Didnt think I could sit through an hour of four people talking about golf balls but this was so interesting. Going to try something new based on the results… thanks guys!
Excellent 60min presentation. Huge Thank You to the Team, especially Tony, for the survey. As a low Swing Speed Pensioner who plays the Chrome Soft, when it drops out of the sky but travels far, I thought it was me but your comment was light bulb moment - it's the characteristics of the ball. The Wilson Staff was an eye opener and is now one I'll try. Brill stuff to the 4 of you & MGS.
You folks have literally changed my game. I'm a middle aged disabled veteran that used to play the Wilson Zip due to it's softness and feel. 7 iron 145 yds. Switched to Maxfli Pro, much different feel but 7 iron 185 yds. With your recommendations I've also purchased a putting matt,
@@leomerino3906 pro, previous year model which I think makes them 2019's? Was a buy two for a discounted rate, bought 4 dozen. 2 dozen white, 2 dozen yellow.
Just happened to one day come across mygolfspy on UA-cam........ after listening to a few UA-cam post, especially this one on golf balls. 🤯🤯🤯🤯...... OMG . The information contained in these UA-cam post are beyond next level, those that have issues with how much or little you provide in your explanation. Their going to have opportunities with everything an anything....... just wish I had come to this knowledge tree many years ago in my journey of golf. Gentlemen & Lady please keep up your contributions to the game of golf .... in my opinion they bring clarity, wisdom, with the all important dash levity.
I never gave to much thought and mostly played prov1, but I bought some left dash and noticed slightly more distance and a lot more spin around the green. I love how it checks up on short chips even on firm green.
Lots of work and lots of valuable and useful data in this year's ball test; thank you, guys! I am a medium-speed golfer (96-98 MPH with my driver or mini driver, 82-84 MPH with my 6 and 7 irons), and I tend to spin the ball a bit too much. My favorite ball for the last few years has consistently been the Snell MTB-X (I also very much like the ProV1x). However, lately I have become VERY fond of the OnCore VeroX1 and the latest-generation Maxfli TourX CG. I would never have considered the Maxfli Tour and TourX balls had it not been for the 2019 MGS Ball Test results. So, a double thank you for that!
At 63 my swing speed is in the lower range (87 to 90mph) and being a higher handicap player I play the Maxfli tour and when Tony said their quality control is right behind Titleist which kinda gave me a sigh of relief since I’ve been playing Maxfli for around 30 years. I like the ProV1s but how much do I need to spend? Until I get fully retired and can wrap my head around my game the results of this test are very interesting but at the same time not totally relevant. BUT, keep up the good work, I’ll still watch and listen.
I'm 60 and near your swing speed and for the money, $32 a dozen, the Snell MTB Black shows no difference TO ME from the Pro VI; you should give them a try.
Titleist is making the best ball , PERIOD ! I have gone to the left dash Pro V1 and it is an AWESOME ball ! There is a reason over 70% of the PGA pros are using ProV balls.
I bought their Wilson Staff gloves and they are also a terrific value at around $8 a glove vs. 20 for FJ and Titleist. The more expensive globes are softer but they can be slicker than my Wilson Staffs.
Every year the first month I take 3 to 4 balls that i think will fit my game and play a couple of round with them. This year I changed from the Pro V1 to the Pro V1x with The Bridgestone a very close 3rd!
Just realized Tony and I are almost neighbors as I live in Latham. Played McGregor once about 35 years ago and recall it being a nice course. Thanks for all the great golf info guys and gal.
Vice Pro plus is the best ball by a mile especially for the price. I switched from prov1 to It and I won’t go back. The spin is perfect. Durability is better than prov1. I used the same ball 3 rounds. Only reason I don’t use It 4 rounds is because i finally lost It. Won’t play a different ball now.
@@kevinvassago yeah I’d recommend the pro plus. I’ve tested them on trackman and GC quad against prov1 and prov1z and it’s just as good. And I found the vice pro plus to be way better quality. Lasted me 3 rounds with minimal scratches and wear. I won’t play any other ball now. At target they are $26… cant best that. Price is so low because they don’t spend as much money on marketing like all the other brands do. The cost vice has is fairly low so they can offer the products at half the price.
Been playing the Pro v1x and I have won tourneys with it but....my miss is this high spinny thing especially on full shot par 3's. I spin the heck out of it.......so much so that I might spin it 20+ feet backwards sometimes back into our hazard so I have to fly it much further and bring it back to the hole......so it looks like its time to look at this left dash.
Thanks for all the effort and time in this endeavor! And I must have been living under a rock because I didn't know V1x left dash even existed. Probably because I always played Pro V1 and have for decades. Definitely going to try left dash since I'm looking a bit lower spin. Which brings up a good point....when getting fitted for clubs the ball could play a really important part which I never really considered that much. Thanks for the number crunching and analysis!
What nobody tells you is you must use the same ball to be consistent. If you stand over it at 150 yards, you need to know its flying 150 yards. Changing balls and equipment all the time doesnt allow you to develop that.
The best golf ball 2022 is the Bridgestone Tour B RX (for me) or Tour B X. The reason is simple - they go very very straight with driver and all the long woods. When you mishit the ball, it only curves a little with the long clubs - straightest ball I have ever used - and I have used them all - ProV, TP5, Chrome, and all the urethane lower balls (Tour Response, Tout Speed, etc). Tour B RX is a tour level ball with the same consistency and has a quality urethane cover (not crap like some), so you can generate spin to stop it on the greens with short irons. Pros have the skill set to use such a ball with their long woods - but most amateurs hit massive slices and hooks with such a ball (now and then) - they would be better off with a ball that goes straighter. The Bridgestone Tour B RX is the best of both worlds - straight with the woods, but spins and stops with short irons. Putts great too - as good as all Pro level balls except the ProV (that putts awesome). LPGA players use the Tour B for a reason - 90-105 mph swing speeds is normal (I am 96).
I use the same balls, most even have a "JP" written on them with a sharpie. I get them for free, from just inside the bush or i scoop them out of the pond. Funny enough, i play at the same course as Josh, what are the odds!
