Wicked Cool Bearded Man
4thegolf+4thefriends
Do you think this effected roll as well?
Hopkins Golf Balls - Forum Review
Do you think this effected roll as well?
Bullitt5339
New member
I felt like I had no distance control with the putter. I have to admit that I really enjoy soft feeling golf balls to begin with. So while they may work for some people, and I'm sure many will like them, they definitely aren't the ball for me.
And no, I wasn't one of the official testers. I spent my money on them.
Before I start I just want to thank THP and Hopkins golf for this opportunity. I will do my best to test these thoroughly and provide as much feedback as I can.
1-12-2014 - Joe Pro Golf Lab Bellingham WA - About Golf Simulator Range
First let me tell a little about me and my golf game currently.
I am 37 and have been playing for just over 4 years now. I usually shoot low to mid 90's with a best of 87 and the occasional 3 digit disaster. My driver swing speed is typically mid to high 90s (today's range was 96-103). Currently, my typical shot is a draw off the tee, with the hook/pull hook the primary miss. With my irons I play a pretty straight ball flight with a pull being my main miss. At the outing earlier this year I was B-Fit to a B330-RXS, so I've been playing that mostly since.
With the weather and early darkness here right now outdoor range time is few and far between, so I've been practicing mostly in my garage with the makeshift hitting area I've set up. I have been taking lessons to work out issues off the tee, which have seemed to be quite helpful so far. I still have a lot to learn, but i'm reall trying to work to improve and get to a 15 handicap or less this summer.
On to the testing:
For this time out I hit the Bridgestone B330-RXS, Titleist NXT Tour, and the Hopkins ball. I stupidly forgot a pad of paper to take notes, so while I got some rough spin numbers, I didn't get too specific. Next time I will make sure not to make that mistake.
I warmed up with my 50* wedge, then started hitting each of the balls for comparison. With the 50* I was seeing a carry of about 112-115 with all three balls. Back spin was within about 800rpm among all three, with the Bridgestones being the hights by about 700 and the Titleist about 100RPM higher than the Hopkins. Right away I noticed the Hopkins balls felt a little harsher in feedback. The feel wasn't all too much different than the NXT Tours, but did feel slightly harder with a slightly different click sound to it. Nothing that really bothered me too much, but it was noticeable.
I moved to hitting 6 iron. Again, the distance with all three balls was fairly consistent, though I did hit several with the B330RXS quite a bit further than either (180-183 carry vs the 170-174 with the others). With the 6 iron, I was averaging around 5300RPM backspin with the B330RXS, 6400RPM with the Titleist and 6200 with the Hopkins. With the same swing the Titleist and NXT Tours were consistently 1-200RPM from eachother with the Bridgestone 700-800RPM more. Playing around with it a bit I found that if I got on the Hopkins ball a bit I could get the spin up there in the range of the Bridgestone, but dispersion suffered a bit when I did that.
I moved to hitting driver after this. Again, not terribly lots difference in spin between the three. Bit more noticeable sound difference here though. Again, not terrible, but when hitting the balls side by side it was noticeable. I believe if I was just playing a round with the Hopkins balls, I wouldn't really notice it. Distance was very similar between the NXT Tour and the Hopkins with the Bridgestone again being just a little bit further. Carry was averaging about 238 with both the NXT Tour and Titleist NXT Tour where I was seeing about 245 with the B330RXS. Not a huge difference and the dispersion was pretty similar all shots being either a nice draw or a pull draw. I didn't get the spin numbers down, but they were following the same trend.
After this, I decided to hit my 54* for a bit. Here I noticed the biggest difference in spin. With the Hopkins I was averaging around 6200RPM, Titleist NXT Tour 6400RPM, and the Bridgestone B330RXS 7200RPM. Again, I was able to get the spin up on the Hopkins balls if I went at it more, but saw the same issues with dispersion (mostly a pull with this club) when going at it harder and minimal difference in distance.
Overall, for my first time out with these I was pretty impressed. The differences I were seeing were not large enough to think I couldn't regularly game this ball. Admittedly my swing isn't the most consistent right now, but I was seeing fairly consistent ball flights and dispersion throughout. The harshness is something I want to pay more attention to. I'm not sold on it being enough to notice under normal circumstances, but I don't want to read too much in to anything at this point.
