was totally wacked up... doesn't last at all...

NXT tours are a good second choice but they don't "feel right" compared to the V1...

DT carry... distance good, but 'feels worse' than the nxt tours...

E6/E6+.... used to play them and think they were good until i tried the DT carry, then the nxt tour, then the V1....

but when the game is down, out comes the noodle+... see new ball liao play also shiok...

tried nike one platinums last time... around the greens like very soft but when driving with it, feels very 'heavy'... like hitting something hard yet soft... hard to describe... just weird...

can't remember what six-on balls golf asia tourney gave away but those flew like they had wings... nothing else to them though...

something hard yet soft.... i know

feel like hitting rabmutan .... soft on the outside but seed is hard....

jake, good analogy... but the nike's were way heavier than just a rambutan seed! just darn weird!

Thats a new one jake!


Dave, here's the answer straight from the horses' mouth:

Whats the difference between V1 and V1X

Got two dimples, JT sure to like from what i've noticed! Very nice followthrough though... that's all I seem to see.

As for the discussion on hand,

Maxfli BlackMax - Extinct but still find them 2nd hand. Love the feel off impact and putter even though there is mention of a dimple design defect where the last third of ball flight the ball just seems to die and fall like a wounded duck.

TaylorMade TP Black - Value for money 3 piece. Durable with good distance too. A little more click at putter impact than ProVs.

TaylorMade Burner TP - Mid spin mid priced ball like the NXT tour. Still a little on the fence for this one.
Noodle - Decent feel off impact and putter. Good fall back on bad days for straighter shots.

Srixon Soft Feel - Similar to Noodle

Srixon AD333 - Supposed to have some spin to it, more like sometimes got sometimes don't. Indifferent to its feel.

Top Flite Gamer - Best value for a ball equivalent in performance characteristics to the NXT Tours. Like mentioned above, bits shred off easily but in a funny way that leaves the shredded bits sticking stubbornly to the ball. Clicky at impact and worse off the putter.

Bridgestone Tour B330-RX - Great ball around. A tour level ball for slower swingers like myself.

Bridgestone e5 - Another comparable ball to the NXT Tour, except its 2 piece with urethane cover which makes for a softer feel. Decent spin but still can't beat a 3 piece for hop and stop.

Bridgestone e6+ - Find them similar to the Srixon Soft Feel or Noodle.

NXT Tour - Good performance n durability with decent spin. Not as soft as ProVs cos of ionomer (surlyn) cover.

ProV1 (old model)- Scuffs and yellows way too easily, a little too soft feeling for me at impact and esp off the putter. Have the new ones but not put them in play yet to comment.

I prefer just a touch of click when putting, so metal inserts are fine. But that's just me, I never liked elastomer inserts in putters, just mush to me. And don't think our greens here aren't fast enough to have to use them.

tried the NIKE ONE TOUR last mth..thot they were better balls .. truely disppointed.. felt too hard

ProV1 n 1X still the best balls in the mkt..

Taylormade Red surprisingly quite gd feel too.. Blacks too..
hvnt tried the Penta yet

if pocket allows.. stick to ProV1s n 1Xs

Agumon, the guy who designed the ProV1 is the same guy who moved over to TaylorMade and then designed the TP Black and Red, Dean Snell.

Here's and interview with him on GoflWRX.

http://www.golfwrx.com/2008/04/09/golfwrx-interivew-dean-snell-taylormade-golf/

Thanks for the WRX link ... I think these statements sum it all

"Now the biggest difference in golf balls today is on the short game side. If you are really looking to find where balls are different that should happen from about 100 yards and in and they’ll notice differences. "
" If you take a look at the short game and the short iron that’s where the big difference in balls are today"

Thanks Rex for the explanation for ProV1(x) type.

It was said that ProV1X is for very serious golfer. I'm serious golfer but lousy, how leh ?

Birdman wrote:

Agumon, the guy who designed the ProV1 is the same guy who moved over to TaylorMade and then designed the TP Black and Red, Dean Snell.

Here's and interview with him on GoflWRX.

http://www.golfwrx.com/2008/04/09/golfwrx-interivew-dean-snell-taylormade-golf/

Not true Birdman. There is a large talented team that develop the balls and they are led by Bill Morgan, he is the godfather of the ProV1. Dean was one member in that team.

Rick

daveaha wrote:

Thanks Rex for the explanation for ProV1(x) type.

It was said that ProV1X is for very serious golfer. I'm serious golfer but lousy, how leh ?

Dave,

Here is some insight on what the term serious means in our eyes. A guy that plays 2-3 times a week and lets say plays off 20 is serious about his golf in our opinion. He is just a serious as a guy that plays once a week off 8. He may not at this time be a single handicapper but he is serious and if you are serious about your game your going to take great care in what equipment you select, be it ball, irons, drivers...etc.

You must be serious first before you can be good.

Hope that helps

Rick

When I play noodle+ I will always score well.
But when I switched ProV my score will balloned up!
Later I found out why......
I was more worried about lossing my ProV

Thanks Rick

Seriously Dave, 2nd hand balls are not that big a thing as opposed to buying 1st hand balls here. I see quite alot of golfers using Pro V1s and NXTs and they are just like anyone else in terms of skill level.

There are tons of ball pickers in old ppl's bags tho...makes me wonder why they even bother potentially losing a limp to a gator