2021 MGS Ball Test

[vandyland]

@greggarner That is certainly worth noting! I must have missed that. I play basically at sea level in Tennessee. 

Also I looked up the Specs on a PXG 0311 Gen 4 8 iron and it is 37" long with 31* of loft...which is a 7 iron in most sets or even almost a 6 iron in traditional lofts like Ben Hogan.

So if I compare that to the hottest 7 iron I hit (New Level MODB-1 30* 7 iron) the MODB-1 topped out at 132.1 Ballspeed which was 182.3 yards carry and rolled out to 186.7 yards total. So getting closer but that 10mph difference in ball speed is a real headscratcher. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by vandyland

[GregGarner]

14 minutes ago, vandyland said:

Also I looked up the Specs on a PXG 0311 Gen 4 8 iron and it is 37" long with 31* of loft...which is a 7 iron in most sets or even almost a 6 iron in traditional lofts like Ben Hogan.

Ha! I didn't even think about that... now I need to go back and see what 7i they used in 2019 (if they even disclosed it?)

My 7i is 32 degrees, so that is REALLY helpful to know!

[TBS]

Something looks a little off in the Srixon Z star XV. I wanted to see how it stacked up to Snell but I also kept the titleist balls in as a sort of constant/gold standard. The mid speed iron has comparable data points except the carry and total distance. It is consistently about 5-8 yards shorter than the others. But when you switch to high/low speed, it evens out and is back in a comparable range. 

Could the XV truly have this big of discrepancy for a mid swing speed when the other balls did not have a jump like this?

[GregGarner]

5 minutes ago, TBS said:

Something looks a little off in the Srixon Z star XV. I wanted to see how it stacked up to Snell but I also kept the titleist balls in as a sort of constant/gold standard. The mid speed iron has comparable data points except the carry and total distance. It is consistently about 5-8 yards shorter than the others. But when you switch to high/low speed, it evens out and is back in a comparable range. 

Could the XV truly have this big of discrepancy for a mid swing speed when the other balls did not have a jump like this?

I noticed this too. Toss in the regular Z-Star and it's even more perplexing... the XV's Peak Height Distance suggests it's climbing for quite a while and then the descent angle is steeper, but still comparable to the others, so I can't figure out why it's not the absolute longest on the 8i for mid speed. (Assorted selection of other balls below)

 

[Kansas King]

Overall, I'm around the mid swing speed if not a little faster. According the data, the Bridgestone Tour B XS seems to really be a standout for both driver length and 8 iron/wedge spin. The Maxfli Tour had a good showing and the Snell MTB-X seemed to perform decently but it wasn't as long in this test as it was in 2019. I have not played the Tour B XS much in the past but when I have picked up one, I've always thought they performed well. I may have to buy a dozen and give them a workout. I currently play the Spalding Tours from Walmart which weren't tested (didn't expect them to be) and I really like them but my gut tells me they are probably on the way out as they don't hold them in stores anymore. The only problem with the Bridgestone Tour B XS is that they are at least $45/dozen and it's not a ball I see on sale very often. 

[TBS]

17 minutes ago, greggarner said:

I noticed this too. Toss in the regular Z-Star and it's even more perplexing... the XV's Peak Height Distance suggests it's climbing for quite a while and then the descent angle is steeper, but still comparable to the others, so I can't figure out why it's not the absolute longest on the 8i for mid speed. (Assorted selection of other balls below)

 

Right - definitely has a little more spin and is flying the highest but it does not seem like it should take off that much, when it has comparable ball speeds.

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, Tsecor said:

i loved the left dash off the tee but it bothered me from a feel perspective around the green and it definitely didnt spin around the green like I thought it would. Its a good ball all around, especially if you have a nice descent angle but for me, the super firm feel under 50 yards was not for me. 

i realized i like a soft feeling ball in my irons and putter.....firm off the tee is fine though.... 

basically the same for me

[Thin2win]

so much data, so much data, so much data. I think that if you had a favorite ball you could find some reason to justify keeping it as your gamer(assuming it wasn't the inesis). Chrome Soft to ProV1 Left dash, and everything between. It looks like if you found a ball that you like, you probably aren't giving much up to play it. I don't think that was the case 2 years ago, so big props to the 2019 test for getting the industry to refocus on quality control. 

For me, I need a ball that has a little more spin on the driver and there are a number that fit that bill nicely as this test shows. But that ball I have been playing all year, Vice Pro, is right there in the mix. If I were going to try some others out, the Chrome Soft x seems to hit the marks I am looking for, and the Wilson Staff also looks good, but at about $20 more per dozen than the Vice... lots of good info, and it will take me a couple more spread sheets to make sure I am happy with my choice, but yeah, biggest take away is that they are all better than 2 years ago to the point where it wasn't worth including shot areas. 

[PMookie]

Right off the bat, after looking at numbers across the board for the 115 swing speed, Z Star has my attention. I know one thing, the 10 yard advantage that Left Dash showed in the test off the 8 iron vs Pro V1X, I saw it last round! I hit a Left Dash and it carried a green that the V1X, AVX, and MTB Black hit the front-middle! There would be a definite yardage adjustment needed in my head if I go Left Dash full-time.

