Pro V1x sound coming off blades and persimmon, who relies on sound off the clubs?

[Forged Hack]

I am not starting a Golfball brand vs brand thread here, this would be more of an input thread on ball acoustics.

 
When it comes down to the nuances  of ball striking feedback with blades and persimmon, who here relies on the overall sound of your shots? 

Quick backround… I’ve just played my 12th round in the last month and a half. All those rounds were 18 holes with my Staff blades and either Cleveland TC 15’s, or Wilson 4300 Persimmons playing Wilson Duo Softs. For  today’s round I used  brand new Pro V1 X’s for the first time based on advertised higher ball flight, spin control and distance and just to see what the difference in feel and sound would be. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great Golfball, but with my woods it was way to loud. TopFlight/range ball loud. Basically a harsh click vs the muted soft click I get with the Duo’s.  I know Pro V’s and Pro V1 X’s are great balls, my woods did fly a little higher and I had a flushed 2 iron on the roll walking off 240 yards, but the overall sound especially coming off my woods actually was a let down.

 

Anybody go through this? Did you keep playing the Pro V’s knowing the performance is there or did you go back to a softer ball that sounds better?

Your thoughts.

[OnTheBag]

Those are two totally different balls, so you should expect a difference in sound.  The Wilson Duo is a low compression ball much closer to balata's.  The Pro V1x is a modern 4 piece ball with a higher compression ratio for higher swing speeds seen on modern drivers.  

 

While your blades may not care, I personally wouldn't hit one of the ultra modern, high compression balls with persimmons that I valued.  There is some disagreement amongst the Classic crowd about whether it would damage a persimmon or not.  But in my personal opinion, the two are from such vastly different eras that any damage that does occur to the wood, should be expected.  

[MrFlipper]

1 hour ago, OnTheBag said:

Those are two totally different balls, so you should expect a difference in sound.  The Wilson Duo is a low compression ball much closer to balata's.  The Pro V1x is a modern 4 piece ball with a higher compression ratio for higher swing speeds seen on modern drivers.  

 

While your blades may not care, I personally wouldn't hit one of the ultra modern, high compression balls with persimmons that I valued.  There is some disagreement amongst the Classic crowd about whether it would damage a persimmon or not.  But in my personal opinion, the two are from such vastly different eras that any damage that does occur to the wood, should be expected.  

 

Yeah I am with you there. Have no qualms hitting current balls with old irons, but I'm scared to death to hit my old persimmons. Plus my miss was in the heel, I blew up 2 fairway woods back then, got them replaced but the heads weren't the same. I'm pretty sure I'd revert to heeling persimmons if I ever hit them again. Not worth the risk.

[Hickory4ever]

I would definitely use a softer ball as has been suggested, especially not a V1X. I play hickory and classic clubs most of the time and prefer balls with a compression of 60 or less, they sound great and play well.

[Nard_S]

I use Pro V x1 primarily for short game performance. It's great, best putting ball I ever used. Bridgestone's XS (Tiger's) ball is a little softer. Enjoy it near as much.

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

I use ProV1 and have done since the passing of the Tour Balata. I like it for it's performance around and on the green.....and I have a large stock. That said, I only use it in the summer. I also like the Chrome Soft for the same reasons. I never liked the softer balls, they seemed squishy to me.

I shall also be using a stock of Slazenger B51, 1.62 size, with my P&Bs next season to see how they go. Early tests show they haven't degraded with time, unlike me!

While I will use Srixon Soft Feels (the green print one) with hickory, I don't get any thrill from it. I used to used Titleist PTS 90 Wound until the later versions only had a vestigial winding and performed like a harsh 2 piece.

Edited January 6, 2022 by The Aspidistra in the Hall

[Forged Hack]

8 hours ago, Nard_S said:

I use Pro V x1 primarily for short game performance. It's great, best putting ball I ever used. Bridgestone's XS (Tiger's) ball is a little softer. Enjoy it near as much.

I did immediately notice short game performance gains. A couple of 30 yard chips really checked up nicely and a green side bunker shot came out with what felt like it had an extra pop to it. 

[ebeck66]

I play hickory most of the time and when I don't, my throwback set are some KZG blades with a Louisville Smart Driver.  I use a low compression ball, mostly Callaway Super Softs, for hickory.  I tried using the ProV for the steel set, but I found that I don't like the sound or feel that the ProV makes off the persimmon driver.  So, I use the low compression ball for the blades and persimmon.  The ball is not a high spinner for the driver, but love the feel so I will stay with that setup.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Hmmm interesting and I may not be experienced enough to add a very thoughtful reply.  I don't play by sound.  Heck I have enough trouble with feel and sight as far as senses go when pertaining to golf!

