Jump to content
TESTERS WANTED! ×

Does compression matter?


Tsecor

Recommended Posts

11 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

I just read an article on TGW stating compression doesn't matter.

Was curious what the MGS community thought of this. 

 

https://www.tgw.com/golf-guide/golf-ball-compression-ratings-dont-matter/

 

 

I skimmed that article and my takeaway was that TGW believes the "compression rating" doesn't matter (i.e. 60 vs 70). Instead they have some categories, low, medium, high, and they believe that categorization still matters.

Follow my golf journey to break into the 80s

Tester for the Titleist TSi Driver

Spring 2020 MGS Tester for the Fujikura Motore X Shaft

Updated 07/15/2022
Driver:callaway-small: Rogue St Max LS - Autoflex
Fairway Woods:callaway-small: Rogue Max St 3HL and 7 Wood
Irons:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal 5 to AW - Aerotech Steelfiber i95 Stiff parallel tip
Wedges:ping-small: Glide 4.0 54 and 58
Putter:  :ping-small: PLD Custom Kushin 4

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The MGS ball test showed that you are losing a few yards of distance with a softer ball because it costs you some ball speed.  I'll admit that I prefer a softer ball, even though I know it probably costs me some distance and I probably should be playing a firmer ball.

"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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is from the MySpy 2019 testing. To me the biggest issue I generally have with a ball is durability. Interestingly if you read the guff on the Pro V1 it you can find mention on Pro V1 still has a compression around 90 and the 1x of around 100. But in reality based on the info below it is 10% higher.

Q: What is compression and what does it mean for me?

A:  Compression is a measure of firmness and is most commonly associated with feel. The higher the compression value, the harder the ball will likely feel. There’s little evidence in our data to suggest that there’s a right compression for your speed. What’s important is finding a ball that provides the right balance of performance for your game. At most, feel should be a secondary concern when choosing a ball.

Compression Testing

It’s important to note that like many things in the golf equipment industry, there’s no standard set of equipment to measure and report compression. We should also note that some manufacturers talk about total compression, while others focus the discussion on core compression.

Our compression measurements reflect total compression. When numbers differ from those of the manufacturer, it doesn’t mean anyone is lying. The tools are different, the operators are different. Don’t sweat the absolutes; focus on the data (below) for comparative purposes.

During consultations with experts from the ball industry, we were told that compression differences within the same box of balls can be significant (as high as 30 points). While we didn’t test the volume of samples that manufacturers typically do, we did find some cause for concern.

As you’ll see below, there’s a strong correlation between compression and ball speed. If compression is wildly inconsistent, your distances will be too.

2019 MOST WANTED BALL FEATURES CHART

2019 Most Wanted Ball Test Features

  Ball Model Price Construction Compression Cover Material

 

BridgestoneTour B RX

44.99 3 Piece 99.6 Injection Molded Urethane
 

Snell MTB-X

32.99 3 Piece 114.3 Cast Urethane

 

Mizuno RB Tour X 42.99 4 Piece 111.6 Injection Molded Urethane
  Srixon Z Star Xv 39.99 4 Piece 111.4 Cast-Injected Urethane
 

