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What are you doing with the '21 Ball test data?


TBS

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The ball test in '19 is what drew me to MGS and I've loved going through the '21 data and discussing it on the Ball test thread. I wanted to start a new thread for everyone to share what they are going to do with the data they received. 

So, what is your next move after reviewing the '21 ball test data??

For me, I'm going to try out some of the Vice Pro and Pro Plus. I fall right in between Mid and high swing and although my current gamer Snell MTBX faired well, it was not a standout like last year. Although I think ProV1x left dash would be a good fit, I'm not willing to pay the price at this point, so I like to look at the more premium budget (DTC) options. I've posted this elsewhere but this ball test showed that you really need to find the ball that is best for you, your equipment, and your game. I think Big Box stores should start offering ball fittings for a small price that can be applied when you buy 2 or more boxes of balls. 

 :taylormade-small: M6 12* Oban Kiyoshi Purple 65g stiff

:titelist-small: TS2 16.5* HL Oban Kiyoshi Purple 75g stiff

:ping-small:  G410 Hybrid 19* Tour stiff 

:ping-small: i210 KBS tour stiff 4-GW

:cleveland-small: 54* RTX Zipcore

:ping-small: 58* glide 3.0

:taylormade-small:  TP Black Copper Juno 34in

Oncore elixr or Snell MTBx

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15 minutes ago, TBS said:

I think Big Box stores should start offering ball fittings for a small price that can be applied when you buy 2 or more boxes of balls. 

How would this be done? You can't test a ball indoors and there are no greens located in the stores. 

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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3 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

How would this be done? You can't test a ball indoors and there are no greens located in the stores. 

Can’t you at least get launch monitor data? Most of the stores in my area have some level of launch monitor for you to see how the numbers change with different balls. 

 :taylormade-small: M6 12* Oban Kiyoshi Purple 65g stiff

:titelist-small: TS2 16.5* HL Oban Kiyoshi Purple 75g stiff

:ping-small:  G410 Hybrid 19* Tour stiff 

:ping-small: i210 KBS tour stiff 4-GW

:cleveland-small: 54* RTX Zipcore

:ping-small: 58* glide 3.0

:taylormade-small:  TP Black Copper Juno 34in

Oncore elixr or Snell MTBx

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Just before the results were published I bought 1 dozen (used): Pro V1, V1X, Tour Speed, Z Star, and Tour BX. I had some Tour B XS and RX as well as NEW Z Star XV for on course testing over the 2nd half of this season. I now have a bunch of balls that fit well for a Mid Speed guy with aspirations of working towards high speed. The '19 ball test settled me on the Z Star (non-XV) and made the Tour BXS my default ball. 

As an equipment ho always looking for the latest and greatest fix. In the search of distance, I wanted to test other balls and like the last TP5X. The ball lab quality data raised some questions about any non-Titleist ball above which increased this curiosity. 

The '21 / '19 tests in addition to on course tests with the balls above have led me to the following:
- HOT TAKE: disregard the ball lab quality data on the Z Stars and Bridgestone, it didn't generate any real world performance issues that MGS published
- I've never used refurbished and they will continue to go direct to the short game shag bag
- confirmed the BXS as my ball moving forward as it doesn't seem to give up distance to the balls above and gives me best greenside performance (and scores)
- Z Star will be my back up and I will buy new balls to compare with used when they go on sale for 50% off ($27/doz in Canada, Snell is $43 in bulk FYI)
- aerodynamics/spin are important as the longest balls are not strictly the ones with highest ball speed, in a windy area - this requires special attention
- In a pinch I will play a Tour Speed or RX, especially if holding a green is not a concern. But Pro V1 are the best Titleist ball for me and I will keep handing V1X off to friends when I find them. 

