OnCore VERO X1 Golf Ball - 2023 Forum Review

[Prodigal Duffer]

Heading out today for a round. I picked a random Wednesday to take off work for this test with the idea that the course should be pretty empty. That way, I can play a couple of balls side by side to get a more direct comparison. The weather is looking spectacular - when I tee off, it should be in the mid 70s, sunny, with a very light (5mph) breeze. Look for another post on how it went this week!

[tdroma98]

Enjoy your day off @Prodigal Duffer! Hit'em straight! 

[Prodigal Duffer]

Walked 18 today - the first time in a long time I’ve walked a full round (typically just play 9 with my 10yo). I played both the VERO X1 and the Vice Pro. After about five holes, I stopped playing both, as I thought I’d get tired (and I had lost two of each, so wanted to make sure I didn’t put myself in a bad spot).

On the whole, both balls performed about equally well. Distance was consistent between the two, with each occasionally outflying the other. The best hole for comparison was #2, on which I hit great tee shots with both. The hole dog legs to the left. I put both balls in the fairway, with the tee to ball distance about the same, but the VERO about 20 yards farther to the left (so about 20 yards closer to the hole):

Unfortunately, my second shot with the Vice came up a bit short, and my second with the VERO was the right distance, but ended up on the right fringe. That gave me an opportunity to chip with both, and the VERO outperformed:

I actually chipped pretty well with both balls all day, but had consistently closer results with the VERO. 

On hole 6, I made video of the driver’s impact (and sound) on the ball. Unfortunately, I can’t slow down the video enough to get a good shot of the ball compression, but you be the judge of the sound:

The VERO drive was really good. The Vice, I sliced (and couldn’t find the ball, despite there being no trouble. This happened several times and was very frustrating!)

My best drive of the day came on 9, when I put the ball smack dab in the middle of the fairway about 20 yards shy of the green:

I shot a 45 on the front nine and was feeling good about my chances to break 90. Unfortunately, my back nine was tougher. The highlight was hole 10, which was a pretty long par 4. My second shot came up just short of the green, with enough space to try a bump and run with my 8 iron. I’d say the results were good:

I ended up shooting a 91 (close!!!). My best score since coming back to golf. It came at a decently high cost of several lost balls (gives me hope to break 90 in the near future). I’m definitely coming to an opinion on the VERO, but have one more round this weekend to test. Stay tuned!

[snicerz]

Got out to play a round yesterday. I had a ball that I've used a number of times and that took some abuse from trees and cart paths but unfortunately, I "lost" it in the fairway on the first hole. We got a ton of rain last week and only a few holes have been mowed since. The fairway grass was a bit over ankle high and everyone was having trouble. While I only lost this one ball today, I found at least 15 others throughout the round. Misery loves company right? 

Anyways, while I don't have any pic of how well it held up over maybe 300 shots, I will say that it was still in playable condition. A few minor scuffs but nothing too crazy. I've definitely played with worse conditions. However, I am getting more picky on when a ball needs to be retired. Nevertheless, the X1 was still playing as expected. I didn't notice any distance or spin issues despite the abuse it had been through. 

Since the course is in a bit of a scruffy state right now, I might go find a bunker to see how many sand shots they can take. I've noticed that sand shots are usually what shorted the life of the ball most for me. 

[Prodigal Duffer]

51 minutes ago, snicerz said:

Got out to play a round yesterday. I had a ball that I've used a number of times and that took some abuse from trees and cart paths but unfortunately, I "lost" it in the fairway on the first hole. We got a ton of rain last week and only a few holes have been mowed since. The fairway grass was a bit over ankle high and everyone was having trouble. While I only lost this one ball today, I found at least 15 others throughout the round. Misery loves company right? 

Anyways, while I don't have any pic of how well it held up over maybe 300 shots, I will say that it was still in playable condition. A few minor scuffs but nothing too crazy. I've definitely played with worse conditions. However, I am getting more picky on when a ball needs to be retired. Nevertheless, the X1 was still playing as expected. I didn't notice any distance or spin issues despite the abuse it had been through. 

