I want to congratulate and thank you Simon and all the team at Today’s Golfer. This is an enormous amount of work and analysis that you’ve done and we should all be really appreciative. Cheers.
Wilson ran a special at the start of the season, three dozen for US$100 (either Reg or "X" model), so you can save a lot if you watch for company specials. I bought them myself, and I'm pleased with how they play. Thank you for this test and the time you put into it.
Yep, Wilson do make great balls. I actually wonder if they’ve put the price up to try change people’s perception: that they aren’t excellent balls for the money, they are just straight up excellent performing balls. I think the Triad is where you can save a bit of money and still get a very strong performing golf ball.
I've been playing the red ones for the past 6 months just because it separates the balls from the scramble guys I play with every week. I already love them, but it's good to see the data!
It's because we tested all of the Srixon premium balls last year, and they weren't updated for 2024. With robot time being so expensive there isn't too much sense in rehitting balls we've tested before.
What an excellent review and test. The way that you control as many variables as possible really gives us the best and most accurate data. Can’t say enough about how well you do these tests. It’s the industry standard in my opinion. Well done 👏!!!
I thought the Titleist AVX was new this year and had a price drop. Might have been a good one to stick into the testing. Well done again and I think because of this I will be trying a different ball!
Great study and valuable information. I’m an experienced golfer swinging driver around 98-99 mph. One thing that’s always deterred me from X model is lack of forgiveness on slight miss hits. It would be great to see some robotically controlled heel and toe shots as part of the assessment.
I’m right in between med and high swing speed. 108-110 depending on the machine and day. The prov1 yellow has been my go to ball recently because my eyes aren’t what they once were. This the best all around ball IMO but it’s not cheap
Being a very senior golfer playing over 200 rounds a year in different conditions, places and courses and yet being a relatively slower swing speed i have myself tried many many brands (including the direct to consumer balls like vice, seed, cut and balls from usa, europe, japan and much more) and models of balls slowly narrowing down over the last five years down to the best balls that I like and work most consistently for me, perhaps surprisingly my current shortlist of preferred balls are: 1. Titleist pro v1x; 2. Srixon zstar diamond; and 3. Volvik xt soft.
@@todaysgolfer thanks. Indeed by the way I have found that srixon distance balls are ok as you suggest of the two piece balls. As i get enough height and descent angle and know my distances generally do not have problems stopping balls on the green with one bounce usually at most.
Always avoided X models because I have struggled to minimize spin with driver. But Pro V1x with Ping 10K was very long my last outing. I'm guessing it's the firmer compression. And with higher launch and more spin into greens, I can certainly understand why it's the most popular with pros.
Thanks for the feedback Bill. We aren't able to measure compression ourselves, so could only give you what the manufacturers say. With various ways to measure compression different brands get different results those numbers aren't that useful. Apologies, we'll see if we can find a partner for compression testing next time around.
Lots of interesting information. I like seeing robot test results as opposed to hacker testing data. Mizuno and Bridgestone are two companies whose balls I would have liked to have seen compared to the Callaway, Titleist, and Taylormade you tested. I found it weird that you showed that the Chrome Tour X ball was both longest, and highest spinning, but yet wasn't in your "who makes the most consistent golf ball". I would think with it topping other rankings it would have been there as well. It seemed a number of times you knocked the highest spinning golf balls saying they were short, but that's not what the data is actually showing. When it comes to irons, wedges, and some driver speeds you need a certain amount of spin to keep the ball airborne and maximize carry distance. It could make the difference between carrying a fairway or greenside bunker, or landing short and rolling into it. When the 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1X balls come out i"d be interested to see how they compare to the current generation of ProV1 and ProV1x as well as comparison what you've ranked the top balls this testing session.
Those 4 top balls I love to hit and have boxes of each one. I do not have a high swing speed. At least I don’t think so. But the tour X balls I hit good
Another consideration is temperature. Yesterday, my PV1x was not going very far in the cold (11C). I switched to TaylorMade Distance and drove over one Par 4 and was 15 yards short on another. Something that I have never accomplished at any temperature with any ball.
Half the price and they last half the time. They're terrible in terms of durability. I'd never spend my money on them after finding and playing a few mint ones which had major scuffs after just a few holes.
I started playing Wilson Triad based on your 2023 review. I don’t see anyhing here to make me switch, except I would like to try the TP5 TP5x alignment aid.
Great info again, but there is one massive category that has been excluded and needs to be included and that is PUTTING. And it's not just about feel, it's also about consistent accuracy when in the roll and how they come off the putter face. Also looking at whether the balls balance is consistent, which will have a bearing on roll accuracy. Imagine, as an example, if you buy a box of Pro V 1X and 30% of the balls in the box are out of balance I have noticed balls that have a shallower divot pattern seem to come off the face more consistently. It's not a complete picture unless you include putting, the ultimate scoring shot.
Thanks for the feedback and input Mark, really appreciate you taking the time. Putting is a really difficult one to accurately measure. Essentially you need to locate each ball in the same orientation so the putter face hits the same part of the dimple on every putt. Understand why as golfers we want to know this, but to get the same results golfers would have to orientate the ball in exactly the same way to see any discernible difference in performance. Essentially your results end up being non-attainable in the real world.
@@todaysgolferSurely that would be part of assessing each ball based on the alignment markings on each ball. And if the manufacturer hadn't taken to align those markings correctly and it affects the roll, so be it. Tests like these put manufacturers in the spotlight regarding their claims and the quality and putting is the most important of all strokes made. I am aware that some Tour Pro's take the time to check the balance using a saltwater test, which has been repeated and presented on UA-cam. Some premium brand balls, who I won't mention for legal reasons, have had as many as 5 balls in a box of 12 to be out of balance. Clearly if it's that many it's a hidden issue that needs some light thrown on it.
@@markshepherd2779 We're talking about two different things. The test you mention isn't too hard to execute, essentially it's a consistency test which we sort of cover off by looking at the shot area and consistency within this robot test. To properly test with a putter you need to orientate each ball so the same amount of dimple/cover hits the face every time (Bryson DeChambeau does this sometimes on the greens) which is really hard to do both when testing and in the real world. Might have a look to see what extra there is we can do around consistency going forward.
Mark I was shocked when I did the same ball balance test with a dozen pro v1 (got them as a gift) like Bryson does. I noticed a bigger unbalanced rate than what you mentioned so I stopped testing because I thought I wasn’t doing it right. I’m in search what to buy next because i ran out of my to go to ball (vice pro plus).
@@jeroenmanders4836 I have heard your story before. I won't buy Pro V1 because of this. I have heard that when Callaway upgraded their ball manufacturing factory with a new process and equipment that they pretty much resolved the balance issue, but they are pretty much the most expensive ball brand in the market. Wilson balls seem to be pretty good, I have been using the triad ball and it's pretty good. However one of the reasons I bought this to the attention of the viewers was that ultimately to put pressure on ball manufacturers to increase their quality this information needs to be aired openly and transparently. I think it's unethical for a company like Titleist to claim they have the best ball in the market when clearly a big percentage of the balls in each box are defective when it comes to having a ball that is balanced, not only for putting but for every shot. I don't consider Pro V1 is a premium ball, but they are happy to tell us through the marketing that it is. IMO most marketing is fake and it's our job as consumers to point that out to our fellow golfing citizens.
