GregB135

Date 06/19/2023 Course Name Plantation Palms Gross Score 82 Course Handicap 14 Gross Strokes over/under par 10 Net Score to Par -4 Net Score 68 Net Birdies or better 8 Longest Drive 245

Played my first really bad round with the X1 in my last league event. Not sure I could blame the ball though for most of the bad stuff. I've still got several sleeves of the X1s to play with over the next few weeks. Keeping in mind, I went into that event after a 10 day layoff for a golf-free family vacation. When I got back on the course to practice it was like I had forgotten completely how to swing a golf club. A couple of things I noticed during play. The X1 felt, and sounded, really heavy hitting the driver. Maybe (probably) that's my swing speed not creating enough compression. Significantly lower driver ball flight though, all through the round. I'm playing a casual round today, so I'll see how the X1 does. Might not have it in play in this weekend's league event since it's a two-man event with a format that has us hitting each other's ball after a tee shot. My partner swings a little slower than I do, so I may use a ball similar to whatever his gamer is.

Getting ready to go out for a practice round today. Coming off a good range session and the clinic over the weekend, I'm hoping those carry over to the course. Things or 'feels' that I've been working on: 1. One piece takeaway to keep arms extended and create width in the backswing. 2. Cover my hands with the club head 1/2 way back 3. Feeling like I'm pulling my left upper arm straight up, in front of/in line with my left leg through the ball. 1 and 2 kind of go together so it's really trying to connect the feel of those two things with a fluid rhythm back and through. One thing I've definitely noticed over time is I play my best when I've got good temp and rhythm in my swing. If I get out of synch or too quick/jerky with either the takeaway or transition, things get awfully bad awfully quick. We'll see how it goes today.

Well, The round at Panther Lake was just okay. I wound up with a top 15 finish, and earned some points. Then, I went on vacation for a week, and when I came back it was like I'd never swung a club before. Played a discouraging practice round during the week, then rolled right into a league event at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes Course. It was a penalty ridden disaster of a 100. I'm going to rail against the RC property for a moment. First, we were scheduled on Saturday afternoon after a recent aeration of the greens. The property staff assured our committee that the condition of the greens would not affect our event. When we showed up though, the greens were still dimpled and top dressed with sand. But for that, and several cart path only holes, the course conditions were fine. Then, with 40 players coming off the course planning to meet in the clubhouse bar/grill, they closed the kitchen before our final groups could get in. Yep, a dining room full of customers, and they were closing the kitchen at 4:00 with nothing visibly posted suggesting that would be the case. Clearly they are not interested in taking care of players who aren't staying at the resort. (never mind the bar menu included $25 hamburgers... just sayin) Good thing for the Ritz I wasn't planning on doing a full review of their facility this time around. The next event is our two-man team event. The format for the past couple of years has been modified chapman. So each player hits a tee ball. Then each player plays from his partners tee ball. From there it is scarmble through the hole. Our modification is par 3 holes are played as scramble. It's a really fun format. Just have to wait and see which tees we will play from on Orange County National's Crooked Cat Course. My partner this year is another B-flight player who doesn't quite have the same length I do off the tees. So if we're on the 6300 yard tees we ought to be okay. If they move everyone to the next distance, that puts us at 6700, which is a lot of course for my game, and is going to mean some long shots for both of us into the greens. Anyway, I've gotten some good practice in since last weekend. I also hit up the swing clinic this morning, and have another tune up lesson with my coach (also the clinic coach) on Thursday. So, all things considered, I should be ready to hit the ball pretty well next Saturday. Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there in the interim. Cheers

Cut +6 High round 87

Final review is posted. I had a lot of fun doing this test, and got a whole lot more into golf ball performance than I ever have before. Family vacation starts tomorrow, I'll check back in about a week to answer any questions from the readers.