Thx 4 the tip. Will check Mall fart for Srixon zstar XVs. My local shop has the tour yellow XV @ 45 dollars a dozen. What a great ball. Nice firm feel off the face for putting. Looks great and easy to find when it hides in the bush (with tour yellow). Cheers
@@oneheadlight8000 Got it thanks. Srixon XV is a great ball. Feels like an upgrade from my Srixon soft feel and regular z star. Better feel especially with the putter.
I have a lot of spin on my wedges and my irons but not a crazy club head speed. The tour response is much softer than a proV1 or a TP5 and all three have a Urethane cover. It fits me perfect!
Great video guys, I have tried many golf balls in my time but I am not long off the tee and found approach play and short game the best way to make my scores. So there for the chrome soft ball works for me.
You didn't test it, but I've been playing the SUGAR golf ball this year and I've really enjoyed it. On a launch monitor, it's numbers match up almost exactly with Pro V1, at a ~$1.50 less per ball.
I got a hole in one last month with a Wilson Staff range ball!! So now in my book, that ball is better than a Pro V1 lol. My first, and probably last hole in one, but it was most definitely the ball, not me. I also have a whole bunch of those yellow pinnacle practice balls in the thumbnail as well😂
I heard that it was too close to the ProV1 that they had to change it over legal concerns, Not sure if that’s true. I have played them for years and they are a great ball and value. I am a 12 HCP and losing balls gets expensive for me:_)
Love this sort of analysis- I always like to try new balls as well :-) I play on a very windy course, and one of the design variables that golf balls have but not really discussed here ( because I guess you wanted to avoid the wind?) is the effect dimple pattern has - if it has any at all. Hope to get some feedback on that- for the record I use PRO V1 I like the feel, and it does not seem to be handicapped in any other area for my swing characteristics. Just a comment on pitching and chipping in practice- most of the time you are not going to be worrying about having to stop the ball- and spin is your enemy because its harder to predict what it will do when it hits the green surface-
Did you try the epsom salt balancing trick to see if that was the reason for duck hooking golf balls? Bryson's caddie says they throw out 1-2 balls per dozen because they are too out of balance
What should we be looking at to determine if we are high, mid, or low spin players. Like what are the ranges say with a 7 iron (fit to the irons) where above this number you should look at a low spin ball, and below this number, you should consider a higher spin ball…. In between obviously is that balanced range. Thanks!
Question: You used 1 driver obviously to eliminate that variable. You also noticed balls that did well on your first ball test performed differently. My question is this; Is it possible that certain balls perform better with certain drivers? Is is possible that certain ball designs react differently to driver faces? A lot of driver companies push how their driver faces are milled or what not and I wonder if you, for example, take a Taylormade driver and try out 7 different ball companies, and see how it reacts? Than take a Callaway driver and try the same 7 ball companies and see how it reacts? I have always wondered this since you guys started these ball tests. Thanks
I think yes there is some creedance to this, which is why you should then go pick a few balls and go test yourself. Your clubs, with your delivery, will net slightly different results. This is evident if you watch other human test videos. However, this is a great starting point.
Got new Mizuno Irons this year and my premium , Tour Quality Baloon Balls go straight up high and Short , I can even Hit Driver Sky High and Come Down and back up in fairway or rough!no Roll out , Tried soft response and Tour response , hell of an Difference and get some roll!
Seems like one way to test dispersion is to do the same rounds of shots, but use an indoor facility with a GCQuad device. No winds in the algorithms to affect the shots. Not even as fun a chores as you did in AZ, but it could work, especially if it points to a QC issue with ball construction.
Snell makes a great ball but the problem is, it’s still sells at a premium price. The best price is buying directly from Snell but you still have to pay for shipping so you’re paying $40 a dozen. That’s not enough to make me change from my Pro V1.
Great bit of work and love how this has grown. Would love the trajectory piece and how it relates to performance, spin and the end result. Understand why it was not possible. And the best piece was fit he ball to your green game, then irons and then the driver to your ball and game. Would love to see a provider who fits balls like they do clubs. Lastly, you guys do a great job educating golfers and are fighting a lack of understanding of just how important these asp[sects are and end up buying balls on price or advertising.
How can a hard ball spin more? Spin is caused by friction from ball off club face- softer balls have more friction. All the soft balls I have played have always spun more. Like the TP5
I started playing the Taylormade Tour Response based on your previous video. The spin was very low off the tee but had enough backspin on approaches to where I got my first eagle from 85 yards out. I was hitting mostly straight shots all day and I am very used to hitting a 10 yard fade. It was kind of hard to adjust after seeing these dead straight shots but I can't wait to play again and take dead aim instead of playing my fade. They were good around the greens but I didn't have to hit too many lob shots, so the jury is still out on that. It was also one of my best days of putting so they aren't too soft off the putter face vs a ProV1.
I’d love to see a comparison of the premium balls vs their practice counterparts. ie. tp5 vs tp5 practice ball, pro v1 vs pr v1 practice, zstar vs zstar practice etc.
09/03/2021 - My driver was incorrectly configured to 11 degrees of loft. I changed it to 8 degrees. No more mud balls on drives. Tested Titleist Tour Speed, Maxfli Tour CG (again). This time against Snell MTB Black. There was no appreciable difference in performance between them. The Snell "feels" a tad harder than the other two. All three are great balls.
I have liked the Maxfli golf ball for price and performance vs Titliest for couple of yearsI am 69 years old, frugal, my index is 6. I play 6,400 yard home course.
If you have a slower swing speed and you want higher spin, an X is harder to compress so it’s THE WRONG ball....Try a softer compression ball...IMO...All in all it’s an excellent test but you must use your head to get the right ball....