I like the 1x, but I did not think that it won the test here. Pro Plus, Sd 01, and Chrome Soft Tour X seemed to be top contenders overall depending on your priorities (1 of mine was dispersion on all shots).
If you have any questions after that video, you haven't been paying attention. Superb info. Bought the Seed and Vice balls recommended, in bulk. Should keep me going for a while. No reason at all, they wont perform for me.
Great survey of these golf balls. One thing is very important to me and most golfers is the durability of the golf balls. It might be asking for too much but I was hoping the durability test was carried out also on these balls as part of this survey. Yes, balls with urethane cover have better durability but still some are more durable than others.
@@unknownKnownunknowns The Tour B's haven't been updated from last year so there seemed little point in taking up valuable test time hitting balls we have already tested. Fingers crossed for next year.
@@todaysgolfer They have new budget balls like the e9. It's tough to narrow it down to 24 balls but you should try to include at least 1 ball per major brand.
This proves what I found - Srixon distance balls are unbelievable for being a distance ball with a decent feel and spin on iron shots. Much better durability than AD333
Saintnine u pro is a 2 piece urethane 90 compression has been around for a couple years now. The u pro tour is pretty good and can be had in pink. They are supported by a larger rubber company (think bridgestone). Interesting balls for sure!
Thank you, appreciate the feedback. With robot time being so expensive there isn't enough space for every ball on the market. We included them last year and said we would look at DTC balls this year, fingers crossed they'll have new models in 2025 and we can get them included again.
Wow ! Great in depth review. As a quality professional, i very much appreciate the test methods used and analysis. Oh, and I’m buying some Vice golf balls based on your testing !!
Great video, thanks for that massive effort. Cost is a big thing for me. Srixon always do a 2 for 1 offer around Father’s Day. I usually get 2 dozen Z stars. Next time I’ll get the X version. Kirklands are usually available and despite the distance drop offer good performance. I also play balls I find, only the decent ones stay in the bag. If I were to buy tour level, I’d get the TP5x following your test
Thanks for the feedback and input Ronald, appreciate you taking the time. Sugar were on our shortlist, on investigation though their marketshare is tiny.
@@todaysgolfer thanks for your quick response and answer. Appreciate it. The markershare is growing slowly of Sugar. If possible it would be great to involve them in the next test. A good outcome can make people aware of the good quality and very competitive pricing. Every aspect you tested it is expected that Sugar is very close to Titleist ProV1. Looking forward to the next test. Thanks in advance.
This is amazing work, thank you for doing this!! And, wow, Callaway knocked it out of the park with Chrome Tour X. I’m excited to give them a try, I like the Triple Track. They currently have a 4 dozen pack - buy 3 get 1 free currently.
Brilliant video, really informative for choosing golf balls. I’m a new golfer but have got above average driver swing speed (100-105mph). What ball would you recommend? Thanks
I personally swing at around 115-120mph. I recently bought the noodle long and soft golf balls, they are great, high spin on irons and you can still easily hit them 300+ and accurately with a driver, and they’re cheap
Is there a link to last year's (2023) data? I got fitted for the Taylormade Tour Response earlier this year and would like to see how this compares to more recent data. By the way, excellent video.
I can see the Kirkland being nice for a strong lofted game improvement iron user, or perhaps slightly slower swing speeds. I swing 110ish on driver and have moved away from them. I definitely noticed the distance loss on driver.
@@ImaBearOk I lost distance with driver ..terrible in the wind way too much spin I can't believe people are using Kirkland's terrible ball if you ask me and better options ....👍
Super test, well thought out and well presented. Well done for such an in-depth test. I must go back and look at last year’s test. I need distance and feel, but from what I gleaned, you can’t have both. I guess life is a compromise. Which ball would you recommend please?
Thanks for the feedback Tim, appreciate you taking the time. If price is no barrier you could easily make a case for the Callaway Chrome Tour X being the best ball in this entire test. If you want tour like performance at a good price the Vice Pro Plus is a super option. If budget is the way you want to go the Snell Prime 2.0 is really interesting. Hope that helps.
@@todaysgolfer Hi, thanks for your reply. I’ll take a look at these. I’m actually going for a golf ball fitting next week so will try them out. I found the entire video really informative so didn’t skip through.
They had five models included last year and only one new ball for this year (so we'd be retesting already tested balls again), of course we'll see what we can do next time around.
Great video, Thanks for putting in the work. Why did you leave out the urethane Srixon premium balls, Z-Star, XV or Diamond, and only include the cheap ones?
Thanks Mark appreciate the feedback. We tested the three Srixon Z-Star models last year (they weren't updated for 2024), so with robot test time being so expensive there didn't seem much point in taking up a valuable test slot to retest models we've hit before. Hopefully there will be new Srixon Z-Star models in 2025 which of course we will look to include.
@@CookinRoundTheWorld As we mention in the video, the data from this year was run through Ping software not Foresight's so inevitably there will be some differences between the two sets. Hence why we also mention in the video not to compare balls from the two different tests. Hope that helps.
I think you should do testing with a range ball(non-limited) to see how others fair and gives the consumer an idea of their numbers of range vs non-range performance.
Depends on range balls. There are many cheap one piece balls, and sime nicer two piece range balls. We use Brigestone 2 piece range balls at my local range and they are super accurate.
I’m a Vice pro plus player for 2 years and like it, but researching if another ball fits me better. Love your research and have 2 questions. You use the pro v1 to set the robot to get comparable results, but you also talk about not comparing it because you used other software? Why are all the comparisons to the pro V1 accept with the Vice pro plus you compare with the pro V1x. Hopefully can you make me understand. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. We tend to talk about similar golf ball constructions or as the Pro V1 is golfs number one selling ball we compare lower priced options against this particular model. With the Vice Pro Plus, it's a four piece ball so it's a rival to the Pro V1x (also four piece) so it makes sense to compare them. For a ball like the Snell Prime 2.0, it's a 2-piece lower priced ball so if it performs favourably against the Pro V1 it makes sense to highlight the comparison. Hope that helps?
I am also a Vice Pro player (100-105 Driver SS), looking to see if there is a better fit. Not because I don't love it, I do. Just always trying to find better. I am very interested in the Bridgestone options (RX/RXS), but they were not tested here unfortunately. I was surprised the Pro V's weren't better here.
Great representation of what golf balls will do indoors. There's a reason these companies spend countless hours testing aerodynamics packages. Golf is played outside in the wind and atmosphere.
Thanks for your input. We've been speaking to brands regards getting hold of a Coefficient of Drag for each ball, which would make it possible to work out aerodynamic performance without bringing into play all the variables/drawbacks of testing outside. Fingers crossed we can make it a reality for next time. 🤞🤞🤞
I knew the Taylormade speedsoft was unbelievable for the money, game changer if you swing fast and need to reduce spin, shot some unbelievable rounds with this.