 

Per the recommendation of pretty much every hickory player and cold war era persimmon enthusiast I have been using Wilson Duo Softs the past two years.  They do for the lack of a better term have a "softer" sound than other golf balls I use.  Other golf balls I use are whatever I find at the local par 3 after the senior leagues play through.  There are the occasional Pro V in there so I will have to give them a closer listen next time I come across some.

 

 

[Forged Hack]

1 hour ago, cold_war_era_golfer said:

Hmmm interesting and I may not be experienced enough to add a very thoughtful reply.  I don't play by sound.  Heck I have enough trouble with feel and sight as far as senses go when pertaining to golf!

 

Per the recommendation of pretty much every hickory player and cold war era persimmon enthusiast I have been using Wilson Duo Softs the past two years.  They do for the lack of a better term have a "softer" sound than other golf balls I use.  Other golf balls I use are whatever I find at the local par 3 after the senior leagues play through.  There are the occasional Pro V in there so I will have to give them a closer listen next time I come across some.

 

 

I’m sure everyone has done this before..My impromptu iPhone sound comparison. Everything is magnified on full swings. Duo vs Pro V1X Persimmon.

[Hickory4ever]

I primarily play hickory and classic clubs. As ebeck66 said, the Calloway Supersoft or Srixon Softfeel are my preferred balls for historical club play.

 

My game has become more creative playing so much Hickory and I utilize a lot of different shots, the soft balls feel better to me. 

[BIG STU]

I am stricty a feel player and the softer balls feel better to me coming off the face. 

[ebeck66]

I couldn't get the sound link to open that Forged Hack provided.  But somewhere along the way, I saw or had references to studies that said that sound was a big determinant of feel.  I have gone to the range with my Ipod (I am really dating myself here) playing and it made a big difference.  I shut it off, put it away, and hit the ball better.  But playing my persimmon headed drivers, and with my friends, especially those with older ears, sometimes they don't even know I have teed off.

 

While with hickory, the lack of some spin makes iron shots flyers to some degree, I still love the way the game is played with those clubs as Hickory4ever says and I like the softer ball.

[Hickory4ever]

Hitting a persimmon wood with a ball that sounds terrible or feels like a rock is just so…so…so wrong 🙈.  

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

In the discussion about hickory or P&B golfballs I never heard the TP5 getting any airtime. Personally I hate it, now that does feel like a rock with the sound off.

[Gsea]

On 1/6/2022 at 12:02 PM, Forged Hack said:

I’m sure everyone has done this before..My impromptu iPhone sound comparison. Everything is magnified on full swings. Duo vs Pro V1X Persimmon.

In a blind test bet you wouldn't be able to tell

[baloo]

I play the Vice Pro Plus, which is similar to the Prov1x. I love the performance but it's not the best sound/feel. You gotta pick what to prioritize.

I'm a fast swinger and I've never broken a persimmon with the ball I use. I did break a couple of dried out woods with range balls in the winter (think 10 degrees out)... So I wouldn't recommend that. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

26 minutes ago, baloo said:

I play the Vice Pro Plus, which is similar to the Prov1x. I love the performance but it's not the best sound/feel. You gotta pick what to prioritize.

I'm a fast swinger and I've never broken a persimmon with the ball I use. I did break a couple of dried out woods with range balls in the winter (think 10 degrees out)... So I wouldn't recommend that. 

 

I just cracked my favourite 5w (a Powerbilt Citation) while hitting range balls in the cold a week or so ago.

The range I was at has changed balls recently, and I think the newer ones are harder. It used to be the best place (about the only place, in fact) to practice hitting persimmon. Now I no longer have that option.

[baloo]

16 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I just cracked my favourite 5w (a Powerbilt Citation) while hitting range balls in the cold a week or so ago.

The range I was at has changed balls recently, and I think the newer ones are harder. It used to be the best place (about the only place, in fact) to practice hitting persimmon. Now I no longer have that option.

So sad when you love the club. In my experience a good 4 or 5 wood is hard to come by. 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

1 hour ago, baloo said:

So sad when you love the club. In my experience a good 4 or 5 wood is hard to come by. 

 

Couldn't agree more. I have a graphite-shafted Mizuno persimmon 5w that I also like, but the Powerbilt, which was steel-shafted, was my favourite. It's going to be hard to replace.