Since the course is in a bit of a scruffy state right now, I might go find a bunker to see how many sand shots they can take. I've noticed that sand shots are usually what shorted the life of the ball most for me. 

I, too, have found that the ball holds up well to abuse, wear, and tear.

[GregB135]

Another round in the books comparing the VeroX1 side by side against the ProV1 and AVX

Had a really good ball striking round, so got a chance to get some good comparisons done today.

It was a breezy day, and I got a really good chance to see the X1 maintain both yardage and line better than the other balls when into the wind or fighting cross wind conditions.

 

Okay, I fought with the photo insert for about 10 minutes and it won't insert the image with the flag pointing up.  Anyway, these two shots were from 135 yards to the flag, with wind into and from the right at about 10mph. The yellow ball just on the front edge is the ProV1 and the white ball next to the flag is the OnCore. Both were played with my 140 yard club and struck about equally. The OnCore definitely held onto line and distance better (yes I made that for birdie )

Performance into the greens showed the OnCore tended to hop and roll slightly, where the ProV and AVX tended to hit and stop or draw back just a little with the scoring clubs. 

Driving with the OnCore was solid. Ball flight is just a bit lower than the other two. I was swinging pretty well today, and everything was in play. Drive of the day was a corner-cutting, downwind bomb with the OnCore to 165 in on a par 5 to set up birdie #2 of the round.

Chipping and pitching was again essentially a draw between the OnCore and the two Titleist balls.

Durability - the two balls in the photos were all I needed to complete the round. The #3 ball lasted 13 holes, hit probably one cart path, and definitely one tree limb, but didn't look any the worse for wear, alas it was lost after a poorly chosen shot. The #2 ball made it the final 5 1/2 holes without showing any wear or degradation.

Clearly something is amiss with my photo editor.... GRRR!! 

Jury is still out on whether this will wind up the gamer, but we're leaning that way.

[tdroma98]

Did some chipping & putting yesterday, more pitch type shots from 32yds with ProV1 and Vero X1.  Pitching with a 58 degree, flat area to an uphill pin placement.  1st two pitches, Pro V1 was first shot, pitched came in high, hit the green and sat down -2ft to cup.  The Vero X1 was second pitch. Interesting thing about the shot with X1, the ball spun to the left after hitting the green, towards the hole, rolling out 3ft & into the cup.  As a feel player, I have no issues with the feel of the X1 for the short game; off the wedges or off the putter. 

OnCore Vero X1 is in the hole!  Pro v1 is short.  
I can say, I can confidently stand over a chip and/or putt using a Vero X1 ball. 

[Prodigal Duffer]

Played 18 this morning, and the front nine, the VERO performed awesome. We had a steady 10-15 mph wind, and the ball held up pretty well in it. There were a few holes where the wind noticeably pushed it offline, so I am a little bearish on OnCore’s claims concerning perimeter weighting. One area where I think the ball excels is stopping. On the second par 5 (which is very short), I was sitting about 100 out on my tee shot. I hit a nice gap wedge, but lost it in the sun. Well, it hit the green and look how it stopped:

I also had great success with the ball on chips (both pitches and bump-n-runs). I have a lot of confidence that the ball will do what I want it to do, so long as I don’t screw up my swing. Heck, that seems to be the major story with my game.

Putting was solid - one three putt on the day. I was never concerned that the ball would come off the club hot or weak. Once again, the only issues were me misjudging strength.

I think I’ve got enough data to write up my final review. Do the readers have any specific questions they’d like to see answered? 

[GregB135]

Had the VeroX1 in play for my league round yesterday. We had a nice 5-10 mph breeze for most of the round, but it was hot, humid, and still coming in over the last several holes.

