Blind Ball Testing Review Thread
The mystery dimple design just seems weird to me, staying tuned for all your inputs.
Where’s my box Mr. UPS??
Well the club called me this morning stating we had a frost delay and they’d be pushing times back about an hour to an hour and a half.
About an hour from my original time they call and say we are going double tees now so it’ll only push you back 10 mins from original start time.
In my rush to get ready, I went out and forgot the balls today. My apologies! Will get them out next weekend.
About an hour from my original time they call and say we are going double tees now so it’ll only push you back 10 mins from original start time.
In my rush to get ready, I went out and forgot the balls today. My apologies! Will get them out next weekend.
ljkelly2171
Active member
Seriously! This has been me everday since Tuesday.
i don’t know if the numbers are good or bad I don’t have a good sense of where the numbers should be for different clubs.
Finally got a chance to do some testing on these. Only was able to work on the putting and wedge game but I will get some iron/driver play numbers later this week. I;ll focus on the putter first then the wedge data.
General feedback
In the hand it feels good. bouncing it off of other balls and hard floors/club faces definitely sounds more dull of a sound and softer in the hands than most of the other balls. The Dimple pattern is very distinctive compared to the other ball options. Almost feels a bit bigger than the other balls but that may just be an optical illusion based on the dimple patterns. Definitely not displeasing visually.
Putter Results
I have a 16' putt out mat at home that I review/test various balls. I ran each of these through 3 different lengths: 4 foot, 10 feet, 16 foot putts. The goal is to feel impact at different speeds and see if I could tell any differences between the balls as far as speed retention/face reaction.
4 foot putts:
All the balls performed about the same as far as speed/reaction off the face. The test ball and the ERC Soft felt a bit softer than the Tour Speed or Tour response at this distance. Sound was a bit clickier on the last two as well but only by the tiniest amount. Other than that, couldn't really tell a difference of any note on roll behavior.
10 foot putts:
Some separation at this distance between the balls. ERC Soft and the test ball seemed pretty close together on feel off the face. TaylorMade come in next and Tilteist was the firmest of the 4 at this range. I did notice that although soft on impact, the test ball seemed to roll out more than the ERC soft on similar speed strikes. It would roll out a foot more on relatively close head speeds (* as close I could get them ).
16 foot putts:
At this range, the ERC Soft was softest without a doubt but also had more a tendency to end up rolling short. The Test ball was next in softness but seemed to roll out more like the Titleist for some reason. Taylormade sat in between the test ball at the Tour Speed. All rolled pretty true to the putt. Coming from the Bridgestone Tour BX as my normal current gamer, I found I felt more comfortable with the test ball and the Tour Response from this range.
Overall the test ball seems like a good combo of soft feel but with decent energy return on putting strokes.
Wedge Results
I took all 4 balls to a sim session today and hit some partial 50 yard shots ( no sim data unfortunately ) and some full shots ( data below ) to get a feel for each at impact. For the full wedges I also included by current gamer ( Bridgestone Tour BX ) as a control as I know how it responds and feels.
50 yard shots
The ERC soft and Test ball were noticeably softer off the face than the Tour Response or Tour speed. But the test ball still seemed to jump off the face even though it felt soft. The ERC soft was pretty easy to control distance on them and was the most accurate for me of the 4. A close second was the Tour Response as it was clickier but seemed to be more consistent than the impact seemed to reflect. The test ball was next with teh Tour Speed coming in last. The Tour Speed seemed to be a bit jumpier off the face on partial shots but that could have been me I suppose.
Full Wedge Shots
On full wedge shots, there was some good separation between the 4 ( plus my Tour BX ). I used my Callaway MD5 56 degree wedge which is normally my 94 ish yard club as the test mule and took 5 shots with each. Any shot that I knew was me putting a bad swing on it, I removed as this wasn't a test of my ball striking or wedge play.
Overall I only had to toss out 4 shots to get 25 good representative shots. Below is the data.
My Tour BX was far an away the highest spin of the 5 and for today, I was putting right around 80 mph on the ball. ( no swing speeds included so there may have been some variety there ). Overall standard carry on y control ball was 92 yards.
The ERC Soft was the softest feeling resulting in a dull thud sound when struck but had decent spin. Ball speed was similar to my Tour BX but spin was down over 1300 rpm. Carry was 2nd highest of the 5 at 95 yards primarily because of the lower launch which was close to the Tour BX. Overall a really decent ball for around the greens.
