Srixon AD333 Testing

[PAR_6]

Thanks JB & Srixon !

 

[gadiel]

That what I want to see

That what I want to see

Thanks!

Will be putting them head-to-head with Nike PD Soft and we'll see how they compare on the course.

I love the nike soft, is cheap and work god for the price, lets see results,

 

[biggsy]

I came home from meeting a little while ago and I had nice package waiting for me from THP.

I quickly tore into the package and to my delight I had a sleeve of the new Srixon AD333 in my hands.

Initial notes and comments on the ball:

• Clean bright white cover
• The graphics are very typical of golf balls I am used to playing. They have the manufacturer's logo on either side of the ball with a number above it in a blue color. The side stamp contains the make of the ball (AD 333) and a modern arrow pointing in opposite directions.
• The side stamp is very clean and could be used very easily as an alignment aid
• The sleeve is a glossy finished thin cardboard box that contains marketing data and describes what each layer is made of and designed to do.

I've attached some pictures of the golf balls and sleeve enclosure.

I was planning on testing these out tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain. A sure sign that colder weather in on the way. Saturday is supposed to have a low of 41 and a high of 62. I have a tee time first thing in the morning so I will give these a good testing during a round and then report back.

Thanks again to THP and Srixon for selecting me to test these out.

 

[SeeMoreGuy]

Great shots Biggsy. What type of camera?

 

[JB]

Look forward to your feedback biggsy.

 

[biggsy]

Great shots Biggsy. What type of camera?

Thanks! It's a 5 megapixel point and shoot camera. Took quite a bit of playing around to get the detail I wanted for the pics.

 

[PAR_6]

I got mine in the mail today. Biggsy did such a great job with the pics that there is nothing that I can add. The balls look great. I plan on starting my test on Monday if it's not raining. Thanks again !

 

[SeeMoreGuy]

Almost bought some today but said I would wait until the review.

 

[madmike]

I love the nike soft, is cheap and work god for the price, lets see results,

Give you all the details once the $*%&@ temperature gets above 35 here in Atlanta. I thought put up with the summer heat so I don't have to deal with this crap

But yeah- if I don't have to stop the ball in a hurry the Nike Soft's are a great ball for the price. PGA Tour Superstore is selling them for $9 per dozen.

Hoping the AD333 will give the nice soft feel with a little more stopping power around the green. We'll see:golf2:

 

[calebt17]

I received my batch in the mail today as well. Biggsy nailed the photos.

Initial reaction, I like the alignment stamp, its a little more subtle than the thick arrows on a Titleist but it blends into the design really well. I received the number 3 Srixon ad333.

I hope to test these on Monday as well.

Here's a quick overview from the Srixon website.

"The new and improved AD333 features a thinner cover and a larger core while maintaining the same enhanced aerodynamics. The enlarged, highly resilient Energetic Gradient Growth™ core, made possible through thin-cover technology, provides greater ball speed, high launch, and optimal spin for increased carry and roll. The high-trajectory 333-dimple pattern with advanced aerodynamics produces a true, penetrating ball flight with a shallow landing angle in all wind conditions, delivering greater carry and additional roll. The soft cover provides improved feel and excellent control on approach shots

How it Compares
This ball has the fastest ball speed in the soft 2-piece ball category. The AD333 provides explosive distance without compromising control and spin. It has an extremely soft response on all shots.

Compare With
Titleist DT® Solo
Titleist NXT Tour®
Bridgestone E5®
Precept® Laddie Extreme®

2-Piece Construction
• Large, highly resilient, and soft Energetic Gradient Growth™ core.
• New and improved highly resilient and soft Rabalon®HR+ and Pana-Tetra® blended thin cover (10% thinner than its predecessor)

Club Head Speed is for 80mph+"

 

[TC]

OK. Just got home from an extended weekend away visiting the wife's old man in TN. I checked the mail and received my Srixon AD333's from THP. Unfortunately, it's about 19 degrees outside therefore I can't get over to the club to pitch and putt any today but I will try to this week.

