Favourite Golf Ball.

[RobNewy]

I brught a box of Call Hex chrome and a box of Srixon z star SL.
They Cally was a bit firmer, but I really did some damage to it with wedges. But of the tee it is LOOOOONG
The SL was a major surprise, as BenM sound sounded very soft, felt very soft, but virtually no major damage, great ball

[gazgolf1]

Whats the most durable premium pill these days?, using Penta TP's but the grooves on my x-forged wedges are destroying up to 2 balls per round. I have used the white Srixon Z-Star in the past but found it short off the driver. Any other suggestions?

[Daves]

Whats the most durable premium pill these days?, using Penta TP's but the grooves on my x-forged wedges are destroying up to 2 balls per round. I have used the white Srixon Z-Star in the past but found it short off the driver. Any other suggestions?

Have you tried the Bridgestone RXS or RX?

[gazgolf1]

Have you tried the Bridgestone RXS or RX?

No not yet. I picked up a dozen of the Srixon Z-Star SL's on special at Golf World for $39. The cover feels soft, we will see how they go tomorrow.

[rqrox]

Tried the Nike tour Black Diamonds today, after being bitterly disappointed about 20XI and the hype I found the older tour Diamonds to be one of the best balls I have ever played. Wear compared to the pro V's was good, plenty of spin when you need it and nice and long off the tee.
Its a shame I can't find any where to buy them from other than Virge's few that he had.

[tuna]

I have used the white Srixon Z-Star in the past but found it short off the driver. Any other suggestions?

What's your SS? If it's up there then try the XV, need some decent clubhead speed to get the best out of it but for my money it's the best ball out there at the moment, particularly in the wind and it's very durable as a bonus.

[gazgolf1]

What's your SS? If it's up there then try the XV, need some decent clubhead speed to get the best out of it but for my money it's the best ball out there at the moment, particularly in the wind and it's very durable as a bonus.

it ain't up there but thanks for the recommendation.

[gazgolf1]

I picked up a dozen of the Srixon Z-Star SL's on special at Golf World for $39.

I did'nt mind these, nice soft feel off the putter, good spin around the greens and slightly more durable than the Penta TP's I was playing. I hit some nice drives too lengthwise, about the same as the Penta.

[Puji]

I don't know how you guys notice difference in distance between balls when your on the course. Especially differences of <10m

So many variables:
- shot shape/ slight draw vs straight or slight fade could result in less/more roll out
- smash factor: maybe you knuckled one but slightly missed another
- hit a springy part of the fairway
- wind

Etc etc.

I can barely tell when a ball is longer than another.

Obviously feel is different.

[timah!]

I don't know how you guys notice difference in distance between balls when your on the course. Especially differences of <10m

So many variables:
- shot shape/ slight draw vs straight or slight fade could result in less/more roll out
- smash factor: maybe you knuckled one but slightly missed another
- hit a springy part of the fairway
- wind

Etc etc.

I can barely tell when a ball is longer than another.

Obviously feel is different.

Really?

[rubin]

even i can. Not so much driver, but irons definately.

On a side note - picked up a box of Wilson FG tours through the week. First round with a brand new wilson pill = 41 points. Thems a keeper!

[Johnny Canuck]

.

[timah!]

even i can. Not so much driver, but irons definately.

On a side note - picked up a box of Wilson FG tours through the week. First round with a brand new wilson pill = 41 points. Thems a keeper!

[KristianJ]

I threw a mixed dozen balls into my bag last week. Pulled out a Bridgey e5+ at Longyard this morning and thought I might as well try it.

Pretty decent in terms of spin, carry and what not, especially given that it was somewhat breezy. Green side spin wasn't as good as what I'm used to with most premo pills, but otherwise it performed quite well.

[gazgolf1]

I don't know how you guys notice difference in distance between balls when your on the course. Especially differences of <10m

So many variables:
- shot shape/ slight draw vs straight or slight fade could result in less/more roll out
- smash factor: maybe you knuckled one but slightly missed another
- hit a springy part of the fairway
- wind

Etc etc.

I can barely tell when a ball is longer than another.

Obviously feel is different.

When you play the same course every week you get to know where a well struck drive should be on certain holes. That was the problem I had with the original Z-Star, first time using it I would hit what i thought was a good drive only to walk up and find it 10-15m behind where it shoulda been.

[Puji]

Really?

Really.

When you play the same course every week you get to know where a well struck drive should be on certain holes.

I do play the same course every week. I know where my 'usual' drive ends up on each hole and I also know where my furthest hit ended up on each hole.

What does that say about the ball? And what does that say about the conditions and swing that was made to get it out there?

If we were to generate a model using the variables involved and the statistical weight that each variable would have - the ball would not be the most influential variable. especially when its us hacks that are doing the testing.

