2019 Maxfli Tour and Tour X Golf Balls

[fixyurdivot 9,566]

7 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

The Salt Bath Test

OK.. rainy day golf-nerd project...

* Background 
Earlier this season, based on the MGS ball test, I'd purchased some MaxFli Tour and Tour X to try out ($25/doz @ Dick's when buying 2 or more). Have played both, though have not played/tested them side-by-side in the same round, and at this point I'm with the majority of the testers in that the Tour feels like the better ball of the two for me.

While I understand - in principle - the advantage of the CG Balancing I was not 100% sure of its effect; so I've been reading and following this testing thread with great interest to see others' reactions. And then with all the talk about doing the balance tests I just had to jump in and try it.

FYI - I got the Tour in the hi-vis matte green .. I like the color, though in certain conditions it does not stand out all that well (so it becomes kinda "lo-vis" ) and I do *not* like the matte finish on this ball - tho it's durable it retains dirt and moisture.

 

* Testing
I took one new ball each of...
- Maxfli Tour
- Maxfli Tour X
- Chromesoft Truvis
- Pro V1 (a few years old but kept in the basement)
and..
- a very "experienced" Top Flite Z-Balata I happened to find in my bucket on the practice range the other day.

After preparing the salt bath (ie. continually adding more and more [table, not epsom] salt until finally the ball started to float .. man it needs a lotta salt!) I dunked a ball and waited for it to settle, made sure it was not touching the side of the pot, carefully picked it up and marked the "high" point and then repeated the dunking / waiting / marking 4 more times for a total of 5 marks on each test ball.

(I ended up not testing the Noodle .. who plays those anyway?)

 

* Hypotheses
Pro V1 -- Even though these are a few years old, they're still new/unused and have been kept in the basement within a narrow temp / humidity range. With the vaunted Titleist quality control I would expect these to come out on top - that is: each mark should be at different spots around the ball.

Tour, Tour X -- I expected the marks to be on or very near the equator described by the stamped CG alignment line.

Chromesoft -- Might have a particular hi/lo spot or a circular area with all the marks near each other.

Z-Balata -- clearly this should be the worst; presumably with a repeated hi spot.

 

* Results
Again, I tested only ONE ball of each model (and noting that, statistics-wise, it is not a valid conclusion to extrapolate single subject results onto a general population), what I saw in this test was...

# Pro V1 -- negative.
Spots were not randomly marked all around the ball, and instead 4/5 marks were actually near each other and fell roughly along a straight line; the fifth mark is just out of sight (top of ball) and also close to this line. Note this "line" does not coincide with the manufacturer side-stamp; nor .. I presume .. is it supposed to.

Again, this ball is a few years old and most likely Titleist has further improved their quality and quality control?

 

# MaxFli Tour -- ok.
Good - 4/5 marks, although near each other, at least are very close to the CG equator indicated by the dashed line; and then not so good - 3 of those 4 are really close together. The fifth (#2) mark is further away from that CG equator on the other side of the ball.

 

# MaxFli Tour X -- not so ok.
5/5 marks were clustered near each other all on one side of the ball and not anywhere near the CG equator.

 

# Chromesoft Truvis -- good(-ish).
5/5 marks were separated apart but all the marks fell on one side/hemisphere of the ball; they were not scattered all around the entire ball.

 

# Top Flite Z-Balata -- poor, as expected.
4/4 marks (#4 not marked) were closely clustered together; effectively into a single spot.

Call this one the placebo or "control group" test subject  (ie. the float test works!)

 

* Conclusions
The MaxFli Tour (not X) at least had its high point nearly along the CG equator, and so when set up using the alignment line (teeing off and putting) it "should" (quote-unquote) perform as advertised; but then the Chromesoft appears to have "won" this test with the float marks the most randomly placed.

So... Unless you're going to both float test and spin balance each and every golf ball you play, and grade and mark them, then IMHO .. at the current state of the CG technology .. you're no better / no worse off just playing the "right" ball for you, the one that best fits your overall game. 

Also considering that each ball manufacturer wants to reduce sidespin, it seems in their interest to continue to refine and improve their production techniques and quality control in order to claim for themselves "CG Balanced".
(Side note - it would be interesting to also test the OnCore Elixr and a newer Chromesoft with graphene that have more perimeter-oriented weighting.)

 

End Notes:
This was kinda fun and helped me think a little more on just what's inside a golf ball and why it matters. FWIW, I'm going to get some MaxFli Tour in white and try to test those head-to-head vs the Chromesoft Truvis; may also pick up a sleeve of Srixon Q-Star to experiment with, too. 

Well done!  If we can get a handful of other spies, who are not part of the official tester group, to test their store purchased Tour and Tour X, we compare the results of those to the balls sent to the testers.  @artful_golfertested some awhile back and found them not so balanced.  Again, if their primary marketing attribute is "CG Balanced" - they should be.

[DrMJG 501]

51 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Best of luck to you with your recovery. Keep us posted on how you're doing and hopefully you'll be back to new sooner rather than later.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app
 

 

51 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Best of luck to you with your recovery. Keep us posted on how you're doing and hopefully you'll be back to new sooner rather than later.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app
 

Be well, friend. Be well!

