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Favorite Non-Urethane Ball?


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General question as we are all diving neck deep (or more) into the recent ball test that came out on Urethane cover balls.  What Non-Urethane ball are you playing for distance? Feel? Spin?

Different characteristics than from a Urethane ball for sure...  

I have been all over the board.  At current, I have boxes of Snell (X and Black), 2019 ChromeSoft, 2021 ChromeSoft, 2021 Supersoft, 2021 TP5X, Wilson Staff Elite 50, 2019 ProV1X, 2021 ProV1X, and a few dozen of other "found" test balls of various makes and models.  

I am currently gaming the MTB-X, and may soon commit to either the TP5X, but will also be picking up a box of left dash for tryouts.  But I'm also intrigued by some of the Ionomer and Surlyn offerings, especially when considering the distance off the tee and irons if it exists. 

I recently played a few practice rounds with the Elite 50's, and while it is difficult to narrow down the true differences off the tee based on my ever evolving swing (from one hole to the next it some cases), it does seem to offer comparable distance to the MTB-X and TP5X... maybe a few yards shorter... and when I manage to hit the green with a full iron shot, (at least at my course)... the pitch mark is within a few feet, so that is manageable.  

Just curious to know what others have experienced and are playing.

  • 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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Been a fan of the Duo line for years. One of my favorite balls for sure. The new e12 reminds me of the old e6 which is a very good thing for me. Lots of great options out there. 

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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Velocity. That ball is longggg.

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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I will admit, if it wasn't for me testing the Top Flight Gamer I would have never given it a try. But after testing, I kept on playing them. I managed several rounds in the high 60's with them. Just don't play them in cold weather.

:titleist-small: Driver, TSi 1 S Flex

:cobra-small: 3 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex

:cobra-small: 5 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 7 Wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 5 Hybrid King Tec MMT R Flex

:cobra-small: Irons, Tour UST Recoil 95 R Flex (6 - Gap)

:cobra-small: Wedges, Snakebite KBS Hi- Rev2.0 54* & 60*

:cobra-small: Agera 35"

image.png Ultralight 14-way Cart Bag

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8 hours ago, 2puttbogey said:

I like the old e6. Before they went to the soft or speed options that I never fully understood. Probably the straightest ball I’ve ever played and a decent amount of spin. 

I loved that ball. No idea why Bridgestone decided to fix what wasn't broken.

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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10 hours ago, 2puttbogey said:

I like the old e6. Before they went to the soft or speed options that I never fully understood. Probably the straightest ball I’ve ever played and a decent amount of spin. 

That was a great ball when Bridgestone brought it out. Never understood the e5/e7 either.

10 minutes ago, Shankster said:

The DT Solo was my favorite… didn’t use it for long, like a week.  But they was a good ball.

Couldn't beat it. A Titleist for under $20/doz

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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Is MSG going to test the non-urethane balls?  Just as the tour response/tour speed fits certain golfers better than the TP5/ProV, I wonder if there are non-urethane balls that fit certain golfers better.

I like the Supersoft (but the matte cover is awful to putt with) , the Tour Soft, used to like the Duo (but too many of them cracked on me).

Cobra F8 Driver, Fairway (6wd) and hybrids

Taylor Made 770 irons

Sub70 54 and 58* wedges

Evnroll 11v 

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Another 1 for the older Bridgestone E6 balls.  Great budget ball.  Nowadays I'll get a dozen balls through work and I don't mind buying x outs or practice TP5's from golfdiscount for 19.99 per dozen. Just no reason not to continue playing those when they perform well for me.  

Driver:  image.png.3c6db1120d888f669e07d4a8f890b3f1.pngMavrik Sub Zero 9* (Set to 10) Ventus Blue 6X

2 Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSI3 Hybrid Tensei Blue 80 X (17.25*)

3 Hybrid :titelist-small: 818 H2 Hybrid Hzrdus RDX Black 6.5 (20.5*)

4 Iron -  :titelist-small: T200 4 Iron Graphite Design Tour AD IZ X Hybrid Shaft

Irons 5-PW:  :titelist-small: T100-S 5 - GW KBS Tour 130 X

Gap/Sand Wedge:  :titelist-small: Vokey SM6 49*  SM8 54* 

Lob Wedge:  image.png.3c6db1120d888f669e07d4a8f890b3f1.pngJaws 5 Wedge 58* DG Tour Issue Stiff

Putter:   :scotty-small: Phantom 5.5 34"      Pro Platinum Newport 2 35"      Taylormade Tour Black Spider 34"

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Today, I played a Titleist Trufeel, 2 piece surly ball, except for the Par 3’s(WilsonnModel). I shot a 47/38:85 with two birdies, a par 4 & a par 5. How’s that for a non-urethane ball?

