Maxfli TOUR X Golf Balls with Max Align Technology - 2024 Forum Review

[Mike10487]

On 3/25/2024 at 10:10 AM, vandyland said:

So, on the alignment front, I find the ALIGN technology is VERY easy to line up for putting and full shots than the Tour Response and the Triple track (for me). I believe that is the primary idea. It is not as easy to see the "true-ness" of the roll via the align technology once the ball is rolling as it is with the Tour Response. I don't believe Maxfli cares as much about that and frankly I don't either. But if you are practicing and want to see how straight the ball rolls, there are better balls for that. Many people may like the subtleness of the alignment on the Maxfli because it is not nearly as distracting as the Tour Response or the Srixon Divide balls. Just my two cents. 

Also, I shot a career low round (again!) at a different course. A -1 (71) in 10-15 mph winds so the ball held up great (both in the wind AND from a durability standpoint). A few highlights from the round if you will indulge me...

Never taken this line before on this hole but was feeling confident and just barely pulled it off. 

Also, squeezed driver into this spot whereas I normally layup short due to OB on both sides...

Overall, an amazing round and consistent distances and shapes out of the Maxfli Tour X. For a ball that spins as much as it does I am starting to see what people mean when they say "spin is control". It does what I want, I was getting 5 irons to stop 3 yds past their pitch mark on dormant bermuda greens. It was wild. 
 

 

Congratulations on the great round! Maxfli tour and tour X are an incredible ball at an incredible price point. 

[Mike10487]

On 3/25/2024 at 10:10 AM, vandyland said:

So, on the alignment front, I find the ALIGN technology is VERY easy to line up for putting and full shots than the Tour Response and the Triple track (for me). I believe that is the primary idea. It is not as easy to see the "true-ness" of the roll via the align technology once the ball is rolling as it is with the Tour Response. I don't believe Maxfli cares as much about that and frankly I don't either. But if you are practicing and want to see how straight the ball rolls, there are better balls for that. Many people may like the subtleness of the alignment on the Maxfli because it is not nearly as distracting as the Tour Response or the Srixon Divide balls. Just my two cents. 

Also, I shot a career low round (again!) at a different course. A -1 (71) in 10-15 mph winds so the ball held up great (both in the wind AND from a durability standpoint). A few highlights from the round if you will indulge me...

Never taken this line before on this hole but was feeling confident and just barely pulled it off. 

Also, squeezed driver into this spot whereas I normally layup short due to OB on both sides...

Overall, an amazing round and consistent distances and shapes out of the Maxfli Tour X. For a ball that spins as much as it does I am starting to see what people mean when they say "spin is control". It does what I want, I was getting 5 irons to stop 3 yds past their pitch mark on dormant bermuda greens. It was wild. 
 

 

 

Edited April 3 by Mike10487
duplicate

[Mike10487]

On 3/24/2024 at 12:03 PM, BobBC78 said:

As another data-point on the durability of Maxfli's, I have now played 2-rounds with the same Maxfli Tour (I also used it for a Trackman session in January) and would not hesitate to use it for my next round. These things are tough!

This is my thoughts as well. I question what everyone thinks the lifespan of a golf ball is. I've never had a Pro V last longer than 18 holes, which is why I refuse to use them at $55/doz. I've seen 80 holes mentioned. I've personally played over 40 holes with a single Maxfli tour, I cannot say that about another other tour quality ball. At what point does a ball "owe you nothing"? 

[knotthead17]

On 2/27/2024 at 12:54 AM, knotthead17 said:

BACKGROUND
Hey Spies! First time tester here! I’m currently 38 and will be coming up on 10 years of consistent golf soon. Over the years I’d guess I’ve been about 80% self-taught and was able to get down to a 4.7 handicap, however in 2022 I had to take a year off due to a shoulder surgery with a lengthy recovery. Post-surgery I’ve really struggled to get back to where I was. I’ve been hovering around a 7 handicap right now last few rounds have been right at 80, but on easier courses and moved up a set of tees (or two) for now. Every day I’m seeing substantial improvement and I’m more energized than ever to get back out there and swing away! Just in the last few weeks has my distance and spin really started to return. For reference--in Denver my 7 iron currently plays right at 192 yards (total yardage). In general, I think it’s fair to say I hit the ball further than most, and I struggle to spin the ball quite as much as I probably should.

