2020 Official Member Review: Top Flite Gamer Golf Balls

[GolfSpy MPR]

Top Flite Gamer Reviews

With DICK's re-releasing the Top Flite Gamer, it's time for our Forum members to see what kind of performance they can get from a quality ionomer ball. Our testers are:

• @DJ Mico | Review
• @Jackal | Review
• @Tom the Golf Nut | Review
• @Bohnson | Review

BONUS: We've also received notice that the former child star of Malcolm in the Middle and then open wheel racer (for real; go check his Wikipedia page) Frankie Muniz will be participating in this testing as well. Looks like he's a fan of Hogan clubs, which will connect with several of our members here. Check out his social media handles for his updates on the Top Flite Gamer balls (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankiemuniz4/).

[DJ Mico]

Introduction

Hi fellow Spies! My name is DJ, and I live in Sacramento, California. I played baseball through college, am 26, and finished graduate school in May. I used to borrow my dad’s clubs to go to the range or our local 9-hole course every few months but bought my own in April.

 

The last and only time I had played a full 18 was 2013. My first round in April, I shot a generous 111. I've played over 30 rounds and now consistently shoot in the high 80s after lessons and club upgrades.

I don’t have a launch monitor, so I can’t provide statistical comparisons for the balls or my swing. I did a Trackman fitting in October and have numbers for reference:

• 7 iron (34º): carry 153-157, 85mph club speed, -2º attack angle (shallow)
• Driver: total 270-280, swing speed 108-111mph, (+8 attack angle)
• Wedge (54º): carry 105, spin is 10,000 rpm

My biggest strength is irons. I had a nasty slice like most former baseball players but now strike my irons consistently straight or with a slight draw. I’m mediocre from 50 yards and in. I usually reach the green then two putt. I don’t generate a lot of spin on pitches, so I play a lot of bump and runs around the green. I struggle to hit drop and stops. My biggest weakness is inconsistency with my driver, but I’ve improved since my fitting and lessons. 

First Impressions

My initial thoughts on the Gamers started with the box, which would turn me away as a consumer, but don’t judge a book by its cover. 

The ball is actually simple and clean with a bright, glossy finish and green numbers. The ball looks and feels like Vice’s Tour and Drive with double dimples. The Gamers’ cover is difficult to dig into the cover with my fingernail like other distance balls but is a significant upgrade from a budget distance ball.

With no launch monitor, testing was exclusively on the course and practice green. I occasionally switched balls or played two balls on one hole for comparisons. I went out to an executive course a few times to hit full wedge shots into the short greens with new Mizuno T20 wedges. 

As a recent graduate and golf newbie, I’ve searched for “premium” balls at a value. I tried Kirkland, Cut, Vice, OnCore, and Lost Golf Balls. I did Bridgestone’s VFIT and got 2 Tour BX balls which have been my favorite because they meet my all needs except budget: firmer for my swing speed and better feedback, good spin around the green, higher launch, and durability.

 

Grading

Looks & Durability (14 out of 15 points)

The deduction is because this section includes graphics and packaging which are disconnected with the ball’s straightforward graphics and stylistic green numbers. I usually draw a line for alignment, so I prefer the dominant lines like Vice, Cut, and Triple Track, but most other balls use similar arrows, so the Gamers’ simple alignment doesn’t bother me.

The cover is firm but undoubtedly durable. The cover was unfazed by mud and debris in the pouring rain. In one round, this ball hit asphalt and gravel cart paths, at least 5 trees, mud, and sand. There are some nicks, but these did not affect performance.

 

Sound & Feel (11 out of 15 points)

With putts and chips, the ball has a firmer initial feel with a more pronounced “click” compared to the more muted “thud” of urethane-covered balls. The feel is interesting because the cover is hard, so the ball feels firm initially but has no vibration because the core is softer. With balls like Chrome Soft X, the cover feels soft but reverberates more from a firmer core. 

With full iron shots, the Gamer is incredibly firm. It wasn’t any different than the firmer balls I normally use until I had to switch to Chrome Soft on a frigid day (40ºF w/ wind chill) because hitting irons with the Gamer was rattling my hands and wrists. The cover isn’t “soft” as advertised and feels comparable to firmer urethane balls with woods and putter, until it got cold, then it became “hard” with irons.

On-Course Performance (31 out of 40 points)

The Gamer performs well on the course, but I would say it is a sort of “jack of all trades, master of none” which may benefit some golfers.

The package says distance is “11/10,” but well-struck shots weren’t noticeably longer or shorter compared to other balls. Mishits were not straighter but were also not more erratic. Was distance 11/10? No, but comparable/the same isn’t significantly worse.

The Gamer performs as expected almost everywhere else. It fades/draws when I want and launches at my usual mid-high trajectory with irons and driver. On approach shots, my shots usually pitch into the green and spin back a little, and the Gamer did the same.

The one weakness I noticed is the Gamer has less spin. The spin was not noticeable initially but was prominent when switching to another ball then back to the Gamer. The Gamer releases on greens more, and chips play more like “bump and runs” than “drop and stops.” As someone still learning those shots, not a big deal. For someone wanting the ball to spin and stay exactly where they want, the Gamer may let you down. Thin shots usually come out low and spinny for me and hold the green, but a thin 9 I hit with the Gamer hit the front of the green, left a pitch mark, then wound up 5 yards behind the green. 

The circle is where the ball stopped

Overall, the Gamer performed as I would want and similarly to other balls.

The Gamer did not improve my scores. In fairness, I don’t believe I’m not at the level where a ball will because I damage my score with bad shots.

 

I played the Gamer on the front, and a Chrome Soft X Triple Track on the back—never birdie #1. On 5, I sliced my drive to the other fairway, then duffed my chip. On 9, I topped my drive, hooked my 3 wood onto a different hole, and skulled a chip. On the back, I sliced OB on 12 then hooked my third off the tee into trees. On 17, I hooked my driver behind a tree and clipped another on my second. Mistakes are on me, not my ball. I had the same number of putts and GIR with both balls. 

However, notice the durability differences in a Gamer used in a prior round and again for 9 holes vs. a fresh Callaway after 7.

