SNELL GOLF BALLS??? anyone???

[storm319]

58 minutes ago, wantacigar said:

Just the way my mind works.......If cast is better (IMO it is) and Dean actually helped in developing the process with the ProV1 and the high demand from the DTC market wouldn't and investment into starting your own small factory to produce cast urethane golf balls be a profitable endeavor?  You would never have to worry about factories leaving you high and dry, the cost would be offset by the other DTC brands you can produce balls for and the ability to scale when needed.

I think you are extremely underestimating the capital necessary to stand up a production facility and overestimating the per ball margin that these independent factories are making. 

[wantacigar]

51 minutes ago, storm319 said:

I think you are extremely underestimating the capital necessary to stand up a production facility and overestimating the per ball margin that these independent factories are making. 

You're the engineering mind like my son and I'm the "Why can't I do that" mind. LOL.  I understand the capital.  Obviously there would have to be investors, separate corporation as Snell and Snell being a customer of the new factory, etc.   My B-I-L owns a factor and I know the cost of equipment.  A machine to make a specific cookie is $400K.  The line for his main product is millions for a penny profit product.  Just the direction my mind goes.  Worth exploring to see if it would make sense.  Dean has the engineering background and business background to pull it off.  

[jjfcpa]

Wasn't happy with the last round using the Prime.  Had some issues holding greens and chipping.  Of course, I wanted to blame the Prime since I have been previously using the Chrome Soft.  Distance control with the putter was a big issue.  Everything seemed to come up short.

 

I know this was just the first round, but when the game isn't up to my expectations, I start looking for "what's changed".  The ball was an easy choice.

 

So I had just about decided to put the Chrome Soft back in the bag, but before that, today I went to a short game practice area at a local golf course and did some comparison chipping and putting with both balls.  The Prime just seemed to perform better than the CS.  

 

I noticed that the Prime checked up on pitches much better than the CS, and during my round, I was probably not taking this into account so my pitches were always too far from the hole.

 

After practicing some putting side-by-side, I was able to get the Prime dialed in to the point that in the end, I putted 3 of each ball from about 10 feet.  All 3 CS's missed and all 3 Prime's ended up in the hole.  Just a little firmer stroke seemed to work for me.

 

Prime is staying in the bag.  I think it needs more than one round to determine if they should stay in the bag.

[kobes31]

I am really looking forward to more info on these.  I think a test pack is going to be the answer but it appears the Prime X will be the ticket in similar playing characteristics of the MTB Black only in a firmer feel.

[jjfcpa]

Did some putting with both the Prime and Chrome Soft.  Since I've been playing the Chrome Soft for at least the last year, it just gives me much more confidence when putting with it.

 

However, I did note one thing that I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced.  

 

I think the Prime is firmer (higher compression) than the Chrome Soft, I kind of thought that it would take a slightly less firm stroke to get it to travel the same distance with the putter.  I'm finding just the opposite to be true.  The Chrome Soft seems to be traveling further than the Prime when struck with basically the same stroke.  

 

The Chrome Soft has a softer feel off my putter (Tri-Hot 5K One) and just seems to come off the putter with much better distance control and also seems to track a little better.  This may be a case of my familiarity with the CS working against me when putting with the Prime.

 

My putting is normally pretty solid, but just seem to be off with the Prime in the 2 rounds I've played with it.  Going to go back to the Chrome Soft for the next round and evaluated.

 

 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

…aaaand they’re back in Europe! Just received the newsletter and ordered a couple dozen right away. Can’t wait. 
 

Newsletter for web browser

 

Looking forward to playing Snell again, loved the MTB-X and went with the „regular“ MTB Prime this time. 

[elwhippy]

Test pack ordered.

[TheGolfingRealtor]

How do these compare to the last generation? I was hitting the MTB Black tonight and it was about 12 yards behind Srixon Z Star and Bstone Tour B XS. 

 

I was thinking about a test pack but is it worth it for $33 + tax and shipping?

[elwhippy]

Should be arriving today. Will head out for a few holes this evening. 

[rainkingjr]

I truly believe that if most here had no idea of the manufacturing process, they wouldn't have some of the negative opinons concerning feel/performance, etc.. This place is just one big echo chamber sometimes. Try it out, but clear your mind of all the negative remarks from this forum.  When I get my shipment, I plan on blind testing them against some of my other favorites by hitting full shots in my back yard then rolling putts on the pratice green at a nearby course. I have no doubt about Dean's ability to creat a top notch product.

