BMart519

UGH. Second round with V5 and I estimate it missed more than 50% of shots. Had the V2 for 7 years for this same reason after the V3 would miss 5-10 per round and similar reviews about missed shots on the X5. Even when detecting the sensors for the first time I had to hold them extremely close to the watch and usually behind the face. When I first tried the V5 I used my existing V2 sensors and it picked them up much further away from the watch during detect process. 
So frustrating, I guess I need to take 2 practice swings or hold the club in left hand for extended period as it picked up most short game shots where I usually take 2 practice swings to feel for turf interaction. 

Final update and farewell:
3rd consecutive round of short game strokes gained better than scratch using the TM MG3 56 and dropping a 60 from my bag which was highlighted by my 2nd chip in of the year compared to once all of last year. I have now ordered a 52 MG3 to replace my final Indi and a backup 56 MG3 for when this one wears out because I have a problem. 🤣

Final update and farewell:
3rd consecutive round of short game strokes gained better than scratch using the TM MG3 56 and dropping a 60 from my bag which was highlighted by my 2nd chip in of the year compared to once all of last year. I have now ordered a 52 MG3 to replace my final Indi and a backup 56 MG3 for when this one wears out because I have a problem. 🤣

The MG3 wedge made quick work of the Indi it replaced. I've only used it for 4 rounds, but over the last rounds 2 my SG around the green has been better than scratch including 1 time where Shot Scope had me gaining strokes on a tour player. (These rounds also included the removal of the Indi 60 from may bag as it is only needed once every 5+ rounds and better allocated to a long game club). This was somewhat expected for a wedge with brand new grooves but the performance on approach shots has also surprised me as I felt the forgiveness with the Indi head design might give it the edge. The MG3 GIR rate is 78% with a proximity of 26ft compared to 71% @ 31ft with the Indi. Proximity around the green when chipping is 14 ft w/MG3 and 17ft w/Indi. 
I am sad that the 40% off season opener sale is over on the MG3 stock. But they are still 20% off and I'm considering buying more MG3 wedges - a 52 to replace my remaining Indi wedge and a backup 56 so I am set for the next season or two. 
I want to thank MGS for the opportunity to test these wedges and for the Most Wanted testing otherwise the TM wedges would likely not have been on my radar. Also kudos to you - Indi, your team was great in executing the remote fit and shipping these out ASAP. The Indi's excelled on full swing shots due to their forgiveness. But even in my initial indoor testing on MEVO+, they showed lower spin rates than used PING Glide wedges that had 2 degrees less loft. I attribute this to the lack of fine milling between the grooves which has become prevalent across the major manufacturers and apparently is key to providing friction on shorter shots. The Indi's likely use a higher number of grooves in an attempt to increase spin but it does not appear to work as well as the TM micro ribs or the face blast PING uses. 
The MG3/MG4 most wanted hype appears very real! 

Final update and farewell:
3rd consecutive round of short game strokes gained better than scratch using the TM MG3 56 and dropping a 60 from my bag which was highlighted by my 2nd chip in of the year compared to once all of last year. I have now ordered a 52 MG3 to replace my final Indi and a backup 56 MG3 for when this one wears out because I have a problem. 🤣

The MG3 wedge made quick work of the Indi it replaced. I've only used it for 4 rounds, but over the last rounds 2 my SG around the green has been better than scratch including 1 time where Shot Scope had me gaining strokes on a tour player. (These rounds also included the removal of the Indi 60 from may bag as it is only needed once every 5+ rounds and better allocated to a long game club). This was somewhat expected for a wedge with brand new grooves but the performance on approach shots has also surprised me as I felt the forgiveness with the Indi head design might give it the edge. The MG3 GIR rate is 78% with a proximity of 26ft compared to 71% @ 31ft with the Indi. Proximity around the green when chipping is 14 ft w/MG3 and 17ft w/Indi. 
I am sad that the 40% off season opener sale is over on the MG3 stock. But they are still 20% off and I'm considering buying more MG3 wedges - a 52 to replace my remaining Indi wedge and a backup 56 so I am set for the next season or two. 
I want to thank MGS for the opportunity to test these wedges and for the Most Wanted testing otherwise the TM wedges would likely not have been on my radar. Also kudos to you - Indi, your team was great in executing the remote fit and shipping these out ASAP. The Indi's excelled on full swing shots due to their forgiveness. But even in my initial indoor testing on MEVO+, they showed lower spin rates than used PING Glide wedges that had 2 degrees less loft. I attribute this to the lack of fine milling between the grooves which has become prevalent across the major manufacturers and apparently is key to providing friction on shorter shots. The Indi's likely use a higher number of grooves in an attempt to increase spin but it does not appear to work as well as the TM micro ribs or the face blast PING uses. 
The MG3/MG4 most wanted hype appears very real! 