[the_hammer 104]

Well today was not a great day for on course testing as we got about 4 inches of snow. It was however a good day to continue the “Lab” test. More to come on the results in the future. 

This past weekend I got out and tested both balls once again on the course but I am going to focus on the TourX here. For the first free holes I used an old ProV1x that I had in my bag because of the leaves. I did not want to lose one of the test balls under a leaf. When I pulled the TourX out on the 7th, a 386 yard par 4, the ball leapt off the club face. The speed and height of the ball was noticeably greater than the old ProV1x I used on the 6 prior holes. On this shot I did align the CG line as shown on the box.

I know others have talked about his feature and I have a lot of doubts about it as well. That being said it might be just a mental thing and that is fine with me. The ball drifted a little right into the rough but the wind did not help this and overall I have been in worse position on this hole many times before.

As I continued the round the ball seems to be hot off the driver and I have good control of it around the greens. This being the first time playing the TourX solos I didn’t notice much feel difference as I did when playing the balls side by side.

Next phase I am going to start taking a look at the durability now that the test balls have a few rounds on them.

As I think about my journey with this test and how I would pick balls in the past a few questions for everyone have come to mind.

1.  What is the one thing your current ball has that you feel like you could not live without?
2.  How many strokes do you think your ball helps you gain each round?
3.  With your current ball are you optimizing for your long or short game?

[RickyBobby_PR 5,264]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:00 AM, golfinnut said:

My Story ….

Golfinnut … Yep, that’s me.  The infamous sarcastic, sometimes irritating Golfinnut.  Some of you know me & have even played a few rounds with me.  Those of you that have, know that I’m a decent golfer that can hold his own on the course.  I despise slow play & also despise playing like crap.  I can shoot anywhere from 68 to 88, depending on the day and to which swing I bring to the course that day. 

 

I like to have fun on the course.  If you have a horrible shot, I will make sure you know it with a few sarcastic remarks.  All in fun of course.  I don’t do it to harp on anyone, I do it to lighten the mood & to not be so stuffy on the course.  Some people enjoy the light heartedness brought to the group but sometimes there are some who find it irritating.  I normally figure out which pretty early.  LOL  But trust me, you will hear some somewhat colorful commentary about my own play throughout the day.  You will be smiling & just saying “what did he just say?”  Most of that colorful commentary isn’t for everyone’s eyes here, so I’ll leave it at that.

 

I’ve been playing this lovely game of ours for over 40+ years.  My father started me when I was only 4 years old (yes, do the math, I’m pretty old!) with some clubs he cut down for me.  I would swing out in the yard and as I got older I would play on weekends with him and his buddies.  By the time I was 10 years old, I was beating him & taking money from his friends.  I would have to give them strokes but I still won the money.  I continued playing religiously all the way through high school and college.  The lowest my cap got was a 2 back in high school but that was when I was playing or practicing every day of the week.  I had nothing else to do except that.  I wanted to be the best on my team and beat the best on the course.  I became dedicated to getting better and better every year.  Then as what happens to all of us, family & work obligations took over.  And so declined my time I could put in to my golf game.  I still made time for it at least once a week, but my game still suffered.  But as with anything else, I found a way to keep at it.  As I’ve aged, I’ve learned to appreciate what little time I must dedicate to the game by not getting as frustrated as I did when I was younger.  Knowing full well I don’t have the time be as good of a player, I just take what the game gives me day to day.

 

What makes me love the game? 

The test of your mind & your ability.  To actually think your way around a course.  It’s just You vs the Course … no team, there is no “I” in Golf either, but the game can really frustrate the hell out of you and bring you to your knees or it can make you jump for joy … all in the same day!

 

What region do I play out of?

I’m a northern VA golfer, born and raised here just outside of DC.  So, I play in all surrounding states as well.  There are probably very few courses I haven’t played in VA one time or another. 

 

My golf ball Needs?

What I need a golf ball to do?  Well first, get in the damn hole!  Now how it gets there is another matter.  I’m a natural high ball hitter.  So, I really don’t have any issues getting any ball into the air.  I tend to increase the loft at impact (an issue I’m working out now).  So, I need the ball to be of a more penetrating flight, that really bores through the air vs ballooning.  I also need the ball to drop & stop when it’s called for.  Which is pretty much all the time because I fire at every pin regardless of its location.  LOL  I currently play the 2019 ProV1 & really like it this year.  The previous iterations weren’t all that great, but this year’s ball is fantastic.  It just has the perfect trajectory and “drop & stop” performance that the ball is known for. 

 

The Golf Questions

My handicap is normally “myself” but if we want a number, it’s usually around an 8 or so. 

My typical flight is either a straight ball or a slight fade. I’m more of a “point & shoot” type of player.  I pick the target and aim straight at it …. Whichever way it decides to move, so be it … I’ll live with a fade or a draw.  I don’t play for a certain path anymore.  Now when I was younger, I had a natural draw that would just turn on command.  As I’ve gotten older, stiffer, & fatter it’s become a fade.

My miss is usually a slice.  Not an “off the planet” type of slice but one that is still playable.   I was hoping the Maxfli could alleviate some of this.

