Snell MTB Review with Launch Data

I just got back from a golf vacation and played 6 rounds in in 3 days. Most of those rounds were with the My Tour Ball. This season I've been playing with the 2015 Pro V1x; last year was the Tour Preferred X...

Overall, I thing the MTB is a very fine golf ball. Here is the good:

• I played at Gamble Sands in Eastern Washington one of the days and it was blowing hard enough to move the ball at address putting and when it was teed up. I found it to be very good in the wind. About equal to the Pro V1x. Maybe a touch better.
  
• Around the green, I liked the MTB a little better than the Pro V1x. It putted a little softer.
  
• Off the tee, the Pro V1x and MTB were about the same. I liked the feel of the MTB better.
  
• Iron wise, the MTB was better feeling by a good amount. They performed about the same on full shots.
  
• Wear was slightly better than Pro V1x. It's by no means impervious, but the wedge marks didn't seem as deep.
  

Here is the bad:

• The shipping was slow. Snell is on the east coast and I live in Washington. It took a full week to get the balls. Snell needs to fix this fast. Say I make this ball my ball... If I have a bad weekend and run low on balls, I would make a new order on Monday and still not have new balls in time for the following weekend. 3 day shipping should be standard.
  
• This ball will not hold permanent ink. I need to paint my house in this stuff for when my kids draw on the walls... You will have to reapply your ink several times though the round. This is really a pain if you use a line to lineup your putts and don't want to see "MY TOUR BALL" staring you in the face.
  

After I got back from my trip I was talking the MTB up quite a bit to my buddy who is a golf pro. He let me hit several balls into the net with the Flight Scope. I play Mizuno JPX-825s so the 6 iron is closer to a 5.5 iron. These were all draws, each ball spun about 1,100 RPM more for a fade.

Picture of a ProV1x and a Snell.

Thanks for the data, would love to see you do this with a Vice ball as well...been eying these two companies.

(maybe a B300 in the mix too)

Is the Titleist Pro V1X the 2015 model?

[quote name='dciman1' timestamp='1431866102' post='11572972']
Is the Titleist Pro V1X the 2015 model?
[/quote]

Yes indeed.

Thx for the #'s...did you notice much of a difference in overall flight/launch with the MTB vs. Any of the others? When you say you liked the feel of it better than the 1x, do you mean it felt softer?

[quote name='ode1' timestamp='1431872373' post='11573330']
Thx for the #'s...did you notice much of a difference in overall flight/launch with the MTB vs. Any of the others? When you say you liked the feel of it better than the 1x, do you mean it felt softer?
[/quote]

It is aldente. It a little softer but not mushy off the driver. Putting and driving, the MTB felt pretty close to perfect. With the irons, the V1x and MTB are a tie. I felt like the Srixons were clicky. I played the Z Star XV in yellow years ago. I didn't remember them being so clicky...

The V1x and MTB are very similar. I actually felt the dimples on the MTB did a little better in the wind than the V1x...

Ok thx....one of my favorite balls is the xv and it is firm...love the performance ... but wish it had a bit more greenside spin, which is the only complaint.

The dimple pattern and depth on the Snell is very reminiscent of the Red LDP.

I changed my gamer into MTB from B300s.

I love what b330s gives me, but MTB is a touch better in most shots.

Fantastic review! Thanks for putting this out here for us.

Nice data. Nice PV1x alternative.

Wish we could see more ball tests like this.

I just got back from a golf vacation and played 6 rounds in in 3 days. Most of those rounds were with the My Tour Ball. This season I've been playing with the 2015 Pro V1x; last year was the Tour Preferred X...

 

Overall, I thing the MTB is a very fine golf ball. Here is the good:

• I played at Gamble Sands in Eastern Washington one of the days and it was blowing hard enough to move the ball at address putting and when it was teed up. I found it to be very good in the wind. About equal to the Pro V1x. Maybe a touch better.
  
• Around the green, I liked the MTB a little better than the Pro V1x. It putted a little softer.
  
• Off the tee, the Pro V1x and MTB were about the same. I liked the feel of the MTB better.
  
• Iron wise, the MTB was better feeling by a good amount. They performed about the same on full shots.
  
• Wear was slightly better than Pro V1x. It's by no means impervious, but the wedge marks didn't seem as deep.
  

Here is the bad:

• The shipping was slow. Snell is on the east coast and I live in Washington. It took a full week to get the balls. Snell needs to fix this fast. Say I make this ball my ball... If I have a bad weekend and run low on balls, I would make a new order on Monday and still not have new balls in time for the following weekend. 3 day shipping should be standard.
  
