Consumer Reports tests golf balls

Can you give us an overview of maybe the top 3 in each category?

Give us non-subscribers some results. Would love to see revues from somebody not influenced by advertising dollars.

Here's some info from the review:

They gave each ball an overall score and then listed five separate categories. They scored each ball for soft feel, driver distance, driver accuracy, 8-iron accuracy, and 8-iron spin.

Regarding methodology: They used the same robot that the USGA uses for ball testing. They hit a full box of each ball tested (48 balls) for each of the 4 robot tests they performed to determine distance, accuracy and spin characteristics. They had the robot hit driver then 8-iron at average recreational golfer and advanced golfer SS. To determine the best performing ball for amatuer recreational golfers the driver SS was set at 90 MPH and for the advanced player the driver SS was set at 110 MPH. With the robot they measured ball speed, launch angle, and spin, upon landing they measured deviation off center (of aimpoint), carry distance, and total distance including roll. They used some formula to factor in the wind and humidity variables. In order to differentiate the "feel" of each ball they covered all identifying marks on all the balls and used teaching and retail golf professionals as panelists. The feel portion of the test was measured primarily on the putting green by having each panelist hit each ball 8 times and rate it on a scale of 1 (hardest) to 9 (softest), prior to each 8 putt test they had each panelist hit a super soft ball and super hard ball as reference points.

Top 3's

Experts and high rated amateurs - 1) Nike One Black 2) Callaway HX Tour 56 3) Titleist Pro V1

Most golfers - 1) Nike Power Distance Super Soft 2) Callaway HX Hot 3) Pinnacle Exception

Slow swing speed players - 1) Titleist DT Solo 2) Precept Lady 3) Pinnacle Exception

Interesting top 3. Prepare for the wrath of the Titleist apologists. :stop:

Were any "major" ball manufacturers and/or balls left out of the survey from your point of view, or were all the serious contenders included?

Interesting top 3. Prepare for the wrath of the Titleist apologists. :stop:

 

 

 

Were any "major" ball manufacturers and/or balls left out of the survey from your point of view, or were all the serious contenders included?

The only major omission I can think of off the top of my head is Srixon. They tested balls from all of the top 10 manufacturers: Hogan, Birdgestone/Precept, Callaway, Dunlop, Maxfli, Nike, Pinnacle, Titleist, Top Flite and Wilson.

The review is really in depth, it covers 4 full pages and gives more golf ball info than any other article I've ever read. It also goes into much more detail about how they arrived at the ratings so readers can judge for themselves whether any intangible was left out.

On the one hand I'd love to scan and reproduce it for the forum, but I may have already given up more than CR would appreciate (I'm hoping they'd understand that I might have sold them a few new subscriptions :D ). In order to avoid influence from the manufacturer's they've got to get paid by the people who use their info. As I previously stated I've relied heavily on CR for consumer goods purchases and their new car price service has saved me enough $ to fund a lifelong subscription. If I could only subscribe to one magazine it would be CR (and I've been addicted to multiple Golf, Science and Auto magazines for the last dozen years or so).

Just picked up consumer reports and they have ran tests on current golf balls I have scanned the ratings page but I do not know how to blow it up so that you can read every thing.

If any one can help me enlarge and post the attached picture I will be more than happy to repost it.

Here are the breakdowns

Best for experts

Nike one black 82 points

Callaway hx 56 81 points

prov1 got 80 points

prov1*got 78 points

n'e'r mind, saw the other post.

Anyone already playing the Nike Power Distance Super Soft (The NIKE balls in the green box)? I'd love your comments if so. Any more comments about these in the article?

Just picked up two dozen for $14 something at Wal-mart.

Apparently this is Nike's low compression spin ball. I'll give some feedback after the weekend comes and goes.

If I can replace my NXT Tours (which don't really spin that much) and my ProV1s for a ball that costs $14 something a dozen, I'll play it all Summer long. I would love to only pay that much for a ball that will give me moderate distance and plenty of spin around the green.

I've played the Super Soft in the winter due to the low compression - nice ball - memory is fuzzy because I didn't use it last winter - it didn't get cold.

You might also try the newest Srixon AD-333 for under $20.

Hopefully this Nike SS ball will be a good ball for me and the rest of us with regular flex shafts and slower swing speeds.

You can save the picture above to your computer and use a photo editing application to blow it up. The SS ranked second in the overall test behind the NOB on the chart. WOW! Looks like it got the highest marks for Driver distance and soft feel and got second to the highest mark for accuracy off of Driver and 8 iron, plus spin off of an 8 iron.