Titleist Pro V1x

47.99 4 Piece 111.0 Cast Urethane (Thermoset)
  Bridgestone Tour B X 44.99 3 Piece 110.8 Injection Molded Urethane
  Volvik S4 49.99 4 Piece 109.8 Cast Urethane
  Maxfli Tour X CG 34.99 4 Piece 109.1 Cast Urethane
  Kirkland Signature 3-Piece 11.99 3 Piece 106.7 Injection Molded Urethane
  Mizuno RB Tour 42.99 4 Piece 106.3 Injection Molded Urethane
  Cut Blue 19.95 4 Piece 106.2 Injection Molded Urethane
  Vice Pro 34.95 3 Piece 106.2 Cast Urethane
  Snell MTB Black 32.99 3 PIece 105.3 Cast Urethane
  TaylorMade TP5x 44.99 5 Piece 104.4 Cast Urethane
  Titleist Pro V1 47.99 3 Piece 104.2 Cast Urethane (Thermoset)
  Maxfli Tour CG 34.99 3 PIece 103.9 Cast Urethane
  Cut Grey 19.95 3 Piece 103.6 Injection Molded Urethane
  Bridgestone Tour B XS 44.99 3 Piece 102.9 Injection Molded Urethane
  Vice Pro Plus 34.95 4 Piece 102.6 Cast Urethane
  Srixon Z Star 39.99 3 Piece 100.8 Cast-Injected Urethane
  Srixon Z Star Yellow 39.99 3 Piece 100.7 Cast-Injected Urethane
  TaylorMade TP5 44.99 5 Piece 100.1 Cast Urethane
  Callaway Chrome Soft X 44.99 4 Piece 100.0 Injection Molded Urethane
  MG Tour C4 19.99 3 Piece 99.2 Injection Molded Urethane
  Inesis Tour 900 29.99 3 Piece 98.7 Injection Molded Urethane
  Volvik S3 49.99 3 Piece 96.5 Cast Urethane
  Titleist AVX 47.99 3 Piece 95.6 Cast Urethane (Thermoset)
  OnCore Elixr 34.99 3 Piece 95.5 Cast Urethane
  Vice Pro Soft 34.95 3 Piece 94.2 Cast Urethane
  Volvik Vivid Soft 49.99 3 Piece 90.0 Cast Urethane
  Wilson Duo Professional 34.99 3 Piece 87.8 Cast Urethane
  Callaway Chrome Soft 44.99 4 Piece 86.4 Injection Molded Urethane
  Bridgestone Tour B RXS 44.99 3 Piece 86.3 Injection Molded Urethane
  Srixon Q Star Tour 29.99 3 Piece 86.2 Cast-Injected Urethane
  Titleist Tour Soft 39.99 2 Piece 84.7 Ionomer Blend
  Callaway ERC Soft 39.99 3 Piece 73.4 Ionomer
Edited by Firebird
Adding information

Callaway Epic Flash 9 Degree

Callaway Epic Flash 3 wood 15 Degree

Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid 19 Degree

Callaway Steelhead Pro 4-AW Irons

Cleveland 54 Degree Wedge Steel Shaft

Recoil Graphite Shafts in all Callaway

Cobra Vintage Series Stingray 40

Preferred ball - Seed 001

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Club head speed is everything. If you hit a Cally Supersoft with a 100 mph swing speed, of course you will lose distance. For those of us that swing a lot slower, all those lower compression balls work just fine to "somewhat level" the playing field. I have played 90 comp down to the 29 compression of the Duo. Duo got marshmallowy in the hot summer sun. The Cally Supersoft that I now play, with an 80 mph swing speed does not do that. And, I am always out in front of my playing partners with the driver most if the time, and we are all high handicappers. Its all subject to the FEEL YOU WANT, and not always how far you can hit the ball.

Driver-Ping g410 SFT, 3W-Callaway Diablo Octane, Hybrids-Snake Eyes Viper 18*+ 21*, Irons-GigaGolf Reva Hybrid Irons 24*- 46*, Wedges-Cleveland CBX2's 50*54*58*, Putter-Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 11c

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the data in the list from @Firebird doesn't seem to be in line with the ball lab, the most recent Bridgestone tour brx is 99.6 on the chart, but 75 in the ball lab! That's the only one I looked into (most recent lab test) sure there is more. I guess the question that I have is the cart the OEM compression that they give? If so more respect to MGS for exposing this. It's really becoming very muddy water, and seems like finding what's working for you is the best way to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, drb1956 said:

Club head speed is everything. If you hit a Cally Supersoft with a 100 mph swing speed, of course you will lose distance. For those of us that swing a lot slower, all those lower compression balls work just fine to "somewhat level" the playing field. I have played 90 comp down to the 29 compression of the Duo. Duo got marshmallowy in the hot summer sun. The Cally Supersoft that I now play, with an 80 mph swing speed does not do that. And, I am always out in front of my playing partners with the driver most if the time, and we are all high handicappers. Its all subject to the FEEL YOU WANT, and not always how far you can hit the ball.

This^ Low compression balls like the 29 compression Duo don't lose distance until high swing speeds come into play.

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone who has not been ball fitted and not found an appreciable difference in the handful of balls I have narrowed down to, I'm curious about the compression question as well.  I've had days when a Chromesoft or newer Titleist Tour Soft have played better in distance and, to a slightly lesser degree, green holding than ProV1, Maxfli Tour, Snell MTB, and Bridgestone BX S.  

