Equipment
Titleist announces new DT TruSoft golf balls and they’re available now
Deciding on a golf ball is often one of sacrifices. Sometimes you have to give up distance for a softer feel, or affordability for better performance. With Titleist’s DT TruSoft line of golf balls, the idea is that golfers don’t have to make any sacrifices; soft feel, distance, short-game performance and affordability all come in one package.
When Titleist launched its DT TruSoft golf ball in 2015, it was made to be even softer than the company’s extremely popular DT Solo golf ball — 15 compression points softer, actually — but without sacrificing distance or short game performance. Titleist engineers accomplished this by making a low-compression core with a Pure Ionmer cover, which at the time, were the softest in company history, respectively.
With its new DT TruSoft golf balls, which will also be available in White and Optic Yellow, Titleist is cranking up the distance by increasing the size of its low-compression core — a core it’s calling “TruTouch.” The size increase will help reduce spin off the tee, helping golfers hit the ball farther. The golf balls also have what Titleist calls a new “TruSoft cover”, too, which is engineered for a soft feel and better short game performance in relation to its predecessor.
“We’re meeting more and more golfers who believe you have to sacrifice distance in order to play a softer-feeling ball,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “That’s certainly true for many of the lower compression products in the market right now — but not DT TruSoft. When we launched DT TruSoft two years ago, it instantly became the longest ball in the category. Our R&D team has since discovered how to provide even more distance without impacting the remarkably soft feel that golfers tell us they love about this product. New DT TruSoft continues to prove that golfers who prioritize feel don’t have to give up everything else.”
Of course, these golf balls may not produce the length or the short game spin of the company’s premium Pro V1x golf balls, or even its line of NXT Tour golf balls, but each of those options are at a significantly higher price. The DT TruSoft golf balls are priced at $21.99 (MAP), and provide the softest-feeling golf ball in Titleist’s stable. The point is, however, to provide maximum performance in an affordable and soft-feeling golf ball.
The improvements in the new 2017 DT TruSoft golf ball, therefore, help eliminate any sacrifices a golfer needs to make when making a purchase. They begin selling today, September 21 in golf shops around the U.S., and on Titleist’s website.
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Equipment
Why Ben Griffin is making the surprising switch to a Maxfli golf ball
Ben Griffin might be a little too young to remember some of the iconic Maxfli golf balls that won on tour, but that isn’t stopping him from putting the newest Tour X ball from the brand in play. Today, Maxfli and Griffin announced an exclusive partnership that will see the PGA Tour player using the company’s four-piece golf ball.
While Griffin might be the first PGA Tour player to put a new Maxfli golf ball in play, he isn’t the first profesional golfer to do so. Lexi Thompson has been playing the Maxfli Tour golf ball on the LPGA Tour since the beginning of the 2024.
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We caught up with Ben at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas this week to ask him about the new ball switch.
“I was able to finally get my hands on some and try it and immediately I saw faster ball speed with the driver, which is always something every golfer wants to see.
“Then I had to test a lot around the greens and test irons, test spins, test everything like that. Basically, I came to the conclusion that I thought this was probably one of the best golf balls for my game.
“And so I decided to make it official and partner with them and very excited to help kind of launch this golf ball and see where it takes us.”
Griffin’s ball of choice is the Maxfli Tour X, a four-piece golf ball that is made for highly skilled players that want consistent distance off the driver and spin around the green. An updated core design helps add the ball speed that Griffin mentioned and two ionomer mantle layers separate low spin driver shots from higher spin iron and wedge shots. Maxfli uses Center Of center-of-gravity balancing to ensure each ball has consistent flight in the air and roll on the green. Like all golf balls on tour, the Tour X features a cast urethane cover for maximum performance, and it has a tetrahedron dimple pattern to enhance aerodynamics.
It is exciting to see a golf ball at a lower price point — $39.99 at Golf Galaxy — being used by a top 100 ranked player in the world like Ben Griffin, and equipment junkies will be keenly watching his performance with the new ball.
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Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Billy Horschel’s winning WITB, 2017 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
The tournament bearing the name of one of golf’s all-time greats is now known as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Back in 2017, it was still the AT&T Byron Nelson and Billy Horschel was still a full-bag PXG staffer. The Florida Gator leveraged those wares to a playoff victory over Jason Day securing his fourth PGA Tour win in the process.
Check out the clubs Horschel had in play seven years ago in Texas.
Driver: PXG 0811X (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6 X
3-wood: PXG 0341X (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 75 6.5
5-wood: PXG 0341 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black 75 6.5
Irons: PXG 0311T (3, 5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: PXG 0311T Milled (52-10, 56-10, 60-07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: PXG Bat Attack
Grip: SuperStroke Flatso 1.0
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Billy Horschel’s gear from 2017 here.
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Equipment
How Cleveland Golf’s wedge selector tool improves the wedge buying process
More than most golfers would care to admit, confusion often reigns when it comes to selecting a wedge — let alone configuring an entire wedge setup. Make? Model? Loft? Grind? Finish? Two wedges? Three wedges? Four? The questions abound!
While it’s easy to get off the fairway and deep into the rough quickly, the framework question for choosing wedges is the same as the entirety of the golf bag: How should I set up my golf bag to shoot the lowest score possible?
Manufacturers, in addition to, well, manufacturing golf clubs, also understand that golfers need to make informed decisions to get the most out of their equipment. It’s with this in mind, and to help golfers answer the aforementioned foundational question about their wedge setup, that Cleveland Golf has launched its wedge selector too.
To learn more, we talked with Cleveland’s Senior Product Manager, Casey Shultz.
GolfWRX: What was Cleveland seeing in the marketplace that led to the development of the wedge selector? How do golfers benefit?
