TESTING: MYSTERY Golf Ball Member Reviews.....

[robrey85]

[quote name='Papa Johick' timestamp='1428334729' post='11294351']
PLayed this weekend in Columbia, SC. not too windy, but there were a few holes on a river/pond (not sure haha) that had some good wind and like most of us have said, ball just got tossed around. I gave one sleeve to my brother in law due to he needed some balls. PLays once a year maybe twice and hardly gets it off the ground so I didn't ask what he though as everything is the same for him. I have one more sleeve left, but probably won't be using it much unless I am having a bad driving day and I don't want to lose my normal golf balls in play.

Anyone remember when Hipcheck said we would find out what these balls were?
[/quote]

He never specified a date. He think he referenced that he wouldn't know in the original PM.


EDIT: I found this:

[quote name="Hipcheck"][color=#000000][size=3] I am unsure when “The Reveal” will happen but will let you know.[/size][/color][/quote]

[Mountaineer]

I was able to get in a full 18 and two 9 hole rounds with the mystery ball. Here are my thoughts:

[b]Off the tee[/b]
I didn’t get a loss of distance as some members reported. I noticed my trajectory was perhaps a touch higher, but no major, significant differences.

[b]Into the green[/b]
With my irons I was very pleased with the performance of the ball. I would say, for a lack of better terms, the ball was receptive whenever I wanted to work the ball in any direction. Only beef with irons is that I couldn’t quite knock it down, but I’m not sure if that’s an user error lol.

I very much enjoyed the ball when hitting stock wedge shots from 70-110 yds. At contact it felt so good when it’s a well struck shot. The ball would 1 hop and stop or either check-up for me. It didn’t back up at all for me, but I don’t consider myself a “high-spin” player anyways.

[b]Around the green[/b]
Usually this is what makes or breaks a ball for me, how it performs 30yds and in. I would say the mystery ball passes with flying colors. It felt solid around the greens and it did exactly what I wanted. From the nice low checker or the shot that rolls out, it got the job done

[b]Putting[/b]
Not much to say that differs from my prior indoor session, but it’s not a rock and that’s about it.

[b]Feel[/b]
Overall I liked the feel of the ball. How a ball feels off of wedges and irons is probably the most integral part for me. At first it was a little “clanky” as one member put it, but when I hit it squarely and trapped the ball well, it felt great.

[b]Durability[/b]
The ball held up well in the normal course of play. From the sand it still held up and even with some aggressive wedges. The cover remained intact with no issues. No negatives.

[b]Final Opinion[/b]
Would I be willing to play the mystery ball again? Of course. I would definitely consider playing the ball again and even paying for more of them. Granted I would probably take a ProV1 over the mystery ball, but if the mystery ball sells at a competitive price point, it could sway my purchase easily.

[Txstcatman]

I played another round today using the test ball. I felt my swing today was overall much better and I could do a little more.

Feel: this ball continues to give me a soft, almost mushy feelng. From driver to short game, there wasn't as much auditory feedback at impact for me. I like this off the putter but I'm not so keen on it right now through the rest of the bag.

Spin: I'm still having trouble with geting this ball to hop and stop. I felt like I got some really nice chips and irons into greens that just rolled out. This was great for downwind holes with front pins because could land 10yds short and have it roll up, but it hurt when trying to stick it close the ball seemed to do a little better in the windy conditions today, but I attribute some of that to my swin being more on point. It felt like the blcwould drop out of the air on drives for me at times.

Distance: while I still need to do monitor testing on this ball this week, I can't say that I noticed any significant gains or losses in distance. I was in usual places on the course, but never really in new territory save for one hole. I noticed that downwind shots seemed to fall faster than those into the wind. Perhaps an effect of the reduced spin I noticed? My shots into the wind seemed to care a little better with driver, but not so well with hybrid tee shots.