Guys, I've revisited this presentation - Tony, many thanks for one of the best. Very informative, logical and easy to understand. Help/advice please. I'm 70 with Driver swing speed 82 mph. I play Ping Max G400 set at 11.5*. Not untypical for my Driver shots to be a push/fade, which are accentuated by "spinny" golf balls - few years ago I played ProV1 but too often the tee shot produced fade going into a slice, so I stopped. I don't play a long ball so place more reliance on short game and therefore need something with decent greenside grab. I had batch 2019 Chrome Soft, which I liked and they were great - few fades - but recently purchased dozen 2021 CS and the fade has returned. I've also come to realise that "soft" doesn't do me favours on the green - comes up short to the hole. So from this info, would very much appreciate some options. All the best
I know that I'm a week behind but what a great show!!!! Poor old Tony too as I can hear the world saying that "--------- is the best ball so why didn't Tony say that?"!!!!! Really good test (yes, I watched some of it, how sad am I???) and interesting results. Thanks but I'll stick to my Snell MTB-X's after all that. Thank you to you all.
going way off the grid here but i really liked using the VICE PRO SOFT,,,i am 57 and gotta say i was quite impressed....what are your thoughts on this ball...cheers from Canada
I am a slower swing (retiree), but tend to play ProV1 in cooler weather and ProV1X in hotter weather. Not a fan of balls that feel like marshmallows, regardless of results. The other day I had the opportunity to play by myself and I tried some TP5X balls. Your comment toward the end about hating the "clicky feel" with my putter makes me wonder if you were spying on me... LOL Loved the TP5x off the tee and full fairway shots, but hated the feel around/on the green so it got eliminated from further use. Thought the video was fantastic.
Agree I thought the same, I use them and personally think their great and very rarely if ever see any blemishes and wonder how they stack up against non-practice
can you guys test the honma 6 layer ball? Would be interesting to see what it does. I couldnt even get snell in my shop this year. Canadian distributor totally dropped the proverbial ball this season. Total joke. Good news is that dean snell apparently is releasing a new ball next year.
This just confirms my fight figuring out if I like Titleist Prov1, Titleist ProvX or Chrome Soft X ball the most. Great work. Buying a ball hasn't never been so simple and complicated at the same time. The real test is still to try a ball over multiple rounds and move on if you aren't sure. No more cheap Noodles for this golfer.
Thanks for all the information! Regarding the Wedge test results, comparing the Carry vs. Total yards, the results seem to be the same between low spinning balls such as the the Titleist Tour Speed (56.66 carry and 65.8 total for about 9 yards rollout) and higher spinning balls such as the Pro V1 (55.61 carry and 65.25 total for about 10 yards rollout) - I would expect the higher spinning balls to check up faster upon landing and not roll out as much.... what am I missing?
One of the most interesting result from the test is that the quality of golf balls has improved from 2019 (and not just at Callaway). I am not saying that was solely because of the 2019 test, but...!! The methodology of the test is the best and most objective it could be. However, the data analysis has the same flaws as the 2019 test. It is a fact that there were 37 balls test and about 4500 shots - that means c. 120 shots per ball. It is a fact that the test involved 3 swing speeds both with driver and iron and then there were wedge tests. So the data set for a particular swing speed for a driver was less than 20 shots per ball, depending on the number of wedges shots, it could be under 15 shots per ball. So the data set for each ball for any particular swing speed and any particular club is pretty small. This is important. MGS mantra that "soft is slow" is probably complete BS although the statistical analysis necessary to show that (or prove that soft really is slow) is a huge undertaking that requires a professional statistician. They have misunderstood their data, they have seen what they wanted to see. The missing piece in the analysis is that there is no evidence that MGS considered statistical significance and the p values in the context of ball speed between different balls. The p value is an attempt to provide a way of assessing whether the difference in ball speed between 2 balls are down to differences in compression or just by chance. Even though I completely agree with the test methodology it is inevitable that there will be some variability in the data even with a robot programmed to deliver identical swings: the robot has small variabilities, the measurement tool (be it trackman or GCQuad) has small variabilities, because you only use each ball once, there are small variabilities between balls of the same brand. Technically there is another variability, the weather but I do not think that is relevant to measurement of ball speed, but it might be for carry distance. That combination of variabilities, each of which by itself may be barely discernible, together will definitely have an effect on the results. That is why it is so important to consider statistical significance and p values. So if we consider the test that should magnify the ball speed difference, the driver test at highest swing speed. The results seem to show a clear correlation between compression and ball speed... but there is a massive problem with that conclusion. With the exception of 7 balls all the balls are within 3 mph of each other (166.4 to 169.4 mph) That is less than 1% difference either side of the mean. My guess is that once you consider statistical significance and p values for each of the remaining 30 balls, at least 20 balls irrespective of compression would have show no statistically significant differences in ball speed. When you look at the iron ball speed data it is pretty obvious even without doing the full analysis that there is absolutely no correlation between ball speed and correlation. So what we can conclude is that the soft is slow mantra is for most people and most golf balls tested complete BS
The data set can be small. 15 to 20 shots will provide an accurate picture of the ball because of the robot and centered strikes and neutral club delivery.
@@lancesedevie548 A small data set is not ideal because the smaller the data set the greater the risk that the standard deviation (SD) will be skewed by 1 or 2 outlier shots and that it will result in a skewing of the statistical significance test. Let me give a simple example. Suppose you have 2 data sets one with 20 shots and one with 50 shots and in each data set there is an outlier shot which has a 2 mph difference from the mean. In the smaller data set that would make a difference of 0.2 mph to the SD but in the larger data set the difference would be 0.08 mph. You will not be surprised to find that has a very significant (pun intended) on the statistical significance tests. Even if we use a very crude statistical significance test of 2xSD and we assume that the actual SD was 0.75 mph (which given that is less than 0.5% of the average ball speed at the highest club head speed tested with a driver) then that one aberrant shot changes the statistical significance test from 1.5mph to 1.9 mph for a data set of 20 but only to 1.66 mph in a data set of 50. As I am not a professional statistician or mathematician I know about the more sophisticated tests but am only capable of calculating the crude ones! Even with a test that is as well designed as the MGS test is (and that is a compliment to their rigorous and independence) as I said in my original post it is inevitable that there will be small variations in ball speed from one shot to another. IMO, and it is only an opinion of someone with an interest in statistics not a professional, it is likely that with such a small data set all balls which are within 1.5 mph either side of the mean are not producing ball speed data which is statistically significantly different from the mean and therefore are effectively producing the same speed irrespective of the compression.
