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TaylorMade Project (a) Balls Review Thread

SuperStroke
I put these in play again yesterday on a wet, windy day. I continued to see good spin around the green and I was quite grateful for that spin considering how quick the greens were. My first pitch came up short due to the spin but once I realized these would give me enough spin even on those greens I had a good day around the greens.

I putted very well yesterday, greens were very fast but rolled very true. I think the added softness off the putter helped me control my distance most of the day on the fast greens. However I did come up short on 2 of 3 lag putts I had. I should have compensated for the softness but would rather not have to think about the softness of my golf ball when reading a putt.

Thanks to wet fairways and quite a bit of wind, it was hard to confirm my previous thoughts of this being shorter than the new B330. Judging by my par 3 tee shots I still feel confident that the B330 is a little longer. Since there was no roll in the fairway and since my driver was in shambles yesterday, I can't give much info on tee distance. On the maybe 2 drives that I hit well, I found myself a little further back than usual from my playing partner who usually gets me by 20-30 yard off the tee. We both had a rough day with our drivers but when we both hit them well on the same hole I found myself 40-50 yards back.

On a side note, when hit well, the ball seemed to handle the wind well and hold it's line. I cannot compare to the B330 because I have not hit it in similar winds.

The (a) continued to be durable. Other than a small scuff from finding a cart path off the tee...the (a) finished the round in usuable condition. I played the same ball from hole 5 thru 18.

I feel like this is a great ball for the money. It might not be the best ball for me, but I think it will fit many golfers at this price point. I still need to game the SR2 samples I have as well as get some more time with the B330 to be able to really decide on a ball for this season. I am certainly not ruling out the (a) beacuse of the durability and affordability.
 
War Eagle said:
My thoughts are the same. Project a is very similar to the e5 for me, all around just really identical. Which is something that I love.
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TexasHacker34 said:
I have, but it has been quite a while. I used the e6 for awhile when I started playing because I thought it would fix a slice haha.

As for the e5, I think that is actualy a very similar ball to this one. 2 vs. 3 piece, but both Urethane and similar price points.
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e5 is currently a close second to the RX for me right now. Great all around ball with a low price. The e5 was my primary ball last year, and with just initial impressions and one round to go on, I'd have to agree that performance of the Project (a) is similar. Should be able to draw some better comparisons in the warmer weather (hopefully it will be here soon!). I'll grab a box of the e5s as well to put them head to head.
 
Took these out for my round on Saturday. They did well with distance but it was only average for me in the wind and around the greens. The spin was decent, as it would check and release a few feet on well struck shots.

I would put it up there as above average in its category but not towards the top.
 
Initial thoughts

Spoiler
So I got out on the course today high of 42 winds 10-15 with gusts to 20 or so and windchill in the mid 30's. The course is still pretty much browned out from with and fairways, rough and greens pretty soft. The greens were a bit long and maybe a bit softer than normal and a little longer than normal but rolled well and were pretty fast.

I am impressed with the feel of the ball even with cold temps it felt extremely soft with no clicky-ness off of the clubs from driver to putter. This was a bit of a surprise even knowing the ball has a urethane cover, I just didn't expect it to play so soft.

Every strike, the ball seemed to jump of the club face with a nice soft feel and sound to it. The ball flew high and dropped out of the sky with just about every club in the bag. I did hit some nice flat trajectory hybrids, 3wds and a couple drives. I'm not sure if the height i was seeing is due to the extra spin the ball is designed to produce or if its the natural flight I have with my current irons or if the wind aided in the high flight.

Distance- seemed pretty good and what I'd expect with the wind and cold temps.

Side spin- you can still shape shots with these and they will not prevent a slice or hook but did seem to limit them a bit.

Green Spin- Iron shots and full wedges hopped and stopped dead or backed up a little, chips and pitches checked up really well and better than I expected on several occasions leaving me short. I stuck a drilled 5i into the green today, the ball was about 4ft from the pitch mark that was a crater on the green this isn't something that normally happens for me so I was quite shocked and it was nice to see.

Putter- the ball felt soft and rolled well off the M1

Durability- I played 7 holes with the first ball before it got put into a corn field, the second ball lasted the rest of the 18.

Seam- some have mentioned the seam and yes it's pretty visible, the only time I noticed it was when putting since I usually put the ball down with the blank area up since I have never liked using an alignment line well that's tough to do as the seam makes one big alignment line. These also don't float I was lucky enough to pull the second ball from the creek.


