Final Reviews: Maxfli Tour/TourX

Looking forward to having Max go head-to-head with my Snell MTBx balls.  One test that I already have in mind is seeing which one goes farther into the woods, water and OB.  Fun!

Thanks to MGS and Maxfli for my first product testing opportunity.  I started playing golf relatively late: in my early 30s, which was in the late 1980s.  I played in two leagues at work, and at least one more time a week on weekends.  Back then, I had gotten my index to the mid-13s, and breaking bogey fairly regularly.

Flash forward to the first decade of the new century.  Work travel had severely curtailed my golf time, and I was down to maybe 5-10 rounds a year.  Eventually, due to to the travel schedule and injuries, I stopped playing completely; that was 16 years ago.  Last year, I was newly-retired, and began a part-time seasonal job at a local muni in Fort Wayne.  This is in NE Indiana, more or less half way between Chicago and Cleveland.  My love for the game has been rekindled, at the ripe young age of 64.

So far, my back and arthritic hips are limiting me to 3 or 4 rounds a month, but even so, with lessons and new clubs, I am actually hitting my drives 15 yards farther than I did when I was in my 30s.  My index is currently 15.3   I used to dread the driver, and resorted to 3 wood most of the time, but now it is my favorite club in the bag.  Is it my strength?  I guess so, but with so much to work on, that's not saying a whole lot.

Based on my swing speeds (low 90s with the driver) and careful study of the great ball reviews here on MGS, I have chosen the Snell MTBx.  For me, it gives me what I need in a ball, which are good distance off of the tee, and decent spin into greens.  I'm not looking to hit a wedge and pull the string on the ball as it hits the green, spinning back like a yo-yo, just the confidence that, with a well-struck wedge or short iron, my ball will stop reasonably quickly, and not go skidding off of the green.  Manufacturing consistency is also important to me; I want to be sure that any mishits are a result of my swing, and not a flaw in the ball that I can't see.   A great thing about the Maxfli's that we will be testing is that it seems that they will be in the same category as the Snells I play, facilitating comparisons.

My typical ball flight has a rather high trajectory, and when I do hit a ball well, a slight push-draw.  Unfortunately, my misses are much more common than those golden shots, the most common of which is a putrid low snap hook.  Lately, my back has been acting up, causing me to subconsciously restrict my turn.  At its worst, I will pick up the club steeply on the backswing, and, trying to correct the path on the way down, either hit it fat, or a thin wormburner.

Since I do lose balls, my first plan is to take the Maxfli's and Snells to an indoor range with Trackman, and compare numbers before taking them onto the course.  I'm looking forward to it!

The Review :September 6, 2021

Maxfli Tour and TourX Golf Balls – Official MGS Forum Review by Oze

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was very pleasantly surprised with the packaging of both Maxfli balls, especially in comparison with the utilitarian packaging of my Snells.  In my opinion, both the outer box for the dozen balls and the sleeves of three just say "class", and give my the feeling that I am in the presence of top-shelf golf balls, and especially the black ot the Tour X!

The high gloss white finish on both of the Maxfli's was pristine on all 24 balls, and appeared identical to the Snells.

The "Tour CG" and "Tourx CG" alignment aids seemed a bit odd to me, and in my opinion, look gimmicky and took away from my overall impression of "class" with these balls.  I decided to perform the salt water balance test, and so filled a glass measuring cup with salt water, and spun away with 6 balls of each type.  Given that a ball coming to rest at the same spot repeatedly indicated an out of balance ball, with the center of gravity fixed and that if they came to rest in different, random positions indicate a balanced ball, here are my results:

Number of balls that were in balance:

• Snell: 4/6
• Maxfli Tour: 6/6
• Maxfli Tour X: 3/6

Again, for someone of my skill level, no big deal, but it is good to know that if I miss a putt, it is my own fault, and not a ball that was out of balance.  Suffice it to say that I did not use the "CG" alignment aid on neither tee shots nor putts.

And so, on to the testing.  I decided to break the it up into three areas:

1. Chipping and putting
2. Trackman analysis
3. Full rounds of golf

My testing philosophy was that I am auditioning the Maxfli balls as a possible replacement for my current ball, the Snell MTB-X.  Given similar price points, I would expect there to be a clear, compelling reason to switch, especially since I tend to be brand-loyal.  Given a significantly lower price, the bar to switch would of course be set much lower.  At the current price difference of $5/dozen if I buy two dozen of the Maxfli's I consider the price to be effectively the same.

My playing partners' reactions to the new Max's were mixed, but humorous.  I have been out of the world of golf for 16 years or so, and in any case, have never been an equipment snob.  Initial comments included, "What are you hitting?  A Maxfli?  What's next, Spalding Kro-Flites?"  To be fair, some of these lesser-educated Cro-magnons that I played with never heard of Snell, meaning I have to endure a couple of holes of Sergeant Schultz impersonators yelling, "Macht schnell, Colonel Hogan!"  It was almost universal that they all echoed my first impression of the"CG" alignment aid when I explained to them what Maxfli claimed.  "Gimmick".

Here are the sticks used for the testing:

 

• Ping 425 Max Driver
• Wilson D7 3 and 5 Woods
• Titleist TS2 4-hybrid
• Titleist T300 irons
• Ping Glide 52 degree and 58 degree wedges
• Odyssey Stroke Lab Rossie putter

That's a CuddleDud of Maddie, the best dog I ever had.  Adopted her from a rescue, and sadly, 3 years later, she died in her sleep.  I'll admit to occasionally talking to her every time I pull out the driver, a la Judge Smalls and his Billy Baroo putter.

TESTING

I visited Apex Golf in Fort Wayne, to see what Trackman had to say about each ball with each club.  At the risk of public humiliation, I'm attaching some screen shots of the results for the Maxfli's.  Somehow, the none of the data for the drivers nor any for the Snell didn't ported over to my email, so I just have those averages to report. 

First of all, so that you all can measure the grain of salt with which you take this data, belowis the dispersion plot for the 8 and the wedge; the driver information, of course, was even worse.  This was not a great day at the range.

Here are the average values for spin and carry distance for the 3 balls.  Sorry that I couldn't figure out how to upload an Excel file:

m

Clearly, for my skill level and purposes, the performance of the three balls is effectively the same, with the Snell having a slight advantage in some of the numbers.

GRADING

Looks and Durability: 12/15

This category is a complete no-brainer.  As mentioned above, the packaging is top-notch.  The gloss white finish is also something that immediately caught my eye, and compares favorably with my Snells (no colorful golf balls for me, please). The personalization was a pleasant surprise, and yes, Maxfli *did* spell my last name correctly. Although I lost more balls than I care to admit, I was able to save a representative of each type of ball which survived several holes, including bunkers, full wedges and a foray into the brutal waste areas of the links course I played.  As you can see, durability is definitely not an issue.  These covers withstood it all.  The only small nit to pick for me is the alignment/CG gimmick.  I would prefer that it not be on the ball at all.

 

Sound and Feel: 15/15

I really liked the sensory experience of hitting both balls.  Starting with chipping and putting, the feeling was soft, and the sound was a very satisfying "click", identical to those of the MTB-X.  Ditto with full swings, including the driver.  Going into the testing, I expected there to be at least some sensory difference between the 3-piece balls and the 4-piece TourX, but to my uneducated mind, all three were the same.  In a very good way.

On-Course Performance: 40/40

I have to say that I was very impressed with the performance of these balls, but especially with the Tour's performance with wedge shots.  It is not usual for me to hit a shot of <100 yards and have to ball seem to just drop from the sky onto the green and *stop*.  This happened on multiple shots during the two rounds, and each time it was when I was playing the Tour ball.  Pars and even multiple birdies were the direct result of this, and I think that the Maxfli Tour and my 48 degree T300 gap wedge have become fast friends.  I cannot stress enough how, after the second or third time of watching (admittedly, somewhat slack-jawed) my ball descend and stop on the green, my confidence in playing this type of shot soared.  It was my favorite part of both rounds, and saved me from having to enter triple-digit scores.

