I just don't want to play a ProV1

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Kobey

What I meant was that most people are swayed by advertisements and such.  How many people do you know that use a certain brand of something just because their favorite player uses it?  If everyone only played what suits their game there would be no need for sponsorships.  I wasn't disagreeing with you, just saying that not everyone has your realistic approach.

lol Oh no no no, I wasn't "attacking" you or anything. I was just saying I wasn't sure what you meant and just trying to clarify if I was confusing or anything. I understand though, it's like the "Kobe Bryant can slam dunk from the Foul Line with his new Nikes! I need to buy those!" rather than the kid knowing that you can get the same results from cheaper Adidas or something, or trying different things.

[newtogolf]

In order to figure out which ball or club to play you have to start somehere so it's usually with the equipment your favorite golfer uses which is what the sponsors are hoping for.  I don't think it's pure coincidence that TM sponsors the most pro golfers and has the #1 selling driver or that Titleist has the most pro's using their ProV's and that it's the #1 selling ball.  Some golfers never get serious and stick with the proven choices of their favorite golfers while others gain a better understanding of equipment, get fitted and find that what the pro's use isn't always the best for them.   I played Head racquets when I first started playing racquetball because Cliff Swain and Sudsy Monchik used them.  As I improved and started to try other racquets and found Ektelon racquets were better for my game.  Same has happened in golf.

Originally Posted by Kobey

What I meant was that most people are swayed by advertisements and such.  How many people do you know that use a certain brand of something just because their favorite player uses it?  If everyone only played what suits their game there would be no need for sponsorships.  I wasn't disagreeing with you, just saying that not everyone has your realistic approach.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Price is a totally different issue than brand bias.  I don't play ProV's because I still lose a few balls when I play and I work hard enough for my money that I'm not going to waste $20 on balls per round when I can use used NXT-Tours at less than $1 a ball and not see much of a difference in performance given my skill level.

i bought AAAAA nxt-tours and THOUGHT they were nice....but now with my soft FG tour irons and the fact that im a much better player now than before when i tried them, they are wayyy to hard feeling and the short game and putting arena i couldnt control the distance very well. but i ended up buying a sleeve of nxt-tours and put them up against my lightly used NXT-tours and the difference was incredble. the new ones had more consistency and felt much better (although they were new...i ensured a way that i would never tell the difference prior to each shot/hole) the distance was also much better as well as the ball flight.

I looked into the ball brand new and even considering its a higher handicap "tour-like" ball its still 40 bucks a box! Recently i bought Wilson Staff FG tours and considering it has its "haters" i could care less what they think. Its softer than nxt-tour, proV1x, and a touch or two softer than the proV1. Not mushy by any means. but they feel hot off the face of the irons especially.

in short i got two boxes for 40 bucks and they are considered wilsons tour-caliber offering in the golf ball market. I love them.

NOTE: brand new the FG Tours are about $35 brand new in a local golf store. and i saw them for a steal on eBay

[handlez42]

also i feel bridgestone has a lot better of an offer for majority of golfers with their b330-RX/RX-S balls....i liked hitting the RX and noticed the distance was much easier to come by but the spin and short game control was sub-par....i should probly give the RX-S a try.

[colin007]

where are you finding brand new nxt-tours for less than $1 a ball?

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Do I just suck it up and join the masses playing the #1 ball in golf? Or do you have suggestions for balls that will feel as good as a ProV1 but be more unique?

Instead of wasting all this energy and time thinking about, go get fitted for a ball by a professional and call it a day.

You never know, the PROV1/X may just be right for you game.  If not, then something else will be and whatever that may be play it.  Who cares about other people's justifications for playing the PROV1. That's their own issue not yours.  All that should matter is what ball helps you to shoot the lowest and most consistent scores possible...

[FLOG4]

I was at a club and they had a demo day for Bridgestone....The 330 RX was my determined ball.  I actually already knew that.  If your driver swing speed is under 105 which mine is at this point, it's a great ball.  I still play ProV's too and I can't really tell them apart.  But I do only get the high number Pro V's. 5/6/7/8 That could set you apart........

[Kobey]

I think this thread has some potential.  Maybe it will get some of us thinking about why we make some of the choices we do, and perhaps a few of us will go with something that helps our game that we wouldn't have even considered before.  Then again, I still can't bring myself to consider a brand I hate for no good reason.  Before this thread I was dead set on buying TM irons.  Now I am at least open to the idea that another brand may be a better fit for me.  Anyone wanna take bets on which brand I end up buying though?

