Jackal
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Posts posted by Jackal
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I was in the testing of this ball at yhe end of last year.
My bad shots weren't from a defective ball.
All of the ones I played ( 6 or 7) performed the same.
I'm going to update my test, soon.
It appears that ( for me) this is a warm weather ball.
The feel and sound ( clicky) in cool weather should disappear in warmer temps.
I'm not a Pro V1 player either, but I definitely can't play one in cool\ cold weather.
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I have always played Cleveland.
This Christmas my Son and wife bought me some new Callaway wedges.
I had been fitted at a demo day a few months ago ( just testing and messing around).
Never would have thought those worked best for me.
Tried several brands, but the Mack Daddy Jaws 5 feel like they were made just for me.
50°, 56°, and my lob is an old Cleveland.
It will be replaced soon.
The best grind for me happened to be the 'S' grind.
Go somewhere and try different brands and styles.
My wedge game wasn't as bad as I thought.
Now, it's more confidence around the greens.
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17 hours ago, Cbfodalo said:
Looking for discussion on golf balls. What you play what you have tried and did not like and what you want to try.
I have always been a callaway fan boy and seriously thought hackers who pay $60 for a dozen prov1 where literally just shooting $4-5 dollars into the woods with way too many shots.
That being said, I started playing this year with the callaway supersoft. $104 for a bag of 120 near mint used balls. I like them, but the compression is like 38 with a surlyn cover two peice ball. I wanted to try something a little better with higher compression and better around greens. I tried the chromesoft x triple track. $141 for a bag of 120 used balls. I think these are more like 90 compression. With urethane cover. I like them. But do not love them
Now I just ordered a bag of yellow erc soft triple track. I think these have about 60 compression and hybrid soft cover again 2 peice.
Ibam also going to get a box of regular chrome soft and try them.
Handicap 16, driver swing speed 101 -104mph, 7i 83 -87
I also like the Callaway balls.
In real cold weather, the Supersoft is great.
Something you might check is the Superhot.
That Superhot is great for me.
They used to have a 55 and a 70 compression.
Not sure what the new ones are.
The matte-finish ones seem to feel better, and neon orange, green, and red are easier to see.
New price is $28??? but you get 15 in a box.
They are on all of the sites that sell used balls.
You might try a dozen or 2.
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6 hours ago, DJ Mico said:
I've also struggled hitting the Gamer well off the tee. I think I might be getting in my head that I'm trying to test distance, and then hit it with not much distance. But the few that I have struck well, I don't notice it being any longer than others in my bag (Callaway Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X, TP5x, Snell MTB-X), but it also hasn't been way shorter than any of the others
In terms of performance compared to others in the lower price range, I find it performs similar to a Vice Tour and Drive, but it is significantly more durable and much easier to purchase from Dick's/Golf Galaxy instead of online. I've been very satisfied with the Gamer.
Good work, and I look forward to reading your final review in a couple of weeks!
Thanks. I'm getting my final results ready.
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This afternoon, I played quick nine.
58°-63° .
Playing the Gamer on the last few holes, still couldn't get it to work with my driver, but the long irons came alive.
There is a par 3 over a ravine that is always a problem to hit.
My 5 iron went straight ( still couldn't get a high trajectory), and landed with one heck of a ball mark on the green.
It really jumped off the wedges from 40-70 yards.
It didn't feel as 'clicky' today except with driver and putter.
I'm sure this is a great warm weather ball for me.
My opinion on the performance is:
In the price range :
1st) Cally Supersoft
2) Titleist Superfeel
3) Gamer
The gamer seems like a higher grade\ better Noodle ball.
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I bought a pair of Callaway La Grange shoes.
They show to be around $250 regular price.
Rock Bottom golf had them on sale for $69.
They are a size 14 M.
The only pair left.
My feet were getting wet in my Adidas mesh golf shoes.
These shoes are SO comfortable.
They feel as nice as my everyday Skechers shoes.
They are really comfortable.
Just check some of the outlets and places. You might luck into a brand that is marked down, or close out.
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I have jumped around with drivers over the last 10 years. Never buying the latest, maybe last years model.
My distance had dropped from 265-270 to around 235-240. It didn't matter what.
I bought a used ( like new). Epic Flash SZ driver.