Even if you play the same ball each day - your sample is roughly 10-15 shots. Played on different holes (fairway firmness, uphill/ downhill slopes), at different times (temperature/ humidity), in different directions (wind), with different swings (clubhead speed, smash factor, launch, spin, etc etc etc). If this model was built the ball would be one of those variabes at the bottom of the list.

The other variables will effect the the result (total/ carry distance) much more than the ball. Just think about the last time you went to the driving range - apart from the condition of the balls - they are all the same. Now just think about your 100 shots you made on a particular night. What was the difference between the shortest and longest drive on that night? What about left to right dispersion? Apex Height? If they are less than 10 metres respectively, Good luck for your next tour event. If not, how can you say that when you claim a ball is "longer" that it is due to the ball. It just doesnt make sense statistically,

It makes it even more unlikely that we can attribute a distance gain because of a ball when we are talking about distances of 200+ metres (a lot of you get the ball beyond 250 metres) and the difference is <10 metres.

An interesting study (I will google and reference) tested golfers with unmarked balls. the balls were all identical except they were engineered to have a different sound upon impact. When test on a Byron Nelson, all the balls performed exactly the same (the differences were statistically insignificant). However the testers swore that some balls travelled significantly further and significantly shorter than others. Yet the only difference was the sound they made off the clubface.

It's no co-incidence that a lot of engineering now goes into how the ball (sounds) off the face.

sound = feel. How these two is perceived as performance is down to the individual.

It is all in your heads when you say "i gained a couple metres, seven metres or 10 metres because of this amazing ball". It just so happened that the planets aligned, you saved a kid from a burning fire the night before and the variables in the model favored you, meaning your ball travelled a little further than normal.

[popper81]

Really.



I do play the same course every week. I know where my 'usual' drive ends up on each hole and I also know where my furthest hit ended up on each hole.

What does that say about the ball? And what does that say about the conditions and swing that was made to get it out there?

If we were to generate a model using the variables involved and the statistical weight that each variable would have - the ball would not be the most influential variable. especially when its us hacks that are doing the testing.

Even if you play the same ball each day - your sample is roughly 10-15 shots. Played on different holes (fairway firmness, uphill/ downhill slopes), at different times (temperature/ humidity), in different directions (wind), with different swings (clubhead speed, smash factor, launch, spin, etc etc etc). If this model was built the ball would be one of those variabes at the bottom of the list.

The other variables will effect the the result (total/ carry distance) much more than the ball. Just think about the last time you went to the driving range - apart from the condition of the balls - they are all the same. Now just think about your 100 shots you made on a particular night. What was the difference between the shortest and longest drive on that night? What about left to right dispersion? Apex Height? If they are less than 10 metres respectively, Good luck for your next tour event. If not, how can you say that when you claim a ball is "longer" that it is due to the ball. It just doesnt make sense statistically,

It makes it even more unlikely that we can attribute a distance gain because of a ball when we are talking about distances of 200+ metres (a lot of you get the ball beyond 250 metres) and the difference is <10 metres.

An interesting study (I will google and reference) tested golfers with unmarked balls. the balls were all identical except they were engineered to have a different sound upon impact. When test on a Byron Nelson, all the balls performed exactly the same (the differences were statistically insignificant). However the testers swore that some balls travelled significantly further and significantly shorter than others. Yet the only difference was the sound they made off the clubface.

It's no co-incidence that a lot of engineering now goes into how the ball (sounds) off the face.

sound = feel. How these two is perceived as performance is down to the individual.

It is all in your heads when you say "i gained a couple metres, seven metres or 10 metres because of this amazing ball". It just so happened that the planets aligned, you saved a kid from a burning fire the night before and the variables in the model favored you, meaning your ball travelled a little further than normal.

Puji,


In all seriousness, how can you say you can't notice the difference? You have played off single figures, and play a bit..... I will admit that different conditions will change how far a ball flys etc, but a ball that is longer will always be longer, no matter what the conditions.

I play 9 holes most days, usually use a couple of different balls ( ball of choice pro v1, but prov x in the breeze).. No matter how I am hitting it, or what the conditons are, the prov x will always be a little bit longer off the tee than the prov 1, but the the pro v1 wil check a lot more around the greens.. That is the trade off between the two..

My practice bag is made up with of about 80% pro v's, with a the rest a mixture Q Stars and some random PGR balls... When I pick them up, I have noticed the balls that are furtherest from where I hit are the q stars and the PGR... I would love to say it is from me always middling the randoms and missing the pro v's, but it is not... The are longer balls.. It is on average about 1/2 club.

Some balls are longer, some are not.... I am sure some of the 'good' players on here will agree that all balls are a bit different, and I would be shocked if they said they couldn't/didn't notice it.. Some of them may not care about the difference in distance, some may care more about price, some may care more about brand they use, some may get them for free, but I am sure most single figure markers would be able to tell the difference.