To those who have been "ball fitted" what if any surprises did you find?

: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)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

As someone who has not been ball fitted and not found an appreciable difference in the handful of balls I have narrowed down to, I'm curious about the compression question as well.  I've had days when a Chromesoft or newer Titleist Tour Soft have played better in distance and, to a slightly lesser degree, green holding than ProV1, Maxfli Tour, Snell MTB, and Bridgestone BX S.  

To those who have been "ball fitted" what if any surprises did you find?

I’ve done a few bridgestone ball fittings when they were doing them in person. 
 

In the last fitting i did which would be around 2015/16 the rx was the ball I was fitted for. We looked at the bx and bxs and spin increased with both that was detrimental to optimizing my distance. 
 

i played the rx multiple seasons on and off since every fitting i did with them that was the recommended ball compared to either the Srixon z star or Prov1. 
 

ive played a bunch of different balls and what I have seen the “softer” balls like the chromesoft, q star and Wilson have all been shorter off the tee and with irons compared to the tp5 and 5x and the Prov1 and 1x for me. I’ve tried the last two versions of bx and bxs and both have been ok.

I recently tried the exp-01, tour soft and they rolled out further than the tour balls 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, 2puttbogey said:

Some of the data in the list from @Firebird doesn't seem to be in line with the ball lab, the most recent Bridgestone tour brx is 99.6 on the chart, but 75 in the ball lab! That's the only one I looked into (most recent lab test) sure there is more. I guess the question that I have is the cart the OEM compression that they give? If so more respect to MGS for exposing this. It's really becoming very muddy water, and seems like finding what's working for you is the best way to go.

I asked Tony about the compression differences between  2019 Ball Test and 2020 Ball Lab.  MGS is using a different machine this year which has led to  lower compression readings on the same ball between years.  Bridgestone’s Tour B line has had a new release this year which would lead to different compression measurements anyway, even if MGS had kept the same compression measuring tool as last year. 

Gameday
Vessel Sunday 2.0/ Ogio Silencer
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Dynapwr Carbon | Hzrdus Smoke Black
:callaway-small:  Mavrik 3w | Evenflow Riptide
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png FG Tour F5 Hybrid(20,23) | MCA Fubuki

Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Staff Model CB 5-PW |  DG 120
:titleist-small: Vokey SM7 (50, 54, 58) | DG 120
bettinardilogo2MGS.png.3b311f05930da73872d3b638ef39f51c.png Studio Stock 15
:titleist-small:-ProV1x (left dash)

Romans 10:9


Classic Bag
Jones Collegiate Clemson Stand Bag

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngEye 2 Laminate
:wilson_staff_small: 1973 Staff Dynapower 4-PW

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngAnser

:wilson_staff_small: DUO

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

I’ve done a few bridgestone ball fittings when they were doing them in person. 
 

In the last fitting i did which would be around 2015/16 the rx was the ball I was fitted for. We looked at the bx and bxs and spin increased with both that was detrimental to optimizing my distance. 
 

i played the rx multiple seasons on and off since every fitting i did with them that was the recommended ball compared to either the Srixon z star or Prov1. 
 

ive played a bunch of different balls and what I have seen the “softer” balls like the chromesoft, q star and Wilson have all been shorter off the tee and with irons compared to the tp5 and 5x and the Prov1 and 1x for me. I’ve tried the last two versions of bx and bxs and both have been ok.

I recently tried the exp-01, tour soft and they rolled out further than the tour balls 

Just as a point of reference, how much difference were you seeing in distance?  My driver swing speed runs about 103.  Perhaps at these lower speeds the separation in distance just isn't that much?

: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)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Just as a point of reference, how much difference were you seeing in distance?  My driver swing speed runs about 103.  Perhaps at these lower speeds the separation in distance just isn't that much?

My SS is about the same as yours. With the chromesoft it was 1/2 to 1 club distance with irons. Hitting balls side by side on the same holes I would see 10-15 yards difference. I have a couple friends who are faster and they would see similar differences.