Just to continue on the issue of the small data set. Let us assume that in my data set of 50 shots one of which is aberrant, that aberrant shot is consistent, ie that on average it occurs once every 50 shots. That means that if MGS tested 37 different balls with a data set of 20 shots for driver at the highest swing speed, roughly 1/3rd of the small data sets would have an aberrant shot in it. Lance: I hope that the combination of these 2 posts is enough to convince you that whilst the small data set of MGS for each ball (for a given club speed and given club) is enough to give a pretty good indication of what is going on, and certainly a lot better than the 5-10 shots most YT reviewers use for club reviews, there is a real risk that it is still too small and that lack of size can have a disproportionate effect on any testing of the statistical significance of differences in ball speed between different balls. Just to be clear I am not rubbishing the MGS test, the methodology is exceptionally good, and I fully understand why the idea of hitting roughly 10,000 shots to get a larger data set is impractical. However I do think that there does need to be some analysis of the statistical significance of the ball speed difference and even that analysis would need to be caveated. Essentially the whole mantra of "soft is slow" is dubious
Great episode and a lot of work. Thank you. As far as direct to consumer urethane balls, can you please test the sugar ball? Saw it on TXG and it seem pretty comparable to the PRO V1
Trial and error Get some new 3 ball sleeve base or from Walmart base on feel and cost and go to indoor simulator hit driver , 5i, 8i, SW and see yardage, spin and decent angle.
Hi, I 64 years old and have a 2 handicap, I play the Titleist ProV1. I would like to get more distance but also great feel around the green. I have never checked swing speed, self taught. I play both Bend and Bermuda green. Any help would be great. Thank you.
Bill - A big part of this answer comes down to what is potentially holding you back from gaining more distance. If we're talking largely tee shots, then we'd need to get more information on ball speed, launch angle, spin, trajectory, etc. If you can get some of this info, let us know and we'll see what we can do to help you out!
Was re-watching this episode. Had a question - I currently play a Titleist TruFeel and probably fall into the mid speed golfer with a handicap of 16. I am looking for more feel around the green but love the distance off the tee. Which balls would you suggest I look at. My normal trajectory would be mid to high. Thanks
For any test of balls to matter to me, they would have to go into the woods, lakes, ditches, and swamps, collect the balls they find, throw them into the bathtub and have a go with a fingernail brush, then do the tests. Those are the balls i hit, and am still searching for the best ball that has been used then left to sit half buried in muck or submerged completely for a year. Any ideas?
Great question. My driver is 100-105 and my 9 iron is 80-82. I was supposed to learn that the tour average is around 84. I had assumed it was much higher . I have been using Speed sticks to help with my swing speed and have got 7 mph over two years…first 4mph was easier than the second 3;)…I look forward to their response to your question.
But does any of it even save you half a stroke on the golf course, my experience is no. And I have tried them all. I do have some preferences but at the end of the day playing the same ball is probably more important then playing the so called right ball
Did you guys happen to test the Chrome Soft ERC by chance ? I'm a slow to mid speed player, and I'm not really finding that I'm losing much spin around the greens and also from 130-160 out as well ? Your thoughts please ! $35/doz.
lots and lots of data, mid swing speed, have used tour b rx, not quite the spin around the greens, looking for that medium feel that doesn't spin crazy off the driver.
Great work but too much data for me. I’ll keep hitting PV’s until I can walk in somewhere and they can identify the exact ball for me that works better than PV’s.
The results on your website show Bridgestone B RX as your 3rd longest golf ball for fast swing speeds off the driver, but its recommended as a slow swing speed ball in this video? Why is that?
Didnt think I could sit through an hour of four people talking about golf balls but this was so interesting. Going to try something new based on the results… thanks guys!
Totally agree, it’s so fascinating and makes me wish I had a simulator just so I could hit balls to test all these to see which is best for me maybe.
Excellent 60min presentation. Huge Thank You to the Team, especially Tony, for the survey. As a low Swing Speed Pensioner who plays the Chrome Soft, when it drops out of the sky but travels far, I thought it was me but your comment was light bulb moment - it's the characteristics of the ball. The Wilson Staff was an eye opener and is now one I'll try. Brill stuff to the 4 of you & MGS.
Rewatching this to prep for the new test results.
You folks have literally changed my game. I'm a middle aged disabled veteran that used to play the Wilson Zip due to it's softness and feel. 7 iron 145 yds. Switched to Maxfli Pro, much different feel but 7 iron 185 yds. With your recommendations I've also purchased a putting matt,
Is it the pro or tour
@@leomerino3906 pro, previous year model which I think makes them 2019's? Was a buy two for a discounted rate, bought 4 dozen. 2 dozen white, 2 dozen yellow.
Thank you My Golf Spy for doing this test. This helps us all out so much. Been holding out on buying golf balls till this test came out!
Before you buy...
I heard twice to start around the green to find a good fit. I like that advice.
That's what I do too. How does it feel off the putter club face? Working from the green back to the tee.
Putting for dough?
Just happened to one day come across mygolfspy on UA-cam........ after listening to a few UA-cam post, especially this one on golf balls.
🤯🤯🤯🤯...... OMG . The information contained in these UA-cam post are beyond next level, those that have issues with how much or little you provide in your explanation. Their going to have opportunities with everything an anything....... just wish I had come to this knowledge tree many years ago in my journey of golf. Gentlemen & Lady please keep up your contributions to the game of golf .... in my opinion they bring clarity, wisdom, with the all important dash levity.
TXG and MGS have the Best golf Podcasts going. I appreciate the insight, actual data, and of course, the commentary.
I never gave to much thought and mostly played prov1, but I bought some left dash and noticed slightly more distance and a lot more spin around the green. I love how it checks up on short chips even on firm green.
Do you see a higher ball flight with em? I tend to hit lower with driver than my buddies.
Lots of work and lots of valuable and useful data in this year's ball test; thank you, guys! I am a medium-speed golfer (96-98 MPH with my driver or mini driver, 82-84 MPH with my 6 and 7 irons), and I tend to spin the ball a bit too much. My favorite ball for the last few years has consistently been the Snell MTB-X (I also very much like the ProV1x). However, lately I have become VERY fond of the OnCore VeroX1 and the latest-generation Maxfli TourX CG. I would never have considered the Maxfli Tour and TourX balls had it not been for the 2019 MGS Ball Test results. So, a double thank you for that!