 

I’d like to think I have a great short game.  Well more like a scrambling game because I always seem to be getting myself out of trouble one way or another.  I have the ability to get up and down from anywhere.  At least, I keep telling myself that.  My only issue is putting.  I’m too inconsistent.  One day I’ll have 26 putts, the next 36.  The NUT CAVE is full of putters of every make and style.  I have yet to tell myself that it’s not the putter but the putt-ee!  LOL

 

Maxfli Tour & Tour X CG (Center of Gravity Balanced)

I was really impressed when I took out both balls from their simplistic box.  The box brings attention to the name Maxfli  but nothing really grabbing your attention to the new technology, except small print at the top left corner.  Two different color variations … Tour is white while the Tour X is gray metallic cover. 

The cover of the ball itself feels decent.  Doesn’t feel cheap.  (when I initially think of Maxfli, I put them in the category with Top-Flight, rock hard cheap balls.  That’s one reason why I never considered playing them).  Fingernail test done … no real indentions or scrapes.  Bounce test …. Done.

 

So, the point behind this technology is to “Point the alignment line towards your target and hit your tee shots longer and higher.”  My original thought was “now how is that possible, I’ve been doing that for a long time now & it doesn’t help.”  I always mark the alignment line with a sharpie and then align the line on the tee down the target line.  It’s just been a habit of mine for a long time, regardless of the make of the ball.  So, having to do this as a tester was a no brainer for me. 

Maxfli throws around terms like “Moment of Inertia” & “Center of Gravity” which when done correctly, is supposed to reduce sidespin & create longer distance and higher flight.  Now I’m no physicist, nor claim to be one, but wouldn’t the highest moment of inertia on the ball be at the middle of where the mantle or cover meets the two spheres together?   I get it that it has to do more with the core than anything else but still. 

 

Now we all know of the “line” at which the two spheres of the cover of the ball meet, right.  I’ve always harped on manufacturers that didn’t put the side stamp exactly on that line.  Which brings me to the question, how do they decide where the highest moment of inertia is on the ball to put the stamp?  Is each ball gone thru a myriad of testing, forces put upon it from all sides, etc to find this mysterious MOI or COG? 

The Center of Gravity is officially the place in a system or body where the weight is evenly dispersed, and all sides are in balance.  Now how is that accomplished in a golf ball?  Especially when the alignment aid is put on the ball in any random spot?  I would think that all sides would be in balance at the meet point of the two spheres, as I spoke about above.  But hey, I’m no physicist or engineer, so maybe someone can clue me in.  But on to more important discussions ….

Now I do like the feel of both balls off the wedges just chipping around the yard.  After 100 or so chips back & fourth, even with my dog interrupting by retrieving a few Tour’s, the ball seems to be still ready for play.  Barely an abrasion to be found. 

Putting … good feel off the putter face on the indoor mat.  Now comes the real test on the course.  Will I be able to control the distance with both?  Yes .... both balls perform equally well on the green.  The X seemed to have more of an audible click to it but not overly harsh. 

Does It Go Further & Higher?

This is going to be a fun test.  I really want to see if this claim is true, just by “pointing & shooting” the alignment line to the target.  That’s the way I play golf anyway, so it won’t be hard.  I’m going to test both balls side by side, along with my current gamer.  Now I hit a high ball naturally, so it may be hard for me to decide if it goes any higher.  But I will notice the distance difference, if any.  I’m going to be anxious to see if there is a lack of sidespin on any of the shots … cause straight balls are a good thing, but just hard to hit. Not having any preconceived notions, I think I will probably like the Tour X ball a bit better, just because of the layer difference, from 3 to 4.   

edit ... they do go higher!  I'm a high ball hitter as it is.  But these ... wow do they go high!  Especially on the short irons.  If you get the distances dialed in, you can potentially fire at any flag cause they stop on a dime coming in at that decent angle.  Yikes!  

I love ball testing! 

The story continues ….

 

 

Pretty cool you’ll get to compare these against the Srixons you won from that other forum 

[fixyurdivot 9,566]

9 hours ago, the_hammer said:

Well today was not a great day for on course testing as we got about 4 inches of snow. It was however a good day to continue the “Lab” test. More to come on the results in the future. 

That looks like a setup that helps beat back the "winter blues". 

[gbtrsc 257]

A bit late to the game so far, as my job has had me busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest, but here goes...

 

First, many thanks to the Board and to Maxfli for the opportunity to try their products out and provide this review for you all.

 

The Maxfli Tour and Tour X balls are their shot at the Pro-caliber ball market, competing with the ProV1/x, Srixon ZStar line, Taylormade TP5, Bridgestone TigerBall, etc.

 

They certainly have a professional look. The packaging, ball imprinting, etc. all look great.

 

What’s my story? I live in the great state of South Carolina for the last 3.5 years, after a lifetime (mostly) in Michigan. I’m a software sales consulting manager for a large publicly held software company. I’m married with two grown sons and a grown step-daughter. We live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with two dogs and a cat. Ours is a golfing community with the properties surrounding a semi-private course. I’m in my early 60s am definitely more “robust” than I was at a younger age.