Had the VeroX1 in play for my league round yesterday. We had a nice 5-10 mph breeze for most of the round, but it was hot, humid, and still coming in over the last several holes. VeroX1 for me has shown it holds onto yardage very well playing into the wind. Either that or I've suddenly started hitting irons a lot stronger than I used to. Best example yesterday was a shot from the light rough, into the breeze with 172 yards to the pin. Pin placement was on the front 1/3 of a fairly large green. 5-iron is usually my 175 club so I expected a well struck shot to be just about pin level. Landing spot was back 1/3 of the green totaling out to a little over 180. Might have been a bit of a flier, but the VeroX1 didn't give away any yardage at all on that shot, or a couple of others I've seen into the wind. I didn't have the A driver swing, but I was hitting my average distance. Again, I'm at about 95 with my driver speed, so not quite where OnCore recommends for this ball. One of my playing partners said a couple of times that it sounded "heavy" coming off the driver. So maybe just not compressing it quite enough.

Date 05/20/2023 Course Name Orange County Nat'l Panther Lake Gross Score 87 Course Handicap 16 Gross Strokes over/under par 15 Net Score to Par -1 Net Score 71 Net Birdies or better 6 Longest Drive 245 League round good enough for a B-flight 3rd and overall top 10. OCN courses were in great shape too.

Hey everybody! Hope you've been reading along in the OnCore VeroX1 testing thread. The break in the league schedule has given me a chance to really put that ball through its paces, and it WILL be in play at this weekend's league event. Aside from doing the ball testing, I had a pretty good lesson with my swing coach where we worked on shortening my backswing which helps me keep my left arm from breaking down and maintain better depth in the takeaway. With my focus on that, I was able to notch an 83 in this week's practice round, albeit on a course that is a bit more forgiving than Orange County National's Panther Lake where we will be on Saturday. I realize I posted Crooked Cat earlier, but rest easy. The league is going to play that course in a few weeks for our 2-man event. Going into this week, I feel pretty good about where my swing is. I got into a groove with the irons with an easy to remember swing feel/thought/key and it got me 11 GIR even though I only managed 2 FIR. That was on the heels of playing in a scramble on Monday where I hit the ball reasonably well from tee to green. My partner and I just needed to make a few more putts to be in contention. Panther Lake is going to play pretty long for most of the B-flighters. It's a smidgen over 6400 yards. I'm not uncomfortable with that length. It's teeth are 3 long par 3 holes and it will penalize poor course managers if they choose the wrong shot. As long as I can keep my cool and take it one shot at a time, I feel like I should be alright.

Another round in the books comparing the VeroX1 side by side against the ProV1 and AVX Had a really good ball striking round, so got a chance to get some good comparisons done today. It was a breezy day, and I got a really good chance to see the X1 maintain both yardage and line better than the other balls when into the wind or fighting cross wind conditions. Okay, I fought with the photo insert for about 10 minutes and it won't insert the image with the flag pointing up. Anyway, these two shots were from 135 yards to the flag, with wind into and from the right at about 10mph. The yellow ball just on the front edge is the ProV1 and the white ball next to the flag is the OnCore. Both were played with my 140 yard club and struck about equally. The OnCore definitely held onto line and distance better (yes I made that for birdie ) Performance into the greens showed the OnCore tended to hop and roll slightly, where the ProV and AVX tended to hit and stop or draw back just a little with the scoring clubs. Driving with the OnCore was solid. Ball flight is just a bit lower than the other two. I was swinging pretty well today, and everything was in play. Drive of the day was a corner-cutting, downwind bomb with the OnCore to 165 in on a par 5 to set up birdie #2 of the round. Chipping and pitching was again essentially a draw between the OnCore and the two Titleist balls. Durability - the two balls in the photos were all I needed to complete the round. The #3 ball lasted 13 holes, hit probably one cart path, and definitely one tree limb, but didn't look any the worse for wear, alas it was lost after a poorly chosen shot. The #2 ball made it the final 5 1/2 holes without showing any wear or degradation. Clearly something is amiss with my photo editor.... GRRR!! Jury is still out on whether this will wind up the gamer, but we're leaning that way.

Date 05/18/2023 Course Name Mac Dill AFB Bay Palms South Gross Score 83 Course Handicap 12 Gross Strokes over/under par 11 Net Score to Par -1 Net Score 71 Net Birdies or better 9 Longest Drive 270 Lowest round in quite a while. Two birdies and grossed 38 (+3) on the front nine.