I plan to get to this place again sometime during the week and if the weather holds up to the forecast get out next sunday to play at least 9. Going to put some more time putting tonight as I don't feel I've had enough time putting yet to give much insight on that aspect of these yet.
Any questions or things you'd like me to test/try out, please don't hesitate to ask.
1-12-2014 - Joe Pro Golf Lab Bellingham WA - About Golf Simulator Range
First let me tell a little about me and my golf game currently.
I am 37 and have been playing for just over 4 years now. I usually shoot low to mid 90's with a best of 87 and the occasional 3 digit disaster. My driver swing speed is typically mid to high 90s (today's range was 96-103). Currently, my typical shot is a draw off the tee, with the hook/pull hook the primary miss. With my irons I play a pretty straight ball flight with a pull being my main miss. At the outing earlier this year I was B-Fit to a B330-RXS, so I've been playing that mostly since.
With the weather and early darkness here right now outdoor range time is few and far between, so I've been practicing mostly in my garage with the makeshift hitting area I've set up. I have been taking lessons to work out issues off the tee, which have seemed to be quite helpful so far. I still have a lot to learn, but i'm reall trying to work to improve and get to a 15 handicap or less this summer.
On to the testing:
For this time out I hit the Bridgestone B330-RXS, Titleist NXT Tour, and the Hopkins ball. I stupidly forgot a pad of paper to take notes, so while I got some rough spin numbers, I didn't get too specific. Next time I will make sure not to make that mistake.
I warmed up with my 50* wedge, then started hitting each of the balls for comparison. With the 50* I was seeing a carry of about 112-115 with all three balls. Back spin was within about 800rpm among all three, with the Bridgestones being the hights by about 700 and the Titleist about 100RPM higher than the Hopkins. Right away I noticed the Hopkins balls felt a little harsher in feedback. The feel wasn't all too much different than the NXT Tours, but did feel slightly harder with a slightly different click sound to it. Nothing that really bothered me too much, but it was noticeable.
I moved to hitting 6 iron. Again, the distance with all three balls was fairly consistent, though I did hit several with the B330RXS quite a bit further than either (180-183 carry vs the 170-174 with the others). With the 6 iron, I was averaging around 5300RPM backspin with the B330RXS, 6400RPM with the Titleist and 6200 with the Hopkins. With the same swing the Titleist and NXT Tours were consistently 1-200RPM from eachother with the Bridgestone 700-800RPM more. Playing around with it a bit I found that if I got on the Hopkins ball a bit I could get the spin up there in the range of the Bridgestone, but dispersion suffered a bit when I did that.
I moved to hitting driver after this. Again, not terribly lots difference in spin between the three. Bit more noticeable sound difference here though. Again, not terrible, but when hitting the balls side by side it was noticeable. I believe if I was just playing a round with the Hopkins balls, I wouldn't really notice it. Distance was very similar between the NXT Tour and the Hopkins with the Bridgestone again being just a little bit further. Carry was averaging about 238 with both the NXT Tour and Titleist NXT Tour where I was seeing about 245 with the B330RXS. Not a huge difference and the dispersion was pretty similar all shots being either a nice draw or a pull draw. I didn't get the spin numbers down, but they were following the same trend.
After this, I decided to hit my 54* for a bit. Here I noticed the biggest difference in spin. With the Hopkins I was averaging around 6200RPM, Titleist NXT Tour 6400RPM, and the Bridgestone B330RXS 7200RPM. Again, I was able to get the spin up on the Hopkins balls if I went at it more, but saw the same issues with dispersion (mostly a pull with this club) when going at it harder and minimal difference in distance.
Overall, for my first time out with these I was pretty impressed. The differences I were seeing were not large enough to think I couldn't regularly game this ball. Admittedly my swing isn't the most consistent right now, but I was seeing fairly consistent ball flights and dispersion throughout. The harshness is something I want to pay more attention to. I'm not sold on it being enough to notice under normal circumstances, but I don't want to read too much in to anything at this point.