This is the 10th hole at the Pete Dye-designed Tippecanoe Country Club in Monticello, IN.  It's a very short, 260 yard par 4, with a tree that bisects the severely-sloping fairway at 200 yards.  Of course, I clipped that tree with my tee shot, leaving me with a 60 yard shot to a green so elevated that I could barely make out the top of the flagstick from where my Maxfli Tour ended up.  Taking into account the slope, I hit a 52 degree wedge, and although I couldn't see it land, it felt great and looked majestic; my hopes were high as I walked up to the green.  The ball had stopped 6 feet from the hole, and 3 inches *behind* the pitch mark!  I 2-putted for par, but still...

 

 

Miscellaneous: 10/10

My first impression upon opening the package was the excellent presentation that the packaging gave, both the dozen boxes and the sleeves.  Especially compared to my current ball, the Snell MTB-X, these insignificant cardboard boxes just exuded class.  I was further pleasantly surprised to find that the balls had been personalized with my name--very cool.  Although I have to say that I would never get my real name put on a ball that I was going to play, given the embarrassing possible locations where one of my errant shots could end up.  Although I don't share my playing partners' extreme negative bias towards the Maxfli name, it was a name that I somehow associated with being a budget brand.  My experience so far with these balls has proven quite the opposite.

Game Bag or Shag Bag: 15/20

I would have absolutely no problem playing either of these balls under any circumstances, especially the Tour.  They compared favorably to the ball I currently use for important rounds, like the occasional $5 Nassau.  The sight of the Maxfli logo and black dot has quickly become one to instill a great feeling of confidence in me, especially with my wedges.  My only reason for the not-perfect score in this category is my personal feeling that I lose too many balls to be paying even $3 apiece, and plan on doing a deep dive into the MGS ball test data to see if I can find a low-price ball for next year to replace the MTB-X that will be "good enough" for my game, at least until it improves to the point where I can use a single ball for a complete round, or maybe even two!  But both of these Maxfli's would be great choices for any golfer, and the price point is not bad for anyone who is not a loser-of-balls to the extent that I still am on tougher courses.  I've A-B compared the MTB-X with the ProV-1, and the Snell comes out on top for me.  By extension, I think that a serious golfer would do well to try out these Max's; in my opinion, they have everything that the "Ball that Tour Player X Uses", without the snob factor and associated inflated price.

Conclusion

I used my current ball, the Snell MTB-X as a baseline for the review of the new Maxfli Tour and Maxfli Tour X golf balls.  The price point for each are very similar, especially if one shops sales and offers.  On first impression, the packaging of the Maxfli's blew that of my Snells out of the water; not that shiny-wrapped cardboard can lower your score, it does give one a feeling of quality right out of the box.  So to speak.

I took all three balls to the practice green, a Trackman stall, and two very difficult golf courses, and tested them under identical conditions.  In what was a surprise given my preconceived bias against the Maxfli name, they performed nearly identically to the Snells in all aspects.  The Snell performed slightly better in terms of distance according to the Trackman, but I wasn't able to notice this on the course.  What was a truly awe-inspiring display, the Maxfli Tour out-performed the Snell (and every ball I have ever played) when it came to ball flight and stopping ability with full wedges.  I am not used to seeing a 115 yard gap wedge drop from the sky onto the green, and finding that the ball was within a foot or two of the pitch mark.  This is unheard of for me, and happened multiple times when I was playing the Maxfli Tour.

Unless you are one of those who is brand-conscious and a slave to what ball what tour players (being paid to) use, I suggest that you give these balls a go.  Spend the $20/dozen you save on some good craft beer.

Final Score:  92/100

 

The Review 09/07/2021

Maxfli TourX and Tour Golf Balls – Official MGS Forum Review by Josh Ross

Intro

Hey everyone. First off, huge thanks to MGS for letting me be part of another testing! Last year I was lucky enough to test the SkyCaddie LX5 GPS Watch and you can find that review here.

I’m a 31 year old, 7 handicap that calls the North GA Mountains home. I used to play to a 5 handicap before a two year hiatus and have been told by two pros that I have the game of a scratch golfer if I could put it all together on the same day. That may sound like a compliment, but for someone as competitive as me it's frustrating to know the talent is there and I can't figure it out. Anyway, I play two or three times a week, usually at a different course each time. My current golf ball that I love is the Snell MTB-X and nothing else I’ve tried has come close to beating it. I play a slight draw and like for my ball to be long off the tee and generate maximum stopping power on iron shots and around the green. I have a swing speed fast enough for X flex shafts but prefer the feel of stiff. With that being said, a ball that is too soft feels way too mushy to me and we all know a soft ball is a slow ball (thanks MGS Ball Lab). At the start of this test, I found that I had a very consistent and repeatable fade that I was considering switching my stock shot to. I was interested in testing a ball with a little less iron spin to help combat the ballooning I was seeing with the MTB-X when I hit that shot. Having the two side by side for testing was great for that and I also enjoyed testing the Maxfli TourX against the MTB-X. 

Here is my WITB for this test.

Driver:  RADSPEED XB PTC 10.5° Fujikura Speeder Evolution 661 VII Stiff
3 Wood:  SpeedZone 14.5° Project X HZRDUS Smoke Yellow 70 6.0
3 Hybrid:  2017 CLK 19° Fujikura Speeder Evolution HB Stiff
4 Hybrid:  2020 CLK 22° Mitsubishi Tensei Blue Stiff
Irons:  JPX 921 Forged 5-9, JPX 921 Tour PW Project X LZ 6.0 Blackout Edition
Wedges: Edison Forged 49°, 53°, 57°
Putter:  L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 34"
 

 

First Impressions
First off, the packaging looks premium and to me stands out as a serious offering in the premium ball market. I think that’s important, you definitely want to grab someone’s attention on the shelf with the others but you don’t want to be too flashy.

Upon pulling the ball out of the sleeve, you can’t miss the noticeably higher amount of tackiness the cover has. It gave me concerns of durability, especially with my wedges.

Grading

Looks & Durability (13 out of 15 points)
Both balls have that nice pure glossy white look to them and the logo isn’t too big. The alignment line is the cause of the two point loss here, with it being bigger than I prefer. I don’t use an alignment line so having something this chunky on the ball is a very minor annoyance. In my time playing them, I haven’t noticed any issues with durability. The ball looks just fine after a round of golf.

Sound & Feel (15 out of 15 points)
As I mentioned above, the covers are very tacky on this ball and feel very soft as well. I think the sound and feel are what you would expect when looking at each individual ball. The Tour, being a lower compression ball, feels softer and has a lower sound when hit. The TourX on the other hand, is perfectly firm and feels really solid when hit. I much prefer the feeling of this ball and the louder crack you hear when it is struck.

On-Course Performance (38 out of 40 points) - TourX / (20 out of 40 points) - Tour
With these two balls I noticed more than just the difference in how they are supposed to perform, but also a difference in consistency. 

The Tour X is an amazing ball. I had five birdies and shot my personal best score with it the first time I put it in play! It has great distance, excellent stopping power, feels great on and around the greens, and the performance is very consistent. I knew exactly what to expect out of this ball when hitting different types of shots and it delivered time and time again. The only reason I deducted two points is because it is a little bit shorter than my Snell MTB-X, anywhere from three to six yards shorter on average depending on the club. Other than the small distance gap and the tacky cover, there would be no way to tell these apart in a blind ball test.

The Tour was a different story. I don’t know if the issue is just that I’m not a fan of softer golf balls and they don’t suit me well, or if there is an issue with the Tour. At the end of the day, there is no way I could play this ball. It feels fine for a soft ball, certainly not mushy like some softer golf balls I’ve tested. The distance was surprisingly good, oftentimes being right there with the TourX on most shots and even past it with some of my longer shots. Where I had a lot of issues, and I know a fellow reviewer did too, is that I could not get this ball to spin consistently at all. And when it did spin, it wasn’t enough for my game at all. Being that I work with a wedge company, I consider myself pretty nifty with a wedge in hand and can make the golf ball do what I want most of the time. I put three sleeves of balls down behind my house and tried to hit the same shot over and over but got wildly inconsistent results. Some would check up a little, others would roll out. The same was true for approach shots too. I never knew what to expect when hitting into the green and that’s a problem.

