What ball to use ?

Legion

Hi guys

As per topic I am looking for a bit of advice.

After 7/8 years of being out of the game ( due to injury at the time ) I have decided to take it back up again. Last time I played the game I was using the Maxfli Revolution and I am looking for something similar in feel to replace it.

I'm totally out of touch these days with whats what so any suggestions would be appreciated.

thegen

Wow, they were a good ball. Funny enough I found one last week on my home course!!!

It was a soft ball as I remember. Similar to what was referred to as a Balata back then. Most of the manufacturers do a similar ball now. My pref id a Pro V.

You can ask the advice of your pro or seek advice in a good shop.

Tip, look for the older guy in the shop, the younger ones wont know wah a MF rev was

Mr. Larson

I bought a bag of 50 second hand 'lake balls' from Argos a while ago, for bugger all... and stumbled across a few of these beauties in with the other dross. Great ball indeed! I went online looking for them and realised they are long gone. Shame. I wonder would there be any business in the 'retro' golf ball market? Selling Penfold A Commando's, Dunlop 65i's etc.

Pro V1 are the obvious ones on the market today which might compare but they are fairly pricey. You could go for something a bit cheaper like the Callaway HX Hot Bite or Srixon Soft Feel which wouldn't break the bank, or your heart as they fade to a splash...

PhilipMarlowe

Isn't the TaylorMade TP ball a kind of 'replacement' for the maxfli... nice ball it was too.
The Taylormade is a nice feel ball too but after using them for a while I found they aren't as durable as the Titleist Pro V1. I'd prefer to keep using the Taylormade ball but I think that the Pro V1 makes more sense....
Oh yeah, the Pro V1 is what you would have known as a Titleist Tour Balata 90 back in the day, with the cool black box

DIEGO WORST

I like the Pro V1s and Nike Black, but I'd never pay the full price for them. I bought 100 lake balls ProV1s on internet about 3 or 4 years ago for about €1 a ball incl P&P - Nike balls were won in competition.

I see Tesco in Maynooth are selling lake balls. They sell by brand and model to boot, ProV1s, Nikes and Callaways. Can't remember price, not as cheap as internet, but at least you can see product before making purchase.

Mister Sifter

This thread rings a few bells... was in the exact same position two years ago. Started playing again aftr a long break and the only 'competition balls' i had were revolutions... had 9 or 10 left in a box from years earlier. Got a good few comments when i was using them. Still have a few left which i sometimes use for putting practice.

Have switched to the Pro-V1x now though which i find to be a good replacement for the Rev. A mate of mine still used the maxfli Revolutions irons too...

stockdam

If you like Maxflis then look for Noodles.

Otherwise try different types of the "spin" balls.

Try the Precept Laddie. I have quite a few of them - well actually they were originally the Precept Lady. A great mid-price ball but most men wouldn't play with ladies balls (oh err misses).

Mister Sifter

The Maxfli noodle wouldn't be a replacement for the revolution though. The revolution was a top bracket ball, so to replace it your looking at prov1s, Taylor made red or black, nike one or Callaway HX. There's also srixon and Bridgestone with supposedly top range balls too, but i've never used them so couldn't comment.

stockdam

Ok Graham. Yes the Noodles are cheaper and as you said not a direct replacement......sorry I didn't mean to imply they were.

Pro V1s are the only one that I use and as we all know are the most popular of the top range balls.

But if you're not prepared to pay the prices then I'd give the Precept Laddie or Lady a go.

fullstop

Licksy wrote: »

Oh yeah, the Pro V1 is what you would have known as a Titleist Tour Balata 90 back in the day, with the cool black box

No its not, there's no comparison between them. The Pro V1 goes about 20 yards further and doesn't spin near as much as the Tour Balata, much more durable too.

Mister Sifter

fullstop wrote: »

No its not, there's no comparison between them. The Pro V1 goes about 20 yards further and doesn't spin near as much as the Tour Balata, much more durable too.