 

I’ve been golfing for the last 35+ years and play to a 10.4 handicap right now. Quite a few years ago I could play and practice a bunch more than I can now and had my index down into the low 4s / high 3s. I love the game because it is truly an escape for me. I can hit the links and forget about work pressures, etc and just have fun. It doesn’t hurt to live where we do either!

 

 

I should also point out that I’m a big-time equipment geek. I’ve been building and repairing clubs for the last 30+ years, and have probably owned or tried most everything over the years. Also, I used to LOVE the old Maxfli Revolution wound ball. I could work it, spin it, knock it down, fly it high, and flat-out MASH it. Great product.

 

I choose a ball mostly for the control factor. I don’t require super-spinny, but green side control is paramount.

 

My ball of choice right now is the Srixon ZStar. I switched to them for a couple of reasons. First, I had received a couple of sleeves from my club to try out and was having quite a bit of success with them. Then, the Fathers Day BOGO offer came up and I was able to buy 4 dozen for the price of 2. I’ve been playing them all summer and find they’re the perfect combination of distance, accuracy, and green side control for me.

 

My driver swing speed is around 95-100mph and my typical driver ball flight is probably best described as medium, though I’d like to hit it higher with my driver and FWs. My driving accuracy is quite good at around 65-70%. My iron ball flight is mid- to high, which I prefer. My typical miss with the driver is right, and with the irons is probably a pull. My greens in reg are not where I would like them to be and when combined with the fact that chipping and pitching is the worst part of my game, I’m wasting quite a few shots. More short game practice would almost certainly lead to a return to single digit handicaps.

 

I’m sure you’ve all seen the ball at this point so I’ll spare the pics of the packaging and the balls themselves. I’ll add them later if anyone would like.

 

As I have said I’ve been quite busy work wise lately, so the only times I have gotten to play with these were in one 18 hole round with the Tour X and one scramble, where I was able to hit shots with both balls on occasion.

 

My initial reactions:

- I saw almost no difference at all between the Tour and the Tour X off the driver.

- Other than that, the X seems a bit hot. I hit some wedges and even some putts that went quite a bit farther than I expected them to.

- Both balls feel great and sound great at impact.

- Spin seems pretty good with both.

- The Tours for me seem to launch the ball VERY high (their packaging indicates that they are the model to choose for a higher ball flight). I mean, I hit some moon shot wedges with them.

- Durability seems to be very good. Though, one of the Tours picked up a scuff, and I’m not sure where. I don’t remember any cart path contact, for example.

 

More to follow on these in the coming weeks. I have some more scrambles coming which should let me do some more side-by-side testing along the way. At some point I’ll try to get to a Trackman in the area if possible for some comparative numbers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[gbtrsc 257]

My only gripe so far is the Maxfli logo. To me, it is the only part of the ball that doesn’t look ‘premium’.

That logo is classic old school Maxfli! Love it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jddaigneault 1,234]

I was able to get out and play another par 3 nine holes with the Maxfli this weekend, this time testing the Tour against the Snell MTB X. I alternated which ball I hit first to be as fair as possible.

It was definitely different attacking pins with the Maxfli. 9/9 holes were shorter with the Maxfli. I didn’t notice much difference with regard to height (if anything slightly lower), and they seemed to have less spin. At times, I found myself hitting with a 55 degree wedge for the snell and a 50 degree for the Maxfli. The yardage wasn’t that much of a difference, but the snell would spin back while the maxfli tended to pop and roll. When I was really aggressive on the downswing I was able to pull the Maxfli back, but I had to really get after it. I have new Taylormade MG2 wedges, so the grooves are definitely not the issue! 

I put an alignment aid on both balls, and found that to be what made putting more successful comparative to the CG line. I haven’t seen anything that tells me the CG line makes any difference in the way the ball plays. Putting the Maxfli is nice though, it rolls true and is responsive but not overly so. 

For me, the major win for Maxfli is durability. I’ve now played three nine hole rounds with the same ball and it is barely dinged up. The snell showed definite signs of wear in comparison, which likely also helps explain some of the differences in spin. Perhaps the more durable cover leads to less grip against the grooves and therein less spin? I’d be interested to see what others think on this front!
 

 

[revkev 22,577]

I was able to get out and play another par 3 nine holes with the Maxfli this weekend, this time testing the Tour against the Snell MTB X. I alternated which ball I hit first to be as fair as possible.

It was definitely different attacking pins with the Maxfli. 9/9 holes were shorter with the Maxfli. I didn’t notice much difference with regard to height (if anything slightly lower), and they seemed to have less spin. At times, I found myself hitting with a 55 degree wedge for the snell and a 50 degree for the Maxfli. The yardage wasn’t that much of a difference, but the snell would spin back while the maxfli tended to pop and roll. When I was really aggressive on the downswing I was able to pull the Maxfli back, but I had to really get after it. I have new Taylormade MG2 wedges, so the grooves are definitely not the issue! 

 

I put an alignment aid on both balls, and found that to be what made putting more successful comparative to the CG line. I haven’t seen anything that tells me the CG line makes any difference in the way the ball plays. Putting the Maxfli is nice though, it rolls true and is responsive but not overly so. 

