Aotearoa_Brad Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 So GolfSpyMBP and his merry band of Can-aye-dians recently finished the Direct to Consumer ball testing piece, posted on the Blog - here if you missed it. From my perspective this was a much needed piece on some of the balls that don't get a lot of air-play, but are real alternatives for those of us who want a performance ball without necessarily paying for mass branding campaigns. Performance Recap: Lets get past the fact that not every small manufacturer was involved The Snell 'My Tour Ball' and Nicklaus Black came out on top, but I took a few things from the test, and the comments in general: the independent data available on some of the smaller ball manufacturers has been lacking smaller manufacturers really can compete with the big boys there are a lot of people who would happily consider supporting a smaller manufacturer if performance is similar (certainly enough to crash a website or two) the whole testing gig is a serious amount of work (kudos Dan) What'd you guys make of the test? Would you consider a smaller ball manufacturer (performance being reasonably equal)? Have you already jumped in and bought some? What would you like to see in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severtheties Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 A dozen Snell and Nicholas to try are in my very near future. Driver - Tour Edge Exotics XCG 7 Beta w/ Paderson shaft 44" Fairway Metal - Vapor Fly 15* w/ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65F 43" Irons - SLDR 4i-pw w/ KBS Tour C-Taper 90S Wedges - 54* and 58* Digger grind Putter - 2015 GoLo 3 33" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hckymeyer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Definitely will try the Snell ball this season, but I have a few dozen Tour Preferred X in the garage already. Driver: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 3w: '16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82 5w: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow Hybrid: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black Irons: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Wedges: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Putter: Red 7s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I've only tried the Monsta, and have actually had dinner with the two guys who started the company - they're pretty cool and are the kind of guys I'd want to support, anyway. The performance of most of these balls seems to be really, really solid - any one of them would be good to put in play. Will definitely try the Jacks and the Snells this season. What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP The Dansome Posted March 13, 2015 SPY VIP Share Posted March 13, 2015 I've played all these balls more than once on course, feel free to ask away. Yo #JustPlayBetter Follow @GolfSpyMBP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbil8802 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I enjoyed the review and you guys did a great job as always, but I just received 2 dozen of the MG Tour C4 balls that I'm pretty excited about trying out. The Snell ball is intriguing but $10 more expensive per dozen. Driver - M1 9.5* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Fairway - M1 5W 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Hybrids - G25 4H 23* Irons - JPX 850 Forged 4-PW w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Wedges - S5 50*07, 54*12, 58*12 w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Putter - Oddyssey Metal-X #7 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aotearoa_Brad Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Yeah the big takeaway for me is that there really are a bunch of excellent options at different price points, and the performance is top notch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_divots Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Nicklaus are made by Bridgestone, aren't they? Not "small manufacturer," exactly. Given this, not surprised it came out on top. "Glute Activator" *Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkering Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks for testing these, I will have some new choices next time I buy! TM M1 430 w/ Speeder 757 X TM Jetspeed w/ Fuji X 13.5* TM UDI w/ Recoil 120 F4 21* TM 2011 TP MBs 4-pw X100ti TM EF Spin 52*/ATV TM EF Spin 58*/ATV TM Ghost Tour Black Monte Carlo Pro V1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaidJacket Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 My Snell's are supposed to arrive by Tuesday. I bet they are very good. My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaidJacket Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Update: The Snell Tour balls I ordered arrived yesterday. Didn't take any pictures. Not much to comment on really. They arrived in good condition and packaged like any other tour quality ball you see. I inspected a sleeve and