OnCore VERO X2 Golf Ball - 2023 Forum Review

[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.

[03trdblack]

Welp, played again today with the Vero X2 ball.  We had some mist/drizzle throughout the day but no full on rain for a change!  Ended up shooting another 69 and am kind of shocked to be honest.  After posting my review the other night, I payed more attention to the dispersion and how much the ball seemed to move on my shots today.  Since we didn't have the rain, I was really able to get a better idea of how much the ball actually curved.

The packaging claims "the perimeter weighting significantly reduces side spin" and I'll have to say I'm starting to believe this. I tried to hit some cut shots today that had to bend a little around corners and found it very tough to get the ball to move much.  

I ended up hitting 8/14 (57%) fairways and 79% of my approach shots hit the green (missed 3 greens) which is pretty outstanding!

Of the shots that missed the fairway, they ended up being barely off as you can see from the ShotScope tracking and the farthest shot off the fairway was only 8 yards (left). 

[GregGarner]

21 hours ago, 03trdblack said:

Welp, played again today with the Vero X2 ball.  We had some mist/drizzle throughout the day but no full on rain for a change!  Ended up shooting another 69 and am kind of shocked to be honest. 

3 rounds in the 60's, dropping you to a scratch handicap, and you're at all on the fence about gaming this ball?? 

[03trdblack]

29 minutes ago, GregGarner said:

3 rounds in the 60's, dropping you to a scratch handicap, and you're at all on the fence about gaming this ball?? 

To be fair, one of those rounds was shot using the Snell MTB Prime X ball that I got before I received the OnCore balls  but 2 out of 3 ain't bad either!

 

 

[ZackS]

8 minutes ago, 03trdblack said:

To be fair, one of those rounds was shot using the Snell MTB Prime X ball that I got before I received the OnCore balls  but 2 out of 3 ain't bad either!

 

 

That's some great play. What do you think of the Snell MTB PrimeX. I have a dozen in a cart for a few days and just haven't pulled the trigger yet. 

[03trdblack]

2 minutes ago, ZackS said:

That's some great play. What do you think of the Snell MTB PrimeX. I have a dozen in a cart for a few days and just haven't pulled the trigger yet. 

TBH I only had that one round on it so far and then have been testing the Oncore so I'd have to play more with it to better answer your question.

It was really good that one round though!

[ZackS]

1 hour ago, 03trdblack said:

TBH I only had that one round on it so far and then have been testing the Oncore so I'd have to play more with it to better answer your question.

It was really good that one round though!

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will try it as past version seemed to perform well. I was thinking a TXG or someone wouldn’t got some for testing by now. But the X sounds like it will be a lower spinning option in the higher compression category. 

[FallenSaber]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:49 PM, Thin2win said:

The Vero X2.... This will be my first Ball test for MGS, and I'm very excited. I've been a member on this forum for... longer than I thought! I've been active with helping to coordinate a PNW MGS meetup over the last 4 years and have previously done official reviews on a Mizuno Driver, Wilson Irons, and the Birdieball outdoor mat.

I've also done some unofficial reviews of the Foresight GC3, and to my knowledge, the first, last and best review of a golf tee on this site.

During the winter of 21-22 I spent many hours hitting various golf balls into a screen doing a pretty thorough ball test. So being able to test a ball is something I have some history with. That ball testing has had me gaming the Srixon Z-Star Diamond. With close fits in the Chromesoft X LS and the Srixon Z-Star VX.

With driver I'm low launch low spin.  There are many balls that I can't get over 2k spin and fall out of the sky for me. I have a swing speed averaging 100mph, AoA of +5° and a ball speed just shy of 150mph. I play a Sim2 Max 12° head, with that and the Z-star diamond I'm in the 14° launch and 2400 rpm of spin range. Irons I'm more of a sweeper, AoA in the -1° range, so still down, but not much. 7i spin is normally about 5500rpm and carry is about 170y. With putter I tend to leave putts exactly 1" short. So if this ball rolls 1" further that would alone drop 3 strokes off my game

I have no doubt that I will be able to check to see if these float. How resistive they are to cart paths, trees and hozels. Or if they taste like peppermint. So, let the games begin.

 

-- the arrival--

Quick first impressions... it's a urethane golf ball all right.  It's white,  round and feels like a premium cover. 

Very similar in feel to new ProV1s.

They have that new golf ball smell,  and taste.  They are not peppermint flavored. This wasn't a claim,  but I'm always on the hunt for a good flavor option.

Since we didn't go through the ordering process, but l was curious, i went to the OnCore shop to see about customization options.  Price increases to $56/dz and you can add some lines of text,  or even upload your own image/logo.

All 3 dozen came with balls numbered #1-#4 which is of course standard. But also appears to be the only option with no number options listed on the site.  So if like Brooks you need #33 on your ball,  that choice doesn't look available.