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

While the Gamer is not mind blowing in any one area of performance, it is an incredible, all-around option for the value. A box of Gamers is $22.99, with promos through Dick’s/Golf Galaxy for 2 for $35. The balls I’ve played that most compare to the Gamer are the Vice Drive and Vice Tour. Online, one box of Drive with tax and shipping to California is $23.90, and Tour is out of stock. The covers on Vice feel like Gamer but are not as durable as the Gamer. 

I have not had any issues with balls I’ve purchased from Cut for $19.99/dozen, but I will note there were flagrant durability issues MGS found in the 2019 Golf Ball Buyer's Guide. The Gamer is at or near the top for quality, budget-friendly golf balls I’ve tried.

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (17 out of 20 points)

The Gamer is perfectly right in the middle of the competition. It’s not the longest or spinniest, but it’s also nowhere close to the bottom in any aspect. When I first started golfing in April, instead of trying different balls to see what I liked, I should’ve played a ball like the Gamers to find my game then tried different balls that fit my game.

The Gamer is fantastic for someone starting golf and not sure about their game or what they want out of a ball and doesn’t want to spend a lot of money. They can order from Dick’s/Golf Galaxy and have quality balls. Gamer may also be an option for slightly better players playing a ball in the "premier ionomer" category that wants durability and more value without sacrificing performance because performance was consistent even after significant use. The Gamers are still in the bag until I lose them because they will survive everything.

Conclusion & Final Score: 82/100

I am extremely satisfied with the Gamers. They exceeded my expectations because, for my game, it is a good ball regardless of price with equal performance to others I've tried. I really wish I would’ve started out playing the Gamers instead of trying everything else as I learned my game.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to ask me any questions and stay tuned for updates.

 

[Jackal]

Hello,

My Name is Jack. I live in central-western Arkansas. My playing time has been on and off for the last 25 years. With a driver swing speed of 105-108, this will give some relevance of my game. Usual scoring is 80-85 on most local courses.

The usual ball of choice is : Callaway-Supersoft, Superhot,& Cromesoft, Titleist -Truefeel, NXT , & Toursoft, Bridgestone E-12.

Initial impression

Opening the package it seemed like an other ordinary ball. I’ve never really cared about the bling or a package appearance . In the past many great products are in ho-hum packages.

The balls had a harder and less tacky feel than the older versions of the Gamer that I played a few years ago.

Durability

While there were  carts path strikes, there were quite a few trees and wooden fence post strikes. In both of these instances the ball on received a somewhat dirty blemish that could be wiped off, leaving no scuff that could be felt. The cart path and rock damage was minimal.

Performance

With most of the testing done at temperatures below 45*, this seemed to affect the feel and distance of  the ball.

The Gamer did  fly straighter off of the driver and fairways wood , both on and off of a tee.

Being known for always having a high ball flight, this ball was somewhat lower trajectory. Not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but could be valuable when playing in severe winds .

Using new Mack Daddy wedges, these seemed to spin less than the Chromesoft, Supersoft, ProV1, & TP5. They were right there almost identical as the Superhot from Callaway.

Side by side the TF Gamer has more rollout than the previous balls mentioned. While it not a bad thing , if you get used to it and make accommodations for this in your normal game , it would be just fine. In warmer temps and a softer greens this should shorten the rollout.

While I don’t shot shape or even attempt it , my Son does. His draw and controlled fades were less pronounced. He had to force the desired shapes . With his desire for more spin, I rather enjoyed the amount of spin the ball has. It reduced my cut that sometimes turns into a fade at the most inopportune times .

Not really sure about a definite distance gain because of the wet fairways, but I did get more roll out than the other balls gave.

The sound at impact for 7 iron down thru the wedges have a hard clicky sound . It didn’t feel hard off of the club, but had a sound that compares  to a hit that’s  really thin.

Chipping and Pitches

Pitching from around 70 yards, this ball compared to the Superhot. Although this was done with brand new Jaws wedges out of the plastic, the Gamer doesn’t leave big divots on the green, just a small ball mark. I’m sure the moisture and low temps had a lot to do with this.

Chips from around 15 yards seemed to do well with a predicted rollout.

Putting

When it came to putting, we both use a Scotty Cameron putter with an  full metal face.

When putting, the clicky sound became more noticeable . The only ball that compare to this was the Velocity by Titleist. Even then the Velocity was quieter.

At 10 feet from the cup, most balls were 1 foot short to 1.5 feet past the cup. The Gamer went about 3.5 feet past the hole. This was with all similar feel putts on a level green.

On longer putts ( same green) around 25 feet , other balls were 3 foot short , to 1.5 feet past the hole.
But, the Gamer seemed to stop just 8 to 10 inches shy of the hole, and never more than 18 inches past it .

With it’s hot putting power the putts around 3-5 foot should be gently stroked to get  there. The short and long putts were predictable after playing a round to get used to the feel.

 

The Gamer really shines on long putts

 

Summary

The Top Flite Gamer has areas in which it accels at . It is durable, putts straight, doesn’t  spin very fast, and has good distance.

The drawbacks for me are; It feels rock hard off of the driver face, long irons never felt solid, it seems to jump off the putter face. The sound compares to the old Pinnacle Gold from the 90s.

Overall score I would give this a 10 out of 15 possible points.

For feel it compares to a Titleist Velocity, or a Q-Star from Srixon. I have for years tried to play the Q-Star, but we don’t get along .

I feel that a fair price for this ball is $20 or less. With the Callaway Super Soft  around $20, Titleist Trufeel around $22, and Bridgestone E-12  for $22, they seem to be a much better price\performance ( for myself).

Adding colors would probably help. I know everyone has jumped on the neon bandwagon lately, but a bright yellow or neon green would probably help with sales.

*** Sorry for the late post, but an unexpected change in work has kept me away for a while. Pics will be added below soon.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by Jackal

[Tom the Golf Nut]

December 2020

Top Flight Gamer Golf Ball Review by Tom the Golf Nut

 

Intro:  I have been playing for about thirty years and currently hold a 1.6 handicap.

Swing tempo is smooth with an average driver swing speed of 96 mph and 70 mph with the 7 iron.

I play in North East Tennessee at the base of the Smokey Mountains. Courses are generally hilly.

