Surlyn showdown: Titleist NXT vs Tour Soft vs DT Trusoft review

On heels of my Tour Soft vs Chrome Soft review: http://www.golfwrx.c...me-soft-review/

I’ve decided to do a Surlyn Showdown with Titleist’s outgoing NXT, the NXT replacement (Tour Soft), and the recently updated DT Trusoft. My shop only had the NXT Tour – no tour S. The two NXT balls use the same old Surlyn cover, but the Tour is a 3 piece ball where the Tour S is a 2 piece ball. The True Soft and DT Trusoft use some new type of Surlyn cover, both 2 piece balls. The DT Trusoft sells in the $22 range, while the Tour Soft sells in the $35 range.

Same as last test:

A little about me:

I’m a +1.5 handicap that relies on driving and short game. I get to play almost every day. My driver swing speed is 107 to 109 with about 275 carry. I hit my 8 iron 155. I’ve been playing the Callaway Chrome soft exclusively for over 2 years. Before that I played the regular Titleist ProV1. I prefer a little softer ball that is in the $35 price range, which I why I was playing chrome soft.

How I tested:

I did not use a launch monitor. I did all testing at my course with dormant bermuda fairways and greens. I took a brand-new sleeve of all 3 balls. I hit every short with the balls in the same order: Tour Soft, DT TruSoft, then NXT. I hit short, medium, and long pitches (medium trajectory shots). I hit flop shots as well. Then, I went to about 50 yards out and hit to center of the green. Then, I went to full wedge shots from 100 yards. I then hit 6 irons from 175. Finally, I hit drivers on course.

Clubs used:

Vokey SM6 56* raw black with 10* bounce in S grind. Rest of the equipment is in my sig. For driver, I also used Callaway XR 16 Pro 9* with HZRDUS T800 65g.

Results:

NXT Tour:

I’ve always had a love/had relationship with this ball. I want to love it, but then I play it and realize why I don’t love it. This was confirmed during this test as well. On short game shots, the ball feels clicky and lacks the spin of the other 2 balls. Off the irons, the balls is noticeably harder and doesn’t have the same drop and stop spin. It always seemed to hop twice and roll. I was not able to consistently add spin to this ball. It was slightly longer on 6 iron than the other two balls. This was echoed when used with driver. The ball was lower spin and slightly longer; however, the feel was harsh (and noticeably louder sounding).

DT Trusoft:

This ball felt and performed very similar to the True Soft on short game shots and iron shots. Very good spin, easily controllable, and a good soft feel. On the driver, it became mushy feeling. Distance was shorter to the other two balls off the driver, but equal to the True Soft on irons.

Tour Soft:

You can read my review of it against the Chrome Soft in the link at the top. I really like this ball. It performs just as good as my usual Chrome Soft in all tests. Great feel, controllable spin, good distance, and predictable performance.

Parting thoughts:

I’m glad to see the NXT go. It just feels harsh compared to most balls on the market today, especially against these other two balls. As to the DT and Tour Soft, I have a theory on these two: that they have the same cover, but the DT is a softer compression version. Maybe Titleist prices the Tour Soft higher because they would be looked down on and not given a fair comparison when compared to the $40 and $45 dollars balls they are trying to compare against. The DT just feels mushy off the driver for my swing, indicating too soft for my swing speed. My golf buddy, who swings well over 110, says the Tour Soft feels mushy to him. I suspect that I would break it down this way… If you swing over 110ish, the Tour Soft will be a tad too soft. If you swing under 105, the DT will feel good to you. Between 105 and 110ish, the Tour Soft will feel good (but you’ll have to pay $13 more dollars for it over the DT).

