Top Flite Freak Review

[laseranimal]

Worth a try for the right player

So this probably won't interest the majority of WRX'ers but here it is:

My father in law took up the game 3 years ago and has always struggled mightily and always bugs me for advice as to how to get better. We've had everything fit, done the lesson thing, but he's still struggled to break 110-120 even from the forward tee's. Like all higher handicap golfers he sometimes struggles to make consistent contact and as he's aged he's lost so much flexibility so he can only make 1/4 to 1/2 swings, meaning that even when he does catch one solid its not going very far(Driver carry of 100-115). He normally plays Noodle, Big Bertha, etc but after he read the golf magazine test where it was suggested that higher handicap players try playing a higher spin ball like Pro V1, NOP etc for more short game control he wanted to try it.

He tried a sleeve of NOP and pro V1 and I got him a box of e5+ as a lower cost alternative. Well to put a long story short they all sucked, as I expected his 60 MPH swingspeed couldn't compress the ball and with a 16* driver he spun the heck out of the premiums and lost distance. The lost distance meant he was taking an extra shot just to reach the green and he couldn't make consistent enough contact to get the ball to work around the green, meaning he threw more strokes away.

Fast forward to last night, where I handed him a box of Top Flite Freaks, after getting past the "what the heck are these/anti top flite range rock" stage he played them "for comparison sake only". Consistently he was 15-25 yards longer with a higher ballflight off the tee then the e5+ he was playing, from the fairway he got more height and longer carry on his 3 and 5 wood/hybrids and more height on his approach shots with his irons. This was huge for him as he normally struggles to reach greens in regulation and about 3 holes in he stopped playing the E5+ and went to the Freak only.

Stopping power was what you would expect, ball won't check on approach or wedge shots and sometimes releases up to 15-20 feet by the hole, but he rarely gets the ball pin high on his approaches. Plus the extra carry got the ball to land and release through a few greens where the e5+ would be well short. On chip shots, once he figured out that he couldn't just fire at the flag(never worked with the "good" balls either) and allowed for the roll, he got a much higher percentage of balls inside 7-10 feet.

Around the 12th hole(492 yard Par 5 HARD dogleg right) while waiting on the worlds SLOWEST foursome of 18-25 year olds after I hit my TA2 SPN, I decided to hit a Freak off the tee, WOW this thing is LONG, its a good 25 yards longer then the SPN(used the rangefinder and the SPN was 249 and the Freak was 266), and it doesn't feel hard or clicky at all, and gets up in the air, hangs, and goes forever. I played both balls for the hole so I'd be able to give a better review. Off the irons the freak is maybe 1/2 of a club longer but it doesn't have the shot shaping control of the TA2, which is expected. The freak goes much straighter and I thought a touch higher. What was surprising again was that the Freak doesn't feel hard and harsh, its not "soft" but it feels closer to a firm performance ball then it does to a range rock/old top flite. I'd peg it closer to a HX Hot type feel. Into the green its no contest, the Freak loses and loses big. No bite at all and very little ability to change shape, again though if you're a golfer that doesn't get it pin high, you might get a ball to roll onto the green so I'm obviously not the target demographic here. Off the wedges I was again surprised, while the Freak doesn't grab, its surprisingly playable/controllable so long as you give it some room to run after it lands. Its not hard off the putter either, again I'd put it closer to a "firm" feel you get off of balls like HX Hot/ProV1x/NOB/NXT Tour.

To sum up, if you or anyone you know struggles with distance and control off the tee and doesn't need a huge amount of stopping power around the greens, check out the Freak. Trust me it works, my father in law shot 94 which destroys his previous best of 108 and has become a Freak convert. For the right player this could be a fantastic ball.

[Andyinthewoods]

Sounds like your father in law plays like my dad. I'll suggest the Freak to him.

[Freddy300]

Sounds like the ball for me. The E5+ is supposed to be a good and long ball too. I better your father-in-law was thrilled. Thanks for the review.

 

I have 24 Pinnacle Exceptions I will need to work through first. I have not tried them yet. Hopefully today.

 

I could use 20 yards on my 200 yd carry drives. What is weird is I can hot my irons, 3 & 5 wood a good distance average distance for an avg golfer. I need to keep swining my weighted club.

 

I got sick yesterday watching Phil Mickelson on TV hit a 3 wood 310 yards at Wachovia tournament in Charlotte. :yes:

[kanbankid]

I absolutely love the Freak!! I had been playing Pro V1 and Titleist NXT Extremes but won't play anything anymore except the Freak. It does absolutely everything I need it to do. I have a high ball flight and this balls hits the green and often stops on a dime or just a few feet roll.

If Callaway would have sold this ball under their name instead of Top Flite, they would have had a real winner. Most people, including me, won't touch Top Flites. I went to then away from them three times before getting over the brand name. Each time I change back to another ball, I go right back to the Freaks. I love 'em!