OnCore VERO X1 Golf Ball - 2023 Forum Review

[Prodigal Duffer]

On 4/12/2023 at 12:46 AM, tdroma98 said:

Took up the game reading a Jack Nicklaus pocket sized instructional book, which I received from a liquor sales rep for Old Grand Dad Whiskey.  My parents owned a Package Store & Deli in Massachusetts, a salesman for Old Grand Dad gave me a copy of Nicklaus’s book during a promo sale and told me to read it. I did and went out & purchased 3 golf clubs: PW, 3 iron, putter & a dozen golf balls and learned the game of golf, the Jack Nicklaus way.

My dad had a book (or maybe a VHS for those who remember what those are!) by Nicklaus called Golf My Way. Is that the same book you had?

[tdroma98]

38 minutes ago, Prodigal Duffer said:

My dad had a book (or maybe a VHS for those who remember what those are!) by Nicklaus called Golf My Way. Is that the same book you had?

I can't remember the name of the book, but do remember it was gold colored front cover and paperback.  Some years ago, when I was moving, there it was in a box.  But I cannot find it. The instructions were great, there were photo's with how to stand.  He showed the grip.  Cool thing was, there was a chart listing driver to sand wedge and how far you should hit each club.  

[tdroma98]

On 4/20/2023 at 9:16 PM, Prodigal Duffer said:

This was my porch tonight:

Still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the X1s. Hopefully soon, Spies.

This is my porch this morning @Prodigal Duffer

[Prodigal Duffer]

Well, just received word that the balls are en route. Getting excited to open and start testing. 

[GregB135]

Sounds like all the testers have been notified that the product is in route. We are all excited to 'get the ball rolling' (sorry) with testing. 

One of OnCore's major claims is that the perimeter weighting in their proprietary mantle layer will affect spin performance and make the ball fly/roll straighter. With that in mind, my first few tests are going to be putting tests to see if the idea has merit. "What do they mean by straighter ball flight? And how does perimeter weighting affect that?"

Well, I'm not an engineer but think of it like a bicycle wheel. The weight of the rim and tire at the outside of the circle create centrifugal force and angular momentum. So, the faster the wheel spins, the harder it is to make it deviate from its angular path. So, the faster the wheel turns, the easier it is to balance, and the further over you have to lean it to make the bicycle turn.

So how does that apply to a golf ball? Again, I'm no engineer but here's my theory for testing purposes. If they can push weight to the perimeter of the golf ball, without adversely affecting the performance of the core, then it ought to work like the bicycle wheel. Every time we hit a golf ball, we create varying amounts and combinations of backspin and side spin. So, the closer you can get to creating straight backspin - spin axis in line with target line/flight path the straighter the ball will fly. That doesn't mean the ball won't curve though. It just means it will deviate less from the line of the most spin. So if you create more side spin than back spin you'll get a more stable hook/slice. 

So again, my first few tests are going to be with putting. I just have to figure out different ways to test the back/side spin with the putter. Some tests are going to be a little more subjetive than scientific but that just comes with the territory.

It's gonna be fun at any rate.

[tdroma98]

1 hour ago, GregB135 said:

Sounds like all the testers have been notified that the product is in route. We are all excited to 'get the ball rolling' (sorry) with testing. 

One of OnCore's major claims is that the perimeter weighting in their proprietary mantle layer will affect spin performance and make the ball fly/roll straighter. With that in mind, my first few tests are going to be putting tests to see if the idea has merit. "What do they mean by straighter ball flight? And how does perimeter weighting affect that?"

Well, I'm not an engineer but think of it like a bicycle wheel. The weight of the rim and tire at the outside of the circle create centrifugal force and angular momentum. So, the faster the wheel spins, the harder it is to make it deviate from its angular path. So, the faster the wheel turns, the easier it is to balance, and the further over you have to lean it to make the bicycle turn.

So how does that apply to a golf ball? Again, I'm no engineer but here's my theory for testing purposes. If they can push weight to the perimeter of the golf ball, without adversely affecting the performance of the core, then it ought to work like the bicycle wheel. Every time we hit a golf ball, we create varying amounts and combinations of backspin and side spin. So, the closer you can get to creating straight backspin - spin axis in line with target line/flight path the straighter the ball will fly. That doesn't mean the ball won't curve though. It just means it will deviate less from the line of the most spin. So if you create more side spin than back spin you'll get a more stable hook/slice. 