I'm with Licksy on this. The Prov1 is the equivalent to the Balata in the sense that it is Titleist's premium ball and it is considered by most to be the most elite ball on the market, one which the majority of good players would use (or would do so if they weren't so dear). I would imagine that many who formerly used the balata now use the prov1.

fullstop

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I'm with Licksy on this. The Prov1 is the equivalent to the Balata in the sense that it is Titleist's premium ball and it is considered by most to be the most elite ball on the market, one which the majority of good players would use (or would do so if they weren't so dear). I would imagine that many who formerly used the balata now use the prov1.

If anything, it's the equivalent to the Titleist Professional, much closer match than the Balata

Legion

Thanks guys,have plenty to go on here so will pick up some of the ones mentioned and take it from there

Mister Sifter

fullstop wrote: »

If anything, it's the equivalent to the Titleist Professional, much closer match than the Balata

Yeh, but wasn't the Professional a successor to the Balata?

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

Yeh, but wasn't the Professional a successor to the Balata?

No, they were marketed at the same time. Similar to how they set-up with the Prov1 and Prov1x now, and when they tried the Prov1*.

Tour Balata 90, Tour Balata 100, Professional 90 and Professional 100 were all in the same portfolio - even though the TB came earlier, the Prof ran along side it rather than replaced it.

fullstop

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

No, they were marketed at the same time. Similar to how they set-up with the Prov1 and Prov1x now, and when they tried the Prov1*.

Tour Balata 90, Tour Balata 100, Professional 90 and Professional 100 were all in the same portfolio - even though the TB came earlier, the Prof ran along side it rather than replaced it.

Yeah although the Tour Balata was around before the Professional, they made them both for a few years before they stopped making the Balata and started making the Tour Prestige (around '99 i think).

ShriekingSheet

fullstop wrote: »

Yeah although the Tour Balata was around before the Professional, they made them both for a few years before they stopped making the Balata and started making the Tour Prestige (around '99 i think).

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that one. Very short life-span if I remember correctly. Absolutely zero difference between it and the balata as I recall.

Thought they were all garbage myself. That said, I only got to single figures when the Revolution came out so I had a pretty wide choice. Still, I stand over my decision, preferring the PTS Wound or NXT Tour to the Balata or Professional which were ridiculously indurable (injurable ) and took far too many yards off.

soundsham

prov 1x

PhilipMarlowe

I gave up the game in 1998 so don't remember Tour Prestige balls at all... and I kind of forgot about the professional and tour balata being different... all I remember is they were bloody dear and would be lucky to last 9 holes of even normal play, let alone an aggressive wedge shot.

Blunder

Yeah right enough they wouldnt have lasted long with the grooves we have nowadays. I loved the Revolution and Professional. There was a maxfli elite aswell but they would cut up looking at them on the first tee. I loved the revolution as it used to last longer for me than the professional! I used to save up me lunch money and buy a box of them every now and again. They were for use in the big club competitions like captains day and presidents day etc.

The Maxfli revolution Irons are a bit like the Taylormade LT2 Irons. A friend of mine, whose brother was a pro, had a set of them and I thought they were brilliant. They'd be a good buy now if you could find a set in good nick.

Ah those were the days!!

PhilipMarlowe

My brother had a mew set of mizuno irons of some sort and was playing a Rextar ball (like Faldo used to use)...
As soon as he'd address the ball with the iron the skin would start to cut

Mister Sifter

Anyone reember the Ram Tour Balata? Used a few of these as a kid. Obviously nothing like the Titleist version, but they were ok. Didn't cut as much.

Was the Strata not billed as a top spin ball when it came out too?

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

Anyone reember the Ram Tour Balata? Used a few of these as a kid. Obviously nothing like the Titleist version, but they were ok. Didn't cut as much.

Was the Strata not billed as a top spin ball when it came out too?

Ah the Ram Tour Balata!!! Won my first ever prize in a men's pitch and putt comp aged 15 with one. Just remember being told to use it, having no idea why! Shot something crazy (for a beginner) like +4 on a longish par three course, knocking a 3 iron on the green of the 200 yard index 1 and holing the putt! Think I went back a couple of years later having taken up golf in the mean time and getting to an 8 h'cap, only to shoot 3 shots worse

Strata Balata and Topflite Z balata (both made by Spalding) were very popular, but I'd say mostly because it was relatively cheap - and though it was more durable, that was mainly due to it not being nearly as soft as the actual balatas