For me, the major win for Maxfli is durability. I’ve now played three nine hole rounds with the same ball and it is barely dinged up. The snell showed definite signs of wear in comparison, which likely also helps explain some of the differences in spin. Perhaps the more durable cover leads to less grip against the grooves and therein less spin? I’d be interested to see what others think on this front!

 

 

 

For me long shot spin is not so easily discernible - The grasses that I play on are often grain dependent in regards to perceived spin and the greens themselves are pretty firm - extremely firm in the winter/spring. I’d call the full shot approach spin adequate - comparable to my gamer.

 

There is a discernible difference in spin around the green between the Tour x and the Tour and my gamer. I would need to practice significantly longer to game the Tour x as it spins a good deal more. Of course I would either have to move up a set of tees or quit the game if I were to game it as well. It’s 12 yards shorter than my gamer on average.

 

For my game/swing type, the gap between the balls is stunning. The Tour fares pretty well on its own though and I could see it making into some people’s bag. I’d prefer it to the chrome soft or any of the so called soft balls. It’s longer and spins better around the greens -for my swing type.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[J.B. TexasEx 307]

First off, I'd like to thank MGS and MAXFLI for giving this 51-year old, 13.7 HDCP hack a chance to test these new golf balls. I am a thrifty golfer who usually purchases the 3-piece Kirkland Signature golf balls. Professionally, I'm a residential real estate agent and I also work part-time as a starter at the local country club. I live in a DFW suburb, have been married for 13+ years, and am the father to a 7 1/2 year old boy. I don't get to play as much as I'd like, because my free time is spent coaching youth teams and assisting Cub Scouts.

My knowledge of golf balls "performance" is somewhat rudimentary. I've noticed that the super-premium balls (Pro-V1, TP-5, Chrome Soft, etc.) generally perform best, but I'm not willing to pay the price for these brands. Fortunately, I find many of them in good shape at the CC! 

My Game-

I've been playing semi-regularly since I graduated from UT, back in 1991. In the past, I've taken lessons from teaching pros and at Golf Tec, but haven't done so in about 15 years. These days, I get my instruction from YouTube videos; Bradley Hughes, Alex Fortay, and Alistair Davies, among others. My biggest problem is consistency, but I usually score between 86-92. I never seem to put all the pieces together during my rounds; driving, ball-striking, short-game, and putting. I'd get frustrated, but I rarely beat balls. When I practice, it's usually just pitching, chipping, and putting. The best my handicap has ever been is 12. I still game my 1999 Hogan Apex Plus irons, so I believe more in the archer than the arrow.

What I want in a ball is what most everybody else does - consistent performance and a softer "feel" around the greens. Based on what little research I've done and the observations I've made while playing, the urethane cover balls "feel" better, especially around the greens. As a general rule, a 4-piece ball should spin more than a 3-piece with your shorter, controlled swings. My stock shot is a medium-high draw with the irons and hand-me-down Callaway fairways, but I'm actually hitting a nice fade with my new Srixon z565 driver. My swing speed is about 105 mph with a driver, so I hit it pretty good when I find the sweet spot. A stock 7-iron is usually 155-160 yards with no wind.

My Plan-

I'm not very analytical by nature and I don't own nor use a launch monitor or range finder. I'm the typical "feel" golfer who really only cares about the numbers on my scorecard. What I intend to do is play two balls for a number of holes, comparing my K-Sigs against the MAXFLI Tour and Tour X. I will endeavor to make astute observations about how the ball reacts and feels off the clubface when compared to my usual gamer. I know this comparison won't satisfy the engineers here at MGS, but fortunately that wasn't a prerequisite for participating in the test. The challenge for me is getting "good" data and results from an inconsistent, mid-handicapper's swing like mine. But, I'll do the best I can.

Let's call mine "the regular guy" golf ball review.

Edited November 6, 2019 by J.B. TexasEx
more bio, "about me"

[J.B. TexasEx 307]

On 11/1/2019 at 8:34 PM, gbtrsc said:

 

That logo is classic old school Maxfli! Love it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I agree.

That's the Maxfli logo that I grew up with. Hell, it looks more "premium" than Mizuno's offerings IMO.

[jddaigneault 1,234]

This is the type of scuff mark from 27 holes with the same ball! 

[jddaigneault 1,234]

I was able to coerce the local Roger Dunn shop into letting me test the golf balls yesterday (which wasn't hard, they're awesome!) on their Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor. 

I brought in my pitching wedge and my 7 iron. I hit a bunch of shots with each club, using the Maxfli Tour, Maxfli Tour X, and the Snell MTB X. I wanted to use a Pro V1 as well, but didn't have one in my bag! As they are far too expensive, I elected not to buy one in the store.

I hit at least 10 shots with each ball, removing the really bad shots from the data set (like the beautiful slice to the right seen below).

Here are the compiled results from the testing.

The findings were pretty consistent with what I have been experiencing on the course. The Maxfli Tour was shorter with both clubs, and was spinning a lot less on approach shots with the wedges. On the firm greens of SoCal, being able to stick it is very important. 

I did find it interesting that the PW numbers were fairly similar between the MTB X and Tour X. This one really just comes down to feel for me, the Tour X is just not a pleasant ball to hit. 

