Blind Ball Testing Review Thread

[Chunkylover77]

See, this ball doesn't spin like the Penta did for me. Isn't this fascinating?

So I'm at a bit of a loss. I played the mystery ball for 9 holes last night and had the typical no distance off the tee but great spin around the greens. Hit one decent drive which went 253. Lost it on the backside and finished with the B330RX. I still was not getting great distance but the feel off the driver was much better. It felt like I was hitting the ball farther but in actuality I was not. Average was between 240-250 with a few anomalies. I think I've just lost distance with my tee ball and so I just attributed that to the mystery ball. I would not be surprised if this was the B330RX at all. Felt very similar off the irons and putter. I think I'm just going through something with my driver. Great accuracy off the tee yet again though.:blob::bulgy-eyes::confused2:

 

[War Eagle]

See, this ball doesn't spin like the Penta did for me. Isn't this fascinating?

It is. No clue how to figure this one out.

 

[Hackin' Lefty]

I really, really would like to find out what this ball is. This blind testing has been fascinating and from the sounds of it this ball could fit into my game.

 

[TC]

So I'm at a bit of a loss. I played the mystery ball for 9 holes last night and had the typical no distance off the tee but great spin around the greens. Hit one decent drive which went 253. Lost it on the backside and finished with the B330RX. I still was not getting great distance but the feel off the driver was much better. It felt like I was hitting the ball farther but in actuality I was not. Average was between 240-250 with a few anomalies. I think I've just lost distance with my tee ball and so I just attributed that to the mystery ball. I would not be surprised if this was the B330RX at all. Felt very similar off the irons and putter. I think I'm just going through something with my driver. Great accuracy off the tee yet again though.:blob::bulgy-eyes::confused2:

My very first post after trying these balls, I said they reminded me of the RX. I don't know why we would be blind testing a ball that's been out though. Either way, it reminds me of it, and I like it.

It is. No clue how to figure this one out.

Dude, it's one of the things I love about this kind of testing. Just goes to show how different we all are.

 

[JB]

I would not be surprised if this was the B330RX at all. Felt very similar off the irons and putter.

Are you seeing and feeling something very different than earlier? I thoguht you said they were not like the Penta or RX last time.

Dude, it's one of the things I love about this kind of testing. Just goes to show how different we all are.

And how much marketing plays with our heads.

 

[TC]

That's why when I do these things, I try not to compare them to anything and just play them. I hit my first one on #1 of the North Course and Grand Cypress and loved it off the driver. I also ripped a Gap Wedge right after that and loved it. It just feels solid but not too solid off of everything. I found it to be a predictable golf ball.

 

[War Eagle]

Dude, it's one of the things I love about this kind of testing. Just goes to show how different we all are.

That's been one of my favorite parts of this testing as well, besides a few common areas, everyone has seen slightly different results. Dont recall anyone not being disappointed with the ball.

 

[T0AD]

This may be my last test post. I was pretty sure I had two X balls remaining, but today could only find one in my bag and I lost it on the EIGHTEENTH hole. LOL
At least I made it to 18, I guess. I also only played it on 16 of the 18 because two of the holes are so tight and I'm prone to losing things on those. So, here we go.
Decided to go back to the Cobra F Speed for this round to see if there was any difference in performance from the Octane Tour.
All distances measured using SkyDroid on my phone.
#1 Par 5. Piped one down the middle right at the yardage sticks. 251yds. Ripped a 3w another 220; also dead straight. Monkeychunked my wedge and had to chip up and 2-putt for bogey.
#2 Par 4. Driver 246 down the middle. 54° that hopped and stopped and a 2-putt par.
#3 Par 4. Driver 264yd running little fade. 1/2 a 54° that check and rolled only a few feet. 2-putt par.
#4 Par 3. 7 iron 162yds. 2-putt par. This is longer than my usual 7 iron on this hole! Ball stopped DEAD on green.
#5 Par 5. The most hated hole on the course. I pulled out a Q-Star and bogeyed after a chickenpoo par putt.
#6 Par 4. 277yd Driver (downhill bounce). Missed green. Ended up bogey.
#7 Par 3. Choked way down on a 3w and went 210 slight draw to the middle of the green. Another par.
#8 Par 4. Clipped a tree branch on the drive. Had to punch out and go at the green with a 4H. Bounced short, and up onto green. Ended up double-bogey.
#9 Par 4. 6iron safe play to 173. Uphill 50° GW that stopped nicely about 14ft from pin. Another damn 2-putt par.

