Archive for the "Golf Balls" Category

Srixon Q-Star Golf Balls

One of the most-common mistakes that amateur golfers make is playing a golf ball that they are not yet good enough to use. Many amateurs simply reach for the same box of balls that their favorite pro golfer uses, not thinking about the fact that the ball might not be a good match for their game. In fact, for any player with a handicap above 10 or so, using a tour-level ball is almost certainly a mistake. By playing a ball intended for the average golfer, most amateurs could improve their game and save money all at the same time.

Cost = Spin

This is not a hard and fast rule, but it applies more often than not. When evaluating which golf ball to purchase, you can usually tell how much it will spin just by looking at the price tag. The discount model balls that are in the $10-$20 range per dozen usually will not produce very much spin on srixon Q-starany of your shots. At the same time, tour-level balls that are over $40 per dozen will often be the highest spinning models you can find. Again, that rule is not 100% accurate, but it is a good guideline to start from.

With that in mind, you need to think about how much spin you want on your ball. Remember, spin not only means backspin to stop the ball on the green, but also sidespin that can send your ball far offline. If you struggle with a hook or a slice on your full shots, you aren’t going to want to play a ball that makes those problems worse. In this case, you would want a lower-spinning ball that helps straighten out your shots – and doesn’t make them worse.

Q-Star is a Good Option

The Srixon Q-Star is a good example of just the kind of ball that most amateur golfers should be looking for. This ball is designed to maximize your distance from the tee without putting too much spin onto the golf ball. Also, Srixon has added something they call ‘Spin Skin’, which is meant to help give you more feel around the greens than some of the other balls in this category. That means you can reap the benefits of having a lower-spinning ball for your full swing, while still having some touch and control while chipping and putting.

Before you go purchasing a full dozen of any new golf ball, try picking up a sleeve first and see how the ball performs for your swing. Every golfer is different, so trying out the ball in actual on-course conditions is the only real way to know how you will like it. The good news is, because the Q-Star is a moderately priced ball, you won’t have to make a significant investment to give it a chance and find out if it is the one that will find a home in your bag.

Bridgestone E6 Golf Ball Review

Most of us golfers are guilty of the same sin at some point in our playing history. We see the players on TV hit those great looking wedge shots into the green that bounce once and spin quickly backwards – and we want to do the same. Not only does this kind of shot require excellent technique and clean contact with the ball, but it also requires the right equipment. You need a wedge with fresh grooves and a golf ball that has a high spin rate. Mix that all together and you will get a shot that dances all-around the green when it lands.Bridgestone-E6-Golf Balls

Trying to Play like a Pro

So what is wrong with that? Well – nothing is wrong with that shot, if you can execute it. The problem is that you will have to play that golf ball all the way around the course, including on your long shots with a driver and long irons. A high spin ball means it is high spin all of the time – and that spin is not always backspin. Any side spin you impart on the ball will be amplified by a high spin ball, meaning your slices and hooks become worse. Unless you possess the ability to control your ball flight consistently, you will probably be doing more harm than good with that premium, high spin golf ball.

Solving a Problem

Enter the Bridgestone E6 golf ball. This ball is aimed at solving that problem by offering you a soft feeling option that keeps the spin rate down so your shots fly straighter. This is not just marketing speak – it actually works. You will enjoy the soft feel of the golf ball when chipping and putting, but your long shots will have less side spin and will hold their line in flight much better. The end result is you being able to keep the ball in play more often, and your scores going in the right direction.

One Giant Step for Low-Spin Balls

Low spin golf balls of the past have had a reputation for being as hard as rocks and nearly impossible to chip and putt successfully. That is what makes the Bridgestone E6 such an incredible jump in technology. No longer does the player have to pick between the two options of having a low spin ball that goes straight, or having a ball that is nice and soft for around-the-green control. The best of both worlds does exist, and it is found in the E6 golf ball.

If you like to break out from the norm when you play, the E6 is also offered in a wide variety of colors like orange and yellow. Or course, for the traditionalists in the crowd, white ones are readily available as well. While the Bridgestone E6 is not likely to be the ball that will help you spin your wedges backward on the green, it can do just about everything else. From watching your drives fly long and straight to seeing a chip shot land softly and nestle up next to the hole, you will love what you get when you put the Bridgestone E6 into play. Pick up a box today and notice the difference the next time you hit the links.

