Nike One Platinum vs. Callaway Tour ix: A Study In Contrast

The Nike One Platinum and the Callaway Tour ix are two of the winningest balls on the pro tours this year. These two balls are on the top of everyone's want-to-try list. But their similarities end there. You cannot find two tour-type balls that are more different.

How Different These Two Balls Are

The Nike One Platinum: (1) is manufactured in Japan; (2) is the softer, higher spin ball in the One line; (3) uses a thermoplastic urethane process whose end product is a bright white color similar to Japanse technology tour balls such as Tourstage X-01 series, Srixon Z-UR series, and Bridgestone B-330 series; and (4) is played the greatest male golfer of this generation, Tiger Woods.

The Callaway Tour ix: (1) is manufactured in the USA; (3) is the harder, lower spin ball in the Tour i line; (3) uses a thermoset cast cover process whose end product is an off-white color similar to American technology tour balls such as Titleist Pro V1 series and the Taylor Made TP LDP series; and (4) is played by the greatest female golfer of this generation, Annika Sorenstam.

An Opportune Time To Test

Tour balls nowadays are so close to each other in performance that it would be hard to tell them apart. Being merely an avid amateur, all I can do is merely attempt to compare them.

To be able to do a good test, I feel I need to be playing well, and the course conditions must be consistent.

Just last April, my game was a mess. I was fighting against minor injuries who hindered my game. When I was healthy, I played sparingly the entire month of May (only two complete rounds to my recollection) because I was busy wrapping up our junior golf program and starting up the operations of my new business. The course conditions also varied due the erratic weather and rain patterns during that time. And our course was still adjusting to the changes made by our new GM hired last April.

Ever since I got my KB Tour shafts last June, my game was revigorated with a renewed zest. There was more compression of the ball with my irons, and everything was just better. Over two courses, I had scored in the 70's in 20 out of 22 rounds, with my two misses being 80 on the number, while was was on a 13-game breaking-80 streak.

The course conditions were also consistent. There were no monsoon rains, and the changes our new manager implemented were starting to have some uniformity.

So my game and the golf course was now ideal for doing my comparison of the two balls over two games - the Nike One Platinum on Thursday and the Callaway Tour ix on Saturday. Let's now get to the meat of all this.

Driver Distance

Both days I played with players who are low single digit handicap golfers and whose distances I am very familiar with. My results with the Nike One Platinum left me further back up to ten yards from where I normally am against them. This seems to mirror the February 2008 Golf Magazine article that has the ball 10 yards shorter than the rest of the field with a 90mph swingspeed and 4 to 7 yards shorter at 105 mph swingspeeds. Mine is probably somewhere between that and the results are similar to Golf Magazine's. I noticed the distance loss more pronounced against the wind.

With the Callaway Tour ix, I found myself to have closed the gap on two guys who regularly outdrive me on shots against the wind. Downwind, the results were the same as other tour type balls, except the Nike One Platinum.

Advantage: Tour ix

Approach Shots

The One Platinum gave me what I deserved. Bad contact would leave me just off the fringe, while solid contact put me safely on the green. With the Tour ix, I hit a few less-than-perfect shots that flew father than I had expected - with some even finding the green. There must be something in that tungsten-infused outer core the supposedly gives a higher moment of inertia. I hit 8 greens with the One Platinum, with my misses very playable. With the Tour ix, I hit 11 greens giving me more looks at birdie.

Advantage: Tour ix

Workability

On the other end of the spectrum, the One Platinum was much more workable when I needed to manufacture shots. There were instances with the Tour ix where I wanted to carve a shot but it did not curve as much as I had hoped for or expected.

Advantage: One Platinum

Short Game

One Platinum designed Rock Ishii justified the poor distance results of the ball in the Golf Magazine test when he said the ball is not just distance but the complete performance ball which include short game. This ball was tested to have the highest spin rate for a wedge in that same ball test. In partial shots and greenside shots, the ball had a lot of spin but the most important part was that the spin was repetitive and predictable. With other balls like the ProV1, I noticed that it sure is a high spin ball but it is choosy in how it performs. In some shots you hit great contact and expect it to stop on a dime, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. With the One Platinum, the spin you expect from a certain way of playing the shot or contacting the ball is exactly what you get.

The Tour ix also has this predictability as far as its short game in concerned. It is a consistent ball. But for the tightest of the shots, it lacks a bit in the spin department for the partial and greenside shots. Even the Golf Magazine tests revealed the Tour ix to be among the lowest rpm's among the high-spin category balls. But at least you still know what you will get with the Tour ix.