I played 20 holes with the second ball since the first one found the corn field after 7 holes. When the second ball found the pond to day it only had one minor crape that I am assuming came from hitting a tree(it hit a couple). I would give the Project(a) an A+ in durability.

Got Out for 18 today Temp was mid 60's with 13mph-ish, course was a little wet(fairway, rough) green were soft but not overly soft or wet.

Driver/Fwd- I only hit one good drive(solid contact and the ball felt really good off the driver, as well as the several good strikes I put on it with the 3wd.

Irons- the feel/feedback was very good I knew exactly where I hit the ball at on the club face and on center face strikes the ball sounded soft and hot leaving off the face.

Distance- the ball seems to play true to what I expect the ball to carry, I'm not seeing any discernible roll from the tee with any club due to the fairways and rough being wet. I actually found a couple tee balls plugged, backed up or hopped sideways today.

Spin- This ball has zero problems holding greens from 4i to full wedge for me. I stuck several 4i, 5i into greens and the trajectories varied from low wind cutting shots to high draws and fades. The spin into greens is fantastic but is a bit of a problem with long irons off the tee as I am seeing zero roll out even on shots I intentionally hit low.

Wedge Spin - full shots the balls checks on a dime or sucks back a couple feet, 1/2 & 3/4 wedges stopped dead today, ships and pitches were controllable on roll out or checking when the shot needed it.

Some pics from today-

First hole full 56* wedge ball sucked back just over 3 ft.
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Hole 1 again

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Hole 2 full 56 into an elevated green and down wind

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18th green 175yd high draw 4i into the wind ball is left of the pitch mark with is just past the putter head.

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I played this weekend solely with the Project (a). Saturday it dropped about an inch and a half of rain before the weather broke and I got 9 holes in. Played fairly well and the P (a) performed well. Was getting good stoppage on the greens, though part of that may have been the waterlogged conditions too. On Sunday I took the same ball out for a full 18 holes ... or at least attempted to. Pushed it into the water on #7 and lost it. I always thought that urethane balls were more prone to scuffing and splitting but the Project (a) is as durable a ball as I have played. I used a second Project (a) to complete the round and it still looks pretty much like new save some grass stains. It was windy as heck (20+ mph gusts and some stiff sustained winds as well) but I really didn't lose any yardage on my drives. One "complaint" I have about this ball is that it doesn't really have a dedicated sight line. I guess you can line it up with the name that is written on the side, but the font is thin and makes it hard (for me) to ensure that I am lined up properly when I view the ball and the hole from more than 6-8 feet out. That is easily correctable with a Sharpie, though I like to have that line already provided. Otherwise this ball provides really good control around and on the greens. If this is where scoring takes place, I think it's one of the best bangs for your buck in this dollar range.

As for the seam, I think this is really going to come down to each individual. I can barely see the seam while for others it appears to be a distraction.
 
deuce said:
I played this weekend solely with the Project (a). Saturday it dropped about an inch and a half of rain before the weather broke and I got 9 holes in. Played fairly well and the P (a) performed well. Was getting good stoppage on the greens, though part of that may have been the waterlogged conditions too. On Sunday I took the same ball out for a full 18 holes ... or at least attempted to. Pushed it into the water on #7 and lost it. I always thought that urethane balls were more prone to scuffing and splitting but the Project (a) is as durable a ball as I have played. I used a second Project (a) to complete the round and it still looks pretty much like new save some grass stains. It was windy as heck (20+ mph gusts and some stiff sustained winds as well) but I really didn't lose any yardage on my drives. One "complaint" I have about this ball is that it doesn't really have a dedicated sight line. I guess you can line it up with the name that is written on the side, but the font is thin and makes it hard (for me) to ensure that I am lined up properly when I view the ball and the hole from more than 6-8 feet out. That is easily correctable with a Sharpie, though I like to have that line already provided. Otherwise this ball provides really good control around and on the greens. If this is where scoring takes place, I think it's one of the best bangs for your buck in this dollar range.

As for the seam, I think this is really going to come down to each individual. I can barely see the seam while for others it appears to be a distraction.
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I thought the sight line was a little hard to index, if you will, as well. Easily remedied with a sharpie. I did not notice the seam one bit while gaming this ball the first time out.
 