Durability: overall I felt the cove on throw ball is pretty durable. I hit one cart path shot and the cover barely showed any sign of the abuse. I also noticed, as someone posted earlier, that my marks came off the ball fairly easily, even ust through normal play. Hover environmental stains seemed to stick to the ball much easier. I played a side with one ball and it looked relatively new. I'd take his over the durability of other brands I've played.

Overall impression: it's hard for me to tell where this ball is going to be placed in a product lineup. I feel like it's almost around the Q-Astar, Duo style of ball. I've never really gotten along well with his category. While no single digit capper, I enjoy the benefits of playing many of he tour level balls, especially do around the greens. I felt I stopped last year's ProV1x and FG Tour X much better on short game shots than this ball. Again, it's hard for me to believe that's the direct competition this ball is aimed at.

Hopefully I can get on the monitors at Golfsmith Wednesday to get some nl era crunched. I'll even buy a couple of sleeves of current gen balls to compare nbers with.

[vtnerf]

I got out for the first full round yesterday. I've shaken the cobwebs off at the range and skipped around the course playing some shots here and there earlier, but nothing with any continuity. A little background on me: My driver SS is in the 105-108 range. A little deliberate in tempo, so I've gone to an X to try to minimize a bad turn causing a flimsy shaft to be out of position, even when my swing is not spot on. Always played DGS300's, but have KBS Tours in Stiff now. A little different, but I'm liking them so far. Brand new 8/9/pw so sharp grooves.

I put the test ball in play during a scramble event yesterday. Well, the front 9 was a scramble, the back nine was modified alternate shot...and played 3-4 holes with it there. My partner had to play it on second shots, so there were a few holes I played something else for his benefit.

[b]Driver[/b]: I do like how it sounds. I don't mind the general ball flight, downwind. Into the wind however is a different story. It tended to balloon a little and not penetrate thru the wind as much as some other balls. And in general it was shorter than some others I have played. My go-to ball the past two seasons was the Chrome+. I know where I should be on the course, and in relation to my playing partner based on how he and I hit the ball. There were 3 drives on the front yesterday that I should have been 15 yards past him, but with the test ball I was only 2-5. There was one hole straight downwind, that I've driven frequently in the past. I even placed the seam of the ball horizontal to the ground (the old ProV trick from past generations that had a larger seam) and the ball ended up short of the putting surface. Probably 15 yards short of where the same strike with the Cally would end up. It did fly straight, both into and with the wind, but just was shorter than what I'm used to seeing and playing.

[b]150 in: [/b]In all honesty, I kinda liked the feel of this ball from 150 in. Granted, I lost a little bit of distance with it compared to the Cally, but the sound and feel were very much what I would like in a ball. Not too soft, not clicky, not spin it back off the green spinny, not jumpy get down don't go there bouncy. I hit one PW from 110 straight downwind that hopped once and sat like the best dog in the world. Hit an 8 with a 15mph cross wind that held its line extremely well, took maybe a bigger-than-usual bounce, but sat right down within 5 feet of the ball mark. Into the teeth of it, I felt like I lost an extra half to full club, even above what I was compensating for, which wasn't fun. 145 is a standard 8 for me. at 145 into a 15 mph wind, hitting a 7 should put me in the 140-145 range, putting uphill. Yesterday with the test ball the 7 put me at 130-135ish, basically a half club short of "normal." I started 2013 playing the V1x but shortly into the season abandonded it because of the same thing. It was decent for 85% of shots, but straight into the wind, it just lost too much and ballooned. Landed soft, but its tough mentally to take a 5 iron from 150 just because of the ball....

[b]Putting:[/b] Outstanding feel. Loved it. Distance control was great. Roll was true. Lining it up is easy with the seam. In a scramble, I would play these on putts all day long!!!