I plan to get to this place again sometime during the week and if the weather holds up to the forecast get out next sunday to play at least 9. Going to put some more time putting tonight as I don't feel I've had enough time putting yet to give much insight on that aspect of these yet.
Any questions or things you'd like me to test/try out, please don't hesitate to ask.
Just got back from a little chip, pitch and putt area at the local course. My first impressions about the feel may have been a little off last night (I will put it up to testing excitement). They were doing some maintenance around the course so could only get about 40 yards out. Was playing the Hopkins ball along side my E6 gamer, and also had a sleeve of Wilson duo that a client gave me for Christmas. The feel was a little harder than the E6 and duo, but not a great amount. The sound off the club was the same way. Mind you I was only 40 yards and in, so only 1/2 wedge or less. I would rank in order the balls I used today from hardest/loudest to softest: 1. Hopkins 2. E6 3. Duo.
Stopping power on the green was a different story. I tried to quantify by hitting several (at least 25 with each ball) from 25 yards out. My E6 I can usually count on about 12-15 feet of rollout from this distance. Today was no different, was getting on average 13 feet of roll after first contact. The Duo did well as only gettin about 9 feet of rollout. The Hopkins ball was the best performer out of the three as I could see it visibly check up on first contact and only ended up with about 6 feet of rollout. This was quit impressive as I expected less holding power as it sounded/felt as the hardest ball of the three.
Putting I could not tell a great difference between the three as far as feel, but that may be due to the insert in the putter. I am going to look to see if I still have my old slotline putter that does not have an insert to see if there is a difference there. The ball seemed to roll well off of the putter, but I don't think any better or worse than the other 2.
I plan on getting a full round with the balls this week to have more information to share. Just for the record it was in the upper 60's today while I was at the course.
Stopping power on the green was a different story. I tried to quantify by hitting several (at least 25 with each ball) from 25 yards out. My E6 I can usually count on about 12-15 feet of rollout from this distance. Today was no different, was getting on average 13 feet of roll after first contact. The Duo did well as only gettin about 9 feet of rollout. The Hopkins ball was the best performer out of the three as I could see it visibly check up on first contact and only ended up with about 6 feet of rollout. This was quit impressive as I expected less holding power as it sounded/felt as the hardest ball of the three.
Putting I could not tell a great difference between the three as far as feel, but that may be due to the insert in the putter. I am going to look to see if I still have my old slotline putter that does not have an insert to see if there is a difference there. The ball seemed to roll well off of the putter, but I don't think any better or worse than the other 2.
I plan on getting a full round with the balls this week to have more information to share. Just for the record it was in the upper 60's today while I was at the course.
It did not seem to affect roll for me today, but that may be more an effect of my insert than the ball. I am going to try and find my old non insert slotline and see if there is a difference there. Will let you know.
rmccartyjr
Member
Your a 20 handi and you threw a perfectly good ball away?!? If your a 20 handi you need to be playing with any ball you find and work on your game!
What does handicap have to do with not liking balls?? If a ball doesn't feel right it doesn't feel right. You purchased said ball so you have every right to throw/hit it into the water if you wish. Just because someone's avg score isn't indicative of what some would consider "good golf" doesn't mean they can't have opinions/preferences on equipment & in the case golf balls.
Bullitt5339
New member
There's a reason why I'm a 20 handicap and it has nothing to do with a ball. I was a 12 before back surgery and getting better. I keep an honest handicap so i can track my progress during my recovery and journey back to where i was. I can stop balls with wedges or back them up on full shots. I average 30 putts per round. If I don't like the way a ball feels off the wedges or the putter, I won't play it... period.
rmccartyjr
Member
20 handi cap throwing a ball away?! I was there once and still to this day I don't throw balls away! I have started a round out playing bad and switched to a cheaper hard ball and shot in the 70's!Yes it doesn't feel as good and may be if they focused more on working on their game instead of ball there playing and all other hype on equipment you would be surprised trust me I KNOW!
rmccartyjr
Member
I have had 2 back surgeries 2001 2002! That's when I learned it's not equipment it was me! One day I'll shot a. 75 next 85 and it's my lower back 2 fusions.
