Nike jumped into the golf ball arena a few years ago and has not looked back. The Nike Platinum has enjoyed some success on Tour, and not just by way of Tiger Woods, but other top players like Rory Sabbatini, Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, and Paul Casey as well. While Nike’s balls may be lagging market leaders Titleist and the Pro V1 duo, the Portland, OR based sports equipment behemoth has fully established themselves in the ball market with no intention of leaving.
With Tiger at the helm they have designed two premium balls for better players: Nike ONE Platinum and the Nike ONE Black (the ONE Gold having been ditched for 2007). Both have gone through a recent makeover to improve upon an already popular ball. I’ve been a loyal Titleist ball player for years, so I was eager to see how the Nikes would stand up. Read on to see if I’ll be playing balls with a swoosh instead of cursive this year.
Design and Technology
Both the Platinum and Black are multi-piece, solid-core golf balls. The Platinum is a four-piece ball; the Black is comprised of three layers. Both covers are made of urethane, a common cover material in the modern ball era.
The Nike Platinum has two layers (commonly called “mantle” layers) between the core and cover. The inner mantle is responsible for transferring power to the core for a lively performance while the outer mantle is more responsible for spin from mid and short irons. The cover, naturally, is the mostly responsible for the feel and spin on less-than-full shots on and around the greens. The Black has a thicker cover and a single mantle layer to transfer a little more speed to the ball, resulting in a little less spin but a little more distance, particularly off the driver.
You can see the three layers of the ONE Platinum and two layers of the ONE Black. The Platinum spins more, generally.
Of course, these are things we already knew about the Nike balls. So what’s changed? First off, Nike has modified the dimple pattern on both balls. The count has decreased from 408 to 336. Nike engineers have also “intensified” the core (whatever that means), and enlarged it in the Black at the expense of a new, thinner mantle.
Additionally, the already softer Platinum’s cover has been softened further to increase the feel around the greens. The Black, interestingly, has been firmed up a bit to help reduce spin for players that tend to generate too much. According to Nike and the testing they have done with their pros, all these changes have done the following for each of the balls:
Platinum
– More feel around the greens
– Better launch angle and carry for long irons
– Reduced spin rates, specifically off of the SQ driver – increasing distance
Black
– Longer off the tee
– Stronger, flatter ball flight
– Less spin even with shallow angle of attack
Feel and Spin
This is probably the area I judge golf balls the hardest. How a ball feels off the face of the club, especially around the green, is more important to my game than any other way to measure a ball.
Of the two, the Platinum is the softer feeling ball. With a few wedge shots and chips around the green it is evident that the Platinum is meant for those players that enjoy putting a little “juice” on the ball. Don’t expect a tremendous amount though. I was only able to get a couple of chips to get have the one bounce and stop action I routinely get with even Titleist’s lower-spinning Pro V1x.
The box has the “stats” of the balls which is pretty accurate when comparing them against each other – but not against other premium balls.
With fuller wedge shots the amount of spin was similar to the Pro V1x and TaylorMade TP Black, but around the greens the feel was firmer and offered a bit less spin than I’m use to and want in a ball.
The Nike ONE Black ball, as designed, is even firmer around the greens. Chips that I would normally expect to grab with even the firmer TP Black and Pro V1x would roll out with the ONE Black. Fuller swings with irons and wedges sat down quickly, but wouldn’t spin back at all. Again, this is by design, but I’m not sure if the ONE Black suits many players. I don’t know how many amateurs need a ball that spins quite this little.
Off the putter, the Black has a much harder “click” sound and firmer feel than the Platinum as well. The Platinum felt much softer and was more comparable to the balls I’m use to playing.
Distance and Durability
Understanding and gauging distance is one of the hardest things to do when evaluating a golf ball. Unless, that is, the difference is obvious. With the Nike Platinum and the Nike Black, it really wasn’t.