My average iron ball flight is straight with a middle flight trajectory.

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

 

  First Impressions: The packaging leads me to say this product is not to be taken seriously. All the Top Flight models currently available have someone on the box playing air guitar on a golf club.  So is this a ball just to have fun with or is there something behind the GAMER ball that should be taken seriously. 

                  

This ball is a three piece ball with an 85 compression claiming to perform similar to a ProV1. There is a dimple in dimple design that is supposed to give you more lift and carry distance. 

                  

I went into this testing to see if a $23.00 box of Gamer balls can really compete with a $44.00 box of ProV1 balls.

 My first test was to hit three Gamers and three ProV1’s to a pin on a pitching practice green from 60 yards with my 60 degree lob wedge. Then repeat this step three more times using the same balls. I also wanted to check for durability with the higher spin coming off the lob wedge. My typical results are to land and sit in place.  So my results (as seen below) were a bit surprising. Performance resulting from the way I hit the ball was the same. I would take any one of those for birdie or to save par.

             

Next test was to play from 125 yards out. Will the ball still sit or will it roll out. Like I mentioned earlier my shot is “land and sit”. That would be the same for me at this distance as well. This time I did the test on the actual green from hole #4 at my course. So from that distance the ball performed again.  What I found interesting is that although the ball sat perfectly, it always hopped to the right an inch or two.  Not complaining about this ball at all so far. Typical Top Flight ball from days of old would roll out several feet or yards.

                                                                                                                      

Next test was on to the Driver. So the claim is that these are longer than the ProV1’s. I went out on to hole #5 and hit six drives. Three Gamer’s and three ProV1’s. I am pretty consistent with my driver. All six balls were in the fairway just right of center. I did not see any increased distance. But I could have placed a drop cloth and covered most of them. The Gamers weren’t longer but were not shorter either!  I’m usually in the fairway with the driver but for them all to be that close was just nuts. The golf gods were shining on me for this one. The only discernable difference was the sound at impact. The Gamer was more of a thwack than a ping. But that is due to the compression difference. I didn’t mind the difference in sound but I thought it would be worth mentioning. The Gamer does launch higher. The claims are that the dimple in dimple design enhances carry distance. Well maybe it does as this seems to be a softer compression than the ProV1 but they equaled out in my distance test.

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

On to the putting green. Same six balls. The feel comparing to the two models was similar. The ProV1 at around 100 compression and the Gamer at 85 felt similar off the club face. The sound was different but not by much. Distance on putts was the same. I even mixed the balls up so I just putted what was in front of me. No discernable difference in length.  I set up for 10 and 20 footers. I made two out of three for each location the others were tap in’s. Downhill was the 20 foot putts and side hill was 10 foot. Repeated this several times. 

For the middle game I set up to play four balls on a par three requiring a six iron. Two of each. No distance difference between any of them. My accuracy isn’t the best at that distance but all four were right about the same distance just left or right of the pin. All balls hit and rolled out about 2 to three feet. So the consistency is still similar between the models based on my swing. The Gamer had a higher trajectory but both model ball went the same distance with the same roll out.

I decided to play seven holes and only played the Gamer. I have played my course hundreds of times so I know what club to hit and the typical distance of my second shots. This all played the same. As an example, the First hole for me normally is Driver then 8 iron. Actual was Driver, 8 iron. The same was followed on the next six holes. So these balls played the same for me.

 Durability Since these balls used an ionomer cover compared to the ProV1’s urethane I expected that they would hold up better. They did. So far these still look brand new after cleaning the dirt and grass marks off. No scuff marks or feathering from lob wedge shots. I never hit a cart path with them but normally if I do it would go in the shag bucket anyway.  After all the testing and two rounds of golf on one particular ball, you can see from the photo after a trip through the ball washer the ball still looks great. The Pro V1 had about 150 less shots on it.

 

 

After another 18 holes on the same ball I did notice this line from a poor 56 degree wedge shot.

             

                         

Could I find anything wrong with these balls? Not really… I would say these are a great ball for those who don’t want to spend the money on a high end ball.  The performance factor between an average player using this ball or the ProV1 would not be able to tell the difference and it definitely won’t hurt the pocket book too much when you lose one to the water gods or tree snakes. To be honest, I would put it in play. I have a large inventory of golf ball to get through first. I win a lot of golf balls in charity events, find Pro V1’s at my club all the time and suppliers give me golf balls. I’m picky and only play a few different models when it counts but in a casual round I’ll try a sleeve of something that found its way into my possession (As long as it’s a decent ball).

Grading:

 

Looks and Durability, 12 out of 15

Not a big fan of the dimple in dimple design but it was not distracting at address. Durability was better than average and better than any urethane cover balls.

Sound and Feel, 12 out of 15

There was a difference in sound but I would say normal for an 85 compression ball. A duller sound “Thwack” off the driver but a sharper sound off of a putter. Cold conditions changed the sound back to a sharper “Click” sound. Feel was good for all shot playing except under 40 degrees.

On Course Performance 35 out of 40

This ball performed well under all playing conditions. Definitely a higher ball flight due to the dimple in dimple design. The only reason the scoring wasn’t higher was due to the poor performance in the cold weather. 40 degrees and up would score it a 38 out of 40. Chipping and putting gave me similar performance to the Pro V1. I did not have to make any adjustments to my game to play this ball.

Miscellaneous, 5 out of 10

The packaging was very gimmicky. It would turn me off from picking this ball up off the shelf. I feel they missed the mark on this. 

Game Bag or Shag Bag, 17 out of 20

This product does contribute to your game and it should go in the Game Bag. The price is great considering the performance the ball gives you. I think this ball would be great for anyone from a high handicap down to an upper single digit handicap player.  If you want to work the ball more then you need to be in the urethane cover ball category.

Conclusion,

This ball performed better than I expected. It did perform similar to a Pro V1. It wasn’t longer as stated on the box but it did travel the same distance, just started on a higher trajectory. The ball played well on the short and long game. The only area that performance suffered was in temperatures under 40 degrees.

Final Score 81 out of 100.

