TG8

Pretty much similar story here; I used to ride A LOT more than I do now, but when the kiddo came around the wife wanted me to be around more and insisted that I take up "dad" hobbies. Little did she know that golfing is just as expensive as riding motorcycles...

Let's see................................growing up in the muscle car era, living in the Motor City, and working in the automotive field my whole career, can you guess.
First car totaled in an accident, then I bought this one used afterwards. Photo from 1972 at a large tool shop a family friend owned, where I would perform maintenance or repairs for his employees vehicles on the weekends.
 
 
Worked the first 26 years of my career at various dealerships here performing major engine, transmission, or axle repairs.
Started my current employer in 1998 as an enginering technician due to the fact I had mechanical capabilities and knew how to fix things. Roles grew and expanded over the years at this employer due to opportunities presented through the years.
Currently have the one below since 2015, it is a 2013 427 Convertible, VIN: 0037 out oof 2552 total made, and only 1 of 250 in red.
Have driven across various parts of the country, now sitting to keep mileage low, and I have an older one too (2003 silver convertible) that I use for driving around.

Outside of golf, I would say my biggest hobbies are video games, music, and other sports. 
I've been playing video games pretty consistently throughout my life, but in the past 6 years or so, it's really ramped up. I mostly play shooting games (e.g., Valorant, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Halo), but recently have been playing F1 23 since some friends got us a wheel and pedals for a wedding gift. That leads into another newer love in my life... Formula 1.
My wife and I have become big fans of Formula 1 after watching Netflix's Drive to Survive series. I would say before watching that series, our interest in motorsports as a whole was less than zero 😂 however afterwards we've become addicted. We try to watch every race, stay on top of F1 news and now frequently race the tracks ourselves in the video game.
In addition to Formula 1, I consider myself an avid sports fan. Football season has become my favorite time of year as I've gotten older (Go Irish/Go Bills). I used to follow basketball much closer, but my interest has wavered since I don't play as much myself these days. I've been following March Madness and have enjoyed watching games from time to time, but I would say Football and Formula 1 are the frontrunners. Never been a big baseball fan, but do live fairly close to Wrigleyville in Chicago so try to attend a game or two per year.
Music has always been a big love of mine. I grew up participating in band and choir and translated that into very amateur songwriting after high school. I like to play guitar and sing along to popular songs or ones I've written myself. I used to attend open mics once in a while, but just haven't been motivated to do that lately. I've always had a fairly broad interest in music, ranging from oldies to pop music and everything in between. 
Let's be real though... all of the above occupies about 2% of my brain while golf occupies the other 98% 😅

BACKGROUND
Hey Spies! First time tester here! I’m currently 38 and will be coming up on 10 years of consistent golf soon. Over the years I’d guess I’ve been about 80% self-taught and was able to get down to a 4.7 handicap, however in 2022 I had to take a year off due to a shoulder surgery with a lengthy recovery. Post-surgery I’ve really struggled to get back to where I was. I’ve been hovering around a 7 handicap right now last few rounds have been right at 80, but on easier courses and moved up a set of tees (or two) for now. Every day I’m seeing substantial improvement and I’m more energized than ever to get back out there and swing away! Just in the last few weeks has my distance and spin really started to return. For reference--in Denver my 7 iron currently plays right at 192 yards (total yardage). In general, I think it’s fair to say I hit the ball further than most, and I struggle to spin the ball quite as much as I probably should.

BALL HISTORY
I play a lot of golf and historically have lost a lot of golf balls! I must admit for the longest time I was definitely the guy that would find balls on the course and play them regardless of type or condition. As I progressed, I started to get a little pickier with golf balls, but I still lost quite a few. That’s how I ended up playing vice balls. Finally, a ball with premium feel, great performance, but forgiving enough on the wallet whenever I opened up a new sleeve and proceeded to slice my first ball of the day into the native rough, never to be seen again.
I played Vice Pro Plus for many years and switched to Maxfli last year. When switching over I played both the Tour and Tour X. Since I’ve always been a low spin player, I tend to prefer a higher spinning ball (also due to altitude). After one case of each, I decided to stick with the Tour X

EXPECTATIONS:
I don’t have regular access to a simulator so most of my testing will be outdoors at Green Valley Ranch in Denver Colorado. I plan to put it through its paces at the practice facilities, as well as on course. A few of the other reviewers have really gone above and beyond and will be providing great trackman data along with an entire custom putting and chipping machine! I’m going to try and take a different angle of focusing on course. What’s it like playing with day-to-day? I will be using Titleist woods, Mizuno irons and wedges, and an enroll putter for the entirety of the test. More details in “About Me” if you're interested.
When evaluating, I’m going to treat it just like I have in the past when choosing a new ball to put into play. I’m sure this list looks different for everyone out there, but since I’m not relying on the performance of a golf ball to bring in a paycheck, I would probably have to put value as number one for me. I would love to say I don’t care about distance, but that would be a lie, even though I hit the ball plenty far, I will never complain about hitting it just a little bit further! 
Value – how does this ball perform compared to some of the highest performing balls on market? How does this ball compare to other balls in the same price range?*  Distance – is there a sacrifice and distance when comparing this to the longest balls out there? MGS Ball Test 2023 Consistency – Does your savings upfront cost you on the course? MGS Ball Lab 2023  Higher spin – being a low spin player, can I stop the ball when I need to? Durable cover – assuming I can somehow keep a ball into play for more than around will this ball be able to hold up overtime? MGS Scuffs Visuals - logo / alignment – do I like the looks of the ball? Does the alignment aid add or distract / distract? I’m most excited to try out the new alignment markings as I do line up my putts using the ball alignment graphics. Here’s a good article on the topic. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (7 out of 10)
Whenever I first saw this new alignment graphics online I was afraid it was going to be too big and too busy. One of the first things I noticed when I opened the box is the alignment graphics are smaller than I expected. Don’t get me wrong, there's still a lot going on however the entirety of the graphics are still narrower and more subdued than I thought it would be. The fine lines make it more discrete than expected. Also, the lack of color when compared to something like triple track or tour response track adds to the balanced feel of the graphics.