So again, my first few tests are going to be with putting. I just have to figure out different ways to test the back/side spin with the putter. Some tests are going to be a little more subjetive than scientific but that just comes with the territory.

It's gonna be fun at any rate.

Good summary Greg!  I would also think the claims of perimeter weighting would show up in putting and why I'm going to use lines on the ball and compare the roll in putting stroke with Pro V1 & VX & TP5 & 5x, plus the Tour Response. The challenge will be to find a smooth green to conduct the test.  
Great ideas & comments from fellow testers! 

[Prodigal Duffer]

10 hours ago, GregB135 said:

One of OnCore's major claims is that the perimeter weighting in their proprietary mantle layer will affect spin performance and make the ball fly/roll straighter. With that in mind, my first few tests are going to be putting tests to see if the idea has merit. "What do they mean by straighter ball flight? And how does perimeter weighting affect that?"

Well, I'm not an engineer but think of it like a bicycle wheel. The weight of the rim and tire at the outside of the circle create centrifugal force and angular momentum. So, the faster the wheel spins, the harder it is to make it deviate from its angular path. So, the faster the wheel turns, the easier it is to balance, and the further over you have to lean it to make the bicycle turn.

 

Of course, as Calabria noted (see the link to the podcast above), all the perimeter weighting in the world won’t help someone who has a massive out to in swing (or in to out). I like your idea of starting on the green, Greg. Lots of variables that could affect that though, including grain, moisture, imperfections, etc. Looking forward to hearing your findings.

[snicerz]

Looks like my first test will be a rain test. . . My delivery is scheduled for today but sunny weather is not in the forecast. If it's not raining too hard, I might be able to get out and do some putting and short game work with the OnCore's.

FYI, I apologize in advance if I mistype OnCore as OnCue. Part of that is due to a joke that these are actually produced by a local gas station/convenience store named OnCue. Obviously this isn't the case but I called it an OnCue ball during a round once and it stuck. Now they will forever be OnCue balls in my group.

[snicerz]

Just showed up!!!

[GregB135]

Hey all,

Added unboxing comments and photos to the testing post.

I had some time after work on arrival day, and went straight to the putting green to get some first impressions without doing any real in-depth testing. They sound and feel really nice off the putter. I've got some 'sciencing' to do to really analyze but just putting around, I was 6 for 6 at six feet with these, then 5 for 6 at nine feet on a pretty straight practice green putt. Then I just practiced rolling putts of various length and break to see how they feel. For 30 minutes worth of knocking them around, I actually really like these on the green.

I wasn't expecting to do so, but with that kind of initial impression on the green, (and the fact OnCore sent us each an extra dozen) I'm actually thinking of putting these in play tomorrow for a league event.

[Prodigal Duffer]

First impressions are up - based on just the looks, would you buy these balls for $40/dozen?

[Prodigal Duffer]

On 4/27/2023 at 9:23 AM, snicerz said:

Looks like my first test will be a rain test. . . My delivery is scheduled for today but sunny weather is not in the forecast. If it's not raining too hard, I might be able to get out and do some putting and short game work with the OnCore's.

FYI, I apologize in advance if I mistype OnCore as OnCue. Part of that is due to a joke that these are actually produced by a local gas station/convenience store named OnCue. Obviously this isn't the case but I called it an OnCue ball during a round once and it stuck. Now they will forever be OnCue balls in my group.

You need a head cover that looks like an 8 ball.

[tdroma98]

12 hours ago, Prodigal Duffer said:

First impressions are up - based on just the looks, would you buy these balls for $40/dozen?

My First impression is to say yes, I would purchase the Vero X1!  I do like the feel & performance of the ball around the green & off the putter. I was impressed

[GregB135]

Did what I didn't expect to do and put the VeroX1 into play for my league event this weekend after just rolling them on the practice green earlier in the week. 