I have long been of the opinion that the Nike One Platinum is the best short game ball ever. My performance with this ball on Thursday reinforced that: I missed 10 greens yet saved 10 pars with most of them being tap-ins. With the Tour ix, I only saved par in 3 out of my 7 missed greens.

Advantage: One Platinum

Feel

This is another runaway victory for the One Platinum. Possessing one of the thinnest covers in the industry (after all that is what Tiger wants), it has a very soft feel.

Maybe it could be the tungsten-infused outer cover, but the Tour ix feels more clicky. It is similar to the HX Tour, which took a while to get accustomed to.

While I did not even come close to three-putting with the One Platinum, I was greeted by two three-putts immediately with the Tour ix. I had to adjust to the feel but as soon as I got the hang of it, my putting was back but not quite. It just seemed to lack that x-factor where the speed and line are in synergy. Even when I got the feel of the Tour ix on the greens, I still burned too many edges and had too many lipouts. It was almost there but not quite.

Going to the One Platinum required no adjustment in feel and this has been the case in the past. My first ever round with the Tour ix was Day One of a tournament where I had four three-putts. The next day was much improved and I scored better.

The main issue with the feel of the Tour ix is the adjustment period to get the right speed and distance control.

Advantage: One Platinum

Durability

I play wedges with maximum depth grooves. They are the "mack daddy" wedges by Callaway. The shred balls like crazy. I have tried all the tour balls with these wedges, and all have failed - the Pro V1's, the TP's, the X-01's, and the HX Tours. Hit one wedge shot with the "mack daddy" and the balls looks like they have been through a cheese grater.

The One Platinum is no exception. I was able to use the same ball for a round. At the end of the round, the ball looks like it has been through a cheese grater.

The Tour ix seems to have been the exception. The ball was able to withstand all the "mack daddy" attacks on it for a full round. I also only used one ball for this round without losing it. Perhaps Callaway needed to design balls to address their wedge grooves. And maybe this came at a tradeoff which was a sacrifice in feel.

Advantage: Tour ix

Conclusion

If the rules of golf would only allow, I'd use the Tour ix for full shots and the One Platinum for everything else. But this is just not possible.

Just like every golfer, I find it more alluring to have more looks at birdie and I get those with the Tour ix. It is such a straight and forgiving ball. The only issue is adjusting to its feel, especially in putting. So in my mind, I feel that I can overcome this eventually once I am adjusted to the Tour ix.

But that is just in my mind. The reality is that the Nike One Platinum is a better scoring ball for me. When Rock Ishii said it is a total performance ball with emphasis on the short game, who am I to argue when I can miss ten greens and still have a bogey-free round? But then again, most golfers are not score-driven but distance-driven. While in theory it is possible to adjust to the feel of the Tour ix, you can never get extra yards with the One Platinum which is just not there.

So it still is a toss-up. Actually, either the One Black or the Tour i might be the solution but those are two balls I have not tested in my current state of game, current shaft setup, and current course conditions.

As I was once told, we have fourteen different clubs to play different shots - but in all those shots the ball is the same. If anything, the ball is the weapon in our arsenal we shouldn't skimp on. If you don't know where its been, then don't use it (this saying seems to apply to more than balls). I usually use brand new balls, or mint condition used balls which I handpick when I buy as opposed to buying something packaged and whose condition you cannot scrutinize.

I have written so much and thank you all if you have read this far. But I still haven't come up with a conclusion. Playing both balls have stretched my personal best break-80 streak to 15 now. They are both high quality balls. I guess I will just play whatever ball is more readily available to me.

Great write up!

Good write-up, indeed. Your results go along with what everyone else is saying about the Nike One Platinum, soft around the greens but the distance is lacking.

This is very solid review, and I agree with all the things you've said. I am using the NOP right now, but I am considering changing to tour ix for the distance. I just can't have both er..

<So it still is a toss-up. Actually, either the One Black or the Tour i might be the solution...>

I tried and did not like the Tour iX. Long & straight but with low green-side spin and "a loud click" off of short irons & putter. Preferred the TM LDP Red.

But, ...

Just finished my third round with the Tour i. This is a keeper.

Low spin off of the driver gives me as much or more distance as the LDP Red. Modestly workable left & right with Drv, 3W, 5W & 4h.

Great hop & stop approach shots with 6 iron & shorter. Gives a low spinning trajectory on approach shots which complements my Callaway X-20 Tour PX 5.0 Flighted.

Lots of spin off of green-side chips/pitches and a soft feel off the putter. Not highly reactive off of the putter like a distance ball or even the Pro V1, so you can stroke a bit firmer on regular sub-10 greens or survive 10+ greens.