My plans were to re-sell it.
I put a non-pro Tensei white shaft in it, and I'm back at 250?? again.
When it gets warmer & drys up, it should be a little longer.
It seemed my distance was gone for good.
- BNewton51 and GolfSpy_SHARK
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4 hours ago, Bohnson said:
Some good shots there! What ball do you normally game? @Jackal I found the ball to feel softer than the Srixon ZStarXV off of tee shots with my TMade Sim Driver. Ball does roll pretty good on putts! I find the ball to go a higher so it stops because of descent angle.
I have been using a Callaway Superhot all last year. Since November ( cold) the Supersoft has been doing pretty well.
It may be the temps° but I'm getting a lower flight with these.
Also, wearing a jacket over long sleeve shirt hampers my swing.
The putting rollout of these are fabulous.
Short or long.
If I played it for a while and got used to it, the medium putts would be easier.
This ball 'jumps' off the putter face.
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picture are showing up in reverse order.
2nd is chips 12-14 yards
3rd is pitches from 70?? yards as I walk up to the green.
Closer shot of 70? yard pitches.
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Today was about 63°. The ball performed somewhat better than previously.
1st pic is pitches from 70?? yards.
2nd is close up of 70 yd pitches.
3rd pic is chips from 12-14 yards.
Last pic is putting from 20 feet away.
I think this ball is durable, putts really well ( once you get used to it), and has decent distance.
Off the driver face is feels rock hard to me.
Fwy woods are ok, and so are mid-short irons.
Long irons, don't ever give a solid feel.
My wedges are NEW, so they seem to spin pretty well.
All wedge shots run out pretty far.
The best aspect is the putting. Once you get used to the ball ' jumping' off of the face, the distsnce control of the putts are fantastic. It does super on roll, and following the break.
More to come later......
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Any offers? Might split head or shaft.
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Academy Sports, Dicks, and some small privately owned golf shops.
They may have launch monitors, all the different club specs, etc. but they just fit to what looks best.
We to a Golf USA that does an ultimate fitting.
He looks to see if you are compensating, or changing your swing to make something work.
He also compares the club you are wanting to replace.
If he can't find something better, or that will do what you want, he won't sell you a club.
Sometimes he will make an adjustment to your swing, and have you come back in 2 weeks for a fitting.
- MattF, Buffly and sirchunksalot
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We have been playing in temps below 45°.
The Gamer seems to fly straighter for me off of the driver, and fwy woods.
It seems to have a lower trajectory that Chrome Soft, Super Soft, and Super Hot balls do.
I just received new Mack Daddy 5 Jaws wedges for Christmas.
Side by side, the Gamer rolls out farther, than the other balls.
With iron shots ( 7i thru PW) , it had a very 'clicky' sound.
These new Gamers are a lot firmer\ harder that the ones made 5 years ago.
On the other hand, these are a LOT more durable.
These have bounced off of cart paths, rocks, fence posts, and trees.
They have marks and stains from impact, yet you can't feel any physical damage on them.
While I don't shot shape, my Son does.
He was having a little trouble working the Gamer ball.
It didn't seem to curve, the way his Pro V1 does.
Personally, the sidespin ( or lack thereof) helped me.
Drives seem to rollout more, even with the wet conditions we were in.
I did some testing on the greens against: Chrome Soft, Super Soft, Super Hot, Tru Soft, Tour Soft, Tru Feel, and Velocity balls.
Using a Scotty Cameron putter. All metal face, and no insert.
The Gamer had a 'Clicky' sound compared to the others. The Velocity was 2nd place with the click sound.
As far as distance, the Gamer rolled farther than all the others.
On a level green from 10 feet. All putts felt like the same impact speed and stroke.
Other balls were 1 foot short, to 1-1\2 feet past the hole. The Gamer went about 3-1\2 feet past the hole.
On longer putts ( same green), around 25 feet.
Most balls were 3 feet short to 1-1\2 feet past the hole.
The Gamer seemed to get within 8 inches of the hole, to maybe 1-1\2 feet past it.
The Gamer had excellent feel on longer putts. It didn't seem to bounce and much as the other balls, and rolled true.
On 3 foot putts, all were similar. Just had to be easy, or the gamer would jump off the putter face.