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)
One thing I liked was the nice little touch of adding our names to the golf balls. It was unexpected and I thought it was a nice gesture. I gave a couple of the Tour balls to a friend after I concluded my testing with them so he could try them out. He has always been a “play whatever I can find” guy because he doesn’t want to spend $50+ on a dozen balls. So far he is loving them and doesn’t feel that he has issues around the greens like myself. I told him not to hit them into someone’s yard though because it’s my name on the ball, haha.

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (17 out of 20 points) - TourX / (0 out of 20 points) - Tour
Listen, the TourX is incredible and I could easily play it with no problems. I will continue to game the Snell MTB-X but I love knowing that there is an alternative that plays almost identical for me. The loss in distance is the only thing that is keeping me from making the switch at this point. The convenience of being able to head to Dick’s for these and the great price point make it very tempting to make the switch permanently. 

As for the Tour, I just can’t play it. I think it is probably a fine ball and will be well suited for the golfer who doesn’t like to finesse their ball with spin around the greens or maybe the golfer who doesn’t need tons of spin. I play my best when my ball is dancing on the greens, not when it hits and rolls out.

Conclusion
The Maxfli TourX is one of the best balls on the market that delivers in all aspects of the golf game. Excellent distance, stopping power, a nice loud crack when middled, solid durability, and a price point that is hard to beat. If a higher compression ball is what you play, the TourX is certainly worth a look.

The Tour is also impressive and my final score isn’t indicative of it being a bad product, it’s just that the ball is a very bad fit for my game. It has surprisingly good distance and the same good price point.

Final Score: (TourX 93/100 -and- Tour 58/100)
 

Well hello folks, it is I Nunfa0 (none for none), star of previous classic tests Shot Scope V2 and Cobra Connect Challenge 3 

This time around I have been fortunate enough to be chosen to test the Maxfli Tour and TourX golf balls. This was an opportunity I jumped at because I was a big fan of the original Maxfli Revolution golf balls.

Right, I am a 49 year old lefty golfer who plays out of Christchurch New Zealand. I have been playing golf for quite a while, in fact next year will be the 40th that I have been a member of the Templeton Golf Club.

I am a 9 handicapper that drifts between shooting near par to shooting in the 90s. My swing has been described as long and rhythmical, I gave up swinging hard years ago.

 

I generally have a high ball flight but I can hit the stinger when required (sometimes when I don't need it too). My miss is generally to the left with woods (slice) and to the right with irons (hook). I am usually a pretty good putter, good off the tee and my short irons are not bad. My weakness is chipping .

My average drive is sitting at 260 yards and 7 iron 161 yards.

My current bag make up is F9 driver, 3 wood and 3 hybrid, 2016 Forged Tec irons, RTX Zipcore wedges and a rife putter (more details in my signature).

 

My current ball is the Titleist ProV1x. I chose this ball for the driver distance, ball flight and stopping power around the greens. I also have to like the feel of the ball off the putter, There is nothing more irritating to me than a hard, clicky feeling when putting.

I am looking for a ball that is low spin off the driver, feels great off the irons and spins around the green.

This test should be a lot of fun and I can't wait to get my hands on these golf balls. I am planning to test the Maxflis around the green, launch them in from a hundred yards to test spin and play some rounds with them to see how they stack up against the Titleists. I might even do the Rick Sheils 10 shots from a bunker to test durability.

So bring on the packages and lets get it on!!

 

August 2021

Official Maxfli Tour/Tour X Reviewed by Tyler S     
    
    Hello Everyone and thanks to MGS for the opportunity to be a tester! Hopefully I don't mess this up too badly, it's my first time. 

   I grew up playing and took a long hiatus, 16 years. Got back at it at 31 and have been playing 2-4 rounds a week for the last few years. I live and play around the Minneapolis, MN suburbs. No course membership since I prefer to play different courses as much as possible. 

     Was playing around an 11 index until a month ago. Playing through injuries (broken toe and tennis elbow) I'm currently at a 13 index but starting to get back to normal. Driver swing speed on course is around 95-100. Mid iron swing speeds are in the 80s. I tend to hit down on the ball fairly aggressively and leave a divot. I typically play a slight draw and my typical miss is a push right. Ball flight is typically mid flight that holds. Strengths/weakness depends on the day. The “head game” is usually what gets me in trouble. 

      I have been playing the Bridgestone Tour BX most of the year, purchased as a 3 dozen bundle for around 110$. Refuse to pay 50$ a dozen for golf balls whether I'm losing them or not. Like many people, I want a great ball at a FAIR price. For me personally, considerations for golf balls in order are:

     1: Price- refuse to pay top dollar.

     2: Wedge/iron play- needs to stop from 190 in

     3: Driver distance- just can't be a short ball.

     4: Feel- couldn't care less how it “feels”

Pretty excited to test these. Always looking for a good ball that's priced fairly. Maxfli wasn't even on my radar and seems to get a bad wrap.

First Impressions

        The packaging on both, Tour and Tour X, struck me as more of a “premium” look than I expected. I like that the graphics for “Tour” are front and center, and “Maxfli” is almost hidden. It's almost like Maxfli wants to sell you the ball, before you realize you are buying Maxfli. I like the concept of the graphics being a “greens book” with the double track putting line trail. Although it doesn't really suit my “eye”.

         Both the Tour and TourX feel very tacky and soft on the outside, more so than a new Bridgestone Tour BX. When “compressed” in my hand they feel harder than a Tour BX. Honestly, I'm even more excited than before, because of this. While it could lead to a durability issue, I feel like they may be easier to spin, green side. I like the glossy finish. I'm not a fan of the Logo or the alignment “thing”. I prefer a “clean” ball with minimal print or distractions. The alignment line is massive with 3 parts, similar to “triple track

First Test

      Maxfli claims that they put the alignment line on the center of gravity of the ball. The thought is that the ball will roll more true, when the alignment line is used. It sounds good, but I have no idea how much is really gained by this. It seems to me that this is a pretty simple concept, and if it really makes that much difference, everyone would be doing this.

    I decided to do the “float test”? To at least attempt to see how accurate this claim was, without fancy equipment. I spun all the balls a BUNCH of times, in salt water, and put a mark on top center everytime the ball stopped. Then tried to connect the dots with a line to determine a ball park CG. I was surprised at how easy this was in most of them. I only did 3 of each ball since I'm not sure if salt water will have adverse effects on performance later. I also did 3 Bridgestone TOUR BX (they don't claim alignment CG that I'm aware of). One of the Maxfli Tour was almost completely perpendicular, fail. One of the Maxfli Tour X was a “bad ball” as best as I could tell from this test (see video). The others were fairly close. The Bridgestone Tour BX CG were not even close to the alignment line, but the CGs seemed slightly more consistent.

 

     I cut apart the Tour X with the high CG mark, the far right one pictured above. The black mantle layer was significantly thicker on one end than the other. Not sure i would have noticed it outside the float test. 

Putting Test

    I’m not the most consistent ball striker with a putter, especially outside 15’. After rolling a few hundred putts, I like both models of the Maxfli. Compared to the Bridgestone Tour BX that I usually game, they are almost identical inside 10’. Longer putts, over 25’, are where the slight differences become more noticeable. Compared to the Bridgestone Tour BX, the Maxfli Tour seems slightly softer off the putter, and slightly shorter. The Maxfli Tour X seems slightly “clickier” and slightly harder, and slightly longer on lag putts. Pic below is (2) Tour, (2) Tour X and (2) Tour BX. 

I tried so hard to get a video to hear the difference in the sounds putting. Almost impossible outside at the course for some reason. The one below is in my garage and the sound quality is not great but it was the best of around 30 attempts. Striking them for like 40’ putts cause difference is almost unnoticeable inside 25.

 

 

The alignment line.

       While I thought I would hate it on initial impressions, as I prefer a “cleaner” looking ball, it didn't bother me at all. I don't typically use the alignment line on a ball because I struggle with that. So I spent a few hours on the practice green learning to “trust the line”. I did play a few rounds using the lines. The rounds that I used the alignment line were better. The previous 4 rounds I averaged 2.0 putts per hole each round. The rounds using the alignment line averaged, 1.7, 1.8, 1.7 putts per hole. The line seems to work.