With the Bridgestone bx and bxs i was on avg losing 10 yards off the tee with irons I was a full club shorter

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

My SS is about the same as yours. With the chromesoft it was 1/2 to 1 club distance with irons. Hitting balls side by side on the same holes I would see 10-15 yards difference. I have a couple friends who are faster and they would see similar differences.

With the Bridgestone bx and bxs i was on avg losing 10 yards off the tee with irons I was a full club shorter

Wow!  That is significant.  Why I'm not seeing that in my informal comparisons may just be inconsistent ball striking??  I often have courses to myself and can play two ball comparisons; I did this several times while testing the Maxfli Tour and Tour X.  Looks like a ball fitting needs to be added to the list.

: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)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

I asked Tony about the compression differences between  2019 Ball Test and 2020 Ball Lab.  MGS is using a different machine this year which has led to  lower compression readings on the same ball between years.  Bridgestone’s Tour B line has had a new release this year which would lead to different compression measurements anyway, even if MGS had kept the same compression measuring tool as last year. 

Thanks for the info. 25 is a big difference from year to year though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Wow!  That is significant.  Why I'm not seeing that in my informal comparisons may just be inconsistent ball striking??  I often have courses to myself and can play two ball comparisons; I did this several times while testing the Maxfli Tour and Tour X.  Looks like a ball fitting needs to be added to the list.

This year I’ve compared the tp5 and 5x to the 2017 and 2019 prov1 and 1x.

swing has been pretty inconsistent all year for me but fortunately I played some solo rounds where I could do some side by side comparisons with these balls. The titleist balls were pretty even/consistent tee to green. The tp5 was one I couldn’t tell if it was my swing or the ball but some days it was as good as the 5x and some days I wasn’t seeing driver distances keeping up with the others.

The 5x for me works as well as both provs.

I think a ball fitting is valuable but doing one yourself from shots around the green back to the tee is just as good.  I really want to do a ball fitting and driver fitting at TPI to see how that goes.

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, 2puttbogey said:

Thanks for the info. 25 is a big difference from year to year though.

Sure it is. But again when you go back to the actual device taking the measurement changing, and it is responsible for maybe 40% (iirc) of that change it’s not such a drastic difference.  

Gameday
Vessel Sunday 2.0/ Ogio Silencer
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Dynapwr Carbon | Hzrdus Smoke Black
:callaway-small:  Mavrik 3w | Evenflow Riptide
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png FG Tour F5 Hybrid(20,23) | MCA Fubuki

Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Staff Model CB 5-PW |  DG 120
:titleist-small: Vokey SM7 (50, 54, 58) | DG 120
bettinardilogo2MGS.png.3b311f05930da73872d3b638ef39f51c.png Studio Stock 15
:titleist-small:-ProV1x (left dash)

Romans 10:9


Classic Bag
Jones Collegiate Clemson Stand Bag

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngEye 2 Laminate
:wilson_staff_small: 1973 Staff Dynapower 4-PW

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngAnser

:wilson_staff_small: DUO

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 108 driver swing speed. I see up to a 2 club drop off in distance when I've played the balls around 75 compression and lower. At least compression based on the 2020 MGS numbers. I know I lost around this much distance when I've tried Chrome Soft & Q-Star Tour in the past.

Take Dead Aim

Take Dead Aim

Driver: PXG 0211 10.5* 

Fairway: Titleist 917 F3 15*

Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro Boxer Gold 18*

Irons: MacGregor MT-86 Pro

Wedges: Vokey 50/54/58

Putter: SeeMore X2 Costa del Mar

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 12/13/2020 at 9:49 AM, 2puttbogey said:

Some of the data in the list from @Firebird doesn't seem to be in line with the ball lab, the most recent Bridgestone tour brx is 99.6 on the chart, but 75 in the ball lab! That's the only one I looked into (most recent lab test) sure there is more. I guess the question that I have is the cart the OEM compression that they give? If so more respect to MGS for exposing this. It's really becoming very muddy water, and seems like finding what's working for you is the best way to go.

The data is copied directly from MSG Ball Comparison 2019.