The Tour Speed had lower ball speed of all of them by not much to worry about as it could be variability in strike/swing speed on my part. The launch was the highest of the 4 at 34 degrees and the spin just barely averaged over 10k. Pretty firm feel and felt just a bit harsher than the Tour BX in strike feel.
The Tour Response ball was midway between the ERC Soft and Tour Speed in impact feel. Actually I liked this feel more than the others. Ball speed was in line with the rest of the balls so far and launch was in the middle at 32.4 degrees. Spin wise this was the closest to the Tour BX at 10730 average and had good carry. Overall a really good jack of all trades ball off the wedge.
The mystery test ball was last and resulted in the fastest ball speed off the face with the 2nd softest feel off the face. Launch angle was pretty consistent with the rest but the spin was much similar to the Tour Speed dipping just below 10k average spin. Carry was up over all of them due to the lower spin + higher ball speed.
Wedge Summary
There wasn't any doubt why I play the Tour BX but mystery test ball tested really well. Really nice soft feel but without the same reduction you might find in the other balls. I was surprised by the increased ball speed off the face and I might want to test it again when I can capture swing speed to make sure I wasn't swinging a bit faster in those swings that the other balls which might account for the increased ball speed.
Summary So Far
The mystery test ball is pretty impressive so far. It has some really good feel comparable to the ERC Soft but results that seem more like a firmer ball. Feel is really good and at least with the wedges, the speed seems to be up there compared to other balls. I'll have to see how it performs with a mid iron and off the tee with the driver to finish the compare. Will probably get a chance to pull that together next week.
General feedback
In the hand it feels good. bouncing it off of other balls and hard floors/club faces definitely sounds more dull of a sound and softer in the hands than most of the other balls. The Dimple pattern is very distinctive compared to the other ball options. Almost feels a bit bigger than the other balls but that may just be an optical illusion based on the dimple patterns. Definitely not displeasing visually.
Putter Results
I have a 16' putt out mat at home that I review/test various balls. I ran each of these through 3 different lengths: 4 foot, 10 feet, 16 foot putts. The goal is to feel impact at different speeds and see if I could tell any differences between the balls as far as speed retention/face reaction.
4 foot putts:
All the balls performed about the same as far as speed/reaction off the face. The test ball and the ERC Soft felt a bit softer than the Tour Speed or Tour response at this distance. Sound was a bit clickier on the last two as well but only by the tiniest amount. Other than that, couldn't really tell a difference of any note on roll behavior.
10 foot putts:
Some separation at this distance between the balls. ERC Soft and the test ball seemed pretty close together on feel off the face. TaylorMade come in next and Tilteist was the firmest of the 4 at this range. I did notice that although soft on impact, the test ball seemed to roll out more than the ERC soft on similar speed strikes. It would roll out a foot more on relatively close head speeds (* as close I could get them ).
16 foot putts:
At this range, the ERC Soft was softest without a doubt but also had more a tendency to end up rolling short. The Test ball was next in softness but seemed to roll out more like the Titleist for some reason. Taylormade sat in between the test ball at the Tour Speed. All rolled pretty true to the putt. Coming from the Bridgestone Tour BX as my normal current gamer, I found I felt more comfortable with the test ball and the Tour Response from this range.
Overall the test ball seems like a good combo of soft feel but with decent energy return on putting strokes.
Wedge Results
I took all 4 balls to a sim session today and hit some partial 50 yard shots ( no sim data unfortunately ) and some full shots ( data below ) to get a feel for each at impact. For the full wedges I also included by current gamer ( Bridgestone Tour BX ) as a control as I know how it responds and feels.
50 yard shots
The ERC soft and Test ball were noticeably softer off the face than the Tour Response or Tour speed. But the test ball still seemed to jump off the face even though it felt soft. The ERC soft was pretty easy to control distance on them and was the most accurate for me of the 4. A close second was the Tour Response as it was clickier but seemed to be more consistent than the impact seemed to reflect. The test ball was next with teh Tour Speed coming in last. The Tour Speed seemed to be a bit jumpier off the face on partial shots but that could have been me I suppose.
Full Wedge Shots
On full wedge shots, there was some good separation between the 4 ( plus my Tour BX ). I used my Callaway MD5 56 degree wedge which is normally my 94 ish yard club as the test mule and took 5 shots with each. Any shot that I knew was me putting a bad swing on it, I removed as this wasn't a test of my ball striking or wedge play.