[hammergolf]

27 minutes ago, rainkingjr said:

I truly believe that if most here had no idea of the manufacturing process, they wouldn't have some of the negative opinons concerning feel/performance, etc.. This place is just one big echo chamber sometimes. Try it out, but clear your mind of all the negative remarks from this forum.  When I get my shipment, I plan on blind testing them against some of my other favorites by hitting full shots in my back yard then rolling putts on the pratice green at a nearby course. I have no doubt about Dean's ability to creat a top notch product.

VERY well said!

[iutodd]

Ordering more Primes. I really like this ball.  Only a few dozen cause I want Yellow to be the color I end up playing.

 

I’m getting basically everything I want out of it.  Distance, flight, spin - like I’m sure there are balls that are “better” but for the price this is an easy choice. 

[brew4eagle]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:04 PM, TheGolfingRealtor said:

How do these compare to the last generation? I was hitting the MTB Black tonight and it was about 12 yards behind Srixon Z Star and Bstone Tour B XS. 

 

I was thinking about a test pack but is it worth it for $33 + tax and shipping?

12 yards?  Has to be another variable involved besides the ball.  Unless you're at a crazy high clubhead speed.

[jjfcpa]

19 hours ago, rainkingjr said:

I truly believe that if most here had no idea of the manufacturing process, they wouldn't have some of the negative opinons concerning feel/performance, etc.. This place is just one big echo chamber sometimes. Try it out, but clear your mind of all the negative remarks from this forum.  When I get my shipment, I plan on blind testing them against some of my other favorites by hitting full shots in my back yard then rolling putts on the pratice green at a nearby course. I have no doubt about Dean's ability to creat a top notch product.

I have been comparing the Snell Prime against the Callaway Chrome Soft for the last month.  Drive and approach shots are not a concern since they are very comparable; however, I have noticed some differences in putting and pitches.  Just the opposite of what I thought would happen.   Putting and wedge shots take a little more force to match the distance of the Chrome Soft.  Since it is slightly firmer, I thought it would take less force.  

 

The Prime is an excellent ball and I could easily play it except I am so accustomed to the feel of the Chrome Soft, that I have to mentally concentrate when playing the Prime to hit putts and wedge shots with just a little more force.  This has caused me to come up short on some pitches and putts when playing a round with it.

 

Tomorrow it's more comparisons and I will play 9 holes with the Prime and 9 with the Chrome Soft.  I need to settle on a ball for the season and its come down to these two.  

 

I also sold 3 dozen to 3 of my playing partners and they all seem to like it, but they change balls on a regular basis and are not accustomed to one ball like me.

[rainkingjr]

7 minutes ago, jjfcpa said:

I have been comparing the Snell Prime against the Callaway Chrome Soft for the last month.  Drive and approach shots are not a concern since they are very comparable; however, I have noticed some differences in putting and pitches.  Just the opposite of what I thought would happen.   Putting and wedge shots take a little more force to match the distance of the Chrome Soft.  Since it is slightly firmer, I thought it would take less force.  

 

The Prime is an excellent ball and I could easily play it except I am so accustomed to the feel of the Chrome Soft, that I have to mentally concentrate when playing the Prime to hit putts and wedge shots with just a little more force.  This has caused me to come up short on some pitches and putts when playing a round with it.

 

Tomorrow it's more comparisons and I will play 9 holes with the Prime and 9 with the Chrome Soft.  I need to settle on a ball for the season and its come down to these two.  

 

I also sold 3 dozen to 3 of my playing partners and they all seem to like it, but they change balls on a regular basis and are not accustomed to one ball like me.

That's my whole point. You are in the process of doing a fair comparison. That's exactly what I'll do. I plan on completely blind testing by covering the logos on a few balls.

[betarhoalphadelta]

45 minutes ago, jjfcpa said:

I have been comparing the Snell Prime against the Callaway Chrome Soft for the last month.  Drive and approach shots are not a concern since they are very comparable; however, I have noticed some differences in putting and pitches.  Just the opposite of what I thought would happen.   Putting and wedge shots take a little more force to match the distance of the Chrome Soft.  Since it is slightly firmer, I thought it would take less force.  

 

The Prime is an excellent ball and I could easily play it except I am so accustomed to the feel of the Chrome Soft, that I have to mentally concentrate when playing the Prime to hit putts and wedge shots with just a little more force.  This has caused me to come up short on some pitches and putts when playing a round with it.

 

Tomorrow it's more comparisons and I will play 9 holes with the Prime and 9 with the Chrome Soft.  I need to settle on a ball for the season and its come down to these two.  

 

I also sold 3 dozen to 3 of my playing partners and they all seem to like it, but they change balls on a regular basis and are not accustomed to one ball like me.