Callaway Epic Flash 9 Degree

Callaway Epic Flash 3 wood 15 Degree

Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid 19 Degree

Callaway Steelhead Pro 4-AW Irons

Cleveland 54 Degree Wedge Steel Shaft

Recoil Graphite Shafts in all Callaway

Cobra Vintage Series Stingray 40

Preferred ball - Seed 001

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Would like to know if anyone has tested any selection of current (2021) balls with an 85-90 mph swing to derive a distance comparison?  Most specifically, ProV to ChromeSoft to Supersoft (for my own preference in balls) and which gives the best distance.  I completely understand that a softer ball starts to over-compress (my words) to sacrifice distance to a firmer ball at swing speeds approaching 100 and over... but what about us old duffers with that lower swing speed.  Where is the cut-off that a low compression ball (like the supersoft) limits the distance trend-line to a mid compression ball (like the ChromeSoft) and further to a higher compression ball like the ProV (or beyond to the series of "x" balls).  

Granted, it is just one metric... but it is one of the important metrics in my book.  Then I can decide how much that distance sacrifice, or gain... I am willing to accept to sacrifice some of the other metrics (feel, greenside spin, etc.)  

Generally speaking - this information would open up a whole segment of possible ball solutions that I would look at (that is in the compression range) without trying to navigate the manufacturer claims of being "Bigger, Better, Faster, More".  Data is king.

By the way, this will most likely be addressed in the new testing that is being prepped by MGS... but I'm an impatient soul.

Tim.

  • Titleist TSR3 9* (A2 setting) Driver - Graphite Design Tour AD UB-5 R1
  • Titleist TSR2+ 3 Wood - Graphite Design Tour AD UB-5 R1
  • Srixon ZX 5W
  • Callaway Paradym 4-PW
  • Titleist Vokey SM9 50-08, 54-10 & 58-08
  • Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2.5
  • 2023 Titleist ProV1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/13/2020 at 10:11 AM, fixyurdivot said:

; I did this several times while testing the Maxfli Tour and Tour X. 

How did they compare? 

Left Hand orientation

:taylormade-small:SIM 2 D Max with Fujikura Air Speeder Shaft 

Cobra  Radspeed 3W/RIptide Shaft
:ping-small:  410  Hybrids 22*, 26*

Cobra Speed Zone 6-GP/Recoil ESX 460 F3 Shafts 

:titelist-small: SM7 54* Wedge

:ping-small: Glide 3.0  60* Wedge

:odyssey-small: O Works putter

:ShotScope: V3
:918457628_PrecisionPro:NX9-HD

:CaddyTek: - 4 Wheel 

EZGO TXT 48v cart
:footjoy-small: - too many shoes to list and so many to buy

:1590477705_SunMountain: And  BAG Boy

Golf Balls: Vice Pro Plus 

2020 Official Teste:SuperSpeed: Beginning Driver Speed  - 78

2019 Official Tester :ping-small:  410 Driver

2018 Official Tester :wilson-small: C300

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The difference between tour balls off the driver at high swing speeds is generally pretty negligible, when comparing like models (i.e. ZStar vs ProV1 and ZStar XV vs ProV1x, Vice Pro vs ProV1 and Vice Pro Plus vs ProV1x, etc) and in general, the slower the swing speed, the less difference there is. Now, you mention Supersoft, which is an interesting wrinkle. Since many ionomer balls spin less than urethane balls (all Tour balls are urethane), high launch/low spin is a recipe for distance off the tee.

In this paradigm, I'd be really interested to see ionomer/low spin balls vs Tour-level low spin balls (TP5x, ProV1x Left Dash, etc). I don't know of many of these comparisons, but TXG did test the TaylorMade lineup (albeit at 120 mph) and found the Tour Response to be longer in the irons than either of the TP5 models. Off the tee, 120mph was too much juice, but at 85-90mph? I bet you could pickup a few yards...

Driver: :srixon-small: ZX5 LS MkII 9.5* (@ 9.0*) with 46.5" Ventus Blue 6X
3-wood: :taylormade-small: SIM 15* with Diamana Limited 75S
5-wood: :cobra-small: RADspeed 18.5* with Motore X F3 60S
2i: :srixon-small: ZX with SteelFiber i95 Stiff

4hy: :titleist-small: TS3 23* with Tensei AV Blue 70 S
4i-7i :srixon-small: ZX7, 8i-PW Z-Forged, Modus3 Tour 120 S
50*, 55* :cleveland-small: RTX 6 Modus3 Tour 125
60* :cleveland-small: RTX Full Face ZipCore DG Spinner S400
Putter: :callaway-small: Toulon Chicago with a :garsen: Quad Tour or :cleveland-small: HB SOFT Milled 10.5S with UST All-in