MAX ALIGN (10 out of 10)
Getting it out on course and next to other alignment balls I quickly noticed all the alignment graphics on different balls were all the exact same width. I would not have guessed that without placing them side by side. I’m not sure who decided that was the proper size, but it looks like everyone is sticking with it. Even though they’re all the same width I would say, they don’t look the same. Comparing the Maxfli to triple track, I think triple track is much more distracting and a much more prominent graphic. It took me a little while to figure out why, but I think it really comes down to the blue and red versus black only. The same is true for pretty much all the other alignment balls I put it up against. 
My initial impressions were that it’s just another line and it doesn’t make as much of a difference. I think I still preferred the Vice Kil line over any I’ve used. It’s simple yet bold. After putting around with it for a few minutes, my initial impressions seem to start to fade away. I have to say whenever you roll a great putt it is so satisfying to watch. 
It probably took three or four days for me to really start to get used to seeing and playing with the ball. And after my first few weeks, I decided to go back to my old favorite the Vice Kil Line as a comparison. I think this was the big aha moment for me, I was surprised at how little I liked the small thin line after putting with the ball for a while. I really grew fond of using the Max Align ball far more so than I thought I would. 


EXPECTATIONS (18 out of 20)
Value – As of April 1st the price per Maxfli Tour X delivered to my house is $ 2.73. That price hasn’t changed much in two years. You won’t find them for more or less than that. Next up, the Pro V1 – $ 4.77 per ball for the same quantity delivered as well. Lastly, Vice Pro Plus comes in at $ 2.90 per ball delivered, however they will run specials that can get the price down to $ 2.31 from what I’ve seen.*
Distance – I can’t tell any real on course difference with my driver, and my iron numbers are quite strong. I’d say you aren’t leaving anything meaningful on the table playing a Maxfli Tour ball over the most expensive balls on the market. Here’s a link to the best data you will find on the subject.
Consistency – Once again, I didn’t notice any negative impacts from lack of consistency on the course but for the most detailed data check out: MGS Ball Lab constancy results. 
Higher Spin – This ball comes down steep and stops quickly. If that’s what you are looking for it delivers. If you tend to spin the ball a bit much, stick with the Tour instead of the Tour X
Durable – Okay here’s the biggest shortcoming I have found. You can see the pics below from bunker, testing, and a single wedge shot--It was quick to show wear on the course, whether it found a tree, cart path, or just a bunch of fairways.
Visuals – I was nervous about the looks, but it has really grown on me, and I do enjoy the looks now. 


(one full swing wedge shot (desktop left, mobile top) one bunker shot (desktop right, mobile bottom)

On The Course (18 out of 20)
Off the Tee – This ball is long off the tee, and there’s not really a downside to it. I don’t find myself hitting or missing fairways any differently than other premium balls. More often than not, I’m in the ideal spin window however I could see this ball quickly overspinning for many players. As far as using the alignment aid off the tee, I’m too lazy. I tried it a few times, but I quickly found myself sticking a tee in the ground and leaving the ball misaligned. It didn’t bother me and I plan to play that way going forward.


Approach – The course I play on tends to have firm fast greens that can be difficult to hold. It’s another reason why I lean towards a higher spinning, higher launching ball and this ball held pretty much every time. I know some people were curious about how the alignment aid would look sitting on the ground after your tea shot, that’s not really something that bothers me, but I included a picture for those of you who want to see it.


Around the Green – This ball makes me smile. I just can’t help but feel like a kid watching a 50-yard shot one hop stop. It’s such a joy. It’s super predictable around the greens and checks up whenever I want. Is it completely necessary, maybe not, does it make golf more fun absolutely.


Putting – the firmness of the ball off the tee and the iron carries over to the putter as well, but still feels and sounds good. 


Wind – My initial thoughts were that this ball could still play well in wind but after a few windy shots into greens I found that it will get eaten up a bit more than others. I will seriously consider grabbing a box of the standard tour ball for both windy days and trips to sea level.

Feel – This is the firmest premium ball I’ve played. I think if it weren’t for having the knowledge that compression is king, I would find myself playing another ball because of the feel. It’s not a bad feeling, but it’s different enough for what I’m used to where I do notice it, not in a good way. It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the feel/sound. It’s somehow both a premium urethane cover ball, but also has a clickiness of a discount ball at the same time. It’s less noticeable whenever you flush a shot, but there’s still a subtle clickiness. When you miss the center, you know it.


The Good, the bad, the in-between (18 out of 20)
Good:             Price & Distance & Max Align
Bad:                Durability
In-between:   Firm Feel
Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20)
Play it. I will absolutely be shopping for the Max Align graphic next time I buy a case of Maxfli balls. As someone who is looking to save a few dollars, prefers to line up their putts--I feel like this ball was basically made for me. If you don’t line up your putts, there’s no need for the alignment version, but it’s still a great ball without that. Really the only point deduction here is for durability. Although an affordable ball for the performance, I find myself going through more balls than I’d like due to wear. 

CONCLUSION:
This ball is firm and fast. One of the longest and most consistent balls for the price. Although durability isn’t quite up to the level of something like a Pro V1, the cost is hard to beat. As for Max Align, it’s going to stay in my bag for a while longer. As someone who lines up their putts, I found it easier to line up compared to all other alignment balls on the market, a joy to watch roll, and not too distracting. If you like to line up your putts, you should try a sleeve.
Final Score 91 out of 100

* Price references below (click to enlarge)

 

Hey guys,
Excited for the testing opportunity. Here is some info about me:
Background Info
I played baseball my entire life up through college, so I never took golf seriously because it messed with my baseball swing. After playing softball for a number of years in my 20s/early 30s, our team dissolved and I decided to take golf more seriously (because it's easier on my body - I have a herniated disc in my lower back that usually doesn't affect my swing, but it does make my back stiff and slightly painful sometimes). 
I started out around a 15 handicap a few years back and ended this past year at 9.6. I've broken 80 a few times, but shoot in the low to mid 80s on average. I belong to an indoor golf facility (swingfitgolfclub.com) with Trackman simulators over the winter months (I live in SW Ohio) and I practice 3-5 times a week there. 
It took me a long time to get over my baseball slice, especially with driver and woods. So I do not like my ball going to the right at all. I play a draw and my bad misses are generally snap hooks. I just got a fitted for a new Ping G430 Max 10K driver and I'm excited for that to arrive later this week or early next week. 
My driver swing speed is between 104-107 mph regularly, but I'm using the Rypstik for speed training in my spare time. (It definitely works)
 
My Ball History
I've played a lot of different tour balls over the last couple years and Maxfli has definitely been one of them. Two years ago, I played Maxfli Tour most of the summer and really enjoyed the ball because of the performance and price point, especially when buying in bulk. 
I've also played TaylorMade TP5 and ProV1 often, but my current gamer is the ProV1x for it's longer distance and higher ball flight. I'm a big fan.
 