they are top quality in appearance and feel. Unfortunately I will not be able to try them out till next weekend.. I'll let you know. My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saccers Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Has there ever been a review of the Dixon Environmental Golf Ball ... Looked around and found nothing ... I work on a golf course and even though you have your Golf Ball Finder Addicts ..roaming the golf course in dark stealth clothing, moving without making sounds to find that one perfect new Golf Ball ....they truly never find all the plug balls and yes I am one of those Addicts I wonder it there's a program.... ...... anyway I have found balls that come from the 40' 50' and just can't imagine what all this core plastic will do to the environment, if you can imagine how many lost balls there are in the world sinking into the earch every golf season. Just wondered if MyGolfSpy would investigate how good is this ball ? see dixongolf and not I'm not trying to promote it I am actually wondering if the ball is any good ? Tks... din't know where to post my question. DRIVER Nike Corvert [9.5°] R-Flex (Won in Fantasy Game) Fairway Driver (No Name) Flex ? Better than a 3 wood anyday Callaway RAZR X Iron 5 to PW R Flex Callaway Hydrid X Hot 3 & 4 Titliest 910 5 Wood No Name Sand Wedge Putter - Tour Select\ Shoes Callaway RAZR Black Ball Callaway Type (Relevant to weather) Special Note: New Nike Driver Won thegolfspace.com Callaway Irons & Shoes won in a online Fantasy Game,!, Putter bought at Salvation Army 1.99. Sand Wedge Free. Fairway Drivers Salvation Army 5.00 ...Overall cost 6.99 for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdiddyesquire Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Has there ever been a review of the Dixon Environmental Golf Ball ... Looked around and found nothing ... I work on a golf course and even though you have your Golf Ball Finder Addicts ..roaming the golf course in dark stealth clothing, moving without making sounds to find that one perfect new Golf Ball ....they truly never find all the plug balls and yes I am one of those Addicts I wonder it there's a program.... ...... anyway I have found balls that come from the 40' 50' and just can't imagine what all this core plastic will do to the environment, if you can imagine how many lost balls there are in the world sinking into the earch every golf season. Just wondered if MyGolfSpy would investigate how good is this ball ? see dixongolf and not I'm not trying to promote it I am actually wondering if the ball is any good ? Tks... din't know where to post my question. Their reps must have called me a dozen times leading up to a tournament we put at work. They're trying hard! -Justin- @jdiddyesquire Driver - Speedline Super LS 9.5*, Matrix Red Tie 6Q3 X stiff3 Wood - Tour Edge Exotics CB4 Tour 13*, Aldila NV Protopype 80X Irons - 3-PW rac LT, KBS Tour XWedges - MP-T4, 50.6, 56.14, 60.5Putter - Odyssey White Hot Pro Rossie Bag: Daltrek Carry-Lite Stand Bag Shoes: Lunar Swingtip Suede Ball: Wilson Staff Duo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Has there ever been a review of the Dixon Environmental Golf Ball ... Looked around and found nothing ... I work on a golf course and even though you have your Golf Ball Finder Addicts ..roaming the golf course in dark stealth clothing, moving without making sounds to find that one perfect new Golf Ball ....they truly never find all the plug balls and yes I am one of those Addicts I wonder it there's a program.... ...... anyway I have found balls that come from the 40' 50' and just can't imagine what all this core plastic will do to the environment, if you can imagine how many lost balls there are in the world sinking into the earch every golf season. Just wondered if MyGolfSpy would investigate how good is this ball ? see dixongolf and not I'm not trying to promote it I am actually wondering if the ball is any good ? Tks... din't know where to post my question. I got a new one once....tried it out and it felt like I was hitting a Rock. Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Have my Snell's in hand - will give them a whirl at a tournament this weekend. Going to compare to Wilson Duo Spins and FG Tours, Monsta and TM Project a. And of course the Srixons.... What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaidJacket Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I'll be putting the Snell ball in play today. I'll post my thoughts later today or tomorrow sometime. My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Picked up the new Maxfli Softfli ball yesterday and used it today. It is 35 compression and has a urethane-like cover. Nice feel with driver, irons felt good and it stops on the green......all for 2 doz for $25 Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaidJacket Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I played the Snell yesterday with mixed results. It was still somewhat cool when we played with temps 