Consumer Reports Golf Ball Review

[Big Brother Dunk]

Here's an interesting article from Consumer Reports after they tested 25 different brands of golf balls.

From the article:

To help you match a ball’s performance to your game, we tested 25 balls for factors every golfer should weigh: how far they travel, how much they spin, how accurately they fly, and how they feel (how hard or soft they seem when you hit, chip, or putt them).

If you're interested, here's the entire article:

Consumer Report on Golf Balls

 

[Davebud]

Looks like I might have to get some of those Nike's

Power Distance Super Soft, at 14 bucks a dozen, that looks like a heck of a deal.

 

[Big Brother Dunk]

Here are the top five on the list:

1 - Nike One Black 3-piece $41.
2 - Nike Power Distance Super Soft (CR Best Buy) 2-piece $14.
3 - Callaway HX Tour 56 3-piece $39.
4 - Titleist Pro V1 3-piece $44.
5 - Titleist Pro V1x 4-piece $44.

 

[Glenn70]

Thats a great find, thanks! I was a little disappointed though that they didn't review the NXT Tour which I play. They did the NXT, but not Tour.

 

[trob]

Sweet..I just bought a couple boxs of those nikes that came in 2nd. Dicks sporting goods was running 2 box's for 20 bucks.

BTW....A golf course I goto sells used nxt's for 9 bucks for a dozen balls. I don't a fast swing and I heard if you don't you shouldn't waste your time with nxt's. Is that true?

 

[Glenn70]

Depends on what you think fast is. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure NXT's are for people that swing in the 90-110 range, which I do.

Pro V1 and Pro V1x on the other hand are meant for those that swing 110+. Since its a 3 piece ball, if you don't swing at 110+, you're not getting to the core, thus not getting all you can out of the ball.

 

[Rockford35]

Glenn,

Great points. This was my problem with this study.

What they should have done was had one set of results at 85mph, one at 105mph and one at 115-120mph and compared the results.

That would have created an interesting look at how one ball works for a specific swing speed, while others will work at all swingspeeds (if that happens).

I agree with what you're saying, that the average guy out there won't probably see the full effects of using a Prov1 or a HX.56 unless they carry a SS of 100mph+....but i'm sure there are exceptions to that rule. However, without a comparison, it's tough to see those exceptions.

R35

 

[Glenn70]

Rock, you bet. I had an article printed out from a year ago that outlined precisely what you said about swing speeds and the balls that work best with them. I don't know what I did with it. I have to see if my buddy that gave it to me still has it.

As far as exceptions to the rule, yes, very true. However, personally, when I read that something isn't geared toward my swing, I try to avoid. When I get better, thats when I'll start looking into these types of things that will help me get my game to the next level. That, plus $45 a dozen is hard to justify when there a loads of articles claiming balls at half the price are just as good, if not better for hackers like me.

 

[Davebud]

Yeah but at less than 15 bucks a dozen

Those Nikes are worth a try, I am happy enough with the Noodles, but I am willing to try the Nikes just because they rated well and are cheap. If they do not work they will go into my shag balls that I hit out back in the field.

 

[Loop]

What they should have done was had one set of results at 85mph, one at 105mph and one at 115-120mph and compared the results.

That would have created an interesting look at how one ball works for a specific swing speed, while others will work at all swingspeeds (if that happens).
R35

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/golf-balls-506/the-tests-behind-the-ratings.htm

We used two swing speeds for our driver tests: 90 mph, to represent amateur swingers, and 110 mph, to represent the pros’ rate.

Rock,
Yes, it would have been nice to have the results for each, but I am a guessing they did a mean average, so when you get the full red dot, distance for all swing speed would be optimized...

 

[Rockford35]

Loop,

I disagree. I think merging the two into the red dot clouds the study entirely.

Ever wondered why a guy like me loves the HX Blue while the next guy loves the Precept Laddie? Similar balls, but built for two different game types.

I think segregating the swing speeds would create a better picture of what a certain golfer would like rather than just painting the whole thing red with one brushstroke.

R35

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Interesting, at least.

I may have to try a box of the Pinnacle Exceptions.

I will say the tests were spot on, at least to my experience, about the Maxfli Noodles not spinning well for a soft feel around the greens. I've found the Maxfli Revolution gets a bit more spin, though, although again, I've still seen them come off with too little spin sometimes to hold greens on what I thought were perfectly struck shots.

 

[Don]

I just looked at that report, and I have my doubts about the results. For one thing they tested at 90 and 110 MPH. They say 90 MPH is matched to amatuers. Truth is, according to all the Golf magazines I've read, 90 percent of golfers have a swing speed of less than 90. So who is this 90 MPH swing really for? And they show all but one or two balls as having at least "GOOD" spin. And if you think the Pinnacle Gold has "good" spin, I have news for you, it doesn't. I have a box of them right here, and it says "straight flight" right on the box. That means low spin, not good spin. Who is it that thinks the Gold has GOOD spin? Not me. I want numbers, not circles and dots. Todays Golfer did a test with a real live golfer, and gave the HX Hot top ratings for spin. Yet this test gives the Hot only Good spin. That's a far cry from top rated to only Good. If 90 percent of real live golfer have a swing speed below 90 MPH, what good is this report for that 90 percent of golfers? The answer is it's close to useless. And if all those golfers have a swing speed of less the 90 with a driver, you know their swing speed with an 8 iron will be below 75, not 90. Much less 110. I'm glad I didn't pay money for that issue of Consumer Reports.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Had some good luck

I decided to stop at a Dick's after work and look at a dozen of the Pinnacle Exceptions. I opened one up just to get a feel with my fingertips, and my impression was that the cover had a softer feel than the Maxfli Noodles or Revolutions. So that, along with how they were on sale for 12.49 a dozen, made me decide to buy the box and give these suckers a whirl.

Doing some pitches out on an open grassy area, the ball has more of a thump kind of noise versus the click you get on the distance balls. Here's how the balls I had available sound, going from thump kind of noise to click noise:

Thump ----- Click

Pinnacle Exceptions -- Maxfli Revolutions -- Maxfli Noodles -- Top Flite (clicks like you're hitting ceramic)

So I'm going to give them a try on the course tomorrow, in an evening round after work.

 

[obagain]

I think the confusion is the clubs.
When you hear that most amatures swing under 90 mph it is with a 5 iron. In this test it sounds like they were talking about drivers.
Most amatures swing a driver in the low 90's.