 

[Bohnson]

Intro

Greetings from Ohio. Hi, I am a hockey player, but I here to talk about golf… I have played tournament golf from 2015-2019. Mostly spent this time in order to get ready for Active Duty Air Force golf. Which was a great experience where I was able to travel internationally to compete with other countries militaries. 2020 was a transition year where I did not play and practice as much as I normally do. I separated from the Air Force and started a new job/spent a significant amount of time volunteering as the State Director for the Veteran Golfers Association in Ohio. 

The Personal Questions

• Play out of Ohio – some great courses in this region
• How long have you been golfing?
  • 23 years
• What do you NEED your ball to do for you?
  • I need my golf ball to be consistent, feel right, and not over spin

The Golf Questions

• What ball do you normally play and how did you choose it?
  • Srixon ZStarXV (I choose this golf ball back in the day because the cover was more durable and it spun less than a ProV1)
• Currently a +0.4
• Typical ball flight is high
• Typical miss is left
• Strengths: distance and short game
• Weaknesses: inconsistent

First Impressions

Please view the picture and packaging below! Initial impression of its feel was good, kind of a firmer feel on the cover, but the dimple pattern is unique. Initial impressions are that the box has good colors but the guitar guy is cheesy. Preconceived notions are that this ball is for higher handicappers who are looking for a bargain distance ball. 

 

Figure 1 Grizzly Adams playing in the guitar

Wins: cover feels pretty good, box color is good, ball logo, performance characteristics, Interesting dimple pattern. Losses: I think the picture of the golfer playing the golf guitar is cheesy, I think the 11/10 for distance is overboard marketing... Needs: get rid of the guy on the box, add realistic performance characteristics...feel can’t be a 10/10 if it’s the firmest ball out there, use the side logo on the top of the box and the sleeves (that all black look would be better in my opinion).

In playing around with the balls, the putting was a little “clicky” but the chipping was fine.

 

The first time out on the course, I was surprised the golf ball performed well! ZStarXV spun back on full wedges a bit more than the gamer, gamer flew further and higher than the XV, maybe a little firmer feel on the putting, but softer feel on driver/full shots.

 

I am looking for a golf ball to have consistent performance. I do not want my ball to get eaten up by the wind or spin too much. The ball needs to be more consistent earn a place in your bag or add significant distance

 

My testing included outdoor and indoor:

1) Get an initial feel for the ball putting, chipping, and then on the course. Playing two balls side by side for all shots. Record the outdoor observations. 

• New Gamer ball 10 sand shots bunker - test cover 
• Chip and putt to see feel and spin compared to XV. 

2) Test the ball indoor using the GCQuad get spin and ball speed. Hitting shots with Srixon ZStarXV and shots with the Gamer.

• SW (full and partial), 8i, 4i, D
• New Gamer ball 10 wedge vs new Srixon to test cover

3) I rolled putts every day and played 4 rounds with the Gamer, 1 launch monitor session to get numbers, and did some cover testing in the sand and played rounds where I played the two balls side by side.

 

Figure 2 Gimmicky Guitar Guy

 

Figure 3 could do without the 11/10 ranking

 

 

Figure 4 Once again, the guy should probably go

 

Figure 5 Balls are clean and the colors on the box are good!

 

 

Figure 6 Unique dimple pattern

 

Grading

Looks & Durability (14 out of 15 points)

• Appearance/graphics/packaging can use some improvement
• Short term/long term durability was really good
• Dimple pattern was unique
• It has a different cover/dimple pattern & firmer short game feel to most premium
• As shown below the cover it holds up really well as evidence from the attached pictures. The cover did not have any marks that would lead me to believe it would affect performance compared to a couple on the ZStar. The Gamer did have a discoloration from a “woody”. I hit a tree, but it was not bad. Should be able to “game” the Gamer for multiple round.
  • The individual ball below was a brand new pearly that I hit 15 full sand shots with to see if the cover would wear. It held up with barely any scuffs,

Figure 7 More Wear on the XV after full rounds

 

Figure 8 A little Woody Mark on the Gamer

 

Figure 9 Small Scuff from Bunker Shots (minimal wear after 15 shots)

 

Sound & Feel (11 out of 15 points)

Describe how the product sounds and feels

• The Gamer is soft off the face and a little clicky off of the short game shots
• You can press a nail into the ball’s cover, however not as easily as the ZStarXV and definitely not as easy as a ProV. In your hand, it feels harder compared to other balls.
• The sound and feel did impact my performance in a noticeable way. I use an Odyssey White Hot putter so it has a soft insert.
• The sound could cause me react by easing up on putts
• The sound and feel for driver and irons was solid and not a noticeable difference between the ZStarVX. Putter was a little more firm feeling and sounding.

On-Course Performance (35 out of 40 points)

• Off the Tee – The ball provided adequate distance (flew further than the XV) when it was not windy. The ball was fairly responsive, but not the most responsive ball I have ever used. Finding fairway was easier because it spun less as confirmed in the indoor testing.
• Approach – It adequately held the green under soft conditions. The ball launched and flew a little higher which I confirmed on the launch monitor. It is not the most workable ball for shot shaping.
• Ball Flight – The ball does fly! It stayed in the air forever which was good without wind. On the windy testing day, I lost distance shown below. I would say that my home course is fine with bigger fairways and not extreme winds because the ball flight is consistent. In general, the ball flight is predictable and consistent while chipping and pitching.  

 

Figure 10 The one time the Gamer got eaten up into the wind

 

• Around the Green – My confidence level in the Gamer was better than expected, but this ball is not going to “zip” if you want to hit a spinny hop and stop. It has some grab though so I would not be scared of it. This ball may be more of your “bump and runner”.
  • I noticed that my partial wedge shots flew about the same distance and maybe a little bit higher flight and less spin. The higher ball flight resulted in the ball stopping in similar fashion to the ZStarXV. The greens were not firm and fast though. Would be interesting to test the ball on firm and fast greens. Chipping, the ball felt soft and spun similarly to the ZStarXV, I was pretty impressed with this chipping observation of the gamer!
• Putting – The Gamer came off a little hotter than the XV when putting so a little adjustment to my distance control is necessary. The markings on the ball are adequate to use for alignment, but not the best. Could use an extension on the side of the logo to make for a better alignment aid.
• The factors I am pleased with are the feel of the ball on most full shots, the increased launch height and decent full shot spin. I found the feel of putts to be a little lacking.