With the Platinum, I didn’t really remember any single drive giving me the “wow” factor. After my rounds I think back to every shot, but none stood out with the Platinum. If anything, I thought that the Nike ONE Platinum was a bit shorter than my Pro V1x, which as the “spinnier” ball of the two is to be expected. What I didn’t expect was to be a tad short with my irons: I hit a few that came up well short of what I would have expected. All in all, the Platinum left me wanting a bit more.
With the longer, lower-spinning Black, distance wasn’t nearly an issue. With its reduced spin, my drives got a bit more roll and were as long as the Pro V1x. Irons also traveled a comparable distance as well. Though there weren’t any shots that stood out to me as a prime example of the Black’s capabilities, it stood apart from the Platinum in that it at least did not disappoint. It was, to put it another way, about what I expected.
Both balls did impress me in one regard: durability. After a normal round with a Pro V1x I will usually toss it into the shag bag or donate it to some pond or forest. Typically they just don’t last more than a round for me. The Nike ONE Platinum and Nike ONE Black seemed to stand up to a good beating more than the premium offerings from Titleist, TaylorMade, and Callaway. After playing nine holes with a Platinum I closely inspected it for any marks or scrapes and could only find a couple areas where the cover had started to shave from some hard-struck wedges. Nike did a good job of developing a ball that can withstand some abuse. If you don’t lose many balls, a dozen of either the Black or Platinum balls will go a long way.
Conclusion
The newer versions of the Nike ONE Black and Nike ONE Platinum balls have improved on their predecessors. After reviewing these, I’m still not ready to replace my current ball. I did not see anything in either ball that would benefit my game if I were to switch.
Then again, as a scratch golfer, I’m very particular about golf balls. A friend of mine who plays off 12 says he likes the Platinum and Black balls and can’t see a big difference between them or other premium balls. He’s right, but the differences are still there – and the differences are in the areas that matter most to me.
Nike ONE Black/Platinum: good, but not great. They won’t be replacing my trusty Pro V1x.
Of the two, I liked the feel of the Platinum more. It seems more like a Pro V1x than the firmer Black, which may be the firmest premium ball on the market. Around the greens, the Platinum was much softer and more responsive to spin from wedges on chips and pitches. Even so, it is still lags a bit behind the “other” balls. Not to be picky, but both the Platinum and Black look more firm and have that glossy, glowing white that you normally see in the old Top Flites and harder covered balls. I’m use to the duller, off-white balls.
Nike has a pretty good ball on their hands but still have a bit to go until I consider them great.
On the one hand, no one in the world has the swing speed and touch/sensibility that Tiger Woods does and he seems to be doing quite well with a Nike ball. On the other hand, it troubles me that Nike chooses to leverage Tiger’s endorsement of their ball while the exact ball he plays is not for sale.
I think it also telling that Jason Gore essentially gave up on Nike and their ball and clubs while in the depths of a serious slump.
Here’s my take: Nike is the supreme master of marketing and hype. Let us not forget the muggings and murders over Air jordans. But I don’t think their current golf products warrant serious consideration unless you’re a serious Tiger wannabe.
Titleist makes a better ball. Titleist, Callaway, and Taylor Made make better drivers. Mizuno makes the best irons of all. And Nike still hasn’t made a putter worth considering.
Whoa. That was a rant. But I’m sticking to it.
Dave was right on in his review. The balls work. But there are better.
What is the difference between Tiger’s balls and the ones for sale?
It’s fairly well known that Tiger’s golf balls are different than those you can buy from the shelf. They are probably have more spin around the greens and are easier to shape with all clubs.
That’s about all I know.
They’re on the USGA’s list of approved golf balls as “Platinum” (albeit with slightly different markings, like “TIGER” sidestamps or whatever he has). Whether his balls have slightly different cover/core/mantle materials, are different thicknesses, or otherwise have slightly different characteristics, it’s well known his ball isn’t the one sold in stores.
So far as I know, he’s the only player in the world with his own ball, but I’m sure the decision makes financial sense for Nike.
Actually, I put the question to a couple of Nike representatives at a recent press day. As I recall, the answer was something like the cover is slightly thinner for a different feel or compression. But don’t hold me to that exactly. The point I do remember them making is that the difference is very, very small. They also said the difference would be indiscernible for mere mortal golfers to feel.
