J13's WITB: Update- FUJIKURA AXIOM

[J13]

8 hours ago, DaltonSTL said:

From what I have seen and the little play time I have they are TP5x but firmer. Spin and launch pretty much the same. 

 

Thanks for that feedback and it's consistent with what i've heard.  I think most of us play softer conditions than tour guys so we can get away with a ball that doesn't spin as much.  Tour bakes courses so they need every RPM they can get unless they hit a high ball.

[bcflyguy1]

Haven't had a chance to test the '20 CSX, so will be eager to hear what it does for you. I was a Callaway ball devotee until they went the Chrome Soft route, so have been hoping they can get a version of the X ball right ever since. As we've discussed elsewhere, the <-ProV1X> has an extra gear in the long game that nothing else can touch. The trade-off being that the feel/sound is noticeably firmer and louder off all clubs. If that's not a deal breaker, then giddy-up.

[J13]

2 hours ago, bcflyguy1 said:

Haven't had a chance to test the '20 CSX, so will be eager to hear what it does for you. I was a Callaway ball devotee until they went the Chrome Soft route, so have been hoping they can get a version of the X ball right ever since. As we've discussed elsewhere, the <-ProV1X> has an extra gear in the long game that nothing else can touch. The trade-off being that the feel/sound is noticeably firmer and louder off all clubs. If that's not a deal breaker, then giddy-up.

 

 

haha I hear ya.  Already have a round in with the second batch of balls and CSX is solid so far.  Left dash is one i'll have to try to find and try but if it's loud then it will be a no go.  That's the big downside from what others tell me.

[bcflyguy1]

6 minutes ago, J13 said:

 

 

haha I hear ya.  Already have a round in with the second batch of balls and CSX is solid so far.  Left dash is one i'll have to try to find and try but if it's loud then it will be a no go.  That's the big downside from what others tell me.

When I was playing as a kid, there were 3 kinds of golf balls; Top Flight, Pinnacle, and Ultra. Make of that, and that I don't mind the firmness of the Left Dash, what you will. LOL

[J13]

3 minutes ago, bcflyguy1 said:

When I was playing as a kid, there were 3 kinds of golf balls; Top Flight, Pinnacle, and Ultra. Make of that, and that I don't mind the firmness of the Left Dash, what you will. LOL

 

 

haha i remember those balls, especially the Ultra.  I LOVED the Ultra and saved them for my important rounds haha.  Funny to think about now.  I will try the left dash when i get a chance but my club not carrying it just makes it hard as I've been buying sleeves to save time and money.  Don't want to buy a dozen of anything until i know I want to play the ball.

[J13]

For reference this is one of the main reasons I’m switching.  I would easily say this happens to 6 or more per dozen.  I’m 100% done with this ball.

 

This ball had 3 holes under it’s belt before I had to scrap it.  It also happened to another XV today.  It can be hard to tell but the cover is coming off the ball with this gouge.  And I’m not skulling shots, please remember I’m a +1 hcp.

 

 

[FAbb]

I haven’t played the recent generation of Bridgestone balls, but I remember the later b330 series being the most durable ball I’ve ever played. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the BX come out of your next round as the most durable. 

[scottaz]

I’ll be surprised if you don’t end up with a tour BX. It’s an easy transition from what you’ve been playing all these years. Just as good in the wind, about the same firm feel, low spin off the driver, plenty of spin around the greens and very durable.

[J13]

21 hours ago, FAbb said:

I haven’t played the recent generation of Bridgestone balls, but I remember the later b330 series being the most durable ball I’ve ever played. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the BX come out of your next round as the most durable. 

 

I'll be done testing the second batch of balls tomorrow and BX is a top notch performer

 

17 hours ago, scottaz said:

I’ll be surprised if you don’t end up with a tour BX. It’s an easy transition from what you’ve been playing all these years. Just as good in the wind, about the same firm feel, low spin off the driver, plenty of spin around the greens and very durable.

 

Hey brotha, the Tour BX has been stellar.  My decision won't be easy that's for sure.  

[J13]

Update on Srixon:

 

Srixon reached out to me on twitter regarding the quality issues with the ball.  I give them credit for reaching out and they offered to send me more balls but I declined.  I told them I wanted a better product not a free one and hope they can fix these issues for the next generation.  As most of you know i'm a Srixon fan so i sincerely hope they move away from having the thinnest cover in golf as it's clearly causing a problem in durability.   