My Expectations
I'll be honest here, my expectations are pretty sky high with performance. I expect it to perform almost as good as the ProV1x in distance, speed, spin, and feel. I'm confident in Maxfli's performance having used them before and seeing Lexi Thompson sign on with them, which was huge.
The one thing I've very curious to test is the alignment aid. I will be very honest. I do not line my putts up at all with an aid. And I've historically not liked balls that have large alignment aids on them because they're typically ugly and make the ball look cheap. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the size of the alignment aid on these Maxfli's, but I'm interested in testing them out for putting alignment. 
I'm also pretty skeptical about the CG balancing because I'm personally tried to test that before on the last generation Maxfli's and never noticed a difference. And I'm not even quite sure how to confirm this. Any ideas would be much appreciated. 
I'd love to see the alignment aid better incorporated into the design of the ball the way the TP5/x PIX work, because all of those designs are cool. Might be an opp for Maxfli down the line. 
Excited to receive them and start testing!
 
Unboxing First Impressions

 
Everything about the Maxfli Tour X feels premium. I played the 2021 version, but I haven't played the newer generation, so this was my first time actually unboxing them. I love the use of black on products, so the packaging looks sleek and premium to me.
Very minor thing: The only thing that drives me nuts is the font that's used on the back of the sleeve to detail the ball and present the table comparison between the models (see pic below). The font looks slightly Comic Sans-y and makes the back of the sleeve look a bit cheap and cartoonish vs. the rest of the packaging. Again, very minor thing, but I'm a details guy and that's what my eyes focused on.

 
I've got to admit. The alignment aid has started to grow on me. In my opinion, it's way bigger than it needs to be to deliver the benefits, but once you start hitting and putting with them, you get used to it. 

 
I personally think Maxfli missed any opportunity here to make their balls visually look really cool with fun designs vs. a huge black arrowhead type alignment aid. I love all the designs you can get with TP5/x's and they are functionally helpful as well. 
However, I can see this size of alignment aid being helpful for people that struggle with their putting alignment and/or might be older and have some slight vision issues. You know how you can turn on a large font mode on your iPhone? My mom has that on so things like texts are HUGE and she can read it easier. This feels like Maxfli turned that on for the alignment aid. So, larger than I'd like to see, but maybe I'm not exactly the target market for this.
And as I mentioned, I typically don't line up my putts with an alignment aid. 
Update 1: First Practice and Simulator Round
I did some initial testing on a Trackman indoors and was impressed with the distance I was getting out of the Tour X. I mentioned I normally play the ProV1x and was testing them side-by-side. Unfortunately, I forgot to save the report, so I will do a more comprehensive testing early next week on the Trackman and share the report breaking down performance.
I played 18 for our club's Winter League today with the Tour X and I honestly can't tell a difference between the Tour X and the ProV1x, which is very, very impressive. The course we played was in Utah, so lots of elevation changes, but I hit a few huge tee shots:
Yes, I hit a 331 yard drive and then rolled a wedge off the green on the approach shot. 😏

 
This was actually a 3W off the tee and not a driver, I forgot to switch it on the Trackman before I hit. 

 
The weather hasn't been warm/dry enough to test the ball on course, but tomorrow should get up to 70 and I'm playing at a local municipal course in the morning. I'm very interested to test it putting and chipping. I did some quick putting indoors on the PuttView at my club and it feels very similar to the ProV1x in terms of compression/feel. And I tested the alignment aid as well and I did kind of enjoy it. My biggest thing is ummm, I'm kind of lazy, so when putting, I really don't want to bend down and align the aid each time I putt.
More to come!
 
Update 2: Trackman Performance - Tour X vs. ProV1x (RCT)
I was able to do a ball test against the ProV1x (my gamer) and saw an interesting difference, mainly with my 58º wedge. For this round of testing, I hit my 58º, 9-iron, and 3-wood. The Tour X spun a considerable amount less but it flew higher and had a higher descent angle. I can't explain the huge difference in spin with the wedge, but I'm wondering if the Trackman had an issue with picking up the spin on the Tour X. I wouldn't expect the spin to be that far off.
Note: Not sure why, but the 58º shots weren't labeled in the second screenshot at the bottom (brown and light blue).

 
Update 3: New Driver + TP5x Testing
I finally got my new Ping G430 Max 10K and TaylorMade sent me the new 2024 TP5/TP5x balls as part of a promotion. I was able to hop on the Trackman this morning for some testing and used the ProV1x (RCT), TP5x, and the Maxfli Tour X. 
This is the second time I've hit the new driver in two days, and the first was during winter league on the Trackman, so I wasn't really able to dial it in. It's about an inch longer than my previous G425 Max driver, so I'm still getting used to letting the club settle a bit more at the top. 
But anyway, the Maxfli Tour X performed pretty well against both premium tour balls. See below!
 

Link to report
 
Final Review
Welcome to the final review! I've had the chance to hit these balls on a Trackman, practice with them on practice greens, and play with them on course. I'm very impressed with the performance of the ball.
Aesthetics - 5/10
 
The Tour X is slightly harder and more clicky than the ProV1x, which makes sense given the slightly higher compression (see MGS's Compression Comparison Tool below).