My intitial impression of the ball was a good one. I currently play Bridgestone's E6, but every now and then will plat the Srixon ZStar. One thing I've always liked about the Srixon was minimal stamping on the golf ball and the AD333 fits that mold perfectly. I'm not a big fan of a "busy" golf ball. The "AD333" stamping is a nice blue and it has some nice subtle arrows for alignment aids. I've bounced the ball around on the yard wedge and it feels nice. I'm really curious to compare this balls performance on and around the green. I can't imagine that it's too different from the E6 off of the tee but I'm looking forward to seeing if I can get some additional spin with my approach shots. The course I will be testing the ball out on is just outside of Asheville and is called Broadmoor Golf links b/c they have a great practice facility. Check out this link if you're curious:

Home

Below are some pics I snapped of the AD333's. I'll report back once I've had the opportunity to roll these around.

 

[Osahar]

Just pulled mine out of the mailbox this morning (didn't check it yesterday). I'll try to get some pictures and first impressions up later this week, but won't have a chance to do it today or tomorrow.

 

[PAR_6]

AD333 Update,

I don’t play on weekends but I went out to the course and practiced chipping and putting for a while today. My current ball is the Callaway Diablo. For the last 4 or 5 years I played the Callaway HX Tour and then the Tour ix. During this last season it just seemed like I was not getting my usual distance and everything was coming up a little short. I figure that my swing is slowing down a little, I turned 58 today. I tried the Diablo and it was a pretty good fit. I picked up a little distance and was still able to stop the ball on the green with full shots. The only drawback was on chipping. The Diablo does not do the 1 hop and stop. It checks and releases so I had to adjust my chipping for that. I have shot 71 with the Diablo and my current clubs and my lowest round ever was 70 on the same course.

Note : The color of the AD333 is a nice bright glossy white and to me is more appealing than the slightly flat off white color of the Diablo.

Putting : I took 4 balls to the green 2 AD333 and 2 Diablo. On each putt I would alternate between the 2 brands. The AD333 and the Diablo are very similar off of the putter. They both come off the putter nicely. I would have to give a slight edge to the AD333 because to me it seems just a slight bit softer and not as clicky as the Diablo.

Chipping : I used 4 balls 2 of each brand and alternated just like on the putting. I do not hit flop shots. I hit medium trajectory shots using my 56* wedge. When I used the Tour ix my shots would hit and check pretty quickly and not roll out very much. The AD333 and the Diablo are very similar to me on chipping. They hit and check a little and then roll out some. On a 10 to 15 yard chip they both would roll out 10 to 15 feet after checking. I am not a pro so I don’t hit every chip exactly the same.

These are both good balls for their price range. So far I have to give the edge to the AD333 for the color and the less clicky sound off of the putter.

Long Game Review will be coming later !

 

[JB]

Awesome stuff P6. Looking forward to more

 

[JB]

Any updates on this one?

 

[Golf Chick]

Awwwwwwwwww man....I was just a little too late, several days too late as today is the day that I noticed this Oh well, maybe next time!!!

Have fun with the new golf balls

 

[PAR_6]

AD333 Update,

I don’t play on weekends but I went out to the course and practiced chipping and putting for a while today. My current ball is the Callaway Diablo. For the last 4 or 5 years I played the Callaway HX Tour and then the Tour ix. During this last season it just seemed like I was not getting my usual distance and everything was coming up a little short. I figure that my swing is slowing down a little, I turned 58 today. I tried the Diablo and it was a pretty good fit. I picked up a little distance and was still able to stop the ball on the green with full shots. The only drawback was on chipping. The Diablo does not do the 1 hop and stop. It checks and releases so I had to adjust my chipping for that. I have shot 71 with the Diablo and my current clubs and my lowest round ever was 70 on the same course.

Note : The color of the AD333 is a nice bright glossy white and to me is more appealing than the slightly flat off white color of the Diablo.

Putting : I took 4 balls to the green 2 AD333 and 2 Diablo. On each putt I would alternate between the 2 brands. The AD333 and the Diablo are very similar off of the putter. They both come off the putter nicely. I would have to give a slight edge to the AD333 because to me it seems just a slight bit softer and not as clicky like the Diablo.

Chipping : I used 4 balls 2 of each brand and alternated just like on the putting. I do not hit flop shots. I hit medium trajectory shots using my 56* wedge. When I used the Tour ix my shots would hit and check pretty quickly and not roll out very much. The AD333 and the Diablo are very similar to me on chipping. They hit and check a little and then roll out some. On a 10 to 15 yard chip they both would roll out 10 to 15 feet after checking. I am not a pro so I don’t hit every chip exactly the same.

