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JeremyD

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Everything posted by JeremyD

  1. Sticking with my R11. Too cheap to go after a newer one. I tried some used newer model ones in the past year, and I didn't like them. I think I tried the TS3, and Epic Speed (which I still have)
  2. I have not on any of the ones I've tested. I think I have one of each untouched at this point, that I plan on using this weekend, but I don't expect any imperfections if I haven't seen them yet.
  3. Final Review: I'd like to start by thanking MyGolfSpy and Callaway for this opportunity. I wasn't sure what to think about regarding Callaway golf balls. I've never bought any. The only ones I've ever played were found in the woods, and maybe used when I wasn't trying to score well, or maybe in a scramble. I am reposting my initial unboxing information to start, and will finish with my overall impressions. First Impressions (9 out of 10): I was excited to see both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X in the box. Initial impressions are very good. I used my fingernail to make a mark. It didn't make one. The outer cover feels of high quality materials, that appear on the surface, that they can take mishits. I like the lettering. Callaway is very prominent, while the words Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X are very small. When placed on the ground, I actually had difficulty seeing the difference. To me, this means that wording isn't an annoyance when over the ball. I was expecting the triple track to be distracting, but the lines are so thin, they don't appear that they will bother me when over the ball as well. Here is basic information about the two balls. I feel they are in line with other brands that have a "Tour" and a "Tour X" model. According to Callaway's Youtube video and the website, the CTX is higher compression with higher spin, however, the dimple pattern promotes a lower flight pattern even with a higher spin, and provides maximum speed and distance, especially off the driver. The Tour is designed for the better golfer looking for a balance of distance and soft feel. Here is the video. I do like the video, as it can give those that have basic information about our speeds ideas how the ball may, or may not perform for myself. Aesthetics (8 out of 10 for both) Now the packaging for the test was basic white, however, the boxes as found in stores is attractive. The colors are not too obnoxious, and seem to follow the gold for Tour, and black for X pattern I've seen with other manufacturers. I do like the hexagonal window showing the ball. The ball gives the appearance of durability. Even holding in my hands, I can tell the ball can take a licking. Do I want to avoid trees and cart paths? Yes, and I also want a ball, given I don't lose it, that I can play for 9 holes, or more. The dimple pattern is interesting to me. I've been playing for almost 40 years, so I've seen attractive, like historical Titleist Balata, to the odd like, I believe, old Dunlop or Maxfli that had odd patterns that included both large and tiny dimples. While I will never understand the science behind the hexagonal dimples, I wanted to make sure they weren't distracting, and they weren't. I could stand over the ball, and not be bothered by staring at them. Triple Track. I don't feel comfortable over alignment aids. Maybe because I've never practiced with them to use them appropriately. They're noticeable but not distracting to me, even standing over the ball. They do line up nicely with my old Rossie II, as they should. Maybe I should use them. Here's a video of 9 holes of damage. Yes, I hit trees, bunkers, roots, occasional cart paths. I was extremely impressed with the durability. As for the feel, and sound. On driver, woods, irons, when struck properly, they feel great. The sound is comparable to my gamer, Maxfli Tour X. As I got to the lower irons, the feel felt firmer to me, on both balls. The sound was fine. Everyone is different, but nothing alarming. As for putting. Whole different story. I struggled with feel, and the sound was different. Almost clunky. Look, ball striking, especially on longer irons/woods are great. Points deducted for putting feel and sound. The Numbers (18 out of 20 for both) Here is a chart of my last testing session on a Trackman. The first two balls tested were warm up time. Not really what my main focus of testing was for, although, I was kind of surprised with the Pinnacle Soft, but I digress. Ten ball averages of Maxfli Tour X, Chrome Tour, and Chrome Tour X were all in line. I honestly couldn't go wrong with any of them, if I randomly grabbed them. The only unfortunate thing, is that none of them stood out. They were all within a lard of each other, a MPH in ball speed with each other, and spin was within 100. I guess it shows some consistency on my behalf, but that they are very comparable to my gamer. I did have another session 8 Iron (5 balls each): Maxfli Tour X: 138.6 yds, 103.5 ball speed, 6273 spin rate Callaway CTX: 140.5 yds, 106.4 ball speed, 6845 spin rate Callaway Tour: 140.0 yds, 104.5 ball speed, 6053 spin rate What stands out most is the CTX spin rate average. A lot higher than expected. My score was based on the fact that they are comparative to the Maxfli Tour X. Higher scores would have been earned if something stood out. On The Course (16 out of 20 for CTX, 15 out of 20 for Chrome Tour) I played a local course that I've played a few times, so I am familiar with where I usually hit it, what clubs I use on the par 3's, and how (poorly) I've been scoring. My biggest misses happen with my driver. Do these balls make me hit it straighter? No. I lost a couple of balls with terrible mishits. As for distance, the numbers above were consistent with how I hit the balls on the course. Here are 3 three woods. CTX, Tour, ProV1x Unfortunately the Chrome Tour was not struck very well, however, the best hit ball was the CTX, and while it was only swing on each ball, they all performed