2023 Titleist White Box Testing Thread

[Preeway]

21 minutes ago, PeterHenric said:

So here’s a blanket complaint I have about people and their golf equipment in general. People put too much value in sound, feel, and looks compared to actual performance. Performance needs to come first, second, and then sound, feel, and looks can be tied for 3rd along with performance again. 
If you can find 2 clubs, balls, or putters that perform identically, then and only then should sound, feel, and looks be factored into your choice of which one to play. 
Far too often I read people say that “X” performed well but I didn’t like the way it sounded or felt or looked so I decided to go with a different product. It drives me nuts. It shouldn’t matter if the ball felt clicky off the putter or your irons. 
End of rant. 

I would agree to an extent but it’s naive to completely discount the psychological aspect of the game. How a club feels does impact it performs for me. I’ve never heard anyone say they would play a lesser performing club if any kind just because it feels better. 

[PeterHenric]

7 minutes ago, Preeway said:

I would agree to an extent but it’s naive to completely discount the psychological aspect of the game. How a club feels does impact it performs for me. I’ve never heard anyone say they would play a lesser performing club if any kind just because it feels better. 

I respectfully disagree. IMO, Sound and feel preferences have been wrongly ingrained into golfers over the years. Up until the MGS guys started doing ball lab, the ball tests, and their head to head club tests, every manufacturer wanted you to think you could have your cake and eat it too. They say “Want that soft feel, all the distance, and the greenside spin all in one ball? We’ve got it right here.” The MGS guys have debunked that many times. Everyday golfers, in general, don’t know much about different types of balls and clubs. I am not referring to them. I am referring to people on this forum and better players in general. There are people who legitimately need a high spin ball but don’t like “hitting rocks” so they hit Supersofts or AVX, etc because they feel better. They are disregarding what their game needs because of what feel they prefer.  Am I wrong?

[Preeway]

33 minutes ago, PeterHenric said:

I respectfully disagree. IMO, Sound and feel preferences have been wrongly ingrained into golfers over the years. Up until the MGS guys started doing ball lab, the ball tests, and their head to head club tests, every manufacturer wanted you to think you could have your cake and eat it too. They say “Want that soft feel, all the distance, and the greenside spin all in one ball? We’ve got it right here.” The MGS guys have debunked that many times. Everyday golfers, in general, don’t know much about different types of balls and clubs. I am not referring to them. I am referring to people on this forum and better players in general. There are people who legitimately need a high spin ball but don’t like “hitting rocks” so they hit Supersofts or AVX, etc because they feel better. They are disregarding what their game needs because of what feel they prefer.  Am I wrong?

I would say yes. I don’t think the “better” players on this forum disregard the available data. Again, I’ve never seen a post by anyone I might regard as a regular who has said they prefer a ball that feels better over a ball that performs better. I’ve seen others like myself who have said I want both performance and feel. 

[Cfhandyman]

1 hour ago, PeterHenric said:

So here’s a blanket complaint I have about people and their golf equipment in general. People put too much value in sound, feel, and looks compared to actual performance. Performance needs to come first, second, and then sound, feel, and looks can be tied for 3rd along with performance again. 
If you can find 2 clubs, balls, or putters that perform identically, then and only then should sound, feel, and looks be factored into your choice of which one to play. 
Far too often I read people say that “X” performed well but I didn’t like the way it sounded or felt or looked so I decided to go with a different product. It drives me nuts. It shouldn’t matter if the ball felt clicky off the putter or your irons. 
End of rant. 

For the most part I agree, performance should be the primary determining factor provided you can measure it and have the data to support it. Having said that, what performs well for one may not perform well for another. That’s why you go to get fit. Also, how you decide what performance (primary, secondary) characteristics you are looking for and how you evaluate them matter. Unfortunately, more often than not, the data is not always cut and dry.  I.e. There’s a lot of gray and areas of overlap. It may be statistically significant, but in the real world or on course, not so much or no real difference. Also, for some looks, feel and sound are important characteristics and deciding factors which may override a slight performance edge. So performance does matter, but you have to pick what works best for you and that includes performance, looks, feel and sound or whatever you decide is important to you. 

[Rob Person]

1 hour ago, PeterHenric said:

So here’s a blanket complaint I have about people and their golf equipment in general. People put too much value in sound, feel, and looks compared to actual performance. Performance needs to come first, second, and then sound, feel, and looks can be tied for 3rd along with performance again. 
If you can find 2 clubs, balls, or putters that perform identically, then and only then should sound, feel, and looks be factored into your choice of which one to play. 
Far too often I read people say that “X” performed well but I didn’t like the way it sounded or felt or looked so I decided to go with a different product. It drives me nuts. It shouldn’t matter if the ball felt clicky off the putter or your irons. 
End of rant. 

I understand your point,  But I can only perform a test with the equipment that I use, and compare it against how I am used to the way a ball feels and performs based on that equipment.   Now if everyone used the same putter, clubs, heck even the same course conditions., I could see there being a quantitative side of the test comparing all across the board.

[vandyland]

1 hour ago, PeterHenric said:

I am not referring to them. I am referring to people on this forum and better players in general. There are people who legitimately need a high spin ball but don’t like “hitting rocks” so they hit Supersofts or AVX, etc because they feel better. They are disregarding what their game needs because of what feel they prefer.  Am I wrong?

I think there is truth on both sides of this. On the one hand, I agree with you, it should be all about performance for the competitive player. On the other hand, there is an "enjoyment" factor that people have where they might play blades or a super soft ball because they like the look and feel of them on a good shot but get punished severely on a mishit. They know that and accept the consequences. I, for one, probably trust trackman data a little TOO much because I have learned not to trust my feels because I know I am very subject to equipment biases. 

For me, I used to play a Tour Response because I liked the feel of it. I needed more spin BUT there was just the feeling of blading or thinning a chip with a super firm ball that I just hated AND it made that miss stand out in my mind...if that makes sense. Then I moved back into a ProV1 for a little more spin and control but I felt like that was a bit of a half measure. I am turning the corner (right as it is getting cold and the feel will be even more exacerbated) back into a ProV1x and/or ChromesoftX. I need the spin over everything else. I am going to hate the feel for a period and then I will get used to it. 

Controversial opinion, and this is just me, I don't think most of us are good enough to go TOTAL PERFORMANCE over feel. A 20 hdcp will thin and blade and fat some shots. They are just going to do that. They also might hit one 7 iron that spins 6200 rpms and then hit another one that spins 5000 rpms. There is not really a ball in the world that will counter that. Yes, you should get clubs and a ball that fits you well but there is also just the feeling of hitting a good shot that, at least for me, is one of the main reasons I play golf. Flushing a wedge with a Taylormade Tour Response feels EXCELLENT. I just love that feel. Even talking about it now makes me a bit wistful. 

Did I contradict myself enough in there? Man did I just ramble on or what....

Edited November 29, 2023 by vandyland

[Preeway]

2 hours ago, HikingMike said:

I just had a 30 minute chipping session at a course nearby, actually from the dormant grass fairway to the #9 green since I was the only one out there. It was 38F degrees (3C) so not the greatest test conditions But the sun was still out with a clear sky and I was warm to start with so I went for it. My goal was to determine if I could notice any difference in spin around the green.

