How Good are Refurbished Golf Balls? Refurbished Titleist Pro V1 versus New Titleist Pro V1

Refurbished golf balls are where a used ball has its outer layer sandblasted off and is repainted. The sandblasting removes exterior scratches on the cover.

Refurbished golf balls are available for 50% or less then the price of new golf balls. The question is are they worth the saving? The day of the testing we posted on Facebook about the test.

https://www.facebook.com/DriveGolfPerformance/photos/a.343737362425047/1460236670775105/

The general consensus about refurbished balls was poor, some of the comments were

'Huge difference, I used them and there rubbish, never again would I use them I'd use a marked ball all day long before I'd use them, they're cheap for a reason, nothing beats new.'

'I was given a couple of refurbished Chromesoft X balls playing Rosses Point during the summer they performed reasonably well in particular around the green, the cover on one of them was not refinished particularly well though. I wouldn't use them playing a competitive round.'

'Has to be a difference. I wouldn't dream of using refurbished balls.'

'Tried them before , Absolute rubbish.' 

So we tested them to see the difference. We took 15 of each ball, Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1 Refurbished, Pro V1X and Pro V1X refurbished and hit them with a Cobra F8 driver. 3 shots were hit with each type of ball and then switched to the next ball until 15 were hit with them all. It was a very good early January day when they were tested, 12 degrees and little or no wind. The results were recorded with a Trackman 111 launch monitor.

Original and Refurbished Pro V1

Trackman Results

This was mainly a distance test so we were testing if the distances would be similar. The parameters we recorded were ball speed, carry, total distance and dispersion, we also tracked club head speed, launch angle, height and spin.

Here are the results

Golf Ball	Club Speed MPH	Ball Speed MPH	Carry Yards	Total Distance Yards	Dispersion Feet	Launch Angle	Spin Rate	Height Feet
Pro V1	100.8	151.0	234.4	258.0	36.95	12.0	2426	87
Pro V1 Refurb	100.5	150.8	234.2	255.4	38.6	11.1	2637	88
Pro V1X	102.1	153.0	235.3	259.0	38.61	10.8	2430	83
Pro V1X Refurb	101.1	150.5	233.2	252.3	33.95	11.1	2787	95

Analysis

There is not that much difference between the original and the refurbished balls. Both the original balls hit it further, the Pro V1 went a total of 2.6 yards further and the Pro V1X went 6.7 yards further, carries were very similar with all the balls. 

Ball speeds were quite similar with all the balls with a slight jump with the Pro V1X over the refurbished one.

Dispersions were also similar with the refurbished Pro V1X 4.66 feet closer to the target on average then the Pro V1X.

Spin rates is where the main differences between the balls are both refurbished balls have spin rates that are higher then the original balls, the refurbished Pro V1 is 211 rpm or 8.7% higher, the refurbished Pro V1X is 357 rpm or 14.7% higher. The lower spin rates on the original balls would give the little longer overall distance. We can surmise that the repainting of the cover is leading to the higher spin rates.

There was one anomaly in the refurbished Pro V1 shots, one ball that carried only 210.6 yards with a height of 52 feet, around 24 yards less carry and 36 feet lower then average. It stood out from all the others in how poor it flew. This could be a little warning about refurbished balls as we don't know what condition it might have been in before it was repainted.

Conclusion

Should you buy refurbished golf balls? 


We can see from the analysis that there isn't a massive performance difference between original balls and refurbished ones. Two of the downsides to refurbished balls are the cover wears much quicker then the originals and the lack of knowledge of what the ball was like before it was repainted.

The answer then depends on how many golf balls you lose in a round. If you lose a few then it mightn't be the wisest to pay a premium for new balls and refurbished is an option. Another option and probably better one is recycled golf balls, which are golf balls that are found and just given a clean.

If you are looking for precise performance then new balls are your best option. The quick wearing of the cover on the refurbished balls would be off putting and the slight chance of getting a dud ball like the anomaly in the testing would also be off putting.

Comments and questions are always welcome

Comparing the Taylor Made M4 to the M2

Every year Taylor Made launches a new driver. This year the M4 replaces the 2017 M2. A valid question is how much of a difference there is between the two. A couple of days ago we put this to the test. I compared both using a Trackman Launch Monitor.

I hit 24 drives with each club. Alternating from one to the other after 3 shots so not to get used to swinging just the one driver. The ball was teed at the same height for both drivers. Both drivers had 10.5 degrees of loft. The same Accra 372T M4 shaft was used in both drivers, which played at 45 inches. The ball that was used was the Titleist Pro V1. It was a nice May day, temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius and a helping breeze (around 8mph).

The main performance numbers that we looked are were club head speed, ball speed, carry, total distance, accuracy, launch angle and spin rates. Ultimately the main ones to be interested in are ball speed, carry, total distance and accuracy. Essentially a driver can be longer, more accurate or both. This is what we look for in drivers, there isn't much point in changing a driver unless the performance improves.

For the M4, the changes are the 'Twist Face' and 'Hammerhead' technology, the Twist Face changes the roll and bulge on the face potentially leading to more accuracy and the Hammerhead increases ball speed leading to more distance.

Here are the results.