Srixon Q-Star Golf Ball Review

SrixonQ-Star-golf-ballSrixon has really stepped up its game in recent years with its Star line of golf balls, with the Z-Star being highly popular among golfers of practically all handicaps.  2013 presents a brand new version for the Star line, this time with the Q-Star.

The Q-Star golf ball is designed specifically for average golfers (handicaps between 6 and 18) in mind, with more accuracy and distance to help them improve their scores tremendously.  It basically features two technologies that helps set it apart from the competition.  The first is a STAR Performance inner core that adds not only distance but playability as well both off the tee and around the green.  The second is spin skin technology that improves greenside spin without sacrificing distance by improving friction between the golf ball and the golf club surface.  What follows is an overall review of the Srixon Q-Star golf ball.

Positive

There are many different positives when it comes to the Srixon Q-Star, as it really lives up to its hype.  The distance on both tee shots and approach shots is above average and can compare to practically any golf ball out on the market today, including well-known brands such as the Titleist Pro V1.  When it comes to tee shots in particular with either a driver or fairway woods, the Srixon Q-Star golf ball is very straight with a penetrating ball flight and very low side spin as well, which can really benefit golfers struggling with hooks or slices.  The golf ball very good overall feel to it no matter which club in the bag is used, and feels very soft especially around the greens; combined with this softness is a great amount of durability as well, as golfers will find that it is difficult to scuff the ball up after playing it for quite a few holes.  Lastly, another positive associated with the Srixon Q-Star golf ball is that iron shots generally have a good amount of spin on them and checkup when they are supposed to.

Negative

There are really only two negatives when it comes to the Srixon Q-Star golf ball.  The first is that while the ball flight can be a bit high at times, especially when it comes to the short irons, and this may be a disadvantage for those who naturally hit the ball high and are looking for a ball with a normal or low trajectory to it.  Another negative is that the ball doesn’t seem to really spin that great when coming out of the bunker or rough around the greens.

Overall

Overall the Srixon Q-Star golf ball is another winner put out by the golf company and should greatly benefit average golfers.  It doesn’t really excel in any particular area but is above average in all of them, with good distance, accuracy, and feel.  The ball flight may be a bit high and times and may not generate a great amount of spin around the greens in particular, but if one is willing to overlook these they will find a great golf ball that should shave a few strokes off their next golf round.

Taylormade Lethal Golf Ball Review

Taylormade-Lethal-Golf-BallTitleist may have the number one ball in golf as it stands right now, but the competition is getting more and stiff as the years progress, and Taylormade is certainly giving them a run for their money with their newest line of golf balls known as Lethal.  Lethal is basically a redesigned PENTA with great new features.  It is a premium five piece multilayered golf ball comprised of a 322 low drag performance dimple pattern that is supposed to provide added performance in windy conditions, along with progressive velocity, in which the faster layers are located on the outer part of the golf ball to create additional ball speed for more distance and accuracy.  With that said, how does it stack up to the Pro V1?  What follows is an overall review of the Taylormade Lethal golf ball.

Long Game

When it comes to distance off the tee, the Taylormade Lethal golf ball is certainly comparable to the Titleist ProV1.  What was great about the golf ball was the penetrating ball flight that just cut right through the wind; the low drag performance dimple pattern really sets the golf ball apart from the competition and should really benefit golfers who struggle getting good distance in windy conditions.  The playability of the golf ball is above average as well; one can hit fades or draws with the golf ball fairly easily.

When it came to irons and woods, the Taylormade Lethal golf ball actually out-performed the Titleist ProV1 when it came to getting the ball to stop on the green along with distance as well.  We all hate it when our long iron shots hit close to the pin and then keep rolling another 30 feet or so, but with the Taylormade Lethal golf ball the ball had really good spin on it even for high iron and wood shots, along with the distance being about 3-5 yards further as well.

Short Game

Chipping and putting are really the two most important aspects of the game when it comes to shooting lower scores, as chipping allows one minimize mistakes while putting helps to maximize great shots, and the Taylormade Lethal golf ball performs well above average in both of these categories.  Whether it is a bump and run, pitch, flop, or just a normal chip, the ball has exceptional spin and just stops on a dime.  It doesn’t matter whether it is off of the fringe or out of the bunker, the golf ball does exactly what you would expect it to every single time, and it is hard finding very many golf balls that can do that these days.  As far as putting, the ball feels great coming off of the putter head and it takes little to no time at all to get the distance control down.

