With all the golf ball choices out there in the marketplace right now, how do you know which golf ball is right for you? The very first thing I would do is find a teaching pro that uses either Flightscope or Trackman, go out and buy several sleeves of balls, and test them all with your own driver. This might take a while but would give you the best results and you would know for sure that you are using the right ball for your game, both in distance and feel! If you don’t have that kind of time (or money) then check out this article by Rob Sauerhaft of Golf Digest to see which ball is in your golf future!
These are exciting times for ball technology. The top brands keep finding new, innovative ways to enhance feel, improve spin and boost power. Here’s the skinny on two dozen new models, ranging from premium Tour to value options. Our advice? Test two or three models, hitting a full range of shots — putts, chips, half wedges, full irons and driver swings. You’ll soon know which ball is right for you.
Bridgestone Tour B330 and Tour B330S
Photo: Courtesy of Bridgestone
Bridgestone Tour B330 and Tour B330S Golf Balls
PRICE: $44/dozen
IT’S FOR: 105+ mph swingers who want max short-game control.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: Increasing the core size by 6 percent compared with last year’s models boosts distance, as does exaggerating the gradient of the core. (The center is up to 7 percent softer, while the firmer outer region is unchanged.) Paired with a new cover, the center reduces driver spin by 3 percent, while the outer area makes the ball faster. The softest urethane cover yet has a tacky coating to increase friction for more spin on scoring shots.
FINAL WORD: The B330S feels slightly softer and spins more around the green than the B330.
Bridgestone Tour B330RX and Tour B330RXS
Photo: Courtesy of Bridgestone
Bridgestone Tour B330RX and Tour B330RXS Golf Balls
PRICE: $39/dozen
IT’S FOR: 105 mph (or less) swingers who want total short-game control.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: The new core in the RX family is 28 percent softer than the Tour B330, so its target audience can compress it. Plus, the center of the core is 20 percent softer than in previous RXs, while the firmer area along the outer edges is harder. Company testing shows players get more ball speed and launch shots higher, with 3 percent less driver spin than before. Combining Bridgestone’s softest urethane cover ever with a tacky coating adds short-game spin.
FINAL WORD: Like the B330s, the RXS spins more than the RX does around the green.
Callaway Chrome Soft
Photo: Jon Paterson
Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls
PRICE: $40/dozen
IT’S FOR: Those looking for ultimate greenside control with soft feel.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: This four-piece ball features a new dual-core construction with a soft inner and firmer outer layer, which helps generate more ball speed off the long clubs than last year’s three-piece Chrome Soft. The new model has a similar compression, but it produces more spin on mid- and short-iron shots. The same soft urethane cover provides ample spin and feel on greenside shots, while a HEX dimple pattern helps stabilize flight. The visible truvis pattern (above) is a new option as well.
FINAL WORD: Low driver spin, soft feel and Tour-quality short-game performance, plus a cool new look.
Callaway Superhot 55
Photo: Jon Paterson
Callaway Superhot 55 Golf Balls
PRICE: $28/dozen
IT’S FOR: Players looking for a power-packed distance ball.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: The three-piece construction utilizes a low, 55-compression core with a soft mantle layer and Surlyn cover. This combo decreases spin on full shots and limits hooks and slices, all while heightening feel around the greens.
FINAL WORD: A distance ball that feels soft and provides adequate spin on scoring shots for players who aren’t desperate for Tour-level short-game performance.
Nike RZN Tour Platinum and RZN Tour Black
Photo: Courtesy of Nike
Nike RZN Tour Platinum and RZN Tour Black Golf Balls
PRICE: $48/dozen
IT’S FOR: Better players who prioritize the short game.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES: Both four-piece models have a new RZN core — 10 percent larger than in last year’s RZN Black and RZN Platinum — to generate faster ball speeds. A new iteration of the RZN core material contributes to a softer feel. The urethane cover has 344 dimples plus 13,558 “micro dimples” to reduce drag, producing a longer, more consistent flight.
FINAL WORD: The most advanced Nike models to date, the Tour Black targets players who prefer to limit spin on full shots, while the Tour Platinum is for guys who want a bit more.
Many of the testers at this year’s GOLF Magazine Wedge reviews emphasized the increased spin they got on the new wedges, compared to their own. What does that tell you? That you should probably replace your Sand and Lob wedges once a year if you are a once a week or more golfer. Understanding loft and bounce were also important to the testers, so before you buy yourself new wedges, see your PGA Pro and seek out his advice on the right combination of loft and bounce to suit your game. I was pleased to read the wedges I have in my bag, the Mizuno S5’s came out as #1. Thanks so much to Rob Sauerhaft of GOLF Magazine and his testers Michael Chwasky, Mark Dee and Alana Johnson for helping us make our wedge purchase so much easier!
The year’s best new short-game gear offers an array of options to help you shave strokes on and around the greens. Our band of 40 ClubTesters evaluated 12 wedges at World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Fla. Hot Stix Golf custom-fit each tester to his best specs. As ClubTest 2016 reaches a grand finale, it’s time to choose your weapons — and go low!
I am going to be up front here and say that I am a Mizuno Clubfitter and I play Mizuno Clubs. That being said, I have always (long before my association with Mizuno) admired Mizuno for the great irons that have always produced through the years! Their new 850 Driver is also the best driver they have ever produced, but that is for another day!