[chriswrightstuff]

I absolutely hear where you're coming from with the Srixon balls, I've had so many do that on me after a few holes. The cover literally peels off, I've had it where the cover looks like net hanging off of the ball. I do like the performance though!

[J13]

4 hours ago, chriswrightstuff said:

I absolutely hear where you're coming from with the Srixon balls, I've had so many do that on me after a few holes. The cover literally peels off, I've had it where the cover looks like net hanging off of the ball. I do like the performance though!

 

 

Exactly.  I like the performance but the durability has gone downhill big time.  I've been practicing on course with the last few sleeves of XV's and it just keeps happening which is the reason why i turned Srixon down to send me more balls.  Why would i want more of a poorly made product?

 

 

On a side note my testing is done and i'll give a rundown this week by friday.  Just been super busy and the USPS system is driving me INSANE.  I do a lot of club work, especially hotmelt work for people and every package coming to me is delayed and taking double the time.  The changes made to the USPS system is a travesty.  Whatever they did just stop and reverse it.  Rant over. ?

[GooseHook]

18 hours ago, J13 said:

 

 

Exactly.  I like the performance but the durability has gone downhill big time.  I've been practicing on course with the last few sleeves of XV's and it just keeps happening which is the reason why i turned Srixon down to send me more balls.  Why would i want more of a poorly made product?

 

 

On a side note my testing is done and i'll give a rundown this week by friday.  Just been super busy and the USPS system is driving me INSANE.  I do a lot of club work, especially hotmelt work for people and every package coming to me is delayed and taking double the time.  The changes made to the USPS system is a travesty.  Whatever they did just stop and reverse it.  Rant over. ?

 

 

It's been terrible for sure. I actually had a BST package delivered at 7pm one night early vs the stated delivery date (which was already 10 days in transit) and it got stolen before I realized it was there. 

 

Curious to hear the thoughts on Tour BX vs. Pro V1. The BX has been my ball over the last two years and I'm trying out some V1's I got to see if there's an upside to switching. 

[J13]

44 minutes ago, GooseHook said:

 

 

It's been terrible for sure. I actually had a BST package delivered at 7pm one night early vs the stated delivery date (which was already 10 days in transit) and it got stolen before I realized it was there. 

 

Curious to hear the thoughts on Tour BX vs. Pro V1. The BX has been my ball over the last two years and I'm trying out some V1's I got to see if there's an upside to switching. 

 

Yeah the USPS has been gutted, especially in the last few months.  I honestly feel for the Postal Union but i digress.  

 

I will give the run down tomorrow as today is yet again insane and will announce the two finalists.  The finalist testing already has 2 rounds under it's belt and I'm going to do 1 more to confirm what i'm seeing.  Ball testing has been a lot of fun and highly recommend it to everyone.  You don't have to do every ball but go out and grab a sleeve or two of something else to try.  We mortals don't have the luxury of having a custom ball made for us by OEM's like pro's but what we do have is freedom to choose from 10 + companies.  

 

 

Also heads up: Next test/review is also underway with regards to a shaft. More on that to come?

[TheKrushh]

On 9/12/2020 at 10:27 AM, J13 said:

Update on Srixon:

 

Srixon reached out to me on twitter regarding the quality issues with the ball.  I give them credit for reaching out and they offered to send me more balls but I declined.  I told them I wanted a better product not a free one and hope they can fix these issues for the next generation.  As most of you know i'm a Srixon fan so i sincerely hope they move away from having the thinnest cover in golf as it's clearly causing a problem in durability.   

I play the yellow z star XV and I feel like the seem on a ball that's been through it tend to look more light yellow, almost kind of white. I've played them for a long time (200 balls?) and I've never seen a split on the seem like that ball. Clearly it's been happening to you a lot. I hit a 125 mph driver and carry a 7 iron 205 so I'm definitely not easy on them. There's no way the yellow is different than the white is there? 

[jas904]

Same thing has been happening to me.  I would guess that is happens on 6-9 out of 12 balls.  I continued to practice with the one shown and it continued in a linear fashion more than half way around the entire ball.  It's too bad because I really like the performance.  Once my stash runs out I will move on to something else.