• This ball will not hold permanent ink. I need to paint my house in this stuff for when my kids draw on the walls... You will have to reapply your ink several times though the round. This is really a pain if you use a line to lineup your putts and don't want to see "MY TOUR BALL" staring you in the face.
  

After I got back from my trip I was talking the MTB up quite a bit to my buddy who is a golf pro. He let me hit several balls into the net with the Flight Scope. I play Mizuno JPX-825s so the 6 iron is closer to a 5.5 iron. These were all draws, each ball spun about 1,100 RPM more for a fade.

 

 

Picture of a ProV1x and a Snell.

Thank you very much for the review. Very detailed and measures performance from tee to green. Appreciate the time to both test and write review.

This review is what pushed me over the edge to order a dozen. I love it when forum members bust out some analytics like this to back up their observations. Testing clubs on big box launch monitors is relatively easy but testing balls is much harder.

Best of luck to Snell and his company. I'm definitely rooting for him and his innovative style. Golf needs a win right now with all the bad news that keeps piling up and a small business like this would make for a great underdog story.

I concur with the al dente feel of the Snell. Not as firm as a Pro V1X to me but a bit firmer than the Pro V1. Can't beat this ball for the money.

I also concur with the shipping. They should get these things out faster.

I'm fine with the ink coming off, since I don't really like their logo font or the "my tour ball" name.

[quote name='DevilDog' timestamp='1432063567' post='11587818']
I concur with the al dente feel of the Snell. Not as firm as a Pro V1X to me but a bit firmer than the Pro V1. Can't beat this ball for the money.

I also concur with the shipping. They should get these things out faster.
[/quote]
We are actually looking to add an option for next day or 2nd shipping. Working on rates now to see cost. Will update you soon.

4 day free is what I want. I feel like I shoukd be able to order them on Monday morning and have them for the weekend. Once you add 7 bucks for 2 day I'm close to just buying ProV1x's when I need them...

4 day free is what I want. I feel like I shoukd be able to order them on Monday morning and have them for the weekend. Once you add 7 bucks for 2 day I'm close to just buying ProV1x's when I need them...

We will look at best options.. Today we deliver free shipping so there is not cost.. I completely agree that this can be lengthy when going cross country. Once we have the rates secured we can look at the cost. Appreciate the feedback.

Hey Snell, glad to see you guys are alive and didn't recently get sued by Titleist like almost everyone else.

USPS Priority might be a worthwhile shipping option, no? I've been shipping a bunch of stuff on eBay over the past few months all over the country (including to CA and NY), and most shipments arrived in 3 days (even shipped to Australia in 10 days). Flat rate shipping cost, tracking# provided, and they provide the boxes.

[quote name='nova6868' timestamp='1432063784' post='11587846']
I'm fine with the ink coming off, since I don't really like their logo font or the "my tour ball" name.
[/quote]

It's exactly the opposite. I like an permanent ink line in the ball. It wears of in a hole or two. You're stuck with "MY TOUR BALL"

Great review, thanks!

Awesome review- every round I've played this year has been with the Snell MTB! I too thought of it as my favorite ball since the Taylormade TP Red LDP!!!

I just placed an order for a box of Snell balls, looking forward to playing them against the Vice balls and my beloved Bridgestone B330

[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1432266339' post='11606088']
Awesome review- every round I've played this year has been with the Snell MTB! I too thought of it as my favorite ball since the Taylormade TP Red LDP!!!
[/quote]

The perfect way to describe the Snell MTB is a slightly softer, slightly less spinning, slightly longer, slightly more durable Red LDP. Maybe with a slightly more annoying alignment stamp. But I think I can live with that...

I have to agree, not the biggest fan of the logo but that's not the end of the world.

I love the way that Vice has the name of the ball model on there, with the black line already on the ball. My Snell balls should be here next week, can't wait to test these two out.

[attachment=2769186:Vice-Drive-Golf-Balls_Default_ALT15_550.jpeg]

I actually like the Snell logo... I don't mind the name "My Tour Ball" on the side either- not really much different than anything else that is out there.

Yeah the only issue is that whatever coating is on the ball apparently makes it hard for sharpie to stay on there....at least, that's what I think the OP meant when he was saying he wished he could paint his walls with that stuff

I'm not a big fan of the Vice mark either. The best would be grey like the Pro V1... It's understated so it doeant blast you in the face in iron shots. Also if you want to color over it with a different color, you can do that too.

Yeah, I can understand that....I seem to have bad luck with the sharpie line stencils for balls, they never let me get a nice even line. I can almost get a better line on the ball free hand. But for me I alwyas have a black line on the ball so the thing on the Vice is a bonus.

But I wanted to see if I read you correctly, the Snell balls don't hold sharpie very well correct?