Unless I approach scratch or play in competitive events, I have not encountered any problems with used balls to justify spending $40+ per dozen on new balls. Z Star is the only tour level ball that gets close to the price of used balls ($1-1.50 each) in Canada at $27-37/doz. Titleist/Callaway/Bridgestone are $65/doz NEW, which isn't happening when I can get used for $15-20. 

Edited by BMart519

:ping-small: G425 MAX Driver & 5W

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:Sub70: 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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7 minutes ago, TBS said:

Can’t you at least get launch monitor data? Most of the stores in my area have some level of launch monitor for you to see how the numbers change with different balls. 

1: balls perform different in the wind
2: spin is different off mats, is every ball affected the same by this?
3: most stores do not have systems that read spin consistently or accurately enough to read the small differences between balls (unless they have GC Quad or similar)
4: ground conditions in the sim software will often vary significantly from specific courses or your region, it will be hard to actually judge roll out for full and partial approach shots to assess all the performance aspects that matter in actual golf. 
5: I assume there is more money selling clubs than balls, they want sim time for that. Not for you to discover your Kirkland is costing you 10 yards and you just need to buy some better balls instead of a new driver and irons 🙂

:ping-small: G425 MAX Driver & 5W

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:Sub70: 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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My neighbor’s boys go and find “lost” golf balls off of a course nearby and sells them for cheap to the neighborhood. I asked if they had any Vice golf balls in his stash. They said no one ever wants those and walked out with some Vice pro and pro plus. Will have to give these a try and see how they compare with my current gamer, Snell MTBx.

Cobra Connect 5 participant 

 :ping-small:  G410 Plus, w/ X stiff 75 g Project X Evenflow Black shaft driver / :cobra-small: Radspeed w/ Smoke RDX Blue 70S shaft

 :cobra-small: Big Tour 3 wood/ 5 wood w/ Fujikura X F3 60S shaft

 :cobra-small: 4 Hybrid w/ Project X Catalyst 80S shaft

:cobra-small: Copper MIM Tour Irons w/ KBS $ Taper Balck 120S shaft

:cobra-small: Snakebite 50, 54, and 58 wedges w/ KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 125S shaft

:scotty-small: Newport 2.5 putter

:Snell:MTB X golf balls

RH, Alabama

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I game the mtbx but may just get used prov1s from now on. I want to be balanced. I liked left dash but could not stop it on greens. Also can’t find left dash on lost golf balls anymore. 

Follow my journey to enjoying golf and going low

Driver: :callaway-small:   Epic Max LS :Fuji:Ventus Black 6x 44.5" 

3wHL: :callaway-small: Rogue ST LS 75x  Tensei AV Blue w/ xlink

7w: :callaway-small:Apex UW 21* MMT 80S

DI: Caley 01X 18* with KBS PGH Stiff plus 95g

4-AW: th.jpg.d6e2abdaeb04f007fd259c979f389de6.jpg  0211  with KBS Tour Stiff 2.5* up 3/4" long, Soft stepped, MOI matched

Wedges     :cleveland-small: Zipcore 

Putter: L.A.B. Directed Force 2.1 69*/35" in blue 

 

Ball:  TBD

Shot Tracking: :ShotScope:

Bag: Vessel VLX 2.0

Grip: Lamkin Sonar +  Midsize 

My Reviews:

Caley 01X Driving Iron Review 2023

Max Swing Speed Training and Speed Progress: Current Speed 120 in the MGS Speed Challenge (updated 3/15/23)

 :1332069271_TommyArmour:TAIII #2  Review here: TAIII Impact #2 Putter )

 :cleveland-small: Zipcore Tour Rack 54/full and 58/mid (review here)

th.jpg.d6e2abdaeb04f007fd259c979f389de6.jpg  0211  2019 Unofficial Review

 

 

 

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56 minutes ago, Mtbryant01 said:

My neighbor’s boys go and find “lost” golf balls off of a course nearby and sells them for cheap to the neighborhood. I asked if they had any Vice golf balls in his stash. They said no one ever wants those and walked out with some Vice pro and pro plus. Will have to give these a try and see how they compare with my current gamer, Snell MTBx.

