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cdstall

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  1. I've been on my own ball journey this summer season, and frankly, my whole golfing life. I've never been able to stomach paying for the top tier balls. At my worst, I would easily lose 8-10 balls in a round- yes, that averages to one every other hole. Any choice was predominately driven by cost for me. Ego was also a part of it for me for a long time. I couldn't stand playing with for work or with friends and grabbing a pinnacle/top flite out of my bag. It felt like I was giving up and just admitting that I was going to lose more golf balls than any performance benefit I might get. It also had the affect of not caring that much about a slight mishit and giving up searching for findable shots. So I wound up playing a lot of mid-tier balls like the Titleist DT Solo (years ago) or the Velocity just so I could afford to play a name brand ball. So that brings me to this summer. I re-invested in my game, took lessons, played and practiced a bunch. After spending a lot of time on MGS forums, reading Ball Labs, reviews, etc. here's what I would suggest- Kirkland Signature Vice Pro Plus Snell MTB-X One comment there- if you're really losing a dozen balls/round, you might also consider the lower tier offerings from Snell (Get Sum) or Vice (Drive). I haven't tried these yet, so I don't endorse them like the above three. I'm not disagreeing with any of the above suggestions and I'm not putting a lot of science behind these recommendations despite @MrShowbiz999 comments about compression, swing speeds, etc. In what I recall reading from MGS, the Vice Pro Plus, Snell MTB-X, and the K-Sig all stacked up decently well against the PRO-V1. In the Ball Lab, the Snell MTB-X was excellent for quality and the K-Sig, while modestly troubled still had one of the lowest "true prices" of all of the models tested so far at $16.65/dz. (Check this handy guide from @TR1PTIK) I've gamed all three brands. I've been pleased with all of the results, or at least pleased enough that I would buy them and play them again. I think at this point in your game, you want the best balance of quality, price, and performance. I think any of these three balls would get you there and at these prices, you won't break the bank in trying a dozen or two. It seems to me like you're just looking for a ball that won't hold your game back and won't break the bank. Any of these achieve that goal. You may see more distance, spin, feel, etc. in the coming rounds and it will be hard to tell if it's you or the ball, but at least with these three balls, you'll know that they aren't detrimental to your game. Further, I find that the issues I encounter that are ratcheting up my score are self-imposed (missing gimme putts, going OB off the tee, etc.) and are not because I didn't capture just the right amount of spin at the green or get the exact right launch angle. Finally, and this is silly, but from an ego perspective, I have no issue with these brands/balls. If a guy asks me what I'm hitting, I'm comfortable saying Vice or Snell, knowing that I'm playing something that is unique, respected, and that even good golfers would be willing to try. If I'm asked about the K-sig, it's such a good deal that even if a golf snob scoffs, it's worth the extra $12/dz that I saved to endure his disdain.
  2. @Middler to clarify, I meant more about quality of manufacture, not necessarily performance. From a performance stand-point, I have to think the golfer's game has more of an impact than the design of the ball, assuming all other things are equal- meaning, if my game is suited toward a firmer ball, I would see better performance with a firmer ball than a softer (slower) ball. I would agree with @TR1PTIK's comment later: My assumption here and in my earlier comment with Snell is same factory, same QA guys/standards, just a different performing ball. I'm looking forward to hitting with both and I'm glad I got the test pack. Unfortunately, they won't arrive in time for a round this weekend. @TR1PTIK I agree, I hope the revised 2020 Most Wanted will factor in quality/true price/Ball Lab results into the Most Wanted evaluation. It would be great if we could ultimately get a report that illustrated: Here is what these balls claim to do Here is what they actually do Here is what they claim to cost Here is what they actually cost Here are some balls that buck the norm positively (a 3 piece that plays like a 4, a $32 dz that plays like a $44 dz) Here are balls we would consider avoiding (sub-standard quality, dramatically underperform their peers in the category, deeply misleading claims) It would be even better if that were a filterable list. Instead of saying "This is THE ball of 2020" MGS could say, put your own inputs in- sort/filter based on price, quality, country of origin, features, and performance. I think the ultimate tool would allow different users to say, "here's what I know about my game and budget, given those factors, and MGS' information, this is the best ball (or 2/3) for me." Regardless, I deeply appreciated the Ball Lab analysis and I'm very grateful for this summary thread. It was especially helpful to see what was coming down the pipeline.