104 driver swimg can get 108...balls ive tried ....wilson staff...Tm tour response ...prov1....bridgeatone brx......im a fairly low spin player with irons...but have good launch conds.....nest overall wilson staff...them prov1 ...brx good off driver not enough spin with irons wedges....the Tm tour response...great all rounder defo worth a go for £30 a box....i want to try vice pro plus next 👍
Best ball is always whatever I find after I loose my ball in the rough on the first hole 😂 I worry that I should focus more on balls that play better in my short game and round the green…
Love your work, really get into your review... however you sound like you are bagging the Kirkland about its high spin, yet advising people of the TM Speed Soft because of its low spin characteristics like it's a good thing even though on the chart the Kirkland is going longer... be honest, do you have an issue with the Kirkland?
Can you get golf gear distributors in southeast asia to pay attention to your lists!? It is impossible to get half of these here, starting with the Wilsons.
Phew, very thorough although it may take some time to digest all of that information. It would have been good to see what the performance would be at the average swing speed 92 -93 mph. I think it would also be a useful test to go with and across the seam as you eluded (go for a smaller sample). You may change the way we all mark out balls and tee off.
Thanks John, it took an age to prep all the data and conclusions etc. Down and across seam testing would be really interesting, again it's a time/cost decision as time on a robot is incredibly expensive. Would you trust the results if only 6 balls (rather than 12) had been hit from each situation?
Robot test time is incredibly expensive so we have to limit numbers. We always want to give answers to the most popular questions being asked by golfers. Unfortunately with such a small market share Mizuno haven't made it on this occasion, hopefully that might change next time around.
Should the course influence ball selection? Our course has narrow fairways and fast greens. Do I need a straight ball with lots of wedge backspin? Distance is less important since I play from 6000-yard tees and an elevation of 3300 feet.
Interesting question. It depends on what is going to bring most benefit to your game. Most golfers are probably going to want a straight golf ball, but yes think very carefully about approach shots, along with how many full wedge shots and greenside wedge shots you're likely to play. Don't neglect putting feel either. Hope that helps.
@@Jean-d8c Cold has a greater effect than hot from what we've seen. We are yet to get any true comparative data using the robot though. Watch this space...
Great video. I recommend utilizing Tableau Public or a similar tool for a clearer visualization of the data. This platform allows for the selection and comparison of various data sets, such as ball type, construction, cover, swing speed, and spin rate, facilitating more informed decision-making. The data can be organized into formats like bar graphs or scatter plots for enhanced clarity. Thank you.
Frustratingly in Australia, there has been no price cut on TP5 balls. At the local golf shots they're $A10+ more expensive than the Wilson balls. Callaway are at $A85, or $A27 more expensive than the Wilson Staff balls.
Not sure why I watched this video as I play with balls found on the course. But the nerd in me loves all this data. On a serous not as an 18 handicapper, should I be looking to play the same ball or am I OK playing with used pro v 1's lost in 2005?
Playing the same golf ball consistently is a really good option, you just know what a used Pro V1 from 2005 would have been up to over the last 19 years. 😄😄😄
@wallysnakes2690 I make 6 figures, play 2x a week, 9 months of the year, and swing the driver an average of 96 miles an hour. Should they tier it to me, or the 25 year old who plays 9 rounds a year, has 25 bucks a box to spend, but swings the club sloppily at 110 mph? It's a good question.
@JustForKicks-va3 sigh.... I mean the question is, do they the reviews to the highest potential performers, or the biggest bulk of consumers? Even better- which segment of the bulk? Money talks, and lots of these videos are ultimately small a advertisingm Does it make more financial sense to tier your promotional materials to the person who gets two rounds in per ball, on average, or is it better to focus on the person who gets two rounds out of a box? It's easy to see an average review and think it ought to be more tiered to yourself (especially if you view yourself as near the average) but not realizing that there are a lot of wildly different average players within the average. There's lots of 85 mph swingers who need a stiff shaft, and there's lots of 105 mph players who can tweak their temp to use an a flex.
Staff Model X it is then for me, fast swing speed, lowish hcp. Chrome Tour X a close 2nd, then Pro V1X but that shot area with the driver raises an eyebrow.
You seem to have omitted Bridgestone. I conducted test trial over 12 months (at considerable personal expense) and the Bridgestone (Tiger) ball B XS for me came out on top even though my swing speed is below 90mph - it is phenomenal and comes off the club face faster than the Titleist ProV1 Y
We did Roger, there was five Bridgestone models involved last year and they only had a single new 2-pice model here in the UK for 2024. Hopefully they'll have something new next year for us to test. Good to hear you have found your happy place.
@@nickmillar9651 I am aware of that TW now uses the X but my point was that TW helped with the design of the XS and it was initially branded as the “Tiger” ball.
@@todaysgolfer You told us to absolutely not compare last years test to this one though due to different monitoring equipment used this year. So a side by side comparison would be great. There seems to be an incredible amount of interest (rightfully so) for the Bridgestone's side by side with the Pro V's, Chrome Tours, Vice Pro Plus, TP5's etc. Great test and video though. Thank you! Look forward to more in the future.
I wish TaylorMade would drop the TP5x price here in the States. It's my favorite ball, but it's still $55 a dozen when not on sale. This is incredible data, thank you for the video. I hope UA-cam revenue pays for that robot!
Comparing the data from this year’s test and last year, the dispersal area at an 85 mph swing speed is worlds apart. We are talking 50, 60 yards more dispersal last year than this year. In fact, the Kirkland signature + had the second tightest dispersal at that speed. I would need the charts side by side to be sure but the descent rate for all balls appears to be slightly different too. I imagine that is from using a more sophisticated robot this year. That being said, every player has his own unique swing that will obviously affect the ball flight differently. Even if a ball comes out on top when hit by a machine, it may not be the best choice for a given player. The proof of that is that tour players don’t all play exactly the same brand. I believe you need to try different balls and see what works best for you and not rely too much on machine stats. Just my humble opinion.😅
Thanks for your input John, yes the robot was using more refined swing profiles this year and all of the data was run through Ping's software rather than Foresight's. Of course we'd expect to see slightly different results.
@@todaysgolfer Will do, Simon . I read your accompanying on-line article to this year's test. Do you have a moment to explain the final table - the summary backspin rank assigned to The Vice Pro Plus , which I play? It was ranked #1 for backspin, yet it ranked ~#17 in the wedge spin and ~#8 in the 7i test. Do you mind clarifying? Much appreciated
@@unknownKnownunknowns It's #1 for backspin consistency, that means it gave the smallest amount of difference in backspin from all five test situations. Hope that helps.
All those technologies and science and can't get a tee that stays? Lol Love the testing. Usually play with any premium ball, but been looking for a ball that's best for my game.
Previous years you included all Srixon brand models. What happened to the Z-series? I had bought several dozen of the 2019 model XVs. I still have a few. They were one of the highest compression balls available (over 110). I can still hit them a long ways compared to many other balls. They don't feel as hard as they are. Srixon lowered the compression when updating the model. I have a dozen of those at the lower compression (got them for subscribing to an internet golf channel), but haven't tried them yet. I wanted to see if Srixon changed them again this year. Several of the balls you don't classify as tour level for the cost per yard comparison are classified as tour level on the initial charts. These include the Vice Pro Plus, the Vice Pro, the Snell Prime 4.0, the Snell Prime 3.0, the Seed SD-02, the Seed SD-01 The Pro One, and the Seed SD-X1 The Pro X1. The TP5 and TP5X are excellent deals too. I have used them occasionally when finding them and they perform well. By the way I have even heard of the Seed models. A little background would be good. It is weird that the Vice Tour has lots of spin with the wedge, but not the 7-iron.