My college baseball alumni tournament handed out some of the pro pluses as part of the gift bag a couple of years ago. They play pretty well from my experience but didn’t really convince me to switch. From what I remember it’s a nice feeling ball, that performs pretty well. Happy hitting! 

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi3 Tester Check out the Review HERE

2-Iron- :Sub70: 699-U

5-Wood:  :Sub70: Pro (18*) 

Irons :  :ping-small: i210 4-PW

Wedges:  :cleveland-small:  RTX-4 50* and 54* RTX-3 *58

Putter::1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact No. 3

Ball:  MAXFLI TOUR 

Tracked by: :Arccos:  

Bag: BagBoy ZTF Stand Bag (REVIEW HERE)

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What am I doing with the data? I’m currently trying to convince myself that I don’t need to buy all of these golf balls I want to test. Life was more simple before this test. 

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi3 Tester Check out the Review HERE

2-Iron- :Sub70: 699-U

5-Wood:  :Sub70: Pro (18*) 

Irons :  :ping-small: i210 4-PW

Wedges:  :cleveland-small:  RTX-4 50* and 54* RTX-3 *58

Putter::1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact No. 3

Ball:  MAXFLI TOUR 

Tracked by: :Arccos:  

Bag: BagBoy ZTF Stand Bag (REVIEW HERE)

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Oof, I know I'm gonna hear it for this. (Deep breath) I've reviewed it, narrowed it down to the balls I'm interested in, and nothing's changed. Soooo (trigger warning) I'm going to kind of ignore it 😬😬😬.

Hear me out I've already switched to the Z-Star from ProV1 and I have a 107 mph driver speed so I looked at both high and mid data sets. The balls I'm considering are all in the tour category. BX, BXS, TP5, ProV1, Z-Star, ZXV, AVX, and MTBX. MGS has already done ball labs on these other than the AVX. I haven't really learned anything new.

The ProV1x & TP5x didn't make the cut because I've already tested them and did not like them. They were very clicky to me and I didn't like them around the green and didn't notice that I hit them any further. To clarify further, it's not that they were bad performing in the short game, it's that they weren't performing the way I like a ball to perform on the green.

So when I looked at the data on those 8 balls and, from best to worst, I saw 10 yards difference on drives, 7 yards difference on 8i, and a few hundred rpm on wedges, I'm just not seeing a huge performance difference in any of them. Why pay $50 for Bridgestone, TM, or Titleist offerings when my Z-Star is already performing the way I want it to for a much better price. I will say Snell had my curiosity, now they have my attention.

I keep reading these things and trying to break down the data and qualities, and come up with my own conclusions, and I never come to a decisive result. I look at this and expect to find THE BALL FOR ME. One ball that jumps off the page that is undisputably the best fit for my game. And nothing ever does. As much as the manufacturers try to make their products stand out, the only conclusion I've come to is that there's actually very little difference in them.

What I have learned from this is find a ball you are comfortable paying for (and losing!), and that has the feel a performance you prefer. And stick to one ball!

 

 

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

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Bought a dozen of tour B S ball to try out 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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I am taking my gamer, which was based off the 19 test (Tour BX), and comparing other balls numbers in this test to see if any can give me more help. I need lower spin off the driver, without giving up distance in the high swing speed, but play fast greens, so I'd like spin in the short irons and wedges. Very surprised how well the Srixon Z-Star compared to the BX, ProV1, CS, etc in this years test. Lower spinning off the driver (just as long as all of them) with as much or more spin around the green and with wedges, and they're less money than the alternatives. Will be giving them another shot with this new model and it's numbers in this test.