I can get these for $23.75 shipped for a dozen and being a Chrome + fan I think I will give these a try especially at that price point.....
 
Hey guys, I have a review coming with some thoughts about the e5 vs this ball after almost 27 holes, but I have been on client site dealing with hecticness since Sunday night. I will have the full write up soon
 
My review of TM Project A golf ball .... course conditions were wet (of course) so there was no problem stopping the ball on the green even if you were hitting a "RockFlight" into them.

DISTANCE: seemed about the same or just a bit further than the Pro V1 .... nice sound off the club. Nice boring trajectory ... I hit a high ball as it is. I would be interested in playing these balls later in the season when greens become hard & fast ... see if they perform the same. Absolutely no roll in the fairways because of the wet conditions ... all carry.
SPIN: these are amazing! I have never really been a real spinner of the ball ... I mean I may back it up a few feet every now and then ... but with these they pull back as if they were on a string. I had to play them past the hole in some situations expecting them to come back. Very nice sound off the face of the irons. I would hit one shot into the green with a Pro V1 ... it would "drop & stop" like normal for me. Then hit a Project A ball ... zzzzzzzzzzzip .... back it would come no matter what. It would be something I would have to get used to as I never really relied on spin that much before.
FEEL: overall nice feeling on the driver and irons. The putter was very soft which was nice.
DURABILITY: held up nicely. Usually I would get scuff marks from my wedges but there wasn't a mark on these. Played the same ball all day and it performed well.

I think TM did well with producing this ball. It will provide some much needed spin for those amateurs that are lacking it. But ... IMHO ... it will also confuse some that have never relied on spin that much in their game. Truthfully, are any of us THAT good to where we know that we carry the ball 150 yards with our 8 iron and need to back it up to a front pin placement. I know I'm not ... the game is hard enough as it is. But if you like to see the ball back up at will and want to be able to say that you CAN do it .... then this ball is for you.
Myself .... I will stick with the Pro V1 for now!
 
Initial Thoughts and Testing: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...-Review-Thread
Short Game Practice: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...w-Thread/page3
First 18 holes: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...lorMade-Project-(a)-Balls-Review-Thread/page4

Date: March 30[SUP]th[/SUP] 2014
Location: Adams Pointe Golf Course, Blue Springs MO
Scorecard: http://www.adamspointegolfclub.com/golf-course/scorecard
Yardage: 6380 Yards
Weather: 60s with 20-30 MPH winds
Purpose: 18 hole testing Project (a) Vs. Bridgestone e5

Hey guys, I am back with another review of the Project (a) golf ball. This past Sunday I put the ball up for 18 holes against the e5. In the thread there has been a lot of discussion about the e5 and the Project (a) and wondering if they were similar, so I figured what better way to find out then to put the two head to head.

Throughout the 18 holes I hit both of the balls from different spots. I used them both off the tee, both with long/mid-irons, and around the green as well as putting. My thoughts on the two will be contained below, but suffice to say I think they are pretty similar, and both pretty darn good balls.

Off the Tee (Driver, 3w, 3h): I knew Adams Pointe would be a good course to test these balls because off the tee you use a lot of different clubs. It was an extremely windy day so it was nice to test both of them to see how they did in the wind, and I would say they both performed very well, with maybe a slight edge to the e5. I swung the Bertha extremely well and I found that on average the e5 ended up a bit longer on some shots than the Project (a), but it wasn’t anything crazy that would make me pick one over the other. I would say maybe 5 or so yards difference. The e5 seemed to launch a bit higher for me, but sort of cut through the wind, whereas I was seeing a bit more rollout with the Project (a).

Long/Mid irons: My ball striking from the fairway wasn’t as good as I would have liked to see, so I was missing quite a few greens due to hitting pulls. When I did hit greens most balls were hitting and rolling out just a few feet. Basically, what I would expect with a Urethane covered golf ball.

Short Irons/Wedges: Both of these balls performed well inside 100 yards/around the green. I would give the edge to the e5 though. I felt as if I got a much more predictable distance out of these balls. They would just hit and stop basically in their pitch mark, whereas with the Project (a) I saw a few backup, a few sitck, and even a few rollout. It may have just been my swing, but I felt more comfortable with the e5 when it came to the short irons and wedges.

Putter: Off of the face I felt like these balls felt very similar. The e5 may have been a bit softer with the Project (a) having a slight click sound, but by and large they were identical. The roll was pure off of both, and I wouldn’t really give and edge to either.

