proV1x - Z-star x - TM TP red

[driver42]

longest

which of these 3 balls do you think is the longest ?

[LionontheProwl]

I did a Science fair project over this same subject last year. The pro VIx was the longest with the TP Red and HX Tour following. I did not test the Z Star but if it was any similar in distance to last year's z models then it will be one of the shortest.

[BionicMan]

TM TP Red is my current ball, and I hit that further than the Pro V1 and Z-Star (not the "x" versions of those two balls). SS is 105ish, so not crazy fast. Z-Star was markedly straighter...much less side spin. My buddy who just started using the Z-Star made the same comment. Not sure if others share that experience. The TP Black is supposed to compare to the V1x and Z-star x, not the TP Red. Hit 'em both and you can feel the difference...TP Red is a softer ball. Let the great TP ball black/red debate begin!!

 

Preference order:

 

1. TP Red

2. Z Star

3. Pro V1

 

If you want the longest ball out there period, I think the Pinnacle LD Gold was Iron Byron tested as the longest with 110 SS.

[woodmont]

I have tested all three of them. The TP Red and the ProV1x there really wasn't much of a difference, however I think that the TP Red is the better ball, it has a much more penetrating ballflight and feels a little more solid. The Z-StarX is shorter but only by about 5 yards, so that's not an issue, it has a lower ballflight than the ProV1x but higher than the TP Red. However, if you like the feel of the ball seeming to melt on the club face at impact, then definitely go with the Z-StarX. I don't really like the ProV1x much, and the TP Red ball just seems to jump off the club face but has a very solid, dense feel. but then just my two cents, I personally like the TP Red ball more.

[Tim Delgado]

Not sure how fast the guys are swinging it that say that the TM is as long as the Vx, because for me, and others I play with, it is not close.

 

The only ball I have tested that is as long as the Vx is the Bridgestone B330 Tour. The others are all 5+ yards behind.

 

EDIT: For the record, my driver ss is 116-121, and I sometimes have too much spin.

 

Tim

[rockmastermike]

for me:

 

TM TP Red - def longer than proV1x

proV1x - def better feeling around the greens

 

ahhh - why can't golf be simple, lol

 

Z-Star - haven't gamed so I can't speak to it.

 

PS - not a big hitter, just your avg schmo of the box. I make my "money" the closer I get to the green

[WhiteTigerman]

the balls you listed in terms of length for me : tm, prov , z star.

 

however, the longest ball i have hit is the callaway itourx and taylormade tp black is a close 2nd.

[manbearpig]

I purchased a sleeve of Z-Star and TP Red this weekend for testing.

 

My goal is to find a ball that drives like the HX Tours I have (and close to as well off the irons), but spins and putts soft like a Pro V1. Took both to the putting green last night and wow is the TP Red soft, very hard to tell the diff from a ProV1. I didn't think the Z-star was quite as soft putting. (Odyssy white hot insert)

 

I haven't tried ProV1x but I do find the regular proV1's drop out of the air too fast on me.

 

We'll report back with findings.

 

PS: My swing speed is around 97

[flyhighandlong]

Prov1x is the longest for me

[texcrom]

I had played Titleist balls since my Dad first started teaching me golf (41 years ago!!). To him, Titleist was the baest, and I found no reason over the years to disagree.

 

About two years ago, I switched to the B330-S, and played it for a short time before returning to Titleist.

 

Late last year, on the recommendation of a friend, I gave the TP Red a try. My bag is predominately Taylor Made, but I never tried their balls.

 

Played the TP Red that day, and have not looked back. I keep getting the urge to pick up a box of Pro V1's, but then I think about the TP Red, which for me is longer and feels just as good as the Titleist, and I look at the price, and I stick with the Red's.

 

I haven't hit the Srixon, but hear very good things about it.

[ksavy17]

as much as it hurts for me to say this, the srixon and callway tour ix are longer off the tee for me but the tp red is the best overall. Can't wait to try the new 5 piece ball they are working on!!!!!

[Redhill]

I've been playing the Pro V-1X, TP LDP Red, and the B-330S changing off and on. I think the X is the better distance ball by a whisper with the TP handling the wind better.

 

I've heard from several guys that the Callaway Tour IX is the ball that masters the wind better than any other ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cantill2]

Well I recommend all of you to go and get "ball fitted" at your local pro shop that has the newest golf ball fitting software. They have unbiased testing data on over 90 different models of golf balls and they have you hit several shots with your driver (it is important that you bring your driver in). You hit about 10 drives into a launch monitor that records your ball speed, launch angle, and spin in RPM's. I was surprised by the results. I've always played the Pro V1x because I assumed it was the best fitting ball for me. Not the case. I'm going to post my results below, so feel free to comment. Please keep in mind that the difference between these balls was very minor - in fact the Callaway Tour IX was just a few yards longer than all the other balls. However, I launch the ball quite high (15.7 degrees) with a high ball speed of 164 MPH. My spin is quite high too - 3,503 RPM. So I am what you would call a high speed / high spin player.

