CALLAWAY Tour ix

This is the ball that so many seem to be talking about. Rocco Mediate says that the Callaway Tour ix is so good, “it should be illegal.”

The Tour ix is a FOUR piece ball, adding a tungsten infused outer core that’s supposed to shift weight away from the center (and adding tungsten certainly would do that), for reduced driver spin and straighter shots. The inner core is still soft, though, for the feel that players today seem to prefer. On the outside is a urethane cover with Callaway’s excellent hex pattern “dimples.”

I’ve been meaning to review the Tour ix, but at $45 a box, it may be a while before I give it a go.

BRIDGESTONE TreoSoft

The Bridgestone E6 has been one of my favorite balls over the last couple of years, so I was intrigued to see that Bridgestone has a new ball out: the TreoSoft.

The TreoSoft is designed for players with moderate swing speeds. Bridgestone says that it has a “gradational” core that offers distance and prevents it from ballooning in flight. It’s also got the seamless 330 dimple design.

I haven’t been able to find a press release on the ball so the specifics are a little fuzzy. It doesn’t say that it’s a three piece ball, but the name certainly suggests that (treo = three). On the other hand, if it was a three piecer, you’d think that they would brag about it.

TAYLORMADE Burner

Grade: C
Teacher’s Comments: They feel dead.

I played the TaylorMade Burners in two rounds last week and was less than impressed. My overall impression is that they are “dead” balls.  It’s not just that they’re soft (and they do indeed have a nice soft feel)—it’s that they just don’t seem to have the “pop” of some others I’ve played recently. They certainly don’t have the crisp feel of the HX Hot or the Bridgestones I like so much. And the distance seems to be off also; I’m convinced they’re a club shorter for me.

On the positive side, they do seem to be very straight, especially off the driver. And there’s plenty of spin for those who like to stop the ball on a dime off the wedges.

But that doesn’t offset the distance issue for me. Your own mileage may vary, but I don’t think I can recommend these.

PRECEPT iQ 180 Distance

Looking for a low spin ball to reduce the ballooning on my drives, I recently bought a box of the Precept IQ 180 balls on the recommendation of the local pro.

Precept touts the Distance IQ 180 as being ideal for players with a moderate swing speed, which describes my swing exactly. They also advertise less spin for straighter shots and MORE DISTANCE with a seamless cover.

More distance? That’s exactly what I need. More out. Less up.

I’ve played 45 holes with the balls now, and like them very much. They get good distance, are pretty straight and have a decent soft feel. I’ve also found that they wear pretty well. I hit a couple of trees (very easy to do on the forest courses here in Michigan) and they didn’t show any scruffs.

Overall, the Distance IQ works pretty well for my game. I like to land my shots in front of the green and let them roll up toward the hole; I don’t carry a sixty degree wedge; my short game is all pitch and chip. My guess, however, is that players who are used to a more premium three piece ball, or who are used to flying balls into the green aren’t going to like it as much.

Still, it’s not bad for a ball under $20.

The only thing I don’t like about the balls is the way they look. As absurd as it sounds, they look a bit ugly to me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s just something about them. Maybe it’s the shade of white, or the blocky PRECEPT logo. But they somehow just look different.

A note about the Precept brand: Precept is owned by Bridgestone, and apparently is a much bigger deal overseas than in the United States. Interestingly, Bridgestone also manufactures Nike’s balls.

TOP FLITE Gamer

I occassionally go into my local pro shop and ask one of the clerks “what’s hot?”

This time, he pointed out a display for the new Top Flite Gamer ball. “We can’t keep these on the shelves,” he said. “They’re not like the old rock-flites.”

Indeed. The Gamer is part of Top Flite’s new Dimple In Dimple line, that’s supposed to offer better aerodynamics than traditional designs. Not surprisingly, Top Flite now is owned by Callaway, which produces another unusual dimple design with its hexes.

The Gamer is a three piece ball, with all of the usual characteristics: a soft, thin outer cover for feel, a boundary layer for iron distance, and a core designed to offer lower spin off the driver.

The clerk claimed that players are dropping the Pro V for this one. I don’t quite believe that, but it’s an interesting thought—kind of like the fervor that sprung up around the Precept Lady several years ago.

So I asked if he could get me a box.

No luck. They’re out.