BALL HISTORY
I play a lot of golf and historically have lost a lot of golf balls! I must admit for the longest time I was definitely the guy that would find balls on the course and play them regardless of type or condition. As I progressed, I started to get a little pickier with golf balls, but I still lost quite a few. That’s how I ended up playing vice balls. Finally, a ball with premium feel, great performance, but forgiving enough on the wallet whenever I opened up a new sleeve and proceeded to slice my first ball of the day into the native rough, never to be seen again.

I played Vice Pro Plus for many years and switched to Maxfli last year. When switching over I played both the Tour and Tour X. Since I’ve always been a low spin player, I tend to prefer a higher spinning ball (also due to altitude). After one case of each, I decided to stick with the Tour X

EXPECTATIONS:
I don’t have regular access to a simulator so most of my testing will be outdoors at Green Valley Ranch in Denver Colorado. I plan to put it through its paces at the practice facilities, as well as on course. A few of the other reviewers have really gone above and beyond and will be providing great trackman data along with an entire custom putting and chipping machine! I’m going to try and take a different angle of focusing on course. What’s it like playing with day-to-day? I will be using Titleist woods, Mizuno irons and wedges, and an enroll putter for the entirety of the test. More details in “About Me” if you're interested.

When evaluating, I’m going to treat it just like I have in the past when choosing a new ball to put into play. I’m sure this list looks different for everyone out there, but since I’m not relying on the performance of a golf ball to bring in a paycheck, I would probably have to put value as number one for me. I would love to say I don’t care about distance, but that would be a lie, even though I hit the ball plenty far, I will never complain about hitting it just a little bit further! 

1. Value – how does this ball perform compared to some of the highest performing balls on market? How does this ball compare to other balls in the same price range?* 
2. Distance – is there a sacrifice and distance when comparing this to the longest balls out there? MGS Ball Test 2023
3. Consistency – Does your savings upfront cost you on the course? MGS Ball Lab 2023 
4. Higher spin – being a low spin player, can I stop the ball when I need to?
5. Durable cover – assuming I can somehow keep a ball into play for more than around will this ball be able to hold up overtime? MGS Scuffs
6. Visuals - logo / alignment – do I like the looks of the ball? Does the alignment aid add or distract / distract?

I’m most excited to try out the new alignment markings as I do line up my putts using the ball alignment graphics. Here’s a good article on the topic. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (7 out of 10)
Whenever I first saw this new alignment graphics online I was afraid it was going to be too big and too busy. One of the first things I noticed when I opened the box is the alignment graphics are smaller than I expected. Don’t get me wrong, there's still a lot going on however the entirety of the graphics are still narrower and more subdued than I thought it would be. The fine lines make it more discrete than expected. Also, the lack of color when compared to something like triple track or tour response track adds to the balanced feel of the graphics.

MAX ALIGN (10 out of 10)
Getting it out on course and next to other alignment balls I quickly noticed all the alignment graphics on different balls were all the exact same width. I would not have guessed that without placing them side by side. I’m not sure who decided that was the proper size, but it looks like everyone is sticking with it. Even though they’re all the same width I would say, they don’t look the same. Comparing the Maxfli to triple track, I think triple track is much more distracting and a much more prominent graphic. It took me a little while to figure out why, but I think it really comes down to the blue and red versus black only. The same is true for pretty much all the other alignment balls I put it up against. 

My initial impressions were that it’s just another line and it doesn’t make as much of a difference. I think I still preferred the Vice Kil line over any I’ve used. It’s simple yet bold. After putting around with it for a few minutes, my initial impressions seem to start to fade away. I have to say whenever you roll a great putt it is so satisfying to watch. 

