Consumer Reports' top five golf balls

[kzgman]

The results may shock you... (2 years ago) OLD OLD

Two years ago Consumer Reports tested 25 types of golf balls on the market. They tested: driver distance, driver accuracy, 8 iron accuracy, 8 iron spin, and soft feel, to come up with an overall score.

The top five balls are:

1. Nike One Black
2. Nike Power Distance Super Soft
3. Callaway HX Tour 56
4. Titleist Pro V1
5. Titleist Pro V1x

Are these results shocking to any of you? Keep in mind that Consumer Reports is well known for being non-biased and not accepting any "special" products for bribes rom the manufacturers, which is more than I can say about Golf Magazine or Golf Digest These golf balls were just taken off the shelves of some Golf Shop.

What I use:
Driver: 9.5* Taylormade Burner w/ Reg flex Fuji Speeder 553 shaft
Hybrid: 17* PRGR 200i 2 iron w/ PRGR M45 100mph shaft
Irons: KZG Forged Blades 3(21*)-PW(47*) w/ TT DG S300 Sensicore shafts
Wedges: Mizuno MP Series 52* w/ Rifle 5.5 shaft, Mizuno MP R Series 56* w/ DG wedge shaft, Nike Forged 60* lob wedge w/ DG wedge shaft
Putter: KZG Forged Blade
Balls: Nike ONE BLACK, Bridgestone Tour B330, Taylormade TP BLACK LDP, Titleist Pro V1x
Bag: Ogio Fire Red Octane stand bag

[xxio]

What were the test parameters?

[Johnny]

What were the test parameters?

 

cut and pasted from OP first line..

 

tested: driver distance, driver accuracy, 8 iron accuracy, 8 iron spin, and soft feel, to come up with an overall score.

 

we all know the nike's are spinny..so not surprise that would help in 8I acc/spin and hurt a little on driv. dist.

[Constantin]

at what swing speed did they test those balls?

[stevesxm]

golf digest did a comprehensive ball test a few months ago. tested a couple hundred different ones using a variety of methods. extremely informative.

 

the conclusion is what you would expect. there is no one size fits all best ball. the ball you need depends on how you swing and play. within each "type" are several choices. a 150 mph swinger is going to hate the ball that a 90 mph swinger likes and vice versa.

 

the absolute bottom line was that, within each type, there was almost no real difference at all amongst the top 10 of that type and if someone painted over the names of the top 10 in each type , 999,999 out of a million people couldn't tell the difference.

[DLiver]

The most interesting thing about that test, IMO, is how some balls were more accurate than others.

[SwingMan]

But CR did not test greenside or partial wedge spin -- and that's where many golfers here choose their ball, along with driver spin and aerodynamics in wind.

[Robmc826]

I wonder if it will ever be updated it is over 2 years old.

[Johnny]

I wonder if it will ever be updated it is over 2 years old.

 

 

agreed... this is my last post on this one. I suggust we let the thread die.

[Tmiller72]

The data may be 2 years old, but it's still worth commenting on and may help some people if they use those balls.

[kiwidave]

I've still got at least 1 of 4 of those in my bag now. Nothing wrong with them

[SweetTeaGolfer]

If you think Consumer Reports is unbiased you may as well believe the world is square

[DLiver]

If you think Consumer Reports is unbiased you may as well believe the world is square

 

So enlighten us. What are Consumer Reports' biases?

[LONG&STR8]

The big shocker was the Nike super soft that was cheaper than most but was very good in driver distance and short iron spin but then Nike proceeded to change it the next year and it hasn't been the same ball ever since.