It does feel slightly harsher on bad hits than a ProV1x, but it's pretty minor. 
I mentioned it in my first impressions, but I'm just not a fan of the size and design of the alignment aid. I'd like to see some color incorporated and/or one consistent design across the entire ball. The split arrows don't look great and honestly, the ball looks like it was designed with WordArt in MS Word. I like the Maxfli logo, so the plain ball (without the alignment aid) looks great. This design just looks very basic and rushed. 

But, the good news is that Maxfli has time to create a new design which can make a more attractive ball. I'd love to see them incorporate designs like TaylorMade's PIX balls as a way to go after the younger generation who has never heard of Maxfli. I tried mocking up some variations but let's just say I am not creative nor artistic, and AI couldn't help me with the drawing either. #fail
The durability of the ball is pretty good. It wears similarly to the ProV1x, but I did notice the Tour X cover is slightly easier to scuff and it gets grass stains easier. 
 
The Numbers (19/20)
See Updates #2 & #3 above.
I was very happy to see the Maxfli Tour X perform very similarly to the ProV1x. You could compare the Trackman data and hide the ball name and have a tough time figuring out which one was the Tour X and which one was the ProV1x. 
What I found really interesting was on the Trackman, the Tour X spin was noticeably lower with full wedges. But on course, I didn't notice much difference in spin on full wedge shots. So, I have been wondering if for some reason, the Trackman isn't picking up the spin properly on the Tour X with the alignment aid. 
Regardless, I took one point off for the lower wedge spin.
 
On The Course (18/20)
With the numbers being so close to my gamer, I was very confident playing the Tour X. However, I'm going to take two points off:
-1 pt: I noticed that the Tour X doesn't "stick" as much on short and mid pitches as the ProV1x does. The cover does feel a bit more plastic-y and while it did check and slow down, I didn't notice quite the same amount as a ProV1x. 
-1 pt: The alignment aid actually was distracting to me when putting. I didn't mind it on full swing shots, but with the putter, I found myself trying to match up my putter head with the alignment aid on the downswing and it seemed to throw my putting off. I've never been a person that lines up their putt, so I'm not used to putting that way, so maybe it would just take me some getting used to. But the alignment aid was very noticeable when putting (which I guess is the point), but I found myself focusing too much on it. If this was the regular Tour X without the alignment aid, I wouldn't take a point off. So, am I sorry?

 
The Good, The Bad, The Inbetween (19/20)
I gotta do it. I mentioned it in the unboxing section, but Maxfli, can you please up your box visual design? It generally looks good, but the back of the box/back of the sleeves use a comic sans-like font that cheapens the overall visual appeal. Much like the actual alignment aid design, it just seems kind of cheap.
 
Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20)
This is definitely a ball I'll work into my rotation. ProV1x's get expensive and I generally use birthday/xmas gifts and Amazon Prime credit card points to stock up, but whenever those dry up, I could see myself supplementing with the Tour X. It's that good in terms of performance but at a sizeable discount. And if my game goes down the sh*tter, I'd much rather lose a Tour X than a ProV1x at those price points.
 
**Final Score (80 out of 100)**
 
Conclusion
The Maxfli Tour X ball is an amazing ball for the price. It compares very closely to the Titleist ProV1x but at almost half the price. In my Trackman and on-course testing, my game was unaffected when switching from the ProV1x to the Tour X. The Tour X is slightly harder and more clicky than the ProV1x. And I'm not a fan of the design of the alignment aid and I don't typically use an alignment aid, so this is definitely not the version of the Tour X I would use personally. But for people that do like using an alignment aid to putt, and don't lose sleep over the design of the alignment aid, this ball might be a great option.
This is definitely a ProV1x competitor at almost half the cost!
Thank you to both Maxfli and MyGolfSpy for facilitating this and choosing me to participate! If anyone has any questions, feel free to DM me or respond directly in the thread. Looking forward to keeping the conversation going.
 

Hey Spies,
I have been playing golf pretty steadily for about 33 years and my handicap bounces between 8 and 13 depending upon which part of me is broken. Last one was a bicycle crash that, well, kind of rearranged my right shoulder a bit. That said I am thoroughly addicted to this silly game. I play mostly at a semi private course three to four days a week. My ball of choice is the Srixon Z Star divide.
Maxfli, according to the write up above, claims: Center of Gravity Balanced with MAX ALIGN Technology. To me this is like a Heinz commercial that says they have made a “better tasting ketchup”. I mean how do you know? Better than what?
According to NASA the center of gravity is the” average weight location an object”. They also say that determining the center of gravity is a complicated procedure because the weight may not be distributed evenly within the body, And Maxfli has balanced the center of gravity? See what I mean about a better tasting ketchup? How do we test that? Especially in a real world non test lab environment.
I am pretty sure I have figured out a way, at least for putting and chipping. If you have a few more minutes I will introduce you to the A&M 9000 Portable Putting and Chipping Ball Tester.
It started with an idea, then a couple of drawings like this one.

Then I headed to the garage, hardware store, and a thrift store for some bits and pieces, a couple of eye bolts, and an old bed frame. I am using an old wedge and an older Ping putter head as my impact devices.

Some cutting, and fitting, and a bit of welding, and the 9000 started to take shape.

Not the final product, but some crucial testing that told me this will work. I still need to add some stops to set the putter head to a repeatable distance from the ball. I am going to do 3 stops. The wedge tester will also have three drop distance stops.
  

 
I will finish the construction over the next couple of days, then figure out how to put youtube videos up so you can see exactly what I see as we put these balls through their on green and green side paces using a 99% repeatable stroke distance and impact strength.
In my next post I will explain the tests I intend to do, how I will use 2 IPads for cameras, and the comparison groups once the balls get here. 