[b]Durability:[/b] Played the same ball for 13 holes. All shots, even the alternate ones. Twice out of the sand. Once with a blade from my partner. Not a scratch. This thing is indestructible. No smiley faces from the blade. No sand scuff from the bunker shots. Not wings from brand new grooves on my scoring clubs. No scratches from approach shots into punched/sanded greens. I will say that the sharpie marks I put on the ball did fade away by the end of the round. Might need a touch-up during the round if playing this ball competitively to ensure you can identity it, but that shouldn't be an issue as the ball won't be harmed, leaving a clean surface to remark!

Overall I would say its a solid ball to play in colder temps. The softer feel won't rock you on shots like playing a top flite will. But when it's warm, and there are a few dollars riding on the nassua or making bird on the last few holes, I'm not sure I would reach for this one. It's hard for me to give up 10+ yards on the driver, causing at least a club extra into the green.

I will put it in play this Wednesday night too. Supposed to be high 50's and rainy, so another test for the mystery ball.

[Holy Moses]

My final thoughts are that this ball is a little shorter than my Pro V1, not great into the wind, great from 130 in, not as soft feeling as the Chrome Soft putting-wise but spin more with wedges, and this ball is indestructible. I'm going to cut into one soon to see its core.

[vtnerf]

[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1428418464' post='11302453']
My final thoughts are that this ball is a little shorter than my Pro V1, not great into the wind, great from 130 in, not as soft feeling as the Chrome Soft putting-wise but spin more with wedges, and this ball is indestructible. I'm going to cut into one soon to see its core.
[/quote]
Whatever they are using as a cover, others should buy the patent and use!!!!! Most indestructible ball ever.
Can't wait to see what the cross-section of this ball looks like. I liked it from 7-iron down. And agree about it being shorter and the wind.

[robrey85]

I've received something in the mail today with regards to this testing and I now know what ball this is.

I'll be updating the post shortly with some pics...


EDIT: AND THE WINNER IS! ....

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I gotta say, as much as I dislike TM, that's pretty awesome they sent this package with a "Thanks for testing" card and gift. It shows that they appreciate their customers along with the valuable feedback we provide, good OR bad.

Thanks TM & GolfWRX!

[PapaJohick]

That's pretty cool! I did figure this was the project a. If we all get one (especially me since I feel like I may have been a little harsh towards it haha) I'll definitley appreciate it. Will they get used? Certainly will as that just means I'll have another dozen to play with between buying/mass ordering more for a deal haha plus they do what they market them as working for the type of player I am for around the greens. Thanks to golfwrx and taylormade for the chance to contribute to this great site and I hope to be able to do it again in any way I can.

[PapaJohick]

I received my Marked dzn today. thank you to taylormade and GolWRX again!

[vtnerf]

Thank you TaylorMade and WRX for this opportunity (and for the above and beyond extra dozen!)

I will say one more thing...
I played 9 holes with it last night. I said before that I wanted to try it in cooler temps, and that worked out last night. 45-48 with a 15mph wet breeze. I didn't lose as much distance as I did (relatively) on the 75 degree day. Seems like this ball would be perfect for cooler temps. There weren't any hand rattlers and not any that-was-two-clubs-short shots either. I did have have tall bounces, but the ball "stuck" for the most part. When it's below 50, I'm breaking this thing out for sure.

[Ricky Ross]

Got my marked dozen last night. Surprised this was the project a. I actually liked the ball before I switched to the chrome soft. My main complaint was the same before I knew I was getting to test a mystery ball. Not enough spin around the greens. Anyways thanks Golfwrx and Taylormade for the opportunity to participate.

[geauxWRX]

Thank you TaylorMade and WRX for this opportunity

I tried to provide honest feedback based on my experience with the ball.

[Holy Moses]

Thanks for the opportunity! This is probably a great ball for someone who doesn't want to spend $40+ per dozen, could use some more height on his/her shots, needs spin around the greens, and wants an indestructible ball.

[onafriday]

Well there you have it - Project (a).

I was rather underwhelmed by the 'mystery ball' - which I think I assumed was a protoype of some sort, but all the messages and stuff in retrospect never made any such statement.

There's a very tiny part of me that can't help but feel there was a little bit of 'gotcha' in play here....