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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1 hour ago, fozcycle said:

I shot a 47/38:85 with two birdies, a par 4 & a par 5.

Nicely Done Foz!  

  • 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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23 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I will admit, if it wasn't for me testing the Top Flight Gamer I would have never given it a try. But after testing, I kept on playing them. I managed several rounds in the high 60's with them. Just don't play them in cold weather.

Interestingly, of all the balls I have found this year while searching for my wayward shots (and it is a pretty extensive collection that I use in my home range and for tests on the chipping and putting green), I haven't found a single TF Gamer.  That must mean they are always in the short grass and never lost.  😉  I am going to give them a tryout!

  • 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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2 hours ago, Brian Parkinson said:

Is MSG going to test the non-urethane balls?  Just as the tour response/tour speed fits certain golfers better than the TP5/ProV, I wonder if there are non-urethane balls that fit certain golfers better.

I really believe this is true.  Not sure if MGS will do a full featured test on a non-premium ball, but I wish they would.  I think for a vast majority of the golfing public (those that aren't playing golf for a living), there may be advantages to some of these non-urethane balls.  I have a feeling there is an element of ego that goes along with it.  I used to play with a guy who wouldn't play anything but an X-stiff shaft, and it was such a clank when he hit his irons it made my hands sting.  I enjoyed collecting the nassau with my regular shafts at the end of the rounds.   Similarly, I think there is an amount of that with balls, and especially Titleist ProV's (pick your model).  Great ball, no question... but is the non-professional golfer getting the results that it was designed for, or would they actually play better using a less "tour spec" ball?  I think it is possible.

  • 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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I read and reread the recent MGS ball report and don't know why they believe most golfers use urethane covered golf balls (although I find a ton of pro v1s in the bushes so I know there are a lot of slicers out there who are wasting money left and right). For myself, I like Wilson Duo, Callaway SuperSoft and Titleist Trufeel. If I lose one, tough on my score but easy on my pocket.

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About four or five months ago, Wilson Staff discontinued the Duo Soft Spin ball so I embarked on a long and thorough ball test. I rarely lose golf balls so I was open to a premium three piece urethane ball. With a slow 80 mph swing speed (age 68, 17 handicap), I tested perhaps a dozen premium balls. Off the tee, most were great for distance and feel. Long story short, I have a lot of golf balls to use up now after testing about 15 different balls multiple rounds each, logging distances off tee with each. With my 14 degree Mavrik driver, I averaged right at 212-218 yards with many of the balls. With a slower (obviously) iron swing speed, I felt that many premium balls had a harsher feel. I expanded my search. End result - I really like the Bridgestone E12 Contact and the TM Soft Response. Both are three piece but with ionomer cover. I also still like the WS Duo Soft+.  For being either close to or the softest (lowest compression) ball made, it doesn’t feel mushy to my slow swing speed. I also like the Wilson Staff Duo Professional. On hot days in Southern CA, I feel I can even compress a TM Tour Response adequately. All this from someone who was faithful to Titleist Velocity for many years before going over to WS Duo Soft Spin. It truly is a rabbit hole when experimenting. I think when I have used up all the golf balls I now have, I will settle on either TM Soft Response or Bridgestone e12 Contact (60 and 61 compression respectively). Then as I age and I lose more swing speed, hopefully the WS Duo Soft+ will be there for me. If I were to play a urethane premium ball, I think that the Bridgestone Tour B RXS is tough to beat for my swing speed. Not the most durable ball, but definitely a good performer.  

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I usually play Pro V1 in summer but in winter when it is mainly bounce games over a shorten course I tend to put my premium balls away and play with balls I've found thru the summer season. The Pro stocks Srixon so I generally find more Srixon balls around the course and I have found the Srixon Soft Feel to be  a good Ionomer ball  rather than the urethane alternative in the same price bracket the AD333. 