• Bottom line: it could help improve my scramble team’s scores on a downwind hole where I need to bomb it off of the tee! The dispersion of short game shots and partial wedge shots would keep me in my current ball.

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

Packaging is gimmicky with the guy playing the driver guitar. Dimple pattern is different, but not terrible. I love the colors of the box and sleeves or balls. Wish they would have kept it simple. Maybe a name change too. Comments made by playing partners, “Top-Flite?”

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (16 out of 20 points)

I would put this product in play for a big tournament or money game. Does this product help you play your best? – I think you have to look to the PGA Tour. No one is playing a Gamer. The Gamer is it just nice to have for a scramble when you need to launch one and given the price it is pretty good! I think this product would best fit someone with a higher swing speed who plays in mild conditions. If you are playing firm and fast greens or windy/tough conditions this ball might hurt your game.

 

Conclusion

 

Bottom line up front is that the Gamer does not match my putter and wedges. It flew a little higher with the wedges and I want to hit my wedges a little lower. Putter felt a little firm. Distance and peak height off of the driver is good and I liked the feel of the Gamer. Durable cover with the Gamer. I am going to stick with the Srixon ZStarXV. I just lean towards the short game consistency and lower ball flight. The Gamer was probably better off of the tee in minimal wind conditions than my ball with the driver/irons, but it did not perform better with the wedges or have a soft feel coming off of the flat stick. Good looking box with a great coloring scheme! The guitar playing/Grizzly Adam’s bearded/flat brim sans logo bro on the front has to go! I think this is a downwind scramble driver ball. Tee it high and let it fly!

 

Final Score: (84 out of 100)

 

The ball performed better than expected!

Assume a ProV1 is 100/100 and a feathery is 0/100.

For your situational awareness I did a head to head match play round with both balls and the Gamer beat the ZStarXV J haha even though I am sticking with the Srixon based on my short game feels.

 

Figure 11 Whiter cover than the XV

Figure 12 Clean looking ball and logo

Figure 13 Similar stopping distance on full wedges (soft greens)

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Bohnson
sentence structure

[Tom the Golf Nut]

 

I'll start this testing thread going.  I am pretty much a self-taught golfer and have been playing for about thirty years. I did take some lessons from a scratch golfer when I first started but after that I was just a research and mimic type. Heck I was the guy who would video himself and play it on the TV and then get out the dry erase markers and draw my angles on the TV screen (they were glass back then). My wife would just shake her head and walk away.

My handicap is currently at 1.6

Swing tempo is smooth with an average driver swing speed of 96 mph and 70 mph with the 7 iron.

I play in the North East Tennessee at the base of the Smokey Mountains. Courses are generally hilly and sometimes more than that! 

My average iron ball flight is straight with a middle flight trajectory. The ball will usually land and stop in place from about 140 yards and in. I'm not a back spinner! 

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

I have been playing Sub 70 699 Pro irons since August and using a Ping G400 Driver.

So what do I want to accomplish during this testing? Well, the claims are that I should see similar results to a Pro V1. So that's exactly what I am going to test against. Will these balls deliver good distance and control? Will they hold up under normal playing conditions and maybe even a little tougher than normal? The claims are they are longer than the PRO V1. Lets put that to the test too. Can I hit the same club I would use for a certain yardage and get the same results. Everyone says you need to use a urethane cover to get the spin, will a soft Ionomer cover actually compete? 

Based on the box cover should I even be taking this ball seriously? Is it a ball just for fun? The cover gives you that impression. I think they missed the mark on that one. If your going to try to compete at a higher level give me a classy package.

I'll give you a list of the tests I will put the Gamer ball through soon.

[Bohnson]

I received the Gamer Balls. Initial impressions

Wins: cover feels good, color of the box, ball logo, performance characteristics

Losses: I think the picture of the golfer playing the golf guitar is too much, I think the 11/10 for distance is overboard marketing... 

Needs: get rid of the guy on the box, add realistic performance characteristics...feel can’t be a 10/10 if it’s the firmest ball out there, use the side logo on the top of the box and the sleeves (that all black look would be saucy).

Ah has: Interesting dimple pattern!

Edited December 10, 2020 by Bohnson
Added pictures

[DJ Mico]

Hi fellow Spies!

I am excited to be a tester for the Top Flite Gamer. My Gamers were on my doorstep the other night, and I wanted to share some of my first impressions. 

As @Bohnson mentioned above, the packaging is a little gimmicky and silly. The ball on the other hand is clean and straightforward. I think the green number is a nice touch. I do note the ball has a real glossy shine to it that isn't so bright that it looks cheap, but just has enough shine that you know it's not a urethane cover. I have no problems with the double dimple pattern like I've seen other people around the web say. I often play the Bridgestone Tour BX that has some similar dimples.

 

Just from putting the ball around on my carpet, I do notice the ball has a slightly firmer feel and more of a pronounced "click" off the face compared to the Callaway Chrome Softs I have been playing. I have a couple TP5Xs and ProV1Xs in my bag as well, and the Gamer has a similar sound. 

I will be posting more thoughts this weekend after I play a round with my buddies. The forecast unfortunately is calling for some rain, but I think it will be good to see how the Gamer holds up in the elements and with water and mud. The balls are marked and lined for the weekend! I look forward to keeping everyone updated on my first MGS testing.

 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

My plan for testing:

1) Hit three Gamers and three PRO V1's with a lob wedge from 60 yards. Repeat this three times. I will do this same pattern of testing for the below. I want to use the same sleeve of balls throughout the test to go towards durability results. 

2) 100 yards with a gap wedge. 

3) 125 yards with a PW. 

4)  160 yards with a 7 iron

5) Driver. Will be interesting to see if this is even longer than a PRO V1 as claimed.

6) Using the same ball out of a sand trap eight times. This will test durability as this is probably the most abrasive test.

7) Chipping 

Putting

9)  Compare spin rates, launch angles, carry, and such between the two models with the above mentioned clubs using a MEVO. (New sleeve of balls for this test)

Yup.... Play golf!  On course performance.