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

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10 hours ago, jroot327 said:

I am taking my gamer, which was based off the 19 test (Tour BX), and comparing other balls numbers in this test to see if any can give me more help. I need lower spin off the driver, without giving up distance in the high swing speed, but play fast greens, so I'd like spin in the short irons and wedges. Very surprised how well the Srixon Z-Star compared to the BX, ProV1, CS, etc in this years test. Lower spinning off the driver (just as long as all of them) with as much or more spin around the green and with wedges, and they're less money than the alternatives. Will be giving them another shot with this new model and it's numbers in this test.

The 2021 Z-Stars are no joke. I was skeptical about their marketing when they increased cover thickness to improve greenside control but it's super legit. In the previous iteration, the XV was leaps and bounds a better ball, despite being stupidly clicky off the putter. With the 2021 version, they've made the XV less clicky AND the Z-Star was given the thicker cover and both of these minuscule refinements are *chef's kiss*

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

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After reading all the data and looking at all these charts, my head literally exploded so im putting the pieces back together. With the data now in hand, I have been running a summer long ball test with the following balls

  • Prov1
  • Prov1x
  • Left dash
  • TP5
  • TP5X
  • Chromesoft
  • AVX
  • Chromesoft X
  • Looking for a bridgestone ball right now

I have found that a lot of these balls may end up within 10 yards of each other in distance, but they all act differently on the course and im searching for the most playable ball. I am not sure the unicorn ball is out there (possibly the new left dot coming out?)  If i could take one aspect from each of these balls and make my own ball i would do the following. I looked at all the data to see if it aligns with my own personal testing. I am finding out data and on course playability are two completely different worlds.  A robot hitting an 8 iron off a tee is obviously not like an 8 iron off a hard pan surface or semi-deep rough.  Ive learned feel is important to me, maybe too much in fact so im trying to ignore it and just go full performance mode. Its hard to ignore "feel" though.

im finding out Prov1 is prpbably the best all around ball, tee to green but Chromesoft has really been awesome this summer. I was disappointed with TP5X again even though the data suggests it would be really good.  TP5 is pretty much the same as the 2019 version but  the new dimple pattern seems to make the ball balloon for me. V1X was a disaster for me. Left dash is really good off the tee but hard to figure out around the green and its a real HARD BALL....it flies far though.

Trying to decide between the BXS, BRXS and BRX for my next test.  They all have some great qualities but the BXS, although not designed for my game, seems to check all the boxes from a data standpoint....Testing the CSX this coming week.    

DATA DATA DATA.....head exploding.......

so far Prov1 / CS are the leaders in the clubhouse.....V1 is better around the green for me,, so that may be the deciding factor

Golf is cool

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6 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

im finding out Prov1 is prpbably the best all around ball, tee to green but Chromesoft has really been awesome this summer. I was disappointed with TP5X again even though the data suggests it would be really good.  TP5 is pretty much the same as the 2019 version but  the new dimple pattern seems to make the ball balloon for me. V1X was a disaster for me. Left dash is really good off the tee but hard to figure out around the green and its a real HARD BALL....it flies far though.

Trying to decide between the BXS, BRXS and BRX for my next test.  They all have some great qualities but the BXS, although not designed for my game, seems to check all the boxes from a data standpoint....Testing the CSX this coming week.    

DATA DATA DATA.....head exploding.......

so far Prov1 / CS are the leaders in the clubhouse.....V1 is better around the green for me,, so that may be the deciding factor

The B RXS and RX will have less greenside spin the the Left Dash as well as stopping power on approaches. The XS is the ball most similar to the V1 and CS (I've played all 4 Bridgestone balls). The B X would then be your next option, but it is definitely firmer and low spin. 

:ping-small: G425 MAX Driver & 5W

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:Sub70: 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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18 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

I am not sure the unicorn ball is out there (possibly the new left dot coming out?

To clarify the left dot isn’t a new ball. It’s been around for almost a decade on tour, it’s just a ball like the left dash that titleist is going to offer to the public. It’s what lead to the 2017 prov1.