Overall I only had to toss out 4 shots to get 25 good representative shots. Below is the data.My Tour BX was far an away the highest spin of the 5 and for today, I was putting right around 80 mph on the ball. ( no swing speeds included so there may have been some variety there ). Overall standard carry on y control ball was 92 yards.
The ERC Soft was the softest feeling resulting in a dull thud sound when struck but had decent spin. Ball speed was similar to my Tour BX but spin was down over 1300 rpm. Carry was 2nd highest of the 5 at 95 yards primarily because of the lower launch which was close to the Tour BX. Overall a really decent ball for around the greens.
The Tour Speed had lower ball speed of all of them by not much to worry about as it could be variability in strike/swing speed on my part. The launch was the highest of the 4 at 34 degrees and the spin just barely averaged over 10k. Pretty firm feel and felt just a bit harsher than the Tour BX in strike feel.
The Tour Response ball was midway between the ERC Soft and Tour Speed in impact feel. Actually I liked this feel more than the others. Ball speed was in line with the rest of the balls so far and launch was in the middle at 32.4 degrees. Spin wise this was the closest to the Tour BX at 10730 average and had good carry. Overall a really good jack of all trades ball off the wedge.
The mystery test ball was last and resulted in the fastest ball speed off the face with the 2nd softest feel off the face. Launch angle was pretty consistent with the rest but the spin was much similar to the Tour Speed dipping just below 10k average spin. Carry was up over all of them due to the lower spin + higher ball speed.
Wedge Summary
There wasn't any doubt why I play the Tour BX but mystery test ball tested really well. Really nice soft feel but without the same reduction you might find in the other balls. I was surprised by the increased ball speed off the face and I might want to test it again when I can capture swing speed to make sure I wasn't swinging a bit faster in those swings that the other balls which might account for the increased ball speed.
Summary So Far
The mystery test ball is pretty impressive so far. It has some really good feel comparable to the ERC Soft but results that seem more like a firmer ball. Feel is really good and at least with the wedges, the speed seems to be up there compared to other balls. I'll have to see how it performs with a mid iron and off the tee with the driver to finish the compare. Will probably get a chance to pull that together next week.
I finally got to get started with these today. It was pretty cold here with it being low 40s. I only did some putting with them as it was just too cold to be out but so long. Feel is very subjective to each person so I am guessing there will be lots of different responses on feel across the board. I have not had any experience with any of these balls which to me is a plus because I have no preconceived thoughts or expectations. For reference, all putts were made with a Scotty Newport 3.
Callaway ERC- This was bottom 2. I had a difficult time deciding which I liked the least. This one just felt mushy off the putter face and dead sounding.
Titleist Tour speed- Also bottom 2 for me. Almost the exact opposite of the ERC Soft. It felt harsh off the face and sounded hard. I know I hit it off the center of the putter face but it never felt like it.
TaylorMade Tour Response- This one was interesting for me. I don’t care for most TM balls but as I stated earlier never tried this one. It was really difficult for me to decide but I think this one is my favorite feeling and sounding off the putter face. Soft but not mushy and nice sound. Good roll on it. Was nothing to dislike and I was surprised by that.
Unknown Test Ball- For me I rank this second in feel off the putter. It was close though. It felt a little softer then the TM but not mushy. Sound was not bad either and rolled well. I could play it and be happy putting this ball.
I must admit I was torn in deciding which ball I liked best for feel off the putter face. I could have gone either way with the top 2 but in the end I just kept coming back to liking the TM a hair more.
I do want to try them all again inside where it is warmer on my putting mat tomorrow but I am not expecting much difference.
The weather is looking cold for the next week but I have to go to my office Tuesday anyway and since that is close to the course I am planning to go do some chipping.
Our pro is out of town playing a tournament and has the club FlightScope with him. I doubt he is back until next weekend. If I have a chance, I may try and run by the indoor sim place in town and try to get some numbers there before then.
Callaway ERC- This was bottom 2. I had a difficult time deciding which I liked the least. This one just felt mushy off the putter face and dead sounding.
Titleist Tour speed- Also bottom 2 for me. Almost the exact opposite of the ERC Soft. It felt harsh off the face and sounded hard. I know I hit it off the center of the putter face but it never felt like it.