- Admin
- #36
Lets try to keep this about the golf balls guys. Thanks.
Awesome write up, John. Sounds like it definitely holds up against the Titleist NXT, which makes sense since that's what I've most often heard it compared to. Interested to see going forward if that feel thing becomes an issue.
BTW, let me know if you find a time to sneak into the indoor place this week, I may be down to join you.
phenom4hire
Active member
Thanks to THP and Hopkins Golf for the chance to test out the new balls. Here is my thoughts after today.
Background on me and my game: Im 27, 6"3, 205 athletic build. Ive been playing golf off and on for 10 or so years with large gaps in between. I started to take my game a little more seriously last year and noticed some nice drop in my scoring. My driver swing speed is usually in the 100-105 range with a +- of 1 or 2 mph. Putting is probably the best part of my game, I just rush to much sometimes after trouble getting to the green. I would say my handicap is somewhere in a 20-25 range. I havent posted 5 scores yet so I dont know the official number. Best round Ive shot is an 88 with an eagle and three birdies. My miss with the driver is usually a slice but depending on the grip I can also hook one from time to time. My average carry is somewhere to the 230-240 range. This is my second round since around August when I had to take a hiatus for family medical issues. My last score was a 101 which is a little higher than the mid 90s I typically shoot.
I got my balls in simple packaging as well which did not bother me. I agree with the opinion of letting the ball do what it does for your game by playing it and not just going by what the packaging says it should do. The first thing I noticed is that the Hopkins ball feels a little heavier than the balls I normally play. I could not find my small scale to take accurate readings, but that was the feeling I got. The cover feels very smooth with little to no tackiness. The ball is very white. All in all I though the ball looked good, and felt durable. I will be testing against my Callaway Warbird yellows that I have been
playing.
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Testing Location: I wanted to find a nice range with all types of practice amenities. I settled on Oak Grove Island Golf Club for my testing location since they have a very large putting green, chipping green with bunker, and a full size range. I have never played at this course before so I wanted to give this ball a go in a fresh location as well. Upon arriving and checking in for my tee time, I was informed that the range was closed due to all the rain from the week but the putting green and chipping green were a go. I started off on the chipping green with some chips from about 35 ft. The ball checked up pretty good with my 50 degree wedge with decent spin. I also tried some from the bunker with mixed results. I partially blame the hard packed sand but even on flush shots they rolled way to far past the flag. The Callaway Warbird yellow yielded similar results on the chipping, but seemed to stop better for me from the bunker with the same typical ball flight. I tried this numerous times with both balls to make sure both balls got all the shots.
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Next I went to the putting green which is huge and has room for 100 ft putts. I concentrated my efforts on 30, 10, and 5 ft putts. I tested the Hopkins first which surprisingly had better distance control and dispersion for me. Especially from the 30 ft marker. Total putts made with the Hopkins was 9/30 and 7/30 with the Callaway. I feel like the extra weight on the Hopkins helped with the putting since I leave putts short if anything.
Note: For my round at the course, the fairways were still pretty wet as well as the sand and I was playing with two new clubs(Driver, Hybrid), and I did not get to warm up on the range as it was closed.
Next I teed off on hole number one. First shot was a little off center but I could feel a little harsh feedback. I thought it might be the driver so I didnt think to much of it. Several more drives later I was still feeling the same thing. It just felt heavy off the tee to me, even on decent hits. My average drives were somewhere in the 220 range which is a bit low for me. I was also slicing the ball more than I normally do. This course was difficult for me as shot placement was more difficult than I am used too. Even small mishits on this course cost you penalty strokes if not careful. I didnt hit many greens in reg so that gave me plenty of wedge shots from all lies into the green. From 50 ft in the ball was money for me and going right where I aimed it. It was still checking up pretty good and putting was pretty decent. I lost several balls on the front nine but played 4 holes with one of them and on the ninth green after numerous wedge shots, I checked the cover for damage and found little if any. I shot a 60 ouch with 18 putts, 2 FIR, 1 GIR, and four shots out of bounds. Like I said the course was wet and many of my iron and hybrid shots were getting plugged which is a shot Im not that used to. All in all it was not that bad but it did feel different for me. On the back nine with the Callaway results were similar with a 55, 20 putts, 3 FIR, 2 GIR. The yellow ball fits my eye better but I noticed a little decline in my putting on the back nine with twice as many 3 putts. I felt that I started to loosen up on the back nine some which is usually what the range does for me and it made a big difference in my score today. My shots for the last four holes were pretty flush with one Out of bounds drive after an unlucky bounce. I would say the balls were neck and neck with each having its strength. The Hopkins gave me more feel for putting and short chips but was harsher for me on the long shots.