I brought my 50 degree gap wedge to hit everything, though I did hit one group with my PW as well. The green seemed soft, but cold and damp, and I didn’t get very good stopping power. I hit a bunch from 30 yards and then from 15 yards out. I was leaving small ball marks on the green from 30 yards, and even for a few shots from 15 yards. They seemed to take a bigger first hop than normal. I am a decent chipper but I don't play with much spin this close to the green anyway.

I used the TEST balls, some Pro V1s, a Pro V1x, Srixon Z-Stars, and Callaway Supersofts. I can say the Supersofts definitely feel soft, lol. I didn't have my AVX with me out there since I only had one of those.

I almost made the first chip from 30y which was nice, so I was hoping I’d make one but never did. But I honestly had a hard time judging which were stopping better. I was keeping them in line with the hole OK, but distance varied a bit. They would skip on the first bounce, bite a bit, then some roll. So I was unsuccessful in my objective.

Actually now when I see the MyGolfSpy 2023 ball test again (useful scatter plot here), I can pull up spin numbers for "Wedge - 35 Yards" and almost all are grouped within 600 RPM or so. I guess that agrees.

The biggest difference I could discern was sound/feel, and this wasn't something I was looking out for when I started. This seemed to line up roughly with compression as you might expect. The Supersofts were softest, then the TEST balls, then Z-Stars and Pro V1s, and the Pro V1x was clickiest. I knew some balls had softer feel putting and chipping, but I had never really paid too much attention to it since I didn't test multiple ball types at the same time like this with my observation powers attuned. I understand why people like the softer feel ones. It can give me the impression the ball will land softer and stop quicker, which may lead to a little more confidence around the green, which leads to making a better chip swing, and ultimately getting closer to the hole. I have definitely heard some golf league buddies deriding "rocks"   So I do like the Titleist TEST balls for this as they seem to be at a sweet spot for me of soft but not marshmallow. I find it weird there may be nothing in the hard data to this, and it could be a purely psychological effect - super interesting.

I should note that I have heard there was a study done that found "soft feel" is largely based on sound in reality, though I haven't read that myself. (mentioned in the comments below this article)

So I did discover a big preference differentiator among the ball types, along with some self-discovery there. This may not be news to anyone. But I guess I have to decide what I like best and how "soft" or what minimum "softness" I like in a ball. Right now the TEST ball, AVX, Pro V1, and Z-Star are it, and those others around that same softness range. Though I'm sure I can get around that if I consciously train myself to know there is little difference in chipping spin between a hard Pro V1x and a soft Supersoft.

And to the main point of this thread, nice write up!

[HikingMike]

Great discussion. It was crazy to see because I wrote up my post before I saw @PeterHenric's mini-rant  

I like the idea of going total data. And now I want to get a ball fitting. I can deal with whatever feel comes from that, at least for a while and see how it goes. If I notice it going well, then I'll stick with it. I have never really made a concerted effort to figure out what ball I want to play. I would just usually stick with one for a few rounds and then either decide to keep playing it or try another. It was decided on a whim and how I was playing maybe. So I have neither of the two main backgrounds in deciding which ball I play. I haven't been fitted or made a truly data-driven performance decision for a ball. And I hadn't thought deeply about what certain softness feel I like in a ball. I just had a vague idea of ball performance with spin/distance/compression and how I played with it. Thinking about it now, I don't think I would care much about the "softness" feel of a ball except mainly for chipping. I hear it matters for people in putting too, but not a big deal for me, as long as I have adjusted to it. 

I know I lose more shots in the long game than anywhere else, just due to inconsistency. So something that spins less off the tee (sideways as in hooks/slices, especially hooks) could help out. But the problem with that is I understand ball fitting relies on approach play and shots around the green, and the long game consideration is probably less emphasis and just for distance and flight path. And that may be because driver performance diverges much less using different balls than compared to performance on other shots which include a big factor from spin on the green.

Then I realize there are all kinds of problems with a pure data approach. How do you decide which data you emphasize? If you see some really sore spots, such as ballooning shots due to high spin, then you tamp those down first. But what then? I've seen MGS use a strokes gained approach (empirical) with their accuracy rating, so you could possibly sit in a simulator and hit a lot of shots with various clubs using different balls and see how strokes gained shook out. That might be the ultimate way to go. We're not robots, so you'd have to do a good amount of hitting to get good data.

But thinking big picture, my game would probably benefit most from lessons.

[Randall Robbins]

There is a Titleist product that has the feel of these test balls - I happened to play some Tour Soft models today ( out of my trunk full of found balls) and they had the same feel off the putter as the test balls.  Didn't get the same overall results, but it was interesting that the feel was the sa!me.

[PeterHenric]

@HikingMike

From what I remember on a ball fitting (I’ve researched them but never done one), they say to start on approach shots and then work your way back to the tee. You always want your approach shots to have a desired trajectory and outcome. Most would want the good ol “one hop and stop”. Don’t want it to roll out, don’t want it to have so much spin it comes rolling back off the front of the green. You want your shots to go the distance, no more or less, right?
I fight a slice but don’t generate a ton of iron spin so those 2 things are contradictory. Do I go with a low spin ball for the tee or a higher spin ball for the irons and approach shots? The consensus is to play the higher spinning ball for your “scoring shots” and then seek out a lower spinning driver with some draw bias to help minimize the slice. The feel of the ball makes little to no difference on the actual performance so that is inconsequential. 
If you could find 2 balls with similar desired launch and spin characteristics but one is harder and the other is softer, then preference on feel can come into play. I agree that you get used to feelings over time. I remember the first time I hit a Tour Response ball. It felt like a bouncy ball or something. I didn’t love it or hate it, I just noticed it. 
Comments made earlier on the mental side of equipment choices slightly flawed, IMO. You need to love your equipment and get used to it. The more time you have with it, the more comfortable you should get with it. 
 

Getting back on topic of this ball test, if this new Test ball is indeed the new version of the AVX then it will be interesting to see the intended performance differences. We never did get a new Left Dash or the Left Dot from Titleist. Could the test ball bridge the gap?

[OdinSnipes414]

On 11/4/2023 at 10:58 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Looks like the golf balls will be arriving soon for many of our many many testers!

@PJVicary @BKervin @warrenator8 @CLenahan @JeremyD @Fred Mitchell @GolfSub70 @fixyurdivot @GolfSpy_APH @scotter032 @TheProfessor02 @Ben Joest @Getoffmylawn @Jnoble89 @Zman56 @Schobel0804 @ArizonaLogan @dlm @gingerbeast87 @golfinnut @HikingMike @GolfSpy_BNG @rkj427 @Javs @CFreddie @azstu324 @MyCatsMom @SpanishHands @vandyland @Randall Robbins @Parshooter36 @funkyjudge @Tom the Golf Nut @jbern @Preeway @GolfSpy BOS @Woodrow72 @RockerFCC @Hook DeLoft @jdparker @Cshane12 @RoverRick @Rob Person @tdroma98 @ZMendle10 @2puttbogey @J7Hawkins @Shlax @DukeStKing @glenmore5 @DonnieGolfs @Prodigal Duffer @Emag315 @tbarnes80 @EugeGall @Contron @TJ Hall @d0m41n @Cfhandyman @DMcA @ZoonORama @MichaelC_81 @Matumbo @Leonvdwesthuizen @JackBurtonsPorkchopExpress @Slater @buckpillar @MH15 @RonnieB @GolfSpy SAM @snoopy79 @NubianRugby @JohnH1 @Alf. S @sglj3 @RjGolf4Life @brogies @ClarkWGriswoldIII @Peejer @CK1over @taylorjonasher @ctg44 @jj1010 @Lacassem

Okay that is a lot of names to tag... my fingers are sore. 