* totally bizarre that “Tiger’s real ball” is not for sale.
* Must be a durability thing or something that prohibits high-volume manufacture.
Jack,
Good comments. Another interesting point (relating to your marketing rant) is that I have yet to play with anyone that has forged Nike Irons. I’ve wanted to hit them for the longest time but nearly all the guys out there that are playing “performance” irons play either 1) Mizunos or 2) Titleists.
If so many guys on tour are using Nike irons, why are they not making their way into the people on the golf course?
The only reason people on nike play this ball is because their sponsor contract forces them to. Look at what happened to jason gore he relized nike’s balls arn’t the best and got fired from nike because of it. I’ve tried every ball on the market and these are the lowest performing tour ball out of the bunch.
PS-Jack, the reason you don’t see many nike forged blades on the golf course is because they are extremely hard to hit. mizunos and tileists are hard to hit but on a scale of 1 to 10 i would rank the forgiveness of 695 mbs a 3 and mizuno mp 67 a 4, but nikes are around 0-1. I like the mizuno mp 60 because it is a good balance between players blades and irons like the callaway x-20 pro.
PPS- Tigers ball has a extremely soft cover that scuffs so much no one would buy them because they might only last a hole or two
Shot 75 on Thursday and 72 friday with a 07 Platinum and I don’t think either Pro V would have made the score’s any lower.
I have played pro v’s for the last 5 years and decided to make a change mostly due to price. Pro v’s are $58 a dozen here now and I can buy ’07 one+platinums for less than $35. I did seem to be about a half of club shorter with the Nike.
You guys must love trashing Nike!!! 😈
In my opinion they make the best tour caliber ball out there. Around the greens no ball on the market comes close, the Nike ONE Platinum. That ball will check very fast which comes in handy when you short side yourself.
The ProV1x is my second option when picking golf balls, a great ball, but the spin characteristics of the Platinum can’t be beat.
Whoever is reading this review, go out and buy a sleve of Nike ONE Platinum’s, a sleve of ProV1x’s, a sleve of Taylormade TP Red’s and a sleve of Callaway HX Tour 56’s. Those are the best balls on the market in my opinion. Take the balls on the course and try them in different scenario’s, drives, chips, putts, working the ball, etc. Don’t knock a company’s ball until you really give it a unbiased try.
Anyways, you guys can keep on playing your ProV’s while sit in my corner playing my Platinum.
Your claim is both wildly unfounded and incredibly rude. Every product reviewed here is given a fair shake, and Dave found these balls lacking.
I should also note Jason Gore and Chris Couch have recently departed Nike specifically because they do not like the golf ball.
I was a huge cleveland and titleist pro v fan for sometime now. Back in May while working with my swing coach I noticed the Nike forged blades in the demo bag. I tried it and absolutlely loved it. The workability was the best and the forgiveness for me was absolutely great of any blade I have tried (cg1; mp32; mp67; or mb tp taylormade). After that day, I switched to the nike blades and have had great success with them. My first tournament with them produced the best round I’ve ever had as far as greens in reg and score. Needless to say, I did very well.
I also tried the one platinum. The first thing that I noticed is that they putted very well. They also checked very well for me. I had a problem with bith the pro v & vx of them backing up way to much for me.
When I ordered the Nike Blade, it was a custom order. The Nike rep told me that so few people play them that they are customized and demo days only have them if pre-arranged.
my last comment was a rumor i heard but my swing coach who worked for nike making clubs for the tour pros told me the reason tigers ball isnt for sale is because it isnt just tiger’s ball that isnt for sale, nike has 31 different balls on tour, the differnece from the ones we buy is the launch angle. tigers ball has a slightly lower flight than the one on store shelves
For players who hit the ball with a higher-than-average spin rate, the Nike One Black noticeably flattens and lengthens the driver. But perhaps a heavier shaft with a ProV1x would do both just as well, plus you’de get the improved performance that the Titleist ball provides elsewhere.