[Johnny Canuck]

Puji,In all seriousness, how can you say you can't notice the difference? You have played off single figures, and play a bit..... I will admit that different conditions will change how far a ball flys etc, but a ball that is longer will always be longer, no matter what the conditions.I play 9 holes most days, usually use a couple of different balls ( ball of choice pro v1, but prov x in the breeze).. No matter how I am hitting it, or what the conditons are, the prov x will always be a little bit longer off the tee than the prov 1, but the the pro v1 wil check a lot more around the greens.. That is the trade off between the two..My practice bag is made up with of about 80% pro v's, with a the rest a mixture Q Stars and some random PGR balls... When I pick them up, I have noticed the balls that are furtherest from where I hit are the q stars and the PGR... I would love to say it is from me always middling the randoms and missing the pro v's, but it is not... The are longer balls.. It is on average about 1/2 club. Some balls are longer, some are not.... I am sure some of the 'good' players on here will agree that all balls are a bit different, and I would be shocked if they said they couldn't/didn't notice it.. Some of them may not care about the difference in distance, some may care more about price, some may care more about brand they use, some may get them for free, but I am sure most single figure markers would be able to tell the difference.

I am going to go out on a limb and agree with Puji. I can really only tell a difference when I hit them side by side. Even then there are many variables. The wind is always swirling at my course. I notice differences around the greens, not so much from a distance. Most premiums are going to fly a very similar distance and lower level golfers don't hot consistently enough to tell a difference. The exception to this rule was the original ZStar which was much shorter.

[popper81]

I am going to go out on a limb and agree with Puji. I can really only tell a difference when I hit them side by side. Even then there are many variables. The wind is always swirling at my course. I notice differences around the greens, not so much from a distance. Most premiums are going to fly a very similar distance and lower level golfers don't hot consistently enough to tell a difference. The exception to this rule was the original ZStar which was much shorter.

You are going to go out on a limb and agree with Puji, but you can tell the difference side by side?

[Puji]

I'm just not good enough to tell. Honestly - I can't tell the difference in distance.

I stand by that - for the reasons I explained in my email. Again - im not saying that all balls are as long as eachother. I am just not good enough to confidently say it was the ball that made it travel that little margin longer. Maybe others are good enough.

This is completely seperate from taking on proof from manufacturers about their balls - I tend to believe them when they provide results from a solid test - but thats because I am a marketers dream audience.

anyway, I chimed in with my 2c, if it fosters a good discussion then the forum will be richer for it.

[timah!]

Could you tell the difference between your good shanks and bad shanks at the range? I'd imagine hitting 75/100 would give you plenty of opportunity...

Seriously, take a bag of old shitty pills to a range then hit some pro v's.
Pretty frigging different.

[rubin]

timah - just to clarify you are talking about something along the lines of a Pro V1 vs a shitty old Hotdot (or similar)?

if your talking Pro V1 vs Nike 20XI S vs Srixon Z Star - thats a different story.

[Puji]

if we are talking shanks, I can do them as consistently as anyone - so maybe I qualify to deliver a verdict based on how far right they fly off target. smart ass.

why stop at shitty pills v proV's? I'll just tee up an orange (2 piece - soft cover and softer core) and then a brand spanking new ProV. Will there be a difference? Oh.the.suspense.

Definitely a good test. You would do well writing up a paper on a subjective test. Real well.

If your telling me you can tell the difference in distance amongst premium pills - you are lying or imagining it.

if your telling me you can tell the difference in distance betwen a premium pill and a regular pill - you will be playing off <5HCP. if >5HCP - see above. you are lying or imagining it.

If your telling me you can tell teh difference in distance between a premium pill and a "shitty pill" - please define your "shitty pill". if you mean the no name balls that come with 4 tees and an embroidered handkerchief - no shit sherlock. If your "shitty pill" is a pinnacle gold/red - see above handicap test. If your "shitty pill" is a dunlop/ - no shit sherlock.

My posts have all been based on the comments in this thread to date. often comparing Premium pills amongst themsleves or premium and regular balls. For example

Prov1/ B330/ Penta/ One Tour v E6/E7/NXT tour

I can't tell the difference - you timah! are obviously a much better ball striker than I am (even when I hit them out of the middle of the face rather than the hosel). Maybe one day, I can hit them consistently enough, stop time, and ask mother nature to keep everything balmy - then I can tell which one is actually longer.

[Puji]

the only exception being someone who cannot compress a certain golf ball - whether it be premium or not.

For example someone who swings the driver <90mph. A premium ProV1x is obviously going to travel shorter than a softer cored ball (again doesnt matter whether it is "premium" or not.

This is just another variable - and depends more about finding the right "fit" for the golfer rather then that particular ball being "longer".

[TheTrueReview]

... This is just another variable - and depends more about finding the right "fit" for the golfer rather then that particular ball being "longer".

Yup. It's about "how close", not about "how far".