The box itself is... okay.  It's umm... not my style. Somehow too much and too little at the same time. 

I haven't opened all 3 dozen balls to inspect,  but i did check the first 12, and found no imperfections at all. 

Tl:dr. Looks premium,  feels premium,  tastes like urethane.

First impressions ( 8/10)

The Review

-Aesthetics

For the ball's look, the OnCore logo is too big and bold for my taste. Not a fan of the gold "X" in the alignment stripe either. Aesthetically, it's not the worst branded ball, but the aestetic of all the other major brands rank higher.

Aesthetics (6/10)

-The Numbers

Vero X2 / Z-Star Diamond w/D7 Forged 8i(Diamond on top):

Vero X2 / Z-Star Diamond Driver(hitting draws, X2 on top):

X2 Driver hitting cuts:

X2 w/D7 Forged PW:

lots of numbers there, but basically, it very much performed like a premium urethane golf ball on all comparisons. Nothing bad or alarming on any of the numbers.

Numbers (20/20)

-On The Course

I played 8 rounds with this ball, in temps from 40°F to 95°F. From Washington St to Florida.

Driver

Guaranteed to blow your mind with a driver. The LM numbers didn't tell me that this was going to be the longest golf ball off the tee I've ever hit. They didn't capture what this ball was going to be off the tee. Lower trajectory, cruise missile speed, explosive feel.

Irons

Good flight, good hold. Not an exotic Korean BBQ sauce, but a solid KC style with good all around body, taste and aroma.... just go with this analogy.

Wedges / Putting:

With wedges, it behaves as expected for a bump and run player like me.
When putting it's hard, not too hard. Its clicky, but not too clicky. It's a high compression ball, and if it didn't have a logo, I'd have a hard time telling it apart from a Bridgestone BX, CSX LS, or ProV1x.

On The Course (20 out of 20)

-The Good, the bad, the in-between

The numbers are good, the on course is good(potentially very good). The looks are bad(subjective), and the price is bad.

I've played Snell and Vice because I found they gave premium performance at a lower price point. This ball, gives all the premium performance, but at the premium pricing.

Given that it is a DTC online order only ball, it has some minor issues with that. You need to order ahead, you can't just pick up a box on the way to the course. That is in the middle of it all just another point to consider.

The Good, the bad, the in-between (15 out of 20)

-Play it or Trade it?

I'm going to amend this question to, will I re-order it. In short, no. But I will keep it in my bag to hand out when I see someone balloon a tee shot for the 4th time in a round, or when a long drive hole pops up on our weekly league.

If you are a current Left Dash player, this ball is absolutely a contender for you. If you play the Kirkland ball and you watch your drives soar vertically and suck back instead of bound forward, you should try this ball out.

But for me, the aesthetics, combined with the price point mean that it won't be my gamer. There are some deals to be had on it, I believe there is a veteran discount, and I've been told they run B2G1 deals. But so do most brands. 

Play it or Trade it? (10 out of 20)

In conclusion

OnCore has made a great ball with the Vero X2. Its every bit as good as anything made that I've hit and tested. If you ever struggle with a ballooned tee shot that lacks legs, you should try this ball. A few low marks on looks and price keep it out of my bag, but improvements could be made and it would be a real contender to be back in play for me.

Final Score (79 / 100)

 

Very entertaining review. I'm curious, what did you use to get your numbers? I'm guessing hitting into a screen? I'm looking to get into testing but I fell my biggest hurdle will be getting the stats. Thanks!

[Thin2win]

6 hours ago, FallenSaber said:

Very entertaining review. I'm curious, what did you use to get your numbers? I'm guessing hitting into a screen? I'm looking to get into testing but I fell my biggest hurdle will be getting the stats. Thanks!

I use a GC3 and the Foresight software suite. Long winters here and need to get my golf fix in.

[03trdblack]

I saw the Srixon ZStar diamond was posted in the ball lab review.  I'd love for Tony to test the Vero X2.  For the price of this ball, it needs to test highly!

[frazzman80]

Thanks testers for the in-depth analysis, stats and opinions! Remarkable that several of you wound up with similar data and info (long and straight but not so much as you got to the short irons and wedges). Thanks for taking the time to quantify and share out. It seems to me this one is on the try, but don’t rush out to buy list.

Edited May 31, 2023 by frazzman80

[Thin2win]

Going through all the reviews,  here is a quick tl:dr for them to this point.

1) it's a monster off the tee

2) it's does seem to have less side spin and looks to have less left- right dispersion

3) it is very durable

4) the branding/ printing on the ball misses the mark

5) it falls between the ProV1 left dash and CSX LS

6) approach spin seems inconsistent on <80y shots

7) it is one of the highest priced dtc offerings

8] overall,  it's a really good ball.