With the 7 iron, both Maxfli balls were down in distance, and has higher spin numbers. While not a huge gap, I would expect that might grow with the driver. Snell claims to have a low spinning ball off the tee, with high spin around the greens. They certainly deliver on that! Ultimately, I think all the balls spin is pretty low for a 7 iron, though the Snell would be helped with peak height. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the data! Let me know if there are questions, I certainly have a few lingering myself. 

How much does spin have to change to impact the shot? Was I consistently off center on my 7 iron strikes, impacting spin? How does ball speed impact spin rate? 

[revkev 22,577]

I was able to coerce the local Roger Dunn shop into letting me test the golf balls yesterday (which wasn't hard, they're awesome!) on their Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor. 

I brought in my pitching wedge and my 7 iron. I hit a bunch of shots with each club, using the Maxfli Tour, Maxfli Tour X, and the Snell MTB X. I wanted to use a Pro V1 as well, but didn't have one in my bag! As they are far too expensive, I elected not to buy one in the store.
I hit at least 10 shots with each ball, removing the really bad shots from the data set (like the beautiful slice to the right seen below).

Here are the compiled results from the testing.

The findings were pretty consistent with what I have been experiencing on the course. The Maxfli Tour was shorter with both clubs, and was spinning a lot less on approach shots with the wedges. On the firm greens of SoCal, being able to stick it is very important. 
I did find it interesting that the PW numbers were fairly similar between the MTB X and Tour X. This one really just comes down to feel for me, the Tour X is just not a pleasant ball to hit. 
With the 7 iron, both Maxfli balls were down in distance, and has higher spin numbers. While not a huge gap, I would expect that might grow with the driver. Snell claims to have a low spinning ball off the tee, with high spin around the greens. They certainly deliver on that! Ultimately, I think all the balls spin is pretty low for a 7 iron, though the Snell would be helped with peak height. 
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the data! Let me know if there are questions, I certainly have a few lingering myself. 
How much does spin have to change to impact the shot? Was I consistently off center on my 7 iron strikes, impacting spin? How does ball speed impact spin rate? 

A question that comes to mind would be loft and shafts on each of those clubs.

The spin rates on the wedges are very good - but you are correct on the 7 irons unless they are Avery strong loft.

Where I’ve noticed a true distance differences between balls is with driver - huge gap for me between my gamer and the Tour x.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[jddaigneault 1,234]

42 minutes ago, revkev said:

 

A question that comes to mind would be loft and shafts on each of those clubs.

The spin rates on the wedges are very good - but you are correct on the 7 irons unless they are Avery strong loft.

Where I’ve noticed a true distance differences between balls is with driver - huge gap for me between my gamer and the Tour x.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

The 7 iron is 30.5 and the PW is 45. Standard length shafts. So they’re on the strong side. 

[revkev 22,577]

The 7 iron is 30.5 and the PW is 45. Standard length shafts. So they’re on the strong side. 

Not ridiculous though - that’s really good spin on the PW!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[DrMJG 501]

13 hours ago, jddaigneault said:

This is the type of scuff mark from 27 holes with the same ball! 

Basically, the same scuffing on the balls I used on the courses. Never saw a cut on any ball but the ended up, after 18 what I would expect after 36.  Worse for the Tour X for reasons I could not quite explain.

[fozcycle 11,880]

I apologize to the Spy Community for being so tardy on this review.  My Cousin passed away recently with no children or siblings, so I stepped up to take charge of him and his estate.  I have been in KY for several weeks, after being appointed estate administrator, cleaning out his apt and settling his affairs.  That said, I am a long term Spy and have reviewed several items, such as, Cobra Bio Cell irons, Cobra F6 irons, Cobra F8 full bag challenge, Bridgestone B330RXS balls, Vice Pro Soft balls and lately, the Tour Edge CBX119 hybrid.

 

Here is my story:

