Summer 2018 - Your tournament golf ball this summer

What's your kids age and their tournament golf ball this summer?

Mine is 7YO - Currently playing the Wilson Staff Duo (29 compression) in orange. Will probably experiment with the Duo Spin (40 compression) or Duo Urethane (55 compression) this summer to see if he can get more spin and it doesn't affect distance.

srixon q star tour, duo u or pro v1x

My son loves Callaway. We started using the chrome soft since the weather has warmed up.

DuoSpin . We switched from regular Duo (orange too - loves Clemson) at the beginning of year. Good results - Didnt notice any difference in distance, but did notice more spin - Not a ton, but worth the switch. Will be throwing in Duo U to compare.

Follow up- picked up some Duo U’s for on course comparison today (against the incumbent duoSpin). We played a casual round- alternated balls and hit both from tee to green on several holes from same spots all the way in. The short review: no difference in distance off tee with Driver or FW metal. DuoSpin was noticeably higher trajectory/steeper decent into greens SW-8. 7 and down couldn’t tell difference. The DuoSpin still grabs enough to hold greens well, and for now for him I believe the higher launch of the DuoSpin into greens trumps the higher spin of the DuoU. He hit a ton of greens today so, no feedback on greenside shots.

currently duo orange (last year model bc I can't stand to look at mate balls) great distance. About to start experimenting with Project a, duo u and others.

My

What's your kids age and their tournament golf ball this summer?

 

Mine is 7YO - Currently playing the Wilson Staff Duo (29 compression) in orange. Will probably experiment with the Duo Spin (40 compression) or Duo Urethane (55 compression) this summer to see if he can get more spin and it doesn't affect distance.

My daughter is 10 and we are currently going back and forth between the new Taylor Made Project A and the Titleist Tour Soft. I'm going to spend the next few weeks trying to figure out which is the best one for her.

What's your kids age and their tournament golf ball this summer?

 

Mine is 7YO - Currently playing the Wilson Staff Duo (29 compression) in orange. Will probably experiment with the Duo Spin (40 compression) or Duo Urethane (55 compression) this summer to see if he can get more spin and it doesn't affect distance.

srixon q star tour, duo u or pro v1x

Pro V1X for a 9 year old? His club head speed must be over 100mph to be able to compress it.

Wilson FGTour

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

 

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

 

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

$10 for a six pack seems like a great deal. if you buy by the dozen it is $30...doesnt make sense. Can you elaborate on how the Q-Star tours play compared to others mentioned or others you have used?

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

 

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

 

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

 

$10 for a six pack seems like a great deal. if you buy by the dozen it is $30...doesnt make sense. Can you elaborate on how the Q-Star tours play compared to others mentioned or others you have used?

Best of the low compression bunch. Similar to Duo U but a smaller ball. Can’t get over the fact that the Duo is slightly larger. Bridgestone RXS was just okay. None of these low compression urethane balls perform as good around the greens as pro v series though. Btw - noticed duo was larger bc it was harder to fit in one of those line drawer casings.

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

 

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

 

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

 

$10 for a six pack seems like a great deal. if you buy by the dozen it is $30...doesnt make sense. Can you elaborate on how the Q-Star tours play compared to others mentioned or others you have used?

 

Best of the low compression bunch. Similar to Duo U but a smaller ball. Can't get over the fact that the Duo is slightly larger. Bridgestone RXS was just okay. None of these low compression urethane balls perform as good around the greens as pro v series though. Btw - noticed duo was larger bc it was harder to fit in one of those line drawer casings.

 

Golf ball size was standardized in the early 90's... not sure what's up with you finding smaller balls.

I think that’s minimum size that’s standard. Just grab a duo and compare to pro v. Duo is larger.

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

 

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

 

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

 

$10 for a six pack seems like a great deal. if you buy by the dozen it is $30...doesnt make sense. Can you elaborate on how the Q-Star tours play compared to others mentioned or others you have used?

 

Best of the low compression bunch. Similar to Duo U but a smaller ball. Can't get over the fact that the Duo is slightly larger. Bridgestone RXS was just okay. None of these low compression urethane balls perform as good around the greens as pro v series though. Btw - noticed duo was larger bc it was harder to fit in one of those line drawer casings.

 

Golf ball size was standardized in the early 90's... not sure what's up with you finding smaller balls.

 

I think that's minimum size that's standard. Just grab a duo and compare to pro v. Duo is larger.

Never done a direct compare myself. Quick rule check does show there are minimum diameter (1.68 inches) and maximum weight (1.62 ounces). Quick, somebody get me a golf ball the size of a grapefruit with some spin!!

9 years old, just put 2017 TM project a into play last week. Better around the greens than the ladies TM we had before. But she told me no tournaments this summer.

has anyone tried the AVX or know the compression of that ball?