We tested the three Srixon Z-Star balls last year Bob, they weren't updated for this year, so with the cost of robot testing being so expensive there didn't seem much sense in retesting balls we've tested before. Fingers crossed there will be new Z-Star's in 2025.
Very interesting test indeed, but I'm missing Bridgestone, which I believe is a far more common and popular brand, compared to some of the models in this test...
We tested five Bridgestone models last year, they only had one new ball for 2024 (a budget option) so there isn't too much value in retesting models hit before. Hopefully Bridgestone will have some new models in 2025.
Hopefully one day we can. We were speaking to brands about getting hold of the Coefficient of Drag for each ball this year, which would allow the guys at Loughborough Uni to work out aerodynamic performance better than testing outdoors and introducing weather variables into the equation. With this space.
Loved the test , didnt need the opinion . Clearly on numbers the sd-01 wins for club golfers , distance and dispersion for 20 quid less a dozen 🤷🏻♂️. You say you lose spin on wedges and irons but the dispersion halved over my pro v1 gamers … I will probably stick with the pro v’s just because i can choose the number on the ball from the shop 😂 . Where was that category ?? Gotta say though i may have to try a box of sd’s
Wouldn’t a launch monitor apply the same aerodynamic assumptions to every ball In the test? This test cannot distinguish distance between balls based on dimple patterns and aerodynamic properties. Still Interesting.
You're right, yes the launch monitor applies the same aerodynamic assumptions to each ball, as the differences in this test are measured at launch. Just remember though the Foresight GC Quad is an industry leading launch monitor that's trusted by brands, top players and coaches. We spoke to a few of the major brands about getting hold of the Coefficient of Drag for each of their balls, which would have allowed our experts at Loughborough Uni to work out aerodynamic performance without the assumptions applied by a Foresight launch monitor. By all means test outside (we did in 2018 and still used a Foresight GC Quad) but it brings lots of variables into the equation, as you can never be truly sure if the weather has influenced the results. Hope that explains.
You folks consistently do the best scientific golf testing and this is no different. I appreciate that you discuss the testing parameters in detail.
Thanks so much for taking the time to say so Evan, really appreciate your feedback.
I want to congratulate and thank you Simon and all the team at Today’s Golfer. This is an enormous amount of work and analysis that you’ve done and we should all be really appreciative. Cheers.
Thanks so much Cameron, really appreciate you taking the time to say so.
Amazing data. Love the content and I really appreciate you taking the time to conduct such a thorough and precise testing on these golf ball models.
Your channel is pretty good too!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to feedback, appreciate it.
Wilson ran a special at the start of the season, three dozen for US$100 (either Reg or "X" model), so you can save a lot if you watch for company specials. I bought them myself, and I'm pleased with how they play. Thank you for this test and the time you put into it.
Thank you for your input and feedback, it's much appreciated.
Wilson makes excellent golf balls and they don’t get the love they deserve. The Wilson Zip is the most underrated golf ball ever.
@@brandonpatterson5705 Thanks for your input, appreciate you taking the time.
Yep, Wilson do make great balls. I actually wonder if they’ve put the price up to try change people’s perception: that they aren’t excellent balls for the money, they are just straight up excellent performing balls. I think the Triad is where you can save a bit of money and still get a very strong performing golf ball.
@@cameronloveless1751 Well said on the Triad.
Vice Pro Plus all day. (Still) Love those balls. Distance, feel, spin etc are all right up there IM(NS)HO.
This year the ball is much firmer. I rather use the 2020 model.
@@bradders5974 I use to play them, but they’ve gotten a bit too expensive for the durability.
I've been playing the red ones for the past 6 months just because it separates the balls from the scramble guys I play with every week. I already love them, but it's good to see the data!
For some reason I don't like hearing "balls" and "vice" in the same sentence.
Vice Pro for me
Love the scientific approach to ball testing!
Starting the vid now with my coffee, and just wanted to thank you in advance! I really appreciate this kind of content☺
We really appreciate you taking the time to feedback, hope you found it useful.
Why no Srixon premium balls, Z-Star, XV or Diamond included in the test
It's because we tested all of the Srixon premium balls last year, and they weren't updated for 2024. With robot time being so expensive there isn't too much sense in rehitting balls we've tested before.
Yes! At last, I've seen so many club tests and ball tests by humans, but never robot tests with balls. Thank you!
Pleasure, thanks for your input.
Invaluable information, thank you for all your hard work. I will watch every year.
Thanks for the feedback Anthony, appreciate you taking the time.
What an excellent review and test. The way that you control as many variables as possible really gives us the best and most accurate data. Can’t say enough about how well you do these tests. It’s the industry standard in my opinion. Well done 👏!!!
Thanks Legend, you've been around since teh early days and seen how far we have come, appreciate your feedback and input as always.
I thought the Titleist AVX was new this year and had a price drop. Might have been a good one to stick into the testing. Well done again and I think because of this I will be trying a different ball!
Thanks for your input and feedback Blake, the AVX was on our shortlist, we ended up ruling it out based on the models tiny marketshare.
I've been waiting for this video all year 😂
Love that, hope it lived up to your expectations.
@@todaysgolfer a lot of the premium golf balls prices have come down if you search in google
Great study and valuable information. I’m an experienced golfer swinging driver around 98-99 mph.
One thing that’s always deterred me from X model is lack of forgiveness on slight miss hits. It would be great to see some robotically controlled heel and toe shots as part of the assessment.
Thanks Richard, we're toying with the idea of a robot driver test in 2025, they are a huge investment though.
I’m right in between med and high swing speed. 108-110 depending on the machine and day. The prov1 yellow has been my go to ball recently because my eyes aren’t what they once were. This the best all around ball IMO but it’s not cheap
Thanks for your input, appreciate you taking the time.
Being a very senior golfer playing over 200 rounds a year in different conditions, places and courses and yet being a relatively slower swing speed i have myself tried many many brands (including the direct to consumer balls like vice, seed, cut and balls from usa, europe, japan and much more) and models of balls slowly narrowing down over the last five years down to the best balls that I like and work most consistently for me, perhaps surprisingly my current shortlist of preferred balls are: 1. Titleist pro v1x; 2. Srixon zstar diamond; and 3. Volvik xt soft.
Thanks for your input, good to hear you're finding your happy place.
@@todaysgolfer thanks. Indeed by the way I have found that srixon distance balls are ok as you suggest of the two piece balls. As i get enough height and descent angle and know my distances generally do not have problems stopping balls on the green with one bounce usually at most.
@@alysgolfstudio567 Lovely stuff, thanks again.
Always avoided X models because I have struggled to minimize spin with driver. But Pro V1x with Ping 10K was very long my last outing. I'm guessing it's the firmer compression. And with higher launch and more spin into greens, I can certainly understand why it's the most popular with pros.
Nice idea combining the Pro V1x with a lower spinning driver, there's so many ways to dial in performance for your game.
Thanks for your input.
Great info. Would it be possible to include the compression of each ball? That weighs into my decision as a senior golfer. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback Bill.
We aren't able to measure compression ourselves, so could only give you what the manufacturers say.
With various ways to measure compression different brands get different results those numbers aren't that useful.