At 63 my swing speed is in the lower range (87 to 90mph) and being a higher handicap player I play the Maxfli tour and when Tony said their quality control is right behind Titleist which kinda gave me a sigh of relief since I’ve been playing Maxfli for around 30 years. I like the ProV1s but how much do I need to spend? Until I get fully retired and can wrap my head around my game the results of this test are very interesting but at the same time not totally relevant. BUT, keep up the good work, I’ll still watch and listen.
I'm 60 and near your swing speed and for the money, $32 a dozen, the Snell MTB Black shows no difference TO ME from the Pro VI; you should give them a try.
Haven’t seen any Snells at my local retailer but will keep my eye open.
One of your best episodes. Well done, all of you, and especially Tony.
Titleist is making the best ball , PERIOD ! I have gone to the left dash Pro V1 and it is an AWESOME ball ! There is a reason over 70% of the PGA pros are using ProV balls.
They are free to them
Love my Wilson duo soft+s. Super cheap, performance is great and im not afraid to loose em. 👍
I bought their Wilson Staff gloves and they are also a terrific value at around $8 a glove vs. 20 for FJ and Titleist. The more expensive globes are softer but they can be slicker than my Wilson Staffs.
Every year the first month I take 3 to 4 balls that i think will fit my game and play a couple of round with them. This year I changed from the Pro V1 to the Pro V1x with The Bridgestone a very close 3rd!
Just realized Tony and I are almost neighbors as I live in Latham. Played McGregor once about 35 years ago and recall it being a nice course. Thanks for all the great golf info guys and gal.
Vice Pro plus is the best ball by a mile especially for the price. I switched from prov1 to It and I won’t go back. The spin is perfect. Durability is better than prov1. I used the same ball 3 rounds. Only reason I don’t use It 4 rounds is because i finally lost It. Won’t play a different ball now.
I've heard so much about Vice balls, I'm gunna buy a box and try them out. Is the Pro plus the one you'd recommend for a newer golfer?
@@kevinvassago yeah I’d recommend the pro plus. I’ve tested them on trackman and GC quad against prov1 and prov1z and it’s just as good. And I found the vice pro plus to be way better quality. Lasted me 3 rounds with minimal scratches and wear. I won’t play any other ball now. At target they are $26… cant best that. Price is so low because they don’t spend as much money on marketing like all the other brands do. The cost vice has is fairly low so they can offer the products at half the price.
@@SwayPromo that sounds great! I'm gunna buy a box! Are they only online?
@@kevinvassago they are online. But you can get one at target doe $26ish
I've been using the titleist left dash ball and I love it. Thanks guys!
Been playing the Pro v1x and I have won tourneys with it but....my miss is this high spinny thing especially on full shot par 3's. I spin the heck out of it.......so much so that I might spin it 20+ feet backwards sometimes back into our hazard so I have to fly it much further and bring it back to the hole......so it looks like its time to look at this left dash.
How is the green side spin?
The right ball for me are the dozens I find for free in the woods. I get a lot of ProV1's that way.
Thanks for all the effort and time in this endeavor! And I must have been living under a rock because I didn't know V1x left dash even existed. Probably because I always played Pro V1 and have for decades. Definitely going to try left dash since I'm looking a bit lower spin. Which brings up a good point....when getting fitted for clubs the ball could play a really important part which I never really considered that much. Thanks for the number crunching and analysis!
What nobody tells you is you must use the same ball to be consistent. If you stand over it at 150 yards, you need to know its flying 150 yards. Changing balls and equipment all the time doesnt allow you to develop that.
The best golf ball 2022 is the Bridgestone Tour B RX (for me) or Tour B X. The reason is simple - they go very very straight with driver and all the long woods. When you mishit the ball, it only curves a little with the long clubs - straightest ball I have ever used - and I have used them all - ProV, TP5, Chrome, and all the urethane lower balls (Tour Response, Tout Speed, etc). Tour B RX is a tour level ball with the same consistency and has a quality urethane cover (not crap like some), so you can generate spin to stop it on the greens with short irons. Pros have the skill set to use such a ball with their long woods - but most amateurs hit massive slices and hooks with such a ball (now and then) - they would be better off with a ball that goes straighter. The Bridgestone Tour B RX is the best of both worlds - straight with the woods, but spins and stops with short irons. Putts great too - as good as all Pro level balls except the ProV (that putts awesome). LPGA players use the Tour B for a reason - 90-105 mph swing speeds is normal (I am 96).
Love the Srixon Z XV.. Been picking up the previous Gen at Walmart for $25 a dozen.
I use the same balls, most even have a "JP" written on them with a sharpie. I get them for free, from just inside the bush or i scoop them out of the pond. Funny enough, i play at the same course as Josh, what are the odds!
@@stupidas9466 there are a lot of Josh’s out there. Where you from?
Thx 4 the tip. Will check Mall fart for Srixon zstar XVs.
My local shop has the tour yellow XV @ 45 dollars a dozen.
What a great ball. Nice firm feel off the face for putting. Looks great and easy to find when it hides in the bush (with tour yellow).
Cheers
@@tinhatrancher904 they have sold out of the previous gin in my area now. So the pricing is gone back up to around 40 something a dozen
@@oneheadlight8000 Got it thanks.
Srixon XV is a great ball. Feels like an upgrade from my Srixon soft feel and regular z star. Better feel especially with the putter.
I have a lot of spin on my wedges and my irons but not a crazy club head speed. The tour response is much softer than a proV1 or a TP5 and all three have a Urethane cover. It fits me perfect!
I love your approach on this project and your objectivity. Thanks and stay blunt.
Great video guys, I have tried many golf balls in my time but I am not long off the tee and found approach play and short game the best way to make my scores. So there for the chrome soft ball works for me.
You didn't test it, but I've been playing the SUGAR golf ball this year and I've really enjoyed it. On a launch monitor, it's numbers match up almost exactly with Pro V1, at a ~$1.50 less per ball.