Front 9 Summary: 5 fairways, 5 greens, some bad putts on my part and went 41. Ball flying straight as an arrow and Cobra probably the reason. Bigger head and shorter shaft that Octane tested with previously. Had it not been for a couple tentative (wussy) putts, probably would've been a sub-40.

#10 Par 3. 6 iron 174 yards. This hole is slightly uphill and had a tiny head wind. Ball explodes off irons when hit on the button! This has been a continuing trend since day one of testing. 2-putt par.
#11 Par 4. Got under a 3w and only got it to 191. Ball performed nicely with a high (of course) baby draw. 2nd shot went beach. And it was hardcore plugged. POUNDED on it with my 58° and X ball landed softly and rolled to about 10ft. Lipped out the bird. Par.
#12 Par 3. Another 6 iron 170. Another par. Missed green so had to bump and run. And run it did.
#13 Par 5. Driver to 261 with a very slight fade. Left me in shape to bomb a 3w for another 232. Both ball flights were mid-high and lovely. Oh, and it left me like 10yds from the front edge. Lousy chip up. 2-putt par.
#14 Par 4. Driver off the toe straight into a tree. Got a really nice scuff on the ball....FINALLY. I'd beat this ball to death and it still looked OK. Ended up double-bogey.
#15 Par 4. 6 iron safey shot with Q-Star to 190 (downhill). Nothing special here. Bogey.
#16 Par 3. 4H to 190. Ball drew on my and missed green. Had a decent little chip up with GW that I could hear bite to slow down and then roll out for about 10 or 12 more feet. Lipped another one. Bogey.
#17 long and wide Par 5. Mis-hit the living bejeebus out of the X and it still went 210. I was shocked. However, the followup 3w was a start-out-low-rise-to-the-occasion rocket that went 226. I was left at about 125 for my approach to the GIR. I chose PW and with a full swing and sweet contact, FINALLY saw this ball stop and bounce back about 4ft. Too bad this backwards-ness was right on the front edge and I rolled off. Then I absolutely skulled the bump and it ran forever. Oopsie. Ended up Bogey.
#18 Par 4. Mashie M2 out 220. Full PW into green. One skip and a dead stop!! I'm finally seeing what everyone else has been. I have consciously been trying to hit down more, though, just to get the bite on the ball. Parred it.

Back 9 Summary: 4 Fairways and only 2 greens. Amazing how when you miss greens, you miss pars and birds. I should seriously have beaten 40 on this 9. Ball is now beat to death. Picture are below.

Final thoughts: I had the potential today to shoot sub 80. I've never done that. As it was, I was at a career(?) low 81. So close. Not sure if it was the fact I wasn't being chased or worrying about keeping up with a group or the fact I switched drivers....but I was hittin' it well today. Ended up with ten pars, another best. The ball is pretty sweet. If it is the ball that's keeping me shooting lower than ever before recently, then I'm buying a gross at a time! I put at least 2 full, hard rounds on this one ball, and this is what it finally looks like.

I hope I can find that other, and last, X ball in my bag or trunk. I don't want to be done testing.......

 

[Ole Gray]

I got one of these from DawgDaddy today and forgot to put it in play. I might give it to T0AD but wait, he is on the wrong team for the Ga. GT.... I guess I will have to keep it and try it myself {grin}

 

[thedue]

Wow, looks like a couple trees and/or carpaths. I have one left that had been retired, 4 full 18 hole rounds with less damage than that, lol. While I never saw all the spin everyone else did I liked the feel and distance off the driver and feel off everything else. Not clicky, or rock, just smooth and clean feeling. Great ball for the right greens.

 

[War Eagle]

Wow, looks like a couple trees and/or carpaths. I have one left that had been retired, 4 full 18 hole rounds with less damage than that, lol. While I never saw all the spin everyone else did I liked the feel and distance off the driver and feel off everything else. Not clicky, or rock, just smooth and clean feeling. Great ball for the right greens.

How are your greens up there right now Duey?