Like we talked about in other posts/threads it’s going to fall in between the original avx and Prov1 and with the redesign of the avx my guess it will be similar to the new version on the green. 

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

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21 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

The B RXS and RX will have less greenside spin the the Left Dash as well as stopping power on approaches. The XS is the ball most similar to the V1 and CS (I've played all 4 Bridgestone balls). The B X would then be your next option, but it is definitely firmer and low spin. 

I always have a high angle of descent so im not worried about stopping power unless im inside 30 yards and around the greenside.....thats where i need spin the most.  I have hit the BX before and i didnt like it for some reason. 

Off the driver (mid speed), the BXS is noticeably longer than the other two balls but when you get to the 8 iron (mid speed) the XS gives those yards right back. ...then nyou get to the wedge and the XS has ~ 500 more rpms which equates to ~ 40 revolutions during a 5 second wedge flight....its literally splitting hairs....so, from a playability standpoint, does one of these "grab" a little more on bump and runs or is one of these better feeling around the green (not too soft or hard), so it feel like whatever you put into it, you will get that out of it?

The left dash was bad for me around the green because I would hit it and think im gonna run it 15-20 feet and it would go 25 feet or i would feel like id have to hit it softer and it would not runout enough.....

Golf is cool

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My takeaway from the results are to gravitate more to the firmer balls, opposed to the softer balls.  Pretty much anything with an "X" in the name is under consideration at this point.  It is really off the driver that I'm looking for ball performance, then will work my iron game to suit the spin for that ball.  Soft feels good, but not so much that I can't practice and get used to the "click" of a firm ball.  So... ProV1x and left dash, AVX, TP5X, Tour B X, and Chrome Soft X as potential options vs. my gamer MTB-X.  The Z star is also interesting.  

One interesting comment to my game... while my swing speed seems to be more closely matched to the "Mid Speed" in both Driver and 8 iron from the test - my distance is more closely matched to the "Slow Speed".  I need to review the machine positions compared to my own positions to find out where I'm losing my efficiency.  (path for sure, but I would guess my impact position is not stellar).  

  • 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
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1 hour ago, Tiftaaft said:

My takeaway from the results are to gravitate more to the firmer balls, opposed to the softer balls.  Pretty much anything with an "X" in the name is under consideration at this point.  It is really off the driver that I'm looking for ball performance, then will work my iron game to suit the spin for that ball.  Soft feels good, but not so much that I can't practice and get used to the "click" of a firm ball.  So... ProV1x and left dash, AVX, TP5X, Tour B X, and Chrome Soft X as potential options vs. my gamer MTB-X.  The Z star is also interesting.  

One interesting comment to my game... while my swing speed seems to be more closely matched to the "Mid Speed" in both Driver and 8 iron from the test - my distance is more closely matched to the "Slow Speed".  I need to review the machine positions compared to my own positions to find out where I'm losing my efficiency.  (path for sure, but I would guess my impact position is not stellar).  

if you are going towards the firmer balls, AVX is not for you.  Thats as soft as it gets and feels completely different than the other balls you listed. Its a good ball, but way different

Golf is cool

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1 hour ago, Tsecor said:

I always have a high angle of descent so im not worried about stopping power unless im inside 30 yards and around the greenside.....thats where i need spin the most.  I have hit the BX before and i didnt like it for some reason. 

Off the driver (mid speed), the BXS is noticeably longer than the other two balls but when you get to the 8 iron (mid speed) the XS gives those yards right back. ...then nyou get to the wedge and the XS has ~ 500 more rpms which equates to ~ 40 revolutions during a 5 second wedge flight....its literally splitting hairs....so, from a playability standpoint, does one of these "grab" a little more on bump and runs or is one of these better feeling around the green (not too soft or hard), so it feel like whatever you put into it, you will get that out of it?

The left dash was bad for me around the green because I would hit it and think im gonna run it 15-20 feet and it would go 25 feet or i would feel like id have to hit it softer and it would not runout enough.....