Anything else you want me to add in just let me know.

[Bohnson]

I was able to putt on the perfect practice matt, chip outside, and play 9 holes yesterday hitting two shots (1 with Srixon and 1 with gamer) to get an initial feel for the ball compared to my Srixon ZStar XV. 

Initial feel observations: maybe a little firmer feel on the putting, softer feel on driver and full shots, chipping was similar feel. 

Distance: The gamer flew further and higher than the XV the majority of the time (course was wet so no roll out). 

Short game Spin: the XV spun back on full wedges a bit more than the gamer. 

Overall it was quality and I definitely noticed a higher ball flight. I had one Gamer tee shot that kind of knuckle balled and did not carry as far as the Srixon. Cover seems durable, maybe more durable than the XV as the XV shows a little sign of the full wedge shots. 

[Bohnson]

My plan for testing include outdoor and indoor:

1) Get an initial feel for the ball putting, chipping, and then on the course. Playing two balls side by side for all shots. Record the outdoor observations. 

• New Gamer ball 10 sand shots bunker - test cover 
• Chip and putt to see feel and spin compared to XV. 

2) Test the ball indoor using the GCQuad and a Foresight to get spin and ball speed. Hitting 6 shots with Srixon and 6 shots with the Gamer. I will throw out 1 shot for a total of 5 shots each. I will probably do this a couple of times. 

• SW (full and partial), 8i, 4i, 3w, D
• New Gamer ball 10 wedge vs new Srixon to test cover 

 

 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

 My first planned test was to hit three Gamers and three ProV1’s to a pin on a pitching practice green from 60 yards with my lob wedge. Then repeat this step three more times using the same balls. I actually did the test another time since the course was a little crowded for my taste.  I wanted to check for durability with the higher spin coming off the lob wedge as well. I normally don't back up the ball. My typical results are to land and sit in place.  So my results (as seen below) were a bit surprising. Performance resulting from the way I hit the ball was the same. All balls just landed and sat in place. I would kind of expect that due to being hit from a 60 degree lob wedge. The height and angle of decent would lend itself to sitting in place. But I didn't expect it from a Top Flight! I would take any one of those for birdie or to save par. So far the test result is promising. The results were very similar on the other four repeats of the same test. The photo of the balls on the green are from round two. The green did still have a little sand left from a prior aeration. You can see some of the sand around the edge of the green.  No its not snow! This helped with adding a little extra abrasion for checking the durability.

The Gamers held up better for durability after reviewing the balls after the test. The were no visible marks or ball slivers shown on the Gamers. The Pro V1 did have some wear marks where it scuffed through the paint layer. After cleaning the balls after the test was completed the Gamers still looked new.  

 

                

                       

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Next test was to play from 125 yards out. Will the ball still sit or will it roll out. Like I mentioned earlier my shot is “land and sit”. That would be the same for me at this distance as well. This time I did the test on the actual greens. The below photo was from hole # 4 at my course. So from that distance the ball performed again.  What I found interesting is that although the ball sat perfectly, it always hopped to the right an inch or two.  The Pro V1 ball would hop forward an inch or two. I wouldn't mention this this was just a one time thing but it happened quite a few times. Not complaining about the Gamer ball at all so far. Typical Top Flight ball from days of old would roll out several feet or yards. The last time I played them was the Top Flight XL2000 so that was 20 years ago. So how I approached this test was to play a round of golf with one ball and then drop the second ball from 125 yards on 9 holes or so. All balls sat where they landed except one. I attribute that to the green being elevated so the ball was not hitting the green at the bottom of its normal trajectory. The roll out there was only about 1 to 2 feet and wound up being pin high just right within 4 feet of the cup.  This one was not a dropped ball. My actual shot was from 125 yards so there was no need to drop on this hole. I did make the birdie! 

So now I'm sure you are asking yourself "Since he played a full round with the Gamer ball how come he didn't mention how the round went?" Well you are just going to have to wait for the full round posts later on. But what I will say to this point in testing that I am surprised at how well this ball is doing so far. At over half the price of a Pro V1 it is holding its own out there on the course.

 

                                                             

 

[Wedgie]

Nice thoughts guys....keep up the great work! The Gamer was my gamer most of the summer and will be next year. It makes me wonder why they ever changed the original ball in the first place.

[DJ Mico]

I finally got to put my Gamers into action Sunday afternoon aside from chipping and putting. It was a soggy, windy, and cold day in Napa County at Chardonnay Golf Club. Luckily, I planned ahead and brought a spare change of clothes. I will save the complete the details of how the Gamers performed for my final review, but the short of it was that unlike my driver and the weather, the Gamers didn't let me down. Me and the buddies booked the tee time 3 weeks ago and were already committed to playing, so these puddles were not stopping us. 

With the soggy conditions, I had a real tough time swinging my driver, so I will be doing more playing and testing to get thorough testing notes on the driver, but a big note is the Gamers did a great job in the wet and muddy conditions. Before hooking a Gamer deep into the vineyard, I managed to get 6 holes out of the same ball. Initial thoughts are the cover held up great with no scuffs or cuts—even after finding some sand and mud. My shots still went the same distance in the cold and damp conditions that my shots normally go in warmer and dry conditions, and the ball seemed to hold the greens just fine.

Here it is sitting in the fairway on 4.

More testing awaits with the top of the bag, wedges, durability, and dry weather.

[Bohnson]

On 12/14/2020 at 10:03 AM, Wedgie said:

Nice thoughts guys....keep up the great work! The Gamer was my gamer most of the summer and will be next year. It makes me wonder why they ever changed the original ball in the first place.

I think it is a Gamer! I have played two rounds with it and there is minimal difference between my normal gamer (Srixon). I think the cover is more durable on the Gamer, however the higher ball flight was getting hit by the wind during a couple of my tee shots. 

[Bohnson]

I finished my initial observations from last week. On the back nine I played a match play event between the Srixon ZStar XV and the Gamer. Results: The Gamer won 3 holes (12, 15, 16) to the ZStar's 1 (18). I played well and no holes were given so this was a fun match. I was consistently longer off of the tee with the Srixon on this day. 