 

Ball S Ball Speed: 164.0 MPH. Launch Angle : 15.7 degrees, backspin: 3503 MPH

 

 

L

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Fitting Results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premium Balls

 

 

1 Callaway/Tour ix

 

2 Bridgestone/B330

 

3 Nike/One Tour

 

4 Callaway/Tour i

 

5 Titleist/Pro V1X 09

 

6 Srixon/Z Star X

 

7 TaylorMade/TP Red

 

8 Srixon/Z Star X

 

9 Nike/One Tour D

 

10 Titleist/Pro V1 09

 

11 Maxfli/C3 Gold

 

12 Bridgestone/B330RX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Distance Results

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premium Balls

 

 

1 Callaway/Tour ix

 

2 Bridgestone/B330

 

3 TaylorMade/TP Red

 

4 Maxfli/C3 Gold

 

5 Titleist/Pro V1 09

 

6 Nike/One Tour

 

7 Titleist/Pro V1X 09

 

8 Callaway/Tour i

 

9 Srixon/Z Star X

 

10 Bridgestone/B330RX

 

11 TaylorMade/TP Black

 

12 Nike/One Tour D

[VA_Astra]

The ball fitting is crap.

 

This has been discussed many times here on WRX. Swing speeds vary of a ton of people and they always recommend the Tour ix ball.

 

I have heard of people having 85-105 mph swings and they always have the IX ball as the number one choice! I personally did it, 100mph is my SS, it gave me the IX ball as my number one ball choice. I tried it, lost at least 10 yards over any other ball I usually play.

 

"Unbiased testing data" = what do we make the most profit selling! Or what company has put in the most marketing money to the ball testing company...

[Pepperturbo]

I won't go so far as to say ball fitting is "crap"; but will say its not a service I subscribe to after having been shown and told by a few friends that have a sophisticated 100k+ fitting center including ball fitting software, not to pay attention to ball fitting software. The system told both my buddy and I we should play 3 piece balls. So we tried the computers suggestion and neither perform well on the greens we frequent.

 

I played ProV1X for a long time then switched to Tour ix and now TM TP Red LDP, each is used for different conditions. To say one is longer then the other isn't exactly accurate since I can't provide the exact same swing every time; only the Byron the robot can do that.

[muxi87]

yeah, no ball is just plain out longer than the other, it's all about the FITTING

 

Distance will have a lot to do with your launch angle, spin rate, etc. (just like with the driver).

 

Also, never get fitted with just one club, use a driver and a 7 iron so that you get a good ball that works with both.

 

People think ball fitting is all BS, but I assure you it isn't. I saw a good buddy of mine get fitted this past weekend, and the ZStar blew away the Pro V1 in every category for him.

[Pepperturbo]

yeah, no ball is just plain out longer than the other, it's all about the FITTING

 

Distance will have a lot to do with your launch angle, spin rate, etc. (just like with the driver).

 

Also, never get fitted with just one club, use a driver and a 7 iron so that you get a good ball that works with both.

 

People think ball fitting is all BS, but I assure you it isn't. I saw a good buddy of mine get fitted this past weekend, and the ZStar blew away the Pro V1 in every category for him.

 

Your statement is a bit too broad yet could be valid regarding your friend. We have no idea what ball your friend played before, and how well he hit that ball, or how much ball striking skill he had to begin with.

 

Moreover just because the ZStar showed across the board results doesn’t necessarily mean computerized software ball fitting works. All it means is based on the software measure ZStar ball result was better for your friend.

 

Note. On Srixon’s site there’s confusion. They compare the Z-Star X to the TP Black and ProV1X – yet on TM’s site they say TM TP Red is the low spin, low trajectory ball comparable to ProV1X and TP Black is the higher spinning ball, higher trajectory comparable to ProV. It sounds to me like Srixon is misleading comparing apples to oranges. If they can’t get it right on their website, what’s the probability that stats input in the software have followed the same suite?

[Anakinn]

Played both TP red & Prov1x and found both to be about the same distance but, on windy conditions I found TP red better. Haven't try the others.

[camjacfoxroc]

the srixon z star x has the largest core of any of the premium balls, bigger core= more ball speed= longest prem. ball out there, period

[oregongolf]

the srixon z star x has the largest core of any of the premium balls, bigger core= more ball speed= longest prem. ball out there, period

It's that simple huh?

[Yepyukon]

The same people who say ball fitting software is crap are the same people who go in to get fit for new clubs and say they have no brand bias...but then tell you they have never hit XXX driver good and discard it before they give it a chance.

 

I believe that ball fittings work, but you have to take it with a grain of salt. Yeah, the same ball might be recommended for two different ppl, but Titleist published a list of who they wanted to play what ball (based off handicap and SS) and the ProV1 was in EVERY catagory along with 1 other titleist ball.

[VA_Astra]

YepYukon.....I actually work for a club fitting service.

 

I also have personal experience in the ball fitting that places like GG offers. I wish I had a dollar for every one that has came to the fitting studio and said that they have gotten fit for a ball at GG and other places and everyone is recommended the Callaway Tour IX! Anything from 80mph to 115mph driver swing speed.