[TheKrushh]

44 minutes ago, jas904 said:

Same thing has been happening to me.  I would guess that is happens on 6-9 out of 12 balls.  I continued to practice with the one shown and it continued in a linear fashion more than half way around the entire ball.  It's too bad because I really like the performance.  Once my stash runs out I will move on to something else.

 

 

 

This is what I'm seeing! What does this mean? I haven't noticed any difference in ball flight or feel and from my perspective it's still playing the same. Are you guys seeing changes in performance?

[J13]

21 hours ago, TheKrushh said:

This is what I'm seeing! What does this mean? I haven't noticed any difference in ball flight or feel and from my perspective it's still playing the same. Are you guys seeing changes in performance?

 

Srixon claims to have the thinnest cover in golf.  That would explain the lack of durability that everyone is seeing.  Out of the 3 dozen XV"s I've played in the last few months it happens on almost 75% of them.  Hence why the test came about.

[J13]

Chrome Soft X – Overall an improvement from last years ball.  Feel was a little softer than what I prefer and it spun more than I had expected with irons and wedges.  Seemed to be pretty good in the wind as well.

 

Bridgestone Tour B X – Great performing ball, feel is similar to the XV which I like and the ball is pretty solid in the wind.  Spin is very similar to the XV for me but durability was noticeably better.  In fact it probably has the best durability out of all the balls I tested.  Spin is low off the tee and mid in irons and wedges.

 

Titleist Prov1 – I preferred this to the Prov1x which is a first for me.  I know Titleist switches profiles but overall it’s a great ball but wasn’t great for me in the wind and tended to spin more than I’d like.  Ive heard the left dash would be more my speed but I’m not interested in a boutique type ball plus my club doesn’t carry them so I would have to go out of my way to get them which isn’t worth the effort. 

 

Taylormade TP5 – Not a fan.  Ball went very high for me and was too soft. I like a firmer feeling ball and this was not it.  To be honest after 1 round with this I gave up.  Not a bad ball but just not what I’m looking for.  Spun a lot around the greens which I liked but the window for iron shots really threw me for a loop.

 

 

 

Okay so the winner of the group was Bridgestone Tour B X.   

 

                                                               

 

 

                                                         Final showdown  - Taylormade TP5X vs Bridgestone Tour B X

                                                       -already have 2 rounds in and will play the final round this weekend and declare a winner

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by J13

[scott_Donald]

Come on Tour BX, won out for me and loving them, best ball in the wind. I still throw in some Pro V1Xs if I find them. 

[FAbb]

Tour BX coming through as the most durable ball in the test, just as expected!

 

This inspires me to do some ball testing myself.  I played the V1X, B330, and ZStar XV for as long as I can remember, before switching to the regular V1 last season.  I don't have any complaints about the ball, but tinkerers gotta tinker, right!  I've got a dozen TP5X laying around that I received as a gift last year, so maybe I'll start with giving those a run on the course.

 

Your experience with the TP5 is interesting.  I tried that ball at some point as well, and also dismissed it very quickly.  I didn't mind the soft feel, but found it to be absolutely atrocious in the wind.  Not that we play in constantly windy conditions here in Maryland, but it was bad enough in the wind that I could not trust it.  Yet somehow, almost the entire TM tour staff plays the TP5 over the TP5X.  I tend to think that's driven primarily by the course conditions they face week in and week out.  The TP5 likely gives them a bit more stopping power, in firm and fast conditions.  I play public courses, which around here are anything but firm and fast.  I think I could get away with playing a cheap 2-piece ball most of the time, and still have plenty of stopping power. 

[J13]

1 hour ago, FAbb said:

Tour BX coming through as the most durable ball in the test, just as expected!

 

This inspires me to do some ball testing myself.  I played the V1X, B330, and ZStar XV for as long as I can remember, before switching to the regular V1 last season.  I don't have any complaints about the ball, but tinkerers gotta tinker, right!  I've got a dozen TP5X laying around that I received as a gift last year, so maybe I'll start with giving those a run on the course.

