Another recommend a ball thread...

Brian_Mc · April 19, 2009

Want low spin driver, high spin green-side

I've been reading threads all night and still don't have a direction... Here's my dilemma...

I usually play Nike Power Distance, Topflight Freak and have occasionally played Cally HX Tours. My SS ranges from 96 to 100 or 104 to 108 depending on if I'm fighting going over the top (i can't explain why it slows me down, but I do know it does). I also hit the ball plenty high.

I think the reason that I like these balls is the higher effective compression (less time on the face, so lower spin off of the driver). Most of the mid-priced balls like the e5+ balloon on me... plus they seem to spin like crazy when I slice (over the top).

The problem is green-side spin... the Nike PD and Freak run-out a lot. The Cally's work great, but I'm on the slow side for SS.

Is there another ball with better green-side spin, but would have the same "hard" character off the tee?

What will I be loosing if I stick with the Cally HX Tour/ix since it wants a faster SS?

pastatime · April 19, 2009

Bridgestone b330 It feels like a rock but has good greenside spin. Dont worry about what they recommend for ss just buy a sleeve and see. This is my opinion and own personal feelings. One more thing every ball is going to spin like crazy when you slice that is y its called a slice so dont buy a ball that CLAIMS to help buy lessons instead. What driver? shaft? are you swinging? How high do you tee the ball?

iteachgolf · April 19, 2009

Nike One Black

Brian_Mc · April 19, 2009

I just got a FT5 with a stiff Fuji E360 shaft, but haven't gotten used to it yet... too much work, not enough golf! :) For the last 2 years, I was using a Cally X460 with the stock Fuji shaft in stiff. I tee with ~1/3 to 1/2 of the ball above the top of the driver face.

I've had some lessons and know what to do to fix my swing... now I just gotta keep up the swing changes to make it stay away. I get tired, it comes back. That's what I meant about fighting it.

My point is that those "balloony" balls make a tolerable slice into a boomerang. Even straight shots seem to hang in the air and fall well short compared to the distance balls.

Thanks for the response. I haven't noticed a substantial difference in distance, etc. when I tried the Cally HX Tours so I was leaning that way, but if there is a mid-priced option, I wanted to know about it.

MarcellusW · April 19, 2009

My numbers are very similar (97 ss). I, too, used to play the PD soft, which is a great ball for what it is. Then I found an HX tour and it got me started on a 2-year ball experimentation phase.

Low driver spin - high greenside spin is the unattainable goal that everyone is shooting for. Something has to give somewhere. That is where the mid-priced balls come into play - nxt tour, burner tp, hx hot bite. Straighter off the tee than premium balls, more spin around the green than the PD soft, less greenside spin than the premium balls.

I found that the callaway tour ix was pretty good off the tee, but not as spinny at the green as I wanted. The Srixon zurs was surprisingly straight off the tee, just a little too much iron spin for me. I settled on the burner tp as the best compromise.

Hnixon12 · April 20, 2009

Srixon Z-Star....complete golf ball...low driver/high wedge...this ball is awesome

SaltytheSlicer · April 20, 2009

I've got a lower swing speed than you and still find the Tour ix to be as long as anything else I've played, and very straight off the tee. Don't get caught up in SS recommendations. Iron spin is perfect. Short-game spin is not as high as some others, but still qualifies as tour-level and is a lot more than the PD and Freak.

ryohazuki222 · April 20, 2009

I think I'm in a similar situation as you.

I started playing cheap balls.... and found out that of those, I most specifically like the Nike PD series and the Nike SFT2's. Problem was they ran too much!

Eventually started using the NXT Tours but there was something about them I just didn't like. And on full shots I still much preferred the Nikes.

Found the Burner TPs on sale and bought a bunch. Turns out the gamble paid off. I get a lot of spin to ease up the running. A little less than with a Pro v1/v1x, but so much more than any of the Nikes.

I bought a bunch of cheap used HX Tours and I don't think they spin as much as the Burner TPs on greenside chips. Overall, I think the Burner TP is much better in all aspects. Not sure what a new ball to new ball comparison would be like though.

Dei3Nascar8 · April 20, 2009

I would give the Srixon Z-Star a shot. I am on my last sleeve of the dozen and after putting it through its paces I find that this ball is a great all around ball. It has distance and green side spin. I call it hop and stop spin. Both the Pro V1's and Nike One Tours will pull back but the Srixon's don't seem to spin back as much. I like to have the most spin so I play the Pro V1 and Nike One Tour. The reason that I am sticking to the Pro V1/Nike One Tour is because I can fire right at the pin let the ball hop and suck it back toward the pin. With the Srixon i have to land just short and hop it toward the flag. The durability of the Srixon is better than both the Nike and the Titleist. They are a little more pricey than what you currently use but if you are going to stick with the Callaway then you don't mind paying for the performance that you will gain. Come back and let us know what you choose so that we may offer others better insight.

Brian_Mc · April 20, 2009

I'm playing tomorrow and I'll be trying the Cally's. I've read that a lot of folks on here like the Srixon, so I may have to give then a try too. I won't have time to get to the golf store for tomorrow, though. Thanks for the input.

ryohazuki222, the burner TP doesn't read to be a distance ball (low spin/low compression). Is it? I almost bought a dozen on Sunday, but couldn't convince myself that it wasn't going to be like the e5, etc.

trapsmv15 · April 20, 2009

Nike One Black

Does it really have that much short game spin? I'm looking for something, anything to beat out my Pro V1...

ryohazuki222 · April 20, 2009

I'm playing tomorrow and I'll be trying the Cally's. I've read that a lot of folks on here like the Srixon, so I may have to give then a try too. I won't have time to get to the golf store for tomorrow, though. Thanks for the input.

ryohazuki222, the burner TP doesn't read to be a distance ball (low spin/low compression). Is it? I almost bought a dozen on Sunday, but couldn't convince myself that it wasn't going to be like the e5, etc.

As far as I know, the Burner TP is designed to be one of those inbetween balls trying to pack in both distance and spin. But I think in that golf magazine article the Buner TP, Red/Black TP.... they were all that the top for distance. All were on the upper portion of spin as well.

For what it's worth, personally, I hate the e5 but love the burner tp.

Brian_Mc · April 22, 2009

Well... in distance and straightness, the Nike Juice and Cally ix were very similar. Actually, I was probably straighter and longer with the Cally, but only a little bit... may have just been confidence.

Around the green, there was obviously no comparison.

I want to try the Srixon ZStar, ZStarX and TM Burner TP next.