Like the Bridgestone commercials - 'don't play what the pros play, play what's right for you!'

Anyway, I want to say explictly though that I'm very grateful for the opportunity! It was sort of an odd confirmation that i'm currently playing the right ball for me (the RZN Platinum).

Thanks again!

[CactusGolf]

It was an honor to be selected for this opportunity and I hope to provide more insight to other WRXers. Being a reviewer, it also made me think hard about what I was actually looking for in a ball versus just picking up what I think that I want to play off the shelf.

It was truly a nice surprise to see a package on my doorstep this morning. I've played TaylorMade products in the past going back to the 360 Ti. I will say this, they have customer service down pat. Any issue I've ever had was solved above and beyond what I expected. For example, I ordered a set of irons to go via ground and there was a shipping error that caused the irons to actually not be shipped. I had an event on Sunday that I wanted these for and TaylorMade sent these via overnight, Saturday delivery on their dime. I'm not playing TM products now as Nike products performed better for me this year.

I'm still up in the air on this ball and it should be easier to make up my mind. Like I've said before, this ball does a lot of things that I'm looking for well.

I want a ball to feel soft off of all clubs and the Project (a) is one of the best feeling balls I've ever played. Actually feels better than the RZNs.

I want a ball to stop and release a little bit and the Project (a) does it consistently too. It hits and stops within a yard. I hate spinning balls back.

The only downsides to this ball is that the wind performance isn't as good compared to the RZN Black or Platinum and the distance off the tee is about 10 yards less than the RZN series.

Now I will say that this ball performed well for my regular playing partner (father-in-law). He has about an 18 handicap and has a swing speed of about 80 miles per hour. Total distance with the driver is about 200 yards.

He liked the soft feel of the ball and was able to hold more greens because of the higher trajectory. This ball would definitely fit him better and he actually went out today and bought another box once we found out what they were. He's a TaylorMade player (Aeroburner, RSI1) as it is.

[Txstcatman]

Nothing but appreciation to GolfWRX and Taylormade for this opportunity. I've played the Project(a) before with some success but couldn't get along with it this time around. It could be that my off season was longer than others in the area, as I've been helping take care of my newborn. Still even after the rust wore off I had a hard time finding the right way to get this ball to work for me. I plan to use the remaining test and new marked dozen during the season, hopefully with more positive results.

[rozey]

I've been afk for a bit and was going to come back and guess it might be a new premium replacement from TM, but it's the P(a)... I would have guessed premium because the Tour Preferred and TPX are getting clearanced at Wal-Marts in my area. Dozen for $35. I tried and like the P(a) for my game a year ago and have loved it since. Glad you guys had a good test.

[robrey85]

I am out in the Dominican Republic and played a few rounds, finally lost the last ball today but managed to play a solid 12 holes with it before i lost it. A few sand shots and everything was off grass.

Needless to say, it was windy as all hell and today i played two balls side by side, the Chrome soft and this ball. This ball is soooo bad in the wind. I watched all the flights and this truly did ballon more often. My attached image was a drive into the wind. I smoked both drives but pushed the mystery ball a little and the difference in yardages was like 30 yards. I probably got some roll out of the Chrome soft since it was sloping right to left but the difference was outrageous.

The next comparison was a 160 yard Par 3 into the wind. Forced Carry to a Island green but the island was surrounded by sand. It was pretty cool. Anyway, I hit my chrome soft, off the toe slightly and made it to the front of the green.

I hit the mystery ball, spot on taking a solid divot yet I didn't even make it to the green, let alone the grass. I was probably a good 5 yards short of the chrome soft. It was pretty bad.

I still like this ball around the greens and today my ball striking was much better than it has been so the feel off my irons is improving but man, the whole ballooning thing is out of control.

I'll play my free dozen and call it a day! Thanks again!

[robrey85]

Here's the par three.

[robrey85]

Anyone want to trade these for a dozen of Chrome softs?