Cut Line: +1 Spieth at -5 after round 2

Scramble event yesterday and used the X1 pretty much exclusively. Conditions were great, warm and breezy with dry fairways and the greens were running moderately fast and not too firm. Driving- Consistent distance. Ball flight, a little bit low, but predictable. Clocked in one slightly downwind drive that got a friendly bounce and totaled out at 270! That's a pretty big drive for me these days. Iron play - Sufficient spin to hold greens, with just about everything 7 iron and shorter giving me a one-hop and stop kind of performance. Ball flight was a little lower off the 4 and 5 iron, so a little more hit and roll with those clubs. Short game - I didn't chip/pitch the ball very well yesterday, so I'll say only that the feel off the wedges is really good for me. Same with the putting performance. Good sound and feel off the putter. Still looks to me like once the ball is rolling, it wants to hold its line a little better than competitors. I also definitely noticed the X1 didn't give away as much yardage as I expected on shots into the wind. Best example, 185yd par 3, wind about 10mph just slightly off straight headwind. Played my 3 hybrid which is normally my 200 yard club. The ball landed just shy of pin level, and rolled to about 195 total. Overall impressions from this round: With my long clubs, I may not be generating quite enough club speed to fully take advantage of the ball's performance. At 95 with the driver, I'm at the extreme low end of the recommended swing speed range for the X1 and, to me, it shows. Iron play is similar to other balls for me, but again, at least to my eye, the X1 holds its line of flight a little better and my misses seem to be a little closer to my intended line. I didn't play well enough with the short game to say whether the ball helped or hurt me there, so we'll call it a draw. #gregwiththehat

I'll be on course today with the VeroX1 playing in a scramble tournament. Not an opportunity for side-by-side testing but I should be able to get some video of the X1 in action.

Remember to call your mother

Another on course round of testing yesterday. Didn't have my A (or even C_) swing with the irons and only managed 2 GIR on the day. Driving - The VeroX1 feels a bit firmer off the driver than either the ProV1 or AVX that were used for comparison yesterday. Ball flight is a bit lower as well. 9/14 fairways though, with one outlier swing each with driver and 3W resulting in wild misses and tee ball penalty strokes (I hate those). Irons - good ball flight, and the VeroX1 seemed to hold its flight path line pretty well, even though it wasn't a particularly breezy day. Still a firmer feel than the two Titleist balls. Trajectory and distance were about the same across all three balls. My iron swing speed may not quite compress the OnCore quite as much as the AVX, I saw a couple of shots with that carry a few yards further. Wedges - I like the firm feel of the X1 off the wedges, it gives me a little better feedback on the quality of the strike. Carry and roll very similar to the ProV1 on both chips and pitch shots. Putting - I'll concede the quality of the greens on the course I played wasn't really the best for measuring putting performance. Unfortunately, the performance on the practice green testing didn't translate to more made putts on the course. Problems were more likely my stroke and big dumb head than anything to do with any of the balls. On well struck putts though, it does look like the OnCore rolls a little better, and gets slightly more roll out than the competitors. Consequently, I'm still rolling a lot of putts across the edge of the hole.

Chipping Test Followed up the putting green test with some chipping and short pitch shots. Same lineup of balls: 3x each VeroX1, ProV1, AVX, Vice Pro Started with chip shots from 15 yards hitting all 12 balls in random order and here's what the results looked like. I did a couple of rounds from 15 yards with similar performance. Then moved back to 20 yards. Results there were a bit off, then I went up a wedge and the 20 yard group looked more like the first. Subjectively, the OnCore and the ProV1 seemed to behave about the same as far as carry and roll. The Vice had the least 'grab' of the four contenders and tended to roll out a lot further than the others, but significantly more than the OnCore or the ProV. AVX performance seemed most influenced by the quality of the strike. Nice crisp chips it was closer to the top 2, on slight mishits it wanted to roll out longer and not give me the distance I wanted. Looking at the group in the photos, the OnCore balls finished in the center of the group, with one in the hole. The other make was a ProV. Pitch shots were a little more random as far as the results go, but 30-70 yards is the weakest part of my game anyway. I wasn't good enough to really differentiate between the balls' performance. Generic opinion though, the premium balls performed better than the other two. It was tough again to get the Vice to stop like the others. My takeaway from these short game tests - The OnCore VeroX1 is going to perform equally to the same category offering from the big ball makers - ProV1, TP5, etc. If you are gaming one of those, and want to have a cheaper option for the same performance, this ball is definitely worth a look. (Veterans in the crowd, you get an even deeper discount from OnCore!)