Parting thoughts: At the end of the day, these balls are very similar. Due to performance around the green, and a bit of a cheaper price I would give the edge to the e5. 2 piece vs 3 piece here doesn’t seem to have much of a bearing on what the ball does, but I just found the e5 to be a bit more consistent.

Thanks for reading, and as always please ask any questions you have.
 
Prior Reviews:



I got another full 18 holes in with the Project (a) ball this week. This review will be brief, however, because I left my notes on the golf cart and they were gone when I returned to fetch them. The data that I really regret losing was on driving distances. But, I can, at least, share some of my observations from memory.

Spin: I was equally impressed this time out with the (a)’s green holding. From the 7 iron through the PW, my shots are holding where they hit or no more than 4 or 5 feet from where they land. I’m not a big spinner of the ball, so I’m not seeing much spin back as others might. The furthest roll out I had today was on a 6 iron that landed on a slope and spun to the right and down the slope about 12 feet. When I do hit a greet with a long iron, say a 4 iron, it holds the green.

Distance: In my previous round, I had a feeling that my driving distance with the (a) was a little off of what I’m used to with my gamer. So, for this round I recorded distances with the (a) vs. a Bridgestone B330-RX. (Not my normal gamer which is the B330-S). I would alternate balls off each tee and record the distance when I got to the ball. Although I lost the data, I can say that I did not see a noticeable difference in distances. My longest drive of the day came with the RX, but, it was also my best swing of the day, by far.

Accuracy: I still do not see any adverse effects coming from side spin. I hit the ball very straight, normally, no matter what ball I have in play. So, others who normally hit a fade or a draw might have more useful information in this regard.

Sensory stuff: I still like the feel of the (a), especially off the putter. The sound off the club is also to my liking—somewhat muted compared to the Lethal and the B330-RX from this round.

Durability: Enough to say that I was still playing the original ball from my last review until I found out it could not swim on the 12th hole of this round.
 
Nice writeup ken.

I'm finally able to get these out for some extensive testing. Going to start with putting and chipping with some drills and comparisons this weekend and then cover the woods, irons and other thoughts this week.
 
Nice write up V.man glad to see your not seeing much distance loss off the tee
 
Got out today for 18 and some practice green work.

On the course I am seeing very consistent play from the Project (a) yardage is predictable, spin on full shots into the green is definitely plentiful I know I will find the ball right next to the pitch mark, the same spin seems to be visible off driver and 3wd and unless I hit a stinger I can find my ball with in a step of where it landed.

I tried to put the Project (a) up against Q-Star and NXT but could not put two good swings with the same club back to back so I ditched the full swing comparison for today.

Short game and putting testing- for this I used the courses putting green which has a nice collar around it as well as some well maintained rough. I took three balls of each and chipped, pitched, flopped to holes ranging from 10ft to over 30yds from the collar around the green and the "rough".

Spin and around the green performance

Those short sided flop shots where you only have a yard or two to land the ball and have to carry the ball 3-5 yards of rough all three balls when struck properly got up bounced forward 6 inches and rolled another foot this is very acceptable to me and left me in give me range most of the time.

Those pesky pitch shots where you need to carry a bit of rough and then fringe then get the ball on the ground and let the contours of the green work the ball to the hole where easy to judge with the Project (a) as well as the others I tested.

The low checker is something I am working on this year and seemed to get the Project (a) to check up and stop a little quicker than the NXT or Q-star.

Feel/Sound Comparison

The softer feeling/sounding to me was the Project(a) its not by much on center strikes but on the toe side strikes its definitely the softer feel/sound

Durability

I have played 18+ holes with the same ball and the only marks have been from drilling a tree or three during the round, the blemishes haven't been enough for me to pull it from service
 
I got a sleeve of these direct from the TM promotion and finally got around to playing them this weekend at my home course. The temps were hovering around 50 with a light wind to start that picked up to a 15mph wind at the close. I'll start off by saying that TM Penta TP3 were one of my favorite balls to play last year and these felt/looked very similar to me (which is a good thing).

Sound off the face on woods, hybrids, and irons was pleasing to the ear and not too "clicky" even with the tendency of my Rocketballz irons to be that way anyway. Trajectory, shot shape, and spin off of the longer cubs (driver, 5w, hybrids) seemed similar to what I have experienced in the past with my TP3's, and I was achieving similar distance for the conditions that I am used to playing.