55-60. My ball striking was poor so I can really say how the ball felt. Performance is still in question for me also due to my play yesterday. One thing that I'll have to mention are my concerns with durability. I was going to post a pic of the ball but I rinsed it on 14. Along the way on the backside I began to notice some scuffs on the ball and smeared ink around the logo and alignment mark. Through 13 holes I never hit a tree or path and only once in a bunker. I haven't noticed this recently with others I've played which include the PV1, Chrome, MG Tour C4. One of the guys I played with yesterday was playing the Kick X Tourz and said he likes them. I traded him a Snell for one to try later. I looked on the Kick X website but couldn't find what type of cover it has. My buddy says it's urethane. Perhaps. My Sun Mountain bag currently includes: 771CSI 5i - PW and PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges EXS 10.5*, 929-HS FW4 16.5* Willimette w/GolfPride Contour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbil8802 Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Thanks for the update PJ. I've played 5 rounds with the MG Tour C4 and I'm really pleased with it. Excellent distance and no noticeable difference in spin around the greens compared to the Pro V1x for me. I also prefer the feel a bit more. I've used the same ball for the last 2 rounds which is a miracle in and of itself for me. Only one light scuff mark from a cart path. I'm impressed with the durability. Driver - M1 9.5* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Fairway - M1 5W 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X Hybrids - G25 4H 23* Irons - JPX 850 Forged 4-PW w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Wedges - S5 50*07, 54*12, 58*12 w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S Putter - Oddyssey Metal-X #7 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 2.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 One thing that I'll have to mention are my concerns with durability. I was going to post a pic of the ball but I rinsed it on 14. Along the way on the backside I began to notice some scuffs on the ball and smeared ink around the logo and alignment mark. Played the Snell for 18 holes over two rounds -- will echo the ink smearing thing -- does seem to wear off during play. After my first 9 with Snell I was neither impressed nor unimpressed -- it seemed like a decent ball. I liked it off the tee, but performance around the green was nothing to write home about. After the second 9 nothing really changed by thoughts. Compared it to both the Monsta and the Duo Spin during the round - here's how I'd rate them: Monsta - best off the tee, okay around the greens Snell - better than okay off the tee (not as long for me as Monsta, but acceptable), better than okay around the greens Duo Spin - okay off the tee, best around the greens. Srixon Z-Star, by comparison, was probably between Snell and Monsta off the tee, but was off the freaking charts good around the green. Going to add the Project a, Bridgestone 330 RX, Nike RZN Black and the Wilson FG Tour into the mix over the next couple of weeks and see what shakes out. If I had to choose a ball for the year today - it'd probably be the Srixon, with Monsta/Snell/Duo Spin a toss-up right behind, depending on the course. What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver & black Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Going to add the Project a, Bridgestone 330 RX, Nike RZN Black and the Wilson FG Tour into the mix over the next couple of weeks and see what shakes out. I'll be interested to read your thoughts on the Project a. I started using it last year and I really like it. I'll probably stick with it for this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I'll be interested to read your thoughts on the Project a. I started using it last year and I really like it. I'll probably stick with it for this season. Played the Tour Preferred X last year - it was an okay ball. Nothing about it really jumped out at me, but it's a good, solid ball. Went the whole year without hitting the Project a, so it's time to see what that one can do. As GolfSpy Brad alluded in the Srixon post, at some point there's a price/performance point - is a $30 ball good enough, and does it give enough performance compared to a "tour" level ball? As the zen master said, "we'll see..." What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggammon2 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I picked up some Nicklaus blacks (although I probably should have played the blues based on tee box selection). I have played one round so far and was impressed. It felt great chipping and putting. I seemed to get an awful lot of wedge spin, having rolled back off the green twice, but that may be small sample size. I haven't played enough to really say anything definite about ball flight or distance but I played a good round with them and if that keeps up I'll