Putting Test Round 2 Went to the practice area yesterday and put the OnCore VeroX1 through its paces there with putting, chipping, and pitching. First up was recreating the PuttOUT 5 foot challenge, this time I went to 6 feet, putted each ball 12 times, and got very similar results. Vero X1 - 11/12, AVX 10/12, ProV1 11/12, Vice Pro 10/12. Altogether 36/48 from 6 feet ain't bad. Almost all the misses were pulls that I felt right away. Next up was the 3 ft, 6ft, 9 ft ladder drill 9Ft scores - OnCore 3/3, ProV1 2/3, AVX 1/3, Vice 1/3 Results here were similar as well. Only a few random misses at 3 and 6 feet with a couple of pulls and a lip out. 9 feet is where I looked for a difference, and the OnCore seemed to make one. Last putting test was two rounds with different 20 foot putts hitting all 12 balls in random order. Round 1 result = 4 makes and 3 x VeroX1 in the cup 20 Foot putt round 2 was similar 3 makes in round two, and 2/3 were OnCore When it comes to putting, so far I am sold on the VeroX1.

Second test for this week - Analyzing Spin Effects with Trackman For this test I used two testers - Tester 1 is a weekend hack 14 handicap with a driver speed of 95mph, Tester 2 is a 4 handicap teaching pro with a driver swing speed of 106mph. The initial plan was to gather data on 5 different balls. Then we realized how many swings that would be, and we narrowed it down to three. The OnCore VeroX1, Titleist ProV1 (Tester 2 gamer), and TaylorMade Tour Response. We discussed this, and chose the TM to represent the difference in a softer 3-piece ball that might be recommended for players like Tester 1 with a higher handicap and lower swing speed. Each tester hit a sample of 6 to 8 shots with each ball using a mid wedge, 7-iron, and driver. The data captured was average total spin with variance, and left right deviation with variance. The idea was to analyze OnCore's claim that the increased perimeter weighting of their mantle layer stabilizes spin and results in a straighter ball flight. It is worth noting since I've spent a lot of time in this particular TrackMan bay, that it has a reputation for recording high driver spin numbers. This usually results in TrackMan driver shots winding up a bit shorter, and further off line than what I experience on the course with the same driver and what feels like equivalent swings. Also keep in mind, this wound up being a lot of swings and with drivers hit last both testers noted fatigue taking a toll on swings by then. Diving into the numbers. Wedge performance was pretty consistent for both testers, though the OnCore had the highest L/R variance for both with that club. For Tester 1, the OnCore brought the L/R variance down on both iron and driver where Tester 2 saw the best performance from his current gamer the ProV1. With all three clubs, Tester 2/s higher swing speed tended to generate slightly higher spin numbers. Some Subjective comments from the testers: Tester 1 "The OnCore feels a little firmer off the wedge, that seems to provide a little better feedback on the quality of the strike", "The OnCore delivered a more consistent ball flight" Tester 2 "I just don't like the look of the logo on the OnCore"; "Just don't have the A driver swing, can't get rid of a negative attack angle", "The ProV1 feels the best overall to me" What to take away from this test. By the numbers the X1 seemed to perform a little better for the player at the lower end of their recommended swing speed range. The higher swing speed increased spin on all three clubs. Subjectively, the higher swing speed player preferred the feel of his current gamer with the longer clubs, but did note the slightly firmer feel with the wedge.