What would is a group golf balls for 8-9 year old junior golfers to try? Should I go premium with them?
Thanks for this. Amazing work
Super info , thanks for all your hard work!
I got a hole in one last month with a Wilson Staff range ball!! So now in my book, that ball is better than a Pro V1 lol. My first, and probably last hole in one, but it was most definitely the ball, not me. I also have a whole bunch of those yellow pinnacle practice balls in the thumbnail as well😂
I never understood what fake modesty looked like, but Tony encapsulates it perfectly.
Loved it! Thank you guys for all the work and insights. There is nowhere else to get this stuff!
Finally got to watch this. Just great work and great discussion.
Toney and harry...thanks for tge hard work,you guys look knackered!
How do you know if you're playing the wrong ball?
That's a question I'd like to hear discussed.
Tony is a popcorn hitter guaranteed
The best ball I ever played was the original 4 piece Kirkland. Still looking for a ball that good.
I heard that it was too close to the ProV1 that they had to change it over legal concerns, Not sure if that’s true. I have played them for years and they are a great ball and value. I am a 12 HCP and losing balls gets expensive for me:_)
Love this sort of analysis- I always like to try new balls as well :-) I play on a very windy course, and one of the design variables that golf balls have but not really discussed here ( because I guess you wanted to avoid the wind?) is the effect dimple pattern has - if it has any at all. Hope to get some feedback on that- for the record I use PRO V1 I like the feel, and it does not seem to be handicapped in any other area for my swing characteristics. Just a comment on pitching and chipping in practice- most of the time you are not going to be worrying about having to stop the ball- and spin is your enemy because its harder to predict what it will do when it hits the green surface-
Prov1 in the wind is ridiculously consistent and moves v little.
Prov1 2021 that is. I've never played anything like it.
@@tigertim9232 Give the Snell MTB Black a try, it's comparable to the 2021 PRO VI and only $32.
Pro V1 left dash is the best ball ever made for higher swing speed players with High spinning shots. It optimizes everything
Did you try the epsom salt balancing trick to see if that was the reason for duck hooking golf balls? Bryson's caddie says they throw out 1-2 balls per dozen because they are too out of balance
Why is no one talking about how awesome your Dobe Is!
Maxfli tour x and tp5x have been my most consistent ball
What should we be looking at to determine if we are high, mid, or low spin players. Like what are the ranges say with a 7 iron (fit to the irons) where above this number you should look at a low spin ball, and below this number, you should consider a higher spin ball…. In between obviously is that balanced range. Thanks!
Question: You used 1 driver obviously to eliminate that variable. You also noticed balls that did well on your first ball test performed differently. My question is this; Is it possible that certain balls perform better with certain drivers? Is is possible that certain ball designs react differently to driver faces? A lot of driver companies push how their driver faces are milled or what not and I wonder if you, for example, take a Taylormade driver and try out 7 different ball companies, and see how it reacts? Than take a Callaway driver and try the same 7 ball companies and see how it reacts? I have always wondered this since you guys started these ball tests. Thanks
I think yes there is some creedance to this, which is why you should then go pick a few balls and go test yourself. Your clubs, with your delivery, will net slightly different results. This is evident if you watch other human test videos. However, this is a great starting point.
That's more than 1 question 😄
Got new Mizuno Irons this year and my premium , Tour Quality Baloon Balls go straight up high and Short , I can even Hit Driver Sky High and Come Down and back up in fairway or rough!no Roll out , Tried soft response and Tour response , hell of an Difference and get some roll!
been hitting my longest drives ever this season gaming the maxfli tours
Do you have plans to test balls on the green? Can some balls roll straighter than others?
Thoughts on the Srixon Z star the Newest released edition.
30:46 "There's alot of numbers" uh nope, there is only one hahaha
Great job folks! We appreciate your hard work.
Seems like one way to test dispersion is to do the same rounds of shots, but use an indoor facility with a GCQuad device. No winds in the algorithms to affect the shots. Not even as fun a chores as you did in AZ, but it could work, especially if it points to a QC issue with ball construction.
Thanks for all the hard work!!!
Snell makes a great ball but the problem is, it’s still sells at a premium price. The best price is buying directly from Snell but you still have to pay for shipping so you’re paying $40 a dozen. That’s not enough to make me change from my Pro V1.
Great bit of work and love how this has grown. Would love the trajectory piece and how it relates to performance, spin and the end result. Understand why it was not possible. And the best piece was fit he ball to your green game, then irons and then the driver to your ball and game. Would love to see a provider who fits balls like they do clubs. Lastly, you guys do a great job educating golfers and are fighting a lack of understanding of just how important these asp[sects are and end up buying balls on price or advertising.
Can someone define slow/ medium / fast swing speed’s please?
How can a hard ball spin more? Spin is caused by friction from ball off club face- softer balls have more friction. All the soft balls I have played have always spun more. Like the TP5
Softer compression balls are usually firmer covers with softer cores, so you will see the reduction in spin.
I started playing the Taylormade Tour Response based on your previous video. The spin was very low off the tee but had enough backspin on approaches to where I got my first eagle from 85 yards out. I was hitting mostly straight shots all day and I am very used to hitting a 10 yard fade. It was kind of hard to adjust after seeing these dead straight shots but I can't wait to play again and take dead aim instead of playing my fade. They were good around the greens but I didn't have to hit too many lob shots, so the jury is still out on that. It was also one of my best days of putting so they aren't too soft off the putter face vs a ProV1.
I’d love to see a comparison of the premium balls vs their practice counterparts. ie. tp5 vs tp5 practice ball, pro v1 vs pr v1 practice, zstar vs zstar practice etc.
09/03/2021 - My driver was incorrectly configured to 11 degrees of loft. I changed it to 8 degrees. No more mud balls on drives. Tested Titleist Tour Speed, Maxfli Tour CG (again). This time against Snell MTB Black. There was no appreciable difference in performance between them. The Snell "feels" a tad harder than the other two. All three are great balls.