With an short iron or wedge in hand though, this ball is a beast of a different skin. Case in point, on the 9th hole I had approximately 116yds left into the flag stick from a lie with the ball slightly below my feet. I hit a beauty of a gap wedge that took flight quick and went higher than I typically see. The ball came down softly just past the pin, spun back and bounced off the flag stick and ended up 6in from the cup for a tap in birdie. This NEVER happens for me! I noticed it more after that shot that the ball really has some serious stopping power to it no matter what iron or wedge I had in hand.

Feel off the putter was the only thing that really took some time to get used to. On the front 9, I had difficulty getting the proper speed and lipped out 3-4 putts that would normally have gone in. This resulted in several 3-putts which is not normal for me with most of them as a result of a lip out after lagging it 4-6ft past the hole on the 1st putt. I seemed to correct the problem on the back 9 as I had 4 1-putts with one that was over 30ft.

I think that with some more time with these (especially on the practice green) at the price point that I've seen them locally, they could be my go-to ball for 2014.
 
Got out for a round yesterday at Bramleton Golf Course in NoVA. It's a state course but generally well maintained. Other than one green I thought it was in pretty good shape considering the weather we've had this year. Gamed the Project (a) exclusively to get a feel for it. Shot my best round of the year so far, and I've only lost a single ball in the last 30ish holes. That by itself is enough of an endorsement for this ball in my book!

Woods
Off the driver this ball feels solid to me. I saw pretty good dispersion and while I feel like I could be leaving a few yards on the table, I'm starting to think that more in my head than anything. Never topped 60, and I'm still not seeing my summer distances with any club & ball combo. I will say that I had no issue on most par 4s of not having a shot into the green. Didn't always execute, but that's not the balls fault! :D Other than two holes yesterday I had a solid day off the tee. Even when I didn't hit it perfect, I was usually in play and a good ways towards the hole.

Oddly didn't hit a single FW until 18 where I promptly topped a stinker for a whopping 100 yards of advancement, so no update here.

I did however hit my 4H multiple times and when I put a good move on the ball, it plays just as I'd expect. The only approach shot I had with the 4H came up a little short (got under it a touch) so no real feedback on stopping power there. All other shots though were about what I'd expect. No complaints here.

Irons & approach shots
A lot of the above could be repeated here for irons, as my feelings are generally similar as to distance, dispersion, etc. What I do want to mention here though is spin on approach shots. I mentioned before that I didn't feel like I was seeing as much spin as I did with the RX. Wanted to post an update on this front. During my round I didn't have any issue whatsoever holding greens. Since getting lessons, I've been known to sling a divot or two and I can usually get most balls to stop pretty regularly. That said, I saw no issue getting these balls to sit. Couple examples.

Here's a 9 iron from the left rough on the par 4 #2. Wasn't really even warmed up at this point, but was able to put a decent swing on a just ok lie. Pushed it out right a bit but held and I was able to card a par.
Spoiler
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Here's an 8 iron from the fairway on the par 5 #7. Barely took any divot with this shot at all. Ended up short due to a misjudged headwind but even the 8I backed up for me a little. Long first putt but was still able to par this one as well.
Spoiler
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Didn't get any more pictures but one other approach shot that sticks out was a 54˚ wedge from 100 out in the fairway on #9 that backed up 5 feet to leave me a kick in par after a penalty off the tee.

So as you can see, there's no lack of holding power with the Project (a). Do I think it spins as much as the RX? Maybe, but it's a hard thing to quantify as there's so many factors playing into it. If you hit down on the ball even a little bit, it shouldn't be running away from you.

Short game
Short game performance was as expected. Don't play a ton of spin on most shots and I was consciously trying to use my UW or lower for chipping as I feel it gives me a better chance than using my 58˚. Rollout seemed consistent and I was actually able to hit a couple of pitches pretty close. Out of the rough, so they rolled out but no complaints here.

Ball felt like a urethane ball generally does off the putter. No issues with distance control at all. Had some solid lag putts and a few decent length that fell for me. There's a slight audible difference with the RX, where the Project (a) seems just the tiniest bit clickier. Nothing that turned me off, but I definitely checked it out inside to be sure. It's there, but it's hardly noticeable to my ears. Certainly not on the course.