[03trdblack]

I have another 2 rounds under my belt with the Oncore Vero X2 over the past 2 weeks and I finally have one that I feel has been beat up enough that I can cut it open  (pics coming soon).  I shot 73 in both rounds and I feel at this point I can definitely say that this ball does not want to curve as much as other balls I've used in the past.  I've made a few quite wonky swings with the driver that have felt like big slices and looked up to find the ball just fading 10 yards to the right and usually still in the fairway.  There were two drives this past weekend that I KNEW I had hit it way right and the ball just didn't drift as far as I was sure it was going to.  I've also tried to hit some cuts and draws around curves at the course I play and the ball barely moves.  I've gotten used to it and it's become very reliable to know you just aren't going to get much movement and no big surprises.

Anyone else finding this to be true for them?

[03trdblack]

If this ball has 4 layers like they advertise on the box, you must need a microscope to find one of them. 

I don't know how they can say there's 4 here. 

[Bohnson]

@03trdblack that is a very interesting observation on the 4 layers! Curious to see the ball lab results. I am with you on the side spin. The ball might have flown straighter than the ProV1. I thought it did not perform that well into the wind with mid irons. Kind of launched higher and got eaten up a bit more than the lower launching ProV. 

[GregGarner]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:17 PM, 03trdblack said:

If this ball has 4 layers like they advertise on the box, you must need a microscope to find one of them. 

I don't know how they can say there's 4 here. 

Nano-engineered indeed!

"It features a high modulus, metal-infused mantle connected to a thin, cast urethane cover by a nano-engineered transition layer." -- https://www.oncoregolf.com/products/vero-x2/

[downlowkey]

10 hours ago, GregGarner said:

Nano-engineered indeed!

"It features a high modulus, metal-infused mantle connected to a thin, cast urethane cover by a nano-engineered transition layer." -- https://www.oncoregolf.com/products/vero-x2/

Based on this graphic from Oncore’s website, the “transitional” layer could arguably be described as ethereal. Because as it relates to typical golf ball construction, if seeing is believing, accepting the existence of that layer would seem to require a little faith. At least in the Church of #FindItCutIt.

[ctg44]

I have another 2 rounds under my belt with the Oncore Vero X2 over the past 2 weeks and I finally have one that I feel has been beat up enough that I can cut it open  (pics coming soon).  I shot 73 in both rounds and I feel at this point I can definitely say that this ball does not want to curve as much as other balls I've used in the past.  I've made a few quite wonky swings with the driver that have felt like big slices and looked up to find the ball just fading 10 yards to the right and usually still in the fairway.  There were two drives this past weekend that I KNEW I had hit it way right and the ball just didn't drift as far as I was sure it was going to.  I've also tried to hit some cuts and draws around curves at the course I play and the ball barely moves.  I've gotten used to it and it's become very reliable to know you just aren't going to get much movement and no big surprises.
Anyone else finding this to be true for them?

I found the X2 to be worse at staying in the fairway than the X1 was. Not sure why, but I could alternate balls and I'd hit 5 X1s in the fairway and 5X2s in the right rough.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[03trdblack]

56 minutes ago, ctg44 said:

I found the X2 to be worse at staying in the fairway than the X1 was. Not sure why, but I could alternate balls and I'd hit 5 X1s in the fairway and 5X2s in the right rough.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
 

I wonder if you would have the same result if you did a blind test and didn't know which ball was which? 

[ctg44]

I wonder if you would have the same result if you did a blind test and didn't know which ball was which? 

Maybe? Hard to know. Out of them both right now and have too many "hit once" 2023 Pro V1s I have found at the club lately.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[03trdblack]

Played the first round of my county Amateur competition and this happened

Looks like I'm going to be playing this ball for the foreseeable future. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

1 hour ago, 03trdblack said:

Played the first round of my county Amateur competition and this happened

Looks like I'm going to be playing this ball for the foreseeable future. 

Do these balls have black magic in them??? Nice round!

[03trdblack]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:55 PM, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

Do these balls have black magic in them??? Nice round!

Just enough magic to win the tournament! 

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guide/oncore-vero-x2-golf-ball-review/

Crew your recapped review is up on the main site! 

Thanks for your participation and enjoyed doing this writeup!

[BKervin]

I just wanted to add to the reviews.

I found one on Founders Golf Club today.  I decided to use it as my "water" ball since I didn't pay for it.  All I can say is WOW!

I gained at least 15 - 20 yards on my drive.   I used this ball for all my holes with increased yardage for every ball I hit - until it truly earned it's "water" ball name and decided to take a swim in the black water.

I'm definitely going to be purchasing some for future rounds!

Edited January 29 by BKervin