HOT LIST: URETHANE BALLS
TITLEIST R70
TAYLORMADE R60
TAYLORMADE R85
★★★★ ½ ★★★★ ½
★★★★★ ★★★★★
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
★★★★ ½ ★★★★ ½
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
Tour Response
TP5x
TP5
AVX
IS IT FOR YOU? • Lower compression is designed for swings under 105 mph • Expect higher flight with a very soft feel • Core produces less spin, maintains velocity
IS IT FOR YOU? • Focuses on distance for better players; firmer feel, lower spin, lower flight • More speed from the core without upping firmness • Shallow dimple pattern reduces initial drag
IS IT FOR YOU? • For above-average-speed players who emphasise short-game touch • Core creates extra energy but without a firm feel • Shallower dimples reduce initial drag
IS IT FOR YOU? • Titleist’s softest urethane- cover ball • Lower spin boosts average players’ iron distances • Improved short-game spin versus previous model
FEEL RATING
FEEL RATING
FEEL RATING
FEEL RATING
Soft
Firm
Soft
Firm
Soft
Firm
Soft
Firm
SHORT GAME
SHORT GAME
SHORT GAME
SHORT GAME
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
FULL SWING
FULL SWING
FULL SWING
FULL SWING
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
Urethane balls are a better option for the vast majority of golfers, not just tour players. They simply offer more performance benefits across all clubs, distances, speeds and shots. Testing by Golf Laboratories showed that there is no distance advantage with non-urethane balls, and the short-game spin advantage of urethane can be staggering. Our robot testing saw as much as a 4 000 rpm difference on a 45-yard shot between balls with a urethane cover and balls with a non-urethane cover. This resulted in non-urethane balls rolling 15 feet further from the hole. Some non-urethane balls are getting closer to the least-spinny urethane balls (within 20 percent). The non-urethane balls with the softest covers spun more than those with firmer covers. Those softer non- urethane balls also will feel better on mis-hits. But aside from their lower cost, which matters if you might lose a handful a round, we still see a big advantage for (properly fit) balls with urethane-cover technology.
COVER STORY
100 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JULY/AUGUST 2025
GOLD
SILVER
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