Ball Test: Titleist ProV1 vs Top Flight FREAK

[RX Phoenix]

ProV1 vs FREAK

The results are in and it is quite surprising.

Having tested out various 'distance' balls against ProV1 I was skeptical about the FREAK ball. Aren't all distance balls like rocks? Don't stick on the green, don't putt or chip well, etc?

Here's what I've found out after playing several rounds with both balls.

1: With the irons, the FREAK is one iron longer. If I hit a green using the FREAK and an 8 iron, I'll need a strong 7 iron to hit it with the ProV1.

2: The ball flight of the FREAK off irons is the highest I've ever seen and thus I've had no issues with the ball not holding the green, in fact the ball is usually close to its ball mark.

3: Chips are decent, the high spin is missing but it certainly has feel coming off the clubhead.

4: Driver and fairway wood distance is 10-15 yds further than the ProV1

5: Directional stabilty is excellent, stays on line a shade better than the ProV1

6: It putts beautifully, a different feel than a softer ball but not at all a rock.

7: The feel off driver/irons is nice and crunchy, with the compression being felt as if the ball is staying on the clubhead without being too hot.


Conclusion: The FREAK falls into the category of a distance ball that maintains a high degree of playability in all phases of the game. It has a very nice feel and awesome trajectory with the irons. The only drawback would be that it lacks the high spin and ultra cushion-e feeling on chips and pitches.

This is a really good golf ball, much better than it's advertising points out, as it is being pitched as all distance ball, but it is really an all around great ball.

For example: 410yd with tight pin in top right shelf. Drive 275 instead of 260 Approach 9 Iron instead of 7 iron. With ultra hi trajectory the ball floats down near the tight pin . . . advantage FREAK over ProV1.

[ElTigre]

Its a rock.

It is longer. But it does not have great feel or chip shot stopping spin. The reason it flies much higher is because of the harder mantle. You don't want your ball to fly super high with your short irons, because then the ball will move around too much, also, the shot shaping abilities of a ball with a harder cover drastically decreases because the mantle is not compressing into the grooves. It may fly high and stop on the green, but that is because it has a steep downward descent, not shot biting spin. This is why it will stop on full shots and not check hard on chip shots. A Pro V1 is the better ball in the wind, on the green, around the green, on pitch shots, on shots you need to shape, and on holes where you have short sided yourself and you need to keep it close.

The reason for it being better on the green is because it has a softer feel, and will not give you inconsistent distances by jumping off the face in too lively of a way.

It is pretty much fact that any tour level ball is better than a top-flite freak.
That is why you don't see players like Tiger, or Adam, or Phil playing Top-Flite balls.
They just will not preform.