 

 

The fact of the matter is that your irons and your wedges should dictate the ball that you use for your game, not the club you hit maybe 14 times a round. A true ball fitting should be done via a monitor and on the course. Check to see what kind of spin numbers you can produce with your irons and wedges, then look at how you play a few different balls on the course. SS is also taken into account as not everyone can compress the IX like GG tries to sell them. Once that is done, a few balls are recommended to you and you have the final choice on what one to play.

 

I dont have any brand bias, I play what works well for me. I have played and have a closet full of clubs and shafts of all different brands. I have found that what is in my bag now is best for my game at this point. i am using the best of the best that I have access to IMO for where my game is at today.

[darnoldil]

Lots of good points here. Maybe some others to add are:

 

-Compressing a ball also includes angle of attack, club face orientation (open, closed, square), swing path, and even weather (some balls may need it to be warmer out than others for best compression for a given swing).

 

-More compression generally = more distance. Of course too much compression = less distance and more errant shots, even with irons.

 

-My thought on ball selection is to first see if the ball goes straight and is consistent in doing so for your swing, then see if it works around the green and from there see how the iron play is. Why? Because those 12-14 tee shots play the biggest role in shooting decent scores. NOTE: Notice that I did not advise looking for the most distance off of the tee for your ball selection but I said the straightest! Any ball will go straight when struck properly but how does it respond when you are a little closed or open or really lay into it? I've had balls turn into real nightmares without my A game and others turn into real angles with my B game and up!

 

-There are four general types of feel: Off the driver, off of the irons, chipping/short pitches and putting. Different putters can make balls feel better but the irons may show them up or certain irons can make a ball feel better than it is but a blade putter will tell the tale. For me I find that my irons always tell the tale for feel because I tend to play forged type irons (Maxfli Black Dots) or forged irons (MP 29) which are more attuned to feel. My driver rarely tells me anything about feel and my Rife 2bar Putter works so great that I don't notice feel of of the putter that much, nor do I care. You have to decide which feel is most important to you and then judge that parameter accordingly.

 

-Spin is good but too much is bad. What we really want is much less spin off of the driver and FW's and more off of the 8 iron through wedges. Finding the compromise is why you need to test the driver straightness and then around the green as some balls are more optimized in their compromise between these two areas than others.

 

-I change balls when I find that an area that I want performance in is lacking and I can find something else that is better in that area without being worse or too much worst in another, it's all physics, you gain something one place you will loose it someplace else because there are no free lunches.

 

Currently I play the Tour i ball and enjoy it but I just went out and bought a box of Z star's because I LOVE soft feel in my iron play. I actually went out today and tested a Tour i, older PV1, NOP and Bridgestone Treo Soft. The Treo Soft was consistently 10 yards longer than any of the other balls and the Tour i and older PV1 fought for second. The older PV1 and Treo Soft were the softest and I actually realized that it was harder for the Tour i to feel good in the below 80F weather. I had to put a better swing on the Tour i to maximize it (I can put a good swing on the ball and be between 110-117mph but prefer around 105-110 for max control and consistency). Even getting a good amount of paint on my 7iron from the Tour i didn't always keep it from a slight click (which I don't like). I've been playing the Tour i because it has been the best of all worlds in a sense, straight off of the driver, long and excellent around the greens. However after today's test I realized that I wanted and was used to a softer feel. I also didn't mind that the softer "FEELING" ball was doing more of the work for me so I bought some Z star's to try. I am leery of how straight and consistent it will be off of the tee but expect that it will be softer FEELING and a club longer with the irons while working as well and comparable to the Tour i and PV! around the greens. We will see.

[SpinMill75]

I used to play ProV1x and thought it was pretty long.

I usually try out all the new tour balls every year to see what I like.

So far,

 

Cally Tour iX is longest followed by Bridgestone B330. ( for me at least)

 

I bought a sleeve of Zstar X today and will be testing them tomorrow....stay tuned.

 

SS= 115mph.

[Davidb27]

Since a few of you guys have played both the regular and x versions of the new Titleist prov1, Callaway i tour and Srixon z star, maybe can answer this question. I thought the x versions were a lower flying ball compared to the the regular versions for anyone with a swing speed of around 90-100 mph.

I checked out the chart of all the leading golf balls and while the x versions do spin off the driver less, they have a higher launch angle? Or something to that effect.

 

If anyone can explain this i would appreciate it.

 

I did find that for me, the 2007 and 2008 prov1x was too low. My swing speed is around 95-97. I play the prov1 and have for years but am looking for a longer ball. Don't mind sacrificing a little less spin around the greens because some of the courses I play here in northern california have greens that can be inconsistent and results in chips and pitches with a high spin ball that don't all behave the same. Better off with a little more firmness anyway.

[cave]

There is no way I can tell which is longer. I had some evidence early in this season that the TP Red might be longer than the ProV1 I play. But then I had a great round with a Titleist ProV1 and hit my longest drive of the year.

 

Every shot is different, breeze, temperature, hitting the ball 2mm towards the heel of the driver etc....I've never been able to get a good read. There are trends one way or another but I think they are almost identical.

 

I'll stick with Titleist so I am supporting the company that makes my irons and wedges. I don't carry any TM clubs.