In 1959, the City of Frankfort, Kentucky opened a new park called Juniper Hills,  located just west of the city.  Juniper Hills included a Par 72, 18 Hole rolling terrain golf course and an Olympic size swimming pool.  My Grandfather and his buddies joined the club and began playing every week.  I was only 8 yrs old, but my Grandfather decided I was old enough to be his caddy.  So I began my golfing career pulling a Bagboy pull-cart filled with Powerbilt golf clubs up and down the rolling terrain of Juniper Hills.  As a caddy, I learned the rules of golf and how the game was played.  My first set of clubs were a hodgepodge set of old hickory shafted clubs, leftovers from my Grandfather’s old clubs.  Ones that he took to Africa when he was building a sawmill to harvest mahogany wood for office furniture in 1948-49.  He was a Civil Engineer.  They carved out some land in the jungles of the Gold Coast(now Ghana) for a 9 hole course and played it for their recreation. Sadly, today I only have the putter left, so it hangs on the wall above my desk at home.  I progressed from the hickory sticks to used Powerbilts that were my Grandfather’s.  At age 10, I got my first set of cleats(steel spikes of course).  I felt like I was king of the world when I walked around the clubhouse area going clickety-clack, clickety-clack.  I spent my summers at Juniper Hills, just a mile from my home, caddying in the mornings then either hawking lost balls, putting for pennies or playing in the hot Summer afternoons.  I witnessed a Hole in one at age 13 when one of my friends aced the 140 yard Par 3 #6.  For my High School Graduation, my Grandfather gave me a new set of Powerbilt irons. I got my Ace in August, 1985 at Pine Ridge Country Club in Winnfield, LA.  When I moved to Florida in 1987, I was a 10 Handicap, gaming Nicklaus Muirfield irons.  Unfortunately, I was either working, or playing with my 4yr old daughter so I did not get much time to retain my handicap and watched it slip to an 18.  Fast forward through the years to now, I have been playing with a 6” steel plate, 13 screws & an inch of my left hip bone in my left wrist (ice skating accident in 1998).  The inch of my left hip was to make both arms the same length again.  Because of the injury, my handicap ballooned to the mid 20’s for several years, so I moved to graphite irons to reduce as much vibration as possible.  I was able to get my handicap back down to 13 for a few months in 2011, but that did not last.  For the past several years, I have been bouncing between 17 and 22.  I also have two Ligaments damaged in my Left Ankle(too many ankle sprains).  The Dr’s offered surgery but I declined because I was not ready to stay off of it for 4 months.  I am an Accountant(Ky State Univ. 1977) that retired in Jan 2017 and played 4 days a week wearing an ankle brace.  I got tired of the brace and decided to play without it.  I joined a 16 week nutrition class at the V.A., watched my intake and began excercising, losing 22 lbs this year.  Now I can walk around the neighborhood without pain and ride a stationary recumbent bike.  If I can lose another 15 lbs, I will be very happy.  My drives usually range from 185 to 205, with an occasional 220 and my 6i is my 150 yard club.  I am 68 years old, with an 15 Handicap, and play golf 3 to 4 times every week.

 

• I play at Pebble Creek Golf Club, located in New Tampa, just 7 miles from my home.  Been playing there for 10 years.  Now retired, I Ranger there 2 mornings a week and play 3 times. The course plays 6436 from the Blues(71.1/127), 6032 from the Whites(69.1/122) & 5516 from the Gold(Senior Tees 66.3/111).  I now play the Gold Tees.  I have been running the Saturday Game at Pebble Creek for 10 years.  We average between 30 - 50 players each week in our Stableford Points game.  Twice a year we have a 2 day tourney.  Annually, I book a 12 to 24 man Buddy Trip to the Kissimmee FL area. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

• My Bag is as follows:  Cobra Ultralight Cart Bag(Peacoat/Silver), F8 Driver(10.5*) & F8 3-4(14.5*) Fairway & 5-6(18.5*) Fairway w/Mitsubishi Tensei ck Blue regular shafts, F8 3 Hybrid, 5 Hybrid & 6 - LW w/Mamiya Recoil 460 ES graphite regular shafts.  The irons are all 2* Flat .  All clubs have the Cobra Connect Lamkin Grip with Across Tracking Sensors. Currently not using Arccos our to issues with the iWatch.

• I waffle between an a Evnroll E6 and the Tommy Armou4 Impact No. 3.  Both provide excellent balance for a smooth swing.

• My current ball has been the Srixon Q Star Tour.  It performs well for a medium speed mid handicapper(15.0) such as myself.

I have played Maxflis most of my life.  That was my Grandfather's ball of choice and so it became mine.  In recent years, Maxfli has introduced several "tour" like balls.  The most recent is the Tour CG and the Tour X CG.  Both of which I had before this review.  I have mostly played the Tour CG but this week put a Tour X CG in play and shot an 81, with 10 pars.  I must say, even though th flight path was lower than usual, I got the yardage I wanted and the ball would stick on the green.

I have not performed a salt test.....yet, but intend to try it.  I have a check-go and will examine the balls with it.  Hopefully, more to come ....

This is a box that my Mother gave my Grandfather for Christmas one year(1950's).  It contained 6 individually wrapped Maxfli Dunlop golf balls.  My Grandfather kept the box, then my Mother kept it.  They are no longer with us so now I keep the box, using it to store golf items.  Maybe that's why I like Maxfli.

T

[fixyurdivot 9,566]

34 minutes ago, fozcycle said:

I apologize to the Spy Community for being so tardy on this review.  My Cousin passed away recently with no children or siblings, so I stepped up to take charge of him and his estate.  I have been in KY for several weeks, after being appointed estate administrator, cleaning out his apt and settling his affairs.  That said, I am a long term Spy and have reviewed several items, such as, Cobra Bio Cell irons, Cobra F6 irons, Cobra F8 full bag challenge, Bridgestone B330RXS balls, Vice Pro Soft balls and lately, the Tour Edge CBX119 hybrid.