 

WIMB

Driver Callaway Epic 10.5' Fujikura Stiff

3W Callaway Epic 15' Fujikura Stiff

3-AW Srixon Z565 Nippon Stiff

52', 56' Cleveland RTX 585 Wedges

Putter Taylormade Rosa Daytona

Bags 2017 Callaway Org14 Cart bag or 2018 Srixon Z start Carry bag 

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11 hours ago, Golfgirl8350 said:

I read and reread the recent MGS ball report and don't know why they believe most golfers use urethane covered golf balls (although I find a ton of pro v1s in the bushes so I know there are a lot of slicers out there who are wasting money left and right). For myself, I like Wilson Duo, Callaway SuperSoft and Titleist Trufeel. If I lose one, tough on my score but easy on my pocket.

I am always shocked at the number of Pro V1s I find out there. At $4+ a ball, I'm gonna find one if I hit it wild. My home course has more hackers than serious players, so I find 1 of 3 balls.

1. Pro V1s

2. Brand new Srixon Soft Feel or Callaway Supersoft/hot cause that's what the course sells (probably have 2 swings on them)

3. Grandpa's Maxfli, for the discerning golfer playing whatever's in the back of the garage. 

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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On 8/24/2021 at 10:06 AM, DiscipleofPenick said:

I am always shocked at the number of Pro V1s I find out there. At $4+ a ball, I'm gonna find one if I hit it wild. My home course has more hackers than serious players, so I find 1 of 3 balls.

1. Pro V1s

2. Brand new Srixon Soft Feel or Callaway Supersoft/hot cause that's what the course sells (probably have 2 swings on them)

3. Grandpa's Maxfli, for the discerning golfer playing whatever's in the back of the garage. 

I actually find the Maxfli Tour surprisingly good, for 24 balls/$55 (last years model).

Golf is Life. 

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34 minutes ago, gmmiddle said:

I actually find the Maxfli Tour surprisingly good, for 24 balls/$55 (last years model).

I showed my buddy the ball labs and he went and bought those. I'm gonna need to trade him sleeves.

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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On 8/22/2021 at 4:22 PM, Tiftaaft said:

General question as we are all diving neck deep (or more) into the recent ball test that came out on Urethane cover balls.  What Non-Urethane ball are you playing for distance? Feel? Spin?

Different characteristics than from a Urethane ball for sure...  

I have been all over the board.  At current, I have boxes of Snell (X and Black), 2019 ChromeSoft, 2021 ChromeSoft, 2021 Supersoft, 2021 TP5X, Wilson Staff Elite 50, 2019 ProV1X, 2021 ProV1X, and a few dozen of other "found" test balls of various makes and models.  

I am currently gaming the MTB-X, and may soon commit to either the TP5X, but will also be picking up a box of left dash for tryouts.  But I'm also intrigued by some of the Ionomer and Surlyn offerings, especially when considering the distance off the tee and irons if it exists. 

I recently played a few practice rounds with the Elite 50's, and while it is difficult to narrow down the true differences off the tee based on my ever evolving swing (from one hole to the next it some cases), it does seem to offer comparable distance to the MTB-X and TP5X... maybe a few yards shorter... and when I manage to hit the green with a full iron shot, (at least at my course)... the pitch mark is within a few feet, so that is manageable.  

Just curious to know what others have experienced and are playing.

For me its a tossup between the Wilson Duo and the Pinnacle Rush or Soft.  Ive always liked Pinnacles because they are a poor man's Titleist and because they are made in the USA.

"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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I'll play Surlyn/Ionomer golf balls during the winter months (in Colorado) when the greens are so hard, no ball spins and stops.

For me, I play the Wilson Duo or the Srixon Soft Feel's.  When the grass goes dormant, I stick to colored balls so they're easier to find.

Last winter, I picked up some 2-piece urethane balls from SaintNine, the U-Pro comes in white, pink or yellow.  They sell for $24.99, but do Buy-One/Get-One free sales all the time.  At that price, it's a steal of a deal!  Current deal is with the code of FRIENDS, it's 50% off.  Including shipping, its $18.45 total

For an extra bonus - you can add a freeze 3-ball sleeve to your order for $0.00.

If you want just the Free 3-sleeve ball, put them in your cart with the code:  S9FREE for free shipping too!

 

FYI - not affiliated with SaintNine in any way, just passing along some deals on a pretty good ball.