Since this was tourney play, and not a practice round I was really just trying to get a purely subjective assessment of what, if any, difference the balls made for me. Stats for the round - 9/14 FIR, 6/18 GIR, 36 putts, 1 penalty, 1 ball lost (Thanks OnCore for the extra dozen) gross score 47-43: 90

Driving - I didn't have a great round with the driver, but I hit 9/14 fairways. My missed one's were all bad swings so I can't say whether or not the ball minimized the misses. Distances otherwise were right there with my normal performance. Did have one that got out to about 260 which I would normally say is a bit on the longer than usual side. Launch and ball flight is slightly lower than the Vice Pro and AVX that I've been gaming.

Irons - Stable, mid to high ball flight. I didn't give myself too many chances to assess how well they hold the green, but what I saw was just a little more hit and roll than with the other balls. I didn't notice a big difference in my ball flight, so I'm less inclined to blame that on descent angle. My best guess is my iron swing speed is just slow enough that it's spinning a bit less than the Vice or the AVX.

Wedges - Granted, my lesson this week was with wedges, but the X1 performed well for me here. On intermediate (50-90yd) shots, I got pretty much hop and stop results with good distance control. Chipping was pretty good as well, with a nice crisp feel at impact and proper and predictable carry/roll performance. 

Putting - For me, I think this is where the perimeter weighting shows its merit. Though I did notice two or three putts that skidded a little bit off the putter, once the ball got rolling properly, they held the line extremely well. Even though my putting average was 2.0/green I made three or four second putts in the 5-7 foot range that would normally have me a little nervous. 

I'll get some photos up to augment this a little later. I've got three weeks til my next league event so plenty of time to knock out some dedicated testing. 

 

[snicerz]

Tested my 54* wedge on the sim across the handful of balls I had laying around yesterday. There were some differences but nothing too crazy. Overall the X1 felt pretty good compared to other premium balls. I'll have an official update later today or tomorrow. 

I also got them out for a round yesterday but I was having a bad day. No sleep, no food, not golf the previous week = bad time. I'll see how it goes today.

[Prodigal Duffer]

Played nine holes today with the X1. My score was TURRIBLE (Charles Barkley voice), but I put zero blame on the ball. Like Greg, when things went awry, it was me and not the ball.

Today was not terribly windy, but there was a steady ~8-10 mph wind out of the north. The wind definitely affected the ball when it was going left to right. My playing partner was playing a Pro V1 and his ball flight was more or less identical (but about 20 yards shorter). Adjusting for wind, this ball flew about the same distance that my normal ball, the Vice Pro flew.

The ball held up well when striking objects, which occurred only a couple of times. These are mud marks; the cover was not affected.

I had an awful day putting, but I put that on me and not the ball.

I’m hoping (planning?) to play this ball against my normal ball next time I play so that I can get a better comparison. 

[snicerz]

First impressions are up. Had a small issue with my sim data but I'm hoping to get that sorted out tomorrow. I did get a couple rounds in this weekend and while I didn't do well, I don't blame the ball. The X1 has been good to me so far but the jury is still out and I still have a lot of testing to do.

[Eric Kauai]

First round using the Vero X1's today and I'm liking them so far. Sunny day (85), winds around 15kts with 20+ gusts (I live on an island), soft conditions. Ball flight was true and consistent. Driver carried as long as the Pro V1s I usually play and cut nice when playing into the wind. Down wind I definitely had a few bombs that kept up with my buddy we call 'long John' (yeah yeah, funny name but the guy can really crank em and is near scratch) so that felt great... Was true off the mid irons and saw no difference in distance from my normal ball. Around the greens felt great and action was on point. Felt soft off the putter but not too soft. Rolled true and and again, the feel and distance were right there on what i wanted. Caught the cart path accidently trying to crank my second shot up a long uphill par 5 and was surprised by the minimal scuff (seem pretty durable. Granted switched out on the next hole). All in all seem like a great ball so far. Looking forward to playing them again on Wednesday at my weekly with the boys and seeing if this becomes the new go to.

[tdroma98]

I added this weekends golfing experience using the Vero X1 ball, to my intro.  I'm going say this, I thought it would be tough to write an analysis. However, I can't stop writing to describe the ball and experience.  This testing gives you a new perspective on the game. So often we focus on the club and not the ball.  Yea we have feel for a ball. But being focused specifically on the performance of a ball, is interesting.  It's enjoyable! Thanks MyGolfSpy!! 

[snicerz]

Initial testing with my 54* complete!