Short Game Testing

        I took the Maxfli to a nice practice green. Tested both Maxfli alongside the Tour BX. Did a lot of chipping out of thick rough and off fairway. Tested bump and runs, flops and chops from 5, 10, 20, 35 yards, into up and down slopes. Inside 15 yards, I can't tell the difference between them. Over 30 yards is where I could tell the difference. Again the Maxfli Tour felt the softest, Tour BX, and then Maxfli Tour X the hardest. The Tour had more roll out than the other two, which were about the same. Tour X is slightly easier to stop. All in all, they are all very similar and differences are very slight this close.

Off The Tee

         I played 8 rounds with the Maxfli on 5 different courses. I usually played the front with one and the back with the other and rotated which one was on which side. Off the tee with the driver they were all, again, very similar. I could play either of the Maxfli in place of Bridgestone Tour BX. I did have a few rounds where I felt that the Maxfli Tour had a bit of a tendency to balloon on me when the Tour X didnt. That very well could have been coincidence and just pour swings. 

          Par 3s. This is an area where the balls became more apparently different to me. Compared to the Bridgestone Tour BX, The Maxfli Tour had a tendency to fly a little higher and come up just short of target. On harder, quicker greens the roll out would typically save the shot. Softer greens, it would add a stroke. The Tour X would play a little longer of target but typically drop and stop. Occasionally a flushed shot would play way too far. The biggest difference for me was ball flighting. It was way easier for me to keep the Tour X low when need be. I could not keep the Tour low on windy days which led to more strokes on par 3s.

         

Approach shots

        Hitting into greens inside 80 yards they were both very similar to the Bridgestone Tour BX. Roll out differences were minimal and more than playable for my 13 index. It was the 120-180 yard shots into the green where differences were more apparent. I had to really strike a good ball to get the Tour to hold the green, which surprised me with the height of some of them. The Tour X was more forgiving on pour strikes and would still get there and hold. Allowing me to play more confidently and aggressive. 

 

Durability

         Both versions of the Maxfli held up very well to multiple sand shots. I played a single Tour and Tour X for 17 holes, I know… They were both still in very good shape. 

         I also hit each ball 35 times, a fresh one, full swing wedge off my mat. Surprisingly they both left paint/cover on my wedge face when flushed. The Bridgestone Tour BX did not, but they all looked similar in the end. The only real damage that I observed was on one that I smoked a cart path with, and that wasn't too bad. Both Maxfli are pretty durable.

         

Overview

        The “looks” of the ball was a little cluttered for my liking at first, but grew on me. I played 8 rounds with the Maxflis and practiced/tested for about 12 hours. The Maxfli alignment line being on the CG as claimed, is close on most of them. Did it help my putting? It may have. Using the line I did average less putts per hole. The feels and sounds are very similar to the Tour BX. The Tour is softer but not too soft and feels good with all clubs. The Tour X is slightly harder, but I never felt like I was hitting rocks. On lag putts and wedges/irons the Tour X was a little clicky but I only noticed it when hitting side by side and it is nowhere near offensive. Personally, I like a subtle clicky sound. It sounds more responsive to me and less mushy. On and around the green and off the tee, I could play either of Maxfli interchangeably with the Bridgestone Tour BX. On par 3 tees, the Tour BX and Tour X take a slight preference, the Tour was short too often. From 120-180 yards into greens Tour X or Tour BX win for me. They both held the greens better than the Tour. Both Maxfli have great durability. I did not score any better with the Maxfli Tour, the same or slightly worse. I scored the same or better with the Tour X. I was so impressed with the Tour X, I actually bought another box and plan on putting it head to head to possibly replace the Bridgestone Tour BX. Do I think it will replace it in the game bag, maybe. 

        Either Maxfli Tour or Tour X are great options for mid handicap golfers that want good performance but aren't ready to pay premium prices when they are still losing more than 1 a round. In my opinion, for my game, the 3 piece Maxfli Tour holds little value when brands like Snell offer a better 3 piece product at a close enough price. The 4 piece Maxfli Tour X is what shines for me. Aside from possibly a Costco option, this is the only 4 piece ball in this price range that I’m aware of. 

 

Grading

Looks and Durability. Both 13/15

Sound and Feel. Tour 12/15 Tour X 13/15

On Course Performance. Tour 30/40 Tour X 35/40

Misc 7/10

Game Bag or Shag Bag. Tour 10/20 Tour X 18/20

Tour 72/100

Tour X 86/100

 

Maxfli Tour/Tour X Golf Balls – Official MGS Forum Review by edingc

Introduction - July 10, 2021

Hello, everyone!

First off, thanks to Maxfli and MyGolfSpy for this review opportunity. My name is Cody, and I am excited to be back for my third official review on the forums. In 2019, I reviewed the Callaway Epic Flash driver. Last year, I was fortunate to be a competitor in the #CobraConnect Challenge.

My golf game has undergone a huge transformation since I joined the MGS forums in 2018. I am lucky to call the West Michigan area home. We are flush with quality golf courses, instructors and practice facilities. I likely was a 25-30 handicap when I joined the forums despite having played for two decades. Today, my unofficial handicap hovers in the upper-single digits.

The strength of my game tends to be my ball striking from inside 150 yards. As a former baseball player I am able to generate a good amount of club speed and distance. My biggest weakness is my accuracy and consistency from the tee box. In general, I hit a high draw with my irons, with a miss being a block to the right or a hook left. My driver ball flight is less consistent, though my best shots tend to be high, small cuts.

I play 18 holes three-to-four times per week from May-August, weather permitting. My office is also less than five minutes away from an excellent practice facility. I am able to hit range balls, use the putting green and practice my short game every day during my lunch break.

I maintain a dedicated game improvement thread here on the forums that dates back to 2019. I also have a full WITB post.

My golf ball is one piece of equipment that rarely changes. In 2019, I tried out several urethane-covered models early in the season. I ended up loving the yellow Snell MTB-X. I have played that ball almost exclusively since.

In order, the four things I considered when selecting the MTB-X as my gamer (and what I measure any ball against) were:

1. Driver Carry Distance
2. Value
3. Iron and Short Game Spin
4. Feel

The MTB-X was by far the longest ball off of the driver for me during my testing. It is a great value even with the recent price increase. I can usually expect a medium-high flight off of my irons and a quick one-hop and stop, or even a bit of pull back. While it is a higher compression ball, it seems less firm than something like the Srixon Z-Star XV.

-------------------------------------------------

The Review - Sept. 6, 2021

It’s been fun getting the new Maxfli balls out on the course over the past month. I’ve played several rounds with each ball and played a two-ball solo scramble. I also spent time on the practice green and in the short game area.

Maxfli has put out very strong tour-level offerings in both of these balls!

First Impressions

• The packaging of the balls is well done and informative. It is “premium” looking.
• The urethane cover on both models feels very soft and tacky, especially fresh out of the sleeve.
• The dimple pattern, although common to balls produced by Foremost, seems large. Larger than balls I've played in the past.

Nothing about the packaging makes the balls stand out, for better or worse, on a rack with other premium offerings. Maxfli did well here.

Looks & Durability - 13/15 Points

The balls sport a clean design, highlighted by a large “MAXFLI” marking. The only differences between the appearances of the Tour and Tour X are the color of the numbers (black for Tour, red for Tour X) and the name on the alignment marking.

My only complaint about the looks is that the CG alignment mark is a little chunky. It is almost “Triple Track-like,” in its width. I’d prefer for the lines to be either closer together or removed.

The durability of both models is impressive. I hit many trees throughout my testing and did not cause any noticeable damage to the covers of the balls. Most grass and dirt marks wiped away with a towel. Some covers picked up permanent marks after particularly violent collisions with trees.

Sound & Feel - 15/15 Points

The Tour and Tour X are two different golf balls with two distinct sounds and feels.

Being a lower compression ball, the Tour produces a muted thwack sound. The Tour is also softer feeling. On my best swings it almost felt like the ball was melting on the club face. I found this feeling to be very addictive.

The Tour X is a typical high-compression ball. It is firm feeling off of the club face and produces a more piercing crack/click noise when struck.

These differences in feel and sound exist from driver to putter.

Both golf balls are enjoyable to hit and deserve all points in this category.

