Two Current Buy Two Get One Promotions. Which One to Pick?

[Golf2Much 267]

Greetings from Key West!   There are two buy two get one dozen golf balls currently in play.  Srixon (with a majority of their balls, except Divides) and OnCore (Avant55, Elixir 2020 and 2022 and Vero X1).  I currently play Srixon Q Star Tours (Divide, yellow and white) and just wondering if it's worth giving the OnCore Elixir 2022 a try?  They are roughly the same basic price, so that really isn't a deciding factor.  Also, for the same basic price per dozen, there's the Maxfli Tour four dozen pack.  I appreciate any feedback that I can get.

As I've said before, my game is like the guys I used to hate.  Short off the tee, fairway wood short of the green, chip up and one putt.  Yeah, I hate them too and I'm one of them!  Even though I hit roughly 70% of the fairways, my drives are about only 175-190 yards.  My GIR is about 15% and I rely on my chipping and putting to get up and down and score.  

To make it worse, I'm originally from Western New York and would love to support the local OnCore brand.  Especially after Josh Allen's exhibition this past week at The Match!

Feedback is certainly appreciated.

Thank you fellow MGS members!

[sirchunksalot 16,818]

That is a pretty tough decision. Golf balls are a personal preference and it's hard to give advice on what someone else should play. I love Srixon and the buy two get one deal is always pretty good. I hit my longest drive with the Z Star XV and the action around the green is so good.

I've recently bought two dozen of the MaxFli Tour and can't give a great review to them since I lost close to a dozen in the one round I put them in play. I just don't believe my bag play that day can give a fair assessment of them, but I do know they're highly regarded by a lot of people on the site.

I've never played OnCore, so I can't give an opinion on them. I would say if you want to support a company in your home area, that would be great. 

Best of luck to you in whatever ball you decide to go with!

[Shankster 33,160]

Srixon… after the OnCore debacle last year at the Masters… 

[tschott 59]

I've been playing the OnCore Elixir for the past 2 years and really like the ball. It has good distance off the tee and when hitting into the greens it spins very well and stops quickly. I haven't played the 2022 model due to them not being available in Yellow at the present time. Just put my order in for the buy 2 get 1 free

[bens197 12,804]

First off, Go Bills!

I played OnCore Elixr 2 seasons ago and loved it. Great all around ball for the price. I was lured in because of the Buffalo connection and the price /performance sold me. 
 

Right now I love the Z Star XV. I’ve been playing the XV divide and even though the promo excludes the colorful version, I chose the white XV today. 
 

Can’t go wrong either way. It’s like ordering wings from Bar Bill or Elmo’s. You win with both

[DiscipleofPenick 4,170]

I'm a Z-Star player but have 4 dozen on the shelf already... But still may pull the trigger. The Q-Star Tour is one of the lowest tested balls by MGS and I think it falls into the soft is slow category. The OnCore was rated decently, but I don't know anything about it. If you're happy stuck with the QST, if you think something is being left on the table get the OnCore.

[JerryB 1,376]

[Tom the Golf Nut 8,742]

For what it's worth. I switched to Maxfli Tour after testing them for MGS. They work great for me and they are durable. Out of the original dozen Tour model balls I was testing, I still have 10 balls. I played one in todays round. Still trudging along with probably 6 rounds in this one. I purchased two more boxes when they had a sale at the beginning of the season. 

[GolfSpy_THV 1,421]

I’m having this same debate, except swap OnCore with Maxfli Tour X. 
 

Been a Zstar player for a few years now, but thinking i might switch to the Maxfli Tour X for the season and see how my game changes. I’m a high swing speed player and the added compression of the Tour X might fit my game better, compared to the Zstar. 
 

Also note that while you can get 3dz for $90 with Srixon, for $10 extra dollars you can get 4dz with Maxfli and the special they are running. 
 

Welcome thoughts and feedback from any members who have tried both and what they liked. 

[vamosjackets 58]

I would recommend the Ping Ballnamic ball-fitting (google it).  It worked very well for me to get me into a ball that outperforms others for my specific swing characteristics (to my surprise).  It costs a little money, but it's a one-time cost that can improve your game and improve the way you spend your money from then on, and it will help you to be confident you're playing the best ball for you.  You will put in the preferences that are important to you for your game.  You can put in your gamer and see how it compares head-to-head with the recommendation.  You can also choose to narrow the recommendations to more budget friendly balls.  And, you can do it up to 5 times for a single payment, so you can put in different gamer-balls to compare.

If you've got some swing data from a personal monitor or from a fitting you've done or from just taking some swings at a golf store, that would probably be helpful for the ball-fitting.  

[Tiftaaft 1,002]

12 hours ago, vamosjackets said:

I would recommend the Ping Ballnamic ball-fitting (google it).  It worked very well for me to get me into a ball that outperforms others for my specific swing characteristics (to my surprise).

I looked into this last week, even went through the questionnaire right up to the "pay" screen.  The only reason I didn't pull the trigger to get my results is I felt it could be subjective based on how I answered the broad questions.  I would absolutely pay that fee if I was on a launch monitor and it took the results from my swings with a Driver, 7 iron and wedge to derive the answers.  If I prefer a "soft feel" around the green, it may fit me into a ball that doesn't perform like I want it to when it hits the green for example...  the chip felt great, but it rolled 20 feet past the hole with no check.  I know there is a way to enter LM data into the system, and I may gather my own and revisit Ballnamic... I think it is a good thought, and probably a good algorithm - but if I'm paying $, I would rather my own "color" not be a part of the results.  