Rankings:

Short game feel: Tour Soft > DT Trusoft > NXT

Irons Feel: Tour Soft / DT Trusoft (equal) > NXT (slightly clickly)

Driver feel: Tour Soft / DT Trusoft (equal) > NXT (harsh)

Short game overall performance: Tour Soft/DT Trusoft (equal) > NXT

Distance: NXT > Tour Soft / DT Trusoft (depending on swing speed, Tour Soft if higher swing speed)

Thanks for the review. After reading this, with my slower swing speed that I'm trying to improve, but for now I think the ball I never considered, the DT, might be worth a look.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the test! I used to play the two golf balls you just tested. Nxt Tour and Dt Trusoft. I now just play the Callaway Super Soft.

I tried different balls on my Sky Trak and generally the urethane ones like the Pro V and Chrome Soft would spin more on full wedge shots, around 9000 to 10000 rpm for me and for the surlyn covered, around 6000 to 7000. I could not see any benefit in my game as I shoot same scores regardless what I use so I just ended up with the SS as it was the softest plus I buy used so it's the cheapest I can find.

But I I have more budget to buy golf balls, I would go with the Chromesoft.

Good review. Nxt was always sorta meh if long. Nice to see an accomplished player confirm it.

I preferred dt solo trusoft. Can't say why, just liked it better all around.

Now I want to try the tour soft. Thanks a lot!

Side note, nice to see an 8i distance that makes sense w driver speed and distance.

Nice. Thanks for taking the time out to compare these 3 balls.

Too bad no NXT-S as that is the ball most are saying is closest to the Tour Soft.

Always been a fan and use the DTs. Great price and love the feel. NXT S was my preference vs. the NXT due to feel.

Next up for testing ...AVX ??

Next up for testing ...AVX ??

Can't find them around here. If i can find some, I'll give them a go.

Next up for testing ...AVX ??

I see what you did there.

Can't find them around here. If i can find some, I'll give them a go.

I have quite a few AVX on hand. PM me if you've like to make arrangements...

Thanks for taking the time to do the review. I have not played the Tour Soft (it's still winter here) but I am a fan of the DT TruSoft having played both versions. I have a much slower driver SS at 85-90 and the DT TruSoft feels great to me and up to now is the best 2 piece ionomer ball around the green I have played. I will try the Tour Soft but I do have a preference for the 3 piece Gamer Soft as an overall ball.

Thank you for the review.

I happen to enjoy the firmer feel of the NXT Tour, and play that ball until mid-July and after Labor Day. I like the ProV1x when it is warm and firm.

I will be giving both the TourSoft and Velocity a go this summer, as I have read that the Velocity has a softer core than previously.

Thank you for these reviews. I’ve come out harshly against the Tour Soft because I thought that exactly what you say is true would be true - the DT Trusoft is basically just as good and is $13 cheaper. If I want a Titleist I’ll just get it instead and save my money.

FWIW, I like the Trusoft/DT Solo as well as any surlyn cover ball on the market. They are definitely not rocks and they don't scuttle off the back of the green like a Velocity or e6 type ball by any means. I can use them adequately except when the greens are extremely firm and fast.

Thank you for these reviews. I’ve come out harshly against the Tour Soft because I thought that exactly what you say is true would be true - the DT Trusoft is basically just as good and is $13 cheaper. If I want a Titleist I’ll just get it instead and save my money.

Not exactly what i said... the true soft seems like a firmer compression. So, if you are a higher swing speed player, the dt may be a little mushy on full swings and shorter distance.

Interesting. Thank you

I note that the new Velocity has a higher price point than the new Trusoft, which mixes it up a bit...

Tried a new Velocity the other day for a few holes. Whilst not a review, I can state its a VERY high launching ball!

Thank you for these reviews. I've come out harshly against the Tour Soft because I thought that exactly what you say is true would be true - the DT Trusoft is basically just as good and is $13 cheaper. If I want a Titleist I'll just get it instead and save my money.

 

Not exactly what i said... the true soft seems like a firmer compression. So, if you are a higher swing speed player, the dt may be a little mushy on full swings and shorter distance.

If the Trusoft was shorter it was due to strike quality or launch characteristics of your swing because the myth that low compression balls are shorter for high speed swingers has been dispelled many times.