On Course Performance, Tour X - 40/40 Points
On Course Performance, Tour - 25/40 Points

The Tour X was a solid performer all around. It gave up no distance, had a high ball flight and adequate spin for one-hop-and-stop shots into the green. I did not experience excessive spin off of the driver or irons. It plays very much like other high-compression balls I have used in the past.

The Tour excelled in the long game. It seemed to be a little longer than the Tour X off the driver, I suspect from less spin. It has a penetrating flight that is lower than the Tour X as well.

My biggest issue with the Tour was a general lack of spin on approach shots and around the greens. I struggled to hold greens with full wedge shots, but only on certain swings. The Tour seemed to be very inconsistent. One shot the ball would hop-and-stop and the next would kick off the back of the green. This made it very hard for me to play the Tour. By the end of testing I had no confidence hitting approach shots into greens.

While I do find the stock alignment aid to be chunky, I putted very well with both models. My distance control and accuracy seemed no worse during my testing period. It may have even improved.

Miscellaneous - 7/10 Points

I ran each dozen through my Check-Go-Pro device. The purpose of the C-G-P was to confirm the position of the factory CG/alignment stamp. My results were interesting as I had a handful of balls that seemed to deviate from the factory line. (The post with my full results is here.)

The CG stamp would be a big selling feature for me, as I C-G-P most of my golf balls. Either the Maxfli process or the C-G-P is wrong for some balls. Deducting three points here as I’m not sure what process to trust. 

The balls also showed up personalized with our names. While a nice touch on Maxfli’s behalf, I tend to prefer anonymity when losing golf balls!

Game Bag or Shag Bag, Tour X - 15/20 Points
Game Bag or Shag Bag, Tour - 5/20 Points

The Tour X is a fantastic golf ball. I enjoyed my time playing it, and I think the ball would be good for many high swing speed players. Once Maxfli releases a yellow version for sale, I plan to buy at least two dozen to put into play. At $34.99 per dozen or cheaper on sale, the Tour X is a great value and every bit as good as higher-priced alternatives.

I enjoyed the long game characteristics and feel of the Tour. However, I was not happy with the inconsistency when hitting approaches into the greens. My remaining Tour balls will be heading to the shag bag. Or, I will pass them along to someone who doesn’t mind playing golf balls with my name on them.  The Tour might be a better fit for someone who plays a bump-and-run style of approach to most greens.

Final Score, Tour X - 90/100 Points
Final Score, Tour - 65/100 Points

Despite being a “house brand,” Maxfli is making some quality golf balls at excellent prices. The Tour X behaved exactly how I’d expect a high-compression, tour-level ball to behave. The durability of Maxfli’s proprietary cover is impressive (especially considering my testing efforts!). While I did not get along well with the Tour model, it could be a great ball for a different type of golfer.

Both models are worthy of inclusion in any listing of quality, urethane-covered golf balls.

Good evening,

Thanks to MyGolfSpy and Maxfli for the opportunity to review these Tour and Tour X golf balls. We moved to Pinehurst, NC about 6 months ago, and I've been playing on and off for about 35 years. I lived in Maine my whole life prior to this. What I am looking for is a ball that allows me to hold greens, while being a little tougher on the outside to help me feel like I can hit near as long as I used to. I play about 9 holes on average per week, and hit a bucket of balls at the range once per week as well. 

I have a current index of 6.7.  My clubs are pretty old, but don't feel they are broken. I have been playing the same irons since 1999, and my driver since 2010. As for distances, my driver goes between 250-260, and I'm ok with that. My 7 iron used to be 165-170, but I feel it's closer to 160 now. 

My ball flight is very high. This allows me to hit a harder ball and still hold a green. When I miss, it's a pull to the right with irons, and a pull hook with my driver. I feel it costs me 2-3 strokes per round. Other than my hooking issue, I feel my biggest weakness is my putting. 

My current ball of choice is the Pinnacle Soft. I've never been a fan of the softer balls, and would play one ball for as many holes as I could. I have been playing my current Pinnacle Soft for 27 holes. One of the reasons I like them, is I feel I play well with them. My scores are typically better with thesethan any other ball in the last year. They are also inexpensive, which is right in my wheel house, and why the Maxfli is so appealing. if they play similar or better than the Titleist Tour Soft or the Pinnacle Soft, I'm happy to pay the 2 dozen for $55 price.

 

Final Review

First Impressions

The first thing that stood out was the very different packaging between the 2 balls. I was mainly drawn to the dark gray and red of the Tour X as opposed to the white/gold of the Tour. Honestly I was kind of turned off to the Tour packaging.

I wanted to compare these to my inexpensive Pinnacle Soft golf balls or Titleist Tour Speed. I wanted to see if my clubs essentially played the same distances, and didn’t do anything funky. I didn’t want my over slices or over hooks to curve more than what I’m used to. I’m ok playing a little firmer ball, and one that didn’t break the bank. I also like to play a ball that I feel confident in. I don’t look at reviews before I try anything new, and often try new balls as I find them in the woods on the course.

Most of my testing was on the golf course. I spent a couple of hours putting and chipping, but was able to play about 36 holes per ball. I also spent 15 minutes testing in a bunker.

 

Grading

Looks and Durability (14 out of 15)

A couple of things really stand out. The alignment marks are very striking, even though I don’t use them. The numbers and wording are clean. I like the dimple pattern. All of the dimples were uniform, and I prefer this compared to balls that may have dimples of different sizes.

With regards to durability, they really hold up. I think if I didn’t lose a couple I could easily see myself playing multiple rounds with them. Of the two balls, I saw more durability out of the Tour X. I did notice on my 56 degree that some of the outer covering of the Tour was on the face, although this was only noticed one time.  I also hit some trees through my rounds, and didn’t really notice any marks that couldn’t be rubbed off with a little spit.

Sound & Feel (13 out of 15)

These balls compare very well to how my current Pinnacle and Titleist feel. When hitting it close to pure, the balls felt soft to me. Even my misses didn’t feel uncomfortable. I’ve played some balls in the past and they felt like rocks. They really felt good. When I first touched the balls, and it’s hard to describe, but they felt maybe like hard rubber in my hands. I know it’s not a great description and maybe I can update this with a better description. It made me nervous at first, but once I started hitting them, I didn’t notice any difference from my current balls.

I marked these balls down due to the initial sound I experienced when putting. They didn’t sound like a soft ball when hitting a putt. They almost sounded like a Ting sound to my ears. It gave me a poor initial impression. I will say, that over time, I didn’t notice the sound at all

On-Course Performance (38 out of 40) Tour X, (25 out of 40) Tour

Now I wanted to give 2 ratings on this because these balls performed very different for me, during my rounds, with the exception of the extra 9 holes I played with the Tour. It gave me a new appreciation, and prior to that round, I would have graded them much lower.

I’m a 250-275 driver. Off the tee, these balls performed the same as my rock hard pinnacles. I don’t feel I lost any distance. With regards to approach to the greens, I truly loved the performance of the Tour X. They really held the greens, which if you can see in my pictures, the ball marks are not that deep on the Bermuda grass greens. The Tour was inconsistent. Most holes, they would hit and not stay near the ball mark. The last 9 may or may not have been an anomaly. The balls held well, but the last 9 was at a different course and could have been the reason.

I hit a high ball, and the flight was about as expected. I was concerned that the Tour X would fly higher than the Tour, but they were pretty equal. When chipping, and hitting from bunkers, the balls would perform within my abilities. I was very happy with the greenside spin, and how they rolled off the clubface.

Putting was where I wanted to see if it would help. I am incredibly inconsistent and am still not comfortable using alignment lines. My issues have more to do with speed control. When I first heart the ting sound, I thought it would affect me. It didn’t. My putting wasn’t affected, and I may have gained a little confidence putting these balls.

Overall, my handicap dropped from 6.0 to 4.8 while playing these balls. Was it because of the ball? Possibly. As I said earlier, I care most about how I play, and (mainly the Tour X) I played well with these golf balls.

 

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10)

I really enjoyed finding my name on the ball, and I’m not sure if this was one of the reasons the balls took so long to get to us. The packaging was very tight, and I liked it, but I really wasn’t a fan of the While and Yellow/Gold of the Tour.

