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No Putts Given 18: Interview with Dean Snell


GolfSpy MPR

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With all the golf ball news of the last year, MyGolfSpy sat down with one of the great ball designers in golf history, Dean Snell. Check out the interview here:

 

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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Dean seems like a really genuine guy.  Interesting background and his jump from BF Goodrich aerospace to a QE position at Titleist.  If that isn't an indication of just how bad commute traffic is around the greater Boston area is, I don't know what is 🙂.  I really like Adam's closing question about which ball Dean would play if there wasn't a Snell ball option...

Spoiler

Taylormade TP5

 

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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I always enjoy listening to Dean Snell.  The man is a bottomless well of golf ball knowledge and he tells it as he sees it.  I did find it kind of interesting how he praised Bridgestone and Srixon but also said how much he hated the notion of fitting a golf ball to your swing speed (which is something the Bridgestone and Srixon do).

I do agree with him though about soft and lower spin balls in that if you want to improve, you pretty much have to go to something that spins and gives you more control.

All in all, great pod and hopefully you guys can get Mr Snell on more often.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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I've always loved Dean's no nonsense, no BS, straight to the point, type of interviewing.  He's a great guy! 

WITB:  Do I like Titleist or what? 

 

Driver:     :titleist-small: TSR3 9* UST Mamiya Proto LIN-Q Blue 

Fairways   :titleist-small: TSi2 UST Mamiya LIN-Q Blue 13.5* 

Driving Iron:   :titleist-small: U500 17* :Fuji:  Blue Ventus HB Velocore 

Irons   :titleist-small: T350 4 & 5, T200 6 - PW UST Mamiya Recoil Dart F4 105g

Wedges    :vokey-small: SM6 48*, SM9 52*, SM8 56* Modus Tour Wedge 

Putter    :cameron-small: Newport 2 w/ Garsen Ultimate grip 

Ball    :titleist-small:  *ProV1 Left Dot

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Snell is a stud. Its amazing how many great balls his fingerprints are on. I used to love the TM Lethal. I wonder if he had anything to do with that design. He seems to lve TP5x. Myself, the TP5 is better but to each his own.

I wish Snell would open up his own boutique ball plant and not rely on the factories to make his product

Golf is cool

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3 hours ago, Tsecor said:

Snell is a stud. Its amazing how many great balls his fingerprints are on. I used to love the TM Lethal. I wonder if he had anything to do with that design. He seems to lve TP5x. Myself, the TP5 is better but to each his own.

I wish Snell would open up his own boutique ball plant and not rely on the factories to make his product

If he ever were to do that and the balls were made in the US, Id be all in.  I dont see that ever happening though.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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Dean's a beauty. Love his no-nonsense approach to the golf ball industry and how he feels golfers should look at their ball selection. The man knows a few things.

I also learned that he played for the Hershey Bears today. Never knew that! I know he played hockey but I didn't realize he made it to that level.

And to the comment above about Boston traffic - you'd better believe it. If I had the commute Dean did, I would've taken a massive pay cut to work a "par 5" away from my house!

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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13 hours ago, ZenGolfer said:

If he ever were to do that and the balls were made in the US, Id be all in.  I dont see that ever happening though.

I am not sure it would happen either as he has basically led the DTC market and created a new space to control. If he were to expand and have his own plant, the balls would cost $50/dzn I'm sure.

 

Golf is cool

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13 hours ago, russtopherb said:

Dean's a beauty. Love his no-nonsense approach to the golf ball industry and how he feels golfers should look at their ball selection. The man knows a few things.

I also learned that he played for the Hershey Bears today. Never knew that! I know he played hockey but I didn't realize he made it to that level.

And to the comment above about Boston traffic - you'd better believe it. If I had the commute Dean did, I would've taken a massive pay cut to work a "par 5" away from my house!

i was recently at Hershey Park and they have a restaurant with all the hockey equipment in a showcase. The restaurant is designed like a hockey rink and i have seen all the jerseys and skates.....haven't seen Snell's jersey, but I did see all the others.

Golf is cool

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38 minutes ago, Middler said:

I’m sure Snell won’t build a US ball plant, but he wouldn’t have to charge $50/dozen. Titleist has their own US ball plant and Pro V’s are $48/dozen - including huge endorsement contracts, tons of advertising, retail & pro shop support costs, all substantial overhead Snell doesn’t have to include in their total costs. I only use Snell MTBs, but with their lower wage foreign plants and low overhead model, I suspect at $32.99 their margins may be at least as a good as Titleist.

Not all Titleist balls are made in the USA either, Ball Plant IV opened in Thailand in 2010, and there’s a Phase 2 expansion in the works. Titleist is expanding production in other countries, not in the USA. That’s simply the way it is these days.

http://www.hemaraj.com/page/hemaraj_news_detail.asp?news_id=659&news_cat=2

http://www.meinhardt.net/projects/acushnet-factory-phase-2/

agreed. I think the point is about QC over location which I should have stated. Obviously Titleist , Srixon and Bridgestone are the leaders in QC followed by TM and Callaway and Snell in the DTC market.  I just wonder if he will expand and take more control over his product in the next few years

Golf is cool

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