Observations from a 15MPH wind: 

The Srixon flew further on this day leading me to assume the Gamer may be effected by the wind more. The Gamer was shorter when the wind was hitting it compared to the first day I used it without wind and it seemed longer. Greenside spin was negligible as was putting firmness...I have an Odyssey #9 (soft insert). I think the Topflite reminds me of a Callaway chromesoft with the cover. Speaking of cover, it holds up really well as evidence from the attached pictures. The cover did not have any marks that would lead me to believe it would effect performance compared to a couple on the ZStar. 

[JohnSmalls]

Great work so far fellas.  I may have missed this, how is the Gamer performing on knock down shots and half wedges?  What about chipping around the green?  Are you seeing any difference in spin in partial shots compared to a urethane ball?

[Wedgie]

1 hour ago, Bohnson said:

I think it is a Gamer! I have played two rounds with it and there is minimal difference between my normal gamer (Srixon). I think the cover is more durable on the Gamer, however the higher ball flight was getting hit by the wind during a couple of my tee shots. 

I have witnessed what seems like the ball straightens out in flight.  Mostly see this in wind. Have you or any of the others seen this?

[Wedgie]

42 minutes ago, JohnSmalls said:

Great work so far fellas.  I may have missed this, how is the Gamer performing on knock down shots and half wedges?  What about chipping around the green?  Are you seeing any difference in spin in partial shots compared to a urethane ball?

I'll jump in because it is fresh in my mind. I was screwing around on SkyTrak last night. Using the Srixon Z Star and the Gamer I noticed on 1/2 - 3/4 swings wedge shots the Z Star was a hair over 10,000 and the Gamer was a hair over 6,500. On the course I don't see much difference but on SkyTrak the Z Star will check up a whole lot better.

[Wedgie]

1 hour ago, Bohnson said:

I finished my initial observations from last week. On the back nine I played a match play event between the Srixon ZStar XV and the Gamer. Results: The Gamer won 3 holes (12, 15, 16) to the ZStar's 1 (18). I played well and no holes were given so this was a fun match. I was consistently longer off of the tee with the Srixon on this day. 

Observations from a 15MPH wind: 

The Srixon flew further on this day leading me to assume the Gamer may be effected by the wind more. The Gamer was shorter when the wind was hitting it compared to the first day I used it without wind and it seemed longer. Greenside spin was negligible as was putting firmness...I have an Odyssey #9 (soft insert). I think the Topflite reminds me of a Callaway chromesoft with the cover. Speaking of cover, it holds up really well as evidence from the attached pictures. The cover did not have any marks that would lead me to believe it would effect performance compared to a couple on the ZStar. 

For what it's worth as a Gamer gamer I have yet to find a ball that is longer off the tee for me than the Srixon XV. The problems I have with that ball is I lose yardage from about the 7 iron down and for whatever reason I cannot putt to save my life with it.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

4 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

Great work so far fellas.  I may have missed this, how is the Gamer performing on knock down shots and half wedges?  What about chipping around the green?  Are you seeing any difference in spin in partial shots compared to a urethane ball?

So far the ball is doing well on half wedge shots, chipping around the green and bunkers. Actually very well. I haven't check the spin rates yet. I didn't want that information in my head. I wanted to play and test it just like I would play normally.  As an example if I have 100 yards in and that's a full swing with my gap wedge, will the Gamer be long? The ball is supposed to be longer. So far it is holding up identical to the Pro V1. It is not longer for me, but it's also not shorter. I will post more test results tomorrow. I have the driver test complete, the 160 yard test, and 27 holes of golf with the same two balls so far ( A Pro V1 and a Gamer)  No spoilers.. To be continued tomorrow!  No lost balls so far so you can see durability results. 

[DJ Mico]

8 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

Great work so far fellas.  I may have missed this, how is the Gamer performing on knock down shots and half wedges?  What about chipping around the green?  Are you seeing any difference in spin in partial shots compared to a urethane ball?

For me, the Gamer is performing similar to the other balls in the bag in all those respects. I feel like the Gamer spins less and doesn't grab onto the club like my urethane balls, but it doesn't perform any different in terms of how much it releases or holds on the green for me. If I expect the ball to run, it runs. If I played for the ball to stop, it did. Unfortunately, I don't own a launch monitor to do any statistical comparisons.

The feel of the ball while chipping is a bit different than any other ball in my bag. While balls like the ProV1x, Tour BX, TP5x, Chrome Soft X, etc. feel firm, they usually feel soft on the cover, but then you get a firm feeling from the core. With the Gamer the cover feels firm at first, but then the core has a softer feel.

[DJ Mico]

7 hours ago, Wedgie said:

I have witnessed what seems like the ball straightens out in flight.  Mostly see this in wind. Have you or any of the others seen this?

Interesting. I played in the rain and wind and didn't notice this at all. I was very satisfied with the Gamer. My mishits were still really bad hooks and slices, but the ball still faded and drew when I wanted it to, and I was able to let the wind take it left or right.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

 

Next test was on to the Driver. So the claim is that these are longer than the ProV1’s. I went out on to hole #5 and hit six drives. Three Gamer’s and three ProV1’s. I am pretty consistent with my driver. All six balls were in the fairway just right of center (fairway slopes from left to right on this hole). You have to hit just left of center in order for the ball not to roll off the fairway.  I did not see any increased in distance from the Gamer. But I could have dropped a 10 by 10 tarp and covered five of the six. The sixth one rolled more right due to the slope. The Gamers were not longer but were not shorter either! I was actually impressed with myself on this test. I’m usually in the fairway with the driver but for them all to be that close was just nuts. The golf gods were shining on me for this one. There only were two  discernable differences between the two model balls. One was the  was the sound at impact. The Gamer was more of a twack than a ping. But that is due to the compression difference. The Gamer is about 85 and the Pro V1 around 100. I didn’t mind the difference in sound but I thought it would be worth mentioning. Another thing to note was that the Gamer does launch higher. The dimple pattern on the ball does create more lift as stated by the manufacturer. So between the Pro V1 being more of a penetration flight with 100 compression and the softer compression on the Gamer with a more lifting dimple pattern the distance worked out to being the same for me. The claims are that the dimple in dimple design enhances carry distance. Well maybe it does as this is a softer compression than the ProV1 but they equaled out in my distance test.