Got a little (okay very little) more scientific with the testing this week. I put the VeroX1 up against four other competitors in a 5-foot putt challenge using my PuttOUT training matt. The Challengers: VeroX1, Titleist ProV1, Titleist AVX, and Vice Pro In random sequence I rolled each ball 5 times from 5 feet until I completed 25 putts with each ball. The PuttOUT training system says a ball that rolls up the ramp and back towards you is a made putt, one that rests in the ramp hole is perfect, if it doesn't roll up and back it's a miss. So those were the categories I used for testing - Made, Missed and Perfect Putts. I laid the matt out on my paver patio to simulate the inconsistency of an actual green. (For as bad as it is, this is actually the very first video I ever uploaded to YouTube. I'll get better) And hey, it's lab testing. It's hardly exciting work Anyway, here's the test results: Ball Made Perfect Putt Missed Make% OnCore VeroX1 24 0 1 96 Titleist ProV1 23 0 2 92 Titleist AVX 25 2 0 100 Vice Pro 24 0 1 96 I was a bit surprised at my overall make percentage on this test. So, either I have evolved into a VERY good putter (96% from 5 feet ) or it's possible that, like many others, repeated use of my PuttOUT matt created a groove in the matt that helps 'make' more putts. More subjective input compared to lab test is what I've noticed with the X1 on the course is that it seems to hold it's line better once it gets rolling. Those small little wobbles from imperfections in the green don't seem to knock it line as much, and it seems like it holds its momentum a bit better as well. With my putting style, I tend to leave most of my misses short of the hole. The X1 has been tending to roll past the hole by a foot or two. Consequently I've had a number of missed putts roll over the edge of the hole. Feel off the putter is good. It's a bit firmer than the AVX or ProV1 but not quite as clicky as the Vice Pro. I actually really like the sound and feel of the X1 with the putter. Now, if I can just train myself to take about 1/2 a ball less break I might really have something.

Date 05/02/2023 Course Name Mac Dill AFB Bay Palms South Gross Score 86 Course Handicap 13 Gross Strokes over/under par 14 Net Score to Par 1 Net Score 73 Net Birdies or better 5 Longest Drive 260 Breezy day along the water at MacDill. Putting the OnCore VeroX1 through its paces for the member test. That 260 beat both the ProV1 and ProV1x.

Got in another practice round yesterday and had a good chance to compare the VeroX1 against some other similar balls in the bag as I was essentially the only one on the course. I compared various different performance aspects throughout the round against ProV1, ProV1x, and Vice pro. It was a pretty breezy day on a waterfront course so I got a good feel for the wind performance. I will say I was impressed. Driving: VeroX1 didn't seem to lose a lot of distance going into the wind. My first hole tee shot was essentially straight into the breeze, and I was surprised to find it at my typical good drive distance. With two or three comparison holes it seemed VeroX1 was slightly longer for me than either of the ProVs. Lateral variance was about the same across the board. Irons: I didn't have a great round as far as striking the irons goes. Of the balls compared, the Vice had a little more roll out on the greens than the other balls. Again, the OnCore seemed to shed a little less distance into the wind than the other three. On crosswind shots it was too hard to tell if it held it's line any better. Wedges: I really like the short game performance of the VeroX1. Across the board it gave me more predictable carry and roll than the others. I was surprised at how much further the Vice Pro rolled out compared to the Vero on chip shots that felt equally well struck and had a similar landing spot. The OnCore also seemed to check up, or grab the green a little harder on the first bounce than either of the Titleist ProVs. This was about a 25 yard pitch shot, looking down the line of the shot, the OnCore is the ball short of the hole, then the ProV1, then the Vice. Played in that order. The first two shots had a similar landing spot - ProV might have been just on the green surface while the OnCore landed just on the fringe. The Vice shot carried about a yard further than the other two but rolled out a lot more. Putting: I'm starting to get the feel of the putting with the OnCore ball. I had three putts lip out, and another two rolled across the edge of the hole. In all of those cases it was a matter of the ball just not quite taking all of the break I read on the putt. Especially on shorter putts, I think I can see the effect of the perimeter weighting and the ball not deviating from its line as much. Later this week and this weekend I should get into some more scientific than subjective tests to see what we can see. Liking the way this ball performs so far though.