Be sure to check into this thread to see all the updates as tester get their white back from Titleist and read their experiences! 

Ask questions and lets have some fun with this!

 

Sweeet congratulations yall

[Preeway]

2 hours ago, HikingMike said:

Great discussion. It was crazy to see because I wrote up my post before I saw @PeterHenric's mini-rant  

I like the idea of going total data. And now I want to get a ball fitting. I can deal with whatever feel comes from that, at least for a while and see how it goes. If I notice it going well, then I'll stick with it. I have never really made a concerted effort to figure out what ball I want to play. I would just usually stick with one for a few rounds and then either decide to keep playing it or try another. It was decided on a whim and how I was playing maybe. So I have neither of the two main backgrounds in deciding which ball I play. I haven't been fitted or made a truly data-driven performance decision for a ball. And I hadn't thought deeply about what certain softness feel I like in a ball. I just had a vague idea of ball performance with spin/distance/compression and how I played with it. Thinking about it now, I don't think I would care much about the "softness" feel of a ball except mainly for chipping. I hear it matters for people in putting too, but not a big deal for me, as long as I have adjusted to it. 

I know I lose more shots in the long game than anywhere else, just due to inconsistency. So something that spins less off the tee (sideways as in hooks/slices, especially hooks) could help out. But the problem with that is I understand ball fitting relies on approach play and shots around the green, and the long game consideration is probably less emphasis and just for distance and flight path. And that may be because driver performance diverges much less using different balls than compared to performance on other shots which include a big factor from spin on the green.

Then I realize there are all kinds of problems with a pure data approach. How do you decide which data you emphasize? If you see some really sore spots, such as ballooning shots due to high spin, then you tamp those down first. But what then? I've seen MGS use a strokes gained approach (empirical) with their accuracy rating, so you could possibly sit in a simulator and hit a lot of shots with various clubs using different balls and see how strokes gained shook out. That might be the ultimate way to go. We're not robots, so you'd have to do a good amount of hitting to get good data.

But thinking big picture, my game would probably benefit most from lessons.

One thing that also to take into consideration when testing out and collecting data on different balls is to take into consideration whether you are collecting data from hitting balls in a simulator versus outside. If you are hitting flush iron shots then it really shouldn't make much difference in your overall data but if you're a mid to high handicapper then your data from hitting off a mat may not replicate the same data if hitting outside. Just food for thought.

[fixyurdivot]

7 hours ago, PeterHenric said:

So here’s a blanket complaint I have about people and their golf equipment in general. People put too much value in sound, feel, and looks compared to actual performance. Performance needs to come first, second, and then sound, feel, and looks can be tied for 3rd along with performance again. 
If you can find 2 clubs, balls, or putters that perform identically, then and only then should sound, feel, and looks be factored into your choice of which one to play. 
Far too often I read people say that “X” performed well but I didn’t like the way it sounded or felt or looked so I decided to go with a different product. It drives me nuts. It shouldn’t matter if the ball felt clicky off the putter or your irons. 
End of rant. 

Good rant.  Fortunately my sound and feel senses are not all that sharp these days and, unless I'm comparing a Molitor or Mojo to a top shelf tour ball, those do not drive my decision.  Pretty much the same when it comes to clubs.  I'm viewing this as an advantage vs. a liability .

I have had a chance to play the Test ball a couple more time since my Final Review and the trends noted have stayed the same... just not as long tee to green.  The one thing I did not mention in my review and now see on my test balls is that these do not seem as durable as those it was tested against.  Reading through the other reviews, this seems to be a common issue.  As one who probably plays balls longer than most (thrifty side of me), lower durability isn't good... without a corresponding upside in performance.

[Leonvdwesthuizen]

 

INTRO

Finally, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, here is my review on the Titleist White Box testing.

Firstly, a disclaimer, due to the long courier process, by the time I received my pack of balls, so many guys already finished their review, but I will try and keep mine simple and quirky.

           

I’ve been playing golf on and off for about 30yrs now.

We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and it is a magical place, lots of diversity, lots of culture, lots of opportunities and also lots of golf courses.

In Cape Town our summer climate is very dry, but the golf courses know how to work with water, so they are always in tip top shape!

I currently play off an 18 handicap, typically playing on or just above my handicap, but I now enjoy my golf much more, every time I play. The star of my game is my putting and driving (and getting out of sand), and my biggest let down is my approach shots and wedges around the green (but working hard at it).

My current balls I play are Taylormade Soft Response, Callaway Softfeel, Srixon AD333. I don’t play Titleist balls mainly because they are priced at a premium in South Africa.

My testing methodology was to compare the Titleist Prototype directly against a Taylormade Soft Response, thus playing rounds with 2 x similar balls, and see how each react.

How they react from the putter face and from the wedge shots will determine firstly if I like it and secondly if I will consider putting it in my bag permanently, as that is where my game is won or lost!

I was really excited to see if it is a soft or hard ball, how much feedback do I get when I putt and how much spin I get when I play around the green, as I haven’t played many Titleist balls, so my experience was never biased with an expectation.

I firstly spent some time on the chipping greens comparing the Titleist Prototype to a ProV1, Chromesoft, and an AVX ball, and all I can say is that they performed much of the same on the green for me. There was some extra spin from the ProV1 and the Chromesoft, and a little less spin from the Prototype and the AVX, but for a high handicapper, it isn’t enough to warrant spending extra money on the best balls, but I was impressed with how much softer the Prototype felt off the clubface and the putter head than the yellow AVX I compared it to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (4 out 5)

I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect it to be so soft off the putterface and grip so well when hit with a wedge.

With the TM Soft Response I knew what to expect, but the Prototype surprised me more than just accepting the outcome of each shot like with the TM.

I had much more confidence playing my game, making riskier shots and just general putting, cause the feel I had off the face of the clubs was pure.

AESTHETICS 4 out 5

I really couldn’t find any fault with the Prototype ball.

While I could clearly see the degredation on the TM Soft Response, I couldn’t see any on the Prototype ball.

After 7 x holes I had no scuff marks, and actually no mmarks on the ball at all.

As a side note, even after 18 holes I still had no scuff marks, impressive in my books!

ON THE COURSE 4 out 5

I found the Titleist Prototype ball to be very forgiving, a soft feel type ball medium to high spin and durable for any high handicapper to play with.

It performed very well for me on the course, thus the high marks, and were very impressed with it.

The ball made my putts perform better, my wedge shots stayed mostly in range of the hole, and I even had a birdie for the round!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 3 out 5

I had some good rounds with the Titleist Prototype and would love to be able to get to my golf superstore and put it through its paces on the Trackman, but due to the shipping taking so long, I had very limited time so I only managed to play 2 x rounds and spend some time on the chipping and putting greens.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 4 out 5

My honest opinion is I would now consider to play it.

I have never before paid money for a dozen of Titleist balls, but after this testing experience, I would seriously put the Titleist on my and my wife’s shopping list for the future.

I can see the benefit I had in just a few rounds of playing with the Titleist Prototype, so it will definitely make it in my bag!

CONCLUSION

Is the Titleist a ball for the mid - high handicapper, YES, undoubtedly!