 
Not much to write about in the First impressions portion of this review. Mostly because my reaction to opening one of the dozen balls boxes was very similar to my reaction to opening a carton of eggs. Nothing new here.
The balls themselves are shiny, slick, and have an oddly “tacky” feel to them -so how do they spin???. The dimple pattern, to my untrained eye, is not new. To me it looks similar to what Callaway used back about 2015ish, but again that is my untrained eye. The alignment markings are large and unique in their design, though a pointer shape has also been used for years by other manufactures.
When placed on my perfect practice putting practice mat and struck with my putter, well that is where the actual differences show up and matter.
First when squarely struck with my putter the ball has a higher pitch, crisper sound than the other balls I use to practice with on that mat.
The alignment mark quickly disappears into a gray blur once the ball is rolling toward its target.
The ball, here on my mat struck by my putter in my hands, seems to roll truer than any others I have tested it against. The caveat to that statement is am I seeing what I want to see??
Today I take the A&M 9000 Putter Chipper Ball Tester to the practice area and begin the non human intervention testing.
We shall see.
 
 
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Conclusion
 
Wow
That is my final impression.
I should start at the beginning. The first thing that caught my eye was the claim in the white box below.
 

Center of Gravity Balanced. So what does that mean? And, how in the world can I test that? To me, the question started as an unprovable claim. Kind of like an advertiser claiming that a company has made a better-tasting ketchup. Better tasting than what? Better tasting to whom?
 
Unless of course, I could figure out a way to get me out of the test parameters.
 
Let me introduce you to the A&M 9000 Putter Chipper Ball Tester.

I built the A&M 9000 to produce an (essentially) identical putter and chipper stroke. This machine takes “me” out of the tests. After all, I am testing the ball, not the ball striker.
 

To my untrained eye, the Maxfli Tour X ball is unremarkable in design. It is an atypical golf ball. Until I put it in my hand. The urethane cover is smooth and slick but with an oddly tacky feel. The Max Alignment Technology markings are 3 large arrow silhouette shapes that look cool if you color opposites with a marker. 
 

I colored 3 different balls for my video purposes but found that color very useful to watch on long downhill putts.

Putting
First, let's talk about Max Align Technology. The large silhouette of an arrow is, in my opinion, far easier to see than say the TP5 as shown in the picture below.
 

I have issues with seeing alignment markings. Behind the ball and alongside the ball are very different to me.
Lining up behind an alignment mark like the TP5 above I feel I need a cup/ball relationship similar to the photo below to have a chance to roll the ball into the hole. 

Using the Max Align Technology arrow I feel that I can use the alignment markings successfully.
 
Alright before I get to the heart of the review I need to discuss a little science first. Center of Gravity Balanced is an interesting claim. According to https://www.britannica.com/science/centre-of-gravity
Centre of gravity, in physics, is an imaginary point in a body of matter where, for convenience in certain calculations, the total weight of the body may be thought to be concentrated. The concept is sometimes useful in designing static structures (e.g., buildings and bridges) or in predicting the behavior of a moving body when it is acted on by gravity.
So to me, this says that Maxfli has patented a way to keep the core of the ball perfectly round and balanced. And, if I take the definition above to its logical next step Maxfli has built a ball that is “predictable” and “repeatable”. An interesting concept that I set out to prove or disprove on and around a green.
Read on and I will tell you what I found.
The A&M 9000
The A&M 9000 putter attachment is an old Ping putter head that I leveled and welded to a piece of one-inch square tubing. I am not going to try and explain the math behind how hard and at what angle the putter head strikes the ball. Because of the design of the 9000 the “strike power” never changes and the putter head always hits the ball the same way. The only variable involved is me and where I place the ball in front of the putter head. More on that later.
 

The Maxfli Tour X balls (all 24 of the test balls I had) exhibited a remarkable repeatability to roll on a nearly identical track and on a relatively flat putting surface roll to a stop in essentially the same place every time.
 
The little blue pieces of painters tape represent the location of balls as they came to a final stop after about a 7-foot putt. 

Repeatability is a crucial aspect of the golf ball that I choose to play. In the video below I have 7 different balls all hit from the same spot on the green and using the same drop point on the 9000. Take a look at the path of the ball as it approaches the hole both head-on and from above. All 7 balls come into the hole in essentially the same place plus or minus 3/8th of an inch. The putt length was about 7 feet, the grass was dry, and the green was firm. Another thing to note is the grass turns all of the balls slightly. You can tell this by looking at the Max Align Technology markings.
Note: I attribute the deviation from a perfect putting line to my inability to exactly place the ball in front of the putter head. More on that in the next section. 
Another test I applied was a longer putt that was firm and found the back of the cup as it dropped in. 19 of 20 balls found the bottom of the cup. The one miss hit the back lip of the cup and bounced out. This miss I believe was caused by a less than 1/8 of an inch placement error in my positioning of the ball for the 9000 putt. I found with a stroke from the longest putter position the ball was hit with about 2.0773 pounds of force or more precisely 9.24 Newtons (force = mass x acceleration, and no you don't want to see the math behind those numbers) and that positioning the ball an eighth of an inch closer or further from the putter head could change the resultant ball trajectory by as much as a foot or more.
The A&M 9000 chipping results
Here, using the 9000, I was able to determine the balls would travel about the same distance with the same accuracy every time I was able to set up the machine in an identical manner. The balls spin nicely coming off the wedge head and will stop shorter than a lower trajectory less spinny shot. What was proven pretty conclusively was the Center of Gravity Balanced ball along with the Max Align Technology allowed me to aim the 9000 chipper arm on the ball alignment mark and hit the ball exactly where I aimed it. That was pretty cool.
Sidebar: Other manufactures alignment markings and the Max Align Technology
Yeah okay, I had to test these balls against other top brands to see if the alignment markings made THAT much of a difference. Standing over the ball, yeah it did. I could see the markings on the Maxfli and the markings on the Taylormade Tourresponse are impossible to miss. And, the color separation lines on the Srixon balls are unmistakable. The Callaway Truvis mark is very difficult to find much less use and the rest are...there.
The balls in order are Callaway Truvis, Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide, Z-Star Divide, Maxfli Tour X, Titeist Pro 1V, Taylormade TP5 Pix, Pro V1x, Titleist True Feel, Callaway Supersoft, Callaway triple track, Kirkland performance+, Taylormade Tour Response.
An outlier performance issue that showed up on this test was the need for a perfect ball placement. The balls that have a harder outer surface missed the hole if I did not set it perfectly in front of the putter head. The Supersoft matt cover simply couldn't make it to the hole. 
My putting experience
This is a great ball that I would have never tried without this testing opportunity. After some fiddling and adjusting I was able to make the Max Alignment Technology work and found the ball has a smooth responsive feel off of my putter face and rolls where my putter puts it. This is not necessarily where I want it to go, but that has nothing to do with the Maxfli Tour X ball.
My experience using wedges
Close to the green chips are just plain fun! I can work this ball with directional spin with confidence that it will react the way I intend. From short floppy shots to long bumps and runs the Center of Gravity balancing shows its repeatability every time.
Using the Max Alignment Technology in wedge shots? Um.. no. I have played the ball several rounds now and have dutifully set the markings where I want the ball, and then promptly ignored them. Some habits are hard to overcome. 
Longer wedge shots
The ball will spin and stop on even harder greens IF (and this is a big if) I hit the ball in a way to make it spin and stop on the green.
On the course
I do like this ball on the course. I get good if not outstanding distance with all my clubs and can work the ball (almost always) on command. A true plus in my completely biased opinion. Using the alignment markings off the tee? My thoughts are on where I want the ball to land, not so much on how it will get there, so the alignment does not help or hinder me on the tee box.
 