  3. Just ordered a test pack of the Snell's (Combo MTB-X & Black) in optic yellow. I'm looking forward to putting them to the test to see how they play. I had been waiting on the Ball Lab report and was pleased to see only 1 bad ball in the lot. At their prices, and the "true price", they really seem like a great value. Of course, MGS hasn't tested the MTB Black yet, but I imagine from a quality standpoint it would stack up very similarly to the MTB-X.
  4. Thanks that’s helpful. I’m leaning toward the 4, but now that I start looking there’s just so many choices! I really appreciate your insight! Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy
  5. liermann.mark - do you use either of these? Do you have an opinion on them or any of their hybrid counterparts? I'm an avid runner and have an older Garmin forerunner that can't do golf. From a running perspective, I love the Garmin and wouldn't trade it out, but I'd be willing to upgrade to a new running watch (something I've been thinking of for a long time) if it could also add a lot of value on the course. I can stomach the expense if I can kill two sports with one stone, so to speak.
  6. Well, I’ve got a new course, not better than the Pete Dye Course at French Lick I mentioned earlier, but close: Edgewood at Lake Tahoe. https://edgewoodtahoe.com/golf/ I just played last weekend and it was great! The altitude helps ball flight, the course was in immaculate shape, and the views were spectacular! It wasn’t overly challenging, open enough to forgive a miss now and then, but the bunker and tree placement made some holes tricky and interesting. One thing I hadn't seen before was on a blind tee box they had a TV showing the hole up ahead so you could see the group in front of you clear out of the way. That was very cool. The photos don't do it justice, I was too busy playing to capture as many as I should have but the finish from 15-18 all leads into or alongside beautiful Lake Tahoe. On 16, I hit near the edge of the course and I just had to slip my shoes off and dip my toes in the water that ran along the side of the the hole as I walked to my ball. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy
  7. Obviously, what you want to do is up to you, and I'm not good enough to offer any life changing advice, but I'll just share a bit about my experience and that might help you make a better decision. I've been playing for 20+ years and have largely been self-taught. I'm playing with 13 year old used irons and gently used driver/woods. My game had plateaued and I could effectively get around the course shooting between 88 and 98 depending on how much effort I'd been putting in recently before the round. Since the pandemic, I've been playing more and I found that I'm not comfortable with the inconsistency, so I started thinking about making equipment changes. Before I did, I decided to get a lesson from a pro that also does fittings. He reviewed my swing and called out the good and the bad in it. What I've learned is that equipment changes could help, but there's enough going on in my swing that new clubs may give me a short term fix and present a small improvement in my game, but I'll never get the consistency I want without working on the swing. So I've decided to stick with lessons and practice and if I can get to shooting in the 80s with my existing clubs for a season, I'll upgrade then and get fit with my pro, who after a full season, should know my swing and idiosyncrasies. Ultimately, I've decided that I should set some goals (like consistent play, regular scoring, etc.) so that when I get fit for new clubs, I'm making one investment to enhance a game that I'm pretty happy with rather than an investment to try to fix something I'm unhappy with. In sum, to answer your question, I think it's worth scoping out a new pro- someone that has the ability to record and review your swing (video was a major breakthrough for me) and ideally, someone that could in the future do a fitting for you if you wanted to go that route. Once there I suggest setting some goals with the pro outright- what do you hope to accomplish and how is he going to get you there- maybe that means playing lessons instead of lessons at the range, and yes, tell him you're interested in new clubs in the future, but not until you have enough swing consistency to benefit from it.