Following up my earlier post about the first round with the OnCore X1. These two balls were in play during the round. I know for certain whichever one left the 18th tee had a significant collision with the upper branches of an oak tree. Other than that, just regular round wear with bunkers, waste areas, and one really flush wedge shot that left some 'ball hair' on the face of the wedge (oops, I wiped that clean before I remembered to take a picture) They really don't look much the worse for wear, so the durability factor is a plus at least this far. These close ups show there is some recognizable wear, but not enough that a weekend hack like me is going to take them out of play.

Did what I didn't expect to do and put the VeroX1 into play for my league event this weekend after just rolling them on the practice green earlier in the week. Since this was tourney play, and not a practice round I was really just trying to get a purely subjective assessment of what, if any, difference the balls made for me. Stats for the round - 9/14 FIR, 6/18 GIR, 36 putts, 1 penalty, 1 ball lost (Thanks OnCore for the extra dozen) gross score 47-43: 90 Driving - I didn't have a great round with the driver, but I hit 9/14 fairways. My missed one's were all bad swings so I can't say whether or not the ball minimized the misses. Distances otherwise were right there with my normal performance. Did have one that got out to about 260 which I would normally say is a bit on the longer than usual side. Launch and ball flight is slightly lower than the Vice Pro and AVX that I've been gaming. Irons - Stable, mid to high ball flight. I didn't give myself too many chances to assess how well they hold the green, but what I saw was just a little more hit and roll than with the other balls. I didn't notice a big difference in my ball flight, so I'm less inclined to blame that on descent angle. My best guess is my iron swing speed is just slow enough that it's spinning a bit less than the Vice or the AVX. Wedges - Granted, my lesson this week was with wedges, but the X1 performed well for me here. On intermediate (50-90yd) shots, I got pretty much hop and stop results with good distance control. Chipping was pretty good as well, with a nice crisp feel at impact and proper and predictable carry/roll performance. Putting - For me, I think this is where the perimeter weighting shows its merit. Though I did notice two or three putts that skidded a little bit off the putter, once the ball got rolling properly, they held the line extremely well. Even though my putting average was 2.0/green I made three or four second putts in the 5-7 foot range that would normally have me a little nervous. I'll get some photos up to augment this a little later. I've got three weeks til my next league event so plenty of time to knock out some dedicated testing.

This week was the league's first Major Tournament of the season. We played at Juliette Falls in Dunnellon Florida. If you are looking for a really fun golf course that's always in really good shape, that not many know about, JF is the ticket. We always love playing there and it never disappoints. I've been a bit distracted from keeping the thread going since I was selected for the OnCore ball test. Interestingly, I put those in play this week after only trying them out on the practice green for about 30 minutes. The balls performed pretty well for me, I just didn't have my swing dialed in until the back 9. The front side was a struggle where I didn't feel like I was hitting the ball badly, I just wasn't hitting 'good enough' shots, and I never found average it was pars and doubles with a triple tossed in for fun. I got on a good run on the back nine though, and was only +3 at 17 tee, but had a bogey put lip out there, and then a bad tee shot and missed short putt at 18 got me a double to finish as well. The good news was even though I was bottom 1/3 finish this week, the points boost for the Major moved me up into the Top 20 on the leader board. I actually started another discussion thread about what to do about a sandbagger in your league. Ours has struck again this week. He's played 3 of 4 events. Finished flight 1st or 2nd each time. And 2 of 3 posted tournament rounds were net 69 or better with the other being a 73. I was not the only one to mention this to the committee after the round. The committee chair was at least forthright in saying he did a deep dive into this individuals posted non-league scores for this exact reason last year, and couldn't find anything overtly shady. It's frustrating the rest of us though that this player finished last season as a 14, but show up to start this season as an 18 and posts 'outlier' rounds to be in the money every week. We have a bit of a break until our next event, so I'll have some time to work on a thing or two with my coach. We attacked intermediate wedges last time out, and I was a lot better with those shots this week. I'm still working on one setup key from my previous lesson as well. I'll probably give it another week and see what he thinks we might want to work on next. Keep an eye on the OnCore VeroX1 test for what I'm up to over the next couple of weeks. The next league event is May 20 at Orange County National's Crooked Cat, the same track LIV played for their Orlando event.