Safest golf balls to get someone that’s not named Titleist?
November 12th, 2009
Anon Y. Mouse asked:
For an end of the year gift for our AP Chem teacher, our class is putting together a bunch of items for him as a gift. He is an avid golfer and we want to put a picture of our AP Chem sticker on golf balls. I found a GREAT site to do this for me, but, they cannot put photos on Titleist golf balls. (I am an avid golfer also, and I’m well aware that the Pro V1 would be the safest pick) So, what brand/ball combo would be best–we DON’T care about price, and just want the best golf ball out there. If it were me, I would play Srixon Z-Star, but not everyone plays Srixon. The Candidates,
–TaylorMade (TP Red or Black)
–Callaway (Tour ix or i)
–Bridgestone (B330, B330–RX, B330.S)
–Srixon (Z–Star or Z–Star–X)
For an end of the year gift for our AP Chem teacher, our class is putting together a bunch of items for him as a gift. He is an avid golfer and we want to put a picture of our AP Chem sticker on golf balls. I found a GREAT site to do this for me, but, they cannot put photos on Titleist golf balls. (I am an avid golfer also, and I’m well aware that the Pro V1 would be the safest pick) So, what brand/ball combo would be best–we DON’T care about price, and just want the best golf ball out there. If it were me, I would play Srixon Z-Star, but not everyone plays Srixon. The Candidates,
–TaylorMade (TP Red or Black)
–Callaway (Tour ix or i)
–Bridgestone (B330, B330–RX, B330.S)
–Srixon (Z–Star or Z–Star–X)
So as tempting as it is, don’t answer based on personal preference but instead on what is the safest to get someone. For example, if you got someone a Scotty Cameron putter, you can’t go wrong, but if you get them like a Yes putter, while they are great (and I own one), they aren’t for everyone. I hope you get what I’m saying.
By safe, I mean the type of ball with the least chance that he will dislike. Like, how many people have you met that dislike Titleist golf balls? Only a few, at most. Well, what is the next brand that is least dis-likable?
Replys
Any of the four brands mentioned are great golf balls which haven’t gained the fame of the Titleist brands. Please explain what you mean by safe. All of them have different type covers so there is a feel for most players. The feel of a ball when struck with a club is important to building confidence. The better golfer prefers a soft cover compared with a harder cover.
Callaway would be the safest in my opinion. Its a big brand that has a decent product. Although i think the best “quality” of ball on your list would have to be the bridgestone B330-s. Callaway is also the most popular out of all those brands. go with the callaway.
I think you are looking at this the wrong way. The teacher will never play these balls anyway, they will be a memento in his house. So don’t get the tour version of any of them. Just get the 2 piece ball from any of the manufacturers and save the money. If you really don’t want to do that, get the Bridgestone ball. Titleist players tend to look down on Callaway
Here is the thing: Titleist would be best for your purposes as you’ve said.
To help you decide between the rest remember that Titleist and Callaway just settled a patent infringement lawsuit over the Pro V1. Callaway asserted that Titleist infringed on their patent with the Pro V1.
So if you want a ball that is close (very close) to the Titleist then the Callaway is your best choice.
Further if you want a ball with good public acceptance then Callaway would still be the choice. They have a large marketing budget, high profile endorsements from Phil & Ernie, etc
Yeah, I think Callaway is the way to go.
For me the best ball to play with is a Nike Black 1 it gives you Control and good distance with the advantage of back spin and getting the ball to check.
I bet no matter what, he’ll appreciate the gesture. If he’s an avid golfer he’ll know that every brand you picked out is top of the line, with the Srixon being the least-known brand. According to Golf Digest, Srixon has 10% of the market share, but 10 gallons of playability.
To be perfectly safe, bring up his golf game. Ask him what his swing speed is (the B330RX is great for golfers that swing 95-105 mph with a driver) or if he likes a lot of green-side spin (the B330S and Z-Star have the most spin).
But I’m pretty sure no matter what you give him, he’ll love it- especially with the logo on the side.
The ball choice really depends on the skill level of your teacher. For a gift any of the balls you listed would be fine. Depending on you funds you could even downgrade to a cheaper ball. Remember it’s the thought that counts. The Callaway or TaylorMade are fine. I teach and play golf. I only play Titleist Pro V1’s. I wouldn’t expect anyone to purchase these for me (they are not cheap). If I got a dozen balls as a gift with a class logo I would keep a few for a keepsake and use the others when I was practicing. Great idea. Your teacher will love whatever you give him.
it depends on what brand clubs he has, this could give you an idea. the balls you’ve mentioned are all great balls but it also depends if he wants a 3 piece or a 4 piece ball. it really depends on what brand clubs he uses but i agree with you, he might not like srixon. taylormade and callaway are the safest ones to choose but if he is a taylormade man he might have to have callaway golf balls and viceversa. in that case, you should probably opt for for Bridgestone. the 330-RX is probably the best choice if his swing speed is under 90 MPH
hope this helps but the final decision is yours.
for the two taylormade balls also consider whether he wants a higher launching ball (TP Black) or a lower launching ball (TP red)
I dont agree with those who say to get a crap ball. A good ball will make a better memory. I advise the Taylormade TP Black…a great ball, or Bridgestone which is pretty good. The other brands are not close.
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