Wind performance
Maybe it's the time spent in the Bridgestone threads, but this seems to be a hot topic when reviewing golf balls. Wasn't crazy windy yesterday but enough that it came into play on a number of occasions. I found the ball to do about what I expected when playing into the wind. That said, coming straight from the RX testing, I was prepared for my results to be a little bit more impacted by the wind with the Project (a). This isn't a knock on the Project (a) at all and I wouldn't let this preclude me from buying or gaming these in the future.

Durability
This may be the most durable urethane covered ball I've played. Usually I scuff golf balls up pretty bad with my wedges. Not so with these. The first ball was still going strong with a couple of lightly rough spots when I lost it in the trees on #8. After at least 12 holes the previous round. The second one is pretty darn good looking after 10 holes.


So if I had to give a verdict on this ball right now, I'd say that it's solid and at the price point a pretty good competitor to what's out there in the same range. Good news is I've still got 10 of them and will continue to post updates until I lose them all! Still need to hit GS and grab a box of e5s to compare to. That will be done before this is over. Let me know if anyone has any questions. Thanks!

PS - I really do like the double numbers. It's a very minor detail but it makes the ball instantly recognizable.
 
Here is the Review i did for another site a few months ago

First a little about my game I am a 9-10 HCP my driver swing speed is 105-110mph i am a high ball and high spin player normal spinning the ball is not something that i struggle
my normal Ball is
Lethal most of the year RBZ Urethane during the winter
For this test i played with all three balls one round was at an fairly easy course i have played before the other was at a very difficult hilly course plus i had several practice sessions chipping and putting

Driver
1.Lethal
2. RBZ Urethane
3. Project (a)
The lethal was the best for me it was longer and straighter than either of the others the RBZ Urethane spun bait less of the driver and had a slightly lower flight The Project (a) differences between the RBZU and (a) was only a few yards while the lethal was 10 yards

Fairway woods/Hybrids/ Long Irons
1. Lethal
2. RBZ U
3. (a)
There did not seem to be that big of a a difference the lethal was slightly lower spin and a bit longer not really that big

Short Irons/Full Wedges
1. Lethal
2. RBZ U
3. (a)
I have more control with both the Lethal and RBZ U nice mid ball flight enough spin to hold the green the (a) was too spinny for my I lost about 10yards per shot plus any slight miss was amplify additional the (a) ballooned a few times on me

Pitching/Chipping
1.(a)
2. Lethal
3. RBZ U
Around the green the Project (a) shinned it was easy to get to stop on a dime could get it to check easily The Lethal was second best not quite as much spin

Putting
1.(a)
2. Lethal
3. RBZ U
The Project (a) was the clear winner soft off the putter nice true tracking held its line the feel was the best of any ball i have tried i can't say enough about the feel off the putter i love it

Wind
1. Lethal
2. RBZ U
3. (a)
The project (a) was a horrible wind ball ballooned and seemed to get held up and was move about to the point during one round the wind picked up over the last three holes and i put the ball away because of how the ball preformed

Durability
All three were very similar there was some discoloration and small scrapes after a few holes but no different from last years TM balls which i felt were very good for a Urethane covered ball

Overall
1. Lethal
2. RBZ U
3. (a)
I liked the (a) close in and on the green but was not the ball for me from the tee or the fairway i am not the target demo for this ball for someone who spins it less it would be a very good ball it just spun so much for me that i was losing distance

I hope that the TP and TPX feel the same around the green they will be winners for my game
 
I did get out this past weekend to try test the Project A some more, but just haven't had enough time to put my thoughts in the thread yet and I apologize for that. I will try and get it up over the next couple days.
 
Short Game Testing
April 6th
Fox Den Golf Course Short Game Area


Still not able to take these to the course yet, so I did spend some time using these at the short game area. The green was kind of beat up so shots werent holding real well, so I'll compare what I saw to other balls I was hitting at the same time. Most of my shots to the green were from 8-12 yards, primarily from the fairway in front of the green. My goal was to get as many inside of 5 feet as I could. For the most part my chip shots have a low trajectory that "roll out" hopefully up to the hole.