Is it going to give you the performance off the putter face or the wedge you want, YES, undoubtedly!

This will feel softer, perform better than most balls out there, spend the money.. I will!

Titleist are not the #1 golf ball manufacturer in the world by accident.

FINAL SCORE 19 out 25 – 76% score

Thank you to MyGolfSpy and Titleist for picking me to do a review, I hope I made an unbiased and player type of review worthy for everyone to read.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Leonvdwesthuizen

[Cfhandyman]

1 hour ago, Leonvdwesthuizen said:

 

INTRO

Finally, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, here is my review on the Titleist White Box testing.

Firstly, a disclaimer, due to the long courier process, by the time I received my pack of balls, so many guys already finished their review, but I will try and keep mine simple and quirky.

           

I’ve been playing golf on and off for about 30yrs now.

We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and it is a magical place, lots of diversity, lots of culture, lots of opportunities and also lots of golf courses.

In Cape Town our summer climate is very dry, but the golf courses know how to work with water, so they are always in tip top shape!

I currently play off an 18 handicap, typically playing on or just above my handicap, but I now enjoy my golf much more, every time I play. The star of my game is my putting and driving (and getting out of sand), and my biggest let down is my approach shots and wedges around the green (but working hard at it).

My current balls I play are Taylormade Soft Response, Callaway Softfeel, Srixon AD333. I don’t play Titleist balls mainly because they are priced at a premium in South Africa.

My testing methodology was to compare the Titleist Prototype directly against a Taylormade Soft Response, thus playing rounds with 2 x similar balls, and see how each react.

How they react from the putter face and from the wedge shots will determine firstly if I like it and secondly if I will consider putting it in my bag permanently, as that is where my game is won or lost!

I was really excited to see if it is a soft or hard ball, how much feedback do I get when I putt and how much spin I get when I play around the green, as I haven’t played many Titleist balls, so my experience was never biased with an expectation.

I firstly spent some time on the chipping greens comparing the Titleist Prototype to a ProV1, Chromesoft, and an AVX ball, and all I can say is that they performed much of the same on the green for me. There was some extra spin from the ProV1 and the Chromesoft, and a little less spin from the Prototype and the AVX, but for a high handicapper, it isn’t enough to warrant spending extra money on the best balls, but I was impressed with how much softer the Prototype felt off the clubface and the putter head than the yellow AVX I compared it to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (4 out 5)

I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect it to be so soft off the putterface and grip so well when hit with a wedge.

With the TM Soft Response I knew what to expect, but the Prototype surprised me more than just accepting the outcome of each shot like with the TM.

I had much more confidence playing my game, making riskier shots and just general putting, cause the feel I had off the face of the clubs was pure.

AESTHETICS 4 out 5

I really couldn’t find any fault with the Prototype ball.

While I could clearly see the degredation on the TM Soft Response, I couldn’t see any on the Prototype ball.

After 7 x holes I had no scuff marks, and actually no mmarks on the ball at all.

As a side note, even after 18 holes I still had no scuff marks, impressive in my books!

ON THE COURSE 4 out 5

I found the Titleist Prototype ball to be very forgiving, a soft feel type ball medium to high spin and durable for any high handicapper to play with.

It performed very well for me on the course, thus the high marks, and were very impressed with it.

The ball made my putts perform better, my wedge shots stayed mostly in range of the hole, and I even had a birdie for the round!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 3 out 5

I had some good rounds with the Titleist Prototype and would love to be able to get to my golf superstore and put it through its paces on the Trackman, but due to the shipping taking so long, I had very limited time so I only managed to play 2 x rounds and spend some time on the chipping and putting greens.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 4 out 5

My honest opinion is I would now consider to play it.

I have never before paid money for a dozen of Titleist balls, but after this testing experience, I would seriously put the Titleist on my and my wife’s shopping list for the future.

I can see the benefit I had in just a few rounds of playing with the Titleist Prototype, so it will definitely make it in my bag!

CONCLUSION

Is the Titleist a ball for the mid - high handicapper, YES, undoubtedly!

Is it going to give you the performance off the putter face or the wedge you want, YES, undoubtedly!

This will feel softer, perform better than most balls out there, spend the money.. I will!

Titleist are not the #1 golf ball manufacturer in the world by accident.

FINAL SCORE 19 out 25 – 76% score

Thank you to MyGolfSpy and Titleist for picking me to do a review, I hope I made an unbiased and player type of review worthy for everyone to read.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Great review and very much enjoyed the pictures from South Africa. Thanks for sharing. 

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, Leonvdwesthuizen said:

 

INTRO

Finally, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, here is my review on the Titleist White Box testing.

Firstly, a disclaimer, due to the long courier process, by the time I received my pack of balls, so many guys already finished their review, but I will try and keep mine simple and quirky.

           

I’ve been playing golf on and off for about 30yrs now.

We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and it is a magical place, lots of diversity, lots of culture, lots of opportunities and also lots of golf courses.

In Cape Town our summer climate is very dry, but the golf courses know how to work with water, so they are always in tip top shape!

I currently play off an 18 handicap, typically playing on or just above my handicap, but I now enjoy my golf much more, every time I play. The star of my game is my putting and driving (and getting out of sand), and my biggest let down is my approach shots and wedges around the green (but working hard at it).

My current balls I play are Taylormade Soft Response, Callaway Softfeel, Srixon AD333. I don’t play Titleist balls mainly because they are priced at a premium in South Africa.

My testing methodology was to compare the Titleist Prototype directly against a Taylormade Soft Response, thus playing rounds with 2 x similar balls, and see how each react.

How they react from the putter face and from the wedge shots will determine firstly if I like it and secondly if I will consider putting it in my bag permanently, as that is where my game is won or lost!

I was really excited to see if it is a soft or hard ball, how much feedback do I get when I putt and how much spin I get when I play around the green, as I haven’t played many Titleist balls, so my experience was never biased with an expectation.

I firstly spent some time on the chipping greens comparing the Titleist Prototype to a ProV1, Chromesoft, and an AVX ball, and all I can say is that they performed much of the same on the green for me. There was some extra spin from the ProV1 and the Chromesoft, and a little less spin from the Prototype and the AVX, but for a high handicapper, it isn’t enough to warrant spending extra money on the best balls, but I was impressed with how much softer the Prototype felt off the clubface and the putter head than the yellow AVX I compared it to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (4 out 5)

I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect it to be so soft off the putterface and grip so well when hit with a wedge.

With the TM Soft Response I knew what to expect, but the Prototype surprised me more than just accepting the outcome of each shot like with the TM.

I had much more confidence playing my game, making riskier shots and just general putting, cause the feel I had off the face of the clubs was pure.

AESTHETICS 4 out 5

I really couldn’t find any fault with the Prototype ball.

While I could clearly see the degredation on the TM Soft Response, I couldn’t see any on the Prototype ball.

After 7 x holes I had no scuff marks, and actually no mmarks on the ball at all.

As a side note, even after 18 holes I still had no scuff marks, impressive in my books!

ON THE COURSE 4 out 5

I found the Titleist Prototype ball to be very forgiving, a soft feel type ball medium to high spin and durable for any high handicapper to play with.

It performed very well for me on the course, thus the high marks, and were very impressed with it.