be a customer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP The Dansome Posted April 9, 2015 SPY VIP Share Posted April 9, 2015 I played a mix of Snell, Monsta, Nicklaus Black and Srixon Z-Star this weekend, Snell played the first 18 and the others 6 holes each over the second round. For Snell, Monsta, Nicklaus I used the actual balls that were used in testing so already 18+ holes each and 75+ swings each in simulator and pitching chipping. The Srixon I found with no signs of wear. Distance wise I'm testing couple Paderson shafts atm, I find them extremly high spin and hard to get down below 2500 with my G30 set at loftest loft. Here the Nickluas low spin shines with Snell a not to far off second, the Monsta and Z-Star shorter but we're not talking 15 yards. The Paderson shafts dispersion is noticeably tighter, but I did find on leaky right drives that Z-Star and Monsta seemed to get a way a little more. Approach spin I'm definitely able to suck back the NIcklaus, Monsta and Z-Star, the Snell would fall under the predictable always next to ballmark category. All 4 exhibit what I would consider tour level spin. Ball flight Nicklaus and Snell have a flatter trajectory, Monsta and Z-Star have a much higher flight. Cosmetically Snell, Monsta, Nicklaus seem to scuff/fade at the same rate, the Z-Star definitely holds it looks better. This is the Snell ball after the recent 18 (which includes all the prior testing) Over 100 simulator shots during testing and more than 45 holes played - this @snellgolf ball is still going#golf #itkeepsongoing A photo posted by Dan Mann (@golfspymbp) on Apr 3, 2015 at 8:52pm PDT Yo #JustPlayBetter Follow @GolfSpyMBP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP The Dansome Posted April 9, 2015 SPY VIP Share Posted April 9, 2015 Jack made a hole in one today, sucked this bad boy back into the hole Yo #JustPlayBetter Follow @GolfSpyMBP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnfats95 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Once I work my way through my remaining Pro V1x's I'm going to stick with the Snell this year. Performance wise I don't see much difference and at 32.00 a dozen I don't have to look for Xouts : ). "I'd play a ladies set of clubs if it allowed me to break par." PING G410 LST Fujikura Pro 2.0 Tour Spec 6 Titleist 17, 19, and 21 degree 818 H2 Hybrids Ping G700 5 - GW Titleist Vokey SM7 54 Wedge Titleist Vokey SM7 58 Wedge Evenroll ER3 Snell MTB-X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotblades Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Has there ever been a review of the Dixon Environmental Golf Ball ... Looked around and found nothing ... I work on a golf course and even though you have your Golf Ball Finder Addicts ..roaming the golf course in dark stealth clothing, moving without making sounds to find that one perfect new Golf Ball ....they truly never find all the plug balls and yes I am one of those Addicts I wonder it there's a program.... ...... anyway I have found balls that come from the 40' 50' and just can't imagine what all this core plastic will do to the environment, if you can imagine how many lost balls there are in the world sinking into the earch every golf season. Just wondered if MyGolfSpy would investigate how good is this ball ? see dixongolf and not I'm not trying to promote it I am actually wondering if the ball is any good ? Tks... din't know where to post my question. Dixon Balls. Dixon Balls. Say it five times fast.... Let it sink in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808nation Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Definitely Snell MTB in the near future, after I use up my supply of Titleist Tru Soft Balls. Sent from MyGolfSpy mobile WITB: Driver: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft FW Wood: F9 wood 14.5* Hybrids: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & Vapor Flex 4 hybrid Irons: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts Wedges: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* Putter: Scotty Cameron M2 Newport Ball: Black & Pro V1 Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP The Dansome Posted May 16, 2016 SPY VIP Share Posted May 16, 2016 Played the Nicklaus this weekend. Just awesome off the driver, wedges and putter, but I'm coming up 3-4 yards short with the irons. Yo #JustPlayBetter Follow @GolfSpyMBP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Theoo Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Played the Nicklaus this weekend. Just awesome off the driver, wedges and putter, but I'm coming up 3-4 yards short with the irons. Could be higher compression? Or you're just getting old Driver: Epic 10.5 set to 9.5 w/ Tour AD-DI 44.5 FW: F6 baffler set at 16º Hybrid: NONEIrons: 3i 2014 TP CB 4-PW 2011 TP MC w/ TT S400 Wedges: 52º 56º 60 º w/ KBS C-Taper XS Soft-stepped Putter: Sigma G Tyne 34 inches Gold dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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