 

Here is my story:

In 1959, the City of Frankfort, Kentucky opened a new park called Juniper Hills,  located just west of the city.  Juniper Hills included a Par 72, 18 Hole rolling terrain golf course and an Olympic size swimming pool.  My Grandfather and his buddies joined the club and began playing every week.  I was only 8 yrs old, but my Grandfather decided I was old enough to be his caddy.  So I began my golfing career pulling a Bagboy pull-cart filled with Powerbilt golf clubs up and down the rolling terrain of Juniper Hills.  As a caddy, I learned the rules of golf and how the game was played.  My first set of clubs were a hodgepodge set of old hickory shafted clubs, leftovers from my Grandfather’s old clubs.  Ones that he took to Africa when he was building a sawmill to harvest mahogany wood for office furniture in 1948-49.  He was a Civil Engineer.  They carved out some land in the jungles of the Gold Coast(now Ghana) for a 9 hole course and played it for their recreation. Sadly, today I only have the putter left, so it hangs on the wall above my desk at home.  I progressed from the hickory sticks to used Powerbilts that were my Grandfather’s.  At age 10, I got my first set of cleats(steel spikes of course).  I felt like I was king of the world when I walked around the clubhouse area going clickety-clack, clickety-clack.  I spent my summers at Juniper Hills, just a mile from my home, caddying in the mornings then either hawking lost balls, putting for pennies or playing in the hot Summer afternoons.  I witnessed a Hole in one at age 13 when one of my friends aced the 140 yard Par 3 #6.  For my High School Graduation, my Grandfather gave me a new set of Powerbilt irons. I got my Ace in August, 1985 at Pine Ridge Country Club in Winnfield, LA.  When I moved to Florida in 1987, I was a 10 Handicap, gaming Nicklaus Muirfield irons.  Unfortunately, I was either working, or playing with my 4yr old daughter so I did not get much time to retain my handicap and watched it slip to an 18.  Fast forward through the years to now, I have been playing with a 6” steel plate, 13 screws & an inch of my left hip bone in my left wrist (ice skating accident in 1998).  The inch of my left hip was to make both arms the same length again.  Because of the injury, my handicap ballooned to the mid 20’s for several years, so I moved to graphite irons to reduce as much vibration as possible.  I was able to get my handicap back down to 13 for a few months in 2011, but that did not last.  For the past several years, I have been bouncing between 17 and 22.  I also have two Ligaments damaged in my Left Ankle(too many ankle sprains).  The Dr’s offered surgery but I declined because I was not ready to stay off of it for 4 months.  I am an Accountant(Ky State Univ. 1977) that retired in Jan 2017 and played 4 days a week wearing an ankle brace.  I got tired of the brace and decided to play without it.  I joined a 16 week nutrition class at the V.A., watched my intake and began excercising, losing 22 lbs this year.  Now I can walk around the neighborhood without pain and ride a stationary recumbent bike.  If I can lose another 15 lbs, I will be very happy.  My drives usually range from 185 to 205, with an occasional 220 and my 6i is my 150 yard club.  I am 68 years old, with an 15 Handicap, and play golf 3 to 4 times every week.

 

• I play at Pebble Creek Golf Club, located in New Tampa, just 7 miles from my home.  Been playing there for 10 years.  Now retired, I Ranger there 2 mornings a week and play 3 times. The course plays 6436 from the Blues(71.1/127), 6032 from the Whites(69.1/122) & 5516 from the Gold(Senior Tees 66.3/111).  I now play the Gold Tees.  I have been running the Saturday Game at Pebble Creek for 10 years.  We average between 30 - 50 players each week in our Stableford Points game.  Twice a year we have a 2 day tourney.  Annually, I book a 12 to 24 man Buddy Trip to the Kissimmee FL area. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

• My Bag is as follows:  Cobra Ultralight Cart Bag(Peacoat/Silver), F8 Driver(10.5*) & F8 3-4(14.5*) Fairway & 5-6(18.5*) Fairway w/Mitsubishi Tensei ck Blue regular shafts, F8 3 Hybrid, 5 Hybrid & 6 - LW w/Mamiya Recoil 460 ES graphite regular shafts.  The irons are all 2* Flat .  All clubs have the Cobra Connect Lamkin Grip with Across Tracking Sensors. Currently not using Arccos our to issues with the iWatch.

• I waffle between an a Evnroll E6 and the Tommy Armou4 Impact No. 3.  Both provide excellent balance for a smooth swing.

• My current ball has been the Srixon Q Star Tour.  It performs well for a medium speed mid handicapper(15.0) such as myself.

I have played Maxflis most of my life.  That was my Grandfather's ball of choice and so it became mine.  In recent years, Maxfli has introduced several "tour" like balls.  The most recent is the Tour CG and the Tour X CG.  Both of which I had before this review.  I have mostly played the Tour CG but this week put a Tour X CG in play and shot an 81, with 10 pars.  I must say, even though th flight path was lower than usual, I got the yardage I wanted and the ball would stick on the green.

I have not performed a salt test.....yet, but intend to try it.  I have a check-go and will examine the balls with it.  Hopefully, more to come ....

This is a box that my Mother gave my Grandfather for Christmas one year(1950's).  It contained 6 individually wrapped Maxfli Dunlop golf balls.  My Grandfather kept the box, then my Mother kept it.  They are no longer with us so now I keep the box, using it to store golf items.  Maybe that's why I like Maxfli.

T

Fantastic story Foz!  Thanks for sharing.

[tony@CIC 17,431]

On 11/1/2019 at 8:49 AM, fixyurdivot said:

That looks like a setup that helps beat back the "winter blues". 

Yeah but finding the white balls may be a challenge