Let's start with the test conditions. My wedge is "experienced". I gave it a good scrubbing and made sure the grooves were clean. All of these balls came fresh out of the sleeve. I plan to keep this up for each club I test. I only took the best 5 shots with each ball. I limited the number of shots to 10 total for each ball but I think my max was 7. Basically, I wanted to keep the mileage about the same for each ball and didn't want to wear myself out. Lastly, these were all my full shot with a wedge. That shot should go about 95 yards and as expected all balls carried ~95 yards.

Ball Speed

I didn't expect much here. OnCore advertises higher ball speed. It's a wedge though. Nevertheless, the OnCore was able to place in the top end while maintaining a smaller deviation (ProV1 was a little less consistent). 

Launch Angle

This was interesting. Launch was a bit on the low side compared to the other balls but not my much. 29-30* feels like the sweet spot for a 54* to me and the X1 was coming out just on the boundary. Considering the other stats, I'm not concerned.

Spin

Spin to win! I think the only competitor that was "better" was the TP5. I prefer all the help I can get with spin and while the TP5 had less variance, the X1 wasn't that bad. 

Carry

Pretty consistent with the competition. Again, it's a wedge and it's not going that far. Consistency? Yes. The Vero X1 had the smallest dispersion of all the balls I hit. For a scoring club, this may be the single reason I switch to this ball.

Feel, sound, special sauce?

It was one of the more audible balls in my opinion. Not a bad thing but you can really tell when you make good contact. As for the feel, it seemed solid. Not necessarily "hard" but firm. So far, I'm digging the X1. I think at this price point, it's main competition is the Maxfli but it is definitely holding its own against the $50+ balls.

Durability

Overall, wear was consistent with the other balls I tested. A few minor scuffs but nothing major and the ball was still smooth. Granted I didn't hit a ton of shots and my wedges have been in play for well over 100 rounds at this point. The grooves may not be as sharp as they once were but they still do their job. 

[tdroma98]

Another positive testing of the Vero X1 golf ball! 

Did some more chipping and putting.  Chipping with 54 degree & 58 degree wedges , chipping from 12 feet to 47 feet, trying different different shots.  Hitting high chips and having ball roll out, hitting low chip shots.  Once again, I have to give the ball performance a 9 out of 10!  Very impressed with the feel of the X1 off the wedges, both the 54 & 58 degree.  

Chipped 9 balls from 21 yds, opened the 58 degree slightly, played ball off the front foot to give ball height.  Ball came off club nicely, landed on the green softly and ran out.  

Chipped 9 balls from 47 paces with 54 degree and again, ball reaction performed well. Hit 5 balls with low trajectory and had ball roll out. 4 balls were really good, hitting targets and ball rolling out true.  2 balls were wide of target (intentionally) and again balled rolled out nicely and true.   3 shots I opened the face of wedge a bit to hit balls higher, ball came down nicely and didn't run out much.  Held the green.  (Practice Green was newly mowed this morning) - here's photo of grouping chipping from 47 paces

Putting:  As a feel player, feel of a golf ball impacts my putting as well.  After testing on practice green last week (thurs & fri) & taking the X1 to the course, playing 18 this past Saturday & Sunday, I found the ball to be a good feel & good fit.  Took a day off from golfing yesterday to see if impressions of the Vero X1 would be same today, fresh.  Answer is yes!  Putting the X1, I find no issues. The feel off the Scottie Cameron putter feels good! Ball rolls true.  OnCore Logo up and with Vero X1 direction line.  Ball rolls true, doesn't wobble.  2ft, 3ft, 6ft, 12ft, 18ft ball comes off putter well and the sound off the putter is good! 

Around the greens & putting - I'm giving Vero X1 ball 9 out of 10 score!! 
Overall, very impressed with the OnCore Vero X1 golf ball! 

[tdroma98]

Putting:  

Spent another hour this morning on the putting green using only the Vero X1 golf ball.  Freshly mown practice green, so green condition was very good. 

The Vero X1 ball continues to impress.  The roll is consistent and true. The feel of the ball coming off the putter blade is quite good and it didn't matter the length of putt: 2ft, 3ft to 69ft. Downhill, uphill, sidehill putts.  Putts off the toe of the putter, the roll was very good!