Final thoughts: For 20.00 the Hopkins ball is a good choice. Once your game improves though you are gonna want a ball with more spin and feel. There are other 20.00 balls out there that impressed me more but it is an average contender in an average category.
Background on me and my game: Im 27, 6"3, 205 athletic build. Ive been playing golf off and on for 10 or so years with large gaps in between. I started to take my game a little more seriously last year and noticed some nice drop in my scoring. My driver swing speed is usually in the 100-105 range with a +- of 1 or 2 mph. Putting is probably the best part of my game, I just rush to much sometimes after trouble getting to the green. I would say my handicap is somewhere in a 20-25 range. I havent posted 5 scores yet so I dont know the official number. Best round Ive shot is an 88 with an eagle and three birdies. My miss with the driver is usually a slice but depending on the grip I can also hook one from time to time. My average carry is somewhere to the 230-240 range. This is my second round since around August when I had to take a hiatus for family medical issues. My last score was a 101 which is a little higher than the mid 90s I typically shoot.
I got my balls in simple packaging as well which did not bother me. I agree with the opinion of letting the ball do what it does for your game by playing it and not just going by what the packaging says it should do. The first thing I noticed is that the Hopkins ball feels a little heavier than the balls I normally play. I could not find my small scale to take accurate readings, but that was the feeling I got. The cover feels very smooth with little to no tackiness. The ball is very white. All in all I though the ball looked good, and felt durable. I will be testing against my Callaway Warbird yellows that I have been
playing.
Testing Location: I wanted to find a nice range with all types of practice amenities. I settled on Oak Grove Island Golf Club for my testing location since they have a very large putting green, chipping green with bunker, and a full size range. I have never played at this course before so I wanted to give this ball a go in a fresh location as well. Upon arriving and checking in for my tee time, I was informed that the range was closed due to all the rain from the week but the putting green and chipping green were a go. I started off on the chipping green with some chips from about 35 ft. The ball checked up pretty good with my 50 degree wedge with decent spin. I also tried some from the bunker with mixed results. I partially blame the hard packed sand but even on flush shots they rolled way to far past the flag. The Callaway Warbird yellow yielded similar results on the chipping, but seemed to stop better for me from the bunker with the same typical ball flight. I tried this numerous times with both balls to make sure both balls got all the shots.
Next I went to the putting green which is huge and has room for 100 ft putts. I concentrated my efforts on 30, 10, and 5 ft putts. I tested the Hopkins first which surprisingly had better distance control and dispersion for me. Especially from the 30 ft marker. Total putts made with the Hopkins was 9/30 and 7/30 with the Callaway. I feel like the extra weight on the Hopkins helped with the putting since I leave putts short if anything.
Note: For my round at the course, the fairways were still pretty wet as well as the sand and I was playing with two new clubs(Driver, Hybrid), and I did not get to warm up on the range as it was closed.