VeroX1 for me has shown it holds onto yardage very well playing into the wind. Either that or I've suddenly started hitting irons a lot stronger than I used to. Best example yesterday was a shot from the light rough, into the breeze with 172 yards to the pin. Pin placement was on the front 1/3 of a fairly large green. 5-iron is usually my 175 club so I expected a well struck shot to be just about pin level. Landing spot was back 1/3 of the green totaling out to a little over 180. Might have been a bit of a flier, but the VeroX1 didn't give away any yardage at all on that shot, or a couple of others I've seen into the wind.

I didn't have the A driver swing, but I was hitting my average distance. Again, I'm at about 95 with my driver speed, so not quite where OnCore recommends for this ball. One of my playing partners said a couple of times that it sounded "heavy" coming off the driver. So maybe just not compressing it quite enough. 

[snicerz]

Well, good news is that I had a couple great rounds this weekend. Bad news is that I didn’t use the X1’s. I say great but we definitely didn’t play by the rules. If we couldn’t find a shot, we took free relief with the honor system of drop where your shot should be. I tried playing again with the X1 on Friday and ended up losing 6 balls. Again, not in the normal way of sending a shot to the woods or water. Nope lost all 6 in the “fairway”. 
 

I decided that since my course can’t seem to even cut grass anymore, I’m not going to keep donating balls on good shots. It’s a little ridiculous that I hit a good shot, find 3-4 balls in the area mine landed in the 4” fairway grass but can’t find mine. 
 

Anyways, rant over. I’ll try to get more time on the launch monitor and maybe get to one of the city courses for a final round with the X1 this week. 

[snicerz]

Ok, last set of tests are complete! I am still hoping to get out for a couple rounds on a course with mowed fairways before the final report is published but at least I finally found time to get back on the sim. Why does work and weather have to interfere with my golf!?

3 Wood Testing

Ball Speed

Similar to the 4 hybrid test, ball speed for the X1 was middle of the pack. At this point, I kind of expected this.

Launch Angle

As with the 4 hybrid, I don't actually know what my "normal" launch angle is with my 3W. I would describe it as low but again I didn't really know on this particular club. I should probably mention that I was hitting off the mat with no tee for the 3W. I'm not sure what was up with the ProV1 but it was very low. I would consider the X1 to again be about middle of the pack regarding launch angle (not counting the ProV1). 

Spin

At this end of the bag, I'm looking for lower spin numbers. The OnCore was actually on the lower side to my surprise. This matches the advertising and I could feel like I was able to get away with a bit more inconsistency in my swing here. Keeping in mind that the 3W is not my strongest club, I'll take a fairly consistent, relatively lower spinning ball to help me out any day.

Carry

The OnCore took the #2 spot here! It did in fact have more carry and total distance compared to the competition.

 

Driver Testing

Ball Speed

Slow. . . I'm not sure what happened here. I'm not too concerned since it didn't seem to effect total distance much. I will say that for the Driver, I changed my method a little bit. Instead of hitting a handful of shots to get 5 "good" shots, I just took 5 shots period. Good or not, each ball got only 5 shots.

Launch Angle

I usually launch my Driver a bit low. 13* was the highest of the bunch. Not a bad thing as long as spin doesn't get too high. 

Spin

A bit on the high side but not too bad. I will say that the OnCore X1 was the least consistent in regards to spin for me.

Distance

The X1 was short for me. I'm attributing this to the slower ball speed and higher spin. Again, consistency was a concern here with the X1 being the least consistent in my test.

Feel, sound, special sauce?

I still have mixed feelings about the X1. It did fine today but I haven't really noticed anything that makes it stand out compared to the other balls I'm testing. I'm looking forward to getting a couple more rounds in and my playing group is planning on going on the road this weekend to hit a couple area courses. At this point, I'm hovering around 4/5 stars.  

Results so far:

Putter = 5/5
Wedges = 5/5
Irons = 4.5/5

Hybrid = 3/5

Wood = 4/5

Driver = 4/5

On course experience = 4/5

[GregB135]

Final review is posted. I had a lot of fun doing this test, and got a whole lot more into golf ball performance than I ever have before. Family vacation starts tomorrow, I'll check back in about a week to answer any questions from the readers.