Apologies, we'll see if we can find a partner for compression testing next time around.
Never thought I would try Seed SD-01. But going to give it a try. Can't believe I am roaming out of the major brands
It's amazing how compelling reliable data can be. Let us know how you get on.
I've played Seed SD-01 a few years and definitely would recommend trying it. I'm a slightly higher spin player.
@@jayfangRSA Thanks for your input.
They have TERRIBLE durability.
Fantastic video, congratulations on keeping things factual and objective. I wish the AVX had been tested.
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Maybe next time around. 👍
Fantastic review thx. I will try the seed sd-01 as it seems like the best balance of features and low price.
Thanks for the feedback, let us know how you get on.
Lots of interesting information. I like seeing robot test results as opposed to hacker testing data. Mizuno and Bridgestone are two companies whose balls I would have liked to have seen compared to the Callaway, Titleist, and Taylormade you tested. I found it weird that you showed that the Chrome Tour X ball was both longest, and highest spinning, but yet wasn't in your "who makes the most consistent golf ball". I would think with it topping other rankings it would have been there as well. It seemed a number of times you knocked the highest spinning golf balls saying they were short, but that's not what the data is actually showing. When it comes to irons, wedges, and some driver speeds you need a certain amount of spin to keep the ball airborne and maximize carry distance. It could make the difference between carrying a fairway or greenside bunker, or landing short and rolling into it. When the 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1X balls come out i"d be interested to see how they compare to the current generation of ProV1 and ProV1x as well as comparison what you've ranked the top balls this testing session.
Thanks for your input and feedback, appreciate you taking the time.
This is a phenomenal study. Thank you so much for sharing your data!
Thanks for the lovely feedback Connor, appreciate you taking the time.
Those 4 top balls I love to hit and have boxes of each one. I do not have a high swing speed. At least I don’t think so. But the tour X balls I hit good
Great information. Bought Wilson when they had had a 3 for price of 2 and they are great.
Great to hear, thanks for the feedback David.
Another consideration is temperature. Yesterday, my PV1x was not going very far in the cold (11C). I switched to TaylorMade Distance and drove over one Par 4 and was 15 yards short on another. Something that I have never accomplished at any temperature with any ball.
Another great review! I was wondering how much spin do you need to stop a ball on the green with PW and 7i is my question?! Thanks for the data
Seed are fantastic balls, been playing them for 12 months and they are half the price of the big boys, absolute no brainer
Thanks for your input Andrew.
Half the price and they last half the time. They're terrible in terms of durability. I'd never spend my money on them after finding and playing a few mint ones which had major scuffs after just a few holes.
I started playing Wilson Triad based on your 2023 review. I don’t see anyhing here to make me switch, except I would like to try the TP5 TP5x alignment aid.
The TP5 and TP5x Stripe are a really interesting proposition. Of course the Triad is still a very good option too.
Great info again, but there is one massive category that has been excluded and needs to be included and that is PUTTING.
And it's not just about feel, it's also about consistent accuracy when in the roll and how they come off the putter face.
Also looking at whether the balls balance is consistent, which will have a bearing on roll accuracy. Imagine, as an example, if you buy a box of Pro V 1X and 30% of the balls in the box are out of balance
I have noticed balls that have a shallower divot pattern seem to come off the face more consistently.
It's not a complete picture unless you include putting, the ultimate scoring shot.
Thanks for the feedback and input Mark, really appreciate you taking the time.
Putting is a really difficult one to accurately measure. Essentially you need to locate each ball in the same orientation so the putter face hits the same part of the dimple on every putt.
Understand why as golfers we want to know this, but to get the same results golfers would have to orientate the ball in exactly the same way to see any discernible difference in performance. Essentially your results end up being non-attainable in the real world.
@@todaysgolferSurely that would be part of assessing each ball based on the alignment markings on each ball.
And if the manufacturer hadn't taken to align those markings correctly and it affects the roll, so be it.
Tests like these put manufacturers in the spotlight regarding their claims and the quality and putting is the most important of all strokes made.
I am aware that some Tour Pro's take the time to check the balance using a saltwater test, which has been repeated and presented on UA-cam. Some premium brand balls, who I won't mention for legal reasons, have had as many as 5 balls in a box of 12 to be out of balance.
Clearly if it's that many it's a hidden issue that needs some light thrown on it.
@@markshepherd2779 We're talking about two different things. The test you mention isn't too hard to execute, essentially it's a consistency test which we sort of cover off by looking at the shot area and consistency within this robot test.
To properly test with a putter you need to orientate each ball so the same amount of dimple/cover hits the face every time (Bryson DeChambeau does this sometimes on the greens) which is really hard to do both when testing and in the real world.
Might have a look to see what extra there is we can do around consistency going forward.
Mark I was shocked when I did the same ball balance test with a dozen pro v1 (got them as a gift) like Bryson does. I noticed a bigger unbalanced rate than what you mentioned so I stopped testing because I thought I wasn’t doing it right. I’m in search what to buy next because i ran out of my to go to ball (vice pro plus).
@@jeroenmanders4836 I have heard your story before.
I won't buy Pro V1 because of this.
I have heard that when Callaway upgraded their ball manufacturing factory with a new process and equipment that they pretty much resolved the balance issue, but they are pretty much the most expensive ball brand in the market.
Wilson balls seem to be pretty good, I have been using the triad ball and it's pretty good.
However one of the reasons I bought this to the attention of the viewers was that ultimately to put pressure on ball manufacturers to increase their quality this information needs to be aired openly and transparently.
I think it's unethical for a company like Titleist to claim they have the best ball in the market when clearly a big percentage of the balls in each box are defective when it comes to having a ball that is balanced, not only for putting but for every shot.
I don't consider Pro V1 is a premium ball, but they are happy to tell us through the marketing that it is. IMO most marketing is fake and it's our job as consumers to point that out to our fellow golfing citizens.
Prov1 /x; there just isn’t a better ball. Fantastic rundown; thanks for taking the time to bring that to us!
Thanks for your feedback, appreciate you also taking the time.
I like the 1x, but I did not think that it won the test here. Pro Plus, Sd 01, and Chrome Soft Tour X seemed to be top contenders overall depending on your priorities (1 of mine was dispersion on all shots).
If you have any questions after that video, you haven't been paying attention. Superb info. Bought the Seed and Vice balls recommended, in bulk. Should keep me going for a while. No reason at all, they wont perform for me.
Thanks for your input, appreciate you taking the time. Enjoy the Seed and Vice.
@@todaysgolfer no problem - and I edited my hideously submitted comments typos
Great work Simon and fantastic data. Looking forward to next year’s test.
Thanks for taking the time to say so Terry, much appreciated.
Great survey of these golf balls. One thing is very important to me and most golfers is the durability of the golf balls. It might be asking for too much but I was hoping the durability test was carried out also on these balls as part of this survey. Yes, balls with urethane cover have better durability but still some are more durable than others.
Gutted you didn't include Bridgestone
Agreed
Apologies, there's never enough space/time for every ball on the market, we'll certainly give them another look next year.
@@markshepherd2779 last year's test had a few
@@unknownKnownunknowns The Tour B's haven't been updated from last year so there seemed little point in taking up valuable test time hitting balls we have already tested. Fingers crossed for next year.
