Hot Topic: What influences ball purchase?

As Titleist and Maxfli reveals new balls tell us what grabs you when you consider a new purchase. Cost, brand, model, performance, durability?
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:16

I have just been trying out a few premium balls to switch to one of these for the summer. I try to stay away from Titleist as so many people play them that I have twice previously ended up hitting the wrong ball!!!

I tried, Strata Tour Ace, Callaway Black, Srixon HR-X 333, Hogan Apex Tour red and Black. All though I liked all of them I ended up going for the Strata as it was the ball I got the best deal on and it behaved as well as any fo the others for me. Bought 2 doz. for 30 quid so good deal as far as I am concerned. If my budget was not a problem I probably would have gone for the Callaway!

So to answer the question, I suppose price is the biggest influence.
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:37

Price and Feel are the main criteria surely, most handicap golfers will lose enough balls that durability isnt a big factor and price is ! after that its the feel off the club face that matters.

Another 5 yards isnt that big a deal in the end after all, 150 or 155 left to the pin isnt a big deal after all.
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:39

Price and feel for me too - I like NXT Tours - as a good allrounder.

Posted: 28/02/2005 13:43

I find at the top end of the market, there is very little difference in distance between balls. I regularly use the Pro V1 and have used the Pro V1x and the Callaway HX Tour in the past. I have hit all of these together and the difference has been minimal. The Pro V1x doesnt appear to be as durable as the Pro V1 (I have a steepish swing so tend to cut a lot of the balls).

I would play with any of these as long as I could get a good price on them. At the moment the Pro V1's and the HX Tour are reasonably priced if you shop around (Direct Golf doing 2 doz HX Tour for £48).
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:43

1st priority - Price. I won't spend more than £15 on a dozen balls.

2nd Priority - Feel and spin. Not necessarily with the driver or long irons but with need a softer ball with 6-iron to LW. Feel of the putter is of major importance. I can't stand putting with anything hard.

I have used Hogan Apex tour, Maxfli M3 and Dunlop Custom pro in the last year. Got them all on ebay for £10-14 a dozen. Won't touch ProV1's or HX Tours unless I find them.
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:49

Cost.

At my level I do not fool myself into believing a ball will improve my game.

Rather use the money towards lessons.
Posted: 28/02/2005 13:59

Definitely price. I always buy in bulk whenever I see a good deal and get 4 dozen or so that will probably last me the season.

Performance wise I'm looking for good spin and feel around the greens. I'm currently using the Strata Tour Premier and picked them up for £12 a dozen. They give excellent feel and spin and are certainly very similar performance wise to the Pro V1, but at 35% of the price. Distance is good as well.

If money was no object then I would probably play a more expensive ball, but the performance increase is very small and so I could never justify paying 250% extra to gain maybe 10% in performance.
Posted: 28/02/2005 14:23

Price - there's a shed load of competent balls out there for less than £1-50 a ball.

There are also some shockers - Tour Ace Nik? C'mon, its a stone.

I doubt if the performance increase of these new balls is even 1% better - just more marketing hype.
Posted: 28/02/2005 14:33

high spin from 8 iron thro the wedges .... only thing that matters
Posted: 28/02/2005 14:50

Value for money. This doesn't mean the cheapest or the most expensive necessarily. The ball should suit my style of play (low spin, firm feel) since my bad shot is a slice. Currently getting good results with Titleist NXT, which I got free when I bought my MX 17’s. Otherwise I would be playing something with the same characteristics but less than £26 per dozen.

Get this months (March, although released in February) Golf World magazine for a ball choosing guide.
Posted: 28/02/2005 14:52

Choosing the right ball? - Well it's like making love to a beautiful woman.

It has to feel right, look right, do the things you ask it to. It must respond to being stroked gently, or go like a rocket when pushed.
It must keep its looks for more than a round and scrub up well afterwards.

...and most of all, should not cost more than a couple of quid to play with.

Posted: 28/02/2005 15:08

I'm currently using the Titleist NXT Tour. I feel it gives me good distance and spin at a moderately affordable price (£19.99 for 12)

I've toyed with the idea of the V1 or V1x, but at the moment my game is such, that I can't justify spending an extra £10 for something that will either end up in a watery grave or plug so deep in a fairway that I can't find it......
Posted: 28/02/2005 15:12

Dunno about you lot - but I reckon the Maxfli Black is jumping on the Nike bandwagon.
Even the box looks 'Nike'

.......... am I right or am I right?
Posted: 28/02/2005 15:55

Lionel you speak the words of a french man this is very encouraging for me.

Maxfli Noodle is good for me and not expensive at Carrefour i buy for 12 ball the price 20 euro

also because i is chef i like the ball name
Posted: 28/02/2005 16:03

- Price - has to be lower than say £12 a Dozen, maybe stretch to £15.

- Performance - Nice distance and good spin off the wedges.
Posted: 28/02/2005 17:03

Low spin off the tee, woods & long irons - although I have worked hard on my swing and woods through the winter shaving around 10 shots off my round I still prefer playing a ball that gives me a little more margin for error.

Control round the greens - my short game is fairly sound and so this is the second consideration.

Price - for my summer comp balls this isn't really an issue as (a) I find that in the long term it is cheaper to use the dearer balls as I lose fewer, at the moment I expect to lose 1 Topflight XL3000 per round (my winter ball) whereas I expect to get up to 3 rounds per ProVIx (my summer ball).

I've tried nearly all the so-called superior balls and while some come close the ProVIx is the one that works for me I'm planning to try out a sleeve of Srixon URXs as they are supposed to be designed for a 90mph swing speed which is close to my 91mph.

Another point I would make is that the Titleist balls don't seem to be designed for colder conditions as I find their performance is very poor when the mercury drops below 6*C.
Posted: 28/02/2005 17:41

Performance first, how it feels in my hand second, and brand design third. The only ball I'll use that has a serif font on it is the Pro-V's, other than that it has to have a clean design feel. Precept U-Tri Tours cover all three bases for me... nice font, uncluttered branding, the numbering is different (11, 22, 33 and 44) feels nice when I tap two together, and works well for how I play.

Cost and durability don't really bother me too much, as I'll use the badly dented ones for practice.
Posted: 28/02/2005 17:57

I echo what other people have said - cost and performance, not really prepared to pay over £1.50 a ball.

You can't beat the refurbished Pro V's from direct golf or AGD, Pro V performance at a fraction of the cost.
Posted: 28/02/2005 18:11

Price first followed by feel off the club face.

Will just about pay £20 for a dozen, any more and its a no no.

JJB do NXT Tour's for £20...good alround ball with nice feel.

If anyone can recommend a similar ball but cheaper, please let me know.
Posted: 28/02/2005 18:24

Main criteria for me has to high levels of greenside spin. I miss the green fairly often and want as much control on the ball as I can get.

Second criteria has to be driver distance.

Thirdly soft feel (but thats mainly a summer thing)

Hence my choice of Strata Tour Ultimate.

How long a ball lasts is fairly low down the list as you dont get very high spin balls that don't scuff (I dont consider the PROv1 and similar as very high spin balls).

Price is not that important to me for the right ball the Strata TU cost £38 a doz when they came out.
Posted: 28/02/2005 18:31

Rod - try these Srixon AD333
Precept U-Tri spin £20 (3 piece urethane covered - so better than NXT)
Pinnacle Exception


Posted: 28/02/2005 18:33

Price - I don't like paying more than £14 for a dozen.

Thereafter, a balance between feel and distance.

Like a Maxfli A10.
Posted: 28/02/2005 18:46

Try the Dunlops from Sports and Soccer. You will hit these balls just as long but get the feel around the greens. Its not the price (pro v1 @ £2.5 ea, 24 x Dunlop @ £10 ) these days as most balls with the same characteristics play much the same. Don't be tempted into playing with just the big names.
Posted: 28/02/2005 21:02

Good feel is my main consideration. Nothing worse than playing with a rock. I then look for distance and spin
Posted: 28/02/2005 21:04

whatever i can find a dozen of for £5 in the lake ball basket.


Posted: 28/02/2005 22:16

Moppy, or is that muppet?, my eyesight is bad after lots of famous grouse.



24 dunlop for £10 (42p a ball) perform the same as pro V1's? Thats why Ernie tees it up with a Dunlop.

Only half decent thing they ever made were tyres and they were not that great.

Hmm, have you ever hit a pro v?

I concede a pro v is not 6 times better, but bit like comparing ford and ferrari.


Posted: 28/02/2005 22:19

OK. But try not to drive your Ferrari into the lake to often.
Posted: 01/03/2005 05:55

I used to use Lake Balls, but now i'm more consistant I just buys dozens for around £15.

I also avoid Lake Balls, because their performance is limited, due to having been in water for a while.
Posted: 01/03/2005 07:23

Fengi, I tend to agree with Moppy. Most high handicap golfers are using completely the wrong balls for their game, because of marketing hype.

Some of the so called top end balls are more suited to a highly skilled player.

I cannot see any reason for a golfer with a handicap higher than 18 using Pro V1's - other than 'bag cred'

Dunlop Loco balls or their range of rocks that add considerable distance to lower swing speed players have a valid place in the market and are less costly.


Posted: 01/03/2005 08:24

Spin control distance...there is only one the pro v1.

A colleague of mine just went to the states on business... asked him to drop in to a nearby ordinary sports store to pick up some golf balls. No shopping around just in one store...

I paid £19.76 for per box of 12 pro v1's. He brought me back 3 dozen. Thats me sorted for the summer and beyond..

Says it all about Rip off Britain...

I tried the Bridgestone B330 last week seemed to feel quite good...
Posted: 01/03/2005 08:33

I do not buy many ball and sometime i use same ball for 3 round but of course i clean

not saying i am good player but don't hit far enough for losing ball

is it necessary to change ball every round?
Posted: 01/03/2005 08:36

I basically find what works for me and then I stick to it. When I started out I tried everything and I found pretty early on that I preferred the feel of a soft ball.

Initially I went with the MaxFli Noodle but also tried the Titleist PTS SoLo, Nike Soft Feel and Dunlop's "Butter Soft" balls. These ranged in price from £16.99 a dozen (for the SoLo's) to £9.99 for 24 (Dunlops). I found there to be very little in it with regards to performance although for the money the Titleist's lasted longer than the Dunlops (which scuffed very easily). That said - at the time - I was losing a ball every 6 holes (or thereabouts) and so it wasn't much of an issue.

As I started to improve I found that I was actually finding the greens more often but really good shots weren't "sticking". So now I wanted a ball that was soft but also had a little action on the greens. I went back to the major players again: Titleist, MaxFli and Dunlop, as well as the spin variants of the TopFlite brand.

After joining this forum (November '03) I noticed a review of the MaxFli A10 ball. I bought a couple of dozen and - to this day - I believe that these are the best balls I have ever hit, well for someone with *my* game. Sadly the A10's were on their way out even back then and I gave my last two boxes away as prizes for the GM day at Collingtree park. I've come across none since.

I then started to use the TopFlite Z-Balata 90's: 1) because they were cheap, 2) they were soft, 3) they had action on the greens. Sadly they also: 1) scuffed dead easy, 2) were a club shorter in distance. I then read Big Al's review on the Pinnacle Exception balls.

Prefering a softer ball I avoided Pinnacles (or Pebbles as we call them) like the plague but I gave the Exceptions a whirl. Now I'm not saying that they're as good as the A10 but they're pretty close and suit *my* game - besides at £1 a ball they're not robbing the bank.

I've experimented with both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x but given my level of game I can see no difference when compared to the Exception - apart from the obvious £2 a ball difference when I lose one!

Over winter I bought 72 MacGregor balls from Direct Golf (36 Distance & 36 Soft) for £30. I bought them because they were cheap and at 45p each I wouldn't care if I lost one. I got a bit of a shock because they're actually not a bad ball at all. I bought them just before xmas and I've still got 10 of the 1st box left (I lost one & retired one to the practice bag as it was "bunker scuffed"). We'll see how they fair in the summer but I've still got the Exceptions to fall back on then.

In a nutshell: I went for a ball that suited my game. As my game improved my requirements changed. I think that most folk would benefit from doing this also (not just financially) rather than just picking what Tiger, Ernie or Phil are using. If the HX Tour, Pro V1x or *ONE* is for you - then great, if it's a RockFlite Ultra Granite - then great! It just says how many it took to get the ball into the hole on the card, there's no column for "Type of Ball". Well, not yet!
Posted: 01/03/2005 09:41

Several of you have mentioned the Strata range; for me this ball is the best on the market if combining quality and cost.

Whilst the 'ace' and 'ultimate' are its' flagship representatives, and the 'straight' is harder and probably appeals more for winter conditions or to higher handicappers, the 'soft' is a superb all round ball that can be picked up for a third of it's original price of £30.00 per dozen.

Don't be put off because the ball is manufactured by top flite; I play off single figures and this is my first choice ball. Feel is great, spin control not a problem and the ball is straight and long.
Posted: 01/03/2005 19:39

Bob,

As you probably know manufactures spend millions trying to get hold of this type of information you ought to be selling it to them for mega bucks...?
Posted: 01/03/2005 20:09

Rod, I think you'll find that in some way (e.g site sponshorship) they already have, and they may even have suggested the thread. Nothing wrong with that - we don't pay anything for the GM "service", and the staff wages, etc, have to come from somewhere.

Just a thought!

Posted: 01/03/2005 20:13

...yes, guess you're right McAlan
Posted: 01/03/2005 20:18

In the Winter play with whatever piece of yellow granite that you can find.

Last summer experimented with the Callaway Warbirds, got good distance & control. £17 a doz from AGD....was the selling point to be honest.

This summer I'll be using refurbed Pro-V1's. Played with them when given them from corporate days and loved the results; but too mean to pay the full price. But £14 a doz from DG, can't be beaten.

For now it's the Yellow Top-Flite XL's.
Posted: 01/03/2005 20:30

I buy DONNAY yellow balls @£5 for 15.They are excellent. I get a good 250 yds with them and they are good on the green.I do not see the point of spending a fortune on balls. If you lose one ,it is no great loss. I have had exspensive ones in the past,but I have not noticed that much difference. Give them a try.
Posted: 01/03/2005 20:51

Lol Donnays are great........ if you liek hitting stones!

No seriously, they are fine for the Winter, even if they are a little on the hard side. I occasionly use the Yellow ones.
Posted: 01/03/2005 20:53