 

Yeah, I'm not the type to worry TOO much about whether a ball is perfectly fit to me. I've got enough inconsistency in my game that all I need to know is that it's not horribly UNFIT for me, which is what moved me from the Kirkland V2 to the MTB-X. I'm middle of the road in swing speed (~100 mph driver), have no trouble generating spin, and the greens I play on are receptive, so Kirkland spin is just too much.

 

But like you, the last thing I want to do is be sitting there in a round where I'm constantly swapping ball brands, and a pitch comes up short, and at my skill level I have to ask "was it me or was it the ball?" So I play the same ball at all times. If for no other reason than that I don't have to adjust. 

 

I'm trying the new V3 Kirkland as I was almost out of my yellow MTB-X and it'll be a bit before Snell releases the new balls in yellow. If the Kirkland works for me, I'll probably stick with it due to price, but if I find myself not liking it, I'm pretty sure Snell will release yellow before I run out of my double dozen of Kirkland and I'll give it a shot. 

[TheGolfingRealtor]

20 hours ago, brew4eagle said:

12 yards?  Has to be another variable involved besides the ball.  Unless you're at a crazy high clubhead speed.

I'm not an Iron Byron but I was out during the evening just testing balls. Putting, bunker, chipping/pitching, irons and driver. The Snell fell short in every category. Which is too bad b/c I still have 7 sleeves of MTB Black.

[bakere]

17 minutes ago, TheGolfingRealtor said:

I'm not an Iron Byron but I was out during the evening just testing balls. Putting, bunker, chipping/pitching, irons and driver. The Snell fell short in every category. Which is too bad b/c I still have 7 sleeves of MTB Black.

I wouldn't say it's 12 yds shorter, but MTB X is definitely shorter than the Bridgestone BX. I noticed it last summer when I played both. MTB Black was even shorter, but different type of ball so it's hard to apples apples that one. It wasn't so much shorter that i was worried about it though. Probably less than 10 yds on drives and maybe 5ish on mid long irons (if i ever hit them consistently enough to notice).

[jjfcpa]

Gave a dozen Prime's to a close friend of mine that is a very good golfer and he experienced the same issue I did.  He plays a ProV1 generally and found that the Prime takes a little more force on pitches and putts.  

 

We played along side each other.  I played the Chrome Soft and he played the Prime.  I had excellent distance control and he normally is the same as me, but he struggled getting the Prime to respond as well as the ProV1.  In other words, he was having the same distance control issues I experienced. The Prime also showed some durability issues.  His Prime was marked up in a couple places and he didn't hit a tree or cart path.  My Chrome Soft was pristine.

 

I'm not saying that the Prime is not a good ball, just the opposite.  It's a very good ball, but there is some differences in the way it plays compared to other tour balls that I've played.  

 

I was going to play 9 and 9 with the Prime on the first 9 and Chrome Soft on the back 9, but to be honest, the Chrome Soft was working so well compared to my last 3 rounds with the Prime that I kept the Chrome Soft in play and scored a 78, which is the best round I've had in 2 years.

[rsyutzy]

Just picked up a sleeve of both the Prime and Prime X from a member on here. I currently play the MTB X which is one of my favorite balls I've ever played and I'm sad to see them gone. Tried the Primes out last night in my league. One thing I noticed is they both seem "clickier" than the MTB X which I don't really like. I started with the Prime and on the very first hole I was about 5 yards off the green and after my first chip  it already showed a little scuff mark on it. It reacted well and checked up nice but durability is key with me. MTB X has always shown great durability for me so this already has me discounting the Prime. After 3 holes I switched to the Prime X and it seems more durable so far. Played the last 6 holes with it and had several chips and ball still looks pretty new. If I stick with Snell it will be Prime X but for me it's not as good as the MTB X. My golf league partner plays Vice Pro Plus and I bought a sleeve off him to try and I really liked it. Feels a little better to me than the Prime X and has been durable. Still going to try out the Prime X some more but as a long time Snell user I'm a little disappointed. Could very well see myself switching to Vice Pro Plus or I want to try out the Maxfli Tour/Tour X also.

[VladDrag]

I just came back from testing these balls on a GC Hawk simulator. The GC hawk did not have club data, only ball data. I hit 4 different types of shots with both balls, a 25 yard shot, a 70 yard shot, a full 7i, and driver. The data is below. I'm happy to answer any questions.

