Nike and srixon golf ball advice

Let me start by saying I have been playing for about 2 years, I'm 34 and about 6'3. I'm a bonafide 28 handicapper, best point is my driving from the tee, 8 times out of 10 I split the fairway. I lose alot of shots due to my awful putting (which is getting slightly better) & duffing 2nd shots from distances of around 180-190 usually with my hybrid.

I have tried only a few balls in the couple of years I have been playing, John letters soft which the guy at my golf shop advised me to use, Callaway xzr's and various ones I have found round the course, Nike's, srixon & titlest.

I have found that I have had some of my best games with the Nikes & Srixon balls I have found but am unsure what models they are, I have an average swing speed, maybe even on the slower side of average (I always try & replicate Ernie els swing haha) hit my approach shots pretty well Vulcan have off days from around the green.

Can anyone recommend any Nike Or Srixon models I can buy and try out based on the info I have given? I realize it might be difficult & maybe told to get fitted out but am sceptical they will only push stiff in me that they get bigger margins on.

Sorry for grammatical errors I am typing off my phone.

Srixon Q star and Z star would be the two Srixon models that would most likely be found on the course, with the Q star being cheaper and better for a slower swing speed then the Z star.

I don't have the greatest knowledge on Nike but I know they do have a lot of different balls, (my dad plays a ball called the SFT, which is for slower swings which may suit you?)

Hope I was somewhat helpful if at all?

I would keep an open mind on golf ball brands and look more at the characteristics of the ball. Nike makes a tour grade ball and a strictly distance ball so it depends on what you want. If I were to recommend a Nike ball based on the fact that you are good driver I would go with the Nike Power Distance (PD) which flies far and is fairly soft on the green which could aid your putting - however it does not have a lot of spin on the green which you may or may not care about. Outside of Nike and Srixon I would consider the Top-Flite D2 Feel, and if you have time to practice your short game try a less expensive Urethene ball like the Maxfli U/3 or the Top-Flite Gamer Tour - incredible sales going on.

But then again, most manufacturers will be changing their offerings for 2014.

I just started using Nike 20XI S balls for the first time the other day. They're clicky, but spin and control with the irons and wedges were great. Can't really comment about it regarding the driver, because regardless of what ball I'm using, my driving sucks.

When you putt with it, again it's very clicky but I personally think it still feels good. Not soft, but not very hard either.

Nike balls are indeed "clicky" but everything I've been hearing about their new RZN line of balls eliminates that. A friend of mine had a chance to hit a few and he confirmed this as well. Looking forward to trying them myself.

I would wait until the new Nike's are released and more feedback is available before making a choice.

I'm not a big Nike ball fan but Srixon are great. I would recommend either the Q-Star or if you can find them as they are discontinued but available cheap when you do find them the Tri-Speed Tours were actually too good for the price they charged for them and at times you can get them 2 for 35 bucks (as like right now at golfgalaxy online).

[b]NIKE Golf: [/b]As mentioned, the whole NIKE "PD" suite was good for its price and market position. I think they had a "Feel" or "Soft" model in the PD suite that was not a rock at all.

[i]but....[/i]

[b]Srixon:[/b] I'd skip the Q and go straight to the Z. You can develop a really great short game with a truly tour-grade ball (urethane cover). Putting will feel better and you already drive it well enough to not concern about excess spin on drives.

My bias 1: I think the Q is a cheap, hard ball promoted as middle-tier "performance" class just because it has more layers -- or maybe they just did not have anything to fit in this popular slot. By the time I would spend $25 - $30 on golf balls, why not get tour?

My bias 2: Srixon tour-grade balls are the best overall value | performance | durability.

Thanks for the feedback guys, appreciate it. So confusing with all the blurb advertised, the Nike pd soft & pd distance I was looking at but I get stuck when it comes to how they behave around the greens, is a pd distance's extra yardage worth sacrificing "feel" around the greens? My short game pretty much sucks anyway would a softer ball improve my chipping around the green, forgiveness wise?

I was also looking at the Bridgestone e series again unsure which one would suit me !

You can't go wrong with the Bridgestone E6. Great all around ball.

I thought the e6 might be the safest bet to be honest will try these and the srixon z see what I prefer. Will try and read some reviews of the new Nikes.

Many thanks.

E6 is definitely a good ball one which I'd have no qualms about using, in saying that though my ball of choice is the srixon z star which is just super. All depends on what you want to spend really I used the e6 for a long time before I stopped losing as many. I think you would get more out of the e6 as it would help to encourage more straight shots opposed to a higher spinning tour ball

Just got back in from a round (currently on a golf holiday in the Algarve) I used what I discovered was a srixon soft feel which I found was great until I lost it over hitting into some dense wood behind the green on the 15th.

I just been reading reviews & they seem really cheap! I don't want to rush in and buy just because I had one great round with them but they did feel great around the greens in particular.