I've never heard anyone discuss calculations on numbers of revolutions given the length of ball flight. Do you have any info that led you down this path of analysis? If you need more spin, play a higher spin ball. If 500 rpm isn't enough, then play the Kirkland I guess 🤷‍♂️

The XS grabs the most because it's the highest spin. The RX is the lowest spin urethane ball made by Bridgestone which should be lower than the left dash which will make it likely to run out more especially because soft balls seem to have higher ball speeds on slower shots. 

:ping-small: G425 MAX Driver & 5W

:cobra-small: Baffler Rail-H 3H-4H

:Sub70: 699 Pro Utility V2 - 4i

:callaway-small: APEX CF19 6-AW

INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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9 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

if you are going towards the firmer balls, AVX is not for you.  Thats as soft as it gets and feels completely different than the other balls you listed. Its a good ball, but way different

Thanks, I included the AVX based on some of the distance metrics it produced, but good point that it isn't in the same class as the more firm balls I listed.  Maybe a good "gives you a bit of both" ball.   

  • 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
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4 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

I've never heard anyone discuss calculations on numbers of revolutions given the length of ball flight. Do you have any info that led you down this path of analysis? If you need more spin, play a higher spin ball. If 500 rpm isn't enough, then play the Kirkland I guess 🤷‍♂️

The XS grabs the most because it's the highest spin. The RX is the lowest spin urethane ball made by Bridgestone which should be lower than the left dash which will make it likely to run out more especially because soft balls seem to have higher ball speeds on slower shots. 

most of the "X" balls have more spin around the greens because the cover comes into play more because the core is not being compressed.  a lot of "soft" balls are lower spin so they fly further...

there is tons of data out there how long a ball is in flight, which on wedge shots and iron shots is in the neighborhood of 5 seconds.....its simple math....a ball that spins 7500 rpm in a full minute, would in theory rotates 125x a second. Over that 5 seconds you would get 625 rotations......but when you factor is spin degredation over the course of tthe flight, you come out with ~ 500 actual rotations......so many people think the ball is spinning faster than it actually is when it hits the green when in fact the spin rates between balls is fractional at best in the actual golf shot....if you have a deep angle of descent, you probably have good control on approach shots......its the shorter shots that do not use height as a control that spin may be the bigger factor....so in theory, most balls are within 15 feet of each other off the tee.....5-10 feet of each other off the irons......no real differences.....but the shots around the green, out of greenside rough and putting is where the differences can really come into play

Golf is cool

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11 minutes ago, Tiftaaft said:

Thanks, I included the AVX based on some of the distance metrics it produced, but good point that it isn't in the same class as the more firm balls I listed.  Maybe a good "gives you a bit of both" ball.   

it performs well is most areas and is long but soft....greenside is ok to me, but the prov1 acts better around the greens IMO. But it does perform like the firmer balls do on distance shots

 

 

Golf is cool

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19 hours ago, TBS said:

The ball test in '19 is what drew me to MGS and I've loved going through the '21 data and discussing it on the Ball test thread. I wanted to start a new thread for everyone to share what they are going to do with the data they received. 

So, what is your next move after reviewing the '21 ball test data??

For me, I'm going to try out some of the Vice Pro and Pro Plus. I fall right in between Mid and high swing and although my current gamer Snell MTBX faired well, it was not a standout like last year. Although I think ProV1x left dash would be a good fit, I'm not willing to pay the price at this point, so I like to look at the more premium budget (DTC) options. I've posted this elsewhere but this ball test showed that you really need to find the ball that is best for you, your equipment, and your game. I think Big Box stores should start offering ball fittings for a small price that can be applied when you buy 2 or more boxes of balls. 

I think that, just like in '19, it shows that if you are playing one of the more, "name brand" balls, youre probably paying too much and you could get the same performance with a DTC ball.