@@todaysgolfer They have new budget balls like the e9.
It's tough to narrow it down to 24 balls but you should try to include at least 1 ball per major brand.
YESSSSS we love this! look forward to this every year! thank you
We love that, we do too.
This proves what I found - Srixon distance balls are unbelievable for being a distance ball with a decent feel and spin on iron shots. Much better durability than AD333
Thanks Tony.
As always, some of the best data collection in the business! Loved all the information you provided
Thanks you so much for saying so, really appreciate you taking the time to feedback.
Thank you for all the time you spent compiling this useful information. Bob
@@robertkatz3788 I find vice balls to not be as durable as others.
Pleasure Bob, thanks for taking the time to feedback.
Saintnine u pro is a 2 piece urethane 90 compression has been around for a couple years now. The u pro tour is pretty good and can be had in pink. They are supported by a larger rubber company (think bridgestone). Interesting balls for sure!
Thanks for your input, will see what we can do next time around.
Thanks. Please include the Maxfli's in next years lineup if you can.
Love the work you do. Why was Maxfli not included this year?
Thank you, appreciate the feedback. With robot time being so expensive there isn't enough space for every ball on the market.
We included them last year and said we would look at DTC balls this year, fingers crossed they'll have new models in 2025 and we can get them included again.
Wow ! Great in depth review. As a quality professional, i very much appreciate the test methods used and analysis. Oh, and I’m buying some Vice golf balls based on your testing !!
Appreciate the feedback Mark, nice choice.
Great video, thanks for that massive effort. Cost is a big thing for me. Srixon always do a 2 for 1 offer around Father’s Day. I usually get 2 dozen Z stars. Next time I’ll get the X version.
Kirklands are usually available and despite the distance drop offer good performance.
I also play balls I find, only the decent ones stay in the bag.
If I were to buy tour level, I’d get the TP5x following your test
Great video. Thanks for putting so much time and effort into this. I have a request for next year: please test the Sugar golfball. Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the feedback and input Ronald, appreciate you taking the time. Sugar were on our shortlist, on investigation though their marketshare is tiny.
@@todaysgolfer thanks for your quick response and answer. Appreciate it. The markershare is growing slowly of Sugar. If possible it would be great to involve them in the next test. A good outcome can make people aware of the good quality and very competitive pricing. Every aspect you tested it is expected that Sugar is very close to Titleist ProV1. Looking forward to the next test. Thanks in advance.
@@ronaldwestra8735 Thanks.
This is amazing work, thank you for doing this!! And, wow, Callaway knocked it out of the park with Chrome Tour X. I’m excited to give them a try, I like the Triple Track. They currently have a 4 dozen pack - buy 3 get 1 free currently.
Thanks so much for the feedback David, the Chrome Tour X was a really impressive performer.
I was about to buy new golf balls based on previous year video, lets compare results from last year.. just in time
Brilliant video, really informative for choosing golf balls. I’m a new golfer but have got above average driver swing speed (100-105mph). What ball would you recommend? Thanks
Thank you for taking the time to say so, appreciate it. Are you looking for budget golf ball options?
Not really, what we would suit my game best
I personally swing at around 115-120mph. I recently bought the noodle long and soft golf balls, they are great, high spin on irons and you can still easily hit them 300+ and accurately with a driver, and they’re cheap
@@wallysnakes2690 Thanks for your input.
Is there a link to last year's (2023) data? I got fitted for the Taylormade Tour Response earlier this year and would like to see how this compares to more recent data. By the way, excellent video.
The link is below Tiger, thanks for your feedback, much appreciated.
www.todays-golfer.com/equipment/best/golf-ball-robot-test-2023/
I can see the Kirkland being nice for a strong lofted game improvement iron user, or perhaps slightly slower swing speeds. I swing 110ish on driver and have moved away from them. I definitely noticed the distance loss on driver.
You're thinking along the same lines as us, if distance is important to you, then absolutely they are not the ball.
@@ImaBearOk I lost distance with driver ..terrible in the wind way too much spin I can't believe people are using Kirkland's terrible ball if you ask me and better options ....👍
Thanks for the video. Very interesting. What about Slazenger balls?
Thank you for the feedback, appreciate you taking the time. Maybe next time for Slazenger...
Super test, well thought out and well presented. Well done for such an in-depth test. I must go back and look at last year’s test. I need distance and feel, but from what I gleaned, you can’t have both. I guess life is a compromise. Which ball would you recommend please?
Thanks for the feedback Tim, appreciate you taking the time.
If price is no barrier you could easily make a case for the Callaway Chrome Tour X being the best ball in this entire test. If you want tour like performance at a good price the Vice Pro Plus is a super option. If budget is the way you want to go the Snell Prime 2.0 is really interesting.
Hope that helps.
@@todaysgolfer Hi, thanks for your reply. I’ll take a look at these. I’m actually going for a golf ball fitting next week so will try them out. I found the entire video really informative so didn’t skip through.
@@timdench2583 Brilliant to hear, would be good to hear how you get on.
Huge miss not including the Bridgestone Tour B X. I genuinely think it is the best all-around ball
They had five models included last year and only one new ball for this year (so we'd be retesting already tested balls again), of course we'll see what we can do next time around.
Like to see a short chip shot and some putting tests,P wedge seems a lot like 7i data,do you need both ?Thank you for doing this ball test.
Thanks for the feedback and input Rusty, appreciate you taking the time.
Great video, Thanks for putting in the work. Why did you leave out the urethane Srixon premium balls, Z-Star, XV or Diamond, and only include the cheap ones?
Thanks Mark appreciate the feedback. We tested the three Srixon Z-Star models last year (they weren't updated for 2024), so with robot test time being so expensive there didn't seem much point in taking up a valuable test slot to retest models we've hit before.
Hopefully there will be new Srixon Z-Star models in 2025 which of course we will look to include.
Thanks for the reply
@todaysgolfer if that is the case and you have the data why not put it on the chart and show us?
@@CookinRoundTheWorld As we mention in the video, the data from this year was run through Ping software not Foresight's so inevitably there will be some differences between the two sets. Hence why we also mention in the video not to compare balls from the two different tests.
Hope that helps.
Excellent work. Thank you.
Thanks for the lovely feedback Richard, appreciate you taking the time.
I think you should do testing with a range ball(non-limited) to see how others fair and gives the consumer an idea of their numbers of range vs non-range performance.
Lol range balls are just so bad at most of golf courses. You just have to use simulator with your own balls
Depends on range balls. There are many cheap one piece balls, and sime nicer two piece range balls. We use Brigestone 2 piece range balls at my local range and they are super accurate.
Thanks for your input Starks.
I’m a Vice pro plus player for 2 years and like it, but researching if another ball fits me better. Love your research and have 2 questions. You use the pro v1 to set the robot to get comparable results, but you also talk about not comparing it because you used other software? Why are all the comparisons to the pro V1 accept with the Vice pro plus you compare with the pro V1x. Hopefully can you make me understand. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated.
We tend to talk about similar golf ball constructions or as the Pro V1 is golfs number one selling ball we compare lower priced options against this particular model.
With the Vice Pro Plus, it's a four piece ball so it's a rival to the Pro V1x (also four piece) so it makes sense to compare them.