So I guess my next question is e6 or srixon soft feel? And also is the srixon z a higher calibre version of the soft feel? If so I'm guessing would be an upgrade on the e6, right?

I think a lot of people associate "feel" with "spin", which might lead to thinking "better feel = improved short game".

- Technically, feel is ONLY feel. That is, the combination of sound (mostly) and feeling (less) that makes a ball feel mushier or firmer.

- Technically, literally no connection to short game. A firm ball could have more spin, all things being same (for example, Srixon XV is very firm, but high spin).

- Technically.

But "technicals" never stopped the brain from believing it is a better ball, or requires more | less tap, goes too far, goes just right, etc. That affect of feel may effect a short game.

Leads to the importance of trying out your final two or three choices over a couple of rounds if you can.

I gamed what I found out to be a srixon soft feel yesterday. It was a revelation & had the best game I have had for a while, search over you would think, then I realised as it was a nine hole par 3 I didn't get to drive it, there were some 170-180yrd holes and on reflection, I hit a couple of peaches with my hybrid. And came up short! Probably about 10-15yrds where I would normally get there.

I guess, reading many reviews, this is the eternal probLen,feel or distance. Bread that the soft feel are ideal for a swingspeed of 85mph, I also read the Nike pd soft was identical in everyway but for a s.s of 90-95, I would guess that I'm Between 85-90. Would this have a bearing on my yardage?

[quote name='hench78' timestamp='1388865992' post='8397867']

... this is the eternal problem, feel or distance.

[/quote]

Three factors:

[b]Distance.[/b]
Empirical. All about physics. No debating. Certain ball will go measurable distance off same club hit at a specific speed.

[b]Spin. [/b]
Empirical. All about physics. No debating. Certain ball will spin measurable RPMs off same club hit at a specific speed.

YOUR club choice and YOUR skill | power will determine the distance and spin.

[b]Feel.[/b]
Purely what you say, think, sensate, opinion. Combination of sound (ears) and sensation (fingers, hands, arm, shoulders). What that combination is debatable and irrelevant. If you hate the feel of the ball on putts or chips or when ever, it is of no value to note, "it is all in your head."

There is zero, nada, no, nunca, none, nyet [u]physics[/u] connection between "feel" and "spin".

[b]But feel is real![/b] Quite real!

Case in point: Srixon XV. Very firm ball, but lot of spin on full wedge shots. Some players would say it is not "hard" while other players will sense the "clickiness" and believe (quite sincerely) that it is leading to less spin, poor play, whatever.

Try to get it down to a couple of balls and play a couple of rounds with both.

Sxrion Trispeed Tour is a really good ball. Similar to Q Star but a little better in my opinion. DIcks sporting goods has great deal on them 2 boxes for $35.

[quote name='hench78' timestamp='1388771194' post='8391333']
Just got back in from a round (currently on a golf holiday in the Algarve) I used what I discovered was a srixon soft feel which I found was great until I lost it over hitting into some dense wood behind the green on the 15th.

I just been reading reviews & they seem really cheap! I don't want to rush in and buy just because I had one great round with them but they did feel great around the greens in particular.

So I guess my next question is e6 or srixon soft feel? And also is the srixon z a higher calibre version of the soft feel? If so I'm guessing would be an upgrade on the e6, right?
[/quote]
Another Bridgestone you may want to consider is the e5. Its a two piece so it still gives you the distance that the 2 piece balls (like the Srixon soft feel) have given you, but has a urethane cover which is what will help give you more bite around the greens. When I played them I noticed a definite improvement in spin and feel without losing too many balls due to the extra "playability" of the high end tour balls.

I know this is off base but have you ever tried the Wilson Duo? It is a low compression (40) ball that can be had for under $20. Has a soft feel putting with a little muted click.

[quote name='Smithj36' timestamp='1389037445' post='8409701']
Sxrion Trispeed Tour is a really good ball. Similar to Q Star but a little better in my opinion. DIcks sporting goods has great deal on them 2 boxes for $35.
[/quote]

Yep, yep I had endorsed this one above already but as an interesting note I went to a Bridgestone ball fitting event and after trying numerous different ones they recommended that I stay with the Tri-Speed tour as it gave me the best numbers of all of them. Pretty honest of them and a big endorsement for just how good theTri-Speed Tour is.

I took everything into account and went for the Nike pd soft, I was informed that it was exactly like the soft feel just for a slightly higher swing speed. I played my first round with them yeyesterday & not too bad.

I have played the Nike Vapor Black with good results. Give those and the new Nike Vapor Black 2.0 a try. Don't neglect to give the Top Flite Gamer and Gamer Tour a try. Cheap, but a great ball. You can only get those at Dick's Sporting Goods.

I like Nike balls. I've tried Srixon Q Stars, Nike PD Soft as well. The Vapor Black and Gamer hit far and straight off the tee for me, better than others. The Gamer will stick the greens like a dart!