Driver spin/ball question

[ezra76]

I've had the Cobra in my sig for a few weeks now, played 5 rounds with it. I hit it very high, which I like and drives are all carry with little roll. I've used a few different balls. I usually use a regular ProV1. I found, it seems, that I carry a Prov1X a little further than the regular ProV. Longer still was a Nike One Black. I'm just wondering if this is the result of spin reduction from the ball and I should consider just switching to the 1X or Nike? Also, I was wondering about the '07 regular ProV1, if it spins less than the previous version.

 

I don't really have access to a launch monitor unfortunately. There is one at a shop I go to but last time I used it they charged me $25 to take 3 swings.

[andyville99]

We all are hearing all the information about how important spin rate is as it affects trajectory, carry, and roll. I did my own little test over the last month or so to see what worked best for me. I was playing an 8.5 905R with a GD YS-7 S-flex shaft. My swing speed is 98-100 and my handicap is 1.3. I tested the ProV1, ProV1X, Bridgestone 330RX, and Callaway Tour-i. What I compared was the trajectory, carry, and total distance. The traj for the ProV1 and 330RX both ballooned, with the 330RX climbing a bit more than the ProV1. On similarly struck shots, the ProV1 was about 5-6 yds longer, but both had very little roll. The Tour-i flattened out more, got more roll on landing and was about the same distance wise as the ProV1, maybe 3-5 yds longer. However, I didn't care for the feel of the Callaway off the face - just a bit dead and heavy feeling. The ProV1X launched a little higher than the Callaway, flattened out and landed hot. It was usually 8-10 yds longer than the Callaway, and considerably longer than the ProV1 or 330RX. So for me with my club and swing, the ProV1x was the clear winner.

 

Other observations, FWIW, is the the Callaway seemed 5-10 yds shorter than all the other balls off the irons, and dead feeling to boot. I wanted to like that ball but it just didn't perform for me. The other three I found to be very similar lengthwise off the irons, with the ProV1X a bit longer off the long irons. Around the greens the ProV1 and 330RX are great, and would be my choice if that was the only attribute I cared about. I think the Bridgestone is the best looking ball of the bunch, color and dimple shape-wise. Obviously that's just personal preference. But it was clearly the shortest off the tee for me - way shorter than a ProV1X. I was really surprised by how much! I had been playing the regular ProV1 thru the summer because the X felt and sounded bad off my Miz MP-37 blades. However, I just switched to PING S57's and the X feels great off those irons, including around the greens with the Tour-W wedges, so now it's my standard ball, at least for the foreseeable future.

 

Hope this helps a bit, but the reality is that I'm sure different people with different swings, speeds, and clubs will get different results, since so many variables come into play. But these are the clear results I got.

[highergr0und]

I'd recommend picking your favorite ball for approach shots and use it. 5-6 yards isn't worth anything if you can't put the second shot on the green. I've got the reverse problem where I lose the high spin balls off the driver but don't like hitting the low spin into a green, so I've settled in the middle (plus i'm too cheap to spend $50 on a dozen). If you want to consult the pros, I know that the Ryder cup guys were hitting the ball of whoever was getting the approach shot off the tee since it mattered a lot more to the guy taking the second shot than whoever was hitting the drive.

[ezra76]

Thanks guys. I really don't have a preference between the 1 and 1x when it comes to irons or short game. Both seem to spin enough for what I need and feel pretty similar to me. I played with a 1X today and the same result as the 2 previous rounds. Drives seem to be slightly longer with the 1X and ballflight a touch lower.