It probably took three or four days for me to really start to get used to seeing and playing with the ball. And after my first few weeks, I decided to go back to my old favorite the Vice Kil Line as a comparison. I think this was the big aha moment for me, I was surprised at how little I liked the small thin line after putting with the ball for a while. I really grew fond of using the Max Align ball far more so than I thought I would. 

EXPECTATIONS (16 out of 20)
Value – As of April 1st the price per Maxfli Tour X delivered to my house is $ 2.73. That price hasn’t changed much in two years. You won’t find them for more or less than that. Next up, the Pro V1 – $ 4.77 per ball for the same quantity delivered as well. Lastly, Vice Pro Plus comes in at $ 2.90 per ball delivered, however they will run specials that can get the price down to $ 2.31 from what I’ve seen.*

Distance – I can’t tell any real on course difference with my driver, and my iron numbers are quite strong. I’d say you aren’t leaving anything meaningful on the table playing a Maxfli Tour ball over the most expensive balls on the market. Here’s a link to the best data you will find on the subject.

Consistency – Once again, I didn’t notice any negative impacts from lack of consistency on the course but for the most detailed data check out: MGS Ball Lab constancy results. 

Higher Spin – This ball comes down steep and stops quickly. If that’s what you are looking for it delivers. If you tend to spin the ball a bit much, stick with the Tour instead of the Tour X

Durable – Okay here’s the biggest shortcoming I have found. You can see the pics below from bunker, testing, and a single wedge shot--It was quick to show wear on the course, whether it found a tree, cart path, or just a bunch of fairways.

Visuals – I was nervous about the looks, but it has really grown on me, and I do enjoy the looks now. 

(one full swing wedge shot (left) one bunker shot (right)

On The Course (16 out of 20)
Off the Tee – This ball is long off the tee, and there’s not really a downside to it. I don’t find myself hitting or missing fairways any differently than other premium balls. More often than not, I’m in the ideal spin window however I could see this ball quickly overspinning for many players. As far as using the alignment aid off the tee, I’m too lazy. I tried it a few times, but I quickly found myself sticking a tee in the ground and leaving the ball misaligned. It didn’t bother me and I plan to play that way going forward.

Approach – The course I play on tends to have firm fast greens that can be difficult to hold. It’s another reason why I lean towards a higher spinning, higher launching ball and this ball held pretty much every time. I know some people were curious about how the alignment aid would look sitting on the ground after your tea shot, that’s not really something that bothers me, but I included a picture for those of you who want to see it.

Around the Green – This ball makes me smile. I just can’t help but feel like a kid watching a 50-yard shot one hop stop. It’s such a joy. It’s super predictable around the greens and checks up whenever I want. Is it completely necessary, maybe not, does it make golf more fun absolutely.

Putting – the firmness of the ball off the tee and the iron carries over to the putter as well, but still feels and sounds good. 

Wind – My initial thoughts were that this ball could still play well in wind but after a few windy shots into greens I found that it will get eaten up a bit more than others. I will seriously consider grabbing a box of the standard tour ball for both windy days and trips to sea level.

Feel – This is the firmest premium ball I’ve played. I think if it weren’t for having the knowledge that compression is king, I would find myself playing another ball because of the feel. It’s not a bad feeling, but it’s different enough for what I’m used to where I do notice it, not in a good way. It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the field/sound. It’s somehow both a premium urethane cover ball, but also has a clickiness of a bargain bin ball at the same time. It’s less noticeable whenever you flush a shot, but there’s still a subtle clickiness. When you miss the center, you know it.