Next I teed off on hole number one. First shot was a little off center but I could feel a little harsh feedback. I thought it might be the driver so I didnt think to much of it. Several more drives later I was still feeling the same thing. It just felt heavy off the tee to me, even on decent hits. My average drives were somewhere in the 220 range which is a bit low for me. I was also slicing the ball more than I normally do. This course was difficult for me as shot placement was more difficult than I am used too. Even small mishits on this course cost you penalty strokes if not careful. I didnt hit many greens in reg so that gave me plenty of wedge shots from all lies into the green. From 50 ft in the ball was money for me and going right where I aimed it. It was still checking up pretty good and putting was pretty decent. I lost several balls on the front nine but played 4 holes with one of them and on the ninth green after numerous wedge shots, I checked the cover for damage and found little if any. I shot a 60 ouch with 18 putts, 2 FIR, 1 GIR, and four shots out of bounds. Like I said the course was wet and many of my iron and hybrid shots were getting plugged which is a shot Im not that used to. All in all it was not that bad but it did feel different for me. On the back nine with the Callaway results were similar with a 55, 20 putts, 3 FIR, 2 GIR. The yellow ball fits my eye better but I noticed a little decline in my putting on the back nine with twice as many 3 putts. I felt that I started to loosen up on the back nine some which is usually what the range does for me and it made a big difference in my score today. My shots for the last four holes were pretty flush with one Out of bounds drive after an unlucky bounce. I would say the balls were neck and neck with each having its strength. The Hopkins gave me more feel for putting and short chips but was harsher for me on the long shots.
Final thoughts: For 20.00 the Hopkins ball is a good choice. Once your game improves though you are gonna want a ball with more spin and feel. There are other 20.00 balls out there that impressed me more but it is an average contender in an average category.
Barberakb
USAF / Go Cowboys!
More to come soon but I had a putter shootout tonight between the Hopkins ball and Srixon Q star.
More to come. I do really like the look/color of these balls.
More to come. I do really like the look/color of these balls.
deuce
Grenade!
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2014
- Messages
- 17,203
- Reaction score
- 218
Just a general comment. For reviews, would it be best if all the reviews were posted together? Having the postings come in sporadically could subconsciously bias later reviewers who read the initial reviews before playing their own balls.
Either that, or reviewers can submit their reviews which are placed into a queue and are released together.
Just my two ducats. YMMV.
Either that, or reviewers can submit their reviews which are placed into a queue and are released together.
Just my two ducats. YMMV.
Last edited:
Barberakb
USAF / Go Cowboys!
Not sure I follow your logic
deuce
Grenade!
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2014
- Messages
- 17,203
- Reaction score
- 218
Mine?
Take two reviewers: 1st reviewer tests the ball and writes up a submission saying "This ball is extremely hard" before the 2nd reviewer has even done their tests. So now the 2nd reviewer probably goes into their testing thinking "How hard is this ball?" rather than just saying "I wonder how this ball will feel." You can't forget something you've read.
I suppose it doesn't really matter (like I said "Your mileage may vary"), it's not like these reviews are going to sway marketing or R&D decisions.
dcbrad
locked and reloaded
I see your point of view. I think it's kind of a two way street. I know when I was testing the Optiforce, some of the other testers were bringing up points I hadn't thought about, so it made me a better tester because I wanted to see if I could duplicate/not duplicate the results.
I think that is what a testing is all about. Trying to see if multiple golfers can get consistent results, whether it's good or bad to help formulate an opinion.
Same thing they do in research, one person gets a result, others then try to duplicate the results (already knowing what should happen)
- Thread starter
- #44
The forum review threads are done this way, as many forum members are involved and interact with the testers via questions/comments. While, for streamlining purposes, I see what you are saying, that would detract a bit from the long term testing thoughts and reviews.
If you follow along with the forum testing reviews here on THP, you will see a lot of back and forth between posters asking to specifics whether its "have you seen this" or "can you try this" types of postings.
Follow along, the information is well worth it.
mrvandelay
Member
First, I'd like to thank THP and Hopkins Golf for the opportunity to test these balls.
I usually game the same type of ball rather than switch around a lot - it helps knowing exactly how your ball will react and how to hit the shot you need to stick it close. Over the years I've gone from Titleist NTX Tour S, to Bridgestone e6, to Nike 20XI-X, and currently the Callway HEX Chrome+. The reason I went with the C+ is the low spin off the tee and excellent spin around the green. I prefer to play more hop and stop style shots over bump and run sort of things. I need the ball to stop. I enjoyed the e6 until I needed it to stop on the putting surface.
Now onto my experience with the Hopkins ball so far.