Casey Shultz: Currently, there is a lot of talk about what grind players should play and what is right for their game in that aspect of selecting a wedge. But there is more to improving wedge play than finding the proper grind. We would even argue it’s one of the smaller dials for improvement. Players can find more success with wedges designed from head shape to shaft, sole width, gapping, and then the grind. Putting a system in place that makes the process of selecting the right wedge easier is something we feel can have a massive impact, especially for recreational players.
GolfWRX: Now, in breaking down Cleveland’s wedge selector tool, the point of departure is figuring out whether you’re an RTX or CBX player. Can you briefly spell out who each of these wedges is for?
CS: For lower handicappers, the RTX series is our tour-validated line of blade wedges. These are for players looking to play a lot of open-faced shots around the green, prioritize workability, and like to flight their wedges. CBX wedges are designed to make the short game easier, while still offering some level of versatility for the mid-high handicapper looking for a wedge that will reduce chunks and add forgiveness on all strikes. CBX’s are also a great option due to them blending well in weight and shaping with more cavity back iron sets.
GolfWRX: Proceeding through the RTX wedge selector, one of the first forks in the road is wedge finish. Can you break down the finish options and the considerations for a golfer in making their selection?
CS: With the RTX series we offer Tour Satin, Black Satin, and Tour Rack finishes. Tour Satin is our most popular finish and offers the most grind options. With HydraZip face blasts on the newest RTX Wedges, glare is significantly reduced at address compared to other silver finish offerings. Black Satin offers custom skin options as personalization and is one of the more durable black finishes on the market but will have some visible wear over time especially on the sole. Finally, Tour Rack is our tour authentic raw finish that will rust over time. The Tour Rack finish also comes with the option of applying any of our Tour Crafted leading edge and sole grind offerings to the Wedge for players really looking to fine-tune their performance.
GolfWRX: Can you walk us through the rest of the RTX wedge fitting process?
CS: Once players have selected their preferred finish, we gather information on their iron set and loft preferences to determine proper gapping. A properly gapped set of wedges, both with each other and transitioning from a player’s last iron, is key to ensuring their set covers a wide range of approach yardages well. We then ask specific questions about the performance the player is looking to achieve in their sand and lob wedges to determine proper grinds for each of those wedges. Lastly, we confirm a preference for traditional or Full-Face grooves at each loft. Full-Face grooves offer a new level of versatility, especially with open-face shots, but it’s up to the player if they want to transition to this groove design. Our algorithm will then take these results and determine a set of wedges best suited to the player’s game.
GolfWRX: Let’s circle back to grinds. Is there a grind configuration across their wedges you’re seeing the majority of players choose or is it pretty evenly divided?
CS: The MID grind is certainly the most popular grind across all lofts, with the blend of versatility and forgiveness in a wide range of conditions suiting many players. In sand wedge lofts, the second most popular grind is our FULL, which has a little more bounce than the MID and is especially effective out of the sand or rough. In lob wedge lofts, the popular alternative to the MID is the LOW grind, offering max versatility around the greens. We’re also seeing more amateur and tour players opt for our Full-Face models, especially in the lob wedge lofts where they are planning to open the face and get creative around the greens.
GolfWRX: Can you take us through the CBX wedge selector?
CS: In the CBX selector, we start by determining if a player is looking to play a lob wedge or not. For many recreational golfers, a lob wedge may not be necessary for the consistent short-game performance they are looking to achieve. Next, the CBX selector focuses on ensuring players end up with a set that transitions well into their irons, while also staying within the constraints of a player’s bag setup. With new players distance, game improvement, and super game improvement iron lofts becoming stronger than those of the past, creating a properly gapped set of wedges is trickier than ever for these players. The selector tool takes the guesswork out of the equation, while also considering a player’s set makeup and interest in replacing a wedge. Finally, players are given the option of when or if they would like to transition into a Full-Face design for added spin on strikes all over the face.
GolfWRX: Is there anything else you think GolfWRXers need to know about Cleveland’s wedge selector tool?
CS: Our wedge selector tool is designed to be used in concert with our set builder webpages. At completion of the selector, a player’s recommended wedge set will automatically be applied to the appropriate set builder. From there, they can easily adjust components or build specs to every Wedge all in one place. Players can also add Tour Crafted sole and leading edge grinds to refine their performance on our Tour Rack wedges, or personalize custom characters, skins, and paintfill in the same place. It’s a one-stop shop to build the perfect wedge set for any player’s game.
This article was presented in partnership with Cleveland Golf. Check out the wedge selector here.
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Thomas A
Sep 26, 2017 at 10:50 am
Wilson Duo for $20 or Titleist DT for $22-$23? Nearly identical balls, I’ll take the Wilson. Better feel than the last DT True Soft and saves $2.
tlmck
Sep 23, 2017 at 4:35 pm
Use Supersoft at the moment, but will give this one a try. I liked the old DT solo the few times I played it, but it was a bit too hot around the greens for me.
X-out
Sep 21, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Soft is good…. plus a buttery forged club…. oooooH
MamasBoy
Sep 21, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Soft balls are impotent balls and only for sissybois
tlmck
Sep 23, 2017 at 4:33 pm
This sissy boy shoots around even par consistently with a Callaway Supersoft.
Irma
Sep 21, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Yet another Bridgestone copy
Tanner
Sep 21, 2017 at 4:13 pm
B’stone Stone Extra Soft is a sleeper of a ball and very good!
MamasBoy
Sep 21, 2017 at 4:54 pm
So you love soft balls.
I bet you also have soft forged irons and a soft 304ss putter.
Soft feeeeels sooooo gooood !!!
Golf64
Sep 21, 2017 at 11:09 am
I like the previous model, might be my new ball for 2018!?