10 replies to this topic

[G.Review]

What do you think?

[8orBetter]

I've switched to this ball in the last two weeks. I've played HX Tour and V1X the last few years and B330 a few times. I'm amazed with this ball. It spins just enough and is LONG with a very penetrating trajectory. I can hit it high and low with no issues. I was having problems in the wind with the HX Tour spinning up into the wind when knocking it down. I'd have to say the best attribute of this ball for me has been durability. I can stretch this ball 18 holes where the other two won't last nine holes if I'm on a course hitting a lot of wedges.

[tpariff]

Before I get into the review on this ball, let me give you a little background.  I'm a 6 handicap with a driver swing speed of ~ 105 mph with a pretty quick tempo.  I'd probably be considered more of a hitter than a swinger.

For the last year I've been playing the Nike One Tour D almost exclusively so I have a great point of reference for comparing Nike tour level balls.  I've also tried the Nike One Tour, but didn't really care for all the spin generated off the driver and irons.

I tested both 20XI models (S & X) over the same weekend, head to head, where I alternated the two every 3 holes.

Now for my review of the 20XI-X:


Appearance

Nice white color.  Not quite as bright as the new Srixon line, but not quite as "dull" as the TM Penta or Titleist Pro V1.  Graphics are subtle and well done.

One thing I did notice right off the bat was the depth of the dimples compared to the Tour D.  When I went to draw an alignment line on the 20XI-X it felt that the Sharpie hit small speed bumps along the way.  It seems the dimples on this ball are a bit deeper than those on the Tour D.

Packaging is OK.  I've read some responses from WRX'ers that the boxes look cheap, like Top Flites or similar.  Although the packaging is a bit more flashy, let's remember that it's JUST packaging.  I'm more concerned with what's inside.


Feel - Driver / Irons

To put it bluntly, the 20XI-X felt like a rock.     I was so excited to try this ball but the excitement was quickly tempered when I hit the first few full shots.  Like Forest Gump....that's all I have to say about that.


Feel - Short Shots / Putter

While I did recognize a clear "clickiness" to this ball off chips, pitches and putts, it performed very well.  Spin around the green was absolutely amazing.  I was quite shocked by the amount of spin generated by a ball that felt so hard off longer shots.  Don't get me wrong, it still felt harder than the Tour D, but it seemed to spin more.  Definitely a strange combination.


Distance

Maybe I don't have the SS necessary to use this ball, but I noticed a 5-10 yard loss of distance off the driver and full iron shots.  I found this quite odd considering this is the "distance" model compared to the S.


Spin

Along the same lines as the feel, I found that this ball seemed to fall out of the air off the driver and irons.  It could be that my SS isn't enough to compress it well enough to perform as it should, but I found that I didn't get the carry I typically do with the Tour D or the S.

As stated above, this ball has excellent greenside and short shot spin.  I hit one particular chip shot from the rough that I thought would run out ~30 feet to the flag.  Well, it hit and checked up quickly, leaving me 15 feet for par.  The same shot with the Tour D would have been a kick in for par.


Flight / Wind Performance

There was no significant wind during my testing.  The ball held its line well in what little wind I had over the weekend.

I'm not a big "worker" of the ball, so this is not applicable.


Conclusion

As much as I wanted to like this ball, I can't see myself using it to replace the Nike One Tour D.  At $45 a dozen for the 20XI-X and $20-$30 a dozen for the Tour D, it's really a no brainer for me.  In fairness to Nike, I really like what they've done recently with their clubs and golf balls, but I think there are better / cheaper options for me.

I also reviewed the Nike 20XI-S here: http://www.golfwrx.c...21-nike-20xi-s/


Thanks for looking!  Feel free to ask questions.
Kevin

[Fuzzy7]

Longest ball that I have ever hit.  However, slight mishits off the tee result in shorter than normal drives.  Also found the ball to make a strange sound and it also felt heavy.  Tour D overall better choice, at least for me.  I suspect that the x is probably a great ball for someone with  swing speed higher than mine.  At my 105-107, just do not think I compress it.  Never felt that way with the Tour D.

[ocu_canadian]

very long ball, great durability if you have conforming grooves...