[Prodigal Duffer]

Just posted my final review. A great big THANK YOU to MGS and to OnCore for the opportunity to test the Vero X1 for the community.

[tdroma98]

I just posted my final review!  

It was fun testing the Vero X1. Made you aware of more than just hitting a ball off the tee or fairway.  
Very much appreciated the opportunity to test the Vero X1!  
Thank you MGS & OnCore Golf!! 

[GolfSpy_APH]

More golf ball reviews! Personally this was the one I was the most interested in and where I was following closest. Thanks for the reviews and insights into these golf balls for the MGS Forum community!

[Javs]

Great reviews! I have enjoyed playing this ball in the past. 

[funkyjudge]

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls:

ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball.

Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts.

Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank!  See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

[Javs]

17 minutes ago, funkyjudge said:

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls:

ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball.

Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts.

Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank!  See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

Great review of the OnCore balls. I have found the X2 also flys higher. What do you think?

[funkyjudge]

5 minutes ago, Javs said:

Great review of the OnCore balls. I have found the X2 also flys higher. What do you think?

Yes, I forgot to mention that. The X2 model launches and flies a bit higher than either of the other two Urethane-cover OnCore balls.

[tdroma98]

20 hours ago, funkyjudge said:

Because I am a Team OnCore member, and have been playing various OnCore balls for more than 7 years, I have refrained from posting on any of these OnCore ball test threads until the final reviews were posted. However, now that those final reviews are in, here is a brief summary of my findings and impressions, based on a minimum of 25-30 rounds/each with the three Urethane-cover OnCore balls:

ELIXR (2022 model) — Although the original ELIXR ball was a really decent golf ball, and a good choice for the budget-minded golfer who still demands a premium level Urethane cover, the revamped ELIXR is just a bit better (at least for me). This new ELIXR is just a bit too soft (low-compression) for my tastes, but it’s slightly more firm than the first-generation ELIXR, and as such it makes a good cold-weather ball when that lower-compression feel is desirable. It is still too soft for me once the weather warms-up and once that happens, I switch to one of the Vero ball models (see below for details). Spin and control is better than decent with the ELIXR, but distance is not quite as good on well-struck shots, as is to be expected with a lower-compression ball.

Vero X1 — The Vero X1 has been my #1 choice in golf balls since its launch a few years ago, and I still love this ball, but I have gotten some excellent results with the Vero X2, so I tend to go back-and-forth between the two Vero models. If I am not striking the ball perfectly, the X2 can feel a bit too firm for me, and this is when I appreciate the lower-compression of the Vero X1 (about 10-15 points lower in compression compared with the Vero X2). Control and the ability to hold the line in cross winds and into the wind is excellent with both Vero models, and I don’t perceive any significant differences in shot distance between the two Vero ball models, but the Vero X1 is definitely a bit softer in feel. I also slightly prefer the feel of the X1 model on partial shots and putts.

Vero X2 — Just think of the Vero X2 as a firmer-feeling Vero X1 with just a little more octane in the tank!  See above for other comparative comments regarding the differences between the two Vero ball models. When my swing is really “grooved” and I am swinging at my maximum level, the Vero X2 is my preferred golf ball, but when I am a little bit “off”, the X2 can feel too hard (almost, but not quite, “rock-like”). Also, as I mentioned above, the X2, which OnCore advertised as being a 95 compression golf ball at its launch, feels a little bit too hard off of the putter. I believe that the MGS Ball Lab found the Vero X2 to be more in the 102 compression range.

Very good summary @funkyjudge!  Thanks for taking the time to write a comparison. I've never played the OnCore golf ball, until being a tester of the Vero X1 ball.  My preference in a golf ball is a softer feel, however after reading your critique, definitely will try the X2! Thanks for taking the time to post!