Club	Clubhead Speed(mph)	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin Rate	Carry (yards)	Total Distance	Height (feet)	Distance from target (ft)
M4	101.7	149.8	13.5	2745	245.7	271	94	33.42
M2	101.6	149.8	12.5	2730	242.1	268.3	87	38.95

The results are interesting.

Club and ball speed are identical. The M4 does give more distance and accuracy. It was 3.2 yards longer carry and 2.7 yards longer over all. It was 5.53 feet closer on average to the target which is 14.2% closer. Launch angle and height were both higher in the M4 too.

Conclusion

 

The M4 is this test does give longer distance and more accuracy. The distance is coming not from increased ball speed but a slightly higher flight, the launch angle was 1 degree higher and especially with a following wind this leads to just a little more carry. As the ball speeds were the same from the 2 drivers we can say that there is no real distance gain from the M4 over the M2. Distance ultimately comes from ball speed.

However there is an accuracy gain, 5.53 feet closer on average or 14.2%. This is a substantial enough improvement and does follow on from what Taylor Made are saying about increased accuracy from the Twist Face.

Should a golfer switch from an M2 to an M4? If they are looking for more accuracy, yes. If they're looking for more distance, no. The M4 does have a different sound then the M2 which can also influence the decision too.

If you have any questions, please comment.

Testing the Titleist 917 D3 Driver against the 915 D3 Driver

Titleist have just launched their latest driver, the 917. There are two models the D2 and the D3. Like every new driver the claim is that it's better, longer and straighter then the previous one. So, last week, to put these claims to the test we compared a 917D3 against a 915D3

 

According to Titleist the driver's benefits are;

• Faster ball speeds - Off-center provide more distance, more often, delivering superior forgiveness.

• Adjustability - Through industry leading SureFit® CG and SureFit® Hosel provide the best possible fit for every golfer of any skill level.

• Sound and acoustic - Frequencies have been Tour validated to inspire confidence and enhance feel.

• Trajectory and shot shape - Customization provide golfers a more consistent and repeatable shot from the tee.

Technology

• SureFit® CG - Allows the CG to be moved from a back, heel position to a forward, toe position through interchangeable weights, optimizing spin and launch conditions for every player.

• Active Recoil Channel™ 2.0 - Refined thickness through the channel reduces spin and increases speed.

• Radial Speed Face 2.0 - Enhanced with a thinner perimeter face width to promote a greater off-center ball speed for more overall distance across the face.

• SureFit® Hosel - 16 independent loft and lie settings, create a more consistent and optimized ball flight through precision fitting.

The Test

 

 

We had two players testing. While hitting, both players switched heads from 917 D3 9.5 degrees to 915 D3 9.5 degrees but used the same shaft. Player A used a Project X Handcrafted 6.0 and Player B used an Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S flex. Player A and Player B both used the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. It was a beautiful day for testing with temperatures around 15 degrees C and little wind.

 

Both players hit 30 drives, 15 with each head, in the order of 5 with 915, 5 with 917, 5 with 915, 5 with 917, 5 with 915 and 5 with 917. Results were recorded on a Trackman launch monitor.

 

Initial Observations 

 

The 917 has a different look to the 915 almost going back to a similar look to the classic 975D driver. Also noticeable is the different sound from the 917 to the 915.

 

Results 

 

Player A 

Driver	Carry (yards)	Total	Dispersion (ft)	Club Speed	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin	Height (ft)
915	243.5	267.1	34.22	101.0	150.8	12.3	2783	91.3
917	241.6	267.0	43.07	102.2	151.3	12.5	2560	86.5

 

Player B

Driver	Carry (yards)	Total	Dispersion (ft)	Club Speed	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Spin	Height (ft)
915	215.5	235.6	53.78	93.3	139.2	14.0	3361	87.6
917	212.8	233.5	52.8	93.6	138.4	14.5	3400	86.2

 

Analysis

 

There really isn't a whole lot of difference between the two drivers. Player A got better dispersion with the 915, nearly 9 feet closer to the target and slightly more carry, 1.9 yards. Overall distance was the same. With the 917, there was a hint of more club head speed, 1.2 mph ball speed 0.5 mph and also less spin, 223 rpms less.

For player B, the 915 had a little more carry, 2.7 yards and more overall distance, 2.1 yards, everything else was similar.

 

What could help player B is changing the Sure Fit CG. The player was striking the ball towards the heel of the club, leading to higher spin and shots to the right, note the dispersion was 52-53 feet from target. Switching the weight more towards the heel and altering the centre of gravity as a result would lead to straighter and longer shots for this player. But as we were doing just a direct comparison of heads and keeping the parameters the same we didn't do this and left it for later testing.

 

 

Conclusion  

 

Should you run out and get a new Titleist 917? If you have a 915 and are getting good results and it's optimised for your swing, the answer is no. If you are in the market for a new driver the answer is yes, this is a driver you should look at. 

It performs well, is classical looking and sounds good. The Sure Fit CG is a good addition allowing for more customisation. Potentially giving players longer and straighter drives with an altered centre of gravity.

 

Ultimately, a player needs to test a driver before heading out to buy. The 917 is no different. Test everything and trust nothing is a good mantra when it comes to golf equipment.

Comments and questions are appreciated.