The ball made my putts perform better, my wedge shots stayed mostly in range of the hole, and I even had a birdie for the round!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 3 out 5

I had some good rounds with the Titleist Prototype and would love to be able to get to my golf superstore and put it through its paces on the Trackman, but due to the shipping taking so long, I had very limited time so I only managed to play 2 x rounds and spend some time on the chipping and putting greens.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 4 out 5

My honest opinion is I would now consider to play it.

I have never before paid money for a dozen of Titleist balls, but after this testing experience, I would seriously put the Titleist on my and my wife’s shopping list for the future.

I can see the benefit I had in just a few rounds of playing with the Titleist Prototype, so it will definitely make it in my bag!

CONCLUSION

Is the Titleist a ball for the mid - high handicapper, YES, undoubtedly!

Is it going to give you the performance off the putter face or the wedge you want, YES, undoubtedly!

This will feel softer, perform better than most balls out there, spend the money.. I will!

Titleist are not the #1 golf ball manufacturer in the world by accident.

FINAL SCORE 19 out 25 – 76% score

Thank you to MyGolfSpy and Titleist for picking me to do a review, I hope I made an unbiased and player type of review worthy for everyone to read.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Great review.  

[HikingMike]

2 hours ago, Leonvdwesthuizen said:

 

INTRO

Finally, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, here is my review on the Titleist White Box testing.

Firstly, a disclaimer, due to the long courier process, by the time I received my pack of balls, so many guys already finished their review, but I will try and keep mine simple and quirky.

           

I’ve been playing golf on and off for about 30yrs now.

We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and it is a magical place, lots of diversity, lots of culture, lots of opportunities and also lots of golf courses.

In Cape Town our summer climate is very dry, but the golf courses know how to work with water, so they are always in tip top shape!

I currently play off an 18 handicap, typically playing on or just above my handicap, but I now enjoy my golf much more, every time I play. The star of my game is my putting and driving (and getting out of sand), and my biggest let down is my approach shots and wedges around the green (but working hard at it).

My current balls I play are Taylormade Soft Response, Callaway Softfeel, Srixon AD333. I don’t play Titleist balls mainly because they are priced at a premium in South Africa.

My testing methodology was to compare the Titleist Prototype directly against a Taylormade Soft Response, thus playing rounds with 2 x similar balls, and see how each react.

How they react from the putter face and from the wedge shots will determine firstly if I like it and secondly if I will consider putting it in my bag permanently, as that is where my game is won or lost!

I was really excited to see if it is a soft or hard ball, how much feedback do I get when I putt and how much spin I get when I play around the green, as I haven’t played many Titleist balls, so my experience was never biased with an expectation.

I firstly spent some time on the chipping greens comparing the Titleist Prototype to a ProV1, Chromesoft, and an AVX ball, and all I can say is that they performed much of the same on the green for me. There was some extra spin from the ProV1 and the Chromesoft, and a little less spin from the Prototype and the AVX, but for a high handicapper, it isn’t enough to warrant spending extra money on the best balls, but I was impressed with how much softer the Prototype felt off the clubface and the putter head than the yellow AVX I compared it to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (4 out 5)

I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect it to be so soft off the putterface and grip so well when hit with a wedge.

With the TM Soft Response I knew what to expect, but the Prototype surprised me more than just accepting the outcome of each shot like with the TM.

I had much more confidence playing my game, making riskier shots and just general putting, cause the feel I had off the face of the clubs was pure.

AESTHETICS 4 out 5

I really couldn’t find any fault with the Prototype ball.

While I could clearly see the degredation on the TM Soft Response, I couldn’t see any on the Prototype ball.

After 7 x holes I had no scuff marks, and actually no mmarks on the ball at all.

As a side note, even after 18 holes I still had no scuff marks, impressive in my books!

ON THE COURSE 4 out 5

I found the Titleist Prototype ball to be very forgiving, a soft feel type ball medium to high spin and durable for any high handicapper to play with.

It performed very well for me on the course, thus the high marks, and were very impressed with it.

The ball made my putts perform better, my wedge shots stayed mostly in range of the hole, and I even had a birdie for the round!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 3 out 5

I had some good rounds with the Titleist Prototype and would love to be able to get to my golf superstore and put it through its paces on the Trackman, but due to the shipping taking so long, I had very limited time so I only managed to play 2 x rounds and spend some time on the chipping and putting greens.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 4 out 5

My honest opinion is I would now consider to play it.

I have never before paid money for a dozen of Titleist balls, but after this testing experience, I would seriously put the Titleist on my and my wife’s shopping list for the future.

I can see the benefit I had in just a few rounds of playing with the Titleist Prototype, so it will definitely make it in my bag!

CONCLUSION

Is the Titleist a ball for the mid - high handicapper, YES, undoubtedly!

Is it going to give you the performance off the putter face or the wedge you want, YES, undoubtedly!

This will feel softer, perform better than most balls out there, spend the money.. I will!

Titleist are not the #1 golf ball manufacturer in the world by accident.

FINAL SCORE 19 out 25 – 76% score

Thank you to MyGolfSpy and Titleist for picking me to do a review, I hope I made an unbiased and player type of review worthy for everyone to read.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Excellent. Yes I really wanted to see the pictures too. You could probably make your own thread with photos for "Golf in Cape Town" That's a neat range too by the way. The video does not play for me for some reason. It's good to have the perspective from someone that doesn't play Titleist balls.

[Rob Person]

Excellent review, and I liked you comapred it to similar style balls. I ama bit surprised at the fact that you had no cover damage issues, whilst so many others had the opposite results. 

Thanks for sharing the beautiful course and landscape too!

Video didn't work for me either

[jbern]

On 11/17/2023 at 11:02 PM, jbern said:

Earlier this week, I played 9 holes with my usual gamer, the Vice Pro, vs. the Titleist Test ball. The course conditions were very soft fairways and rough. The greens were firm but slow. It was windy with forecasted winds of 10-15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

Scoring: I varied which ball was hit first off the tee and then played the farthest ball out from there so I didn’t have “2nd shot me is a pro” syndrome. My score was +4, 39, with the Vice Pro and +7, 42, with the Titleist TEST ball. I lost a TEST ball on hole 4 and the rest of the dropped shots were putts. Some of the putting blame was proximity to the hole and some is a speed issue I had doing this 9 hole side-by-side. 

Driving: In summary, the TEST ball flew lower and had seemingly less spin than the Vice Pro (the TEST ball rolled out farther than the Vice). Under the windy conditions, on-course performance varied. When the wind was helping, the Vice was 10-15 yards farther total distance than the TEST ball. When the wind was hurting, the TEST ball was 7-15 yards farther than the Vice. The TEST ball had more roll out than the Vice on every drive (it was soft so the ball divot was easy to spot). 

In the photo below, hole 8 is a drivable 274 yard (pin was 267) par 4 and the wind was into and slightly off the left. I hit both balls very solid and the TEST ball was 12 yards farther than the Vice. I also wanted to brag that I drove a par 4 with each ball on back-to-back shots (Please note that I've played this hole about 20 times and these two shots are the first two times I've hit the green in 1)! 

Irons: On iron shots the TEST ball flew higher and farther with less spin than the Vice. My sample size was small for a perfect comparison here because I only used the same club into the green one time. It was an 8 iron from 134 almost straight into the wind and the TEST ball flew 142 (just off the back of the green). The Vice ball had 135 and flew 132 short and left of the pin. There’s a chance there was more wind for the Vice, but on multiple iron shots with the TEST ball I expected to be short of the pin by a couple yards and I was long every time. The Vice ball definitely had more spin and stopping power. 