Ball: :callaway-small: Chrome Tour (but I might still have some :titleist-small: Left Dashes hanging around)
Bag: :srixon-small: Ltd Edition Tartan, blue/green/yellow

Using :ShotScope: to keep track of my shots

Tested:
:wilson_staff_small: D7 Forged 3i-PW, KBS Tour-V 110S - Official Review
:titelist-small: Blind Ball Test (Ball #3 vs Ball #4) - Unofficial Review
:ShotScope:
 V3 GPS Watch + Tags - Official Review
:OnCore:
 Vero X2 - Official Review

The Stack System - Official Review

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, tony@CIC said:

How did they compare? 

Pretty close really.  Off the tee the Tour was a little longer and I liked the feel of the Tour off the irons ... not as hard. I think the Tour compression is better suited to my swing speed.

: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)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've never noticed any measurable difference between any balls on the market other than durability and spin off wedges. As a 8 handicap I'm not consistent enough to know if one ball is longer than another. 

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, braincramp said:

I've never noticed any measurable difference between any balls on the market other than durability and spin off wedges. As a 8 handicap I'm not consistent enough to know if one ball is longer than another. 

I find this hard to believe. Im a 12 handicap and i hit snell mtbx and Bridgestone tour brx 15 yards farther than Kirkland signature 3 piece. Bridgetone Tour BX somewhere in between. Its noticeable in the course for sure.   

Mavrik Max Driver

M2 5W

818 hybrids

Steelhead XR Irons

ZipCore wedges

SeeMore PR M7X

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/26/2021 at 9:25 AM, Tyler86 said:

I find this hard to believe. Im a 12 handicap and i hit snell mtbx and Bridgestone tour brx 15 yards farther than Kirkland signature 3 piece. Bridgetone Tour BX somewhere in between. Its noticeable in the course for sure.   

Tour BRX is longer than the Tour BX for you? Whats your driver ss?

image.png.258d22fcc4d0d25f5fdb8eea25fcd23f.png B21 9.5* w/ PX Evenflow Black 6.5

:ping-small: G410 SFT 16* 3-wood w/ PX Evenflow Black 6.5

image.png.de7870be9e5ebe2ff26fab3151edb989.png Stealth DHY 2i w/ Aldila Ascent Black Stiff

:srixon-small: z585 4-AW w/ Modus3 120x

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack Raw 56.12 & 60.10 w/ Modus3 125w

image.png.a2a25073d1a41c5de1690a6254814da3.png Super Select Newport Plus -or- :odyssey-small: White Hot OG #1WS w/ Stroke Lab 

image.png.d2e91492049dce3981a9fad088921b12.png ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jroot327 said:

Tour BRX is longer than the Tour BX for you? Whats your driver ss?

Yeah. Depends. 90-96 playing, push into 100 when im in a groove and its nice out. Havent played the BRX since spring though and i was wearing layers (MN spring is cold as heck). Now ya got me thinking…. 😖

Mavrik Max Driver

M2 5W

818 hybrids

Steelhead XR Irons

ZipCore wedges

SeeMore PR M7X

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tyler86 said:

Yeah. Depends. 90-96 playing, push into 100 when im in a groove and its nice out. Havent played the BRX since spring though and i was wearing layers (MN spring is cold as heck). Now ya got me thinking…. 😖

Depending on how much you care, it might be worth finding a launch monitor and doing some testing. The combo of ball speed/launch/spin is the biggest 'tell' when it comes to the difference in distances. I don't swing hard enough (~105-110) to really get much difference from most tour-level balls because they're all engineered for pretty comparable speed/spin/launch windows, but as soon as I drop down to balls marketed as "soft" I start seeing a difference. I was hoping I'd get along with the Tour Response, since it's a urethane cover but $10-15/dozen cheaper than Tour-level offerings, but the ball speed is significantly slower (for me, it was ~5 mph less on average with driver and the general consensus is you lose about 2 yards for every 1 mph). And while it did launch about a degree higher, I could not get above 2000 rpm, including a few that were closer to 1000 rpm and just falling out of the computerized sky. My on-course testing confirmed what the launch monitor showed: The Tour Response was fine on irons (longer, actually, because it's significantly lower spin) but as I got up to 2i, 4w, and driver, I started noticing the distance drop-off.