comparably, even the one I missed. I was happy with the spin on approaches. First picture is a PW (49 degree) with the CTX. First swing of the day. Spun back a few yards. This is indicative of all approaches with the club. While the spin can be higher, I always worry with a firmer ball not spinning in the right direction. Second picture is with the Chrome Tour with another PW. It performed as I had hoped. The next picture is with the CTX after a 7 iron into the green. It wasn't close to the hole, but held well on the narrow green. I missed with the Chrome Tour. The balls fly high, but all of my balls do. I would love a ball that doesn't go into the stratosphere. The good thing, is based on this golf course, I think higher is better. Similar to the course I grew up on, many of the greens are small, and the ball flight, and high spin help hold the green. I've struggled with chipping since moving to the sandhills over 3 years ago. I'm more comfortable with clay and mud of New England. As I mentioned earlier, I struggled with the shorter shots. Here is a video of some chips at Pinehurst CC. My video skills will need to improve, however, you can see some spin from the balls. The first ball hit was the CTX, the second was the Chrome Tour. When it comes to putting, this is where my scores take the biggest hit. They just sound a feel off. Is it the durable cover? I don't know. Maxfli Tour X's have a durable cover, and don't feel or sound the same. I had some putts fly past the hole. Would more time practicing help? Absolutely. Here is the sound of putting at Thistle Dhu Overall, I was very happy with the balls. The distance was comparable to my gamer. The spin was impressive, and chipping was good, but not great. I wasn't impressed with sound and feel of putting. Overall, did the balls help my score? Yes, and if I could get the putting figured out, I think I'd actually score better. My scores were the best on this course that I've had in a while. The Good, the bad, the inbetween (17 out of 20 for both) Where do I start? I was extremely happy with the number of balls, and how fast they were received. Having six balls of each shows me that Callaway really wanted us to be able to spend some time trying to damage their balls. I think testing only a sleeve makes it difficult, especially taking on the course, as I would worry I'd lose them and not be able to test properly. From the opening of the box, I liked the look, the feel in my hands. Nothing seemed distracting. The website descriptions, and videos about the balls, really shows how they were really trying to get the information out that these balls are what they want to compete with the Prov1(x)'s, and other big boys in the ball game. The bad is highlighted in the performance in the short game for me. I struggled with putting, and some chipping, but the further away I was from the green, with my irons, I enjoyed the performance. For those that line up their balls, and especially with Odyssey, the Triple Track is great. Even with my old putter, the lines on my putter line up perfectly with the Triple Track. Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 for CTX, 15 out of 20 for Chrome Tour) When I tested the Maxfli Tour and Tour X in 2021, I found my ball in the Tour X. My biggest issue was that I sometimes would forget them at home, or realize that I didn't have many left in my bag. I would be relegated to buying a sleeve in the pro shop. It was always Titleist since I knew or thought I knew how they'd perform. Now that I've tried these balls, I'm making the switch. I want a ball that I can buy at a store and in a pro shop, should they have them. The CTX performs so close to the Maxfli Tour X that I am making a change. For a dozen, at $54.99, it is obviously higher than 39.99, but I am more than willing to pay 164.99 for 4 dozen, especially when I have $40 in GC's to Golf Galaxy. The type of golfer that fits these balls is exactly as they describe. I wanted something that compare to Maxfli Tour X. As I get older I like a little firmer to keep my distance, while still having the spin I like from short and mid iron approaches. Conclusion I feel this review is long, so I'll try my best to condense my experience with my new ball of choice. From the look an feel in my hands from the box opening, I found a ball that compares to my Maxfli Tour X. The spin, distance, and ball speed all match. While my misses didn't improve, I did see an improvement in scores than I had been having. Was it the ball? Maybe, but I felt confident playing every shot in the bag, with possibly one. I do admit I struggled putting. It does feel firm, and I'm not sure if it's me or the ball, or even the winter greens. I do feel that Callaway made balls that perform the way they describe, based on my experience, and what I've seen online. For those that use lines for putting, I do like the triple track. It isn't too distracting, and 3 lines, I've found is better than one, especially if playing an Odyssey. I've bought Callaway clubs before, and have always had a good experience, so I would expect no less if I ran into any issues. The reason I am switching comes down to two a few things. Performance is on par with what I like. While the balls are pricier than my gamer, 4 dozen for the price of 3 is always a deal in my eyes, no matter who it is. As mentioned above, I don't always come to the course prepared, and have to buy balls when I get there. I wanted an option that wasn't Titleist, even though I do enjoy Titleist. Final Score (86 out of 100 for CTX, 82 for Chrome Tour) Final picture is just a really bad miss
  4. I wasn't able to get out and play this weekend. Rain all day saturday, and plans on sunday. I do plan again on Saturday morning, however, rain is forecast again. Thankfully Golf Galaxy opened here in Southern Pines, and I won a Ping Hoofer bag, so that made up for no ability to play. A full set of Qi10 irons was the first number pulled, and someone came in last minute to claim the prize. Oh well, maybe I'll win a set another time to replace my 25 year old ones.