i play the slingshot oss irons and i’m a scratch golfer on our high school varsity team. i play the nike one platinums and i believe that they react very well off the clubface. i played the prov1x’s this past year and even tho i really liked them, they did not stand up to my swing(125 mph) after i would play they would be cut and not worth playing. i think the one platinums react very well, are cheaper, and hold up better than the prov1x’s. just my opinion 🙂
It sounds like mostly good golfers talking about these balls. I’m not a very good golfer but I am very long. The Nike One Blacks were recommended to me by a pro after watching me hit. The difference over every other ball I ever played was instant and distinct. For the first time in many years (back injury changed what was once a good swing) I now play most of my rounds without losing balls on my drive. They don’t get up so high into the wind and the intermittent fades and draws only end up in the rough now, not the woods or the next county. The feel off the putter face is nice too although around the green I’m still consistently bad and don’t blame the ball. The game is much more enjoyable when the ball doesn’t exacerbate your flaws – at least for golfers like me.
Tiger’s Platinum and the retail version are very easy to differentiate on looks alone. I have both balls in my collection from the 2007 season. Markings like “TW” aside….there are noticably more dimples on the Tiger version. It is very easy for the eye to pick up on. This would give the ball more spin, hence it would be geared towards a shot shaping player like Tiger.
Also, there is one other staff player that Nike authorized to play Tiger’s special ball. It is KJ Choi.
I think that the Taylormade Tp black and red or the Titleist pro V1X are the best. The Nike ones are horrible balls both black and platinum.
it’s unfortunate that people comment on golf ball preformance when amount of compression needed to actually notice a difference is not a common factor found within the non-pro majority of rec golfers. the two nike golf balls will suite that of an individual who reg plays with pro v and vx. it’s not like any of us can pull the string 5-8 yards back on an approach 8-9 times out of 10 like tour players are capable of. keep in mind that there are many low cost balls out there for the average consumer that out preforms high cost balls in the category of distance. yet why do we purchase these how cost balls? b/c they give us overall preformance not just distance. having said this, a box of plat or black is 10-15 dollars less then pro vs making them a better value ball with just as equiv preformance regardless if u so happen to lose 3-5 yards (if you happen to be coming up 10-15 yards short, it’s your swing). however those of u who claim that pro vs are the superior ball, i am not arguing. i play with pro vs myself but new sleeves that are stamped by the club house for 8 dollars a sleeve.
I play mostly all nike except wedges and putter (Titliest) and nike one is my ball of chioce. I started the season with the Platinum but towards the end switch to the Black. I like both, but creat to much spin with the Platinum. I would have to agree with you for the most part except I think that Nike is a better ball than Titliest.
Tiger’s ball is not for sale because its probably a Pro V1 stamped with Nike’s logo.
I am an 8.2 and I used to play the pro v1 and then later the pro v1x. In fact my license plate says, “I’d rather be driving a Pro V1x”. I got a little too much spin with the pro V’s. Last year I tried the Platinum and maybe it was just a coincidence but I had a very good round. I now play the platinum and need to change my license plate. As we all know, golf is such a mental game. I think the bottom line is – If you THINK a ball is better, then it IS.
I second that vote for the Taylor Made TP black and red.
Still haven’t decided which one is best for me, but it’s winter now and I can’t really tell anything about the ballflight and workability when it’s so cold I have to take an extra club for every shot and I”m losing 15 yards of carry off the tee.
It’s obvious the Pro V1 and x are the most popular among pros, but I wanted to know what other balls could do for me that cost less than the Titleist. I tried the Srixon Z URC but it’s a shortknocker, although it feels terrific around the green.
THe TP will go further than the Srixon but it seems as good in the short game as anything.
Haven’t tried a Nike since the old TW came and went. Liked it okay, but I think the TM red and black are plenty good as a balance between distance and good shortgame feel.