For a ball like the Snell Prime 2.0, it's a 2-piece lower priced ball so if it performs favourably against the Pro V1 it makes sense to highlight the comparison.
Hope that helps?
I am also a Vice Pro player (100-105 Driver SS), looking to see if there is a better fit. Not because I don't love it, I do. Just always trying to find better. I am very interested in the Bridgestone options (RX/RXS), but they were not tested here unfortunately. I was surprised the Pro V's weren't better here.
Great representation of what golf balls will do indoors. There's a reason these companies spend countless hours testing aerodynamics packages. Golf is played outside in the wind and atmosphere.
Thanks for your input. We've been speaking to brands regards getting hold of a Coefficient of Drag for each ball, which would make it possible to work out aerodynamic performance without bringing into play all the variables/drawbacks of testing outside.
Fingers crossed we can make it a reality for next time.
🤞🤞🤞
I knew the Taylormade speedsoft was unbelievable for the money, game changer if you swing fast and need to reduce spin, shot some unbelievable rounds with this.
Lovely to hear, thanks for your input.
Got to be vice Pro plus but the Snell and Seed sound a good option in my book
Thanks for your input David.
That was very very interesting. Simon what do you guys consider Low, Mid and Hi swing speeds approximately? Thanks fro the reviews
Brilliant review.
You left a few big brands out? but other than that. Great job.
Thanks Mike, when there are new models from the big brands we'll hopefully include them in the next test.
Great test thank you.
104 driver swimg can get 108...balls ive tried ....wilson staff...Tm tour response ...prov1....bridgeatone brx......im a fairly low spin player with irons...but have good launch conds.....nest overall wilson staff...them prov1 ...brx good off driver not enough spin with irons wedges....the Tm tour response...great all rounder defo worth a go for £30 a box....i want to try vice pro plus next 👍
Thanks for your input Pete.
Best ball is always whatever I find after I loose my ball in the rough on the first hole 😂 I worry that I should focus more on balls that play better in my short game and round the green…
Love your work, really get into your review... however you sound like you are bagging the Kirkland about its high spin, yet advising people of the TM Speed Soft because of its low spin characteristics like it's a good thing even though on the chart the Kirkland is going longer... be honest, do you have an issue with the Kirkland?
Can you get golf gear distributors in southeast asia to pay attention to your lists!? It is impossible to get half of these here, starting with the Wilsons.
any reason for not testing any Bridgestone golf balls like tour bxs etc
Phew, very thorough although it may take some time to digest all of that information. It would have been good to see what the performance would be at the average swing speed 92 -93 mph. I think it would also be a useful test to go with and across the seam as you eluded (go for a smaller sample). You may change the way we all mark out balls and tee off.
Thanks John, it took an age to prep all the data and conclusions etc.
Down and across seam testing would be really interesting, again it's a time/cost decision as time on a robot is incredibly expensive.
Would you trust the results if only 6 balls (rather than 12) had been hit from each situation?
@@todaysgolfer pick a smaller selection of manufacturers still 12 balls of those that came out well for club golfers.
Hi Guys, I am playing a Mizuno RB Tour X Ball and absolutely love it. I changed from the Pro V1 and I am more than happy.
Why is it not in the Test
Robot test time is incredibly expensive so we have to limit numbers. We always want to give answers to the most popular questions being asked by golfers.
Unfortunately with such a small market share Mizuno haven't made it on this occasion, hopefully that might change next time around.
Should the course influence ball selection? Our course has narrow fairways and fast greens. Do I need a straight ball with lots of wedge backspin? Distance is less important since I play from 6000-yard tees and an elevation of 3300 feet.
Interesting question. It depends on what is going to bring most benefit to your game.
Most golfers are probably going to want a straight golf ball, but yes think very carefully about approach shots, along with how many full wedge shots and greenside wedge shots you're likely to play. Don't neglect putting feel either.
Hope that helps.
@@todaysgolfer Thank you. I am currently playing Pro V1 X. I might try the Kirkland V3.
Brilliant video. Well done.
Thanks so much for the feedback, appreciate you taking the time.
Awesome data. Thanks!
Thanks so much for taking the time to feedback, much appreciated.
WOW...Great work merci beaucoup !
Thanks for your feedback Jean, much appreciated.
@@todaysgolfer I wonder how the variable "temperature" would affect the results of the tests...maybe in 2025 hihhihi
@@Jean-d8c Cold has a greater effect than hot from what we've seen. We are yet to get any true comparative data using the robot though.
Watch this space...
Excellent video as always
Thanks Pepe, really appreciate your feedback, glad you enjoyed it.
Great video. I recommend utilizing Tableau Public or a similar tool for a clearer visualization of the data. This platform allows for the selection and comparison of various data sets, such as ball type, construction, cover, swing speed, and spin rate, facilitating more informed decision-making. The data can be organized into formats like bar graphs or scatter plots for enhanced clarity. Thank you.
Thanks for your input and feedback, appreciate you taking the time.
Frustratingly in Australia, there has been no price cut on TP5 balls. At the local golf shots they're $A10+ more expensive than the Wilson balls. Callaway are at $A85, or $A27 more expensive than the Wilson Staff balls.
Thanks for letting us know Peter, appreciate you taking the time.
Not sure why I watched this video as I play with balls found on the course. But the nerd in me loves all this data.
On a serous not as an 18 handicapper, should I be looking to play the same ball or am I OK playing with used pro v 1's lost in 2005?
Playing the same golf ball consistently is a really good option, you just know what a used Pro V1 from 2005 would have been up to over the last 19 years. 😄😄😄
If the average golfer swings at 93mph. Why would you not test at that speed
Because most people swing below 90 or above 90. More young people swing over 100. Most of the players who swing 93 and below are older
@wallysnakes2690 I make 6 figures, play 2x a week, 9 months of the year, and swing the driver an average of 96 miles an hour.
Should they tier it to me, or the 25 year old who plays 9 rounds a year, has 25 bucks a box to spend, but swings the club sloppily at 110 mph?
It's a good question.
John, you forgot to mention that your delusional self-importance is highly comical. Maybe then they’ll do a custom review for you and your balls.
@JustForKicks-va3 sigh.... I mean the question is, do they the reviews to the highest potential performers, or the biggest bulk of consumers? Even better- which segment of the bulk?
Money talks, and lots of these videos are ultimately small a advertisingm
Does it make more financial sense to tier your promotional materials to the person who gets two rounds in per ball, on average, or is it better to focus on the person who gets two rounds out of a box?
It's easy to see an average review and think it ought to be more tiered to yourself (especially if you view yourself as near the average) but not realizing that there are a lot of wildly different average players within the average.
There's lots of 85 mph swingers who need a stiff shaft, and there's lots of 105 mph players who can tweak their temp to use an a flex.
What did Tom Hanks Scream, when he hooked the ball faaar left into the water? "WILSOOOOOON !!!!!"😁
We say exactly the same thing whenever testing Wilson golf balls. 😆😆😆
@@todaysgolfer what a dream Job haha
Main reason I play Wilson (Triad) is to be able to plead..."Wilson, I'm sorry Wilson....."
@theythinkimmadyouknow 😁👌 i just ordered 2 dozen chrometour, and allready planning my apology speech lol
Staff Model X it is then for me, fast swing speed, lowish hcp. Chrome Tour X a close 2nd, then Pro V1X but that shot area with the driver raises an eyebrow.