Game Bag or Shag Bag (20 out of 20 Tour X) (10 out of 20 Tour)

Based on performance, durability, cost, looks, feel, and my scores, I would absolutely put the Tour X in my Game Bag. No questions at all. My scores were very good playing this ball compared to the Tour, or even compared to my Pinnacle and Titleist. I could easily see myself making these my 1A or 1B balls. As for the Tour balls, I will only use these if I don’t really have another option. They’re a good ball, but not necessarily my favorite. Comparing the two balls, I feel the Tour X is close to a premium ball, and at a slightly lower price, making it a great value. The Tour is overpriced, in my opinion, based on how I performed with it.

Who would benefit from these? I’m a 4.8 handicap that hits a 260 drive and an 8 iron 155. I lack consistency. Some days I hit 20% of greens, and some days it’s 70%. One thing I can say with confidence is that, when playing the Tour X, I don’t feel the need to blame the ball on off days. When playing the Tour, I can’t say the same thing.

Conclusion

My main focus was to compare these balls to the two balls I primarily play, the Pinnacle Soft and Titleist Tour Speed. I have had good rounds with the Pinnacle Soft, and the price is very low. I’ll be honest, I don’t like to spend money. These balls, while more than the Pinnacle, but less than the Titleist, really caught my attention. The balls themselves are very striking to look at. If you use the alignment lines, they look appealing. With regards to performance, I wanted to make sure I maintained or gained distance, as well as was able to hold greens. The Tour X exceeded my expectations, and the Tour was more disappointing than I expected compared to the Tour X, and even my Pinnacle. Yes, I would prefer my Pinnacle over the Tour. I struggled initially with the sound off the putter, but my initial concerns went away over time. I highly recommend the Tour X, but not the Tour.

Final Score (93 out of 100 Tour X) (70 out of 100 Tour)

 

August 2021

Maxfli Tour and Tour X Golf Ball Review by Tom the Golf Nut

Intro:  I have been playing for about for thirty two years and currently hold a .6 handicap.

My swing tempo is smooth with an average driver swing speed in the high 90’s.

I play in North East Tennessee at the base of the Smoky Mountains. My home course has a lot of elevation changes. Actually every hole has an elevation change.

My typical ball flight is straight with a middle flight trajectory.

My strengths are driving the ball straight, chipping, pitching and putting.

 

  First Impressions: The packaging is clean and classy.  There are two alignment lines that frame the ball model. They actually work well with my putter’s alignment system.  

 

                                            

 

The Tour is a three piece ball and the Tour X is a four piece ball. Both models are urethane and come with the center of gravity balanced. I really didn’t notice much difference off the tee using or not using the alignment system. But if a ball happened to be perfectly balanced it really wouldn’t matter anyway.                                                       

 I went into this testing to see if a brand I would normally dismiss could perform, change my opinion, and find its way into my bag.

First I wanted to check the alignment Maxfli put on the ball claiming the center of gravity balance point. I conducted a salt water test. For the most part the alignment was spot on. On a few, the ball was perfectly balanced so the alignment markings really didn’t matter. I did find two per half dozen that were not perfect to the alignment but it was not off by much.

 The first of my playing test was to hit three of each model into a chipping and pitching practice green to see what the ball would do from 60 yards with a 60 degree lob wedge. Then repeat this step three more times using the same balls. I also wanted to check for durability with the higher spin coming off the lob wedge. My typical results are to land and sit in place.  So my results (as seen below) were good. Both models just sat where they landed.

 

I went on to chipping next. I used my 50 degree gap wedge from 40 yards off the practice chipping green. The Tour balls would hit and roll about two feet. The Tour X seemed to have a little more spin and they did a one hop and stop. This test was repeated three times with similar results to what is shown below. The Tour rolled up closer to the pin.

 

Next test was to play from varied distances from 90 to 125 yards out. Will the ball still sit or will it roll out. Like I mentioned earlier my shot is “land and sit or one hop and stop”. This time I did the test on the actual green at my course. Still good results. The results between the two models were very similar. Both hit and stopped a foot from the impact.

                         

Next test was on to the Driver. I went out on to the course and hit six drives. Two Titleist AVX, Two Maxfli Tours, and two Tour X balls. I am very consistent with my driver. All six balls were in the fairway. I did not see any real distance difference between them. The only discernable difference was the sound at impact. The Maxfli’s were a little clicky with the Tour X having the loudest click. But that is probably due to the compression difference and being a four piece ball. I didn’t mind the difference in sound but I thought it would be worth mentioning.  After completing this I just compared the Tour and the Tour X against each other with the driver.

I am still using the same sleeve of balls for durability testing which we will cover later.

On to the putting green. I was just comparing the Maxfli’s against each other and using the center of gravity alignment feature. The feel comparing to the two models was similar. The sound was different but not by much. The Tour X was a little louder on longer putts, but the two models felt the same off the putter face. Distance on putts was identical. I even mixed the balls up so I just putted what was in front of me. No discernable difference in length.  I set up for 10 and 20 footers. Below is a photo of one of the 20 foot attempts. I did a second round on the putting green at 60 feet and the balls reacted the same but the X was louder on impact.

 

I set up to play four balls on a par three requiring a six iron. Two of each. No distance difference between any of them. All four were close to the same distance just left or right of the pin. The Tour balls hit and rolled out about two to three feet. The tour X checked up a tad bit more. So the consistency is still similar between the models based on my swing. The Tour X had a slightly higher trajectory but both model ball went roughly the same distance.

I have played a few rounds with both balls either playing both on the same hole or alternating holes. I have played my course for 15 years so I know what club to hit and the typical distance of my second shots. These balls played very similar to the AVX that I started playing.   

 Durability, So far these still look brand new after cleaning the dirt and grass marks off. No scuff marks or feathering from lob wedge shots. After several bunker rounds the balls still looked good. I haven’t hit any trees or cart paths so I can’t speak to that part on durability. Playability out of the bunker was very good. The balls checked up nicely. This photo was from a short sided bunker shot side hill downhill combination. Balls landed by the pin and tricked to their location on the photo. Typically with anything other than a urethane ball they would be off the green. The slopes are bigger than what they appear. I was actually quite pleased with these.

 

Could I find anything wrong with these balls? Not really… I would say these are quality golf balls with close to the performance of a high end ball. If you squirm at paying close to $50.00 for a dozen premium balls then I would recommend you give these a try at $35.00. The performance factor between an average or better than average player using this ball or the ProV1 would not be able to tell the difference and it definitely won’t hurt your wallet much. I’m picky and only play a few different models when it counts but in a casual round I’ll try a sleeve of something that found its way into my possession (As long as it’s a decent ball). I easily could put either model on my “to play list” But if I had to choose I would play the Tour. This ball felt better for me and I am a feel player.

Grading:

Looks and Durability, 13 out of 15

The word MAXFLI on the golf ball was a little too blocky looking for me. But that’s just me being picky.  Durability was actually a little better than a typical urethane ball. During the weeks of testing with the same sleeve from each model there was no damage or visual imperfections.

 

Sound and Feel, Tour 13 out of 15, Tour X 12 out of 15

The Tour X has a louder click sound. The Tour sounds better to me. The same with the feel. The Tour felt a little softer and more like what I prefer to play. The “X” felt firmer. I really noticed the difference with the wedges.

On Course Performance Tour 37 out of 40, Tour X 38 out of 40

This ball performed well under all playing conditions. Chipping and putting gave me similar performance to the AVX and each other. I did not have to make any adjustments to my game to play the tour ball. I did have to attack the pin more with the Tour X on the short game. It seemed to check up quicker (But not by much).

Miscellaneous, 8 out of 10

The packaging was classy. The center of gravity marking was clean and functional as an alignment aid. This worked good off the tee and on the greens for putting. 

Game Bag or Shag Bag, 18 out of 20

This product does contribute to your game and it should go in the Game Bag. The price is great considering the performance the ball gives you. I think this ball would be great for anyone with a mid-handicap down to a single digit handicap.

 

Conclusion,

This ball performed better than I thought it would. For a mid-priced ball claiming to be a “Tour” ball I think they nailed it pretty well. It did perform similar to the AVX I have been playing. Both model balls played well on the short and long game. If you like a slightly softer feeling ball then the Tour is the ball for you. (I will qualify this statement by saying it is not a very soft ball)  If you already play an “X” ball from another manufacturer then the Tour “X“ will feel, sound, and play similar.  