[Shankster]

4 minutes ago, PMookie said:

Right off the bat, after looking at numbers across the board for the 115 swing speed, Z Star has my attention. I know one thing, the 10 yard advantage that Left Dash showed in the test off the 8 iron vs Pro V1X, I saw it last round! I hit a Left Dash and it carried a green that the V1X, AVX, and MTB Black hit the front-middle! There would be a definite yardage adjustment needed in my head if I go Left Dash full-time.

Feel question, the Rock Hard cue ball left dash doesn’t bother you?

I wanted to like it, but I can’t do granite.

[PMookie]

6 minutes ago, Shankster said:

Feel question, the Rock Hard cue ball left dash doesn’t bother you?

I wanted to like it, but I can’t do granite.

Not at all. Do I like the feel of an AVX better? Yes, but I don’t hate Left Dash. For what I need off irons and wedges, I’m looking at all of the Titleists, Srixon Z Star, and the Snell balls, possibly TP5X since I can get those cheaply… A mix of soft and hard in there, but I’m going to dig-in on these based on what the data shows. I have a couple sleeves of Left Dash and AVX coming from another Titleist ball fitting, so I’ll get those going head-to-head. Feel is going to be night-and-day, but I’ll look at performance overall. I like the feel of a firm ball off the driver for some reason.

[fixyurdivot]

BEST GOLF BALLS 2021 | MyGolfSpy

I must have inadvertently dumped the email about these results.  My swing speeds are smack dab in the middle of the mid and slow recommendations.  My immediate takeaway is to have a fire-sale on the Kirkland's; they are costing me distance. Beyond that it looks like ProV1, Z-star, Chromesoft, Vice Pro, Maxfli Tour, and Snell MTB Black are my best options.

I still struggle with seeing much difference on short approaches when testing various balls but have been paying attention to distance from tee to green when I have the opportunity to play "2 ball" - which can be often during the shoulder seasons here in MT.  Most recently I played a Kirkland vs. a ProV1 and, on average, the V1 was longer.  Since I have some Kirkland's in the stash, I'll keep playing them against others from the above list and see if distance loss is an issue.

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, Thin2win said:

But that ball I have been playing all year, Vice Pro, is right there in the mix

Gee I dunno Chris, it seemed to me like you were leaving a bunch on the table playing the Vice Pro at the PNW meet-up   I do have a couple of those and have played them recently.  They didn't make the MGS "best budget ball" list but must be pretty close. 

[ejgaudette]

1 hour ago, Shankster said:

Feel question, the Rock Hard cue ball left dash doesn’t bother you?

I wanted to like it, but I can’t do granite.

Have been playing left dash most of the year and love it. I struggle with too much spin, and the feel of a former ball. The only ball that has been too firm for me is the Chrome Soft X LS that one makes my fang putter sound like a tuning fork. Seems to be that the cover feels a bit firmer than the left dash. 

[BMart519]

5 hours ago, TBS said:

Something looks a little off in the Srixon Z star XV. I wanted to see how it stacked up to Snell but I also kept the titleist balls in as a sort of constant/gold standard. The mid speed iron has comparable data points except the carry and total distance. It is consistently about 5-8 yards shorter than the others. But when you switch to high/low speed, it evens out and is back in a comparable range. 

Could the XV truly have this big of discrepancy for a mid swing speed when the other balls did not have a jump like this?

Carry is within 1-3 yards and should be the priority vs total. It had the least rollout, which should be viewed as a positive IMO for better control on approaches. 
 

You can’t compare total distance for irons and wedges as the shots weren’t hit into a green or there wouldn’t be 16 yards of rollout on an 8 iron. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by BMart519

[toehold57]

It would be really, really nice to be able to download csv files.  Tableau is nice but a real spreadsheet on a big monitor is better 

 

[Kenny B]

I'm not sure I buy the statement that balls fly further with high temperature and high humidity.  Higher temperature... yes; higher humidity... no, based on my experience during this very unusual period go 100+ degree days and 70% humidity that we had this past couple of weeks.

I have been consistently shorter with the driver, one club more into the greens.  I've always blamed the moist air as providing more resistance to ball flight, but apparently that's not what MGS has determined.  I'm just hoping as the humidity gets back to a normal 15-20%, that my distance comes back.  I can't afford to lose any more!!  

[PMookie]

2 hours ago, ejgaudette said:

Have been playing left dash most of the year and love it. I struggle with too much spin, and the feel of a former ball. The only ball that has been too firm for me is the Chrome Soft X LS that one makes my fang putter sound like a tuning fork. Seems to be that the cover feels a bit firmer than the left dash. 

I can’t imagine how hard the CSX LS is because the first CSX was the hardest ball I’ve played since I was a kid in the 70s/80s!!! Horrible!!!

[TBT]

Well…..I’ve been worried that I suddenly lost 10 yards in distance and it turns out it’s the Kirkland balls my wife gave me for Father’s Day

Luckily I only have a dozen left.

I’ve had good luck with Snell MTB Black before…guess I need to go back to them

 

 

[HeathS16]

I have spent the entire day going through this and comparing my current gamer (The Maxfli Tour CG) with just about every other premium golf ball. There just isn't much difference that I can see to convince me to change golf balls. After this test I would only consider it if there was a quality control issue with the Maxfli. 

Could I get a few more yards? Yes, but I can save $20 per dozen and get just about the same performance its a no brainer. Nice to know that my inner cheapskate isn't costing me strokes. This is so useful, to be able to feel confident about the ball I am putting in play. Bravo MGS!