8 year old will be playing his third tour this summer and just passed his 1st year anniversary of playing the game. He plays either Callaway Chrome Soft Truvis or Wilson Duo Soft.

Heavy - I've researched the crap out of compression. Maybe you and I were the first to have their kids play the FG Tour. He's always played with a low compression ball - Wilson Duo U and the FG Tour before that. But for some reason, he plays well with the Pro V1x, and I notice little to no difference in trajectory and distance tee to green (if anything, the Pro V1x has more roll off drives) and better performance around the greens. I don't want to defy logic so 80% of the time he has a low compression ball in play; but, once in a while, whether it is a practice round or even a tourney, I'll throw in the Pro V1x only bc I've actually seen results.

 

Seriously, try it and let us know what difference, if any, there is tee to green. It will be far better performing around the greens, I'll tell you that. The new chrome softs have similar compression ratings as the Pro V series; I think only the first two generations of chrome soft were low compression. Project (a) seems shortest of the low compression bunch with a urethane cover. Srixon Q star is better than the Duo U (the Duo U has a bigger circumference - noticeable if you put it side by side to a regular golf ball).

 

But I keep coming back to the lower compression balls bc I know he can't compress a pro v1x. It drives me nuts! I just ordered a bunch of Q Star tour 6 packs for $10 from Dick's Sporting Goods.

 

$10 for a six pack seems like a great deal. if you buy by the dozen it is $30...doesnt make sense. Can you elaborate on how the Q-Star tours play compared to others mentioned or others you have used?

 

Best of the low compression bunch. Similar to Duo U but a smaller ball. Can’t get over the fact that the Duo is slightly larger. Bridgestone RXS was just okay. None of these low compression urethane balls perform as good around the greens as pro v series though. Btw - noticed duo was larger bc it was harder to fit in one of those line drawer casings.

Found a q star tour in our random ball bucket and son played it today for a few holes in a USKG Local. His driving was aweful today so don’t have any good feedback yet on distance vs. the duo spin , but spin into and around greens was noticeably better. He even hit a few thin screamers that I thought for sure would release over greens, but they held.

Pro-V1/V1x

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

Pro-V1/V1x

 

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

A 7/8 year old doesn't even know what feel around greens is. I don't care how old they are or how good they are, a 7/8 year old in no way shape or form should be using a ProV1. Most amateur adults shouldn't be using a Prov1. Titleist has done a great job of marketing.

Pro-V1/V1x

 

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

 

A 7/8 year old doesn't even know what feel around greens is. I don't care how old they are or how good they are, a 7/8 year old in no way shape or form should be using a ProV1. Most amateur adults shouldn't be using a Prov1. Titleist has done a great job of marketing.

You're probably right

Not a big difference in $ in the grand scheme of things (kids who hit it straight don't lose many balls); the happiness/$ ratio seems like a good value imho

Pro-V1/V1x

 

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

 

A 7/8 year old doesn't even know what feel around greens is. I don't care how old they are or how good they are, a 7/8 year old in no way shape or form should be using a ProV1. Most amateur adults shouldn't be using a Prov1. Titleist has done a great job of marketing.

 

You're probably right

 

Not a big difference in $ in the grand scheme of things (kids who hit it straight don't lose many balls); the happiness/$ ratio seems like a good value imho

Yeah, but if you were to switch to something like the Project A or Duo Urethane he would get the best of both worlds. Longer ball, soft around the green with very good feel.

Not sure if others have seen this but my daughter doesn't seem to do well putting with Wilson duo ball. She does much better with other more expensive balls such as prov1, Callaway or even Bridgestone balls. It almost seems like the better balls are more consistent and made with tighter tolerance.

My kid is 13 and he switches between Chrome Soft and Q-Star Tours. Keeps insisting he'd play better with ProV1. Lol

8 YO playing the Wilson Duo. Tried the Callaway Chromesoft and Supersoft but he said it felt like he was putting a rock and lost a little in distance. Went to the Duo soft matte finish, played well but it was impossible to keep those clean. So switched back to last years model of the Wilson Duo.

My son is 14 and has been playing the 2014 B330s for the last few years. He tried the new Tour B XS a few weeks ago and switched immediately.

It’s funny he keeps playing tournaments where they foist ProV1/ProV1X on the boys but neither of us like them. We probably have 6 dozen sitting around unused :)

Pro-V1/V1x

 

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

 

A 7/8 year old doesn't even know what feel around greens is. I don't care how old they are or how good they are, a 7/8 year old in no way shape or form should be using a ProV1. Most amateur adults shouldn't be using a Prov1. Titleist has done a great job of marketing.

 

You're probably right

 

Not a big difference in $ in the grand scheme of things (kids who hit it straight don't lose many balls); the happiness/$ ratio seems like a good value imho

 

Yeah, but if you were to switch to something like the Project A or Duo Urethane he would get the best of both world. Longer ball, soft around the green with very good feel.