  5. 18birdies GPS. on it's basic form, it's free. I'm not shooting at pins. I'm barely hitting greens. I do like the distance showing front, middle, back of greens. I've just gotten used to it, that I prefer it over my range finder. I'm always afraid it's going to pick up something in the distance, and it'll make me hit it worse than I already do.
  6. did some Trackman testing this past weekend. I didn't download the information, but wrote down what balls went where. I threw in a bonus ball (Pinnacle Soft). Started with the ProV1x, followed by Pinnacle, Maxfli Tour X, Chrome Tour, and finally Chrome Tour X. My first 2 balls were mainly for warm up. The last 3 were my current gamer, plus the testing balls. I will say, they are all in line with each other. This picture is just for show. I did hit a couple balls later. I can't figure out my problem, but this shows my pull hook. I'm a lefty, so my swing goes outside with a majorly closed face. Nothing to do with testing, but it shows why I hit a lot of trees and my handicap has climbed from a 5.1 to a 9.9
  7. Looking forward to seeing the testing of these. I'm impressed with Callaway, and would love another option.
  8. It's a tie with so many, I guess. Probably my second hole in one, since I saw it fly right in the hole. Maybe shooting 69 at UMaine golf tryouts. Winning the last held ever Maine State Lefties Championship, so I've held the title for 27 years now. Or winning a Jr. Tournament at one of my favorite courses, Kebo Valley.
  9. Played 9 holes today with each ball. Lost the chrome tour on hole 9. I’m confident these are good balls. Here’s the approach on the first with a wedge with the CTX Here’s the 8 iron shot of the CTX on the 4th hole. I admittedly didn’t take many pictures. Distance was why I’d expect with a ProV1(x) or a Maxfli. I’m a fan of these balls, except I struggled with putting. Not fun. They just clunked. testing in a Sim tomorrow and I should be able to make my final post.
  10. I'm hoping for more 9 hole (each) ball testing this saturday morning. If not, I'll try for some SIM time on Sunday. The weather is being weird around here. I won't know if it'll rain until I wake up Saturday. I was able to spend an hour testing at Pinehurst CC and putting some on Thistle Dhu. Will post some chip and ball damage videos in the next day or so. Last week was a wash since I was on call, and can't venture far from the house in case someone does something wrong on the computer and I need to try to fix it.
  11. I played 9 holes with both balls this past weekend. I even included a ProV1x on some approaches, tee shots, and putting to compare how it looked and felt. Today's round did include some trees as well. More than one for each ball. First hole started well. Hit the green with one ball. Yes, downhill with a wedge, but I'm happy with the spin This video shows 3 woods. All pretty much the same. You can see carry, swing, and ball are all comparable. Ball 1 is the Callaway Tour X. Ball 2 is the Callaway Tour. Ball 3 is the ProV1x. Here's what I found. Spin and distance that I look form what I hit, compare very well to what I'm looking for. As for durability, they exceeded the ProV1x and compare to my normal gamer, the Maxfli Tour X. Here is a durability video. As you can see, I hit a tree on the previous video with the 2nd ball, which is the course's 3rd hole. I hit trees on holes 5, 6, and 9. As for putting, these balls both felt firm. I had some longer comebackers than I was use to. Honestly, I'm usually leaving balls very short, and these balls felt a little firm to me. Could this just be one off for the day? Maybe. I did take them to Pinehurst CC last weekend as well, and putted ok on the putting course. As for scoring, I really enjoyed playing them, and had one of my better scores in recent weeks. Markedupballs.mov
  12. First Impressions (10 out of 10): Yes, this is a little late. I've completed some testing and will update in the next few day, but I've found my phone doesn't do well with adding photos. I was excited to see both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X in the box. Initial impressions are very good. I used my fingernail to make a mark. It didn't make one. The outer cover feels of high quality materials, that appear on the surface, that they can take mishits. I like the lettering. Callaway is very prominent, while the words Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X are very small. When placed on the ground, I actually had difficulty seeing the difference. To me, this means that wording isn't an annoyance when over the ball. I was expecting the triple track to be distracting, but the lines are so thin, they don't appear that they will bother me when over the ball as well. I'm not familiar with Callaway balls, other than what I find in the woods. It's interesting they use a mix of hexagonal and round dimples. It'll be fun to test these.