The MG3 wedge made quick work of the Indi it replaced. I've only used it for 4 rounds, but over the last rounds 2 my SG around the green has been better than scratch including 1 time where Shot Scope had me gaining strokes on a tour player. (These rounds also included the removal of the Indi 60 from may bag as it is only needed once every 5+ rounds and better allocated to a long game club). This was somewhat expected for a wedge with brand new grooves but the performance on approach shots has also surprised me as I felt the forgiveness with the Indi head design might give it the edge. The MG3 GIR rate is 78% with a proximity of 26ft compared to 71% @ 31ft with the Indi. Proximity around the green when chipping is 14 ft w/MG3 and 17ft w/Indi. 
I am sad that the 40% off season opener sale is over on the MG3 stock. But they are still 20% off and I'm considering buying more MG3 wedges - a 52 to replace my remaining Indi wedge and a backup 56 so I am set for the next season or two. 
I want to thank MGS for the opportunity to test these wedges and for the Most Wanted testing otherwise the TM wedges would likely not have been on my radar. Also kudos to you - Indi, your team was great in executing the remote fit and shipping these out ASAP. The Indi's excelled on full swing shots due to their forgiveness. But even in my initial indoor testing on MEVO+, they showed lower spin rates than used PING Glide wedges that had 2 degrees less loft. I attribute this to the lack of fine milling between the grooves which has become prevalent across the major manufacturers and apparently is key to providing friction on shorter shots. The Indi's likely use a higher number of grooves in an attempt to increase spin but it does not appear to work as well as the TM micro ribs or the face blast PING uses. 
The MG3/MG4 most wanted hype appears very real! 

I use a ruler a lot (almost daily), but I've recently started to wonder if it translates to the course due to my putting statistics being poor from everywhere except outside 30' which is just measuring speed control on lags. The ruler gives you reference lines perpendicular and parallel to help align the putter face that aren't there on grass. It has me interested in the putting laser from the pop-up ads I see online to see if I can roll the line. 

Played first round of the year last weekend and got up and down for par on first hole. Starting the year by simplifying my short game. I’ve dropped the Indi 60 as I never use it other than green side. It had worse proximity and up/down rate than the 56. I am also testing using the 56 as much as possible for short game after practicing with it indoors most of the winter and comparing to the 52 and 60. 
 
These wedges continue to shine on full and half length shots putting me close from 50 and 75 yards. But I couldn’t resist picking up the back to back most wanted winner - Milled Grind 3 for 40% off after seeing the Indis score so low for spin in the 2023 test. At some point the Indis will get worn enough that I will need a new 56 as my most lofted wedge for short game anyway. I could definitely see using the 52 longer term since it is mostly used from 80-110. 

Played first round of the year last weekend and got up and down for par on first hole. Starting the year by simplifying my short game. I’ve dropped the Indi 60 as I never use it other than green side. It had worse proximity and up/down rate than the 56. I am also testing using the 56 as much as possible for short game after practicing with it indoors most of the winter and comparing to the 52 and 60. 
 
These wedges continue to shine on full and half length shots putting me close from 50 and 75 yards. But I couldn’t resist picking up the back to back most wanted winner - Milled Grind 3 for 40% off after seeing the Indis score so low for spin in the 2023 test. At some point the Indis will get worn enough that I will need a new 56 as my most lofted wedge for short game anyway. I could definitely see using the 52 longer term since it is mostly used from 80-110. 

Played first round of the year last weekend and got up and down for par on first hole. Starting the year by simplifying my short game. I’ve dropped the Indi 60 as I never use it other than green side. It had worse proximity and up/down rate than the 56. I am also testing using the 56 as much as possible for short game after practicing with it indoors most of the winter and comparing to the 52 and 60. 
 
These wedges continue to shine on full and half length shots putting me close from 50 and 75 yards. But I couldn’t resist picking up the back to back most wanted winner - Milled Grind 3 for 40% off after seeing the Indis score so low for spin in the 2023 test. At some point the Indis will get worn enough that I will need a new 56 as my most lofted wedge for short game anyway. I could definitely see using the 52 longer term since it is mostly used from 80-110. 