[handlez42]

forget the prov1 or prov1X....wilson staff came out with a redefined version of there successful FG TOUR urethane ball.

its called the FG TOUR X...yea i know prov1 people are saying its probably a cheap knock off of the prov1x but if you have hit the original fg tour ball you'd be rather interested.

problems with the original fg tour were the lower compression for a "tour-caliber" ball. most considered it to be too soft (73 compression). i tend to agree but prefer this ball over anything until the new one has just come.

new ball is slightly more solid for lower spinning longer shots as well as added distance (also is about a 93 compression ball...slightly less than titleist which could explain the easier distance.).... no loss in the short game spin and a few guys testing it i know said it was longer than both prov1 and prov1x and matched up nicely around the greens in terms of spin.

Give the original FG a shot...if it doesn't work (likely the "too soft" feel)...then im sure the fg tour x will work great.

I know i cant wait to try it

[Clambake]

If you really want to play something unique, try this one:

It worked for 007 as he beat Goldfinger.   Still available.....

[Golfs-for-Fun]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Time to bare my soul.

To be honest, I don't want to play ProV1 balls because I want to be different. I can make up stuff about the performance of this ball vs that ball. The truth is, I hate playing a ball that so many guys play simply because the pros play it. I know there are those on this site that play ProV1 balls because they notice a difference. But we all know most guys who play them do not have the game to notice one ball vs another and they play ProV's because the are the ball played by their heros on TV.

Well Im glad someone said it.

My step father has been riding me about buying used balls. Every time we get into a discussion he tries to blame the BALL for my not playing like a pro yet. Hello, its been THREE MONTHS! How on earth could I be much more than a hack at this point???

Im smart enough to figure out that buying $4 balls isnt going to change a single thing about my game until Im playing at least somewhere in the ball park of par golf.

And although I rarely hit the ponds and creeks, Id rather offer up a 17cent used ball to the golf gods instead of a $4 one.

He got all gleamy when I told him I bought this Taylor Made driver. Its a great club, mind you, but I hit my cheap Tight Lies clones just as well as I do the TM, if not better.

High end clubs and balls arent going to make me a better player at my level. They'll just leave me less money to get on the course with.

[FLOG4]

Used vs New.....works for balls but works even better with clubs. So many start but quit.  So deals abound.  Especially good stuff that has been replaced with new model.  So much of the hype is marketing.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by Golfs-for-Fun

Well Im glad someone said it.

My step father has been riding me about buying used balls. Every time we get into a discussion he tries to blame the BALL for my not playing like a pro yet. Hello, its been THREE MONTHS! How on earth could I be much more than a hack at this point???

Im smart enough to figure out that buying $4 balls isnt going to change a single thing about my game until Im playing at least somewhere in the ball park of par golf.

And although I rarely hit the ponds and creeks, Id rather offer up a 17cent used ball to the golf gods instead of a $4 one.

He got all gleamy when I told him I bought this Taylor Made driver. Its a great club, mind you, but I hit my cheap Tight Lies clones just as well as I do the TM, if not better.

High end clubs and balls arent going to make me a better player at my level. They'll just leave me less money to get on the course with.

Ive been playing for roughly 2 years. (less because of the north eastern states weather. damn snow) and i started by buying nxt tours used. i liked them. But then i realized that the consistency of a used ball, especially when you might not know if its a pond ball or not, is much different. I started buying new pinnacle golds. they were much more consistent. I agree you hit better when you care less about losing the ball. but you shouldnt have to worry about losing the ball. best thing to do is just work on getting better and work on visualizing shots prior to shooting them. puts less thought into losing an expensive ball.

there are many other options even cheaper than the bridgestone e6 that have good feel and long distance brand new.

i agree a 4 dollar ball is quite rediculous for a hobby golfer. which is why when my local sports stores golf shop had "logo/overrun" prov1s and prov1x's...i pulled the trigger and bought a dozen. 6 of each kind because id never tried the prov1X. that same day i shot my best of 77. which is significantly better than my usual mid-to-high 80s. i think they are the best ball out there, but only if you believe in that thought. I don't play prov1s often. i stick to the "lesser known" premium balls like the bridgestone b330-RX line or wilson staff fg tour, or srixon which i havent tried but id like to try soon.