I personally love Japanese golf equipment but I honestly cant convince myself that Im getting anything other than a lighter wallet if I choose to play Srixons or Bridgestones over Maxfli/Snell/Vice/Cut, etc.

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

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

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

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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20 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

most of the "X" balls have more spin around the greens because the cover comes into play more because the core is not being compressed.  a lot of "soft" balls are lower spin so they fly further...

there is tons of data out there how long a ball is in flight, which on wedge shots and iron shots is in the neighborhood of 5 seconds.....its simple math....a ball that spins 7500 rpm in a full minute, would in theory rotates 125x a second. Over that 5 seconds you would get 625 rotations......but when you factor is spin degredation over the course of tthe flight, you come out with ~ 500 actual rotations......so many people think the ball is spinning faster than it actually is when it hits the green when in fact the spin rates between balls is fractional at best in the actual golf shot....if you have a deep angle of descent, you probably have good control on approach shots......its the shorter shots that do not use height as a control that spin may be the bigger factor....so in theory, most balls are within 15 feet of each other off the tee.....5-10 feet of each other off the irons......no real differences.....but the shots around the green, out of greenside rough and putting is where the differences can really come into play

RPM is a unit of measure, nothing is measured in total rotations during ball flight so it's not correlated to anything else measured. I'm just wondering why you do that calculation and if there is some table or other research you are comparing those numbers to... In your example above, the ball had 500 rotations in flight which is meaningless to the interaction with the green because it happened in the past. You are looking for the spin rate at the time of impact to compare landing conditions, you just changed the units from RPM to rotations per second. 

The test measurements are in RPM and scale pretty well based on Tony's comments in the articles about "higher spin with driver, higher with wedge". Use the Wedge RPM values to pick balls that spin more to have less roll out greenside. This is why I personally use the B XS because its the highest spinning Bridgestone ball and seems to have the least roll out(but driver spin can equal the BX at certain speeds). The XS is lower compression (than BX) and higher spin unlike the V1X, CSX, Maxfli X, which makes it a bit unique. If the B XS has 500 total rotations greenside then the RX and RXS have ~450, which is 10% less and will roll out farther because that is less stopping power on a shot with the same landing angle. Said another way if the BXS is 125x/second the RX is 112, (or 7500 rpm vs 6900 rpm) which is still 10% less, so more roll out. 

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INDI Wedges 52, 56, 60 

 :edel-golf-1: EAS 2.0

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24 minutes ago, BMart519 said:

RPM is a unit of measure, nothing is measured in total rotations during ball flight so it's not correlated to anything else measured. I'm just wondering why you do that calculation and if there is some table or other research you are comparing those numbers to... In your example above, the ball had 500 rotations in flight which is meaningless to the interaction with the green because it happened in the past. You are looking for the spin rate at the time of impact to compare landing conditions, you just changed the units from RPM to rotations per second. 

The test measurements are in RPM and scale pretty well based on Tony's comments in the articles about "higher spin with driver, higher with wedge". Use the Wedge RPM values to pick balls that spin more to have less roll out greenside. This is why I personally use the B XS because its the highest spinning Bridgestone ball and seems to have the least roll out(but driver spin can equal the BX at certain speeds). The XS is lower compression (than BX) and higher spin unlike the V1X, CSX, Maxfli X, which makes it a bit unique. If the B XS has 500 total rotations greenside then the RX and RXS have ~450, which is 10% less and will roll out farther because that is less stopping power on a shot with the same landing angle. Said another way if the BXS is 125x/second the RX is 112, (or 7500 rpm vs 6900 rpm) which is still 10% less, so more roll out. 

Its just used as a way of over simplifying how little spin may mean when the ball actually hits the green....nothing more. We all know the spin # is measured directly after the ball leaves the face......this is the MAX #.....but what happens after? how much speed is lost during that 5 - 6 second flight and how fast is the ball spinning when it hits the green? IDK...thats what im really interested in....not really a max spin rate 1 millisecond off the club face....