These are both good balls for their price range. So far I have to give the edge to the AD333 for the color and the less clicky sound off of the putter.

Long Game Review :
I played 2 rounds with the AD333. The temperature highs here are around 50 and it is foggy so the golf balls aren’t flying as far as in warm weather.
The first day I noticed that the AD333 felt a little harder than the Diablo coming off of the driver and irons. That was a surprise being that I noted earlier that it felt a little softer off of the putter.

Distance on the woods and irons was good and I would say it was on par with the Diablo.
Trajectory and direction are pretty close to the same as the Diablo. Full iron shots stopped on the green similar to the Diablo. Our greens are pretty firm right now.

Durability was good. I played 2 rounds with 1 ball and there are some light marks on it but it looks good enough to play a few more rounds with.

Overall I would say the the AD333 and the Diablo are very similar but that doesn’t surprise me because they are both 2 piece balls. The only difference is in the color and the sound off of the putter.

 

[TC]

Sorry JB, i really want to get out and put these through the ringer but nothing's open right now. I don't know when this cold snap is going to be gone. Like I said before, little Foster loves the new AD333's and they sound wonderful bouncing up and down on the wood floor.

 

[biggsy]

I had a chance to get out this weekend and hit quite a few shots with the AD333.

I was hitting and testing this ball alongside some other balls for a comparison. I used the ProV1X, Penta, old E6 and Diablo as a comparison. I hit about 200 shots with these so I got a good gauge of their reactions.

Putting: I use a putter that has an insert rather than a milled face. I like the feel of this ball off of the putter. The ball gets into a nice roll off of the putter face and the feel is just as good if not better than the Penta and Pro V1X. It was definitely softer and better feeling off the face compared to the E6 and the Diablo.

Chipping I hit various bump and run or hit and check type shots to really gauge what kind of roll or spin the ball was going to get around the green. The ball was not quite as soft feeling as the Penta or ProV1X and had a similar feeling to the E6 and a little better than the Diablo. The ball had just as much bite as the Diablo which was not much. No matter what I did to try and get this ball to check up, it would not. I am used to getting more check out of the golf ball I play but once I gauged how the ball would react it was easier to control once I knew where I had to hit my targets to get the ball to finish where I wanted it to.

Pitching Once again i got very similar reactions to the chipping. The ball was soft feeling, but not quite as soft as the premium balls. I do like the feel of this ball off the club, you are just going to get more roll and release than the two premium balls I hit next to it.

Flop Shots I did everything I could to get the ball to stick and about the only thing that got it to stick was a 20 yard flop shot.

I also hit some high 30-40 yard flop type shots where I was still getting about 10'-15' of release, where the premium balls would check up or even spin back in some cases.

100 yard L wedge Once again the ball was very soft off of this club, and I was getting on average about 5'-10' of release. I generally hit my L wedge very high.

Driving The mid to long iron shots had a nice soft feeling to them and not "clicky" at all. The distance was on par with the ProV1x again with these clubs.

Driving The ball felt really good off of the driver and I hit it side by side with the ProV1X, which in my testing has been the longest ball I have played with. This ball was just as long as that ball and I had a good amount of forward release. I hit the ball on a low to mid trajectory off the driver.

I had no issues with ballooning or trajectory.

The durability of this ball is a little better than the Diablo or at least it was when I was through with it. There were some minor scrapes and scuffs on the ball. I am pretty picky when it comes to durability and I don't like seeing a lot of blemishes on my ball so one of the three would not be usable after what I did to them in my opinion. I have attached after photos so you can see what I am talking about for a comparison.

I also hit quite a few shots with these and did not always clean my club between each shot, so it could explain some of the wear and blemishes.

I am going to have to hit some more drives and mid to long iron shots before I have a final verdict on the ball because I just did not hit enough of those shots to give it a fair review.

Based on the feel and distance of the driver and the feel of the putter, this is a ball I would consider purchasing knowing that I was going to get a ball that would release on the greens, rather than checking up.

Thanks again for choosing me to test these out.

Until next time.

Diablo ball showing the worst of the blemishes. These scrapes and scuffs were worst than the AD333 put through the same amount of testing.

AD333 showing the worst of the blemishes. The marks on the ball to the far left were the worst. This is the only ball I would not consider playing with in a round and could be akin to the amount of work I put it through.