TaylorMade Tour Response- This one was interesting for me. I don’t care for most TM balls but as I stated earlier never tried this one. It was really difficult for me to decide but I think this one is my favorite feeling and sounding off the putter face. Soft but not mushy and nice sound. Good roll on it. Was nothing to dislike and I was surprised by that.
Unknown Test Ball- For me I rank this second in feel off the putter. It was close though. It felt a little softer then the TM but not mushy. Sound was not bad either and rolled well. I could play it and be happy putting this ball.
I must admit I was torn in deciding which ball I liked best for feel off the putter face. I could have gone either way with the top 2 but in the end I just kept coming back to liking the TM a hair more.
I do want to try them all again inside where it is warmer on my putting mat tomorrow but I am not expecting much difference.
The weather is looking cold for the next week but I have to go to my office Tuesday anyway and since that is close to the course I am planning to go do some chipping.
Our pro is out of town playing a tournament and has the club FlightScope with him. I doubt he is back until next weekend. If I have a chance, I may try and run by the indoor sim place in town and try to get some numbers there before then.
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Been testing the Mystery Ball this weekend and I have to say some really nice things to say about the ball. I had some sim time and will post that later throughout the week. Need to get out to see how this unique dimple design flies thru the air and in particular the wind.
However, there has been a lot of talk about the sound of the ball in past posts. I do think this is something many will want to look at and hear for themselves. So, instead of just telling you my thoughts I wanted to let you hear for yourself.
Mystery Ball review (Sound on Putting)
I used a putting mat with the goal of making a 10-foot putt. I used three different types of putter faces: a Toulon Las Vegas (milled putter), a Tour Edge Wingman (hard insert), and a Ping Sigma 2 Fetch (softer insert). All putters are mallets.
The Three Putters and the inserts
I think there is a very distinctive sound difference from the Callaway ERC and the Mystery Ball versus the Titleist Tour Speed and TaylorMade Tour Response. The Callaway ERC and the Mystery Ball are softer and have a more muted sound and you can clearly hear and feel the difference. Each person is going to have their own preference on sound and feel when putting the ball. My preference is a more muted sound and softer feel, so the Callaway ERC and Mystery Ball are exactly what I would like to hear and feel during the putt. With that said, the Titleist Tour Speed and TaylorMade Tour Response both felt very good and the pitched click sound was not unpleasing.
Below are the three videos for you to hear the differences in pitch and sound.
1. Toulon Las Vegas: milled putter
2. Tour Edge Wingman: harder insert putter
3. Ping Sigma 2 Fetch: softer insert putter
I would expect the Mystery Ball to fall right in line with the Callaway ERC on compression and softness. All three balls are good comparisons to test the Mystery Ball.
However, there has been a lot of talk about the sound of the ball in past posts. I do think this is something many will want to look at and hear for themselves. So, instead of just telling you my thoughts I wanted to let you hear for yourself.
Mystery Ball review (Sound on Putting)
I used a putting mat with the goal of making a 10-foot putt. I used three different types of putter faces: a Toulon Las Vegas (milled putter), a Tour Edge Wingman (hard insert), and a Ping Sigma 2 Fetch (softer insert). All putters are mallets.
The Three Putters and the inserts
I think there is a very distinctive sound difference from the Callaway ERC and the Mystery Ball versus the Titleist Tour Speed and TaylorMade Tour Response. The Callaway ERC and the Mystery Ball are softer and have a more muted sound and you can clearly hear and feel the difference. Each person is going to have their own preference on sound and feel when putting the ball. My preference is a more muted sound and softer feel, so the Callaway ERC and Mystery Ball are exactly what I would like to hear and feel during the putt. With that said, the Titleist Tour Speed and TaylorMade Tour Response both felt very good and the pitched click sound was not unpleasing.
Below are the three videos for you to hear the differences in pitch and sound.
1. Toulon Las Vegas: milled putter
2. Tour Edge Wingman: harder insert putter
3. Ping Sigma 2 Fetch: softer insert putter
I would expect the Mystery Ball to fall right in line with the Callaway ERC on compression and softness. All three balls are good comparisons to test the Mystery Ball.
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Just a few quick thoughts on the mystery ball after today's round with a bit of a disclaimer: I stink with the driver and long clubs right now!