We have some 60 °+ days ahead. I'll update then.
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Epic Flash Strong 3 wood. NOT!! Sub zero.
13.5 degree.
Hzrdus Black Smoke 6.5 shaft 80 gram.
Great condition. 9.5 out of 10.
Has some grass scratches on bottom.
Sold sold sold sold$$$$$$$
If you need more pics let me know.
Or make reasonable offer.
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We usually go to Golf USA in NW Ark.
So many other stores just try to sell.
This is the place that does fitting for Arkansas Razorback golf team.
Robbie Newton is the pro\ fitter.
He is always going to the Taylormade factory and working on designs.
He's not much higher that the other stores that just let you hit some, and day this is best.
Go to a place with a real fitter.
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9 hours ago, SlowNLow said:
I don't see the harm if you want to experiment a little, golf is supposed to fun. Just don't take out anybody's window.
Everybody agrees that putting it the real work on your swing, body, mind, etc. is better in the long run, but in the short-term have some fun, why not? The key word being short-term, as the new equipment may provide some temporary joy, but in the long run, our techniques and abilities will take over.
1. Off the beaten path a bit, I had a Krank Formula 5 driver a few years back, it has a hard feel to it, not the most forgiving, weird sound, but it when struck adequately it did fly as well as anything I have ever played with. Many people who used conventional OEM drivers scoffed at me when I used this club but changed their tune after they tried it.
2. A weaker shaft will help with distance, as well as snap hooks or high push fades that fly to places not fit for man or beast. Typically, weaker shafts are also lighter, may help with speed, but light is not always right.
3. I have no experience with this.
4. Longer shafts will give you potential for more distance, but only if you can hit it solidly and the clubface isn't too open or closed. When the shaft is longer, it will be weaker too. Lighter shafts will allow you to swing faster too, then again, light is not always right, these kinds of things can be determined at a fitting, which is why fittings are beneficial.
If it was me, I'd find a cheap used driver head on ebay, find an inexpensive shaft, used or new, depends on the stiffness and playing length you want, assemble it, give it go after the epoxy cures. Maybe you spend $100-$150. Golf is fun, but it is definitely not free.
You could make it really long, see what happens, then make it a little shorter, try that. Good application for blow-on grips.
I have to agree with this, and other previous posts.
Just myself, and lighter shaft doesn't help.
After thinking a stiffer shaft would help me, it turned out to be a heavier shaft was needed.
Spending time with 60-65 gram shafts that didn't repeat was aggravating.
Then, a teaching pro suggested a 70+ gram shaft in a (weak profile) X flex helped me.
It just goes to show that everyone is different.
Go to a real fitter.
You'll be surprised, and thankful.
Also, you want to take a few lessons that will help your game.
- Buffly, RickyBobby_PR and cnosil
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I didn't take any pictures, but with just some quick putting comparisons, the gamer seemed to have a 'click' at impact with putting.
With some chipping around the green it had more roll-out than the other balls.
Balls we compared to were : Prov1, Chrome soft, TP5, and Callaway Superhot.
When putting both up & down hill, the Gamer rolled farther with the same\ similar strikes.
Putting, it was similar to the TP5x.
When we get some warmer & dryer days, we will get some pics and distance tests.
My parter for testing is my 17 year old son.
He is a 2 hcp golfer, with a 124mph swing speed with driver.
I hope y'all don't mind a 2 for 1 testing.
Updates coming soon.
(NOTE: This particular day was 40° F and was very humid\ wet feeling.)
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Hello,
My Name is Jack. I live in central-western Arkansas. My playing time has been on and off for the last 25 years. With a driver swing speed of 105-108, this will give some relevance of my game. Usual scoring is 80-85 on most local courses.
The usual ball of choice is : Callaway-Supersoft, Superhot,& Cromesoft, Titleist -Truefeel, NXT , & Toursoft, Bridgestone E-12.
Initial impression
Opening the package it seemed like an other ordinary ball. I’ve never really cared about the bling or a package appearance . In the past many great products are in ho-hum packages.
The balls had a harder and less tacky feel than the older versions of the Gamer that I played a few years ago.