 

[couldbeu]

Nice review! Thanks Biggsy!

 

[JB]

Thank you both for a very thorough testing and we look forward to hearing more.

 

[calebt17]

I have played a variety of golf balls over the years. I usually play the Nike One Black, Power Distance, Juice, Mojo, and Vapor. From time to time, I would mix in the Titleist NXT, NXT Extreme, Solo, and the occasional ProV1.

A year ago, I got fitted for a golf ball when I was being fit for my Taylor Made Driver at a big box golf store. The one they said I should use is the Nike One Black. The Bridgestone or Srixon line didn’t even 
register on my test. It seemed to me their test was bias toward certain brands in the industry. After taking lessons this past fall, my swing has changed for the better.

Recently, with the advice from THP, I thought I would open up and try the Bridgestone line. The online fitting tool matched me with the E5 and 330RX. I was curious how my results would match up. I have played a couple rounds with them and needless to say I love everything about them.

Thanks to THP, I was offered the opportunity to test the Srixon AD 333. I’ve seen them in pro shops from time to time but never thought of trying them till now. According to the fitting tool on Srixon’s site, this is the ball they matched up with my game.

My drives go anywhere between 225-265 with a swing speed in the 90’s. I have a piercing low ball flight that is either straight, slight fade, or draw depending on my
results. I’m a 13 handicap.

Today, I compared the Srixon AD 333 with the 330 RX, and Penta. The weather was about 60 degrees and sunshine.

Driving the ball, the distance was good. It was comparable to the 330 RX. The Penta was a little longer off the tee. The Srixon has very little sidespin. It was a piercing ball flight. It did not balloon at all. It has very soft feel of the driver.

Fairway Woods, the Srixon was straight with a lot of roll. I experienced the same results with the 330RX and Penta.

The iron game with the AD333 was great. This is where it really excelled. I typically like to hit it at the pin and make it stick. It felt like I was shooting darts at the pin. Number 7 is a par 3 about 132 yards. I took my 8 iron and stuck it. Unfortunately, I missed my 15 foot birdie putt by an inch.

Chipping was successful as well. The Srixon would take one hop and roll towards the pin. It checked up well off the Vokey Spin Milled face. I would get similar results with the Penta. The 330RX rolled out a bit more but not much.

The greens at the club were pretty fast today. I use a Odyssey 2 Ball SRT putter with an insert. The Srixon didn’t click off the putter. It rolled very true. The Bridgestone and Penta does not click either. They all are very soft with great feel. The AD333 alignment marker was helpful and easy to see.

As far as durabilty, Srixon showed well, there was very little scuffing and performed like the others. The irons and wedges didn’t chew it up. The Nike balls and mid to lower price Titleist do not last very long with my Vokeys.

Overall, my impression of Srixon ball is very positive. It wasn’t as long as the 330 RX or the Penta but I loved the results from 140 and in. I had a few more birdie opportunities than normal with the Srixon. They are definitely worth a look. I know they don’t carry the pub as some of the others, but I was very pleased with the ball. Srixon has developed a great mid price ball that compares with the premium balls. Also, you can save a few bucks on the price tag. The Srixon AD333, rip it and stick it.

 

[madmike]

Just posting to say that I got the balls and am looking forward to testing very soon. We just got snow (!) in Atlanta so I'll have to wait for that to clear up.

Did some chipping and putting on my carpet at home and comparing to Nike PD Soft what I found was:

Similar feel and roll off putter- not clicky... but pretty much the only balls that are bad enough to fail that test were the old Noodles and cheapest TopFlights.

Chipping- similar feel. Might be imagining it but looked like spin was a touch better on the AD333's. It bounced a touch higher after landing when chipping with a 46* PW.

Can't wait to get them on a course once the ATL thaws out.

p.s. how do I make pictures smaller?

 

[Smallville]

Madmike: They fit just fine on my monitor but it's a 24"!

Make your pics smaller changing your default setting in photobucket. Under the blue br that says "Upload images and videos" is a "moore options." Change the size there. I usually use 800 x 600.

 

[Osahar]

Today was going to be testing day #1 for me - but right now it's 37* and raining outside. Looks like it'll be putting in the living room! I'll post up some pictures and first impressions early this afternoon.

Hopefully this cold front moves away, the weather has been terrible all week.