It’s very possible, but I’m not sure you can reason with a young kid about those types of things without sapping some of the joy out of playing the same ball as your heroes on TV

The reality is we are not trying to optimize every single aspect of game improvement at this stage; we still have a US Kids Tour Series (not even TS3) driver in the bag despite the fact that getting an OEM head with the right shaft could add 10-20 yards easily. You can only make the switch once, so I am not sure whether adding the distance now vs later really matters as long as you’re still able to be competitive and win.

Kind of like Greg Rose talks about developing the overall athlete instead of early specialization and focusing on minor skills that might bring quicker success/results (long vs short-term focus): I see it as a marathon, not a sprint, and in the case of the ball, maxing out the happiness and excitement of emulating idols to develop a love for the game might be a better long term investment overall

Pro-V1/V1x

 

Other balls might be longer since his swing speed can't take advantage of compression, etc., but you can't really argue too much when your kid says "it gives me better feel around the greens"

 

A 7/8 year old doesn't even know what feel around greens is. I don't care how old they are or how good they are, a 7/8 year old in no way shape or form should be using a ProV1. Most amateur adults shouldn't be using a Prov1. Titleist has done a great job of marketing.

 

You're probably right

 

Not a big difference in $ in the grand scheme of things (kids who hit it straight don't lose many balls); the happiness/$ ratio seems like a good value imho

 

Yeah, but if you were to switch to something like the Project A or Duo Urethane he would get the best of both world. Longer ball, soft around the green with very good feel.

 

It’s very possible, but I’m not sure you can reason with a young kid about those types of things without sapping some of the joy out of playing the same ball as your heroes on TV

 

The reality is we are not trying to optimize every single aspect of game improvement at this stage; we still have a US Kids Tour Series (not even TS3) driver in the bag despite the fact that getting an OEM head with the right shaft could add 10-20 yards easily. You can only make the switch once, so I am not sure whether adding the distance now vs later really matters as long as you’re still able to be competitive and win.

 

Kind of like Greg Rose talks about developing the overall athlete instead of early specialization and focusing on minor skills that might bring quicker success/results (long vs short-term focus): I see it as a marathon, not a sprint, and in the case of the ball, maxing out the happiness and excitement of emulating idols to develop a love for the game might be a better long term investment overall

I say play them if your kid is a fan. Not like they’re likely to lose them and they don’t have the power to really scuff them unless they hit onto a cart path.

DuoSpin . We switched from regular Duo (orange too - loves Clemson) at the beginning of year. Good results - Didnt notice any difference in distance, but did notice more spin - Not a ton, but worth the switch. Will be throwing in Duo U to compare.

 

Follow up- picked up some Duo U’s for on course comparison today (against the incumbent duoSpin). We played a casual round- alternated balls and hit both from tee to green on several holes from same spots all the way in. The short review: no difference in distance off tee with Driver or FW metal. DuoSpin was noticeably higher trajectory/steeper decent into greens SW-8. 7 and down couldn’t tell difference. The DuoSpin still grabs enough to hold greens well, and for now for him I believe the higher launch of the DuoSpin into greens trumps the higher spin of the DuoU. He hit a ton of greens today so, no feedback on greenside shots.

Follow up- picked up some Duo U’s for on course comparison today (against the incumbent duoSpin). We played a casual round- alternated balls and hit both from tee to green on several holes from same spots all the way in. The short review: no difference in distance off tee with Driver or FW metal. DuoSpin was noticeably higher trajectory/steeper decent into greens SW-8. 7 and down couldn’t tell difference. The DuoSpin still grabs enough to hold greens well, and for now for him I believe the higher launch of the DuoSpin into greens trumps the higher spin of the DuoU. He hit a ton of greens today so, no feedback on greenside shots.

Haven't heard anyone mention the Bridgestone series yet. I'd think the RX line might be a good fit for some of the juniors with higher swing speeds (relatively).

I have been thinking about buying a sleeve of them as well as a few others to try out.

I don't play golf, so I get feedback from my 10 year old son.

Started out with Duo U, switched to Chrome soft as he tells me that the later actually feels softer.

The red on white pattern also saved his game from lost ball penalty so that's a big plus.

ProV1 - he says feels similar to Chrome soft in terms of feel. My wallet doesn't agree with the high price tag.

ProV1x - feels very hard, doesn't like it.

Bridgestone B330** - feels very hard doesn't like it

AVX - felt fine, but no spin off mid iron. Approach shots just rolls off of the green

NXT - I believe these were replaced by AVX. Feels hard doesn't like it.

Kirkland - feels hard. doesn't like it.

TP5 - felt clicky with the putter. doesn't like it.