  13. I cannot wait to see these results. I'm fat, and slower than I used to be and am always looking for a way to improve both fitness and golf
  14. Good morning everyone. Thank you to MGS and Callaway for this opportunity. About me: I'm in my 39th year of playing golf. I live in the quiet town of Pinehurst, NC and have a couple courses in our area to play. I try to hit balls or play weekly. As I've gotten older, I'm happy to play a quick 9 at two of our local 9 hole courses. Depending on how busy it is, I may play two balls. I also occasionally play one local course with a group on Saturdays. My game: My handicap has risen the past few years. It's frustrating, but I still enjoy playing. I've been using the same irons for 25 years, and just re-introduced my old PT 15 that I hit pretty straight, but not as long as I did 30 years ago when I last played it. My swing speed measured on my Rapsodo is in the 100-105 range with driver, and max out in the 265 yard range. Ugh, getting older and fatter stinks. Current ball(s): I've been playing the Maxfli Tour X for about 2 plus years now. I like everything about it, especially the durability and price. If I'm in a pinch and forget to pack my golf bag, I will buy the AVX or Pro V1x. My plan: My plan is to play my 9 hole courses and use the Rapsodo to measure distances with my current balls.
  15. I wish I could remember. I think I was looking at trying to upgrade my clubs that were (are still) pretty old, and wanted a place that had reviews. I liked how it was member/user based reviews as much as MyGolfSpy reviews.
  16. Last summer's was perfect for me, since I live right in Pinehurst, but of course, I was in Maine that week. Maybe this year is my year to try one of these get togethers.
  17. I wish there was a lefty only company that has something new and exciting. Maybe there is, but I haven't found them yet.
  18. The things that are currently safe. Cleveland Hibore 2 Hybrid 19 degree Titleist 990's, since not spending on new irons Titleist PT15...This only club has been surprisingly strong for me the last few months since introducing it back in last fall.
  19. I debated going over to the new golf house in Pinehurst and protest, but it's not open yet. I will hold judgement until I try any new balls in the coming years. I swear I could hit balls further in college 30 years ago, so maybe some magic will come back.
  20. Played again today. Played my Maxfli and a test ball picture one is the test ball from a few weeks ago. Scraped on first hole. Second picture from today. May irons, skulls, trees, even over a road. Minimal damage for 9 holes. I’m confused. Ball felt good and went as far as the Maxfli or further.
  21. I'm trying to upload my video but having issues. I was hoping last Saturday to play and use the launch monitor, but the weather changed overnight to colder and drizzly, so I wasn't able to use it. I did use my gps, and compared to distance left to pin, to get a general idea of how I was doing. I played the first 8 holes with one ball, my usual Maxfli Tour X. Honestly, it's one that likely wasn't new but I didn't see any markings. With the colder weather, I still hit about 255-265 off the tee. I hit my 7 on a hole of 160 and flew it as expected. On the 9th tee, I switched to the test ball. I proceeded to play the next 10 holes with it. I refused to change it, unless I lost it of course. Do I feel it flew shorter? yes. I measured 249 off one tee shot. I will say, it flew pretty darn straight. I tried to over cut or hook and struggled. That's definitely a positive. Will the perceived loss of distance dissuade me from this ball? Absolutely not. The biggest takeaway is the damage to the ball. My irons are 24 years old, and my wedges are over 10. They haven't been sharpened ever, and this ball did not handle it well. I'm someone who always wanted to play a ball as many holes as possible. This ball needed to be changed on the second hole I played. Even not losing one, do I want to go through 2-3 sleeves per round at $55-$60? Nope. My Maxfli had zero damage, and even hit a tree at one point. I'll get a picture, and hopefully the video on shortly.
  22. My plan on the balls. 1. Putt around Thistle Dhu on Sunday. 2. I have a scramble on Saturday. I want to use my Rapsodo and see how some drives or full go. Hopefully I hold onto one ball. I will also use the other 4 balls in the picture to compare. I do agree they appear to look like the AVX, however the simple pattern and the existing AVX I have seems to have some rather large dimples the Test balls do not.
  23. Date 10/23/2023 Course Name Pinehurst #1 Gross Score 78 Course Handicap 4 Gross Strokes over/under par 8 Net Score to Par 4 Net Score 74 Net Birdies or better 3 Longest Drive 267 Been here 3 years and finally played a Pinehurst course. I have some gift certificate left, so next it'll be #3 or #5. Played pretty well, and if I didn't hook the hell of out of my driver all day and score a triple on 18, could've been a lot better. Other than a 216 yard par 3, it's a pretty short course, and the 80 year olds I played with were a good group.
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