The Numbers!
Packaging: 18.5
The package contains all the information about the ball needed to describe it, but it has no panache. Nothing to catch your eye and pull you into the product. I subtracted a point and a half.
Durability: 19.5
I cannot address the ball durability past 4 rounds. I have not kept a ball in play longer than 80 holes. And, that ball was looking and doing fine until I smacked it into a pond.  I took a half point for taking the ball off of hardpan dirt. That scuffed it. Hardpan dirt is a common occurrence in Arizona. The sun bakes the ground into concrete. 
Other aesthetics issues 19
The ball will show a slightly abraded cover when coming out of coarse sand or off hard-packed dirt.
But, shows better cover durability when bouncing off a paved cart path or border wall. (We don't need to get into those shots)
My Gamer: 20
I like to play a Srixon Z-Star Divide or the Callaway Chrome Soft Truvis. The Maxfli Tour X outperforms either ball on and around the green. For me, the ball has better workability off the tee than either the Truvis or the Divide.
Other stuff: 19
What I would like to see is some other options for the Max Align Technology arrow. By that I mean color them in with a pale orange or red. This would make the marking easier to see when standing over the ball to putt. Color markings would make the ball easier to identify in the long grass.
Play or trade: 19
The Maxfli Tour X is a fine ball that I will happily play any time I am on the course. The distinctive pattern of the Truvis and the half and half coloring of the Divide still have me leaning more toward those balls. More play with the Maxfi may change my mind.
Final score: 96
I rechecked my numbers and found them overly harsh and adjusted them as to how I felt about the ball. The 4 points do reflect where I found deficiencies.  
Conclusion
This is a great ball. The Max Align Technology works for me even with the issues with my eyes. The balanced core is amazing in the repeatability it produces on and around the green.
 
 
 
 

INTRODUCTION
Hello Spies! I have been playing golf for about 10 years and I recently turned 40 years old this past January. I live in Nashville, Tennessee and have recently moved into higher spin balls as I realized, through Trackman, that I would benefit from higher spin and higher ball flight. My 7 iron spin is about 6200 rpm with a ProV1x so I am hoping to stay at least in the 6000s and higher would certainly be welcome. My game usually relies on good driving of the golf ball, decent iron play and then hoping for no disastrous putting days. The new alignment feature on the Maxfli ball could help me with both my playing and practice to see how well I keep the ball on line. Other general items for me as a player profile for comparisons sake:
Handicap floats between 3 and 5, swing speed is mid 80s with 7 iron and 105-108 mph with driver. Mid ball flight usually a right to left ball movement.

My experience with Maxfli is fairly limited, I have played some Maxfli balls here and there in the past. Once they were bought by Dick’s, I think that might have slightly devalued the brand in my mind (just being honest) however it seems like many people are finding success with these balls. I go into this with an open mind and I have experience with DTC balls in the past (I played Snell and Vice up until a year ago). I always love a good value and am hopeful these perform well.
For testing purposes I want to first check the assertions made by Maxfli. They are stating that the balls are CG balanced (salt water test) and that the alignment aid can help with alignment and hopefully I can see how well a ball is tracking on its intended line. Also, I am curious if the alignment aid will help on full shots as well. Will play rounds where I line the ball up on every tee shot as well as every putt. Beyond those tests, I will do the standard Trackman tests as well as both playing and practicing (particularly short game shots) out on real golf courses. The obvious ball I am going to be testing the Maxfli X against is the Titleist ProV1x. I may also sneak some Chrome Tour X balls in there as well.
I am excited to test this product because (a) I always line up my ball putting and (b) I love a good technology story. I am curious if I can feel or see a difference in the CG balancing that Maxfli is purporting and if the alignment aid is clearly visible on a rolling putt. Also, the Maxfli is significantly less expensive than the ProV1x so if it can keep up then that is a win all around, not just for my game but also my wallet. I am hoping for comparable or even slightly higher iron spin, same for height, carry distance and then the more judgmental tests like “greenside feel” and the feel of the ball off the putter. Overall my expectations are that the ball will be in the following ranges:
Trackman Expectations:
Driver: at least 260 yd carry average, 2400 – 2700 rpm spin, 90 feet peak height
7 Iron: at least 160 yd carry average, 6200 rpm spin, 75 feet peak height
Gap Wedge: at least 125 yd carry average, 9000 rpm spin, no real peak height requirement
“Feel” Expectations:
Ball is not overly clicky on pitch shots or chips.
Feels good and controllable off the putter.
Experience Expectations:
I expect the alignment aid to be additive and not distracting
I expect to be able to see the alignment aid on a rolling putt so I can evaluate if I started it online or not.
First Impressions (9.0 out of 10)
The balls come in professional and fairly busy packaging. I appreciate the fact that it is not a bright or tacky color on the box with a lot of useless design or script. I like the window into the balls that shows the alignment technology, not sure if ALL maxfli boxes are built like that but seems important for a visual aid. As for the align technology, it is more subtle than I thought it would be, which is not a bad thing. It is not distracting to me and I found myself liking looking down at the alignment between my LAB putter and the chevrons on the ball:

The balls themselves are attractive and are firm without being clicky. I was bouncing them off a wedge against a ProV1x and I am hard pressed to say there is a discernable difference in compression there. I have always liked the simplicity of the Maxfli logo and I am excited to play a less "popular" ball because it will be easy to find in the middle of the fairway when playing with a group. Also, I always like being a bit "different" when it comes to equipment. 

