Review: Nike 20XI 2013

NIKE 20XI for 2013 features an injection-molded polymer resin in the inner core and mantle of its new 4-piece ball that is twice the amount of the 2011 version.

Its lighter weight compared to traditional rubber cores helps reduce the ball's spin on tee shots and maintain higher spin with the wedges.

On first inspection there's a nice bright, white seamless urethane cover that aids confidence at address, with black Nike logo and red number. 20XI logo on the side acts as good alignment aid and the dimples appear much deeper than those on the previous Nike One Tour D.

20XI feels and sounds great when hitting drives out the sweet spot. The larger, softer RZN core contributes to a softer feel and a lower-pitched sound than last year's 20XI-S. It's a very soft ball, yet provides plenty of tactile feedback off the face.

Pitches and chips around the dancefloor do exactly what you want from even the worst lies. A little too soft on the greens but that by no means detracts its excellent distance control.

This ball delivers tremendous roll off the tee with a much lower trajectory than I'm used to - all thanks to the radical new RZN core. As a result, I enjoyed some of the lowest driver spin from all balls I've tested this year. 

While Nike says this ball promotes short game feel, I believe there are better spinning balls out there this season.

Verdict

This ball is all about delivering maximum distance and improved feel. Even the wedges fly far.

I believe Nike has made real strides here in what amounts to a complete rethinking of golf-ball technology. Great feeling ball on the green and ideal low driver spin off the tee, but I'd like to see a little more spin with the wedges given what the brand claims.

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Click here for Nike 20XI owner reviews. Click this link for our Ten of the Best golf balls test.