-- Peejer

:taylormade-small: Stealth Driver
:srixon-small: ZX 3W
:cobra-small: RadSpeed 3-hybrid
:taylormade-small: P790 (2021) irons (4-PW)
635785482_Cleveland3.png.bafd9f7d003e9f8afcafc6c28e307467.png  CBX-2 GW, SW & LW
:EVNROLL: ER7 Putter
:srixon-small: Q-Star Tour DIVIDE / image.png.759aae909d1e285c243d16aec01bb7c2.png ELIXR
image.png.01a298ec5595cfbe94cf034d738c10fd.png Revolver XL
image.png1500Li Cart

:918457628_PrecisionPro:NX9 HD Pro Rangefinder / image.png.e9071b3377299921b87f929d3e042fa6.png S20 GPS Watch
image.png.a78b2d4ee5b8826f57bf30ca7bcf0cb7.png + Launch Monitor


Denver, Colorado

Home Course:  Eisenhower Golf Club, USAF Academy   usafa.png.fb60aa7a77f130b1057160837c0a4a29.png

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I like the Vice Tour as well, but I'm kind of a Vice fanboy. Pretty long off the tee/decent wedge spin for only $24.99 (as I'm writing this the website has them for $21.99). Vice's website is full of great content. I wish all manufacturers had as much data on their sites as Vice. I also wish they were made in America and shipped faster (you can't always get what you want). I certainly can't ignore that Titleist makes the best ball, no matter the model. The Velocity is long and straight, but about $27.99 a box. I've even had surprising luck with the TaylorMade Distance+. That ball seems to fly long and straight for me. I found the newest model at Walmart for only $11.99. That's a crazy price for a decent ball, especially if you want low driver spin. Speaking of low driver spin...after reading the ball test and looking at the data for my swing speed (mid-high), I might just have to buy a box of the TaylorMade Tour Response and give them a go! They are going for $34.97 a box, but I should have snagged one or two when I saw them last week on Amazon for $29.99. Lesson learned, buy em when you see em. 

PXL_20210519_221247988.MP.jpg

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well, I for one like the Titleist TruFeel balls.  I like the Titleist Pro VI's off my driver (when new), but man, those things wear out way too fast.  And once they wear out, for my swing I see a serious loss in distance off of driver (i'm typically around 100 mph on driver, and i think i probably back off of top speed on all my irons for the sake of contact).  On top of that, i have a hard time predicting just how much i'm going to spin it.  I'm very capable of hitting "drop and stop" chip shots, and they're fun to hit, but RARELY is that shot ever a necessity.  But with distance approaches, i'm just not good enough to be so consistent not to accidentally hit a big-time spinner that backs up off the green (and i'm about a 2 handicap).  The TruFeel ball doesn't spin as much, but that's perfect for me.  It seems to "spring" off my irons giving me about a half-club more distance (but it's slightly shorter than the Pro V's when i hit them good with driver, if they're new with slick covers). 

 

I think Tony at MGS hit on something about the covers being a little firmer, with softer cores, on those non-urethane balls.  They certainly work for my swing, they're cheaper, and they're WAY tougher.  I've been playing the same ball now for about 4 or 5 rounds, and it's still performing like it did when it was new.

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On 8/25/2021 at 7:38 PM, ZenGolfer said:

For me its a tossup between the Wilson Duo and the Pinnacle Rush or Soft.  Ive always liked Pinnacles because they are a poor man's Titleist and because they are made in the USA.

Always have a soft spot for Pinnacle. My dad kept the Titleist, so my bag was full of those for years.

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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No longer made but my favorite ionomer ball was the Taylormade Aeroburner Pro (and it’s predecessor the Burner TP LDP). By far the closest to TPU of any ionomer blends I have tried, unfortunately Taylomade’s subsequent offerings have been noticeably firmer. 
 

With that said, most players would benefit from a multilayer urethane ball over any ionomer offering.

:titelist-small:  TS2 9.5

:titelist-small:  909F2 15.5

:titelist-small:  690.CB 3-PW

:titelist-small:  Vokey SM5 50, 56

image.png.e50b7e7a9b18feff4720d7b223a2013d.png   Works Versa 1W

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The first ball I sort of played "religiously" was the TaylorMade Penta Speed. I really kind of liked that ball.

Driver:  :callaway-small:Epic Speed 9* (set -1) MMT 70X
3W:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR Recoil 760ES
3H, 4H: :bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR 19*, 23* Recoil 780ES
4-AW:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR HF2 Modus3 Tour 105
SW: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Black Satin 54*
LW:Sub70: TAIII Black 58*
Putter:ping-small: Scottsdale TR Senita
Bag: BigMax Dri Active Lite
Ball:taylormade-small: TP5x or :titleist-small: AVX (yellow)
Pushcart: BigMax iQ+

Testing Complete, Final Review PostedSub70 TAIII Forged Wedges

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