 

[Trout Bum]

I got to game this mystery ball for a few rounds over the last few days and here are my findings.

Off the driver it feels heavy, not quite sure how to explain it, but with minor misses it just feels heavy! It goes like nobody's business even on misses though. This is the longest ball I've played.

Long irons it's buttery soft, I still carry a 2 iron and it has a nice mid trajectory with some good roll to it, the 3, and 4 are the same, not a bunch of noticable added distance but there is a yard or two I'm sure.

Mid iron action is comparible to what I have now, a bit more of a boring trajectory which I prefer, but no noticable additional distance.

Short Irons and wedges, I like the short iron action alot, it's a little more responsive off the 9 and wedge for me, meaning I can control the rollout more than the V1X
and I find that really cool. I can't say enough good things about this ball with a wedge in my hand, greenside control is spectacular and it saved my ass at one of the most difficult courses I've played in a long time, this ball makes a mediocre short game good, and a good short game better once you figure out the rollout and how it reacts in different lies.

All in all this has been a really cool experience and I'm thankful to have been a part of it.

Now who makes this damn thing ? LOLOL!!

 

[JB]

How many people will be making the switch to this ball when they find out what it is?

 

[TC]

How many people will be making the switch to this ball when they find out what it is?

I would. Even after a couple of rounds of golf with it. It's just so stinking similar to the RX for me.

 

[War Eagle]

How many people will be making the switch to this ball when they find out what it is?

I've said it before, this ball just works for me. I have no doubt I would game this ball in the future.

 

[thedue]

How are your greens up there right now Duey?

I belong to two courses here and they are night and day different now. One furthest away is very soft, to the point a ball stays in its own divot or backs up and speed wise they are rather fast. The other was hard as a rock until they drilled and sanded this week. The ball almost always hops forward, but settles pretty quickly. Very slow.

How many people will be making the switch to this ball when they find out what it is?

I will be picking some up depending on price. When playing the soft course this ball will give me a better chance to roll out some.

 

[thedue]

I would. Even after a couple of rounds of golf with it. It's just so stinking similar to the RX for me.

I've been saying the same thing. I think its a B330-RX or similar. I'm pretty sure its in that family.

 

[10YardDraw]

I havent even hit this ball and im going to buy some to try out lol, it sounds like a great ball, maybe a new version of the B330 RX, cant wait to find out

 

[Trout Bum]

How many people will be making the switch to this ball when they find out what it is?

Not sure I would, I love the short game characteristics, but the heavy feeling off the driver bugs me a bit, I'm sure I could get used to it though.

 

[JB]

Not sure I would, I love the short game characteristics, but the heavy feeling off the driver bugs me a bit, I'm sure I could get used to it though.

Even though you just said it was the longest ball you have ever played?

 

[Hackin' Lefty]

I would. Even after a couple of rounds of golf with it. It's just so stinking similar to the RX for me.

I just got my first box of the RXs and plan on putting them in play of Friday as long as the hurricane weather stays off the course. If the RXs don't work out, then I will be down for trying something new.

 

[Wake]

I will certainly be giving these balls a try when their identity is released.

From what I am reading I wouldn't be surprised at all if it isn't a new addition to Nike's line of balls.

 

[Griff]

To address some of the questions about spin it's not too terribly difficult to do better than my E6's in that department. The mystery ball doesn't drop, bounce, stop, and race back like a Z Star can, not at all. Main thing for me is control. The mystery ball behaves like I envision during my preshot routine. Granted, I have to do my part and when I do I am rewarded with what my expectations were before I took the shot. That's huge. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a ball race 8 feet past the hole or spin back 8 feet when I want it somewhere in between.

 

[blugold]

Not sure I would, I love the short game characteristics, but the heavy feeling off the driver bugs me a bit, I'm sure I could get used to it though.

You thought it was heavy off of the driver? I thought it was really soft off the 1wood.

 

[Chunkylover77]

Are you seeing and feeling something very different than earlier? I thoguht you said they were not like the Penta or RX last time.




And how much marketing plays with our heads.

I hated it off the tee box. I love the RX off the tee. But after playing the mystery ball and the RX yesterday I found out I have just lost distance off the tee regardless of what ball I'm playing. It plays similarly to the RX around the greens although I would swear I am getting a tad more spin with mystery ball.