 

Your experience with the TP5 is interesting.  I tried that ball at some point as well, and also dismissed it very quickly.  I didn't mind the soft feel, but found it to be absolutely atrocious in the wind.  Not that we play in constantly windy conditions here in Maryland, but it was bad enough in the wind that I could not trust it.  Yet somehow, almost the entire TM tour staff plays the TP5 over the TP5X.  I tend to think that's driven primarily by the course conditions they face week in and week out.  The TP5 likely gives them a bit more stopping power, in firm and fast conditions.  I play public courses, which around here are anything but firm and fast.  I think I could get away with playing a cheap 2-piece ball most of the time, and still have plenty of stopping power. 

 

 

Good news is ball testing is fun and much less expensive that testing drivers haha.  The TP5 seems to be the preferred ball on tour but there's no possible way it's the same as retail.  I'm not saying the retail version isn't good for some people but for me it wasn't a fit and that was clear very early on.  Tp5X has been exceptional for me in performance and BX is great as well.  It's going to be a very hard decision.

[FAbb]

Good stuff.  I look forward to hearing how it goes in the final showdown.

 

I suspect you're right about the TP5 on tour.  It was definitely clear to me straight away that it was a ball I had no interest in playing.  Even in mild winds, the ball just got obliterated.

[03trdblack]

The Srixon seam issue has been going on for way too long. I posted this on my Instagram page two years ago. As others said, they reached out and replaced them but why hasn't it been addressed yet?? 

[J_Tizzle]

If you want a ball that stays in good shape, I'd seriously recommend trying yellow golf balls (if you can stand it).  I've played 3-4 rounds easy with a yellow ProV and it looks like its been hit, but never truly gets destroyed like I do with white golf balls.  Plus I'm usually the only person that uses a yellow ball, so there is never any questions about who's ball is who for me.  Only issue i've found is the 10th hole at my course runs beside the range where we have yellow Titleist as well.  And I've spent 10 minutes in the range looking for a ball before :).  

[cota0429]

When my son was at TPI they told me that Bridgestone makes an incredibly solid ball.  They put it on par with anything else out there.  I honestly believe you can flip flop between Bridgestone and Titleist for the best two balls made.  I agree the TP5x no way these guys are playing a stock ball.  
 

side note... shot one of my best rounds in a long time with the Snell black.  Solid ball! Feels like a slightly higher launching pro V1

[GooseHook]

Not surprised the Tour BX came out of that. It's not uncommon to pull one out of the 18th hole and mistake it for a brand new ball out of the sleeve. I even had one take a direct hit to a pine tree and it had no marks, aside from smelling like a Yankee Candle. 

[J13]

5 hours ago, 03trdblack said:

The Srixon seam issue has been going on for way too long. I posted this on my Instagram page two years ago. As others said, they reached out and replaced them but why hasn't it been addressed yet?? 

 

 

Agree. Srixon has a major problem and it's been going on for too long.  

[J13]

5 hours ago, J_Tizzle said:

If you want a ball that stays in good shape, I'd seriously recommend trying yellow golf balls (if you can stand it).  I've played 3-4 rounds easy with a yellow ProV and it looks like its been hit, but never truly gets destroyed like I do with white golf balls.  Plus I'm usually the only person that uses a yellow ball, so there is never any questions about who's ball is who for me.  Only issue i've found is the 10th hole at my course runs beside the range where we have yellow Titleist as well.  And I've spent 10 minutes in the range looking for a ball before :).  

 

 

Appreciate the suggestion but yellow is hard on my eyes more so when putting.  I have tried it though and they are durable for some reason.  Actually quite a few players at my club use yellow or the truvis style balls so I wouldn't be so lucky as to know which was mine right off the bat haha

 

 

3 hours ago, cota0429 said:

When my son was at TPI they told me that Bridgestone makes an incredibly solid ball.  They put it on par with anything else out there.  I honestly believe you can flip flop between Bridgestone and Titleist for the best two balls made.  I agree the TP5x no way these guys are playing a stock ball.  
 

side note... shot one of my best rounds in a long time with the Snell black.  Solid ball! Feels like a slightly higher launching pro V1

 

 

Bstone is like a mini titleist in a sense that they are ball first and i like that.  TP5X has also been top notch in performance with pretty good durability.  But then again i'm coming from the Srixon ball which has the absolute worst cover in golf.  Snell Black is really good, I could easily play the ball and be happy.

[J_Tizzle]

Totally understand that, my brother bought like 5 dozen red Vice balls and they give me headaches just trying to follow them.