WILSON Tx4 Pro

Designed to compete with other Tour caliber balls, the TX4 is priced at $29—at least ten bucks cheaper than other brands.

From the Wilson site:

The Tx4 Pro features multi-layer construction and thin urethane cover for low driver spin, high wedge spin and precision accuracy from 100 yards and in.

  1. Nano-Tech particles infused into the rubber chemistry produce an extremely lively, but soft inner core
  2. Performance mantle layer fuels maximum acceleration off of the club face and generates higher iron spin rates
  3. Thin urethane cover promotes spin, delivers soft feel, and provides extra control off of irons
  4. Unique flat-bottomed, shallow dimples rip through the air to create a more stable, penetrating flight

I liked the Wilson Zips I tried last spring. I’ll put these on my “try them out” list.

NIKE One Vapor

Vapor is not a good name for a golf ball. The image it conjurs is of something that’s non-existent, or at the very least insubstantial.

Actually, Vapor is not a good name for any product.

The Vapor is a three piece ball aimed at players with lower swing speeds. The lower compression core feature something called “Power Transfer Technology” which Nike promises offers distance and control, while the cover’s 336 dimple design adds control and consistency.

I’ve always thought Nike balls felt good off the irons, and played well. My issue always has been with their durability.

TaylorMade is withdrawing sales of its Taylormade TP Red LDP balls, having discovered that they exceed the USGA’s initial velocity limit. It turns out that the wrong core was put into the balls.

New, scaled back, balls will be released March 2. They’ll be marked with the line “Tournament Edition.”

In the meantime, you probably can find the “hot” balls still on the shelves.

Srixon Z-Star Golf Balls(1 Dozen)

Srixon’s new premium ball is the Z-Star, which the company compares to the Titleist Pro V1, Callaway HX Tour 56, and TaylorMade TP Red—so much so that they’re offering a Money back Guarantee.

The Z-Star is a three piece affair, with a “Energetic Gradient Growth Core”, an ionomer mid-layer, and what Srizon says is a “super soft” urethane cover. It also features a new “powershear” 324 dimple design that hides the seam. The end result, Srixon says is Tour level distance, spin, and feel. 

If it matters to anyone, these are the balls being played by Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

While I’ve always found Srixon balls to be good, the company clearly is an also ran among the ball marketing machines. It’s good that they offer a money back guarantee, but the real way to attract customers would be to offer this premium ball for $10 less than the competition. Given the opportunity to purchase a $40 box of balls, everyone I know would purchase the Pro V1. I just don’t know how anyone competes with that—unless they offer the same (or better) performance at a lower price.

NIKE Juice Plus 312

The Juice Plus 312 is the latest from Nike. It’s a two piece improvement over the previous iteration of the model, with a new softer high-energy core and a 312 dimple design. The result, Nike says is improved distance and feel.

I’ve liked every Nike golf ball I’ve played, from the Power Distance Line to the Mojo to the One Tour, they’ve all had a nice feel and good performance. My only beef is that they lack durability.

TITLEIST Pro V1 2009

The new Pro V1s are here, and in its latest iteration, Titleist is promising more distance and more spin than ever before. This year’s version has a larger core for what Titleist promises is softer feel; the reformulation of the core’s material is supposed to offer more distance at the same time. The top layer now is correspondingly thinner, and its reformulation promises improved “Stop and Drop” performance. Not to worry, though, the new thinner layer, Titleist says, also offers improved durability (that would be quite a trick, as those things already are incredibly durable). What remains the same seems to be the 392 multi-dimple design with the Staggered Wave parting line.

None of this matters, though for me. I still don’t have the swing speed to take advantage of this ball. In the Tour Level ball category, I think I’m more likely to get something out of the BRIDGESTONE Tour B330-RX

CALLAWAY Big Bertha Diablo

The new Big Bertha Diablo is a two piece distance ball that replaces traditional dimples with Callaway’s patented HEX system. This is supposed to reduce drag and promote a more penetrating ball flight. It certainly works for the HX Hot line, and I see no reason why it wouldn’t work here.

The ball also features what Callaway calls a “High Resiliency Core”, a rubber formulation which is supposed to increase ball velocity through a wide range of swing speeds, while still providing great feel.

There’s another ball I need to try this spring—if the snow ever melts.