Overall

Overall Taylormade has created a fantastic golf ball that can help practically any golfer shave a few strokes off their game, especially when it comes to distance and approach shots.  Low handicap golfers can certainly benefit from the tremendous amount of spin that the ball offers along with its penetrating ball flight in windy conditions, and high handicap golfers should be able to find a few extra yards off the tee and into the green at the very least.

Maxfli U/4 Golf Ball Reviews

Maxfli U/4 Golf Ball Review

Let’s face it, when it comes to tour-performance golf balls, one of the last places we would think about getting them from is Maxfli.  No offense to them but their golf balls have mostly been geared to those who are mid-handicappers.  However, that may have changed with the new golf balls that Maxfli has rolled out recently.  They are called the U Series golf balls, and start from U/2 all the way up to U/4, with the latter one being the best that they have to offer.  Here is a description of the new U/4 golf ball:

“The right golf ball for you is the one that will help lower your score. The new U/4 and U/4x are engineered with 4 layers to lower scores through providing the perfect combination of distance, spin and feel. The U/4 provides increased short game spin, a softer feel and excellent distance. The U/4x spins less, has a slightly firmer feel and launches lower for longer overall distance. With the Maxfli U/4 and U/4x, we’ve got U covered for lower scores.”

Golf companies always seem to over-hype their products, so are these new golf balls worth getting or should one just stick to the Titleist/Taylormade/Callaway/Bridgestone balls that are known for giving great performance?  What follows is my overall review after having played a few rounds with them.

Positive

One of the things about the ball that first caught my attention came at the first hole that I played them on.  It was a short par 4 and after a good tee shot I had a wedge shot in.  I usually put a lot of spin on the ball with my wedges and get a decent amount of spin out of a Pro V1, but I was pleasantly surprised with the spin I got out of the Maxfli U/4 golf ball.  I watched the golf ball go past the hole and then spin back about 10 inches, and that’s when I knew that this ball was the real deal.  It wasn’t just wedge shots either.  I was able to get a good amount of spin with my irons as well, and even fairway wood shots landed softly on the green and didn’t roll out as much as I thought they would have.

When it came to the short game, I found the Maxfli U/4 to be very comparable with the Pro V1 when it came to chipping and putting.  The ball has a great feel to it when putting on the green and the ball itself features a helpful line on it to help line putts up.  The ball checked up when I wanted it to when chipping as well, which is surprising given that I usually was never able to get a Maxfli golf ball to do so in the past.

Negative

It is not really a huge negative or anything, but I found that I got less distance with both the driver and the irons with these golf balls as opposed to ones in a similar price range such as the Pro V1 and Hex Tour.  Generally it was between 5-10 yards with the driver and just under five yards approximately with the irons.

Overall

Overall I was very surprised with how well the Maxfli U/4 golf ball played.  Both the spin and feel are great, with only a minor issue in regards to distance.  It is a golf ball that definitely puts the company back on the map as far as I’m concerned, and if you are one of those golfers who is looking for something new I would certainly recommend giving this ball a try.

Taylormade Rocketballz Golf Balls Review

Taylormade Rocketballz Golf Ball Review

I am sure most of us have seen the commercial with PGA Tour players wondering what Rocketballz were and then hitting the fairway wood a gazillion yards in order to impress us enough to buy them.  However, there haven’t been any commercials as far as I’ve seen about the actual balls themselves, and this article will provide a review of them.

Taylormade gives the following description of the golf balls: “A soft and fast REACT™ core formulation and new SPEEDMANTLE™ produces insane velocity and added irons spin for all swings. The RocketBallz golf ball has a thin and soft Lothane cover for great feel and added spin around the greens.”  Does it add up to all that has been said about it?  Yes and no.

Positive

One thing that it does have going for it is distance.  For less than $30 a dozen at most major retail outlets this ball gets a lot of distance both off the tee and in the fairway.  It is not as long as the more expensive Titleist Pro V1 or Bridgestone B330 are, but for its price you really beat what it has to offer.  I would say that it is very similar to the Callaway Warbird and Titleist NXT golf balls, in that they offer good distance for the price.