I'll check into those Srixon balls too. Thanks for the tip!

what precept lady model is used for the article - anyone know? by the way i've been playing the nike ss for the past 6 months and feel it is very similar to the original lady in terms of low spin and soft feel. I don't play a lot of bite on chips so its been good around the green as well. havent played it yet in high houston heat when it might feel too mushy. in that case i'll probably go with my second choice, the ad333.

thanks

Here is a link to CR website. You can find out some of the results with out subcribing.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/...06/overview.htm

From the above page here is the direct link to the comparison chart:

Golf Ball Comparison Chart

Cliff

Someone should really scan/take picture of the report and post them :cheesy:

edit:

Oh god, I just looked and the box of TL Tours that I bought over the winter apparently is horrible...horrid driver accuracy :)

Fwiw.

Golf balls

Slicing through the hype

DRIVE TIME Designs inside and out may vary, but all the golf balls we tested traveled similar distances.

Once upon a time, every golfer sank birdies. The game’s first ball was made of a stout leather cover packed with boiled chicken or goose feathers and laced shut. The feathery, as it was nicknamed, was surprisingly heavy, never precisely round, and quite unreliable.

Six centuries later, the feathery’s descendants might be the most highly engineered balls around. Last year, 27 million U.S. golfers spent $763 million on golf balls that can travel farther, roll longer, and fly straighter than ever before. Precisely engineered dimple patterns on the ball’s surface allow manufacturers to alter the ball’s trajectory. (For more on golf-ball parts and the difference they make to your game, see Anatomy of a golf ball.) More than a dozen manufacturers produce different models to address different players’ needs.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell which ball is best for you by its cover. Labels use the same words (long distance, soft feel) to describe what’s inside. Some makers strive to set themselves apart using more creative copy with little clarity. Nike’s Mojo II Karma ball, for example, is promoted as having “the psychokinetic energy of a tangerine dream squeezed into a 1.68-inch shimmering ball of fire.” Yeah, but can it spin?

In short, selecting a ball today involves more than a quick stop at the local leathersmith. “It’s so confusing, many players just buy the equipment that the people they play with like or their favorite pros use without taking into account the possibility that their choice may be hurting their game,” says Michael Marion, director of golf at Promontory golf course in Park City, Utah, and Golf Digest’s pick for Utah’s top golf teacher. For example, beginners may not know enough about their games to determine whether they do better with a harder or softer type of ball.

To help you match a ball’s performance to your game, we tested 25 balls for factors every golfer should weigh: how far they travel, how much they spin, how accurately they fly, and how they feel (how hard or soft they seem when you hit, chip, or putt them). For details on how we tested, see The tests behind the Ratings. Our tests uncovered some results that run counter to widely held beliefs:

• You can buy balls that go the distance for less than $20 a dozen. When hit by a machine that struck every ball with a driver with the same force and in the same spot, all the tested balls, regardless of construction or price, traveled virtually the same distance: 272 to 281 yards when hit at 110 mph, 227 to 235 yards when hit at 90 mph. In fact, three of the least-expensive models, the Dunlop Loco Dart ($11 a dozen), the Top Flite XL Pure Distance More Carry ($10), and the Pinnacle Gold Distance ($13), went farther than 7 higher-priced balls. (Note: All the Top Flite balls we tested have since been discontinued but are still available at many retail locations.)

• By contrast, spin rates off an 8-iron varied from fair to excellent. We assigned higher scores to balls that spun the most. Most golfers prefer a ball that has a higher rate of spin off their irons; that way, they can have more control over the ball’s path. Beginners shouldn’t worry about buying expensive balls to enhance their spin rates. That’s because experts say it’s more important for them to work on improving club head speed and contact to improve control.

• In some cases, we found that the less-expensive balls had a softer feel. Most golfers prefer this because harder balls will not be compressed as much when hit with the club face. Less compression results in less deformation of the ball, so less energy is produced when the ball reshapes in flight. This in turn produces a lower rate of spin. But feel may differ from golfer to golfer, so personal preference weighs heavily in your choice.

• Hit off a driver, each ball had a low spin rate, good news since that means a ball will fly on a straighter trajectory for more total distance down the fairway.

• The most-expensive balls were, however, the most accurate, landing closest to a target off both the driver and the 8-iron. But this consistency is likely to be of more benefit to a good player, because even the most accurate balls won’t fix an average player’s flawed swing.

Categories are murky

The balls we tested come from 10 leading manufacturers: Ben Hogan, Bridgestone/Precept, Callaway, Dunlop, Maxfli, Nike, Pinnacle, Titleist, Top Flite, and Wilson. The Ratings and CR Quick Recommendations provide guidance about the balls for different levels of play. Keep in mind that construction methods, cover materials, and dimple patterns differ at all price levels.