OnCore Golf's claim of the thin cast urethane cover - "a feel like any other ball" is a good statement. I'm liking the feel versus the Titleist AVX, Velocity & Pro V1x, the Kirkland golf balls & Bridgestone BRX & BRXS, the Callaway Chromesoft balls & Srixon balls.  
The Taylormade Tour Response wasn't bad, however it's a bit firmer than the Vero X1 ball.

Compression: 

I've been looking for a good golf ball under 90 compression that didn't feel light or hollow, especially off the putter.  In a week of playing & practicing with Vero X1 ball, I'm sold on the ball. The 85 compression, the feel and performance thus far has been very positive!  The durability of the ball is good too.  I do prefer a 4 piece ball vs a 3 piece. 

[GregB135]

Following up my earlier post about the first round with the OnCore X1.

These two balls were in play during the round. I know for certain whichever one left the 18th tee had a significant collision with the upper branches of an oak tree. Other than that, just regular round wear with bunkers, waste areas, and one really flush wedge shot that left some 'ball hair' on the face of the wedge (oops, I wiped that clean before I remembered to take a picture)

They really don't look much the worse for wear, so the durability factor is a plus at least this far. These close ups show there is some recognizable wear, but not enough that a weekend hack like me is going to take them out of play.

 

[GregB135]

Got in another practice round yesterday and had a good chance to compare the VeroX1 against some other similar balls in the bag as I was essentially the only one on the course. I compared various different performance aspects throughout the round against ProV1, ProV1x, and Vice pro. It was a pretty breezy day on a waterfront course so I got a good feel for the wind performance. I will say I was impressed.

Driving: VeroX1 didn't seem to lose a lot of distance going into the wind. My first hole tee shot was essentially straight into the breeze, and I was surprised to find it at my typical good drive distance. With two or three comparison holes it seemed VeroX1 was slightly longer for me than either of the ProVs. Lateral variance was about the same across the board.

Irons: I didn't have a great round as far as striking the irons goes. Of the balls compared, the Vice had a little more roll out on the greens than the other balls. Again, the OnCore seemed to shed a little less distance into the wind than the other three. On crosswind shots it was too hard to tell if it held it's line any better.

Wedges: I really like the short game performance of the VeroX1. Across the board it gave me more predictable carry and roll than the others. I was surprised at how much further the Vice Pro rolled out compared to the Vero on chip shots that felt equally well struck and had a similar landing spot. The OnCore also seemed to check up, or grab the green a little harder on the first bounce than either of the Titleist ProVs.

This was about a 25 yard pitch shot, looking down the line of the shot, the OnCore is the ball short of the hole, then the ProV1, then the Vice. Played in that order. The first two shots had a similar landing spot - ProV might have been just on the green surface while the OnCore landed just on the fringe. The Vice shot carried about a yard further than the other two but rolled out a lot more.

Putting: I'm starting to get the feel of the putting with the OnCore ball. I had three putts lip out, and another two rolled across the edge of the hole. In all of those cases it was a matter of the ball just not quite taking all of the break I read on the putt. Especially on shorter putts, I think I can see the effect of the perimeter weighting and the ball not deviating from its line as much. 

Later this week and this weekend I should get into some more scientific than subjective tests to see what we can see. Liking the way this ball performs so far though.

[snicerz]

These things are hanging in there for sure. I've put a handful of holes on 1 and it still looks pretty good. Dirty and some minor wear but no major scuffs or blemishes. I've found the sand a few times too so the X1 has not been babied too much. All of my shots do seem to be pretty consistently straighter lately. I do try to shape my shot when I have to and it does what's expected but my "stock" shot has been pretty on point. I'll give the ball a little of that credit but I'm taking some too. 

Drives/woods/hybrids: pretty straight and long enough (grass is starting to grow). I haven't compared it to anything else so I assume it's going about the same carry distance. 

Irons: long? Not 100% but I swear I've been getting just a couple more yards on shots lately. Also more spin? These seem to be holding greens well. This is something I and many others at my home course struggle with. Greens are generally very hard and fast.

Wedges: Again, spin is definitely there. Chips, I just suck at still but I feel like the X1 comes off the club ok and let's me handle the short shots well. 