Another positive I found in regards to this golf ball is the feel that they have around and on the green, especially when it came to faster greens.  There are quite a few course where I live that have greens that are around 11 or 12 on the stimp meter, and it is important to get the right speed on each putt to avoid three putting all day.  What I liked about the Taylormade Rocketballz was that I could get a better feel for the greens and was a lot closer with my putts than I normally was with using say a Titleist NXT or something.  When it came to bump and run chips as well the ball was pretty much spot on every time, landing exactly where I wanted it to and rolling right up near the pin every time.

Negative

The first negative comes in regards to the spin that the Taylormade Rocketballz golf ball advertises for irons.  While I did get some spin with the wedges out on the course there was little to no spin at all when it came to the mid or high irons or even fairway woods into greens.  Maybe it is because I don’t have the most up-to-date clubs, I don’t know, but they did not have very much spin on them at all when I played a few rounds with these golf balls.  Also, I expected to have at least a decent amount of spin when it came to the 50 yard knockdown shots but I was disappointed when they didn’t really spin back all that much.

Overall

Overall the Taylormade Rocketballz golf ball offers good distance and average spin for its price.  If you like playing with the Callaway Warbird, Titleist NXT, or Bridgestone E6 I would recommend trying this golf ball for a round or two to see if it can improve your game.  Unless you have brand new golf clubs I wouldn’t expect to get too much spin on the greens, especially with the mid irons going up.  I believe the greatest benefit of this golf ball has to do with putting, as it provides a great feel and will certainly help with distance control.  Most of us could use all the help we can get with the putter, and the Taylormade Rocketballz golf ball offers a good solution.

Take a look at some more great deals on new and used Rocketballz Golf Balls.

Top Flite Gamer V2 Golf Balls

Product Review: Top Flite Gamer V2 Golf Balls

Having tried the first version of the Top Flite Gamer golf balls and really liking them, I was excited to learn that Callaway (which owns Top Flite) had decided to come out with a new version of the golf ball.  The Gamer V2 still features dimple in dimple aerodynamics and is a three piece golf ball.  The changes that were made to the ball include a new DuPont mantle layer to increase distance and add greater feel.  Changes were also made to the core and outer layer to increase feel and durability, which were severely lacking in their first version of the Top Flite Gamer golf balls.  Here is my review of the new Top Flite Gamer V2 golf balls.

Positive

Similar to the first version, the second version of these golf balls have fantastic distance.  The distance is actually comparable to golf balls that are more than twice the price of these, and that is really something remarkable.  I couldn’t believe the distance I was getting out of the golf balls, especially off the tee.  For the woods and irons as well from the fairway, the distance was still very close to that of a Pro V1 Tour iS golf balls.

Another positive came in regards to the short game.  Much emphasis was made upon improving the feel of the golf ball to make it softer for the second version, and one can truly notice the difference when trying out the two versions side by side.  When it came to chipping the ball would check up nicely on practically every shot.  One almost never sees an inexpensive golf ball checking up like it is supposed to on the green, and it is truly refreshing to find one that does.  Whether it was a lob, flop, bump and run, you name it, the golf ball would come to a rest quickly every time.  I also noticed that the golf ball had a very soft feel coming off the putter, and it really inspired confidence when it came to the shorter putts.

Negative

One of the main negatives I found when reviewing the first version of the Top Flite Gamer golf ball was that it did not have sufficient spin for mid or long iron shots.  Unfortunately the same can be said of the second version as well.  When it came to shots with a 4 iron one should expect that the golf ball should stop fairly quickly and not keep rolling on the green.  There were quite a few shots on the golf course where I would hit the high iron and when the ball hit the green it just kept rolling and rolling.  It was truly frustrating watching the ball roll of the green many times after hitting a shot that landed near the flag.  When it came to the short irons the golf ball would simply stop wherever it hit, which can be a good or bad thing depending on one’s particular golf game.  My golf game revolves around getting a good amount of spin for these types of shots, so the golf ball performed below average in this area as well.

Overall

Overall the Top Flite Gamer V2 golf ball is one of the best low price golf ball alternatives out there on the market today.  They have made many positive improvements with the golf ball since version one, especially ramping up the soft feel of the ball when it comes to the short game.  The golf ball still performed below average when it came to spin for short and long iron shots, but that is what one should expect from low priced golf balls.  The Top Flite Gamer V2 golf ball is certainly one of the best bang for your buck options out there when it comes to golf balls.

Take a look at some more great deals on new and used Top Flite Gamer V2 Golf Balls.