Pro-level balls cost the most ($40 to $45 per dozen) and are designed for professional golfers and very good amateurs. These balls use the latest advanced technology such as multilayer construction, “space age” materials, and complex dimple patterns. Midlevel balls cost about $25 to $35 a dozen. Most mimic the three-piece construction of most of the higher-priced balls, but their covers tend to be thicker for more durability. A few balls in this category were two-piece or featured low compression rates (for a softer feel) designed to lengthen the drives of players with slower swing speeds. The spin rates varied in our tests. Bargain-level balls, about $10 to $20 a dozen, tend to have two-piece construction and tout distance and durability, although some balls in this category may have the soft feel and spin rates common in higher-priced balls.

We did not test these golf balls for durability because there is no industry-defined standard. Assume that if the ball has a softer feel it is not as durable as those with harder covers. Playing experience dictates that every ball, whether soft or hard, will become damaged when hitting a cart path, tree, or bunker.

How to choose

Here’s how to find a ball that’s compatible with your game, your home course, and your budget, based on our tests and advice from the experts:

Get fitted. Call a local golf club pro shop or golf retailer to find one with a “fitter,” a staff member trained to analyze your swing, ask the right questions about your game, and figure out which ball and clubs match your skill level. If possible, go to a fitter who has a launch monitor, a system that uses a high-speed camera or radar to record your swing and measure nearly everything that happens near the point of impact, including launch angle (the angle at which the ball comes up off the club face), ball speed, ball spin rate, club-head speed, and the angle at which your club hits the ball. The optimum launch angle off a driver (about 13 to 15 degrees) and spin rate (2,200 to 2,800 rpms) are the tour pros’ domain. “Try different balls off the launch monitor to see how different models can fine-tune your game,” says Tom Mase, visiting associate professor at Michigan State University’s School of Engineering and developer of five golf patents. Some shops will do a free fit; others charge $50 to $100.

Narrow the field. All the experts say there’s no one ball that’s best for every golfer, or even every type of golfer. With all the elements that go into a swing, and all the differences among golfers’ skill levels, the choice is one only you can make. Our Ratings were based in part on a “best case” scenario in which the ball was hit by a robotic arm in the “sweet spot,” or the middle of the club face, every time at a controlled angle and speed. Not even pros can swing as accurately, time after time, as the robot does.

That said, the Ratings are an excellent way to narrow your choices. Use them to pick several balls to test-drive. (Ask staff members in your pro shop whether they can lend you samples.) Check out events at your local driving range. Manufacturers’ “demo days” at driving ranges are a good way to sample free balls. In choosing, don’t obsess about distance: Our robot drove all the balls nearly the same length.

Assess your skill level. If you’re a beginner, look among inexpensive balls with a soft feel. Accuracy and spin shouldn’t matter as much.

If you’re a midlevel player or higher, with a single-digit handicap, look among three- or four-layer (“pro level”) balls rated high for spin and accuracy. Those balls will perform best with a better player’s high swing speed and good form.

Check the CR Quick Recommendations. They provide guidance on specific balls that would be best for players with different skill levels.

Take your selection of balls and play a round with each. Use a range of clubs from driver to mid-iron to putter. This will give you an honest sense of how the ball will perform in different circumstances.

Other tips for trying out new balls:

• Use your own clubs. During our feel tests, we found that players who were given unfamiliar equipment became distracted and uncomfortable.

• Practice the same shot. For example, try putting the balls the same distance several times (we used 10 feet in our tests). Don’t get caught up in the results of your putt, just how the ball feels off the putter.

• Listen. You may find the balls that sounded the loudest off the putter may also feel the hardest. You may want something softer for more control.

Consider the course. Do you play on one course much more than others? If so, factor in the characteristics of the course you play most often. If it has manicured, tightly mowed fairways and fast, firm greens, you might like a softer ball with plenty of spin like the Titleist Pro V1, the only ball we tested that earned an excellent score in both categories. A softer ball will spin more in the air, which causes it to roll less when it lands on a hard course. If you play a course with soft, slower greens, you may prefer a harder ball. Those tend to cost less because they often have fewer layers. All balls will stick when they hit thick grass.

Don’t buy the hype. The Maxfli Noodle Long and Soft earned lower marks than several other models on both distance and soft feel; the Top Flite Long & Soft Distance earned top marks for distance but a low score for soft feel. “No matter what anyone else says about a ball, the bottom line is do you like to play with it?” says Dick Rugge, senior technical director of the United States Golf Association’s test center, which tests manufacturers’ equipment to make sure it follows required standards. Once you find a ball that meets your standards, your mere task, says Michigan State’s Tom Mase, is to “keep them out of the water and on the right side of the fence.”

The tests behind the Ratings

FORM TO ENVY This robot was programmed to swing precisely the same way at both amateur and pro speeds.