Wedges: On less than full swings and chips I could really tell that the Vice spun more than the TEST. It didn’t bother me much at all this day because the greens were so slow, but I could see having to compensate in summer conditions. One thing that caught me off-guard was the sound. The Vice was much “clickier” and the TEST seemed to thud and was more muted. Feel between the two, I thought was nice and I like the feel of both for different reasons. 

Putting: For some reason, during the round, I was consistently hitting the TEST ball putts much longer than expected. I have no clue why, but it lead to 4 three-putts. I did not have the issue on the putting green before the round and feel of the ball off the putter was good (the sound was much different, just like with the wedges). I might chalk this round up to an anomaly because I like the feel of the TEST ball off the putter face.

I’m excited to get to a launch monitor to see if my on-course experience matches the simulator numbers and I’ll hold off on my final thoughts until then. 

I was able to get to my local simulator yesterday and collect some data on these TEST balls. I quoted my original on-course head-to-head for reference. In the simulator, I compared the Vice Pro (my usual gamer), MAXFLI Tour S and the Titleist TEST ball.

I used three different clubs, 50* AW, 7iron, and Driver. I hit 12 shots with each ball with each club and then removed the two worst shots for an average with 10 shots each. Having never done a data collection test in a simulator, I was surprised how close all the club speed data was for all clubs. The largest average club head speed delta was 0.4 mph and it was with the Driver. Unfortunately, the spin was NOT picking up on the simulator. The owner of the simulator popped in at the end of my session and we still couldn’t get the spin to pick up. So I’m not sure what was going on. Without the spin data, I was most interested in Carry Distance and Apex (Max Height).

Below is a chart of Carry Distance between each ball.

Below is a chart of the Apex between each ball.

The TEST ball had the farthest average driver carry at 277.4 yds. The MAXFLI Tour S had the farthest single shot at 282.7 yds. Going off carry distance data alone, the TEST ball would have the edge. In my previous on-course recap post the Vice Pro flew farther when the wind was not hurting. I prefer the lower ball flight of the TEST ball with the driver. Given the carry data is close and I prefer the lower flight of the TEST ball, I would give the edge to the TEST ball in the D-stick category.

With irons and full wedge shots, the winner is the MAXFLI Tour S. The carry distance was farther with both a 7iron and a 50* wedge and the height data was spot on with what I like. It sure would’ve been nice to have the spin numbers to determine a clear winner, but I tend to be a high spin player anyway, so I can’t imagine the MAXFLI spin numbers to be out of this world low. On course, the TEST ball flew too high for my liking on full iron shots, and this was confirmed with the simulator apex data.

Conclusion based on the simulator and on-course observations:

I liked the lower ball flight off the driver with the TEST ball, but I did not like the high ball flight with my irons. Distance and feel were fine on all full swing shots. I liked the lower approach shot spin of the TEST ball vs. the higher spinning Vice Pro, but I did not like the lower greenside spin of the TEST ball. Putter feel was not good, but I think I could get used to it over time. I preferred the Vice Pro the best off the putter.

TL;DR

I think I could get on fine with the TEST ball. Would I choose it or buy it? No.

[warrenator8]

Taking my time reviewing the golf balls. I should have the final results this weekend.

 

[Preeway]

1 hour ago, jbern said:

I was able to get to my local simulator yesterday and collect some data on these TEST balls. I quoted my original on-course head-to-head for reference. In the simulator, I compared the Vice Pro (my usual gamer), MAXFLI Tour S and the Titleist TEST ball.

I used three different clubs, 50* AW, 7iron, and Driver. I hit 12 shots with each ball with each club and then removed the two worst shots for an average with 10 shots each. Having never done a data collection test in a simulator, I was surprised how close all the club speed data was for all clubs. The largest average club head speed delta was 0.4 mph and it was with the Driver. Unfortunately, the spin was NOT picking up on the simulator. The owner of the simulator popped in at the end of my session and we still couldn’t get the spin to pick up. So I’m not sure what was going on. Without the spin data, I was most interested in Carry Distance and Apex (Max Height).

Below is a chart of Carry Distance between each ball.

Below is a chart of the Apex between each ball.

The TEST ball had the farthest average driver carry at 277.4 yds. The MAXFLI Tour S had the farthest single shot at 282.7 yds. Going off carry distance data alone, the TEST ball would have the edge. In my previous on-course recap post the Vice Pro flew farther when the wind was not hurting. I prefer the lower ball flight of the TEST ball with the driver. Given the carry data is close and I prefer the lower flight of the TEST ball, I would give the edge to the TEST ball in the D-stick category.

With irons and full wedge shots, the winner is the MAXFLI Tour S. The carry distance was farther with both a 7iron and a 50* wedge and the height data was spot on with what I like. It sure would’ve been nice to have the spin numbers to determine a clear winner, but I tend to be a high spin player anyway, so I can’t imagine the MAXFLI spin numbers to be out of this world low. On course, the TEST ball flew too high for my liking on full iron shots, and this was confirmed with the simulator apex data.

Conclusion based on the simulator and on-course observations:

I liked the lower ball flight off the driver with the TEST ball, but I did not like the high ball flight with my irons. Distance and feel were fine on all full swing shots. I liked the lower approach shot spin of the TEST ball vs. the higher spinning Vice Pro, but I did not like the lower greenside spin of the TEST ball. Putter feel was not good, but I think I could get used to it over time. I preferred the Vice Pro the best off the putter.

TL;DR

I think I could get on fine with the TEST ball. Would I choose it or buy it? No.

Final decision to not put the test ball in the bag based on greenside spin or cost? Seems like some of the other data supports the test ball. 

[RjGolf4Life]

8 hours ago, Leonvdwesthuizen said:

 

INTRO

Finally, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, here is my review on the Titleist White Box testing.

Firstly, a disclaimer, due to the long courier process, by the time I received my pack of balls, so many guys already finished their review, but I will try and keep mine simple and quirky.

           

I’ve been playing golf on and off for about 30yrs now.

We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and it is a magical place, lots of diversity, lots of culture, lots of opportunities and also lots of golf courses.

In Cape Town our summer climate is very dry, but the golf courses know how to work with water, so they are always in tip top shape!

I currently play off an 18 handicap, typically playing on or just above my handicap, but I now enjoy my golf much more, every time I play. The star of my game is my putting and driving (and getting out of sand), and my biggest let down is my approach shots and wedges around the green (but working hard at it).

My current balls I play are Taylormade Soft Response, Callaway Softfeel, Srixon AD333. I don’t play Titleist balls mainly because they are priced at a premium in South Africa.

My testing methodology was to compare the Titleist Prototype directly against a Taylormade Soft Response, thus playing rounds with 2 x similar balls, and see how each react.

How they react from the putter face and from the wedge shots will determine firstly if I like it and secondly if I will consider putting it in my bag permanently, as that is where my game is won or lost!

I was really excited to see if it is a soft or hard ball, how much feedback do I get when I putt and how much spin I get when I play around the green, as I haven’t played many Titleist balls, so my experience was never biased with an expectation.

I firstly spent some time on the chipping greens comparing the Titleist Prototype to a ProV1, Chromesoft, and an AVX ball, and all I can say is that they performed much of the same on the green for me. There was some extra spin from the ProV1 and the Chromesoft, and a little less spin from the Prototype and the AVX, but for a high handicapper, it isn’t enough to warrant spending extra money on the best balls, but I was impressed with how much softer the Prototype felt off the clubface and the putter head than the yellow AVX I compared it to.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (4 out 5)

I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect it to be so soft off the putterface and grip so well when hit with a wedge.