First Look
When these arrived, I immediately compared them in hand to the Callaway HEX Chrome+ I have on my desk. The Hopkins ball is absolutely a brighter white and has a harder, less tacky, cover - which is expected since it's not Urethane covered. On my putting green I liked the way they felt off the putter (non-insert putter) but not so much the sound. That being said, the sound off the putter isn't important to me. The feel doesn't matter either - the performance does. Some people can't stand "clicky" sounds off the putter and all that but I couldn't care less about that.
On the Practice Green
I spend 15 minutes or so on the practice green before rounds. I threw down 2 Hopkins balls and a C+ to compare. They all rolled the same distances with the same stroke. I wouldn't have noticed the difference except the sound was lower pitched with the C+. Putting wise, the Hopkins ball is tied with my Chrome+ balls. I wouldn't change to the Hopkins ball based on putting performance alone.
Putting it into Play
I pulled driver on the opening par 5 and hit a tight fade to the right-center of the fairway. Distance seemed comparable to the Chrome+ based on my previous drives on this hole. My next shot was 192y to the green, and required a cut to get around a tree and stay away from the water. I ended up just short of the green in the fringe. Not too much rollout was noticed. I don't want to say I was "impressed" here as I would have expected the same thing with the Chrome+.
Later the in round, I had a few partial PW shots at around 100y. They all had minimal rollout. Read: 2-5 feet. Chip shots from the rough around the green rolled out, not like the e6 might have, but more so than my Chrome+. It was manageable, but a difference nonetheless.
I hit a few flop shots from the rough. They all stopped quick, but did not spin back. They took 2-3 hops and stopped. Pretty good for surlyn!
Overall Thoughts (after 1 round)
I'm pretty impressed with how this $20 ball compares to my $32 ball. Do I see myself switching? Maybe! I need more time with it around the green to adapt to the lower spin.
I think this is a great ball for people who:
a) Don't like spending too much on balls.
b) Play something like the Bridgestone e6/e7, Top Flite Gamer, etc. and want more spin around the green.
I usually game the same type of ball rather than switch around a lot - it helps knowing exactly how your ball will react and how to hit the shot you need to stick it close. Over the years I've gone from Titleist NTX Tour S, to Bridgestone e6, to Nike 20XI-X, and currently the Callway HEX Chrome+. The reason I went with the C+ is the low spin off the tee and excellent spin around the green. I prefer to play more hop and stop style shots over bump and run sort of things. I need the ball to stop. I enjoyed the e6 until I needed it to stop on the putting surface.
Now onto my experience with the Hopkins ball so far.
First Look
When these arrived, I immediately compared them in hand to the Callaway HEX Chrome+ I have on my desk. The Hopkins ball is absolutely a brighter white and has a harder, less tacky, cover - which is expected since it's not Urethane covered. On my putting green I liked the way they felt off the putter (non-insert putter) but not so much the sound. That being said, the sound off the putter isn't important to me. The feel doesn't matter either - the performance does. Some people can't stand "clicky" sounds off the putter and all that but I couldn't care less about that.
On the Practice Green
I spend 15 minutes or so on the practice green before rounds. I threw down 2 Hopkins balls and a C+ to compare. They all rolled the same distances with the same stroke. I wouldn't have noticed the difference except the sound was lower pitched with the C+. Putting wise, the Hopkins ball is tied with my Chrome+ balls. I wouldn't change to the Hopkins ball based on putting performance alone.
Putting it into Play
I pulled driver on the opening par 5 and hit a tight fade to the right-center of the fairway. Distance seemed comparable to the Chrome+ based on my previous drives on this hole. My next shot was 192y to the green, and required a cut to get around a tree and stay away from the water. I ended up just short of the green in the fringe. Not too much rollout was noticed. I don't want to say I was "impressed" here as I would have expected the same thing with the Chrome+.
Later the in round, I had a few partial PW shots at around 100y. They all had minimal rollout. Read: 2-5 feet. Chip shots from the rough around the green rolled out, not like the e6 might have, but more so than my Chrome+. It was manageable, but a difference nonetheless.