I have played the Nike Platinum, Pro V1X and Taylormade red and black. I like the feel of the Platinum the best but I do feel I lose a little off the Tee. I am a 5 handicap and that doesn’t make that big of a difference. Everyone now is worried about distance but I am more worried about feel and accuracy. I love the Nike Platinum and will continue to play them, they have the best price range and the Pro V1’s are too expensive for the average golfer. If you are not a scratch golfer then the ball will not make that much difference. If you like the feel, that is all that matters.
I am a 10 handicap. I suck so bad that one day I can break 80 with a rock hard pinnacle and then the next day do it with a pro v1x. All balls react differently! Thing thing you have to do is get it in the hole in as few strokes as you can. I don’t buy balls I pick them out of the woods! Free is better. If it has a scuff on it big deal maybe it makes it check better when it grabs off the wedge! 😀
I have played the Titlist ProV1 and the ProV1x as well as the Taylormade Black and Red and most recently I have played both Nike One Platinum and Black balls. The best feel is without a doubt comes from the Nike platinum, the Titlist Balls and the Taylormade balls are similar in performance but the Taylormade balls are more durable but the most durable of them all are the Nike Balls. The least durable
Balls were the Titlist balls. My scores don’t change much from ball to ball. I’m a about a 10 handicap and in my opinion picking a professional ball is personal and very subjective for the amateur and the pro.
I am 13 years old. I was introduced to golf about a year ago. It seems that I get better ever time I play.I was playing golf at a local course in Texas.It was late in the day and I was just about to break down, when a local resident who lived on the fairway offered me some golf balls that he collected in his yard.Well of course I looked for the Nike, Tietlist, and callaway golf balls. I found quit a few. After that I rapped it up and went home. When I arrived I went in my backyard and hosed the golf balls off. During that time I found the brand new Nike ONE golf ball.All of my friends who played golf talked about this golf ball to be one of the best.So the next day I took the ball to the driving range. I hit the ball with my driver. It was probably one of my best drives I’ve ever had. Today I bought a sleeve of Nike juice golf balls to compare them with the Nike ONE golf balls so I can see witch one I prefer.
I have been playing the prov1x, tayloremade black and red. I am a scratch golfer and have problems getting spin off the driver calloway ft-f 10.5 tour with matrix shaft. When I hit the platnum ball i picked up more spin on the monitor. it increased to 2300 on the monitor and distance went to 290 from 265 on the other balls.
I know that this is a Nike discussion but most of you are comparing the Nike T with Pro v1 and Taylormade. I played Nike T for years and was very sucessfull witht the ball. But, I truly believe that if everybody who has posted to date would go out and play a Bridgestone 330s, most would agree the performacne is equal and for the cost it is the best ball on the market today. Great feel without sacrificing distance.
I have never played the nike one, but i would like to. i play with the pro v1X and have a bad slice. any suggestions?
On price alone vs playability the platinum is by far the best deal out there.
For the guy who says the balls are horrible, maybe you should invest in some lessons. It isn’t the arrow, it is the indian mate…
all these haters hating on balls, this is a mental game, if you look down and see a nike swoosh(or whatever brand logo you are using) and that calms you down, then you are already a step ahead of everyone else. i also get sick of hearing people blaming their game on the ball or the clubs, if you are not a single digit handicapper or scratch golfer, then the ball does NOT matter. most people who golf, like 95 per cent couldn’t put spin on the ball anyway around the greens or with mid to short irons. so pick a ball, pick up your clubs, and go play some golf cuz its fun, and it’s better than layin’ bricks on a sunday afternoon…
i have literally played with almost every ball on the market
and the nike one and v1 are the best. I golf very often (2-3 times during the week and every sunday) and i have a sasquatch sumo2 9.5 driver and a taylormade burner 9.5. the sumo is the one i prefer because it got rid of my small slice and changed my drive from 285 to about 300 while the burner didnt change my slice but added about 5-10 yards. but anyway the nike black added about 10-15 yards and platinum kept the distance the same but stopped the ball where it landed on the green(the black still has excellent feel on the green). the v1 is like a combo i think. it adds only about 5 yards and leaves a little to be desired with spin. i play mostly the black but platinum for par 3s. these are by far the 2 best balls with the v1 in second. (titleist is overrated anyway)
it doesn’t matter what Tiger uses, he can beat anyone with any club or ball. like phil mickleson said, “tiger wins with cheap Nike clubs”. Jason Gore and Chris Couch will lose tournaments with the best ball out there. It doesn’t matter what ball they use. Tiger will prove again, and again, that he’s more dominate with Nike! he can get some irons from Wal-Mart, and still finish in top 3! Its all mental! tiger has the competition all screwed up, thinking they need the best ball, best irons, driver, and cadie, etc, at the end Tiger will have won more tournaments!