What I saw from these balls was exactly what I expected. I could tell even with the lack of trajectory these had a little bite on them and were not releasing as much as the 2 other brands of balls I was using. Whereas my goal was originally to be a few feet beyond the fringe and have it release, I had to move my target up a good 2 feet in order to achieve the optimal shot. A good problem to have, especially knowing that greens will eventually firm up and I want to be able to know what the ball is going to do on a given shot. I also worked on a open shot that I was "lobbing" onto the green from the same distances. Ball held up nicely as there was minimal rollout (didnt see any back spin, but wasnt expecting to with my technique). All in all Im excited about putting these through the paces some more both on and off the course with the wedges, as I think this ball with my improving short game technique could be a solid combo.

After chipping I spent a few minutes practicing 7 foot putts (this seemed to be the distance I was left with most of my chip shots). Not much I can say as I didnt notice a huge distinct difference with these balls and the flatstick. Performed, sounded and felt like I expected it to.

Will finally have some on course time with these Saturday, looking forward to seeing what these can do off the tee and with irons/approach shots.
 
Nice write up mike. I know you have gamed the b330rx mostly, but have you played any of the taylormade balls in the past? Like the tp3 or RBZ urethane? I really liked the tp3, probably one of my favorite balls TM has released, but I wasn't a big fan of the RBZ urethane
 
I played 9 holes again on Saturday April 5th using the Project A and the Q Star, but it has been crazy busy since then I am just now getting some time to put my thoughts down. I am discounting all my shots into the green due to the conditions of said greens. They are as hard as concrete and impossible for me get any ball to check up or stop on. I landed one shot with the Project A just short of a pretty large green and it sill ran to the very back. So my thoughts will be focused on the driver and irons.

Driver:

I hit 3 of my longest and best drives in quite sometime with the Project A. The ball seems to carry really well and rolls out nicely. I hit one 3 wood approx. 230 yards and for me that is huge. My last drive of the day was on #9 which is a long par 4. With roll out my drive was about 250 which is again a nice long drive for me. The Project A seems to be carrying father than the Q star in my opinion, but I am very inconsistent off the tee so that has to be a factor. I really like how the Project A feels off the tee and I sure like the distances I am getting.

Hybrids:

Again the distance on the Project A has been a nice surprise. I only used my hybrid a couple times and one of them was chunk so I have to throw that one out. The other hybrid attempt was mashed off the tee, but my the fairway is very, very narrow and I missed it causing the ball to kick off into the trees. The ball banged hard into a tree and bounced around on the hard pan for a good distance before coming to rest. The ball had a small bark stain on it, but was in otherwise great condition. I am pretty pleased with the durability of the Project and think that it is on par with the Q Star if not better.

Irons:

Again I am really liking the feel off the ball upon impact and pleased with the distances. I hit several shots that if I had been playing on a course with decent greens I think they would have performed better. In my testing on this date I felt that the Project A out performed the Q Star, but not by leaps and bounds. Could be that my swings just were better on the shots with the A.

So far I am pleased with the Project A, but really need to get on a course that isn't as narrow and has better greens to get a better read on the ball. With that said right now I would rank the balls I have been playing in this order.

1. Bridgestone e6
2. Project A
3. Q Star

I hope to get to a different course this weekend to putt and chip on much better greens. I probably will not be able to fit in a round, but I am going to try.
 
Another great write up. I am going to put these in play one last time Sunday. Then I need to get with the SR2 or B330 because one of those will be my gamer at #TheKing.

I have enjoyed my 2+ rounds with this ball tho. I putted at lunch today and I really do like how these feel off the putter. I'll post more after my round Sunday.
 
Shot well with the ball today. It was a little warmer today I didn't really feel like it was short off the tee, distance was good. Had a number of approach shots from the first cut and it didn't quite stop as quick as I would like but still stayed on the back of the green on those. I still think it is a very good ball.
 
GolfFest said:
Shot well with the ball today. It was a little warmer today I didn't really feel like it was short off the tee, distance was good. Had a number of approach shots from the first cut and it didn't quite stop as quick as I would like but still stayed on the back of the green on those. I still think it is a very good ball.
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What did u see on greenside chips, etc?
 
mikedean441 said:
What did u see on greenside chips, etc?
Click to expand...

I didn't have that many chips that required me to stop quick today, most of the chips I played today were the bump and run type and those worked out pretty well. I was happy with the roll out on those. I did have a 60º over a bunker from about 25 yards and it rolled out about 15 feet farther than I thought it would.

My thought is part of it is the greens at this particular course today, I've played this ball at my home course and had it roll out much less, especially from the 80-150 yard range.

Durability wise the ball still looks brand new.
 
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