I will agree im partial to wanting to buying equipment that competes with the likes of taylormade, titleist, nike, and so on. i like to be different. just look at my bag.

driver: tour edge exotics cb3 tour opposed to anything that has a white crown (TM) or titleist

3-wood: tour edge exotics cb2 15*.....they say they are the longest in the game and i believe it after purchasing this as my first exotics club. but why doesn't anybody else pull the trigger?????

hybrid: tour edge exotics cb2 19*...i like adams alot in every other category EXCEPT the tour hybrids....they are a bit small for me at address and i like them dont get me wrong...but im a rebel in the equipment world....plus, i wanted the same feel that my 3 wood provided with consistency in my woods/hyrbids.

Irons: Wilson Staff FG tour. my first set of irons were THE original Di11 irons. Wilson Deep Red II Distance. i kept reading wilson making a comeback with the new staff brand and they had some good looking new stuff. the FGs were my favorite but i was also putting them up against the Ci9s (note check out the ci11's! sick looking). why do i need mizuno forgings when i can have literally the next best thing. these are pure just like mizzys.

Wedges: Literally just today I received my Macgregor VIP forged wedges (54/10 and 58/10) and they look stunning with the pvd chrome. I dont like the look of vokeys...maybe its because the name sounds like a little animal that lived in "The Magic Kingdom"...but they felt good in motion. Watson wedges were up there but look silly. The VIPs however, look traditional in shape, and design. Don't let golfsmith fool you, Macgregor lore still lives somewhere within that dept.

Flat-stick: i have a yes! carolyne center shaft putter. i got it brand new for 50 bucks from rockbottomgolf. i like it because its the last of the traditional blade shaped putters Yes! made with more weight than most blades. my comparison? why the h-e-double hockey sticks do i need to spend 300-500 dollars on a putter!?! you people "know who you are"...scotty, you need to stop stealing the golfing world of its money. now i know there are many other companies out there with putters. Ping has nice putters. TM has decent putters. i like the corza but idk if i could have it in my bag. the 79 designs' are nice. but the gimmicky TM name i dont care for. tour edge has exotics putters MADE by David Glod, founder and CEO? they are EXPENSIVE but just as pretty as a scotty and has cool texture "X"s like a milled face for feel. cleveland apparently is a very underrated company in putters but i never looked. they are a bit bland.

A bit LONGGG i know...but overall my point is that there are soooo many companies that offer products made to compete with the white crowns, mizuno forging, scottys, vokeys, #1 hybrid in golf, and LASTLY the #1 used golf ball all over (not just on tour), that you shouldnt sell yourself for marketing. Look hard, you will find a 14 club bag full of really REALLY good equipment. maybe even the best

[adh241]

Theres a reason so many play Titleist Pro V1 / V1X.  Its not always (or even usually) anything to do with joining the masses.  its because they perform.  You dont have to be a pro to notice the difference, especially around the green where I believe these balls really earn their reputation.  Granted, theres a lot of good brands, but I think youre cutting off your nose to spite your face by not playing Pro V1's just because lots of others do.  Have a look at all the sticks in your bag.  I guarantee you're not the only one using them either.....

[xmanhockey7]

Who cares what others play and what's popular and play what suites you best. I play the Pro V1 because it's what I find works best for me. I like the spin I get around the greens and on approach shots. I've tried other balls. The closest thing I got to changing from the Pro V1 is the penta when it first came out. I found I hit it further and felt great around the green. Problem was the ball didn't spin like I wanted it to on approach shots especially with my longer irons.

[carpediem4300]

Prov1 plays best for me, but i play srixon ad333 because they are close enough and half the price :p

[JohnLund]

Balls, balls, balls...so many choices and I am not sure it makes much of difference to your game. I started with ballata balls decades ago and have followed Titleist most of my golfing days. Today in warm weather and hard fast greens I love the feel and control of the ProV1. When I am in the cooler north country I find the Bridgestone E-6 does just about everything I need it too. The next ball I am going to try is the new Titleist NXTs. I have hopes that it will do "everything" I want it to. Whatever you play hit em long and straight! John L

[rbjets69]

I can't see why any regular golfer would pay big bucks for Pro-V's? Just cause Jim Nance says so?? There are so many good balls out there at regular guy prices, why waste your money. When I play with the Pro-v crowd, I have to say, I chuckle inside when they plant one in the trees or the pond. Sorry, but I do.