In the MGS test, the XS and the V1X are identicle in spin on all the clubs and speeds.

Here is a great article on spin degredation that concludes 

"A ball in flight loses  3.3 to 4 percent of its spin for each second it is in the air. In the six seconds of hang time typical on the PGA Tour, the initial spin is reduced to between 78 and 82 percent of its initial spin.

Spin decay

Jamie McConnell JM Golf Academy, Ireland said it best 

“Controlling the spin rate of the golf ball is an important factor particularly in the short game. Being able to produce more spin on a 50 yard wedge shot when it is needed can be the difference between winning and losing a tournament. In the same sense, the ability to produce chip shots with less spin can be the difference between playing to or playing under a golfer’s handicap.”

so, as i search for that unicorn ball that is low spin off the driver and irons, but spins a lot more around the greens in relation, i am not sure the technology exists. It seems the Chromesoft X may be the closest to what im lookng for. 

Golf is cool

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51 minutes ago, Tsecor said:

Its just used as a way of over simplifying how little spin may mean when the ball actually hits the green....nothing more. We all know the spin # is measured directly after the ball leaves the face......this is the MAX #.....but what happens after? how much speed is lost during that 5 - 6 second flight and how fast is the ball spinning when it hits the green? IDK...thats what im really interested in....not really a max spin rate 1 millisecond off the club face....

In the MGS test, the XS and the V1X are identicle in spin on all the clubs and speeds.

Here is a great article on spin degredation that concludes 

"A ball in flight loses  3.3 to 4 percent of its spin for each second it is in the air. In the six seconds of hang time typical on the PGA Tour, the initial spin is reduced to between 78 and 82 percent of its initial spin.

Spin decay

Jamie McConnell JM Golf Academy, Ireland said it best 

“Controlling the spin rate of the golf ball is an important factor particularly in the short game. Being able to produce more spin on a 50 yard wedge shot when it is needed can be the difference between winning and losing a tournament. In the same sense, the ability to produce chip shots with less spin can be the difference between playing to or playing under a golfer’s handicap.”

so, as i search for that unicorn ball that is low spin off the driver and irons, but spins a lot more around the greens in relation, i am not sure the technology exists. It seems the Chromesoft X may be the closest to what im lookng for. 

You are going to have to drop the duece or get off the pot at some point. Your current approach is going to have gob constantly questioning if you are missing something in any aspect of the game whether it’s more distance or better tee dispassion, control with irons, ability to hit different shots into the green. Just like with your irons you have reached a point of over analyzing the ball and it’s only going to hurt your game rather than help you get better.

Either you don’t want to make a decision because you are worried about. Ring stuck with something and will be wondering if it’s the right decision or you are trying to avoid deciding so you can have some escape for your game being off and being able to say the ball I’m using doesn’t work for X

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

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I am disappointed in the test because I believe dispersion / shot area is very important and it was not included in the test results.

  • Driver _ Ping G400 Max
  • Woods _ Ping G410 3 & 5 | Cleveland Launcher XL HALO 7
  • Hybrid _ Titleist 818 H1 5 
  • Irons _ Titleist T300 6-GW
  • Wedges _ Titleist SM9 52F & 56S
  • Putter _ Odyssey Dual Force Rossie 2 or Rife Two Bar Hybrid
  • Distance _ Bushnell Phantom 2 GPS | Precision Pro NX7 Pro
  • Ball _ Titleist Pro V1 yellow
  • GHIN _ HCP floats between 8 & 12

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"Never bet against an old man with old clubs that have new grips"

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5 hours ago, BMart519 said:

The B RXS and RX will have less greenside spin the the Left Dash as well as stopping power on approaches. The XS is the ball most similar to the V1 and CS (I've played all 4 Bridgestone balls). The B X would then be your next option, but it is definitely firmer and low spin. 

I am trying out the B X now then try the XS 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

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:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

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