I’m pretty sure if tiger didn’t get results he wanted from a Nike ball, he wouldn’t be playing one. He went back to a Titleist driver when Nike didn’t make one that suited his needs I don’t see a ball being any different. That being said, I prefer the Bridgestone B330 to either Nike ONE ball. I get plenty of spin and touch around the greens and it’s longer for me than the ONE balls.
I recently made the switch from a Taylormade Burner to a Nike Sumo2. I typically play with the V1, but last week and ran across a Platinum in my range ball bucket; I gave it a whack off of the first tee and was really impressed with the responsiveness and distance of my tee shot. As a 10 handicap, the shot control and shaping ability it gave me with that driver and hybrid (an older Nike CPR) was not like any control I had ever had with my V1. However, those being the only two Nike clubs in my bag, my short irons and wedges seemed very bland when contacting the ball, and did not match up to my V1s; the formidable losses I took on approach has me skeptical about the ball’s overall playability, but I certainly will be looking for a sleeve of platinums the next time I venture to the sporting goods store.
Full disclosure: Although I golf often I shoot in the high 90’s low 100’s (Handi – 22.8 this year). I do drive the ball in the 260-280 range.
Driver —— Sumo2 SQ
Irons ——- Slingshot OSS Tour
Putter —— Heavy Putter A2
I had wanted to try the Blacks for a while now but the price was more then I wanted to pay for golf balls. I usualy hit the Juice, or Srixon AD333. Last week at the course I noticed they had 2 packs of One Blacks for 3 bucks… So I picked up 2 sleves. To be honest I had no expectations, I was curious but I wasnt expecting to notice much of a difference.
Boy was I wrong, I have a slice that comes into play every now and again (See driver) but these balls fly straight as an arrow.
The 8th hole was a 430 yard par 4, I am feeling pretty good so I over swing a little and sure enough as soon as I hit it I know its gonna have that nice sharp slice and I’ll lose a ball… to my supprise the ball does slice, but it holds the right edge of the fairway.
9th hole is a dog leg right and I decide to try and go over the bunker (about 260 out) and cut the corner, if I over swing and slice it I’ll be working the ball towards the fairway, and if I hit it square I’ll clear the bunker for sure and have a nice easy approach to the green. I crushed it and cleared the bunker easy (what I didnt know was there was a small water hazard behind the bunker haha opps).
The down side:
I will say that the Nice One black did not have much “feel” shots in the “sweet” spot still fell a little hard, and off center hits feel like hitting a small rock. They were difficult to get a great touch around the green. I can usualy play a fairly effective “flop” shot, but again these balls were difficult to get the right “touch” on
Overall I am frustrated, because I think I’m going to have to keep buying these more expensive balls, the added benifit from hitting from the short grass, and “saving” me from my slice out weighs the “touch” factor.