I really like the Tour i :russian_roulette:

I thinks it's not fair to say that the NOP 08 is shorter than other tour level ball, for me NOP 08 is the longest ball off the driver with mid ball flight. Thin shots off the driver tends to roll forever.

agree totally.

the platinum is the best short game ball around and it rolls off the putter-it doesn't bounce off the putter. i, like you probably score better with the plat. but the distance of the v1x is hard to give up....

sorry, the plat is shorter,,,I've compared it often. its the spin.

While I did not even come close to three-putting with the One Platinum, I was greeted by two three-putts immediately with the Tour ix. I had to adjust to the feel but as soon as I got the hang of it, my putting was back but not quite. It just seemed to lack that x-factor where the speed and line are in synergy. Even when I got the feel of the Tour ix on the greens, I still burned too many edges and had too many lipouts. It was almost there but not quite.

Excellent write up. Thanks for taking the time to put it up. My experience is similar. I love the distance of the Cally off the tee, but I score better with the NOP.

As for your comments about putting, I've noticed that Phil is struggling, and it seems the Cally players have won fewer tournaments this year. I've suspected there was something with the ball design changes for 2008 that is hurting the players.

While it may not transfer to the course, if you roll a Cally hex-dimple ball on a smooth surface, it wobbles as it slows down. Balls with round dimples tend to stay straighter.

But you don't play golf on a smooth surface. You play it on grass that is uneven.

I lose a lot of distance with the NOP. I didn't like the hardness of the ix, but the i is great.

I can't wait till you review the tour i. I enjoyed reading such an extinsive review. Thanks.

But you don't play golf on a smooth surface. You play it on grass that is uneven.

A ball that rolls true on a smooth surface is one you don't have to worry about.

A ball that doesn't roll true on a smooth surface may be more likely to roll off line on an uneven surface as it slows down.

Thank you jick for a thought out, and well written review.

I'm not near the golfer you are but I think your findings are almost bang on with what I found.

I would never even try the Platinum as I know it's not my ball, and I don't have the swing speed for it. But I've tested a ton of balls this summer. Again I agree with pretty much all your findings on the IX but there was one thing I wasn't too hot on... greenside spin. I agree that you can get used to the putter feel. My last full round I had more 3 putts in my round that I had all year. But this is just due to adjustment, but greenside spin?

I find it crucial for ball control even at my level. My iron shots are rarely accurate enough to stick a tough green, and I rely on a sharp, wedge shot to spin the ball on short wedges. I just couldn't do this with the IX. I buy new wedges every season, and I have a set of 1 month old Nike tour black wedges. Fairly spiny wedges.

So that's what really bothered me about the ball. Could I adjust to this? I don't know. I thought Phil used the IX??? No? He spins them back like nuts. What about Lorena Ochoa? (or is she V1x?).

Anyway I still find I can spin the bejesus out of Pro V1x's, but they are very reasonably forgiveable in driver mode. I'd like to really see you put the V1x against the IX tour.

At the end of the day in my own IX tour testing I have to agree with you a 100% on the distance and ultimate forgiveness on off center hits. Sometimes I'd be sure I came inside on a drive too much (pull) and it would hold the line.... stuff like that keeps me in the fairway and I'm impressed with the distance.

Did anyone else find the lower spin of IX put the ball a lot lower trajectory on drives? I found compared to the V1x I have to tee the ball slightly higher to get the trajectory. Thanks again Jick.... great review. I know I'm bagging the IX for now myself.

Have been a staunch ProV1 player for years. Tried a dozen of the ix earlier this year and really liked the ball.

Then, I tried the NOP ball. I'll never play the ix again. The NOP ball has knocked out the ProV1 and everything else I tried.

Was this a review or an advertising feature for both balls?

Wow, it's been a while since I checked this thread and many thanks for the kind replies.

Just a word of clarification for all: I tested the 2007 Nike One Platinum (aka the ONE+PLATINUM) and not the 2008 model. So if they are vastly different, then sorry for the confusion.

I played a couple more rounds with the Tour ix and I have noticed what others in this forum (after doing a search) have found as a "sticky" feel when it putts. The feel is really an acquired taste and I feel like I have to hit it just a tad harder to get to my target. It must be the tungsten outer core, I don't really know.

But I have tested it more in partial and greenside shots. I think I have to modify or update what I just said about the spin of this ball. It surely is no Platinum or Titleist Pro V1, but still have tour-caliber spin in that department. This means it is more than other non-tour high spinning balls such as the NXT Tour or Top Flite Gamer. This one checks and performs pretty good inside 100 yards (or the partial shots) and on pitches and chips (the greenside shots).

The putting feel still needs some help but the long game benefits of this ball are awesome.

I can't wait to try the Tour i.