I have liked the Maxfli golf ball for price and performance vs Titliest for couple of yearsI am 69 years old, frugal, my index is 6. I play 6,400 yard home course.
If you have a slower swing speed and you want higher spin, an X is harder to compress so it’s THE WRONG ball....Try a softer compression ball...IMO...All in all it’s an excellent test but you must use your head to get the right ball....
Guys, I've revisited this presentation - Tony, many thanks for one of the best. Very informative, logical and easy to understand.
Help/advice please. I'm 70 with Driver swing speed 82 mph. I play Ping Max G400 set at 11.5*. Not untypical for my Driver shots to be a push/fade, which are accentuated by "spinny" golf balls - few years ago I played ProV1 but too often the tee shot produced fade going into a slice, so I stopped. I don't play a long ball so place more reliance on short game and therefore need something with decent greenside grab. I had batch 2019 Chrome Soft, which I liked and they were great - few fades - but recently purchased dozen 2021 CS and the fade has returned. I've also come to realise that "soft" doesn't do me favours on the green - comes up short to the hole. So from this info, would very much appreciate some options.
All the best
I know that I'm a week behind but what a great show!!!! Poor old Tony too as I can hear the world saying that "--------- is the best ball so why didn't Tony say that?"!!!!! Really good test (yes, I watched some of it, how sad am I???) and interesting results. Thanks but I'll stick to my Snell MTB-X's after all that. Thank you to you all.
going way off the grid here but i really liked using the VICE PRO SOFT,,,i am 57 and gotta say i was quite impressed....what are your thoughts on this ball...cheers from Canada
It seems like the Srixon Z Star was a top performer two years ago. What happened this time around?
I am a slower swing (retiree), but tend to play ProV1 in cooler weather and ProV1X in hotter weather. Not a fan of balls that feel like marshmallows, regardless of results. The other day I had the opportunity to play by myself and I tried some TP5X balls. Your comment toward the end about hating the "clicky feel" with my putter makes me wonder if you were spying on me... LOL Loved the TP5x off the tee and full fairway shots, but hated the feel around/on the green so it got eliminated from further use. Thought the video was fantastic.
Great review well done.
Nice work Commendable
While the Titleist reloads performed very differently, what about Titleist Practice balls? Would you expect them to perform any differently?
Agree I thought the same, I use them and personally think their great and very rarely if ever see any blemishes and wonder how they stack up against non-practice
can you guys test the honma 6 layer ball? Would be interesting to see what it does. I couldnt even get snell in my shop this year. Canadian distributor totally dropped the proverbial ball this season. Total joke. Good news is that dean snell apparently is releasing a new ball next year.
Great information
This just confirms my fight figuring out if I like Titleist Prov1, Titleist ProvX or Chrome Soft X ball the most. Great work. Buying a ball hasn't never been so simple and complicated at the same time. The real test is still to try a ball over multiple rounds and move on if you aren't sure. No more cheap Noodles for this golfer.
Add the prov1 left dash too
Life is simply complex?
Thanks for all the information! Regarding the Wedge test results, comparing the Carry vs. Total yards, the results seem to be the same between low spinning balls such as the the Titleist Tour Speed (56.66 carry and 65.8 total for about 9 yards rollout) and higher spinning balls such as the Pro V1 (55.61 carry and 65.25 total for about 10 yards rollout) - I would expect the higher spinning balls to check up faster upon landing and not roll out as much.... what am I missing?
Height? Descent angle? What were the ball speeds?
job well done
Tony will go old school to the Hammer X bought off eBay for $37.95. Not including shipping
I have ordered four dozens of Maxfli tour golf balls for $90. My swing speed is 98 mph.
Fascinating stuff. If you’re someone who swings the driver around 94-95 mph, where do you suggest we focus (mid or slow-speed results)?
I would say to lean more towards the mid speed recommendations. You are close enough to that range to benefit more from those I think.
Excellent video. What is the threshold for a high speed swing?
One of the most interesting result from the test is that the quality of golf balls has improved from 2019 (and not just at Callaway). I am not saying that was solely because of the 2019 test, but...!!
The methodology of the test is the best and most objective it could be. However, the data analysis has the same flaws as the 2019 test.
It is a fact that there were 37 balls test and about 4500 shots - that means c. 120 shots per ball. It is a fact that the test involved 3 swing speeds both with driver and iron and then there were wedge tests. So the data set for a particular swing speed for a driver was less than 20 shots per ball, depending on the number of wedges shots, it could be under 15 shots per ball.
So the data set for each ball for any particular swing speed and any particular club is pretty small. This is important.
MGS mantra that "soft is slow" is probably complete BS although the statistical analysis necessary to show that (or prove that soft really is slow) is a huge undertaking that requires a professional statistician. They have misunderstood their data, they have seen what they wanted to see.
The missing piece in the analysis is that there is no evidence that MGS considered statistical significance and the p values in the context of ball speed between different balls. The p value is an attempt to provide a way of assessing whether the difference in ball speed between 2 balls are down to differences in compression or just by chance.
Even though I completely agree with the test methodology it is inevitable that there will be some variability in the data even with a robot programmed to deliver identical swings: the robot has small variabilities, the measurement tool (be it trackman or GCQuad) has small variabilities, because you only use each ball once, there are small variabilities between balls of the same brand. Technically there is another variability, the weather but I do not think that is relevant to measurement of ball speed, but it might be for carry distance.
That combination of variabilities, each of which by itself may be barely discernible, together will definitely have an effect on the results. That is why it is so important to consider statistical significance and p values.
So if we consider the test that should magnify the ball speed difference, the driver test at highest swing speed. The results seem to show a clear correlation between compression and ball speed... but there is a massive problem with that conclusion. With the exception of 7 balls all the balls are within 3 mph of each other (166.4 to 169.4 mph) That is less than 1% difference either side of the mean. My guess is that once you consider statistical significance and p values for each of the remaining 30 balls, at least 20 balls irrespective of compression would have show no statistically significant differences in ball speed.
When you look at the iron ball speed data it is pretty obvious even without doing the full analysis that there is absolutely no correlation between ball speed and correlation.