hey ive been playing golf for around half a year my handicap is about a 5-6 ive tryed all the top balls i have a nike sumo 2 driver and nike pro combo irons if your not the best golfer the nike iron will not be rite for you and if you actually good golfer/ scratch your be able to work and control them with ease even some scratch golfer do not have the skill to use nike irons there very difficult to master but when u do there rewarding any how the nike golf balls are very good balls i cannot lie i prolbe average 16 fairways pr round of 18 and the ball flys strait as an arrow i have a slite draw in my irons and driver and it flys like hell u guys are all bitching about spin and shit if your a fucking pro im not talkin scratch golfer thats the only time you should worry about spin at a level around mine you shouldnt even care or give a shit to put spin on the ball you have to have an advance swing that pinches the ball and come very downward witch not many people have not even half the golfer in the pga tour have it the nike ball have great ball flight and land softly on greens(rolling about a foot from where they land) also the balls have great feel and flight control and distance doesnt matter 5 fucking yardsss haah 5 yard just hit the ball harder u pussys my swing speed is a around 135 i drive about 325 yards average how do u like that and i eat titeleist balls for breakfast almost cut every ball made by titeleis off the irons the nike stand up and can be played like a muthfucker i play the same nike ball 4 rounds in a row and guess fucking what i still beat you ive been playing a year and have a 5 handi my best score ever was a 69 playing at pebble beach so bottom line inless u got a handicap under par dont fucking give a shit bout balls or spin but the nike balls have lastability and are pretty dam good price
I have yet to buy a dozen Nike One Platinums, but I was lucky enough to find one a couple weeks ago.
I like the Callaway Tour balls for their soft feel and control. Overall, I’m consistently inconsistent as I typically will go 9 or 10 holes straight making pars and birdies, then another 8 or 9 holes straight making nothing but bogeys with an occasional par(on a 70 to 74 rated course). Therefore, finding a ball that allows me to be consistent, prevent mistakes, and having the ability to stop it on a dime are all very important to me.
Today I played the front 9 with my Callaway, and decided to try playing the back 9 with the Nike One Platinum. First, it’s obviously a nice ball. It has a nice soft feel and produces a fair amount of spin. The downside, for me, is that my drives were about 15 or 20 yards shorter. (~280 down to 260 or 265). This could be because the ball wasn’t new, but it’s in very good shape with few marks, so I suspect there is something more specific with the platinum one itself.
So, off the driver, it’s not great for me.
The driver distance isn’t a deal breaker provided that my iron play can make up for that. I was very happy with the ball’s performance off my wedges, but I had a heck of a time controlling it with my 5/6/7/8.
So, off the wedges, great, off the other irons, not so great for me.
Chipping and green play were about the same as the other nice balls on the market.
Overall, it’s a nice ball, but I’ll stick to the Callaway Tour for now. It would be nice to get a chance to play with the version Tiger plays with. The retail Nike One Platinum is worth a try – it may work out just fine for you.
I bought one of the balls Tiger used in the US Open 2008 at a charity auction last night…not sure which hole/s yet, but have e-mailed Steve Williams. Any idea how I’d find out what it is worth? ❓
Where are you guys buying your Pro V1’s and x’s? Where ever it is, you are getting ripped off. Pro V1’s and x’s are $44.95 or $45.95 around here, depending on store. A golf course pro shop might sell them for $58 but not a golf shop, Dick’s Sports, or anywhere else. Better do some searching into those prices. By the way, the Pro V1x is the best all around ball. I recently played a Calloway Tour ix, Nike One Platinum, and Nike One Black in consecutive rounds. All of them are at least a half club shorter on iron shots and shorter off the tee than Pro V’s. If you’re a solid player, Pro V’s are the choice. There is a reason its the #1 ball on tour.
What most comments have not dealt with is the fact that Nike did change the Black and Platinum balls this year.
The “old” Platinum was soft, checked-up well, and was reasonably long. Even with its high spin I never had a problem ballooning it.
I tried a dozen of the “new” Platinums and there is no comparison.
Even with my relatively low ball flight they would balloon in a light breeze. They are nowhere near as responsive around the greens and even run out on wedge shots . The distance is about the same.
Try the new Callaway Tour-i, it is a far superior product, even better than the old Platinum.
Interesting that u found the Platinum to have less spin that the ProV1 when the Golf Digest scientific robot tested results showed the Nike Platinum to have the most spin on mid to short iron shots.. hmmm..
Golf.. its all in our heads.
I love ’em and hit em hard and long.
JLB
Well what i have discovered on the Platinums compared to the Pro V1’s is that the Platinums have their advantages especially saying that i have taken out those two brand with the driver to match and find that the Platinum’s are better with the SQ and the Pro V1’s are good with any titleist driver.