I alternated between the Mystery Ball, the ERC and the Titleist Tour through out the course of the round. I didn't put the TM ball into play today, but I am suppose to play tomorrow so I will probably drop the Titleist ball out of testing tomorrow.
Distance wise off the tee I like the Mystery ball over the ERC and the Titleist Tour, but not by leaps and bounds. It may be because of struggles with the driver that I feel this way.
I prefer the mystery ball on almost all mid irons to short irons. It's just seems to have a better feel and provides better distance. It was windy today and the Mystery ball seemed to perform better than the ERC and the Titleist Tour.
Chipping and pitching was a bit of a struggle today as well, but for me the Mystery Ball out performed the ERC and Titleist Tour. The Mystery Ball edged out the ERC in feel and sound, bit it was very close. I think the ERC edged out the Mystery Ball in my last round so I am not sure what was different today. Maybe I am just getting use to the Mystery Ball.
In regards to putting, I really like the Mystery Ball over the the ERC and the Titleist Tour ball. It suits my ear and it feels better to me.
I am very pleased with the durability of the mystery ball. I really thought that it would show a little more where than it has after two rounds.
I have lost one of the ERC balls and one of the TaylorMade balls, but none lost today. I have all three of the Mystery Ball and the Titleist Tour.
As I stated earlier I'm supposed to play again tomorrow so I will be posting some more thoughts on the mystery ball then. I'm considering doing a head-to-head against the TaylorMade ball.
I alternated between the Mystery Ball, the ERC and the Titleist Tour through out the course of the round. I didn't put the TM ball into play today, but I am suppose to play tomorrow so I will probably drop the Titleist ball out of testing tomorrow.
Distance wise off the tee I like the Mystery ball over the ERC and the Titleist Tour, but not by leaps and bounds. It may be because of struggles with the driver that I feel this way.
I prefer the mystery ball on almost all mid irons to short irons. It's just seems to have a better feel and provides better distance. It was windy today and the Mystery ball seemed to perform better than the ERC and the Titleist Tour.
Chipping and pitching was a bit of a struggle today as well, but for me the Mystery Ball out performed the ERC and Titleist Tour. The Mystery Ball edged out the ERC in feel and sound, bit it was very close. I think the ERC edged out the Mystery Ball in my last round so I am not sure what was different today. Maybe I am just getting use to the Mystery Ball.
In regards to putting, I really like the Mystery Ball over the the ERC and the Titleist Tour ball. It suits my ear and it feels better to me.
I am very pleased with the durability of the mystery ball. I really thought that it would show a little more where than it has after two rounds.
I have lost one of the ERC balls and one of the TaylorMade balls, but none lost today. I have all three of the Mystery Ball and the Titleist Tour.
As I stated earlier I'm supposed to play again tomorrow so I will be posting some more thoughts on the mystery ball then. I'm considering doing a head-to-head against the TaylorMade ball.
I got a chance to play 18 holes today and put the mystery ball in play. I tried to mix in the others from the pack in different situations to get an overall idea of how they compare. I donated two of the mystery balls to the course and have one left. Also I hit a few shots with my normal gamer 2020 CSX to compare as well.
Driver | Tee - Of the four we were given to test, I found the TM Tour Response to be the best one off the tee for me. I hit a couple of drives and routinely saw 250 or so for total distance. The ERC & Titleist Tour Speed performed about the same. The mystery ball fell short here by 10 yards. I hit some pretty good drives at center or pretty close and the most I could get out of the mystery ball was around 240. Below are some pictures from two holes using the Mystery ball and one using the TM Tour Response.
TM Tour Response
I broke them down like this off the tee:
1. TM Tour Response
2. Callaway ERC
3. Titleist Tour Speed
4. Mystery ball
Irons - I couldn’t tell much of a difference between any of these in terms of distance. The bigger takeaway for me here was softness. The Mystery ball felt very soft off the irons (in a good way) and had some rollout once they hit the green. I hit a great 8i today that hit the spot on the green, but rolled off tot he fringe. Granted the greens were not receptive today, but I was able to stop the CSX on similar shots and not the mystery balls or othersThe ERC and Tour Response were interchangeable and I saw similar performance in terms of feel and release. The Titleist felt the worse of the bunch (too firm) and rolled out considerably more.
