Callaway Tour i(z) against trusted ix.

[cantill2]

PepperTurbo,

I respect your review and appreciate everything you have written about the tour i(z). Unfortunately, for me the golf balls that still perform the best are the TaylorMade TP Red and the Callaway Tour ix. I find the Tour ix and the tour i(z) to travel the same distance off the tee... But for me a 5-iron shot is 205 yards. I am a long hitter and generate lots of clubhead speed. So i'm not worried about distance. for me it's more about SPIN.... the Callaway Tour ix and the TP Red LDP give me the perfect amount of spin and confidence around the green to score well. I like the Bridgestone B330 as they have a good product as well.

Recently, I have put the Penta in play and I'm impressed with it as well. It performs very well off the driver and is equally as long off the driver as the TP Red LDP. It putts better for me than both the Tour IX and the TP Red LDP.

I would suggest giving the Penta another try.... it's a good golf ball as well.

Thanks again for your review of the Tour i(z) and I'm glad you are pleased with the golf ball.

Cheers,

[Pepperturbo]

My 5 iron is a measly 185-190 carry, so not far behind yours.  I didn't look to, or choose to switch to i(z) because of extra distance, I hit the ball plenty for my ripe ole 60 years and reasonably good game by comparison.  I am switching because it does "everything" that ix and tp red does "PLUS" handles wind like ix, but provides more bounce and run in fairways, which ix is weak at; and it spins just as much as those two balls on fast greens, feels great off my LW and feels sweet off my putter.  

Having tested the Penta I just didn't like it.  IMO TM tried to make the Penta do everything that Red and Black does separately knowing they would discontinuing Red and soon follow with the Black.  oh well.

I played again today and once again confirmed the results I got last weekend.  It handles two - three club winds really well, and spins plenty into fast greens all while being a bit longer.  If that's not the case for you or anyone else, that's fine.  We all have different expectations and feel.  Thanks for sharing your experiences and opinion.

[cantill2]

Give the Penta another try.... you might change your mind about it. I was a Penta hater but a buddy gave me a sleeve and the weather in Charlotte got nice... and the ball has worked very well for me. It does combine some of the characteristics of the TP Black and Red, but that's certainly not a bad thing.

Just curious... how many yards are you hitting the Tour I(z) farther than the Tour Ix and the TP Red?

[Pepperturbo]

I've alway keep close track of my carry and full yardages.  However because people have been telling me I am going to lose yardage due to age, recently I've been paying a bit more attention.  Thankfully I am maintaining yardages thanks to the gym.  Measured using Skycaddie off a slightly elevated Par 5 tee using 2 iron about 8 more yards, finishing at 233 yards.  That isn't to say I haven't hit ix or tp red that far, I have, but under different conditions.  Normally ix hits, bounces once, and stops around 220-225. TP Red has more bounce and roll but it usually finishes about the same overall distance as ix.  

Anyhow, using 3 iron and an off-center strike off the fairway gained about 10 yds due to bounce and roll.  Off a slightly elevated drivable 292 yard par 4, using 3 iron, extra 4 yards finishing 218.  Off a Par 4 using 2 iron without tee into a breeze an extra 11 yards.  That tee shot really surprised me too.  Not because of 2i, I've always used that club on that hole to stay under the wind; it was noticeably longer.  On 18 my 3rd shot into the pin was 97 yds.  Typically I hit 54* 102 max, but this shot was into the breeze so at best I'd be just short or just on the green, pin was in the front.  I didn't hit all that well yet it fly over the narrow green and down the back side 10 yards leaving me a dramatic uphill lie; which I wanted to prevent.  I finished with a bogie.


Through out the day yesterday my tempo/timing was off, which as anyone knows translates into stinky ball striking; yet I was gaining yardage at times.  Thanks for the Penta suggestion but when I make up my mind, it's a done deal.  Tour i(z) is in the bag.  

I know it's unrelated but my 12 index wife has recently been trying the Callaway's HX Bite.  She's not only realized extra distance, she's spinning the ball backwards on greens; that's never been the case with any other balls.  Callaway's coming out with some fine balls.

[Rockfish]

I've been playing the TP Red for as long as they've been out. Longest distance plus "drop and stop" spin rates. I don't want the ball to hit the green and bound forward nor do I want it to hit and spin backward.

I've tried the i(x) in the past and I could NOT get the ball to the hole off the putter. I don't know what it was but I couldn't hit it hard enough.

Since the Red is disappearing I've been looking into possible replacements. I don't hit the ball anywhere near as long as you guys - my 5-iron carry is roughly 170.

Tried the Penta and found it performed very similarly to the TP Red however, while the distance control off the putter was good (that is to say much better the the i(x)) the ball had a bit too soft/mushy feel off the putter head. The Penta also spun a bit too much as I was getting balls hitting and spinning backward (just a little bit) which I don't want. Other than that, distance-wise it seemed just as long as the TP Red.

Also tried a sleeve of the new i(z). Not bad. Not bad at all. Very similar performance to the TP Red. A possible replacement. Definitely a contender when I run out of the Reds.

[NakMan]

Played the tour iz for the first time on Friday. Had what might have been the best driving day I've had. This was in windy conditions in Monterey.

Great ball off the T.

Also hit some of the straightest long iron shots with this thing as well.

Not sure I like it as much as the B330s around the greens.

[cantill2]

Yeah the tour iz took a while but I'm gaming it now 100% of the time. It's very long off the driver and really consistent with irons. Seems to spin a bit more than the tour ix but i'm still not sure about the durability. It's ok.



It's a good ball in the wind, but nothing nearly as good as the Penta. That ball is amazing on a windy day.

[SpinMill75]

Thanks Pepper, great post ( as always).....

I am a big fan of the iX...the only thing that bothered me is that they tend to get cut up after a few holes......looks like the iZ might be an improvement.

Cheers, Spin