[Corgi]

I used persimmons and hit the original Top Flite and its various iterations back in the day. Nothing out today could be as hard as those balls. Of course, with persimmon you were always at risk of getting an iffy block of wood and then anything could happen.

[chazpet]

I played a Pro V1 at the end of last year and quite liked it with my modern and classic clubs, so far so good. It seems that lower compression balls are generally preferred for persimmons around here, is that strictly due to feel or for performance/durability?

 

@baloo couldn’t agree more! Love my 5 wood from ~200y, headed for a refinish with the rest of the woods soon.

Edited January 10, 2022 by chazpet

[Hickory4ever]

I am sorry that you cracked the PB Citation. That is why I restrict my play of classic woods to softer golf balls. And in the cold, I don’t play my favourites, not worth the risk.

 

If hitting range balls, use a club that you are not afraid to break. I personally am not a range rat, why waste good shots on the range 😀.

[Gsea]

11 hours ago, Corgi said:

Of course, with persimmon you were always at risk of getting an iffy block of wood and then anything could happen.

Main reason for cracking heads not hard range balls.

[Forged Hack]

Great replies here from everyone.  Played again today with Duo’s and Pro V1’s, nobody out today so I was able to drop a few of each on my favorite dogleg left par 4. It’s normally a 2 iron tee shot with a 7 iron into the green. From 145 yards out with Australian Pines surrounding the approach it’s perfect for acoustics. Got home and put all the Pro V’s in the Titleist bag and ordered 2 boxes of Duo Softs for the Wilson bag. 

[Pepperturbo]

I want to feel vibration in my hands as the strike compresses the ball at impact; then connect the vibration to the sound of impact and know what happened to the ball at impact, and where it is generally going.  That's the reason I play 620 MBs.  I get more of that from the MBs than 620 CBs.  Oh, need to acknowledge MMT 125 shafts, as they do a wonderful job of letting ball striking talk to my hands without damaging my body.

 

As for using Persimmon woods, haven't played with them in fifteen years.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Pepperturbo

[WilliePPQ]

Too bad my hearing is just not good enough to influence my ball selection these days. But I'm pretty much a feel player anymore and the Chrome softs work well for me. Also surprised by Titleist Tour Soft a better ball than I expected off of my x-forged irons. But I can remember back in the day hearing a balata coming off of persimmon that I swear was louder than a rifle shot! I think it might have been first time I saw Weiskopf hit a ball "CRACK"!

[OnTheBag]

On 1/9/2022 at 10:23 PM, chazpet said:

It seems that lower compression balls are generally preferred for persimmons around here, is that strictly due to feel or for performance/durability?

 

 

It is an attempt to replicate the balata balls that persimmon and hickory clubs were designed for.  Those balatas averaged between 35-70 compression depending on manufacturer.  In comparison, most modern 3 and 4 piece balls are 90-115 compression.  The Pro V1 is listed at ~90 compression, while the Wilson Duo Soft is around 50.  Cally Chrome Soft is 75.  

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

19 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

It is an attempt to replicate the balata balls that persimmon and hickory clubs were designed for.  Those balatas averaged between 35-70 compression depending on manufacturer.  In comparison, most modern 3 and 4 piece balls are 90-115 compression.  The Pro V1 is listed at ~90 compression, while the Wilson Duo Soft is around 50.  Cally Chrome Soft is 75.  

"Those balatas averaged between 35 and 70 compression depending on manufacturer"

I was there. Titleist offered their balatas at 90 or 100 compression. There was a Ladies ball which I think was 80. No-one offered balls at the compression you state. Where do you get your data from?

For information, I started playing serious hickory from 1995, winning Scottish and Swedish scratch hickory titles and using a Titleist PTS Wound 90 ball and never broke a club in play.

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by The Aspidistra in the Hall

[OnTheBag]

3 hours ago, The Aspidistra in the Hall said:

"Those balatas averaged between 35 and 70 compression depending on manufacturer"

I was there. Titleist offered their balatas at 90 or 100 compression. There was a Ladies ball which I think was 80. No-one offered balls at the compression you state. Where do you get your data from?

For information, I started playing serious hickory from 1995, winning Scottish and Swedish scratch hickory titles and using a Titleist PTS Wound 90 ball and never broke a club in play.

 

I was there too.  The difference is the compression test criteria used then versus the one used now.  A Titleist 90 from 1995 has far different characteristics than a PRO V1 90 compression ball now.  Golf Digest had an article on it a few years ago.  If I can find a link, I will post it here.