Aesthetics (9.0 out of 10)
I like the alignment aid and it is not as busy or distracting as I was expecting. It is not subtle by any means but the lack of additional colors help it to blend in well while still serving the purpose. I like that you can easily recognize your ball without it looking cartoonish. I like that the arrows are fairly simple but large enough to clearly provide a distinct visual difference from any line you would generally draw on the ball. The alignment aid is not as easy to see once the ball is rolling as I thought it would be so I am detracting slightly for that. However, you can obviously see how it finished up which is useful particularly on a straight putt so you can evaluate the efficiency of your stroke. The packing looks good and doesn't scream STORE BRAND. Again, the window is a nice touch so you can actually see the alignment aid. Through several rounds, I can say these balls are fairly durable and resilient. I hit a LOT of wedges in one round and just had a little bit of edging on it, much tougher than my current ProV1xs have been lately. The cover is a little on the clicky side but that is expected on a higher compression ball. They feel fine coming off the club on short shots and full swings. Nothing noticeable between them and a ProV1x. I can't HEAR a difference either. The feel is what I would expect and want out of a high compression, spinny ball. There is a *slight* sound difference on a long putt but nothing else outside of that. And again, the sound is not bad but I could tell you a very minor difference between a ProV1x and Maxfli Tour X on a THUMPED putt. 


And this is a brief video showing how it looks from first person POV lining up the ball at the hole, standing over a putt and the rolling it:
The Numbers (19.5 out of 20)

For my Trackman testing I used the Maxfli Tour X vs my gamer ball the Titleist ProV1x. I used an actual ball from a new sleeve instead of the RCT version since I wanted this to be the true gamer ball vs the Maxfli Tour X. I hit 58* wedge shots (75% effort), 48* Gap Wedge shots (full effort), 32.5* 7 iron shots (full effort) and Driver shots. I aimed to get 6 good shots with each and would throw out any bad strikes or odd results, of which there were about 4 total (equally spread across the balls, it was ME that was causing it obviously). 

Gap Wedge, 7i and Driver:

Dispersion is fairly similar, I wouldn't chalk up the right misses with the driver up to anything more than volatility in my swing. To be honest, 20 yds dispersion either side is pretty standard/good for me. 

On the trajectory side, the Maxfli tour routinely flies higher (noticeably so) with the driver and slightly higher with the 7 iron and barely higher with the GW. 



So in the introduction I said that the Maxfli Tour X had to do the following things, trackman-wise:
Trackman Expectations:
Driver: at least 260 yd carry average, 2400 – 2700 rpm spin, 90 feet peak height  - yes on distance and peak height but maybe a *touch* high on spin. 
7 Iron: at least 160 yd carry average, 6200 rpm spin, 75 feet peak height - yes on distance, peak height and spin rate. 
Gap Wedge: at least 125 yd carry average, 9000 rpm spin, no real peak height requirement - yes on distance, yes on spin and height seems in line. 
I am the most pleased with the performance off the irons. I love the land angle being well above 45* and the slight boost in spin is welcome. The uptick in spin off the driver is not alarming but between the boost in spin and height I am going to lose a little bit of distance but I might gain some control. The initial dispersion chart does not suggest that is the case but I will have to see how it does on the course. 
I also did a quick little test with 75% effort 58* wedge (Ping Glide 4.0) to see what, if any, differences would be observed. 

Spin is slightly up with the maxfli tour x (a good thing in my book) but launch/height is slightly down (also probably a good thing). Seems controllable that way. So, for me, this ball does everything I am asking for it to do at this time. Depending on the player type, I could see some issues with the high launch AND high spin, particularly into a stiff breeze and that is most noticeable with a driver which will is in the air for a long time so a lot of opportunity to get impacted by wind. For me, I have now played in 15-20 mph wind and the ball was not noticeably worse than a ProV1x with the wind. Again, these balls are not ideally suited for high winds given their launch and spin but it wasn't getting batted around any more than my gamer. 
On the Course (19.25 out of 20)
Overall the ball does what I need/expect/want it to do. It spins where I want it to spin and flies high but still gets through the wind fine. Ball sits down going into greens and is controllable around the green. The alignment feature has been well ingrained into me now where (a) I don't really notice it and (b) would feel strange without now. Especially on putts but I have also started to rely on it for tee shots. Putting line feels like it has been above average and I have been positive strokes gained (as high as +2.8) putting....which is rare for me. I deducted 0.75 points due to some durability issues I noted during one round but that may have down to that sleeve of balls OR just the fact that I was playing a firmer, rougher golf course (see below, round 5 with pictures). Have not seen repeat durability issues in my testing through 6 rounds and a number of wedge practice sessions. In my experience, a normal wedge (at my speeds) will not chew up a ball. 
Chipping and pitching have been fun and a breeze with this ball. Isn't crazy spinny but is consistent and rolls out as I would hope on short pitches and chips. I initially was lining up the alignment aid in practice but realized that would almost NEVER happen in a regular round of golf so I stopped doing that. I do have a tendency to watch my club going back so I try to pickout a portion of the alignment aid that I can stare at to keep from letting my eye gaze stray. 
Round 1 quick thoughts: Played my first round in Florida on vacation and it was a little strange to line up all my tee shots so I was getting used to trusting that instead a spot just ahead of the ball. Lining up putts was a breeze as I have always done that and I feel much more confident with my line with these large arrows. Conditions were fairly calm.
Round 2 quick thoughts: Breezy day so got to see how it performed in the wind. Things were normal outside of a shot straight into a 20 mph wind on a par 3 that came up 12 yds short. That was probably operator error more than the ball as I was getting the wind right most of the day. 
Round 3 quick thoughts: Used to lining up putts and tee shots. Noticed that I don't see the line as well DIRECTLY over the ball, better to back up 3-4 feet from the ball and then can tell if it is truly lined up. Shot 73 which is great. 
Round 4 quick thoughts: Don't even notice the line up anymore, just do it. Shot -1 for the first time in a year. Made a bunch of putts, doesn't seem like a fluke. 
Round 5 quick thoughts: First round where I saw some durability issues, could be just bad luck. Had two balls scuff rather quickly on me, one was certainly cartpath and not sure what caused the other. Will monitor. 