Putter: It feels firm but not too firm. I feel like I can confidently hit the ball a certain distance 15 ft or less. Longer putts seem easier to me compared to my normal ball (TP5). Sometimes with the TP5, I felt like I really had to whack it for really long putts. The X1 feels proportional. There are times the TP5 feels more exponential on force needed for long putts.

 

I hate to admit it but I did lose a sleeve already. . .

I was feeling confident and took this show off the trail. There is a 9-hole course that is "new" but I've never seen it open in the last like 3 years. Sometimes the HS teams will go out there but that's it. We're talking prairie grass fairways on some of the holes. Other than that, it's a pretty challenging track and the greens are actually in decent shape. Actually better than the "open" course.  

Anyways, I managed to lose 1 ball to the "fairway", 1 to a pond on the 8th hole (you have to hit a well placed 3W off the tee, not a 4 hybrid - lesson learned), and the last one just got away from me and was donated to the house 2 streets over (I don't want to talk about it).

Otherwise, the X1's have held up well and I'm enjoying them so far. I think for me it's going to come down to availability/ease of access and performance compared to other similarly priced 4 piece balls. If I can get the same or similar performance with a Maxfli Tour X or TP5, why not just run to Dick's or Golf Galaxy and grab a box. Of course, my club has started carrying Vero X1s in the pro shot so availability may not be an issue for me specifically.

For reference, here's #8 (par 4). The green on the bottom left is #1. It's pretty neat too. Par 5, reachable in 2 but you are almost hitting blind and trying to land on a fairly small green that is protected by a bunker and the pond. Really is a cool course and I wish they would get it in shape and open it officially.

 

 

[PBH3]

On 4/28/2023 at 9:52 PM, Prodigal Duffer said:

First impressions are up - based on just the looks, would you buy these balls for $40/dozen?

Just on looks and feel they seem just as good as a ProV1 and I'm all about saving $15

[snicerz]

Based on looks alone, no. They seem to be a good deal for the price but I don't think I'd go for them over other similarly priced balls with more brand recognition. I know Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, even Maxfli. I've only seen a few OnCore balls occasionally and wouldn't see them as a "known" brand.

It feels bad saying it but that's just the way it is for me.

[tdroma98]

1 hour ago, snicerz said:

Based on looks alone, no. They seem to be a good deal for the price but I don't think I'd go for them over other similarly priced balls with more brand recognition. I know Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, even Maxfli. I've only seen a few OnCore balls occasionally and wouldn't see them as a "known" brand.

It feels bad saying it but that's just the way it is for me.

That was honest @snicerz.  Going through the testing of the Vero X1, I have different opinion now.  I'm really impressed with the feel & performance of the Vero X1 ball.  Played 18 again today for this round I used both the X1 & TP5, once again OnCore Vero X1 won me over. I've now eliminated the Taylormade Tour Response, Titleist AVX & (sadly) Bridgestone BRX & BRXS. If it comes down to price, I'd have no problem choosing X1 over TP5 & 5x & Pro V1x. I'm not a Callaway Chrome Soft player & haven't been impressed with Srixon Z ball, so don't play those balls. Haven't played Maxfli since the Revolution.  I've been trying the new Maxfli ball and not a fan.

[Prodigal Duffer]

This week I went out and tested the balls with a focus on chipping. I did green-side chipping with my 56 degree:

I also did some chipping with the 52 degree and my PW:

I liked how the OnCore felt and, generally, how it ran (or checked). As you probably gleaned, the bigger issue is the archer rather than the arrow.

I also did some longer distance pitching, but no video. I was hitting with a fairly stiff left to right wind, and the OnCore was almost totally unaffected. I hit the green every time. My Vice Pro did not, but some of that was (again) the archer, but some were the arrow.

[Prodigal Duffer]

On 5/5/2023 at 3:20 PM, snicerz said:

Based on looks alone, no. They seem to be a good deal for the price but I don't think I'd go for them over other similarly priced balls with more brand recognition. I know Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, even Maxfli. I've only seen a few OnCore balls occasionally and wouldn't see them as a "known" brand.

It feels bad saying it but that's just the way it is for me.

It shouldn’t feel bad - that’s why these companies spend so much money trying to get the right design, logo, and building their brand. Looking forward to seeing if the balls’ performance outshines their initial impression for you.