1. Mystery ball
2. TM Tour Response
3. ERC
4. Titleist Tour Speed
Short Game | Putting - I really like the Mystery ball and ERC with my wedges and putter. Both balls performed about the same and if anything I saw a little more check from the ERC. The TM Tour Response wasn’t far behind these two in terms of feel, but felt the other two just felt a touch better. The Titleist continued to provide that firm feedback I don’t care for.
1. Mystery ball
Tie - ERC & Tour Response
4. Titleist Tour Speed.
Overall this mystery ball will perform well for slower swing speeds IMO. It will compete with the others sent in the testing pack. For me (and I stress for me) the biggest knock on this ball is off the tee. When compared to the others and my normal ball I saw significant distance loss off the tee. From my irons and short game it performed equally if not better than the rest in the pack. I’m clearly not the golfer they are targeting with this offering, but there is a lot to like about it.
Driver | Tee - Of the four we were given to test, I found the TM Tour Response to be the best one off the tee for me. I hit a couple of drives and routinely saw 250 or so for total distance. The ERC & Titleist Tour Speed performed about the same. The mystery ball fell short here by 10 yards. I hit some pretty good drives at center or pretty close and the most I could get out of the mystery ball was around 240. Below are some pictures from two holes using the Mystery ball and one using the TM Tour Response.
TM Tour Response
I broke them down like this off the tee:
1. TM Tour Response
2. Callaway ERC
3. Titleist Tour Speed
4. Mystery ball
Irons - I couldn’t tell much of a difference between any of these in terms of distance. The bigger takeaway for me here was softness. The Mystery ball felt very soft off the irons (in a good way) and had some rollout once they hit the green. I hit a great 8i today that hit the spot on the green, but rolled off tot he fringe. Granted the greens were not receptive today, but I was able to stop the CSX on similar shots and not the mystery balls or othersThe ERC and Tour Response were interchangeable and I saw similar performance in terms of feel and release. The Titleist felt the worse of the bunch (too firm) and rolled out considerably more.
1. Mystery ball
2. TM Tour Response
3. ERC
4. Titleist Tour Speed
Short Game | Putting - I really like the Mystery ball and ERC with my wedges and putter. Both balls performed about the same and if anything I saw a little more check from the ERC. The TM Tour Response wasn’t far behind these two in terms of feel, but felt the other two just felt a touch better. The Titleist continued to provide that firm feedback I don’t care for.
1. Mystery ball
Tie - ERC & Tour Response
4. Titleist Tour Speed.
Overall this mystery ball will perform well for slower swing speeds IMO. It will compete with the others sent in the testing pack. For me (and I stress for me) the biggest knock on this ball is off the tee. When compared to the others and my normal ball I saw significant distance loss off the tee. From my irons and short game it performed equally if not better than the rest in the pack. I’m clearly not the golfer they are targeting with this offering, but there is a lot to like about it.
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Seems like a pretty similar experience to mine. My wife got to play one of the mystery balls for the last 6 holes the other day and it performed exceptionally well for her, but not so hot for me.
Like you, it was pretty good off the irons, but not so much with the driver and lacked spin into the greens.
My wife, on the other hand really liked the spin around the greens - but she plays a 2 piece bridgestone and this mystery ball is a 3 piece.
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I did not get selected for this ball test but @mikeg_74 gave me one to try during our round today. I did not play it very much but figured I would throw out a couple thoughts on it. On the putting green it has a slightly firmer feel than my current ball the 2020 CSX. I hit a 110 yard shot into the green with my CSX and by some miracle hit nearly the exact same shot with the mystery ball. The CSX has incredible spin into the green and stayed within 10 feet of the ball mark. The mystery ball did very well in my opinion by rolling out about 10-15 feet but it trickled off the back of the green. I enjoy a soft ball off the irons especially in cool weather and this ball has a soft feel that was pleasant to hit.
It’s pretty clear (at least to me) that this is a quality low compression offering. The ball will perform for the target golfers as intended and has a durable cover. If someone needs a little less spin and soft, this one will do well.
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During my sim session today, one thing I kept saying to myself without looking at the data was how good the ball felt on solid strikes.
This is definitely a soft ball. On my iron swings, the mystery ball felt very soft off my club head. I could see how up north this ball would be very nice during a cold winter round.
This is definitely a soft ball. On my iron swings, the mystery ball felt very soft off my club head. I could see how up north this ball would be very nice during a cold winter round.