Played first round of the year last weekend and got up and down for par on first hole. Starting the year by simplifying my short game. I’ve dropped the Indi 60 as I never use it other than green side. It had worse proximity and up/down rate than the 56. I am also testing using the 56 as much as possible for short game after practicing with it indoors most of the winter and comparing to the 52 and 60. 
 
These wedges continue to shine on full and half length shots putting me close from 50 and 75 yards. But I couldn’t resist picking up the back to back most wanted winner - Milled Grind 3 for 40% off after seeing the Indis score so low for spin in the 2023 test. At some point the Indis will get worn enough that I will need a new 56 as my most lofted wedge for short game anyway. I could definitely see using the 52 longer term since it is mostly used from 80-110. 

Largely agree with your points, especially if you have access to hit premium balls outdoors then there is no reason to do an indoor fit. I asked this question to the best player I know - my instructor (pro) who continues to qualify for RBC Canadian Open on tour most years...  My focus was on using range balls outdoors to see flight and avoid swinging all out on a sim vs indoors with gamer balls for more accurate numbers on launch monitors.
The response: "I take the clubs out on the course and see if the ball is hitting the proper trajectory I want" that's how he knew it was a good fit LOL
I realized it will not be possible to compare approaches with someone on another planet in terms of skill level and a sponsorship to get clubs to any spec they want 🤣

I am going to provide a follow-up on the stroke discussion.  In Bruce's Blog he posted some information on Face and path aware putting strokes and how people stroke their putts.  Listening to the discussion and reading the articles I am definitely a face aware player.   For those people that like the putters like LAB are you more path aware when putting?  While I can putt with a LAB putter,  it just never felt right. 
Into to path and face aware strokes:  https://brucerearick.substack.com/p/learn-to-putt-lesson-25
Face Aware Strokes:   https://brucerearick.substack.com/p/learn-to-putt-lesson-26
Path Aware Strokes:  https://brucerearick.substack.com/p/learn-to-putt-lesson-27
 

If you look at the MGS ball test results for 2021 and 2023, then filter the data in the charts by lowest spin you will see differences in Ball speed between the (soft balls) Tour BRX and RXS, Taylormade Tour Response, AVX, vs the ball speed for the Pro V1x Left Dash which is the hardest/fastest ball on the market. Those ball speed differences are from the softer ball being compressed more and losing energy and therefore distance. 

But if those balls drop your spin with driver by 500 rpm, that gain may offset most of the loss of lower ball speed while theoretically flying straighter from low spin. It requires on course testing to see how it holds up for your swing and equipment. I went through this last year when I was swinging close to 110 MPH and struggle with direction control. The Tour Response being notably lower spin than "Tour" level balls was also noticeably straighter. The only downside was difficulty stopping on firmer greens with long approaches. 
At 120MPH you will likely see significant improvements to driving distance with the Left Dash to take advantage of that speed. But those softer balls are usually another level below the left dash in terms of spin. Which may benefit your approach play and reduce spinning balls off the green. 

Try the AVX and see how it performs. The TM Tour Response is even lower spinning and could work if your swing speed is under 110MPH with driver (Pro V1X left dash works good for high speeds and warm temps). The 2021 Ball Test had interesting results from the previous generation Z-Star if you can find some. It was similar in spin to the AVX off driver/irons but spin on the 55 yard wedge shot it was around middle of the pack with the Pro V1. 
Also depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your game. If short game is a weakness, picking a ball to help there is probably a poor strategy vs something that will benefit all of your full swing shots. 

Chipping practice these days consists of shots off my basement carpet as it has been -20C or colder for more than a week. Really liking the 52 for simple bump and run type shots with no wrist hinge. Working to engrain the feel of 4-12 yard chips in 2 yard increments both through ladder drills and hitting random numbers. 
Exciting times...