The Good, the bad, the in-between (15 out of 20)
Good:             Price & Distance & Max Align
Bad:                Durability
In-between:   Firm Feel

Play it or Trade it? (16 out of 20)
Play it. I will absolutely be shopping for the Max Align graphic next time I buy a case of Maxfli balls. As someone who is looking to save a few dollars, prefers to line up their putts--I feel like this ball was basically made for me. If you don’t line up your putts, there’s no need for the alignment version, but it’s still a great ball without that. Really the only point deduction here is for durability. Although an affordable ball for the performance, I find myself going through more balls than I’d like due to wear. 

CONCLUSION:
This ball is firm and fast. One of the longest and most consistent balls for the price. Although durability isn’t quite up to the level of something like a Pro V1, the cost is hard to beat. As for Max Align, it’s going to stay in my bag for a while longer. As someone who lines up their putts, I found it easier to line up compared to all other alignment balls on the market, a joy to watch roll, and not too distracting. If you like to line up your putts, you should try a sleeve.

Final Score 80 out of 100

* Price references below (click to enlarge)

Just put the finishing touches on my main review. Updates to come of course. Is there any other testing requests we haven't hit on yet or questions about anything?

[vandyland]

Played 9 holes this weekend again. No issues with ball durability (I am thinking it is all down to cartpath/trees that do the damage, not clubs in my experience). Also, had a 168 to the flag into a 15 mph headwind. That is usually a 7 iron with no wind so I took a 6 iron (carries 175-180) to account for the wind and....flew it about 175  on to the back of the green. This was good, in a way, because I always worry about spinny golf balls into the wind. Not really an issue there. Also, got a few questions about the alignment on the golf ball as I jarred like 3 putts in a row from outside 10 feet. I think I CONVERTED someone! Haha. He tried out the ball and lining it up and let him use my ball for all his putts from hole 6 - 9. He 2 putted twice and made a 12 footer. Prior to that he had two 3 putts and hadn't really made anything all day. I told him he just needed to see something different, his stroke looked fine to me. Oh, and I shot even par and hit one of the longest drives I have hit this year. So, yeah, this ball is checking the boxes.

Also, not to be tacky, these balls are $39.99 for a dozen vs 54.99 for a dozen of ProV1x. I usually buy 36 balls per year, give or take. That is $45 right there which covers at least 27 holes at our best muni. I will take that for no (noticeable) drop in numbers, a better alignment feature and I can EASILY pick out my ball on the fairway/green/etc. Everyone knows it is my ball (for now until more and more people start playing this ball!). 

Edited April 3 by vandyland

[vandyland]

Got in a little more chipping and pitching work with these. They do what I expect and I am loving the control. Holed out a number of times and even holed out on my second chip of the day!

 

[RDel90]

On 4/3/2024 at 11:33 AM, vandyland said:

Also, not to be tacky, these balls are $39.99 for a dozen vs 54.99 for a dozen of ProV1x. 

Dick's/GG often runs 4 dozen for $120 specials so down to $30/dozen if you go that route and set for more than a year!! Right now they have the max align 2 doz for $70 (sorry I originally put $75) and the non-max align 4 doz/$120. 

I had a $20 gift credit so I actually got my 4 doz max align for $100!!

Edited April 4 by RDel90
wrong price

[vandyland]

Test for the YouTube channel short video uploads. Want to see what a short displays like:

Vs a regular video upload:

 

Edited April 4 by vandyland

[GolferXY]

The chipping video played flawlessly, the putting stuttered just a tad at the beginning but both were better than the videos uploaded directly to the chat.

Edited April 4 by GolferXY

[tdc1]

5 hours ago, vandyland said:

Got in a little more chipping and pitching work with these. They do what I expect and I am loving the control. Holed out a number of times and even holed out on my second chip of the day!

 

Now you're just showing off! 

[Rob Person]

I saw no issues with either video. Nice chip in

[brogies]

My final review is posted!

[brogies]

On 4/3/2024 at 11:33 AM, vandyland said:

Also, not to be tacky, these balls are $39.99 for a dozen vs 54.99 for a dozen of ProV1x. I usually buy 36 balls per year, give or take. That is $45 right there which covers at least 27 holes at our best muni. I will take that for no (noticeable) drop in numbers, a better alignment feature and I can EASILY pick out my ball on the fairway/green/etc. Everyone knows it is my ball (for now until more and more people start playing this ball!). 

