Might be going back to a Cheaper, Non-Tour Ball...

[cristphoto]

The three balls I mentioned all had surlyn covers. Agreed a two piece urethane ball spins too much throughout the bag and hurts the long game. Spalding was the first with this concept way before the ProV1 and similar. Their Tour Edition model was two piece with a Zinthane (zinc and urethane) blend cover. I played these when they were out and they spun like crazy.

[bluedot]

In one sense, nothing has changed in the golf ball market. Distance has ALWAYS been cheap, and still is, while spin has ALWAYS cost more, and still does.

For a long, long time, cheaper balls went farther, and more expensive balls spun more. If you're old enough to have actually played golf with a balata ball, you know this; they spun like crazy, and they cost a LOT. In fact, the per round cost of balata balls was incredibly high because the durability was incredibly bad; not even a full round.

The market evolved, and while distance can still be had cheap, and spin still costs more the cool part now is that you can have both AND in a ball that is incredibly durable as well. Premium balls don't go out of round, or scuff any more than a cheap ball, much less cut; I'd guess that the per round cost of a ProV1 (aside from getting lost, of course) is far less than Titleist balata balls were.

And the market is the same as it was years ago in another way, too; better players are typically looking for more spin. There are exceptions of course, but you just won't find many single digit guys who aren't playing a premium ball with a high spin rate off a wedge.

[Kentendo]

I used those Bridgestone E5's for a little bit. They had mega spin off the irons. For me, the problem was they had mega spin off the driver too.

I completely agree there is no real advantage to a 2 piece urethane. The addition of multiple layers gives the ability to separate spin characteristics (lower driver spin). The new 2 piece surlyn balls with cores that are soft in the middle and firm up towards the edge are filling this gap nicely IMO. Tour Softs and Q Stars do a good job and are great choices for someone not wanting to play a urethane ball.

[Zen_Golfer]

I find that the newer, soft 2-piece balls work just fine. Sure, they dont drop 'n stop like a Pro V1 but all you have to do is pick a landing spot thats short of the hole and let it run out a bit. I was a fan of the E5 back when it was available though.

[bluedot]

This is really THE key point. Good players can play good golf with any ball, but they play the same ball all the time, including practice rounds, for this very reason. Knowing how the ball will react off a short iron, especially around the green, is just critical to playing good golf.

That said, there are shots that good players want to hit from time to time that a two piece ball will simply not allow you to hit, and this is the difference between playing "good" golf and perhaps playing the very best golf you can play if you have the skills to hit a variety of shots. We all short-side ourselves, we all face pitches over a bunker, we all deal with tight pins, and so on. Some of those shots just call for a ball that spins more IF the player has the capability to hit the shot. But if the ball won't spin enough, it doesn't matter if the golfer has that capability or not. That's just the reality of what better players tend to want from a golf ball.

[Zen_Golfer]

I hear you. Im kind of at that point now. Ive been playing the Maxfli Softfli this year so far and have been playing some of my best golf ever but theres some times where the ball simply wont spin and stop like I need it to and its costing me strokes. On Monday I shot a 92 but it easily could have been an 85 because I had quite a few holes where I just missed the green but I couldnt get my chip onto the green to stop near to the hole and the ball just kept rolling, leaving me with 10' putts coming back that caused me to 2-putt. A spinier ball may not have put me in that situation. Im now trying out different mid range balls that I hope will give me better feel and performance around the greens. If those wont stop like I want them to, I guess that I will have to go to a tour ball.

[Tanner25]

3 piece surlyn's help a bit. I used to like the gamersoft for that reason. Also, Mizuno has those. But, you can find deals on QST's - which has good green side spin.

[DLiver]

FWIW, I spent several hours on different occasions pitching and chipping all of the various Bridgestone balls (BX, BXS, RX and RXS), along with Pro V and Vx, TP5 and 5x, and a couple Srixons thrown in, the difference in spin around the greens was quite small. For example, on short-medium chips that I was trying to hit with spin, the "spinniest" balls might stop two feet shorter than the spinniless balls. My conclusion is they all spun enough for me around the green, and I used other criterial to select the best ball for me. YMMV.

[Zen_Golfer]

I recently picked up a couple dozen of the Mizuno 566V. If those dont spin like I want, I may look at the Maxfli Tour. 4-piece, urethane cover and if you watch the sales you can usually pick them up at DSG/GG for 2 dozen for $50.

[Tanner25]

Cool, let us know about the Mizuno's. I like their logo.

[lwestby]

Do yourself a favor and try a sleeve of the TM Tour Response balls. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[MountainGoat]

I don't know what this means, but I'm sure it's important. Every ball I find on the golf course is a Pinnacle Rush. Every one. Must be an omen or something. They're not terrible.

 

 

[HyzerFlipDG]

The Maxfli Tour is a 3pc. The Tour X is a 4pc.

[SmashGolfBall]

 

I am with you. I typically shot around 75 to 82 on a variety of courses within my networks. I played ProV1x, TP5x and Snell MTB-x in the past a few years but switched to Titleist Velocity since last year and could not be more happier. The Velocity flies higher, straighter with less spin which are something I prefer. My iron shots are usually pretty high so I have no problem to stop it on the green. Chipping and pitching are also no problem as long as the right techniques were deployed. In other words, there is really no much difference among the balls unless you are playing the US open courses.

The velocity is also easy to shape left and right without worrying about over cooked too much. So I guess different players have different playing styles, shot patterns and personal preferences, stick to whatever works for your game and enjoy it.

[dkr1269]

I've always been curious as player with a slower swing speed, what is the optimum spin I need for my best distance. I've hit my longest drives with the Snell MTB Black, Callaway Chrome Soft, Titlist Tour Soft and the Srixon Soft Feel. Not just singular standout drives, but these are the balls that give me the best average drives on a regular basis. Some of the softest 2 piece balls such as the Supersoft seem to knuckle ball too often.