So what we can conclude is that the soft is slow mantra is for most people and most golf balls tested complete BS
The data set can be small. 15 to 20 shots will provide an accurate picture of the ball because of the robot and centered strikes and neutral club delivery.
@@lancesedevie548 A small data set is not ideal because the smaller the data set the greater the risk that the standard deviation (SD) will be skewed by 1 or 2 outlier shots and that it will result in a skewing of the statistical significance test.
Let me give a simple example. Suppose you have 2 data sets one with 20 shots and one with 50 shots and in each data set there is an outlier shot which has a 2 mph difference from the mean.
In the smaller data set that would make a difference of 0.2 mph to the SD but in the larger data set the difference would be 0.08 mph. You will not be surprised to find that has a very significant (pun intended) on the statistical significance tests.
Even if we use a very crude statistical significance test of 2xSD and we assume that the actual SD was 0.75 mph (which given that is less than 0.5% of the average ball speed at the highest club head speed tested with a driver) then that one aberrant shot changes the statistical significance test from 1.5mph to 1.9 mph for a data set of 20 but only to 1.66 mph in a data set of 50. As I am not a professional statistician or mathematician I know about the more sophisticated tests but am only capable of calculating the crude ones!
Even with a test that is as well designed as the MGS test is (and that is a compliment to their rigorous and independence) as I said in my original post it is inevitable that there will be small variations in ball speed from one shot to another. IMO, and it is only an opinion of someone with an interest in statistics not a professional, it is likely that with such a small data set all balls which are within 1.5 mph either side of the mean are not producing ball speed data which is statistically significantly different from the mean and therefore are effectively producing the same speed irrespective of the compression.
Just to continue on the issue of the small data set. Let us assume that in my data set of 50 shots one of which is aberrant, that aberrant shot is consistent, ie that on average it occurs once every 50 shots. That means that if MGS tested 37 different balls with a data set of 20 shots for driver at the highest swing speed, roughly 1/3rd of the small data sets would have an aberrant shot in it.
Lance: I hope that the combination of these 2 posts is enough to convince you that whilst the small data set of MGS for each ball (for a given club speed and given club) is enough to give a pretty good indication of what is going on, and certainly a lot better than the 5-10 shots most YT reviewers use for club reviews, there is a real risk that it is still too small and that lack of size can have a disproportionate effect on any testing of the statistical significance of differences in ball speed between different balls.
Just to be clear I am not rubbishing the MGS test, the methodology is exceptionally good, and I fully understand why the idea of hitting roughly 10,000 shots to get a larger data set is impractical. However I do think that there does need to be some analysis of the statistical significance of the ball speed difference and even that analysis would need to be caveated. Essentially the whole mantra of "soft is slow" is dubious
If tour speed is a good surprise, which category does it fit best?
I can't believe how much of the test I watched. You all need counseling for Post Test Depression. Me too.
Great episode and a lot of work. Thank you. As far as direct to consumer urethane balls, can you please test the sugar ball? Saw it on TXG and it seem pretty comparable to the PRO V1
Trial and error
Get some new 3 ball sleeve base or from Walmart base on feel and cost and go to indoor simulator hit driver , 5i, 8i, SW and see yardage, spin and decent angle.
What difference would ambient temperatures make. Ie. 5c, 15c, 25c?
what ball should I use with a foot wedge?
Hi, I 64 years old and have a 2 handicap, I play the Titleist ProV1. I would like to get more distance but also great feel around the green. I have never checked swing speed, self taught. I play both Bend and Bermuda green. Any help would be great. Thank you.
Hit the gym I’d say. Stay/get strong and limber, ball will go further.
Bill - A big part of this answer comes down to what is potentially holding you back from gaining more distance. If we're talking largely tee shots, then we'd need to get more information on ball speed, launch angle, spin, trajectory, etc. If you can get some of this info, let us know and we'll see what we can do to help you out!
I think the guys should make a "Just a little squirrely" shirt.
Was re-watching this episode. Had a question - I currently play a Titleist TruFeel and probably fall into the mid speed golfer with a handicap of 16. I am looking for more feel around the green but love the distance off the tee. Which balls would you suggest I look at. My normal trajectory would be mid to high. Thanks
Proud to donate to this endeavor each yr, definitely love the result and you guys outdid yourselves 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Much appreciated and thank you for your support!
For any test of balls to matter to me, they would have to go into the woods, lakes, ditches, and swamps, collect the balls they find, throw them into the bathtub and have a go with a fingernail brush, then do the tests. Those are the balls i hit, and am still searching for the best ball that has been used then left to sit half buried in muck or submerged completely for a year. Any ideas?
You said you didn’t do dispersion because of the wind - wouldn’t the wind have affected the other numbers as well?
if driver swing speed is 92-96 on average should I be looking at the medium swing speed offerings. Does the 5mph change much from driver to wedge?
Great question. My driver is 100-105 and my 9 iron is 80-82. I was supposed to learn that the tour average is around 84. I had assumed it was much higher . I have been using Speed sticks to help with my swing speed and have got 7 mph over two years…first 4mph was easier than the second 3;)…I look forward to their response to your question.
@@rikkousa Iron speed is GENERALLY 20mph slower than driver speed, shorter shaft length being the major contributor to that.
But does any of it even save you half a stroke on the golf course, my experience is no. And I have tried them all. I do have some preferences but at the end of the day playing the same ball is probably more important then playing the so called right ball
Did you guys happen to test the Chrome Soft ERC by chance ? I'm a slow to mid speed player, and I'm not really finding that I'm losing much spin around the greens and also from 130-160 out as well ? Your thoughts please ! $35/doz.
lots and lots of data, mid swing speed, have used tour b rx, not quite the spin around the greens, looking for that medium feel that doesn't spin crazy off the driver.
Great work but too much data for me. I’ll keep hitting PV’s until I can walk in somewhere and they can identify the exact ball for me that works better than PV’s.
Titelist Tour Speed here 🏌️♂️⛳️
The results on your website show Bridgestone B RX as your 3rd longest golf ball for fast swing speeds off the driver, but its recommended as a slow swing speed ball in this video? Why is that?
Thank you for the great review. The information you provided is very helpful.