 

25 yard pitch shot data

I used a 60* Callaway full toe wedge. When you first look at this data, you can see the Prime had slightly more spin than the Prime X on average; however, also note that the average ball speed on the Prime is slightly slower. More speed usually equates to more spin. I would anticipate that the gap in spin on this type of shot is a bit larger than it's showing here. I also want to note that 5,300 rpm of spin is kind of low on this type of shot. Typically I can get about 6,000 rpm with a Pro V1 or ProV1x. Unfortunately, I didn't have the awareness to drop a prov1 down and see if it was my delivery or not. I haven't significant chance to see it's reaction on an actual green.

 

70 Yard Shot Data

I used a Cleveland zipcore 56* with an x100.  On this shot, the speed and launch were very close, so I think this is a pretty good representation of each ball's capability. I should note that typically, I launch this shot a touch lower with a touch more spin, but overall I was happy with the results. The Prime spins a lot on this shot. It basically hits and sticks, and it might screw back a few inches. The Prime X is like a small one hop and stop shot. Unless you're playing crazy greens, the Prime X on this shot has enough stopping power.

 

7 Iron Shot Data

I'm testing out a set of i210's (with x100s), so I used that to test both balls. However, my gamer set is Nike VR Pro Combos with KBS $ Taper 130X. I only hit the Prime X with the Nike VR Pro. As intended, the Prime launches a touch lower than the Prime X with a touch more spin. I made sure I kept all shots of the same shape (a draw). Every shot had a negative launch angle (to the left) and a positive launch angle (to the right) for a left to right draw -- Yes, I'm left handed. On average, the Prime had a touch more draw to it than the Prime X, so that probably lowered the spin of the Prime just a touch (in general draws spin less than a cut). I would imagine on the exact same struck shot, the difference is more than 100 rpms, but not much more than 500 rpms. The biggest difference between the Prime and Prime X with mid-irons is feel.

 

Driver Testing Data

I was using a TSR3 with a Ventus TR Blue. I've been rehabbing a knee injury, and the driver swing is been significantly hampered because of it. Typically, my ball speed is between 170-175; carry around 300 with 2,200 spin. I was struggling to get above 165; and really had to try to hit up on the ball to get carry. I typically don't launch much higher than 11*.  Because of this, I really would not take much out of this test. Both balls had some likely perform similarly off the tee.

 

Final Notes: I am concerned slightly about the greenside spin, particularly on the Prime X, but I haven't had a chance to get them out on a course yet.  However, both balls are very good balls past 50 yard. The 70 yard spin numbers were very good. There's not a whole lot of difference in the mid-irons, about 1* in launch and minimal amount of spin. 

 

I'll report back once I get a chance to try them out on and around the greens. As I said, let me know if anyone has any questions.

[gioreeko]

4 hours ago, rsyutzy said:

Just picked up a sleeve of both the Prime and Prime X from a member on here. I currently play the MTB X which is one of my favorite balls I've ever played and I'm sad to see them gone. Tried the Primes out last night in my league. One thing I noticed is they both seem "clickier" than the MTB X which I don't really like. I started with the Prime and on the very first hole I was about 5 yards off the green and after my first chip  it already showed a little scuff mark on it. It reacted well and checked up nice but durability is key with me. MTB X has always shown great durability for me so this already has me discounting the Prime. After 3 holes I switched to the Prime X and it seems more durable so far. Played the last 6 holes with it and had several chips and ball still looks pretty new. If I stick with Snell it will be Prime X but for me it's not as good as the MTB X. My golf league partner plays Vice Pro Plus and I bought a sleeve off him to try and I really liked it. Feels a little better to me than the Prime X and has been durable. Still going to try out the Prime X some more but as a long time Snell user I'm a little disappointed. Could very well see myself switching to Vice Pro Plus or I want to try out the Maxfli Tour/Tour X also.

I ran out of the yellow stash of MTB X I had, I have about 4 dozen white one's left. I guess I'll be holding onto those a little more dearly. FWIW I play the Vice Pro Plus and sometimes the older version of the Maxfli Tour X, and both those balls are very comparable to the MTB-X. 

[elwhippy]

Trial pack has arrived. Will give both models a run out over the weekend. Links on Saturday so should find out how they play in the wind, or a dry course. 

[autronicdsm]

Gotta say new ball is very durable. I've been hitting the same ball on a launch monitor and it hasn't split yet. Ever since pre-orders shipped, so must be close to a month now? All the other balls I've used usually split after about a week of hitting.

[flushem]

will yellow Prime and X hit the market soon?  I heard it would be in June.

[elwhippy]

Putting session after work. New X feels great off the face. Firm without being clicky. Will be in the bag for tomorrow's competition. 