We hired an independent golf laboratory to conduct our launch test. The lab uses a computerized robot programmed to swing a golf club so it hits the ball in the middle of the club face (or the “sweet spot”) on every swing. In our tests, the robot swung a driver and an 8-iron. It’s the same robot that the United States Golf Association’s Test Center and many manufacturers use to test golf balls.

We used two swing speeds for our driver tests: 90 mph, to represent amateur swingers, and 110 mph, to represent the pros’ rate. We tracked each ball’s flight using equipment based on Doppler radar. It recorded ball speed (the speed of the ball off the club face), launch angle (angle the ball launches off the club face), and spin. As the ball landed, we recorded how far the shot deviated off center, the ball’s carry distance (how far it traveled in the air), and its total distance (including how far it rolled on the ground). External variables such as wind and humidity were monitored and factored into the results. We used one box of each model golf ball, so each brand’s model was hit 48 times.

We also enlisted local teaching and retail golf professionals as panelists to help us determine the feel of each ball. We covered any identifying marks, then asked the panelists to putt each rated ball, along with a very hard and very soft ball for reference points, a distance of 10 feet. Panelists putted each ball eight times, then scored it on a scale of 1 (hardest) to 9 (softest).

--Consumer Reports 2006

Checkout this site !

www.golfballtest.com

I'm going to buy several boxes of the Nike PD SS soon. Unreal price for that kind of performance. Who would have thought a $14 a dozen ball would rank ahead of the Pro-V1? Thank you CR and the folks who posted the info! :)

Thanx for the info. Just scored 8 boxes of MC lady from Sport Authority for $8.00/box. My eyes should be kept on Nike SS sales now. :-)

Well, I knew it couldn't last. I have to admit, I've been playing the Nike PD Supersoft for over a year and been loving it. (and not telling a soul about it!) Now I probably won't be able to find them anywhere!

It says Bstone 330 and Nike Mojo are about the same. I've played both, not agreeing with CR :)

Here is what the ratings categories mean. Very interesting stuff, especially regarding accuracy:

Distance, driver is the average total distance (in the air and on the ground) the ball traveled off a driver at 90 mph.

Soft feel is the average score from expert panelists; high-scoring balls felt the softest.

Accuracy, 8-iron is based on how far the ball traveled off center during launch testing with an 8-iron club; “excellent” balls landed 0-5 feet from center, “very good” landed 5-10 feet, “good” landed 10-15 feet, “fair” landed 15-20 feet, “poor” landed 20 feet or more.

Accuracy, driver is based how far the ball traveled off center during launch testing with a driver at 90 mph; “excellent” balls landed 0-10 feet from center; “very good” landed 10-20 feet, “good” landed 20-30 feet, “fair” landed 30-40 feet, “poor” landed 40 feet or more.

Spin, 8-iron is the average spin rate for each model immediately after launch. Higher spin scores indicate balls that spun the most.

Aren't the Super Soft gone now and they changed to the Power Soft?

I wonder when the experiments were performed, and if the new Improved Callaway HX Tour (not 56, but that's been improved also) would have performed as well or better.

Anyone know?

Especially if the name's have all changed. It's almost like this study was somewhat dated already. All the new Top Flite balls are out, New Nikes, etc.

Aren't the Super Soft gone now and they changed to the Power Soft?

Looks like it form their website. Dick's had the Power Distance SS for $13 a dozen a while back, might have to go stock up (I've been playing these for a while and really dig 'em).

Aren't the Super Soft gone now and they changed to the Power Soft?

They can still be had out there at the larger retailers like Wal-Mart. That is until every weekend hack gets wind of the "greatest ball out there for $14 according to Consumer Reports".

I went to golf smith two days ago and they were selling the power distance super soft nike for 9.95 for dozen.

According to the consumer reports, Nike Distance series is a fairly good ball, they were flying out the door at the golf shop I work at, some guy bought 4 dozen and said "Hey, for 15 bucks how can I go wrong?" I'm a Nike One Black player, but I would like to see how the distanec series actually performs.

Nike Power Distance Super Soft is at TGW for $11.88. Do any of our beloved sponsors have this ball for around that price?

Had a chance to hit some of the Nike Power Distance Super Softs this past weekend and I must say, I think I've found a new ball.

Spin wasn't as much as I had anticipated, however the distance was outstanding! For me, these are much longer than the NXT Tour, however I probably don't have the swing speed as many do here. I am sure I am much slower. I could really feel the ball compress off of the driver face.

The "less spin than I was anticipating" factor may be our greens and not the ball as the greens at my club are still coming back from recent airification. I'll know more about the spin after the next few weeks of playing these.

Looks like these will live up to the hype, I just hope Nike is prepared for the demand Consumer Reports will supply after the recent article. For $14 and some change per dozen, you can't really go wrong.