Round 6 quick thoughts: No durability issues, shot 74 in some higher winds and ball seems to do okay in wind (for a high spinning ball). 
The Good, the bad and the inbetween (19 out of 20)
The bad(s) that I have encountered so far is that I performed the saltwater test on 6 balls and 1 ball was clearly not CG centered and 1 that seemed to be slightly CG biased, the other 4 were perfect. By that, I mean that I floated each ball in saltwater, marked the highest point on the ball and then spun it and submerged it. A well centered CG ball should not have the same highest point each time and 5 out of the 6 did not (one was in the same general neighborhood). I performed this CG test against 6 ProV1xs and 5 out of the 6 ProV1xs were well CG centered. Could just be an unlucky ball or two but I put an "X" on the poorly centered CG ball and will test it, putting-wise against a well centered CG ball to see if there is any noticeable difference (edit 4.4.2024 - there was not a noticeable difference between the well centered and poorly centered ball in my putting trials). Also, I had a couple balls scuff on me in the same round but had not seen that before or since. Maybe was a bad sleeve. But they did scuff significantly:

The in-between is subtleness of the alignment feature. Truly not sure if that is bad or good. I think the subtlety will help with it not being "distracting" but also you can't really see it that well when the ball is rolling and can be a little faint when you back up from the ball. I found that I could line it up best being about 3-4 feet from the ball. 
The good is likely already covered above. I rate this ball quite high and I think I can add here that the most you are going to pay for this ball is $40 and many times you can get it for less than that with certain deals that Dick's runs. Compare that to the ProV1x/Chrome Tour X at $55 and it is a great deal. For me the performance of the ball assuaged any concerns I had about quality or consistency in the product. 
Play it or Trade It? (20 out of 20)
I probably gave it away but I am 100% going to play it. I am now married to the alignment aid AND the spin numbers/distances/height is all favorable for me and my game. I have not seen a durability issue since that one round and I am encouraged by that. I may try what others have done and color in one of the alignment arrows to make it stand out more and see if that helps/hurts/neutral for my ability to line it up. I have a box of 2023 ProV1x that I am going to give to my friend who plays them (maybe in exchange for something) but that is how good I feel about the Maxfli Tour X Align. I would tell him about the Maxfli Align but his biggest weakness is putting and I don't want to give him my new EDGE. 
Conclusion
To me, there is no reason why someone should at least try the Maxfli Tour/Tour X if you currently play a premium ball. I would also recommend the align feature but that may be a bridge to far for some people (though as I mentioned, it is fairly subtle). In my experience, this ball does everything I hoped it would from a numbers and on-course perspective AND made me a more accountable putter. I could tell straight from the off if I pulled/pushed a putt AND it showed me how good/bad I was at reading greens. I had previously lined up my putts but the align feature gives you a clearer view of your ACTUAL starting line that you are on. That has been invaluable to me the last several rounds. 
Final Score Updates - 95.75

Motocross and fishing but golf has taken over for the most part, now that I have two little girls. 

Motocross and fishing but golf has taken over for the most part, now that I have two little girls. 

Afternoon is my vote.  I always feel like morning rounds are rushed and the body is not fully loose yet.  
Also like others mentioned the sun dropping slowly is always a beaut. 

Afternoon is my vote.  I always feel like morning rounds are rushed and the body is not fully loose yet.  
Also like others mentioned the sun dropping slowly is always a beaut. 

Congrats guys. Curious to see if this ball has improved. Was always too spinny for me off the tees

Round of applause, Chris! 👏 

I stink at putting too. Wish there was a magic ball to fix that! Lol

Had a scratch and former state champ test out the chrome tour for fun.  He picked up some ball speed compared to his prov1x left dash.  Similar results to what I saw. 
 
Even after seeing the results he said, “I am still a Titleist guy, wont be switching “.  I feel like this is going to be the case for a lot of long long time prov1 users.  

Round of applause, Chris! 👏 

Afternoon is my vote.  I always feel like morning rounds are rushed and the body is not fully loose yet.  
Also like others mentioned the sun dropping slowly is always a beaut. 

I got to play 9 holes with each of them Saturday. I'm still happy with everything, except my ability to putt with them. I'm starting to realize (or have known for a while) that my putting stinks. I putt better one handed, and have for years. I spent some time blasting into some trees, and when I connect on one, they still feel great.

Round of applause, Chris! 👏 

Had a scratch and former state champ test out the chrome tour for fun.  He picked up some ball speed compared to his prov1x left dash.  Similar results to what I saw. 
 
Even after seeing the results he said, “I am still a Titleist guy, wont be switching “.  I feel like this is going to be the case for a lot of long long time prov1 users.  

Had a scratch and former state champ test out the chrome tour for fun.  He picked up some ball speed compared to his prov1x left dash.  Similar results to what I saw. 
 
Even after seeing the results he said, “I am still a Titleist guy, wont be switching “.  I feel like this is going to be the case for a lot of long long time prov1 users.  

Round of applause, Chris! 👏 

Late evening rounds, without a doubt. Playing during the golden hour is one of my favorite things. It is just so relaxing. 

Congrats. 3k is crazy.  Appreciate your hard work on here. 

Picked the right day to play the Chrome Tour X again. It’s the last of the lot that I received so I’ve been hoarding it.  For only the second time a ball made it all 18 holes. Performance wise it was great. All my distances were spot on, and trajectory was what I like to see. There was some abrasion to the cover.
I didn’t hit any trees or cart paths so the abrasion is just wear and tear. Aside from the one spot the rest of the ball held up good.