You only buy 36 balls per year? I played a muddy round yesterday and lost four .

[knotthead17]

2 hours ago, brogies said:

You only buy 36 balls per year? I played a muddy round yesterday and lost four .

Yeah same, the way I play golf sometimes the green fee is the cheapest aspect of a round! Haha 

[vandyland]

Closed out my testing with my final round in the testing window this weekend. Not that anyone cares what anyone else shoots but I shot 71 with 5 birdies which is basically a 0 differential. My rounds with the Maxfli Tour X align:

4/6/2024 - 71 (0.8 differential)
3/28/2024 - 76 (5.7 differential)
3/24/2024 - 71 (2.6 differential)
3/20/2024 - 73 (3.0 differential)
3/15/2024 - 73 (3.0 differential)
3/9/2024 - 73 (0.4 differential)

5 rounds immediately preceding the switch to the Maxfli Tour X (ProV1x):

3/4/2024 - 83 (10.5 differential)
2/18/2024 - 78 (8.1 differential)
2/17/2024 - 84 (16 differential)
2/11/2024 - 79 (7.0 differential)
2/4/2024 - 83 (10.5 differential)

Is it ALL down to the ball? Probably not. There was some bad weather in February but I can't ignore how well I have been playing with the new ball. Also, strokes gained putting is now positive most every round which it was not before. Alignment aid in full effect there along with CG balance. Very pleased with what might be my most important gear switch this year. 
 

[RDel90]

5 hours ago, brogies said:

You only buy 36 balls per year? I played a muddy round yesterday and lost four .

It is also imperative to sacrifice at least 1 ball per round to the golf water god! The last thing needed is bad juju for the next round! 

[vandyland]

One more shoutout to @EnderinAZ, his review is unlike any other I have seen before and I mean that as a compliment. I feel very good about my review but if you want to really see how this ball, especially visually, stacks up against other balls his videos do an excellent job on showing the roll and setup. Also, I don't want to bury the lede on how labor intensive the building of his chipper/putter looks. Great stuff!

[EnderinAZ]

Thanks, @vandyland. I had a good time doing the review.

[scotter032]

I'll have mine completed tomorrow. I've been a little out of pocket this week...

[buckpillar]

On 4/9/2024 at 7:10 AM, scotter032 said:

I'll have mine completed tomorrow. I've been a little out of pocket this week...

How does it feel being at/on such a sacred place?

[scotter032]

4 hours ago, buckpillar said:

How does it feel being at/on such a sacred place?

Honestly, initially I thought I was at Disney with the lines and how everything was so "mechanical" in process, yet so functional. The food was incredible with price and quality. The peach moon pie was amazing, and when I finally broke down for a beer, $6 was very reasonable for the official beer of the Masters... There's no way to truly explain that course to anyone unless you've been there... The elevations, spotless fairways and rough, and the southern courtesy you receive from the concessions to the merchandise area to the bathrooms.... EVERYONE makes sure you are happy. It truly is an event like no other.

Edited April 10 by scotter032

[buckpillar]

22 minutes ago, scotter032 said:

Honestly, initially I thought I was at Disney with the lines and how everything was so "mechanical" in process, yet so functional. The food was incredible with price and quality. The peach moon pie was amazing, and when I finally broke down for a beer, $6 was very reasonable for the official beer of the Masters... There's no way to truly explain that course to anyone unless you've been there... The elevations, spotless fairways and rough, and the southern courtesy you receive from the concessions to the merchandise area to the bathrooms.... EVERYONE makes sure you are happy. It truly is an event like no other.

Food and beer is cheaper than going to a ballgame or football game. Glad you got to have the experience. My friend a PGA Professional took his dad a few years ago and brought me back some great souvenirs. I’m jealous… but enjoy every minute.