Three very solid choices.
Wilson make a golf ball for everyone! They throw so many balls out there. I believe many are experimental to see what composites work best!
So, the Calloway Tour X is the winner!
Callaway
You seem to have omitted Bridgestone. I conducted test trial over 12 months (at considerable personal expense) and the Bridgestone (Tiger) ball B XS for me came out on top even though my swing speed is below 90mph - it is phenomenal and comes off the club face faster than the Titleist ProV1
Y
We did Roger, there was five Bridgestone models involved last year and they only had a single new 2-pice model here in the UK for 2024. Hopefully they'll have something new next year for us to test.
Good to hear you have found your happy place.
Tiger uses the X not the XS He switched for more distance
@@nickmillar9651 I am aware of that TW now uses the X but my point was that TW helped with the design of the XS and it was initially branded as the “Tiger” ball.
@@rogerstanley7906 oh ok. It’s a great ball for sure.
@@todaysgolfer You told us to absolutely not compare last years test to this one though due to different monitoring equipment used this year. So a side by side comparison would be great. There seems to be an incredible amount of interest (rightfully so) for the Bridgestone's side by side with the Pro V's, Chrome Tours, Vice Pro Plus, TP5's etc. Great test and video though. Thank you! Look forward to more in the future.
I wish TaylorMade would drop the TP5x price here in the States. It's my favorite ball, but it's still $55 a dozen when not on sale.
This is incredible data, thank you for the video. I hope UA-cam revenue pays for that robot!
Thanks for the feedback, appreciate you taking the time.
The UA-cam cash doesn't even touch the sides, robot test time is seriously costly.
Comparing the data from this year’s test and last year, the dispersal area at an 85 mph swing speed is worlds apart. We are talking 50, 60 yards more dispersal last year than this year. In fact, the Kirkland signature + had the second tightest dispersal at that speed. I would need the charts side by side to be sure but the descent rate for all balls appears to be slightly different too. I imagine that is from using a more sophisticated robot this year. That being said, every player has his own unique swing that will obviously affect the ball flight differently. Even if a ball comes out on top when hit by a machine, it may not be the best choice for a given player. The proof of that is that tour players don’t all play exactly the same brand. I believe you need to try different balls and see what works best for you and not rely too much on machine stats. Just my humble opinion.😅
Thanks for your input John, yes the robot was using more refined swing profiles this year and all of the data was run through Ping's software rather than Foresight's.
Of course we'd expect to see slightly different results.
Wilson do offer “two for’s” here in the states at a good savings! Thanks guys
"GO X OR GO HOME" - a theme that also came up last year. I've got to try them
They look great on a spreadsheet, let us know how you get on.
@@todaysgolfer Will do, Simon . I read your accompanying on-line article to this year's test. Do you have a moment to explain the final table - the summary backspin rank assigned to The Vice Pro Plus , which I play? It was ranked #1 for backspin, yet it ranked ~#17 in the wedge spin and ~#8 in the 7i test. Do you mind clarifying? Much appreciated
@@unknownKnownunknowns No problem, where are you seeing the Pro Plus being ranked at #1 for backspin?
@@todaysgolfer In the very last table of your on-line article - "Most Consistent Golf Ball" - the Prop Plus ranks #1 for backspin. Am I misreading it?
@@unknownKnownunknowns It's #1 for backspin consistency, that means it gave the smallest amount of difference in backspin from all five test situations.
Hope that helps.
Amazing info. Thanks.
Thank you for taking the time to say so.
All those technologies and science and can't get a tee that stays? Lol Love the testing. Usually play with any premium ball, but been looking for a ball that's best for my game.
Thanks for the input and feedback Captain.
Great video, but the price of the Chrome Soft X per ball is incorrect
Previous years you included all Srixon brand models. What happened to the Z-series? I had bought several dozen of the 2019 model XVs. I still have a few. They were one of the highest compression balls available (over 110). I can still hit them a long ways compared to many other balls. They don't feel as hard as they are. Srixon lowered the compression when updating the model. I have a dozen of those at the lower compression (got them for subscribing to an internet golf channel), but haven't tried them yet. I wanted to see if Srixon changed them again this year. Several of the balls you don't classify as tour level for the cost per yard comparison are classified as tour level on the initial charts. These include the Vice Pro Plus, the Vice Pro, the Snell Prime 4.0, the Snell Prime 3.0, the Seed SD-02, the Seed SD-01 The Pro One, and the Seed SD-X1 The Pro X1. The TP5 and TP5X are excellent deals too. I have used them occasionally when finding them and they perform well. By the way I have even heard of the Seed models. A little background would be good. It is weird that the Vice Tour has lots of spin with the wedge, but not the 7-iron.
We tested the three Srixon Z-Star balls last year Bob, they weren't updated for this year, so with the cost of robot testing being so expensive there didn't seem much sense in retesting balls we've tested before.
Fingers crossed there will be new Z-Star's in 2025.
What about wet conditions? I usually play with dew/moisture
Great video. Would love to see the Oncore in a test
Very interesting test indeed, but I'm missing Bridgestone, which I believe is a far more common and popular brand, compared to some of the models in this test...
We tested five Bridgestone models last year, they only had one new ball for 2024 (a budget option) so there isn't too much value in retesting models hit before.
Hopefully Bridgestone will have some new models in 2025.
It a shame such a test doesn't test one of the biggest aspects of a golf ball!
Aerodynamics
Hopefully one day we can. We were speaking to brands about getting hold of the Coefficient of Drag for each ball this year, which would allow the guys at Loughborough Uni to work out aerodynamic performance better than testing outdoors and introducing weather variables into the equation.
With this space.
Sorry you didn't include the Legato LTX balls. Used to be a Wilson fan but these are just as good and way cheaper.
Loved the test , didnt need the opinion . Clearly on numbers the sd-01 wins for club golfers , distance and dispersion for 20 quid less a dozen 🤷🏻♂️.
You say you lose spin on wedges and irons but the dispersion halved over my pro v1 gamers …
I will probably stick with the pro v’s just because i can choose the number on the ball from the shop 😂 . Where was that category ??
Gotta say though i may have to try a box of sd’s
Thanks for your input. 👍
Seed durability is terrible, so the price isn't as good as it seems.
@@morkusmorkus6040 Now enter the Pro Plus!
very good video
Thank you, appreciate you feeding back.
Wouldn’t a launch monitor apply the same aerodynamic assumptions to every ball In the test? This test cannot distinguish distance between balls based on dimple patterns and aerodynamic properties. Still Interesting.
@@mtmmason was going to say the same. Need to do outside to get the actual ball flight
You're right, yes the launch monitor applies the same aerodynamic assumptions to each ball, as the differences in this test are measured at launch. Just remember though the Foresight GC Quad is an industry leading launch monitor that's trusted by brands, top players and coaches.
We spoke to a few of the major brands about getting hold of the Coefficient of Drag for each of their balls, which would have allowed our experts at Loughborough Uni to work out aerodynamic performance without the assumptions applied by a Foresight launch monitor.
By all means test outside (we did in 2018 and still used a Foresight GC Quad) but it brings lots of variables into the equation, as you can never be truly sure if the weather has influenced the results.
Hope that explains.