With the TM Soft Response I knew what to expect, but the Prototype surprised me more than just accepting the outcome of each shot like with the TM.

I had much more confidence playing my game, making riskier shots and just general putting, cause the feel I had off the face of the clubs was pure.

AESTHETICS 4 out 5

I really couldn’t find any fault with the Prototype ball.

While I could clearly see the degredation on the TM Soft Response, I couldn’t see any on the Prototype ball.

After 7 x holes I had no scuff marks, and actually no mmarks on the ball at all.

As a side note, even after 18 holes I still had no scuff marks, impressive in my books!

ON THE COURSE 4 out 5

I found the Titleist Prototype ball to be very forgiving, a soft feel type ball medium to high spin and durable for any high handicapper to play with.

It performed very well for me on the course, thus the high marks, and were very impressed with it.

The ball made my putts perform better, my wedge shots stayed mostly in range of the hole, and I even had a birdie for the round!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE INBETWEEN 3 out 5

I had some good rounds with the Titleist Prototype and would love to be able to get to my golf superstore and put it through its paces on the Trackman, but due to the shipping taking so long, I had very limited time so I only managed to play 2 x rounds and spend some time on the chipping and putting greens.

PLAY IT OR TRADE IT 4 out 5

My honest opinion is I would now consider to play it.

I have never before paid money for a dozen of Titleist balls, but after this testing experience, I would seriously put the Titleist on my and my wife’s shopping list for the future.

I can see the benefit I had in just a few rounds of playing with the Titleist Prototype, so it will definitely make it in my bag!

CONCLUSION

Is the Titleist a ball for the mid - high handicapper, YES, undoubtedly!

Is it going to give you the performance off the putter face or the wedge you want, YES, undoubtedly!

This will feel softer, perform better than most balls out there, spend the money.. I will!

Titleist are not the #1 golf ball manufacturer in the world by accident.

FINAL SCORE 19 out 25 – 76% score

Thank you to MyGolfSpy and Titleist for picking me to do a review, I hope I made an unbiased and player type of review worthy for everyone to read.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Cool review for Cape Town! I didn’t get as much testing on a Trackman either but at least you were able to provide your input. 

[RjGolf4Life]

2 hours ago, jbern said:

I was able to get to my local simulator yesterday and collect some data on these TEST balls. I quoted my original on-course head-to-head for reference. In the simulator, I compared the Vice Pro (my usual gamer), MAXFLI Tour S and the Titleist TEST ball.

I used three different clubs, 50* AW, 7iron, and Driver. I hit 12 shots with each ball with each club and then removed the two worst shots for an average with 10 shots each. Having never done a data collection test in a simulator, I was surprised how close all the club speed data was for all clubs. The largest average club head speed delta was 0.4 mph and it was with the Driver. Unfortunately, the spin was NOT picking up on the simulator. The owner of the simulator popped in at the end of my session and we still couldn’t get the spin to pick up. So I’m not sure what was going on. Without the spin data, I was most interested in Carry Distance and Apex (Max Height).

Below is a chart of Carry Distance between each ball.

Below is a chart of the Apex between each ball.

The TEST ball had the farthest average driver carry at 277.4 yds. The MAXFLI Tour S had the farthest single shot at 282.7 yds. Going off carry distance data alone, the TEST ball would have the edge. In my previous on-course recap post the Vice Pro flew farther when the wind was not hurting. I prefer the lower ball flight of the TEST ball with the driver. Given the carry data is close and I prefer the lower flight of the TEST ball, I would give the edge to the TEST ball in the D-stick category.

With irons and full wedge shots, the winner is the MAXFLI Tour S. The carry distance was farther with both a 7iron and a 50* wedge and the height data was spot on with what I like. It sure would’ve been nice to have the spin numbers to determine a clear winner, but I tend to be a high spin player anyway, so I can’t imagine the MAXFLI spin numbers to be out of this world low. On course, the TEST ball flew too high for my liking on full iron shots, and this was confirmed with the simulator apex data.

Conclusion based on the simulator and on-course observations:

I liked the lower ball flight off the driver with the TEST ball, but I did not like the high ball flight with my irons. Distance and feel were fine on all full swing shots. I liked the lower approach shot spin of the TEST ball vs. the higher spinning Vice Pro, but I did not like the lower greenside spin of the TEST ball. Putter feel was not good, but I think I could get used to it over time. I preferred the Vice Pro the best off the putter.

TL;DR

I think I could get on fine with the TEST ball. Would I choose it or buy it? No.

Nice review with the charts. 

[jbern]

1 hour ago, Preeway said:

Final decision to not put the test ball in the bag based on greenside spin or cost? Seems like some of the other data supports the test ball. 

Greenside spin, putter feel and height on iron shots. When playing on course the height difference on iron shots was very significant and here in Southern MI we are on the wind belt that slams Chicago, so it is almost always windy. I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time controlling anything in windy conditions.

From the simulator data, I'm most excited about the MAXFLI Tour S ball. It wasn't the longest on average with the driver, but I think that was mostly because I had the most off center hits when I was hitting that ball, making the average a bit lower. It was definitely the iron winner. The greenside spin appeared better than the TEST ball, but not quite as good as the Vice. There may be a happy medium with the MAXFLI ball that will suit me.

[GolfSub70]

Hello everyone. Jay from Sub 70 here. First off, sincere apologies to the moderators and Titleist for my delay on my testing. I dealt with a herniated disc in my back two years ago and ended up going through PT and then getting an injection for it. I felt a shooting pain in the same area of my back when I was lifting something about 10 days ago and really haven't been able to swing a club without pain since then. I rested it for the last week and finally go to the point where I could reliably swing a club for more than 10 swings. 

I'll skip the box and ball photos since they are posted often earlier in this thread. I've switched ball models pretty often over the last year or two...Pro v1, AVX, Snell MTB-X, Tour BX, Clear Green and Black, etc. The biggest issue is that two years ago I was a very low driver spin and high iron spin player.  I'm talking like 1800 driver spin and 7000+ with a 7 iron. That has almost completely flipped due to some swing changes and now I tend to have pretty moderate driver spin (2400-2600) and lower iron spin. 

For these first testing sessions I hit shots with the Titleist test ball ("proto"), the AVX, and the Clear Tour Green ball. I started playing the AVX because I hit the ball extremely high and wanted to see if I could get something in a more penetrating window. I used Dynamic Gold S400 shafts for the 50 yard and 120 yard shots and then Project X 6.0 steel shaft for the 170 yards. I wasn't really surprised by much with these three yardages...except that the Tour Green spins like crazy. The AVX and the prototype weren't far off from each other in terms of launch and spin. Biggest difference probably being the 50 yard backspin numbers but the std dev for the proto was pretty big. I may have had a 6500 spinner in there or something.

 

 

 

After that session I had no chance putting together enough good driver swings due to my back issues. I got to that today though and was really impressed by the results. If you go with the same efficiency then the AVX was about 0.5mph faster but that's splitting hairs with about 10 drives hit with each. But the proto launched slightly higher and spun slightly less so it ended up being four yards longer. Unfortunately I didn't hit the Tour Green because I ran out of time but I'll circle back to that at some point.