Durability
While there were carts path strikes, there were quite a few trees and wooden fence post strikes. In both of these instances the ball on received a somewhat dirty blemish that could be wiped off, leaving no scuff that could be felt. The cart path and rock damage was minimal.
Performance
With most of the testing done at temperatures below 45*, this seemed to affect the feel and distance of the ball.
The Gamer did fly straighter off of the driver and fairways wood , both on and off of a tee.
Being known for always having a high ball flight, this ball was somewhat lower trajectory. Not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but could be valuable when playing in severe winds .
Using new Mack Daddy wedges, these seemed to spin less than the Chromesoft, Supersoft, ProV1, & TP5. They were right there almost identical as the Superhot from Callaway.
Side by side the TF Gamer has more rollout than the previous balls mentioned. While it not a bad thing , if you get used to it and make accommodations for this in your normal game , it would be just fine. In warmer temps and a softer greens this should shorten the rollout.
While I don’t shot shape or even attempt it , my Son does. His draw and controlled fades were less pronounced. He had to force the desired shapes . With his desire for more spin, I rather enjoyed the amount of spin the ball has. It reduced my cut that sometimes turns into a fade at the most inopportune times .
Not really sure about a definite distance gain because of the wet fairways, but I did get more roll out than the other balls gave.
The sound at impact for 7 iron down thru the wedges have a hard clicky sound . It didn’t feel hard off of the club, but had a sound that compares to a hit that’s really thin.
Chipping and PitchesPitching from around 70 yards, this ball compared to the Superhot. Although this was done with brand new Jaws wedges out of the plastic, the Gamer doesn’t leave big divots on the green, just a small ball mark. I’m sure the moisture and low temps had a lot to do with this.
Chips from around 15 yards seemed to do well with a predicted rollout.
Putting
When it came to putting, we both use a Scotty Cameron putter with an full metal face.When putting, the clicky sound became more noticeable . The only ball that compare to this was the Velocity by Titleist. Even then the Velocity was quieter.
At 10 feet from the cup, most balls were 1 foot short to 1.5 feet past the cup. The Gamer went about 3.5 feet past the hole. This was with all similar feel putts on a level green.
On longer putts ( same green) around 25 feet , other balls were 3 foot short , to 1.5 feet past the hole.
But, the Gamer seemed to stop just 8 to 10 inches shy of the hole, and never more than 18 inches past it .With it’s hot putting power the putts around 3-5 foot should be gently stroked to get there. The short and long putts were predictable after playing a round to get used to the feel.
The Gamer really shines on long putts
SummaryThe Top Flite Gamer has areas in which it accels at . It is durable, putts straight, doesn’t spin very fast, and has good distance.
The drawbacks for me are; It feels rock hard off of the driver face, long irons never felt solid, it seems to jump off the putter face. The sound compares to the old Pinnacle Gold from the 90s.
Overall score I would give this a 10 out of 15 possible points.
For feel it compares to a Titleist Velocity, or a Q-Star from Srixon. I have for years tried to play the Q-Star, but we don’t get along .
I feel that a fair price for this ball is $20 or less. With the Callaway Super Soft around $20, Titleist Trufeel around $22, and Bridgestone E-12 for $22, they seem to be a much better price\performance ( for myself).
Adding colors would probably help. I know everyone has jumped on the neon bandwagon lately, but a bright yellow or neon green would probably help with sales.
*** Sorry for the late post, but an unexpected change in work has kept me away for a while. Pics will be added below soon. -
When I started playing, there wasn't an internet.
You had to buy magazines, and wait a month for the next tips.
I thought the local players that were really good was because the had the nicest\ most expensive clubs.
Then, I found out from a demo day, those guys buy really nice clubs, because they are THAT good.
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4 hours ago, 2puttbogey said:
Agree with the spending money on clubs part, and that lessons are a better investment. Three lessons dropping ten strokes is a bit of a stretch though.
I was referring to beginners.
When they have an average of 120-125 for 18 holes, lessons for a few months can drop them to a 100-105 real quick.
Usually by the time they get to mid 80s, they realize the strokes are harder to get rid of, and you can't buy a swing.
- Shapotomous and Micah T
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For Sale: Callaway MD5 Jaws Forged wedge
in Archived BST
Posted
Kiwi is a great guy to deal with. I have bought from him in the past .
