NON-URETHANE W HEN OUR ANNUAL GOLF BALL HOT LIST comes out, we’re often asked why we bother to have non-urethane-covered golf balls on the list. It’s a fair question. There’s no doubt multilayer, urethane- covered golf balls are technologically superior – that’s why the pros play them. To determine what benefits, if any, belong to non- urethane balls, we ran a non-scientific test. Chris Watson, a scratch who has qualified for the US Mid-Am, and I (a 12-handicap but once a very good player) played nine holes with a urethane ball and nine with a non- urethane ball and chronicled our scores and observations. Presented with a blacked-out sleeve of each in white boxes, we set out. I knew by the third hole which ball was which. It was obvious by the way the non-urethane ball slid up the face on a 50-metre wedge shot. If you want to stop the ball using height instead of spin, that works. I didn’t see much difference on iron approaches, but pitches behaved decidedly different. The urethane ball had more grab, and the non-urethane model rolled out. If you play shots along the ground, a non-urethane ball works fine. Off the tee, the non-urethane ball spun less, especially on off-centre strikes. One tee shot I was certain was headed for the right trees held its line and left me with a shot from the rough. Watson found the non-urethane ball firmer and clickier on virtually all shots. He also found distance control to be an issue, airmailing a green on an approach that left him befuddled. That extended to pitches and chips, which he found “jumpy.” We both scored better with the urethane ball (one shot lower for me, two for him). The difference seemed magnified for the better player, so maybe there is no reason to ever play non-urethane. However, if you’re a double-figure handicap and play the short game along the ground and need less spin off the tee (along with saving money), the non-urethane-covered balls on this list are worth your consideration. – EMJ
● BRIDGESTONE PERFORMANCE ★ ★ ★ ★ INNOVATION ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ IS IT FOR YOU?
E12 CONTACT TBA
• A new dimple design with a raised area in the centre promotes a flatter ball flight • Also available in matte red, green and yellow FEEL RATING (SOFT-FIRM) . . . . . . . << . . . . . . . . . . . SHORT GAME (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . . FULL SWING (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . .
● CALLAWAY ERC SOFT R75 PERFORMANCE ★ ★ ★ ★ INNOVATION ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
● CALLAWAY PERFORMANCE ★ ★ ★ ★ INNOVATION ★ ★ ★ ★
● SRIXON Q-STAR RXX PERFORMANCE ★ ★ ★ ★ INNOVATION ★ ★ ★ ★
● SRIXON
SUPERSOFT R42
SOFT FEEL R30
PERFORMANCE ★ ★ ★ ★ INNOVATION ★ ★ ★ ★
IS IT FOR YOU?
IS IT FOR YOU?
IS IT FOR YOU?
IS IT FOR YOU?
• Golfers who struggle with putting might like the Triple Track alignment feature • Recorded better short- game spin than many non- urethane balls in testing FEEL RATING (SOFT-FIRM) . . . . . . << . . . . . . . . . . . . . SHORT GAME (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . . . FULL SWING (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . .
• The lower compression enhances feel • Reduced spin on longer shots improves accuracy • A revised cover improves greenside control FEEL RATING (SOFT-FIRM) . . . << . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SHORT GAME (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . . FULL SWING (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . .
• Best for golfers with moderate and below- average swing speeds • Designed for those seeking more height without ballooning
• Dimple pattern helps to reduce drag • A thin, soft cover offers enough grab on short shots • Also available in matte red, orange and green FEEL RATING (SOFT-FIRM) . . . . . << . . . . . . . . . . . . . SHORT GAME (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . . FULL SWING (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . .
FEEL RATING (SOFT-FIRM) . . . . . . . . << . . . . . . . . . . SHORT GAME (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . . FULL SWING (POOR-EXCELLENT) . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . . . .
106 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
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