 

[scotter032]

28 minutes ago, buckpillar said:

Food and beer is cheaper than going to a ballgame or football game. Glad you got to have the experience. My friend a PGA Professional took his dad a few years ago and brought me back some great souvenirs. I’m jealous… but enjoy every minute.

 

I'm WAAAAAAAYYY to deep in now with gifts hope the love is returned... What was cheap with food is the complete opposite with the merch store... Didn't care, who knows if I'll ever be blessed again. 

[buckpillar]

5 minutes ago, scotter032 said:

I'm WAAAAAAAYYY to deep in now with gifts hope the love is returned... What was cheap with food is the complete opposite with the merch store... Didn't care, who knows if I'll ever be blessed again. 

I'm still trying to get there, Congratulations, are you going to be there all week?

 

[brogies]

Just curious, did anyone buy these max align version of the Maxfli Tours because of the reviews?

[GolferXY]

Good question.  I stocked up on balls in the offseason, but I'm going to buy a dozen to give to combatants in my Father's Day tournament.

[RDel90]

On 4/15/2024 at 7:43 PM, brogies said:

Just curious, did anyone buy these max align version of the Maxfli Tours because of the reviews?

Partially. Maxfli has been my gamer anyways and I was due to buy some new balls. So figured why not try the Max Align since they were on sale. The rollout data from the AM9000 indicating quality consistency strengthened my choice.

[GolfSpy_APH]

On 2/27/2024 at 8:54 AM, scotter032 said:

Gooooood mooooooorning Golf Spies! (In my best Robin Williams radio voice of course) Scott Reinholt here checking in to drop a little education for the nation.

Standing 5'7", weighing in at a robust 200lbs, hailing from Fort Wayne, IN, now residing in St Augustine, FL- FIGHTING to provide you the best in reviews on the MAXFLI X with the new Alignment Arrows... See what I did there?!? A little Michael Buffer to enjoy with your coffee as well. 

In all seriousness, thanks to the MyGolfSpy team for providing the opportunity to review this for everyone. I'm excited to do this and hopefully you'll find it educational and potentially answer all this questions as to whether this is a fit for your games or not. Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the delay in my "who is this guy?" intro. 

I've been playing golf since 12, so 30 years now. I took lessons at that point in my youth and spent most of my summers walking the course in trying to perfect my game. By 18 I had a very respectable game but never took it any farther due to my involvement and commitment in baseball. I played this through college, and along with some back issues I had to put my golf game to rest until about 2 years ago. I found some resolution to my hereditary issues with my back, and (as John Wick would say) oh yeah I'd say I'm back! At this point I'm trying to get my swing back and control a 20 handicap. My friends never believe I'm an 18 because I do strike the ball well overall, but in the end the score tells all...

This test is an interesting one for me as I currently game the MAXFLI Tour with the standard alignment aid, so if this X Tour with the new arrows can help with aligning my putting and driving it would be glorious. I'm certainly a weekend warrior, a Sunday hacker, a Saturday slapper.... I'm have an obsession with this game and am constantly tinkering around. My wife is either very patient and loves me or is saving up her card for something huge she is looking to get.... I'm getting anxious either way...

So that's a little about me. You'll get to know me much better as we put this club to the test. I hope you all have a fantastic Players week and don't hesitate to drop me a comment! 

So? What are your final results?

[scotter032]

7 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

So? What are your final results?

I'm sorry I had a tornado hit my house so I've been a little preoccupied trying to deal with roofers, cage builders, paver repairmen, and the insurance company the past week and a half. I will get this completed this weekend for you! My apologies.....

[GolfSpy_APH]

7 minutes ago, scotter032 said:

I'm sorry I had a tornado hit my house so I've been a little preoccupied trying to deal with roofers, cage builders, paver repairmen, and the insurance company the past week and a half. I will get this completed this weekend for you! My apologies.....

Hope everyone is safe and sound!