While I patiently wait for the UPS man to visit I decided to look a little deeper into the comparison balls as a means of examining the clues about what our mystery company may be cooking up
Notice a trend? If you read the blurb that accompanies each ball it’s clear they are intended to be a slightly lower cost urethane option (hybrid for Callaway) to each brand’s premium offering.
Interestingly to me at least, the Q Star Tour was not included in the test box. The QST also fits this description but it is listed at $32 and change (plus Srixon commonly runs bolo type sales, which even lowers the price more). Maybe it wasn’t included because you can only fit so many balls in a box. Or maybe the mystery company intends to charge $35-39.99 for this ball. TBD. But based on the comparison products I don’t think it’s too outrageous a guess to surmise the test ball is a softer feeling 3 piece ball with some form of urethane cover.
| BALL | COVER | PIECES | PRICE | COMPRESSION |
| ERC Soft | “Hybrid” | 3 | $39.99 ($29.96 on sale) | The word “Soft” is in the name |
| Tour Control | cast urethane | 3 | $39.97 | ultra-low 40 compression core |
| Tour Speed | thermoplastic urethane | 3 | $34.97 | Soft Feel Multi-Component Technology |
Notice a trend? If you read the blurb that accompanies each ball it’s clear they are intended to be a slightly lower cost urethane option (hybrid for Callaway) to each brand’s premium offering.
Interestingly to me at least, the Q Star Tour was not included in the test box. The QST also fits this description but it is listed at $32 and change (plus Srixon commonly runs bolo type sales, which even lowers the price more). Maybe it wasn’t included because you can only fit so many balls in a box. Or maybe the mystery company intends to charge $35-39.99 for this ball. TBD. But based on the comparison products I don’t think it’s too outrageous a guess to surmise the test ball is a softer feeling 3 piece ball with some form of urethane cover.
Ok here it goes.
Conditions in the DC area for three days of testing were between 45-50 degrees with some wind. I am an older golfer who has lost swing speed after injuries and naturally draw the ball. With all four balls I got a similar medium high ball flight and they all drew on drives with the only one I perceived a little bit more is the Tour Speed.
Distance - 6 drives each (my average drive these colder conditions about 240)
Tour Response - about 3 yards longer
Tour Speed and Blind Ball no difference +/- 2 yards
ERC TT Soft about 3 yards shorter and had highest average ball flight
Wedges - spinning, control from around 20 and 80 yards at least 6 shots each.
ERC TT, Blind Ball and Tour Speed all seemed to spin more for me
Tour Response just slightly less but acceptable
Feel
Blind Ball and ERC TT Soft both felt pretty soft off of both driver and wedges
Tour Response and Tour Speed were both a little harder
Putting
With a Scotty Cameron series 62 putter the blind ball actually felt the softest
Rest were comparable and all balls from 20 feet seemed to roll pretty much the same distance
Impression would definitely be willing to play the blind ball - like the dimple pattern and feel and it performed with the others, albeit in colder conditions that might not be the same as as a warm day or trackman test. Had to spend money to buy one of test might go with Tour Response and I have not played TM balls in years. I have been a loyal Titleist ball guy for years but the TS did not overwhelm.
Conditions in the DC area for three days of testing were between 45-50 degrees with some wind. I am an older golfer who has lost swing speed after injuries and naturally draw the ball. With all four balls I got a similar medium high ball flight and they all drew on drives with the only one I perceived a little bit more is the Tour Speed.
Distance - 6 drives each (my average drive these colder conditions about 240)
Tour Response - about 3 yards longer
Tour Speed and Blind Ball no difference +/- 2 yards
ERC TT Soft about 3 yards shorter and had highest average ball flight
Wedges - spinning, control from around 20 and 80 yards at least 6 shots each.
ERC TT, Blind Ball and Tour Speed all seemed to spin more for me
Tour Response just slightly less but acceptable
Feel
Blind Ball and ERC TT Soft both felt pretty soft off of both driver and wedges
Tour Response and Tour Speed were both a little harder
Putting
With a Scotty Cameron series 62 putter the blind ball actually felt the softest
Rest were comparable and all balls from 20 feet seemed to roll pretty much the same distance
Impression would definitely be willing to play the blind ball - like the dimple pattern and feel and it performed with the others, albeit in colder conditions that might not be the same as as a warm day or trackman test. Had to spend money to buy one of test might go with Tour Response and I have not played TM balls in years. I have been a loyal Titleist ball guy for years but the TS did not overwhelm.