Thank you for these reviews. I've come out harshly against the Tour Soft because I thought that exactly what you say is true would be true - the DT Trusoft is basically just as good and is $13 cheaper. If I want a Titleist I'll just get it instead and save my money.

 

Not exactly what i said... the true soft seems like a firmer compression. So, if you are a higher swing speed player, the dt may be a little mushy on full swings and shorter distance.

 

If the Trusoft was shorter it was due to strike quality or launch characteristics of your swing because the myth that low compression balls are shorter for high speed swingers has been dispelled many times.

I think you can over compress a ball. Imaging a red kick ball (low compression) vs a soccer ball (higher compression). For a slow kick you may gain distance with the kick ball. For a powerful kicking motion (closers to a pro soccer players kicking speed) I would say without question the overall distance and ball speed with the soccer ball would travel further.

That’s how perceive it , although I will admit it’s minimal , maybe 5-10 yards off the driver on equal strikes.

Thank you for these reviews. I've come out harshly against the Tour Soft because I thought that exactly what you say is true would be true - the DT Trusoft is basically just as good and is $13 cheaper. If I want a Titleist I'll just get it instead and save my money.

 

Not exactly what i said... the true soft seems like a firmer compression. So, if you are a higher swing speed player, the dt may be a little mushy on full swings and shorter distance.

 

If the Trusoft was shorter it was due to strike quality or launch characteristics of your swing because the myth that low compression balls are shorter for high speed swingers has been dispelled many times.

hmmm I swing around 100-104 and I DO lose distance with any “ultra soft” balls.

 

I think you can over compress a ball. Imaging a red kick ball (low compression) vs a soccer ball (higher compression). For a slow kick you may gain distance with the kick ball. For a powerful kicking motion (closers to a pro soccer players kicking speed) I would say without question the overall distance and ball speed with the soccer ball would travel further.

 

That’s how perceive it , although I will admit it’s minimal , maybe 5-10 yards off the driver on equal strikes.

MYTH: Low compression golf balls are for low swing speed players.

We tested the Coefficient of Restitution of low compression and high compression golf balls at test speeds of 85 mph (125 ft/s), 102 mph (150 ft/s), and 119 mph (175 ft/s). As C.O.R. is a measure of the energy retained during a collision (such as a club/ball collision) this should correlate to the expected ball velocity at different clubhead speeds.

Test results show that there is minimal difference in the slope of the Coefficient of Restitution between the low compression balls and high compression balls at varying test speeds, indicating no reduction in performance at high test velocity (corresponding to high clubhead speed) and low test velocity (corresponding to low clubhead speed). This indicates the low compression balls will not have slower ball velocity at higher swing speeds and are not for “low swing speed players”.

Ehh I know it’s different for my swing and that’s all I care about

More factors at play than just compression.

Had the chance to play Tour Soft this weekend. For now, it replaces Chrome Soft in my bag. This is the first Titleist ball i've ever put in play (maybe outside of the last model DT Solo which i really liked) that seemed to have the straight performance and stability I've been leaning on Callaway balls for over the years. I really enjoyed the original version of Chrome Soft and never had the problems off of the driver that other complained about. The True Soft reminds me of that ball. Very good feel on every club in the bag. Not springy when putting, didn't bite on chips and pitches like a Pro V1 but gave me very repeatable control.

...the True Soft reminds me of that ball. Very good feel on every club in the bag. Not springy when putting, didn't bite on chips and pitches like a Pro V1 but gave me very repeatable control.

Did you mean the Tour Soft?

Had the chance to play Tour Soft this weekend. For now, it replaces Chrome Soft in my bag. This is the first Titleist ball i've ever put in play (maybe outside of the last model DT Solo which i really liked) that seemed to have the straight performance and stability I've been leaning on Callaway balls for over the years. I really enjoyed the original version of Chrome Soft and never had the problems off of the driver that other complained about. The True Soft reminds me of that ball. Very good feel on every club in the bag. Not springy when putting, didn't bite on chips and pitches like a Pro V1 but gave me very repeatable control.

