balls

[dave.]

I'm 20 years out of date with these things,having just returned to the game (I still have the old small Dunlop 65s in my practice bag!)

so what ball will satisfy the following;

cut proof cover (i hate the 'one bunker and its trashed' ball)
great feel around the green ie will bite
balata distance down wind,Pinnacle like into the wind

is I want a decent ball with feel that will not go out of shape after one thinned hack

any suggestions?

[dave.]

oh and i want low spin rate with the driver as well

[MAHALLEDAY]

I currently play Strata Tour plus' they are a decent ball though they do cut up easy. Many people will tell you that Top lfights are crappy but a decent ball I have found is the topflight xl3000. they are no pro v1 but they are cheap and preform well for the price. The nxt line from titleist is also a very good ball for a decent price. callaway and nike have some good offerings as well though I personally do not have much experiance with them. Wilson Smart cores were an excellent ball, Ithink you can still find some around. Precet u-tri's and laddies are great as well. I could go on for a while. Try any of these and you should find one you like. If all fails shell out 50 bucks and get some pro v1's, or some hogan hawks you realy cant go wrong

[Slingblade61]

my favs are Slazenger RAW distance (inexpensive and really long) having said that I should state for the record that I am not good enough to get a ball to backspin and hold a green in a way that makes me overly concerned with that particular characteristic in a golf ball.

I also like the Dunlop Loco
Maxfli revolution and Precept U-tri tour

I have never bought a box of pro V's but I have a collection of them that I have found here and there.

I also have a box of Callaway blues which were great the 2 times I hit them....the are next up for trials this season.

[Woosey]

i carry three difference kind of balls with me.


good round/important comp - Pro V1
ok round/ not to important comp - Taylor Made Balata
crap round - Strata's

my favourate has to be the V1, its an awesome ball, hit a nice high approach from 150 yards+ and you will see what the fuss is about

[Bama Duffer]

I'm a Noodle man myself. The original, not the rotini or the al dente. But take that with a grain of salt. I used to play Pinnacle Golds. The Noodles hold up well for me until they meet a tree or the cart path and the wind only occasionally affects the flight. And for me, they stop on a dime, fairway or green. That may be my ball flight.

I haven't hit the Top Flights in years other than at the range, but I'm not a fan. They really jar my arms up to the elbows. Odd thing about the xl3000's I've found are that they jam my shag bag. Makes me wonder if they're a little larger than other balls 'cause they're the only balls that do that.

[Rockford35]

I would put in my vote for Callaway HX Blues, but if you're sticky with the 'cut proof' ball, these may not be up your alley.

They aren't a true balata by any means, but they do hold up pretty decently. However, if they do have a knock, it's that wedges (at least mine do....anyone else have this happen?) eat the for lunch. If you have a super clean lie and snipe one, you can haul that bugger back 20 feet if you trap it properly. The only downside is that you eat the cover off the ball.

I can usually play an entire 18 with one ball without changing. But you'd be hard pressed to keep "your favorite ball" going round after round.

I've never played them, but the HX Hot is supposed to remedy this. It has a duralyn cover that's thicker and more hardy. But i guess it isn't really a replacement for the Blue. It's just that good.

I use to play Wilson Staff Smartcore Distance. Those balls were fantastic for longevity and better then average overall performance. Try some of those out. Cheap too.

R35

[Augster]

I play Pro V1's, or V1x's. I've gone back to V1's more recently. Sweet, sweet ball.

I'm kind of waiting for the Nike Platinums to come out this summer. They are the new ball Tiger is "secretly" playing.

I buy all my V1's on ebay used. I have ordered a bunch of times, and have never gotten a V1 with any kind of blemish used. Usually, you can get it down to about $1.50 per ball that way, which is a hell of a lot better than $3 per ball new.

On two separate occasions, I have played a V1 for over 100 holes. Even at the point that I lost it, it would perform as well as the start of the first round with it. No cuts or cracks, and incredibly long.

My back up, mudding/bad round ball is the Lady Precept. The older lady, not the newer one.

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by Augster

My back up, mudding/bad round ball is the Lady Precept. The older lady, not the newer one.

Do you mean the Laddie by Precept?

Cuz, if you play the "Lady" Precept....you know....it is cool...(snicker)...

R35

[DaveE]

I've been playing the HX Blues but in the past have found Pro V1 X-outs for around $20.00 a dozen. The have cosmetic defects only but aren't always available.

[mediaguru]

These days when you thin a ball it won't do any damage to it usually.

[dave.]

are Pro V1 Xs more suitable for a single figure handicapper? even when i played off 3,i always found balata to be difficult to use consistently due to high spin rates around the green,one out of ten would bite just to much for my liking

[JasonMacIsaac]

Pro V 1's warp and cut on me.....probably because of my swing speed. For gold balls I really like the Pro V1 X and Srixon Tour.

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by dave.

are Pro V1 Xs more suitable for a single figure handicapper? even when i played off 3,i always found balata to be difficult to use consistently due to high spin rates around the green,one out of ten would bite just to much for my liking

I think it has more to do with swing speed than handicap. Pro V1x is designed for higher swing speeds.

[cyberious]

My favorites were the Dunlop DDH 110s as they worked well for my swing speed. Since you can't find them anymore I've tried the NXT Tours, some Nikes, Callaways, and several others which aren't bad but with my swing speed it feels like I'm hitting a sponge. I've recently tried the Pinnacle Exceptions which seem to provide great distance, good spin control, and workability at a pretty good price ( about 18 USD at Edwin Watts). They "feel" right when you hit them also. I'd recommend going to a local shop that sells water trap balls pick one or two up of each and take them to the driving range...that is what I did. I think my shop charges like 8.99 per dozen for the water trap balls so I wasn't out alot of money when I hit them out onto the driving range. It is a good way to find your ball without spending 50 bucks on a dozen balls you don't like.