Sorry haven’t got my 7i review up yet, there isn’t anything shocking about it other than one of the balls didn’t quite do what I wanted it to... another would be tossed based on too much spin, most likely-but I haven’t done long iron and driver review yet. Planning on Tuesday as I may have a very happy package that day, and hopefully Jr can come with so we can see how they perform with a lower spin and more consistent ball striker.
I’ll have him compare them with his current ball, the TourB XS. That ball ( and prior it was the TourB X, but as he gained more speed this one’s been better) has been great for him.
He’ll provide meaningful numbers.
I’ll have him compare them with his current ball, the TourB XS. That ball ( and prior it was the TourB X, but as he gained more speed this one’s been better) has been great for him.
He’ll provide meaningful numbers.
Indoor putting today. Balls not so freezing cold as outdoor yesterday. No huge changes in how they feel to me. Titleist Tour Speed is still too harsh for my liking. I could play it but if the four it is my least favorite. ERC Soft is still a bit mushy for me but I do think I like the feel better then the TS. Mystery ball still has a good feel. Not mushy but soft. I would still not change it from being my second favorite off the putter. Tour Response is a bit firmer then Mystery ball but still feels soft and I like it the best.
I still think feel is personal preference and some people will like harder or softer better but the Tour Response falls in the middle category where I like it best. The Mystery ball is close just slightly softer but still a good feel to me.
I still think feel is personal preference and some people will like harder or softer better but the Tour Response falls in the middle category where I like it best. The Mystery ball is close just slightly softer but still a good feel to me.
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My final analysis of these balls is as follows in the order the company sent the card in:
Best Distance:
I don't know that any of these balls seemed to be flying any further than the next. I would rate this as a tie. The test ball did launch high and performed well in the winter 10MPH winds we have around here so no qualms there. This ball has plenty of distance and is very comparable to the other 3.
Best Forgiveness:
For a ball I am not sure how to rate this. I guess I will mark them a tie. I didn't notice any of them doing anything magical or anything. They all seemed to be lowish spinning, but I didn't hit anything that made me think man that turned out way better than I thought it was going to.
Best Feel:
This is where the balls were a bit different. The TaylorMade Tour Response felt really good. The test ball and the ERC Soft both felt really soft and almost fluffy. The ERC had a bit more of a dense feel to it. The Tour Speed is a clacky sounding ball to my ears and I did not like the feel of it. On the green I did love the feel and sound of the test ball. It was probably my favorite there after playing a couple of rounds.
Now I can read how everyone else is feeling about these balls.
Best Distance:
I don't know that any of these balls seemed to be flying any further than the next. I would rate this as a tie. The test ball did launch high and performed well in the winter 10MPH winds we have around here so no qualms there. This ball has plenty of distance and is very comparable to the other 3.
Best Forgiveness:
For a ball I am not sure how to rate this. I guess I will mark them a tie. I didn't notice any of them doing anything magical or anything. They all seemed to be lowish spinning, but I didn't hit anything that made me think man that turned out way better than I thought it was going to.
Best Feel:
This is where the balls were a bit different. The TaylorMade Tour Response felt really good. The test ball and the ERC Soft both felt really soft and almost fluffy. The ERC had a bit more of a dense feel to it. The Tour Speed is a clacky sounding ball to my ears and I did not like the feel of it. On the green I did love the feel and sound of the test ball. It was probably my favorite there after playing a couple of rounds.
Now I can read how everyone else is feeling about these balls.
Looks like mystery ball gives more spin.
Finally was able to get a little testing done this morning. Went to a nearby range this morning for some putting and chipping testing just to get an initial feeling for them. Sound and feel so far I really like the mystery ball. Has a softer feel than the others especially the Titelist which sounded and felt a bit more harder. I've hit the ERC before so I knew what to expect there as I've always liked them. Never played the Taylormade or Titelist ball before but I did like the Taylormade ball when I was chipping.
The next test will come tomorrow when I play @J.B. Cobb III Par 3 Course. Hopefully be able to hit a few shots with each to see how they spin. Will try not to lose too many as he said there is alot of water holes. I'll make sure to get his feedback on them as well.
The next test will come tomorrow when I play @J.B. Cobb III Par 3 Course. Hopefully be able to hit a few shots with each to see how they spin. Will try not to lose too many as he said there is alot of water holes. I'll make sure to get his feedback on them as well.