funkyjudge

Congratulations, testers! Based on my experience as a MGS tester of the Paradym irons, I am sure that you will enjoy this process!

I dropped the TM 300 Ti 13.5* “mini driver” at the end of last week, and put the tried-and-true Titleist TS2 4-wood (16.5* set in the D1 position for a 15.75* loft) back in my bag. I’m really happy with this decision, because after my driver started misbehaving in my statewide matchplay league match on Tuesday, I only hit the 4-wood or an iron off the tee for the final 10 holes. I hit every fairway using the Titleist 4-wood and several of those tee shots went 230+ yards. Better than that, I won every single hole when I hit the 4-wood off the tee and crushed my opponent 3-0.

My (current) wife and I have been together more than 42 years, and celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary last September. I didn’t even play golf when we got married because I was still playing competitive baseball at the time (I played a couple years of low-level professional baseball in the Puerto Rican League in the 1970s), but I started playing golf less than three years after we got married and was a 6-handicap golfer within 6 years of taking up the game. I am sure that she has thought, and probably said, that I play too much golf, although she is quite supportive of my passion for the game. She eventually took up golf herself, and we play together several times per year, although she plays far less golf than I do.

As I mentioned in my introduction within the Paradym Irons Tester thread, my screen name “funkyjudge” is also a nickname that I have had for more than 20-25 years. The nickname was given to me by my boss at work, who later became a business partner, and with whom I played many rounds of golf. It started out as “The Judge” or just “Judge” [short for Judge Smails from Caddyshack …. Not because I act like that character played by the late Ted Knight (I hope not!), but because my name Doug Mael sounded like Judge Smails, at least to some of our co-workers]. It was modified to “the funky judge” when I was on a business trip in New Orleans and went out to listen to live music and do some dancing at some clubs in the French Quarter. When my then-boss saw me dancing, he said, “Hey, it’s the funky judge”. From that day forward, I was the funky judge. To this day, many of my former co-workers, business associates and even the owners and the CEO of the 1,500+ employee company that I worked for address me as “judge” or “funky judge” in person, on the phone, in texts and emails.

They are on the list.

I think that the PXG ball is among the best (if not the absolute best) golf balls available at any price!

Roadrunners are about all that I saw (other than some really small lizards) when I played golf in and around Phoenix. I didn’t see many roadrunners around Tucson, but I saw a lot of snakes and a few scorpions there.

Yes, I forgot to mention that. The X2 model launches and flies a bit higher than either of the other two Urethane-cover OnCore balls.

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls: ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball. Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts. Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank! See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls: ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball. Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts. Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank! See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls: ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball. Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts. Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank! See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

I played my last-generation TM 300 Ti Mini Driver at 11.5* loft for a while last year when I was having “driver problems”, and used the mini driver off the tee. This year, when I had it in my bag in place of a fairway wood, I set it back to the original 13.5* loft. However, last week I put my tried-and-true 4-wood back in my bag, and I am glad that I did that, because it was great from the tee on shorter and tighter par 4 holes.

If it is to win or halve the hole, I don’t care how short the putt is, you are going to have to putt it out if you are playing against me.

Yes, indeed!