  8. FL- Can you shed a little light on what you mean, hitting the 7 iron 185 is a problem? I get the logic behind that dragging your PW up, but I'm not sure I understand why that's such a bad thing? I suppose you're creating a gap between PW and the rest of your wedges and that's the issue? I'm planning on doing a fitting as I mentioned, and I'm just curious about the thought process. Also, does the MP-20 HMB solve your distance problem the way you want? Last comment, and this is purely subjective- I think the JPX Hot Metals are soooo much more attractive than the Srixons. Just goes to show, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
  9. I've been hopping around lately- Memorial, Wildcat, Blackhorse, Gus Wortham, etc. I haven't found a great home course. Memorial is the most convenient, but with the $15 booking fee, and cart path only rules it feels like a bit of an overpay and it books up fast. Happy for suggestions of any hidden gems.
  10. It's truly unbelievable. If I get up there this fall I plan on staying in the West Baden (once the largest man-made dome in the world) and trying to play more than one round. Hopefully that will let me snag some sunrise and sunset pics with the leaves changing. I'll be sure to post them here.
  11. As I continue to think about it, I think that's the best course of action. Get fit, be up front about it, gather the data and try to find what I want in used clubs for a cost savings. I think given my general timeline it's especially relevant since I won't want to go back to the drawing board sooner than I need to. That's why I posed the question about "outgrowing" something. Is a fit so specific that as a swing evolves and improves the fit is no longer accurate? I'm sure in some cases the answer would be yes, but I also have to assume that looking at game improvement irons will allow for some wiggle room there.
  12. Could it have been Edgewood? I'm heading out to Tahoe in a few weeks and plan on playing there!
  13. Haha, I didn't mean to exclude you from offering additional opinions! I appreciate the advice. I think getting fitted makes sense and dialing in on those handful of GI brands/models is right where I need to be. As I read more about fitting it seems that you can go through that process without extreme pressure to buy via the fit service. After some searching through forums here there are apparently plenty of places that offer it as a service, though, to the OP's point, geography plays a factor there. Thanks again for the guidance!
  14. Hey everyone! I'm a newbie- just joined today, but I've been reading MGS for about a year now and I've really appreciated the insights I've gained. I'm looking forward to interacting more on the forums! 1. How long have you been playing golf? What's your handicap or normal score? I've been playing golf since I was 8 and struggling with/loving it ever since. At my best I was a 16 handicap, but I let my game go idle as I moved around and struggled to find places to play and practice. Currently I'm shooting in the 90s with occasional glimmers of what I used to be and what I could be that I find both promising and frustrating. 2. What do you love about golf? Golf was originally something I did a lot with my dad, he taught me to play and it gave us a lot of time together growing up. He played to hold his own with customers/clients on the course and my mom was happy to get me out of the house. Back then I just loved to be doing something "grown-up"! Now, I really appreciate the social aspect, I have a few close friends that like to play; I enjoy the beauty of a well-manicured course and I am absolutely addicted to the break-thrus as my game comes back. Finally, I really love that feeling when you get into a grove- stringing a few shots together, maybe even a few holes of just hitting the ball pure and clean like you know what the hell you're doing. 3. What brings you to MyGolfSpy? Do you already know any other Spies? I've been an avid reader of the site's content for about a year and really enjoy it. I'm always looking for a deal or an enhancement that makes this supremely challenging game just a bit easier and more fun. In all my hobbies I love scouting out gear and scoring with a little known brand that's punching above its weight. 4. Where are you from? What is your home course? I'm originally from the Midwest, now I'm in Houston, TX. I'm bouncing around munis and public courses now, trying to find a home. Happy for some suggestions! 5. What are the best and worst things about golf in your region? Living in the middle of Houston I'm unfortunately a pretty far drive from most courses and with so many folks interested in playing, many courses book up fast, especially the convenient ones!. That said, about 10 months of the year we have good weather for golf! 6. What do you do for a living? I'm in marketing for an industrial construction supplies distributor 7. How'd you pick your username? Nothing special here! Just a smattering of the letters in my name I've been using for a while!
  15. My all time favorite has to be the Pete Dye course in French Lick, Indiana. Challenging but absolutely stunning in the fall. The course is just immaculate. The French Lick resort has done a nice job with their courses (Donald Ross, Sultan's Run, etc.), but the Pete Dye is head and shoulders above anything I've ever played. Volcano Bunkers were a sight that just blew me away! Here's a photo I snagged off the web. I hope to get up there again this fall and play!
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