During actual course play while using the driver 27 holes so far I did not see any distance gain compared to the Pro V1. My driver is typically straight with a very slight fade. The flight pattern was the same between the two models. I was not even concerned on tight holes. The below picture is from hole #9 a par 5. The drive is critical, a tight fairway that requires a drive to fade about 20 yards after getting through the chute in order to get away from trees on the left to even have a shot at getting to the green in two. The second shot is even worse than the drive. Anything short right is a lost ball. Definitely a risk reward hole. Back to the ball.... The Gamer did what I asked it to do. It went straight and faded back to the center of the fairway.

So I can say this so far. If you already hit a high ball then this ball is probably not for you. Anyone looking for a little more height should give this consideration. I personally like the feel of a slightly softer ball and this ball feels very good to me. 

[russtopherb]

Great input so far everyone. I'm someone who's height challenged at times, especially on approach shots. I loved the v2 version of this ball, so this is high on my list to check out this spring based on the feedback so far.

[Jackal]

I didn't take any pictures, but with just some quick putting comparisons, the gamer seemed to have a 'click' at impact with putting.

With some chipping around the green it had more roll-out than the other balls.

Balls we compared to were : Prov1, Chrome soft, TP5, and Callaway Superhot.

When putting both up & down hill, the Gamer rolled farther with the same\ similar strikes.

Putting, it was similar to the TP5x.

When we get some warmer & dryer days, we will get some pics and distance tests.

My parter for testing is my 17 year old son.

He is a 2 hcp golfer, with a 124mph swing speed with driver.

I hope y'all don't mind a 2 for 1 testing.

Updates coming soon.

 

(NOTE: This particular day was 40° F and was very humid\ wet feeling.)

Edited December 17, 2020 by Jackal

[pazman]

Excellent reviews so far guys, got me so excited I splurged before Christmas and bought a box of the Gamers, stupid impulse buying that I'm prone to do! As the golf courses here are buried under a foot of snow I haven't been out to the course with them yet but we'll head south shortly after Christmas to play a few rounds. Until then it looks like just the indoor golf simulator to try them out. I'm excited to see if they do as well as everyone seems to be reporting. Keep up the good work!

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Mid range test I set up to play four balls on two different par threes at 160 yards requiring a six or seven iron. I used two of each brand ball. The Pro V1 and the Gamer. The only difference between the two par three's was elevation. One uphill requiring the six and one level so I used the seven iron.  No distance difference between any of them. My accuracy isn’t the best at that distance but all four were on the green right about the same distance just left or right of the pin. All balls hit and rolled out about 2 to three feet. So the consistency is still similar in distance and stopping between the models. The only difference was the Gamer had a higher ball flight. I believe this is what helps the ball stop similar to the V1's even though the V1's have a higher spin rate.

On to the putting green. Same six balls. The feel comparing to the two models was similar but not identical. The ProV1 at 100 compression and the Gamer at 85 felt similar off the club face. The sound was different but not by much. The Gamer was a little bit more of a click that you would get from a firmer ball. Distance on putts was very close with the Gamer being maybe a few inches longer. I even mixed the balls up so I just putted what was in front of me. No discernable difference in length.  I set up for 10 and 20 footers. I made two out of three for each location the others were tap in’s. Downhill was the 20 foot putts and side hill was 10 foot. I do put a line on my balls for putting and lining up on the tee box. I wanted to take the human factor out on distance for the putting so I set up a stimpmeter and rolled three Gamers and three Pro V1's for two rounds. All six balls were within 10" of each other both rounds. There was no pattern, meaning all the Gamers weren't longer or shorter than the V1"s. It was an even mix. With this added information I would say that in roll they are the same. Dimple pattern did not effect roll distance. Rebound off the putter face due to the balls cover would be the only difference for feel and sound. But I don't think there is much ball compression in putting. If there is, that means you are putting from to far away and you need to work on your iron game to get closer to the pin.  I did not see much difference at all in putting other than the sound. I use an Odyssey Marksman Fang which is an insert type.

Next up will be sand play with ball durability and course play information with ball durability. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Sand Play,  During my second full round of golf. I dropped a second ball in the sand trap next to the green and one fairway bunker. I got 10 shots on the same ball during the test. Once theball was washed it looked almost new again. There was one spot that was a little rougher than the rest of the ball, but you really had to look for it. See photo

Now for the ball I was using for all tests and two rounds of golf. This ball has about 200 hits on it. Two rounds of golf, gap and PW testing, 160 yard testing, driver and putting testing and a couple of sand shots from course play. Once cleaned up the only thing I could find is this one very slight impression line. No scuffs, paint loss or anything else you would typically see.  I did skull a 56 degree once and I'm sure that's where the line came from. The Pro V1 that I was testing this ball against did not hold up as well.

My course only has cart paths by the tee box's and by the greens on most holes. I havent hit a cart path yet to see how the bal holds up to that.

So for durability the Top Flight Gamer with its ionomer cover holds up much better than the balls that it is trying to compete against using urethane.

On Course Performance,  I only have two full rounds completed so far. The hardest part of testing so far is getting over the fact that I am intentionally teeing up a Top Flight!  Back to the results! So the first round was side by side comparison. I alternated shots so one ball was not benefiting from always getting the experienced guy taking the second shot. I did not find that one ball was better than the other for scoring. I wanted to see more but I didn't. The differences were so slight that I couldn't put my finger on one thing or another. Maybe just the sound between the two. Plus you add in that there is the human factor and I'm not a testing robot.

Once that first round was completed I just played the second round with the Gamer. Its a little cooler these days so there is an extra layer of clothing involved. On the Gamer only round I shot a 71. I didn't have to make any adjustments to my game.  What I mean by this is, I didnt have too compensate for additional roll out or use a different club. I just played golf. I'll see how the weather will be tomorrow but I do have a round scheduled for Wednesday because it will be mid 50's before another cold front comes in. I have another single digit player with me on Wednesday. He agreed to play the Gamer as well. So I will get his opinion. We are pretty competitive with each other so this should be fun.