Final Score 89 out of 100. (Slightly different scoring on an individual basis but the totals were the same)

 

Thank you for choosing me for this test! I'm excited to get my hands on these and see what they can do!

My dad taught me the game when I was a young kid and the bug has stuck with me ever since and now I get the joy pass the love of this great game to my two young boys.

I currently carry a 6 handicap and work on my game as much as I can. I am a high launcher of the golf ball and like a golf ball that will hold greens and have less spin on my driver and long irons.

The strengths of my game are my driving and putting. I need to work on my wedge play as so far that has been my biggest weakness. 

I look for a ball that will give me good distance off the tee with workability around the greens.

With this testing I want to see if a lower priced golf ball can stand up to the big boys. 

Ok so how is everyone feeling on actually playing these balls? I played them today and could not keep them straight. Might have been how I was hitting them but I went through 2 full sleeves because they kept going OB. Also felt they did not spin as much as a ProV1X 2021. I was playing the Tour X. Does anyone else concur?

3 minutes ago, golfish! said:

Ok so how is everyone feeling on actually playing these balls? I played them today and could not keep them straight. Might have been how I was hitting them but I went through 2 full sleeves because they kept going OB. Also felt they did not spin as much as a ProV1X 2021. I was playing the Tour X. Does anyone else concur?

I haven't got them yet but it's interesting that you were having those struggles. My club is in the process of building a new fitting bay and I will be able to hit these on a launch monitor to get actual spin numbers. That will allow me to confirm your findings or completely disprove them. Personally I think you will be right on the money but we shall see....

I think the balls are on the slow boat from Taiwan. They should be here this week. 

I got home from playing golf this morning and the Fed Ex truck pulled in behind me and delivered my Maxfli balls. Ready to get rolling on the testing.

There was a nice added touch to the balls that I wasn't expecting. They put my name on the balls. So we all have to make sure we keep them out of someone's window or don't hit anyone on the course.

These are the weapons I will be using for the testing.

I should be able to get started this week.

Like @Tom the Golf Nut, mine came in this weekend as well! Just in time for several days of rainy weather. 

Looking forward to getting these out on the practice facility and course.

3 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I got home from playing golf this morning and the Fed Ex truck pulled in behind me and delivered my Maxfli balls. Ready to get rolling on the testing.

There was a nice added touch to the balls that I wasn't expecting. They put my name on the balls. So we all have to make sure we keep them out of someone's window or don't hit anyone on the course.

These are the weapons I will be using for the testing.

I should be able to get started this week.

Ooooo those Sub 70 irons are still looking fine!!

3 minutes ago, Nunfa0 said:

Ooooo those Sub 70 irons are still looking fine!!

And still playing well too!

And here we go!!! 

So already I see the packaging and the graphics on the balls are slightly different. Still have a dozen left from the original order so waiting to see how everyone hits them. Interestingly, I have been playing 2021 ProV1x and then played some 2021 TP5 and was zipping balls back on the green with my wedges. Never saw that with the ProV1x.

5 hours ago, golfish! said:

So already I see the packaging and the graphics on the balls are slightly different. Still have a dozen left from the original order so waiting to see how everyone hits them. Interestingly, I have been playing 2021 ProV1x and then played some 2021 TP5 and was zipping balls back on the green with my wedges. Never saw that with the ProV1x.

Interesting that you should say that, one of the initial thoughts from the MGS golf ball test was that the TP5 was spinning a lot more, including off the driver

Finally on my way home after being gone for a few days and will be there just long enough to snap some pictures and then I'm out of town through the weekend again. Can't wait to open these up later and give them a go this weekend!

Only three balls into testing with my Check-Go-Pro:

2 hours ago, edingc said:

Only three balls into testing with my Check-Go-Pro:

Howd the other 2 do?

On 8/9/2021 at 2:32 AM, Nunfa0 said:

Interesting that you should say that, one of the initial thoughts from the MGS golf ball test was that the TP5 was spinning a lot more, including off the driver

Hmm could be why maybe I was hitting shorter of the tee with the TP5 but getting a lot more spin around the greens with wedges. Guess there is a trade off

16 hours ago, edingc said:

Only three balls into testing with my Check-Go-Pro:

Hmm yes how did the rest of them do? I only found 2 to be really off center but the rest were within what I would call acceptable range.

received mine yesterday, and putting them into play Saturday morning. I may play the Tour for 9 holes and the TourX for 9, or may randomly pick one and see how many holes I can play and what the damage is. Luckily I've played this course before so I'm a little familiar with it.

First test up was proving if the balls are accurate in being center of gravity balanced. I conducted a salt water test. I took two sleeves from each model (Tour and TourX) and checked to see if the lightest part of the ball was in line with where the balls are marked.  If any failed the test I would continue to test the other two sleeves of each model. 

The results were perfect on my samples from both models. I did get concerned on the second ball I tested because it was way off. So I rolled it again in the salt water and a different spot came up. Then each time another different location. What this told me was that the ball was perfectly balanced. So in the case of this ball the alignment feature truly does not matter. 

So with this finding I went back and re-tested ball one just to double check. After the 12 balls I found one truly perfect ball in each sleeve and the other two per sleeve were right on line with the gravity balance marking on the balls. 

What this also tells me is that if you use a check go pro and you get a different center of gravity than the ball is marked. It might be because the ball is perfectly balanced. 

Kudos to Maxfli on this feature. 

Center of Gravity Balance Test,  PASS

Apologies for keeping everyone hanging with the Check-Go-Pro teaser! I was able to go through both boxes last night and run them all.

If you have not seen a CGP in action, here's an example video I took the other night:

I mark my balls with a washable children's marker so it can easily be removed with water later. On balls without a specific CG stamp, I'd usually use a permanent marker to mark the CG line before putting the ball in play.

I ran each of the two dozen balls through the CGP. I considered the CG stamp to be "correct," if the the line marked by the CGP followed the same general direction as marked on the ball. If a ball marked significantly out of line (i.e. perpendicular to the factory stamp), I put the ball back into the CGP. As @Tom the Golf Nut pointed out, if the second spin in the CGP revealed yet another different line, I considered the ball to be perfectly balanced. If the two lines on the balls were similar, I considered the mark to be wrong.

My findings are as follows:

TOUR 

• (3) Balls with "Perfect" balance.
• (4) Balls with matched CG lines, including (1) matching the factory line perfectly.
• (5) Balls where the CGP line was different than the factory mark. 

TOUR X

• (1) Ball with "Perfect" balance.
• (7) Balls with matched CG lines, including (2) matching the factory line perfectly.
• (4) Balls where the CGP line was different than the factory mark. 

One interesting thing I noted, as did @golfish!, is that several of the balls were very unstable inside of the CGP. The balls wobbled and hit the guard as the CGP was coming up to speed. I have never had that happen before with other balls.

I'd be curious to learn more about how Maxfli/Foremost does the CG balancing check in the factory. Is it a completely automated process, or is there a worker responsible for setting a ball a specific way before it reaches the printer? On several of the balls where the CG mark was not matched, the line from the CGP was very closely aligned to the MAXFLI printing, almost like the ball was rotated 90 degrees from it's measured CG before it was printed.

Finally made it home to check the deliveries and had these waiting on me!

Huge thunderstorm rolled through and took out our internet and what little cell coverage we have so I've been disconnected from everything since yesterday. We have rain scheduled all through the weekend but I'm heading out of town to play so we'll get to see them in action soon!

I got a chance to get out on the putting green today to put the Maxflis through their paces. Truthfully, I'm not one to be very picky about the way the ball sounds/feels off the putter face.

I rolled the first two putts from 10 feet in without much thought to my stroke. Here's hoping that kind of luck continues!

Evaluating the feel of a golf ball while putting is a chicken-or-egg scenario. Sound plays such a huge role in perception of feel. To me, the Tour X produced an audible click and felt firm. The Tour had a more muted sound and, as a result, I perceived it to feel softer. Are the balls that different? Not so sure. 

I moved out to about 30 feet and had no issue controlling distance with either model.

Both models share a very similar CG/alignment mark, with the model name being the only difference. The mark may be larger than other popular, premium balls. It is nicely framed next to the head of my L.A.B. DF 2.1 putter. Before taking these on course I may add a longer line through the mark to better connect the alignment lines from the ball to the putter head.