...the True Soft reminds me of that ball. Very good feel on every club in the bag. Not springy when putting, didn't bite on chips and pitches like a Pro V1 but gave me very repeatable control.

 

Did you mean the Tour Soft?

Yes, my mistake. Meant to say Tour Soft.

Played a round with the '17 DT TruSoft today, gotta say that is a fun ball to play. Ball just jumps off the irons, goes super high, and had plenty of spin to hold greens for me, and I'm not a high spin player. Didn't love the feel off the driver but hit some great drives with it. Been a while since I've putted a really soft ball, so that would take some getting used to but all in all a really superb ball, especially for the price.

Tried the Tour Soft - just chipping from around the green and putting - and found it to be a little bit of a flyer. Yes, it did feel very soft and was easy to get out of the rough (around the green), but did not seem to want to stop. Also felt very jumpy off the putter face. Typically, I have my lagging is within a foot or two of the hole and I was going 3 or 4 feet past the hole most of the time.

It was a nice ball for the price, but I feel the Snell Black and Bridgestone Tour BX are both more suitable for my swing in these two areas. I find the Snell Black and Tour BX almost indistinguishable except the Tour BX seems to have a little less spin off the driver.

I could play the Tour Soft, but it would take a while to get used to the way it plays. Since the Snell Black is cheaper, I personally think it is a better value and better ball.

Tried the Tour Soft - just chipping from around the green and putting - and found it to be a little bit of a flyer. Yes, it did feel very soft and was easy to get out of the rough (around the green), but did not seem to want to stop. Also felt very jumpy off the putter face. Typically, I have my lagging is within a foot or two of the hole and I was going 3 or 4 feet past the hole most of the time.

 

It was a nice ball for the price, but I feel the Snell Black and Bridgestone Tour BX are both more suitable for my swing in these two areas. I find the Snell Black and Tour BX almost indistinguishable except the Tour BX seems to have a little less spin off the driver.

 

I could play the Tour Soft, but it would take a while to get used to the way it plays. Since the Snell Black is cheaper, I personally think it is a better value and better ball.

It's jumpy if you land an 8-iron on a really firm green, too. Or bouncy, you could say.

Stopping near where you land it is not a strong suit of Tour Soft around the greens, with wedges or with iron shots.

I know this is an old thread but I just hit the TruSoft for the first time today and found some interesting things about it:

Conditions:

It was 41 deg today at tee off and gusting 20-25mph with mushy greens and dead slow.

Me: +2, really good iron ball striker, high spin. Driver high launch, low spin (160s ball speed).

I have been playing a tour soft when it gets cold and basically to save money as I only get 1 round out of my normal 2018 pro v1. Today one of regulars gave me a sleeve of the day Trusoft to try as I only had pro v1 sleeves in the bag and I was griping about the wind and cold affects with the pro v1.

I was carrying my drives 270 with these which is shocking for mid 40 deg and wind. Wind didn’t affect the ball much. In summer no wind I’m carrying 280 so it surprised me. I was backing it up though as you could see the divot in the fairway ahead of my ball.

On iron shots same thing, great distance with little wind effect and pretty good spin, I was one hop stopping and backed up anytime it was wedge.

The problem came when I was 50 td pitches and short chips, zero spin and a lot of runout. I was able to spin a little out of wet sand though but besides that the spin was not acceptable for my game.

Putting wise it felt fake soft, not organic like the prov1 if that makes sense.

I found a new yellow prov1 2019 walking so go fun I hit it in last hole and another surprise it was same distance as the TruSoft but by that time it was high 50 deg. Where I saw the difference was the wind really affecting it on my approach shot.

Not conclusive but I really like this style TruSoft for cold spring conditions, especially for $22. I don’t know if I can adjust to the short game rollout though.