TITLEIST R55
★★★★ ★★★★ ½
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
HOW WE USE ROBOTICS
Tour Soft
IS IT FOR YOU? • A large, fast core provides soft feel and more distance off the tee • The thin cover delivers enough spin for short-game control • Low compression promotes a gentle feel at impact
Founded by Gene Parente, Golf Laboratories is the leading robot testing company in the game. Parente estimates he has run nearly 10 000 independent tests in his 35 years of not only manning robot simulations worldwide (and with the USGA and R&A) but designing the rig, too. His latest robot can mimic all kinds of swings from the shortest chip to the longest drive. For our ball testing, the robot replicated a low-trajectory 45-yard pitch shot, with the 2023 Titleist Pro V1 as the control ball.
FEEL RATING
Soft
Firm
SHORT GAME
Poor
Excellent
FULL SWING
Poor
Excellent
SRIXON R35
WILSON R35
How often have you heard golf balls are all the same: round, white and dimpled? That’s too simplistic. Dimple patterns are designed to minimise drag and create lift. A general rule is, the larger the total volume of the dimples, the lower the lift and the lower the trajectory. Oh, they help with distance, too. The USGA once ran a test with a normal golf ball and one without dimples at tour swing speeds. The dimple-less ball flew a mere 145 yards (132 metres). DIMPLE TALK
★★★★ ★★★★
★★★★ ★★★★
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
Soft Feel
Duo Soft
IS IT FOR YOU? • The core is soft in the centre but gets firmer towards the perimeter for a soft feel without distance loss • The cover delivers pleasing feedback on short-game shots • Available in five colours
IS IT FOR YOU? • Compression so low, it’s one of the softest balls in golf • The core was made slightly smaller to accommodate the lower compression • Designed for less spin off the tee
FEEL RATING
FEEL RATING
Soft
Firm
Soft
Firm
SHORT GAME
SHORT GAME
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
FULL SWING
FULL SWING
Poor
Excellent
Poor
Excellent
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 103
JULY/AUGUST 2025
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