[twgolf]

Cover is way too soft.  One good wedge shot tears it up.  It is also spins way to much for me.  The tour D is way better and I will try to find them to play with this year.

[SheriffBooth]

Played this ball for the first time today and was very impressed.  Hard to describe the feel off the driver - I didn't really feel the ball compressing the way I do with my usual TP5 and ZStars.  It was hard for me to tell how well I had hit the ball until the ball came down - and when it came down it was really far away.

First impression is that this ball is longer off the tee than TP5 and Zstar, but with comparable iron and wedge spin.  Firmer on the putting green, though, but not terribly clicky.  I really enjoyed this ball today.

[Mahamilto]

First post so hello to all. I've been doing a lot of ball testing of late. It's been decent weather here in New Orleans, fairly warm (upper 50s and 60s) so I feel temp hasn't been much of a factor on play. The Nike 20xi is one of the balls I have demoed.

Driver: best ball ever. Period. I have a very high ss (122-130) and this ball is crazy long and crazy straight. It just goes. And with my RBZ its so loud it turns heads, and I'm glad it does as everyone is treated to a 310+ monster down the middle. Love it off the big dog. I have a very high ball flight and this is one of the few balls to keep it down. For me it launches mid, and spin is great. It is possible to work it if I need to (though I rarely try) and it just wants to go straight on misses only poorly struck shots go shooting off in another direction.

Irons: totally different story. I've heard a few people describe the same thing I am about to describe. This ball is at minimum 5 yards shorter off every iron. It's crazy. It goes straight, it spins well, I like the trajectory (mid for me, but I usually hit a high ball), but it goes nowhere. If I absolutely nut it on a hard "get on it" swing, it's still 3 yards short of the other balls I play (u/4x, FG Tour, Prov1/1x). If I mishit, it can be anywhere from 10-15 yards shorter than mishits on other balls. It's a little firm too. Not that it would bother me if it went somewhere. It holds greens well, even with long irons, but that is good because I'm usually hitting 5 instead if 6 etc. honestly it's a deal breaker for me. I hear the 2013 RZN ball will have better iron distance, if it does it may become my gamer.

Wedges: great again. Spins like crazy. Mid ball flight (lower than usually). Feels firm but I like the click. Makes me knows l hit it well. It's accurate and goes within a yard or so (shorter) of my normal wedge distances. I can zip it back if I want to spin it and get it to just stop it stops. Half wedge spin is great. Stops on a dime.

Putting: I like the feel and alignment. Putts straight and feels a little firm, which I prefer as I leave the super soft feeling balks short at times.

Feel: fairly firm. And I'm fine with it. I'd prefer it a hair softer but if it had distance off my irons I wouldn't care at all. Off driver and wedges I know I'm crushing it or spinning it. I guess I'd prefer a hair softer, but prefer a bit firm over a bit soft.

Durability: overall, really good for a tour ball. I can shave/cut urethane balls at times. Full wedges scuff and if I really try to spin it stupid I can take a little slice off. Iron shots leave no marks. Half wedges rarely mark it either. For sure above average for a spinny ball. I can usually get more than 18 holes out of a ball without feeling I need to take it out of play.

Hope this helps guys. Overall a great ball for High Swing speeds. If you use a distance iron or you really crush your irons (distance wise) it's a hell of a ball. For me, I lost a club of distance going to a forged iron from a game improvement (new irons are more traditional lofts) and I hate seeing this ball take yet another club away.

[twgolf]

Tried this ball last year when the pro shop had them for $30 a dozen.  I usually play the ProV1 X, but I liked this ball so much I switched.  It is the best ball for windy conditions since the first Nike Tour Black.  It is very durable and very long.  Feel is a little hard or clicky compared to the ProV1X, but I got used to it rather quickly.  Spin was low off the driver and fairway woods and good off the irons and wedges.  I will definitely keep playing this ball at $15-$20 cheaper than the ProV1X.  I was actually longer off the tee with it and more roll out.

[310+]

I play it in windy conditions. Seems to spin less off driver. I dont like the noise it makes off driver or putter. As for length it is shorter for me than the TP5 and Pro V in normal conditions. Its decent but not better all round than Titleist or Taylormades premium balls.

[Colej]

I liked the XI-X off the driver but on the chip shots and partial shots it doesn't seem to spin enough for me.