 

I'll put it through some more testing in the coming weeks and try to report back with a bigger sample size. But all things considered it seemed fairly comparable to the AVX. I may need a ball that spins more off the irons but that's on me.

[Josh Parker]

4 minutes ago, GolfSub70 said:

Hello everyone. Jay from Sub 70 here. First off, sincere apologies to the moderators and Titleist for my delay on my testing. I dealt with a herniated disc in my back two years ago and ended up going through PT and then getting an injection for it. I felt a shooting pain in the same area of my back when I was lifting something about 10 days ago and really haven't been able to swing a club without pain since then. I rested it for the last week and finally go to the point where I could reliably swing a club for more than 10 swings. 

I'll skip the box and ball photos since they are posted often earlier in this thread. I've switched ball models pretty often over the last year or two...Pro v1, AVX, Snell MTB-X, Tour BX, Clear Green and Black, etc. The biggest issue is that two years ago I was a very low driver spin and high iron spin player.  I'm talking like 1800 driver spin and 7000+ with a 7 iron. That has almost completely flipped due to some swing changes and now I tend to have pretty moderate driver spin (2400-2600) and lower iron spin. 

For these first testing sessions I hit shots with the Titleist test ball ("proto"), the AVX, and the Clear Tour Green ball. I started playing the AVX because I hit the ball extremely high and wanted to see if I could get something in a more penetrating window. I used Dynamic Gold S400 shafts for the 50 yard and 120 yard shots and then Project X 6.0 steel shaft for the 170 yards. I wasn't really surprised by much with these three yardages...except that the Tour Green spins like crazy. The AVX and the prototype weren't far off from each other in terms of launch and spin. Biggest difference probably being the 50 yard backspin numbers but the std dev for the proto was pretty big. I may have had a 6500 spinner in there or something.

 

 

 

After that session I had no chance putting together enough good driver swings due to my back issues. I got to that today though and was really impressed by the results. If you go with the same efficiency then the AVX was about 0.5mph faster but that's splitting hairs with about 10 drives hit with each. But the proto launched slightly higher and spun slightly less so it ended up being four yards longer. Unfortunately I didn't hit the Tour Green because I ran out of time but I'll circle back to that at some point.

 

I'll put it through some more testing in the coming weeks and try to report back with a bigger sample size. But all things considered it seemed fairly comparable to the AVX. I may need a ball that spins more off the irons but that's on me.

Great recap and info! 

[Cfhandyman]

32 minutes ago, GolfSub70 said:

Hello everyone. Jay from Sub 70 here. First off, sincere apologies to the moderators and Titleist for my delay on my testing. I dealt with a herniated disc in my back two years ago and ended up going through PT and then getting an injection for it. I felt a shooting pain in the same area of my back when I was lifting something about 10 days ago and really haven't been able to swing a club without pain since then. I rested it for the last week and finally go to the point where I could reliably swing a club for more than 10 swings. 

I'll skip the box and ball photos since they are posted often earlier in this thread. I've switched ball models pretty often over the last year or two...Pro v1, AVX, Snell MTB-X, Tour BX, Clear Green and Black, etc. The biggest issue is that two years ago I was a very low driver spin and high iron spin player.  I'm talking like 1800 driver spin and 7000+ with a 7 iron. That has almost completely flipped due to some swing changes and now I tend to have pretty moderate driver spin (2400-2600) and lower iron spin. 

For these first testing sessions I hit shots with the Titleist test ball ("proto"), the AVX, and the Clear Tour Green ball. I started playing the AVX because I hit the ball extremely high and wanted to see if I could get something in a more penetrating window. I used Dynamic Gold S400 shafts for the 50 yard and 120 yard shots and then Project X 6.0 steel shaft for the 170 yards. I wasn't really surprised by much with these three yardages...except that the Tour Green spins like crazy. The AVX and the prototype weren't far off from each other in terms of launch and spin. Biggest difference probably being the 50 yard backspin numbers but the std dev for the proto was pretty big. I may have had a 6500 spinner in there or something.

 

 

 

After that session I had no chance putting together enough good driver swings due to my back issues. I got to that today though and was really impressed by the results. If you go with the same efficiency then the AVX was about 0.5mph faster but that's splitting hairs with about 10 drives hit with each. But the proto launched slightly higher and spun slightly less so it ended up being four yards longer. Unfortunately I didn't hit the Tour Green because I ran out of time but I'll circle back to that at some point.

 

I'll put it through some more testing in the coming weeks and try to report back with a bigger sample size. But all things considered it seemed fairly comparable to the AVX. I may need a ball that spins more off the irons but that's on me.

Very nice review and data. 

[Cfhandyman]

5 hours ago, jbern said:

I was able to get to my local simulator yesterday and collect some data on these TEST balls. I quoted my original on-course head-to-head for reference. In the simulator, I compared the Vice Pro (my usual gamer), MAXFLI Tour S and the Titleist TEST ball.

I used three different clubs, 50* AW, 7iron, and Driver. I hit 12 shots with each ball with each club and then removed the two worst shots for an average with 10 shots each. Having never done a data collection test in a simulator, I was surprised how close all the club speed data was for all clubs. The largest average club head speed delta was 0.4 mph and it was with the Driver. Unfortunately, the spin was NOT picking up on the simulator. The owner of the simulator popped in at the end of my session and we still couldn’t get the spin to pick up. So I’m not sure what was going on. Without the spin data, I was most interested in Carry Distance and Apex (Max Height).

Below is a chart of Carry Distance between each ball.

Below is a chart of the Apex between each ball.

The TEST ball had the farthest average driver carry at 277.4 yds. The MAXFLI Tour S had the farthest single shot at 282.7 yds. Going off carry distance data alone, the TEST ball would have the edge. In my previous on-course recap post the Vice Pro flew farther when the wind was not hurting. I prefer the lower ball flight of the TEST ball with the driver. Given the carry data is close and I prefer the lower flight of the TEST ball, I would give the edge to the TEST ball in the D-stick category.

With irons and full wedge shots, the winner is the MAXFLI Tour S. The carry distance was farther with both a 7iron and a 50* wedge and the height data was spot on with what I like. It sure would’ve been nice to have the spin numbers to determine a clear winner, but I tend to be a high spin player anyway, so I can’t imagine the MAXFLI spin numbers to be out of this world low. On course, the TEST ball flew too high for my liking on full iron shots, and this was confirmed with the simulator apex data.

Conclusion based on the simulator and on-course observations:

I liked the lower ball flight off the driver with the TEST ball, but I did not like the high ball flight with my irons. Distance and feel were fine on all full swing shots. I liked the lower approach shot spin of the TEST ball vs. the higher spinning Vice Pro, but I did not like the lower greenside spin of the TEST ball. Putter feel was not good, but I think I could get used to it over time. I preferred the Vice Pro the best off the putter.

TL;DR

I think I could get on fine with the TEST ball. Would I choose it or buy it? No.

Very nice review. Great graphs. Well done 

[Leonvdwesthuizen]

Thanks @HikingMike, much appreciated!

Yes, just one of so many courses in and around Cape Town, and so blessed to have played on many of them..

Apologies for the video, there seems to have been some gremlins not pulling through.

[Leonvdwesthuizen]

Thanks @Cfhandyman!

The courses are in such great shape for all the locals and golf tourists.. it really is a must visit!

Much appreciated!