I have done a lot of experimenting with balls, used to predominantly play Bridgestone but also got along well with Srixon Z star as a low spin option. After the MGS ball testing I ordered some Left Dash balls for maximum potential distance (and needing higher flight) along with the Taylormade Tour Response as lowest spin urethane ball (and later the AVX). Fade/slice is also my miss with driver. The Left Dash/AVX are my main balls for 2024 with the Pro V1 as backup for very firms greens if I need extra stopping power, or the Tour Response if the greens are very slow or I am playing bad and don't want to lose expensive balls.  Here's what I have found:
- the low spin balls like AVX (Tour Response, especially) tend to go a bit straighter off the tee, the lower flight and/or spin also helps on tee shots into wind which can make them play a similar distance to the left dash (driver SS tops out at 107 for me, likely more around 103-105)
- had my best round last year with the Tour Response - very straight, stayed out of trouble, the extreme low spin adds 5-10 yards distance to irons (which can offset driver loss in some situations), only downside is they won't work well on firm greens. Began testing the AVX last year as a small step up in terms of low spin urethane ball and saw positive results. Especially like these 2 in windy conditions where getting the ball on the ground quicker can be a benefit. 
- when it is hot, (over 70) you can see more separation in distance and this is where the left dash really starts to shine. They do perform well into a head wind with the low-mid spin. I have hit multiple 250 yard tee shots with 19 degree hybrids using left dash, it is definitely one of the longest balls made. 

I have done a lot of experimenting with balls, used to predominantly play Bridgestone but also got along well with Srixon Z star as a low spin option. After the MGS ball testing I ordered some Left Dash balls for maximum potential distance (and needing higher flight) along with the Taylormade Tour Response as lowest spin urethane ball (and later the AVX). Fade/slice is also my miss with driver. The Left Dash/AVX are my main balls for 2024 with the Pro V1 as backup for very firms greens if I need extra stopping power, or the Tour Response if the greens are very slow or I am playing bad and don't want to lose expensive balls.  Here's what I have found:
- the low spin balls like AVX (Tour Response, especially) tend to go a bit straighter off the tee, the lower flight and/or spin also helps on tee shots into wind which can make them play a similar distance to the left dash (driver SS tops out at 107 for me, likely more around 103-105)
- had my best round last year with the Tour Response - very straight, stayed out of trouble, the extreme low spin adds 5-10 yards distance to irons (which can offset driver loss in some situations), only downside is they won't work well on firm greens. Began testing the AVX last year as a small step up in terms of low spin urethane ball and saw positive results. Especially like these 2 in windy conditions where getting the ball on the ground quicker can be a benefit. 
- when it is hot, (over 70) you can see more separation in distance and this is where the left dash really starts to shine. They do perform well into a head wind with the low-mid spin. I have hit multiple 250 yard tee shots with 19 degree hybrids using left dash, it is definitely one of the longest balls made. 

I got custom fit for my Edel at the factory. Even met David and chatted for a while. Super smart guy. I haven't hit another putter since and I honestly don't think I ever will. 

Chipping practice these days consists of shots off my basement carpet as it has been -20C or colder for more than a week. Really liking the 52 for simple bump and run type shots with no wrist hinge. Working to engrain the feel of 4-12 yard chips in 2 yard increments both through ladder drills and hitting random numbers. 
Exciting times...

I have my gamer - a custom fit Edel. Then I have 1 backup if I get in a slump or need a new look with different alignment. Shockingly, it usually reinforces that the properly fit putter performs better and I need to work on setup and fundamentals if I am having trouble aiming and making short putts with the Edel. Their weighting always seems to produce the best distance control and least 3 putts. 
I used to keep 2 backups, but 1 was more sentimental as I had sub-30 putts with it. Eventually gave up the dream and sold it off (was a cheap TM). 

I have my gamer - a custom fit Edel. Then I have 1 backup if I get in a slump or need a new look with different alignment. Shockingly, it usually reinforces that the properly fit putter performs better and I need to work on setup and fundamentals if I am having trouble aiming and making short putts with the Edel. Their weighting always seems to produce the best distance control and least 3 putts. 
I used to keep 2 backups, but 1 was more sentimental as I had sub-30 putts with it. Eventually gave up the dream and sold it off (was a cheap TM). 

I have my gamer - a custom fit Edel. Then I have 1 backup if I get in a slump or need a new look with different alignment. Shockingly, it usually reinforces that the properly fit putter performs better and I need to work on setup and fundamentals if I am having trouble aiming and making short putts with the Edel. Their weighting always seems to produce the best distance control and least 3 putts. 
I used to keep 2 backups, but 1 was more sentimental as I had sub-30 putts with it. Eventually gave up the dream and sold it off (was a cheap TM). 

Chipping practice these days consists of shots off my basement carpet as it has been -20C or colder for more than a week. Really liking the 52 for simple bump and run type shots with no wrist hinge. Working to engrain the feel of 4-12 yard chips in 2 yard increments both through ladder drills and hitting random numbers. 
Exciting times...