I hit a few flop shots from the rough. They all stopped quick, but did not spin back. They took 2-3 hops and stopped. Pretty good for surlyn!
Overall Thoughts (after 1 round)
I'm pretty impressed with how this $20 ball compares to my $32 ball. Do I see myself switching? Maybe! I need more time with it around the green to adapt to the lower spin.
I think this is a great ball for people who:
a) Don't like spending too much on balls.
b) Play something like the Bridgestone e6/e7, Top Flite Gamer, etc. and want more spin around the green.
Barberakb
USAF / Go Cowboys!
Sry guys I have been working 14 hour days...
Anyway, I had a little putting challenge between this ball and the Q star.
Went to the putting range, and had it all to myself
Took 1 ball of each and putted from hole to hole.
I switched the ball I putted with first so that the advantage of seeing the line wouldn't have too much effect.
This was the first round.
The second round I went through all the holes with one ball and then switched balls and repeated.
Long story short, I hit 46 putts with the Q star and 47 with the Hopkins. That's extremely close and I consider that even steven as far as I am concerned.
Bottom line and thoughts = I putted equally well with both balls. My miss with the Q star was a tad short and my
miss with the Hopkins ball was a little long.
Feel = I preferred the softer feel off the putter of the Q star but the Hopkins ball wasn't bad at all. Just felt a little harder off the face.
Sound = The sound from the Q star was a little more pleasant to my ears but not a major difference.
Anyway, I had a little putting challenge between this ball and the Q star.
Went to the putting range, and had it all to myself
Took 1 ball of each and putted from hole to hole.I switched the ball I putted with first so that the advantage of seeing the line wouldn't have too much effect.
This was the first round.
The second round I went through all the holes with one ball and then switched balls and repeated.
Long story short, I hit 46 putts with the Q star and 47 with the Hopkins. That's extremely close and I consider that even steven as far as I am concerned.
Bottom line and thoughts = I putted equally well with both balls. My miss with the Q star was a tad short and my
miss with the Hopkins ball was a little long.
Feel = I preferred the softer feel off the putter of the Q star but the Hopkins ball wasn't bad at all. Just felt a little harder off the face.
Sound = The sound from the Q star was a little more pleasant to my ears but not a major difference.
Sry guys I have been working 14 hour days...
Anyway, I had a little putting challenge between this ball and the Q star.
Went to the putting range, and had it all to myself
I switched the ball I putted with first so that the advantage of seeing the line wouldn't have too much effect.
This was the first round.
The second round I went through all the holes with one ball and then switched balls and repeated.
Long story short, I hit 46 putts with the Q star and 47 with the Hopkins. That's extremely close and I consider that even steven as far as I am concerned.
Bottom line and thoughts = I putted equally well with both balls. My miss with the Q star was a tad short and my
miss with the Hopkins ball was a little long.
Feel = I preferred the softer feel off the putter of the Q star but the Hopkins ball wasn't bad at all. Just felt a little harder off the face.
Sound = The sound from the Q star was a little more pleasant to my ears but not a major difference.
Sounds similar to what i have been feeling putting so far. Though, I have only been putting indoors so far but am going to be able to get on a practice green tomorrow and do some chipping as well.
Barberakb
USAF / Go Cowboys!
Can I give one or 2 of these balls to friends to try out?
Solid job testers, keep up the good work.
ironcondor
Chronic gear flipper
Have any of you noticed a "ballooning" type tendency with this ball off the tee, specifically with the driver?
I played with this vs. a Q-Star last week and off the tee the Hopkins seemed to go to the moon. It was quiet on the course, so I hit the Q-star right behind it to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Other than that, I didn't mind the Hopkins. It is harder, but it didn't seem to affect my putting and it checked as well as the Q-star did. The brighter white color and logo are awesome.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I played with this vs. a Q-Star last week and off the tee the Hopkins seemed to go to the moon. It was quiet on the course, so I hit the Q-star right behind it to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Other than that, I didn't mind the Hopkins. It is harder, but it didn't seem to affect my putting and it checked as well as the Q-star did. The brighter white color and logo are awesome.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD