Callaway Tour I & Tour IX Review

Earlier last week Ryan sent me a sleeve of each new Callaway Ball (Tour I and Tour Ix) for testing, with the condition that I write a review before Masters weekend (They came in a sweet box BTW). I had a chance to play 2 rounds with the new balls and stacked them up against the new Taylormade LDP's (Black/Red) Bridgestone B330/B330's, HX Tour 56, and Pro V1 and 1x.

First I want to say that the Tour I ball is essentially a Proto as the production/retail has been pushed back. I took a few main factors into my review of these new balls; Greenside spin/Full shot spin, feel (highly subjective), Distance/Driver spin, workability, and Durability.


Greenside Spin/Full shot (Short iron spin) -

This is such a crucial category when I'm picking a ball, I really enjoy hitting little 30 yard shots with my lob wedge that either 2 hop and stop or just bite hard. Long bunker shots that just hit the green and rip to the right, I really do find a ton of enjoyment in playing around with spin with my wedges and although its not always the best play (simmer down mister 7 iron punch and run) its fun to imagine shots and execute them with the 58. With that being said both of these balls performed top notch in this category, the covers are almost sticky (similar to the pervious HX Tour models) and man do they bite hard. Any shot you can imagine from 60 yards and in both the Tour I and IX will perform perfectly. Beat out both Bridgestone balls in this category, and might have had a slight edge over the TM LDP's and Pro V1's.
Full shot spin with the wedges was very good, but not frustratingly good (like the Nike One Platinum that can often times spin right off the green). The edge goes slightly to the Tour I with half wedge shots and specialty shots because the feel of the ball is softer and it does bite just a tad harder, however on full wedge shots they performed VERY similar. Both balls will check up and spin back but not 15 yards :).

Tour I and IX both get a 10 in this category.

Feel -

Well this is really tough to give a review on, but I will try. Both balls felt good, very solid on full iron shots and the driver (responsive/solid off the face). The balls definitely have a distinct feel off the Driver, tough to explain but its evident (not bad really, but as I stated before feel is entirely subjective; more so in the IX than the I). Feel off the Putter was much better with the Tour I, than the IX. I prefer the Pro V1 and TM LDP balls off the putter, but the Tour I was close (the Tour IX was lacking somewhat off the putter IMO).

The Tour I gets a 8 in this category.
The Tour IX gets a 7.

Distance/Driver Spin -

I've been having a lot of difficulty with my driver at the moment, the VS Proto is spinning way too much for my SS, so dispersion and distance haven't been that great (a lot can be attributed to my less than perfect swing). However there was a significant increase in both distance and dispersion, similar to what I experience with TM's new LDP balls but better. The Tour IX got the edge here as expected but not by much (maybe 5 yards, very tough to tell as the angles I took on each drive weren't the exact same). These balls are definitely LONG and you aren't giving up any greenside spin with the added length off the Tee

Tour IX gets a 10
Tour I get a 9

Workability -

I do get myself into some trouble off the Tee, my driving accuracy is a weak point and I noticed a definite increase in dispersion with both of these balls (as stated above)...but that doesn't mean I didn't put myself in a few situations where I needed to hook/slice a ball around some tree in order to try and hit the green. The balls don't want to move much in either direction, they just want to go straight or move a little (5-10 yards) in each direction max. This is nothing new/surprising as this has been the trade off with the new balls that spin less off the driver and give you more distance. Nike One Platinum still rains supreme in this category.

Tour I gets a 7
Tour IX gets a 7

Durability -

Durability was a complete run-away for the Tour IX. Every premium ball i've tested gets annihilated by the new grooves (Y-Cutters in my instance) thats just the way it is with these soft Urethane covers. Some balls are more durable (new B330) and the Tour IX is definitely one of the most durable balls i've tested. You could play a full round with one ball, and I did. It scuffs like every other ball, but not much at all with virtually no tearing (nothing that would make you take the ball out of play...See Pictures)
The Tour I however did not perform so well in this category, on hole number 2 (a short 380 yard par 4) I had a full lob wedge into the green (front pin location). I caught it very clean and the ball did exactly what I wanted it to, landed about 7 yards past the pin and zipped back to about 3 feet. When I get up to the green and marked my ball I noticed two gashes and a huge scuff (See pictures). Remember this is an early release ball, I'm assuming this is one of the issues Callaway addressed.

Tour IX - 10
Tour I - 7

After my testing I was very pleased with both balls (other than the durability of the Tour I) and could definitely game both balls (if they do fix the durability of the Tour I). I gave the slight edge to the IX as it was much more durable and performed equal to or better in every category except for feel off the putter. I recommend you pick up a sleeve of these balls to see how they perform for you, they live up to the hype the silly good ball commercials claim (not that those commercials still aren't a little cheesy). I had my partners asking about these balls before I got them due to those commercials so Callaway must be doing something right with their advertising dollars :). I let my buddy test both balls out also and he pretty much agreed with everything I observed, and was blown away at how long they were off the Driver for him (He can bomb a 300 yard + drive and had 3 the round we played). Callaway has a winner here boys!
Thanks again Ryan!

Excellent review Pete! Appreciate you taking the time to do this.

 

Thanks again!

Now that is what I call an awesome review!!! :good:

:good:

That was a great review. I've been hearing buzz about the new Callaway balls for a while now. Hopefully they can fix the durability of the i without sacrificing too much. It'll be neat to stack it up against the Z-URS--I doubt it can knock it out, but it'll be good to keep the Srixon honest. Danke for taking the time Shagshow.

Great review..I recently switched over and I couldnt agree more!! A fantastic ball indeed!!

No problem guys, thanks for the compliments :good:. I really just have to thank Ryan, as this was a lot of fun. Both of those balls are now in my shag bag rotation and still performing well (I practice an hour of chipping/putting everyday before long game)...the bag is comprised of new TM LDP Blacks/Reds Pro V1/X's and B330's. Geo I need to test the Srixon balls badly, I haven't heard a single negative comment about them thus far...looks like I'll be spending another 40 bucks at the golf shop :cheesy:.

No problem guys, thanks for the compliments :cheesy:. I really just have to thank Ryan, as this was a lot of fun. Both of those balls are now in my shag bag rotation and still performing well (I practice an hour of chipping/putting everyday before long game)...the bag is comprised of new TM LDP Blacks/Reds Pro V1/X's and B330's. Geo I need to test the Srixon balls badly, I haven't heard a single negative comment about them thus far...looks like I'll be spending another 40 bucks at the golf shop :cheesy:.

 

No need for that, PM me your addy and I'll drop some in the mail--esp. if you can put up a similar review to this.

 

edit: and by "similar" i mean "in depth, with pictures." not necessarily glowing...i don't work for srixon, i'm just a fan. :good:

I'd be more than happy to write up a review (Same format) with detailed pictures! As you can tell I'm pretty honest (see Tour I pictures) :good:.

Earlier last week Ryan sent me a sleeve of each new Callaway Ball (Tour I and Tour Ix) for testing, with the condition that I write a review before Masters weekend (They came in a sweet box BTW). I had a chance to play 2 rounds with the new balls and stacked them up against the new Taylormade LDP's (Black/Red) Bridgestone B330/B330's, HX Tour 56, and Pro V1 and 1x.

 

First I want to say that the Tour I ball is essentially a Proto as the production/retail has been pushed back. I took a few main factors into my review of these new balls; Greenside spin/Full shot spin, feel (highly subjective), Distance/Driver spin, workability, and Durability.

 

 

Greenside Spin/Full shot (Short iron spin) -

 

This is such a crucial category when I'm picking a ball, I really enjoy hitting little 30 yard shots with my lob wedge that either 2 hop and stop or just bite hard. Long bunker shots that just hit the green and rip to the right, I really do find a ton of enjoyment in playing around with spin with my wedges and although its not always the best play (simmer down mister 7 iron punch and run) its fun to imagine shots and execute them with the 58. With that being said both of these balls performed top notch in this category, the covers are almost sticky (similar to the pervious HX Tour models) and man do they bite hard. Any shot you can imagine from 60 yards and in both the Tour I and IX will perform perfectly. Beat out both Bridgestone balls in this category, and might have had a slight edge over the TM LDP's and Pro V1's.

Full shot spin with the wedges was very good, but not frustratingly good (like the Nike One Platinum that can often times spin right off the green). The edge goes slightly to the Tour I with half wedge shots and specialty shots because the feel of the ball is softer and it does bite just a tad harder, however on full wedge shots they performed VERY similar. Both balls will check up and spin back but not 15 yards :good:.

 

Tour I and IX both get a 10 in this category.

 

Feel -

 

Well this is really tough to give a review on, but I will try. Both balls felt good, very solid on full iron shots and the driver (responsive/solid off the face). The balls definitely have a distinct feel off the Driver, tough to explain but its evident (not bad really, but as I stated before feel is entirely subjective; more so in the IX than the I). Feel off the Putter was much better with the Tour I, than the IX. I prefer the Pro V1 and TM LDP balls off the putter, but the Tour I was close (the Tour IX was lacking somewhat off the putter IMO).

 

The Tour I gets a 8 in this category.

The Tour IX gets a 7.

 

Distance/Driver Spin -

 

I've been having a lot of difficulty with my driver at the moment, the VS Proto is spinning way too much for my SS, so dispersion and distance haven't been that great (a lot can be attributed to my less than perfect swing). However there was a significant increase in both distance and dispersion, similar to what I experience with TM's new LDP balls but better. The Tour IX got the edge here as expected but not by much (maybe 5 yards, very tough to tell as the angles I took on each drive weren't the exact same). These balls are definitely LONG and you aren't giving up any greenside spin with the added length off the Tee

 

Tour IX gets a 10

Tour I get a 9

 

Workability -

 

I do get myself into some trouble off the Tee, my driving accuracy is a weak point and I noticed a definite increase in dispersion with both of these balls (as stated above)...but that doesn't mean I didn't put myself in a few situations where I needed to hook/slice a ball around some tree in order to try and hit the green. The balls don't want to move much in either direction, they just want to go straight or move a little (5-10 yards) in each direction max. This is nothing new/surprising as this has been the trade off with the new balls that spin less off the driver and give you more distance. Nike One Platinum still rains supreme in this category.

 

Tour I gets a 7

Tour IX gets a 7

 

Durability -

 

Durability was a complete run-away for the Tour IX. Every premium ball i've tested gets annihilated by the new grooves (Y-Cutters in my instance) thats just the way it is with these soft Urethane covers. Some balls are more durable (new B330) and the Tour IX is definitely one of the most durable balls i've tested. You could play a full round with one ball, and I did. It scuffs like every other ball, but not much at all with virtually no tearing (nothing that would make you take the ball out of play...See Pictures)

The Tour I however did not perform so well in this category, on hole number 2 (a short 380 yard par 4) I had a full lob wedge into the green (front pin location). I caught it very clean and the ball did exactly what I wanted it to, landed about 7 yards past the pin and zipped back to about 3 feet. When I get up to the green and marked my ball I noticed two gashes and a huge scuff (See pictures). Remember this is an early release ball, I'm assuming this is one of the issues Callaway addressed.

 

Tour IX - 10

Tour I - 7

 

After my testing I was very pleased with both balls (other than the durability of the Tour I) and could definitely game both balls (if they do fix the durability of the Tour I). I gave the slight edge to the IX as it was much more durable and performed equal to or better in every category except for feel off the putter. I recommend you pick up a sleeve of these balls to see how they perform for you, they live up to the hype the silly good ball commercials claim (not that those commercials still aren't a little cheesy). I had my partners asking about these balls before I got them due to those commercials so Callaway must be doing something right with their advertising dollars :cheesy:. I let my buddy test both balls out also and he pretty much agreed with everything I observed, and was blown away at how long they were off the Driver for him (He can bomb a 300 yard + drive and had 3 the round we played). Callaway has a winner here boys!

Thanks again Ryan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried the tour IX and prov1x together, and my results showed the prov1x took the tour IX in most catagories, Distance prov1x by 5-10 yards, 8 iron distance same, but better feel with prov1x, around the green prov1x easy and feel off the putter prov1x. Just goes to show that not everybody gets the same results. Callaway tour IX is a great ball but I stick with prov1x....

Thats understandable. I believe the V1x spins more off the Tee, something I need to cut down on. As far as feel off the putter I would have to agree the V1x had a SLIGHT edge, however off the wedges the Tour I and IX were clearly superior IMO. The V1x is a good ball, however I found the TM LDP's to out perform both Pro V and V1x overall. Not one ball is suited for everyones game or budget hehe.

I know others have said this before, but what a great review. I'm about to play the iX on Friday and it was timely to have this done before that. I thought the same about the Tour and Tour56. I loved the 56 around the greens, but thought the Tour was better all around, especially if you are having "issues" off of the tee. I believe I have seen your picture/name before on other reviews especially due to your thoroughness and non-bias. It is quite refreshing in this day of over sensitivity and strong opinions (Pro Titleist/Pro nike/etc.). Great job.

Thank you so much for your kind words Whogg, I really do appreciate them!

Here is a picture I took a while back.

 

It's a comparison of Tour IX and prov1x with LW mac daddy X forged C grind from a 30 yardish flop shot.

 

On the same note, I have heard a lot of complaint about prov1x are not for a players who can't compress the ball properly. Lots of tour players told me that if don't compress it well, It'll give you an inconsistent yardage (shorter yardage from what they expect it will be ). Me myself have some occation have experience it when I'm not striking well. At first, i thought it was just me a hacker. :russian_roulette:

Joe thats EXACTLY what my Pro V1x looks like after one full 58 degree Y cutter shot. The Tour IX is certainly one of the best premium balls in terms of durability.

Thats understandable. I believe the V1x spins more off the Tee, something I need to cut down on. As far as feel off the putter I would have to agree the V1x had a SLIGHT edge, however off the wedges the Tour I and IX were clearly superior IMO. The V1x is a good ball, however I found the TM LDP's to out perform both Pro V and V1x overall. Not one ball is suited for everyones game or budget hehe.

 

 

Trust me I wanted the Tour ix to be better, but it just didnt work out that way, I mean I had one hole where I hit the Prov1x first and then the Tour ix, they both looked identical flight and line. When I got up to the ball I first saw the Prov1x and thought that the Tour ix must be futher up, i went looking closer to the green and found nothing as I was walking back to the prov1x the Tour ix was about 15 yards shorter than the Prov1x. I really was hoping for better results from the tour ix, but for me the Prov1x just performed better. I have a connection that can get me tour ix's for around $37 a box, but I still feel like the prov1x gives me the best chance to score better, and the money isn't that big of a deal... Also the rest of the round the prov1x was around 5-10 yards further then the tour ix, on the irons the distance was the same, short game the prov1x performed better with much better spin on the greens. I couldn't believe it and really wanted the tour ix to be better, but it was not to be. Not sure why I get different results like that. my ss is in the mid to high 120's, dont know if that has any factor in the outcome or not? I really walked away from that round thinking wow I never thought that would happen...

Thats quite odd, but I can see how its possible...I swing at 107 Avg, 120 is very high!

Thats quite odd, but I can see how its possible...I swing at 107 Avg, 120 is very high!

 

I played just nine today and redid the test, I got basically the same results. Distance off tee, Prov1x and Tour ix were within 3 yards of each other on most of them, but on two holes prov1x was 15-20 yards further, never was the prov1x shorter off the tee. Iron shots were within 1 to 3 yards of each other, on close to green shots, they both were good but prov1x had better feel and spin, the putting I did not even putt with the tour ix, cause I love the feel of the prov1x. Both balls are very good, if prov1x goes away cause of the lawsuit then I will play the tour ix, but until that happens Prov1x is my ball.

 

What a fun game, but it was a little cool today, 39 degrees when I started and 40 degrees when I finished. Anyways, I appreciated the review, it is nice to see a fair review. One note the durability of the Tour ix was very good, much better than the HX Tour...

The Pro V1x is a very good ball. The feel of the IX is distinctly different than the V1X, and I think the TM LDP Black/Red might more closely resemble that feel (with in my findings better performance).

The Pro V1x is a very good ball. The feel of the IX is distinctly different than the V1X, and I think the TM LDP Black/Red might more closely resemble that feel (with in my findings better performance).

 

I will give the TM LDP Black/Red a try and see how they compare for me, hope you have a great golf year and lets all shoot well

Excellent review. I played the HX Tours all last year, but did always think, for a premium ball, that they felt..... "clicky" off the putter. That being said, I absolutely love their feel off every other club in the bag.

 

I've still got about a dozen new HX Tours and a dozen TP Reds (last years) left, but when they wear out, I think I'll have to give the new Tour IX ball a try.

 

This year, I've been tearing into balls more than usual, so durability will definitely be a factor. I've been scuffing up NXT Tours pretty good this year. I'm scared to break out the premium balls. I've been mostly chipping/pitching with the Srixon wedge in my signature, and that's just brutal to balls. Can't wait to give the Tour IX a try. I love the Hex patterns.

so Shagshow, are you saying that the Nike one plat. spins and is more workable that any other ball out there on the market? In your opinon?

I finally got to put it into play. I was very impressed. More durable than the HX Tour and 56 and spins well. It has great distance and definately a keeper. No complaints here.

Yes I'd have to say the Nike One Platinum is one of the best balls in terms of spin and workability. I played another round with the Tour I today, it didn't gash as much but still takes a beating.

I played the ball on Friday 4/11/08 and it was EXACTLY

Sorry, hit the wrong button. As I was saying

 

EXACTLY as you said. I think it feels better off of the putter than the older HX Tour balls, but still not as good as the ProV1 just as the poster above said. I also agree that the TaylorMade ball is very close to that, but I played the 07 balls and don't know how the 08 balls compare. I had played the Black 07 ball and loved it off of the tee, but not great in the wind on my irons. This new iX ball is ridiculous in the wind. I had been playing the TaylorMade ball for the last ten rounds and had to get used to the how the Callys were in the wind all over again. I flew the balls about two clubs longer on some shots even up in the air into about a club and a half wind on Friday. I have some Bridgestones to get through, but these iX balls make it hard to keep the Bridgestones. I wish the price would come down to the 39.99 level like the HX Tour Balls are, but we'll see. I didn't lose a ball and the ball lasted the entire round, so I'm sure it will take me a while to get through this dozen anyway.

 

Again, awesome review.

Thanks again Whogg...yes they are outstanding in the wind (played this weekend in 15-25 gusts). Like I said, very similar to the LDP's but better in that area. Glad the review was helpful :good:

Awesome review. Thanks for taking the time to do it..

 

I'm really looking forward to doing similar testing myself on these two new offering. While I haven't seen it (and I'm sure it's somewhere on this site), anyone have any idea of the updated release dates to the Tour i?

:russian_roulette:

That was a great review. I've been hearing buzz about the new Callaway balls for a while now. Hopefully they can fix the durability of the i without sacrificing too much. It'll be neat to stack it up against the Z-URS--I doubt it can knock it out, but it'll be good to keep the Srixon honest. Danke for taking the time Shagshow.

 

I agree, well done, very good review. thanks for the info, been thinking about trying the iX, but bought lots of HX Tours while clearing out so didn't want to try them for fear I'd start buying.

 

I'm curious in 'beruo' comment about the ZURS, I received a trial pack at 'adv player night (whatever)' at local GG....thought, I'll give them a go...wasn't all that impressed. Not as long as HX Tour nor 330, spin was okay, feel ok, all around an okay ball.

 

Just wondering if it was just the day, or what. Thanks.

Sweet mama! This ix is awesome. I have always hit a higher shot than most and was looking for a little less spinning due to the height. I played the ix yesteray in about 10-15 mph and i can honestly say the wind didn't even touch it.....but it did touch the pro v1 i played on the last 5 holes. I noticed however on my irons it released on the green like 10 feet. I was kinding of hoping for something in between my old high hit and ssit in the spot it landed shot and these. All in all these balls are Holy Moses long, and very durable, probably one of the more durable premium balls. These balls will be staying in the bag for a while.