A whole new ball game
The new Tour balls tested – which one performs best?
Unlike clubs, golf balls aren’t usually reinvented every year. But 2017 is special. It’s the first year we can remember that every major tour ball has been replaced by a newer, better model before the season has kicked off.
Rory Mcilroy, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and even Tiger Woods – plus pretty much all the world’s top 20 – are all playing new balls for 2017 – that’s unprecedented.
It’s because Taylormade (TP5S), Callaway (Chrome Soft X), Srixon (Z-stars), Titleist (Pro V1s), Bridgestone (B330s) and Volvik have all revamped offerings.
So we thought the time was right to put each new model to the test to see how they compare. In the process we reckon we can give you some valuable buying advice on how to decide which premium tour ball might best suit your own game.
When it comes to choosing between premium tour balls, club golfers often struggle to make the best choice for their overall game, as too much attention is focused on a single aspect at the expense of the other areas. But it’s important to get it right, because the choice between softer with higher spin, or firmer and less spin, can make a dramatic difference to your scores – and the decision needn’t give you a headache.
How we did it
We asked the leading golf ball manufacturers to send us their newest 2017 premium tour models – the ones the pros play with week in, week out. To ensure an accurate strike we got our TG Test pro to hit shots with a driver, 6-iron and PW, so we could see if each manufacturer’s claims stacked up. We tested indoors (within a controlled environment) on a Foresight GC2 launch monitor and collected data for each shot. Major misses were rejected, but we monitored how shots launched into the air and what happened during their flight. After some serious number-crunching we decided if each ball was doing as the manufacturer promised, and worked out how it might perform for you.