[elwhippy]

On course update. Worst score in over 30 years. And not the ball's fault. Durability is excellent. Survived trees, paths and bunkers. Feels good off the putter. Pitching and chipping. Sat down well (on my third or fourth shots!!). Driver distance. Average. Medium flight and workable. Iron distance. Short by a good half to a full club. This is where it fell down. Will try the standard MTB on Monday. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by elwhippy

[this_is_golf]

How is the Get Sum ball? I’ve been looking into cheaper balls lately to test out. 

[kobes31]

I recently found a new Snell Prime ball in great condition and, being a longtime user of the MTB Black and regularly checking here for updates and reviews, decided I'd hold onto it until able to get out to test against the MTB Black as well as ProV1.  I also happened to find a Srixon Z Star, which I have never played, that I added into the mix.  This is PURELY QUALITATIVE and my experience playing several holes and hitting some specific shots at my home course.  Comparing Snell MTB Black, Snell Prime, Pro V1 (I do not know the year, I am certain many of you know based on the logo) and Srixon Z Star (do not know the year, photo included for identification).  I have also used the Callaway CS extensively in the past and will try to include here and there.

 

I will start by saying that if Snell were able to continue making the MTB Black, I would undoubtedly continue playing this ball.  My hcp is around a 9.  I struggle off of the tee and everything else is fairly decent.  A good driving day will usually help me out extensively.

 

Here goes:

Looks and feel

Clearly a difference comparing the Snell models.  New Prime has flatter dimples with sharper edges.  Prime cover feels firmer to me, I am guessing this is due to the difference in manufacturing process discussed with the new models.  Unrelated to performance I am not a huge fan of the new print.  I think "Snell" even in a larger or thicker font would look much better than "Snell golf" in combination with the new SG logo and number underneath.

Putting - hot and cold

Firmest to softest: Pro V1, MTB Black, Z star, Prime.  This wasn't really close for me, the first two are very similar and the last two are very similar.  I had a tougher time with distance control using the Prime.  The Prime feels very close to the Callaway Chrome Soft which I used several years ago but I found the CS putted much better, like it had some bounce off of the putter face.  I did move away from the CS due to shorter off the tee and wanting to give the Snell balls of 2019 a try.

Short game - greenside to 90 yards which I have a stock 3/4 and 1/2 swings with each wedge for different distances and situations.

Firmest to softest: MTB Black, Pro V1, Z Star, Prime, (CS). 

Flight highest to lowest: (CS), MTB Black, Pro V1, Prime, Z Star.

MTB Black was most predictable for me but I have used this almost exclusively for a couple years.  I did like the Prime here as the spin seemed to match well with the flight however I prefer these shots to flight higher than the Prime and Z Star.  I also remember the CS flighting high but again seems to bounce off of the face and come down soft.  Z Star seemed short possibly due to the lowest perceived flight.

Irons - best part of my game

Firmest to softest: Pro V1, MTB Black, Z Star, Prime.

Flight highest to lowest: MTB Black, Pro V1, Prime, Z Star.

I could get used to the feel of the Prime here but seemed to be a few yards short (along with the Z Star) which I am guessing is due to the lower flight.  I did like the feel of the Z Star better than Prime and still prefer the MTB Black that I am used to.

Driving - worst part of game

Firmest to softest: Pro V1, MTB Black, Prime, Z Star

Flight highest to lowest: MTB Black, Pro V1, Prime, Z Star

This is where I am just looking for as much distance and consistency as possible.  Of the balls I have played, the MTB Black has been the best combination of consistency and distance.  I will say that my best shots with the Pro V1 are better than my best shots with the Snell, however my bad shots with the Pro V1 are also worse than the Snell.  It appeared to me the Prime and Z Star were a couple yards shorter on similar shots again probably due to the lower flight.

 

I did hit some approaches into a 1/2 to 1 club headwind and found the Prime and Z star to come up about half a club shorter than I expected and the Pro V1 and MTB Black to have landed about where I expected.  All of these were well struck from a good lie.  

 

I have 1 1/2 dozen MTB Blacks left and was trying to decide what I'd like to try next.  I would very much like to give Snell a try and think the Prime X is likely the direction I will go.  If you have any questions I can do my best to try to answer!  Hope this helps someone else out!

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by kobes31
Add pics

[gioreeko]

On 6/2/2023 at 4:16 AM, this_is_golf said:

How is the Get Sum ball? I’ve been looking into cheaper balls lately to test out. 

the new Kirkland ball from Costco(v3) is the best bang for the buck by far, I'd test those first.