Now that I've gotten the balls out, a couple more early impressions:

• The packaging looks premium.
• The cover on both models feels almost tacky. Even my wife commented on how sticky/soft the balls felt. 
• A few of the balls contacted the plastic guard on the Check-Go-Pro while they were being spun. It left some nasty black marks all over the covers. Today the balls picked up some grass stains, but they were easily wiped off.
• The dimple pattern is different than other balls I've played. I know this is a common dimple pattern for balls produced by Foremost, but at a glance the dimples seem huge!

First full 18 holes with the Maxfli Tour this morning. I lined up the CG stamp both on the tee box and on the putting green as I would do with any ball I ran through my Check-Go-Pro.

The Tour feels fantastic off of the club face. It's obviously lower compression than the types of balls I usually play. 

I made it through all 18 holes with a single ball, as pictured above post-round. Durability doesn't seem to be an issue. I hit trees on Nos. 1, 4 (twice), 7, 9, 10 (twice), 14 (twice) and 16 (twice). No visible damage to the cover. The only wear I noticed was with the personalization name printing (which is not factory).

I did not notice a difference in distance. I piped a couple of drives out past 270, which is a good poke for me in the mornings. What I did notice immediately was a difference in spin when heading into greens. Now, to be fair, I play most often in the mornings with wet grass, wet greens, wet balls and wet club faces. But I had several shots today where I was disappointed with the amount of roll out. None more glaring than my approach shot into No. 18. 

From about 145 yards out a full pitching wedge landed hole high and kicked a good 10-15 yards off the back of the green. I was able to salvage a par on the hole, but there were a few other holes where I hit shots that didn't seem to want to stop and led to bogies.

Next time out I will be playing the Tour X for comparison.

Big testing day today. I played 18 and played both the Tour and the Tour X. I rotated the ball I used to score with. So the first ball I hit off the tee was the one that counted. I rotated which to hit first. The second tee shot was to check distance and direction against the other model ball. 

First impressions. Both balls play well but have a slightly different sound. Nothing annoying but slightly different. Probably just due to the compression difference. The Tour feels better for me but could easily play either. I do prefer a softer feeling ball. So starting off with the driver I did not notice any distance differences between the two. The Tour X seemed to have a higher ball flight. Although they wound up in the same spot in the fairway they took a different path. The Tour flighted a little lower and got more roll and the X a little higher with less roll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the next hole it was a dog leg left both balls rolled through the fairway. Still the same consistency in length. Smoked these two, a 360 yard hole and I was left with 70 yards. Although I like the feel of the softer ball (Tour) off the tee, they both performed well.

I could go into more detail on the round but I did do specific testing after the round which we will get into. But I did shoot very well with a 68. Two bogies one on the front 9 and one on the back 9. I had Two birdies on the front and three on the back. Both balls remained consistent in driving.

Next up rounds of 60 yard lob wedges. A sleeve of each ball. Multiple times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No major differences for me. They all just dropped and stopped. No excess spinning. This was a typical result.

Next test was a 30 yard pitch with my 50 degree gap wedge.

This is where I had the most difference in results. The three closer to the pin were the Tour. They hit right around where the other three balls are and rolled up to the flag. The Tour X pretty much just did a hop and stop. So with the X you have to attack the pin more or use a slightly less lofted club if you like a little roll. I conducted this test a total of four times with similar results. This was the second round photo.

My last test of the day was on the putting green.

I was rolling 20 footers and although there was a slight difference in sound the performance was the same. I repeated this test four times with two balls of each model.

Note: No balls were lost or harmed during testing. All photos are actual results. Can't promise some won't be harmed next test. Sand test will be coming up in a few days.

 

Played a round with them today. Front 9 Maxfli Tour, Back Tour X. I Played like trash, will need a better round for a more finite opinion. Based on today though, the X suits me a little better i think. I believe its a harder ball which i like. Soft balls feel spongy and slow to me. I like both off the putter. The tour doesnt feel too soft off the putter and the Tour X doesnt feel too hard. 

So Friday morning I played in a best ball tournament for my University Athletic Foundation. I decided to put the Tour X in play and planned on using it exclusively the entire round. I want to give a more detailed post tomorrow, but I shot a personal best and had 5 birdies with my first under par round. What a start for the Maxfli Tour X! I did feel that it was maybe half a club shorter than my MTB-X but I was also over 1,000 feet lower in elevation than my home course so that probably played a big role in that. There was plenty of spin, a couple times the spin surprised me when balls stopped quicker than I expected out of rough. So far I'm impressed and I'll go into more detail soon!

I played Saturday. Scored well. The ball spun relatively well for me, rolled about 2 feet on an uphill par 3 with a 5 iron. These greens are pretty firm bermuda grass where the ball marks are shallow. I think it helped that I was playing well. Best I struck the ball in weeks. Played front 9 with Tour X back nine with regular Tour. Initial thoughts are that I'm a bigger fan of the Tour X. I also went out putting later in the day on Pinehurst's Thistle Dhu. I will say that, when putting, both balls sounded different, even compared to my Pinnacle Soft or Titleist Tour Soft. A strong positive is that these balls seem very durable to me.

Finally had time to get settled in and write something up! The Tour X will always hold a special place in my heart after Friday's round. Five birdies and a tournament win are a great way to start off a ball test, haha. To give good comparisons I need to play the balls against each other and against my Snell MTB-X but initial impressions are solid. I had plenty of distance off the tee and on iron shots. The ball had a good trajectory to it for me, I seemed to be hitting a nice mid flight shot with the driver and my irons were what I would call mid-high. The ball did seem to be slightly higher but not by much at all. There was a breeze that came into play on a few holes and the ball flew true with no issues at all. The feel was very similar to my Snell and I'm not surprised to see today's MGS Golf Ball Test show that the compression is within 2 points for the Maxfli and Snell. I've been playing the Snell for a while now and if I had been playing a logo-less ball Friday, I probably would have guessed it was an MTB-X.  Excited to get them out side by side for a real comparison and can't wait to get the Tour in action. Now I just need all this rain we're getting to stop. We're under flood watches for a few days now.

Yes please?!!

I would love to test these. I play every Saturday and Sunday index of 12.2. Currently play ProV1.

I am in.  I play the prior Maxfli Tour X CG model.  Love them.

Love to give them a shot.  I play 75+ rounds per/year with a 9 Handicap.

I would like to test them......

I got my first hole in one way back in 2008 with a Max-Fli golf ball. Would love to test some of their more recent offerings. 

I would like to test and compare them.

I've never thought of maxfli as anything but rocks to use after losing your more expensive ball, but I'd love the chance for them to prove me wrong!

I would be interested in testing. I play twice a week. Am a senior golfer. Currently 17.4 index. I play a Srixon Qstar tourn

I used them for awhile at the end of last year and thought they were solid, especially after the Tony's review but then I started going down the "find a better ball" rabbit hole!!   Give me another chance Please!!!

Would love to bea tester.

Definitely like the low compression ball.  Would be interested in hitting this one!

I am in for testing these balls!

I used the 2019 version of these, after reading the MGS tests and I was very happy with them.  Looking forward to trying the new 2021 models.  Sad that they dropped the green version.  I find those easier to see in the fairways (or the woods).   

Always willing to test and compare.  I have been playing a mixture of Pro V1, TP5 and Bridgestone lately.  

I would really like to find a ball that is less expensive than my Bridgestone RXS, but performs as well. 

I like lower cost balls, like my Pinnacle Softs. This may be a better alternative.

Currently playing the Top Flite Gamer per the reviews here.  Would love a chance at trying out a "tour" ball. 

I'd be interested to see how Maxfli Tour X compares to Pro V1x and TP5x

Paying $60 for two dozen seems like a great deal.

I’m in……been a lifelong Maxfli user, currently playing Previous version of Maxfli Tour CG.

I play twice a week to a 12 handicap.  I’m always willing to try and improve my equipment and my game.

Would love to test. Thanks. 

Golf has become an expensive sport

we need companies that recognize mid range is or could be a highly lucrative demographic without giving up too much integrity 

Would love to test some!

I would love to give them a roll