As far as the 3 for 2 deals... like Tom, I am gaming the Maxfli Tour and think it is a great ball all around... but my 2nd choice right now is the Srixon Diamond... so I am tempted to put a few boxes on my shelf... but I have 2 cubes of Maxfli's in front of them... so I may wait for the 2023 (or 2024 if I stop losing balls so fast) models before stocking up again.

[Parshooter36 121]

I am a Q Star Tour guy and have been waiting for their buy 2 get 1 sale. I've never played the Oncore balls, but they look like a super bright yellow on the website so I might need to check them out as well.

[russtopherb 9,719]

If I were buying, I'd get the Q Star Tour without reservations. That ball has consistently worked well for me and given me great results, just goes to show that balls perform differently for different folks and some tests aren't the be all, end all.

[GregGarner 1,320]

16 hours ago, vamosjackets said:

I would recommend the Ping Ballnamic ball-fitting (google it). 

As with everything, getting any kind of fitting is always the way to go. That being said, you are EXTREMELY unlikely to get fit into a QST or an Elixr by the Ballnamic database. And I'd be pretty shocked if you were fit into the Vero X1 or the standard Z-Star.

All that being said, for your game, it sounds like personal preference is probably your winner. The Elixr and Z-Star are going to be comparable for feel, QST a little softer. But I wouldn't sleep on the Vero X1. It's a very low-spinning ball, which should give you more distance through the bag, but still performs well around the green. I'm currently gaming the Maxfli Tour, which is also (relatively) low-spin, but not as low as Vero, which should still spin more than your QSTs.  If I were buying an OnCore ball today, it would be the Elixr. If I were buying Srixon, probably the XV.

 

Totally unsolicited and unwarranted, but I'd be super interested in knowing your launch monitor numbers with the QST. In general, it's high-launch, low-spin off the driver and I'd be interested if something with a little more spin in the long game (like a Z-Star Diamond) might help with driver carry. Given than the Diamond is excluded from the 3-for-2 promotions, the Maxfli Tour X would be the next most comparable spin profile.

[Golf2Much 267]

2 hours ago, GregGarner said:

Totally unsolicited and unwarranted, but I'd be super interested in knowing your launch monitor numbers with the QST. In general, it's high-launch, low-spin off the driver and I'd be interested if something with a little more spin in the long game (like a Z-Star Diamond) might help with driver carry. Given than the Diamond is excluded from the 3-for-2 promotions, the Maxfli Tour X would be the next most comparable spin profile.

In mid-July I have Club Champion full bag fitting (thanks to their $100 promotion last month).  My thought was bringing a dozen or so of my Q Star Tour balls with me and using them in the fitting.  If that works out, I'd be happy to share the information.   Unfortunately, living at the end of US1 there's no access to facilities with launch monitors.  For that, we have to go to America (150 miles up the road).

[miamistomp 2]

 Liviing next to a golf couse and finding just about everything from Canadian range balls to Wilson Blue Ridge- I must say I have never seen an On Core ball in person

Edited June 6 by miamistomp

[Handy 15]

I have tried different brands, and I have become a true beliver in the OnCore Elixer and Vero1. I have in play the Elixer 2022 and I have gotten great results. I get a few more yards with the Vero1 but being a veteran I get 20%discount so on the Elixer i get for around $25, and being a 3 piece urethane cover it has given me a straighter ball flight and chucks up on the green. 

My swing speed is around 110 and get around 215-220 off the T

Edited June 6 by Handy

[GregGarner 1,320]

1 hour ago, Handy said:

My swing speed is around 110 and get around 215-220 off the T

Not to totally hijack this thread buuuuuut... With a driver? Swinging 110, you should be closer to 260 -270 carry plus whatever roll-out after that. Do you hit it really high? Really low? (For comparison, my driver swing speed is about 112 and my 5-wood is my 230 club) -- just curious; seems like you might be leaving something on the table with a swing speed that is nearing PGA Tour average!

[vamosjackets 58]

On 6/6/2022 at 2:30 PM, Golf2Much said:

In mid-July I have Club Champion full bag fitting (thanks to their $100 promotion last month).  My thought was bringing a dozen or so of my Q Star Tour balls with me and using them in the fitting.  If that works out, I'd be happy to share the information.   Unfortunately, living at the end of US1 there's no access to facilities with launch monitors.  For that, we have to go to America (150 miles up the road).

If and when you get that fitting, ask the fitter for access to all of the launch monitor data afterward.  They should give you a website where it's all stored and organized nicely.  Then it would probably be good to bookmark that website as that data could come in handy over the next few years for many currently unforeseen reasons ... at least that's how it was for me.

Edited June 8 by vamosjackets

[Golf2Much 267]

1 hour ago, vamosjackets said:

If and when you get that fitting, ask the fitter for access to all of the launch monitor data afterward.  They should give you a website where it's all stored and organized nicely.  Then it would probably be good to bookmark that website as that data could come in handy over the next few years for many currently unforeseen reasons ... at least that's how it was for me.

Thank you for the heads up on getting access to the launch monitor data.  I will make sure I ask them for it.

I had another company's fitting in Orlando two years ago.  Unfortunately, the only data I could get was what the fitter hand wrote down for himself during the driver fitting.  In the end, any numbers would not have represented my swing as I hurt myself on a Disney ride the afternoon before and could hardly move when I started the fitting.  With enough Tylenol and Icy Hot, I guess you can get through almost anything!