All of that to say, while 'compression' may not matter, ball speed, launch, and spin do. If a ball is going to get less ball speed, it has to make up the distance somehow, so it's (probably) engineered to launch higher and spin less. And as the face has less loft, less spin on long clubs = less carry. (You can get away with a low-spin ball on irons, since they already impart relatively more spin and are going to launch higher/land steeper. Good luck around the greens though.)

Driver: :srixon-small: ZX5 LS MkII 9.5* (@ 9.0*) with 46.5" Ventus Blue 6X
3-wood: :taylormade-small: SIM 15* with Diamana Limited 75S
5-wood: :cobra-small: RADspeed 18.5* with Motore X F3 60S
2i: :srixon-small: ZX with SteelFiber i95 Stiff

4hy: :titleist-small: TS3 23* with Tensei AV Blue 70 S
4i-7i :srixon-small: ZX7, 8i-PW Z-Forged, Modus3 Tour 120 S
50*, 55* :cleveland-small: RTX 6 Modus3 Tour 125
60* :cleveland-small: RTX Full Face ZipCore DG Spinner S400
Putter: :callaway-small: Toulon Chicago with a :garsen: Quad Tour or :cleveland-small: HB SOFT Milled 10.5S with UST All-in

Ball: :callaway-small: Chrome Tour (but I might still have some :titleist-small: Left Dashes hanging around)
Bag: :srixon-small: Ltd Edition Tartan, blue/green/yellow

Using :ShotScope: to keep track of my shots

Tested:
:wilson_staff_small: D7 Forged 3i-PW, KBS Tour-V 110S - Official Review
:titelist-small: Blind Ball Test (Ball #3 vs Ball #4) - Unofficial Review
:ShotScope:
 V3 GPS Watch + Tags - Official Review
:OnCore:
 Vero X2 - Official Review

The Stack System - Official Review

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, greggarner said:

Depending on how much you care, it might be worth finding a launch monitor and doing some testing. The combo of ball speed/launch/spin is the biggest 'tell' when it comes to the difference in distances. I don't swing hard enough (~105-110) to really get much difference from most tour-level balls because they're all engineered for pretty comparable speed/spin/launch windows, but as soon as I drop down to balls marketed as "soft" I start seeing a difference. I was hoping I'd get along with the Tour Response, since it's a urethane cover but $10-15/dozen cheaper than Tour-level offerings, but the ball speed is significantly slower (for me, it was ~5 mph less on average with driver and the general consensus is you lose about 2 yards for every 1 mph). And while it did launch about a degree higher, I could not get above 2000 rpm, including a few that were closer to 1000 rpm and just falling out of the computerized sky. My on-course testing confirmed what the launch monitor showed: The Tour Response was fine on irons (longer, actually, because it's significantly lower spin) but as I got up to 2i, 4w, and driver, I started noticing the distance drop-off.

All of that to say, while 'compression' may not matter, ball speed, launch, and spin do. If a ball is going to get less ball speed, it has to make up the distance somehow, so it's (probably) engineered to launch higher and spin less. And as the face has less loft, less spin on long clubs = less carry. (You can get away with a low-spin ball on irons, since they already impart relatively more spin and are going to launch higher/land steeper. Good luck around the greens though.)

When I switched to the Tour BX from the BRX it seemed to play shorter, and hold a little better. After a few rounds Arcoss agreed. Im not sure what part of it makes that so as i havent hit either on a DECENT monitor. I just know that the difference was noticeable. The differences over the 3 balls i mentioned is small and my consistencies are much less. But over a round or so the tendencies or trends are definitely noticeable.  

Mavrik Max Driver

M2 5W

818 hybrids

Steelhead XR Irons

ZipCore wedges

SeeMore PR M7X

Link to comment
Share on other sites

never trust an indoor launch monitor off a synthetic mat.......find an outdoor range where you can hit off grass....you will see the monitor results are much different for you.

gameability (is that a word) and lunch monitor data really do not have too much correlation in how you score.....especially for us 8+ hdcp players....

Golf is cool

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...