I still stand my ground for using the Platinum’s
I haven’t heard such eloquence as Matt’s dissertation since I was in high school and a guy I worked with used f#ck three times in the same sentence as an adjective, noun, and adverb, as well as his golf experience doubling in a mere paragraph. I’ve been golfing for over 40 years (with a 20 year break up till 2 years ago) and sure wish I could be a 5 handicap after 6 months, or was it one year? Still, REMARKABLE progress. I’ve been trying the ONE platinum for about a year and do like the spin (some of us may not be burning up the scorecard, but I get great enjoyment in stopping a shot, or backing it up, or playing that fade, slice, draw, for trouble shots. I can pull them off, but the consistency isn’t there that I had years ago, though I was a 9 at best. Still, I have the trick shots. I thougth that my loss of distance was due to my old relatively out-of-shape age. 5 irons that used to be 200-210 now are 180, but now after reading, I wonder how much is my age and swing vs the ball. Still, back in my ‘long’ days, I was the longest off the tee (did I mention I still hit my Tommy Armour 986 tour blades, 1 iron included, and persimmon woods?) and know very well that distance is overrated. Sure, you get bragging rights, can somtimes cut a corner with that extra distance, but in an entire round, it’s accuracy going into and around the greens. So here’s my question to the group – I haven’t honestly tried anything but the Platinum, but what would the closest thing be to the Tour Edition of the 90’s? I loved that ball, and in my 20 year exodus, they stopped making it!
As for Matt’s brilliant comments, I don’t know anyone who has played for 6 months or a year and is a 5 handicapper and, oh yeah, shot 69 at pebble beach but I guess his golf game is only equalled by his foul language and illiteracy. Say it together now… MORON!!
Its all about the players, their swing, their control and how they read the course. My cousin uses range balls, and shoots 10 over par! My dad uses pro v’s and shoots about the same. What ever you’re comfortable with, whatever feels good and performs for you is what counts. I love titleist, but i’ve used nike one’s before and they weren’t bad, almost the same feel as pro v’s, but i’ve also used some bridgestones that feel about the same. Play what feels good and performs well for you. Advise and opinions do help, but they are just opinions. I used an old titleist tour 90 and shot an 8 over par, then went on the same course and played a pro v, shot 5 shots worse, but then went out and played a pro v again and shot 7 over par. Of course i’m not consistant, but that just shows that the ball had very little factor in my game play. Sometimes they were short went it felt like i nailed it, other times they would sail and it felt like i hit it on the heal. Again, just play what works for you.
Unfortunately when reviewing a product such as golf balls, all reviews are going to be skewed. No 2 golf swings are exactly alike, and no 2 players apply the same method to the sport. I’m a 7 handicap with huge distance and strong short game around the green. I was a proV1 player until I used the Nike One Black. I personally get more off the tee, both with distance and accuracy, with this ball. Manufacturers can apply all the spin ratings they would like to a ball, but the truth is that the grooves in the club and the person swinging are the most important factor.
As a high school golf coach, I couldn’t disagree more with the statement, “I’m not sure if the ONE Black suits many players. I don’t know how many amateurs need a ball that spins quite this little.” It is far more common for most amateur golfers to be chronically short with iron shots, pitches, and chips than it is for them to be too long. This is exactly the reason I buy One Blacks for my team rather than ProV1s. ProV1s may be a great ball for scratch players, but they are a TERRIBLE choice for other amateurs looking to improve. Most of these amateurs would be far better learning to get the ball rolling on most shots rather than trying to fly it to the flag and spin it, a technique that is far more difficult and has a far smaller margin of error. The ProV1 makes this “ground” style of play impossible. I would challenge most amateurs to play 5 rounds with each ball and would be shocked if the ProV1 performs better than even far cheaper balls for this level of player. Anyone with a handicap higher than about 5 is simply throwing their money away on ProVs.
Hmmm…lotsa crap about Nike balls but hey… who wins the most on the PGA tour these days? Team Nike ? Good ’nuff for me.