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Fall Ball Test / December 2002

Last year GolfTest USA conducted a test on premium balls that typically cost about $40.00 a dozen. In February of this year GolfTest USA did a test that focused on balls that cost around $25.00 to $30.00 a dozen. As was the case with the June Ball Test the Fall Ball Test was also conducted without regard to the cost of the eleven balls that participated. We were interested to see how our testers rated a group of balls, which ranged from inexpensive to premium priced. We had 50 golfers play one round of golf with each of the balls and rate several categories on a scale of 1 to 10. For this test we added the category "Short Game". We asked each tester to be as fair and consistent as they could be in evaluating each of the balls. They promised to do their best to put aside any preconceived ideas or biases they may have had regarding the balls in the test.

Here are the balls that were included in the test:

• Maxfli M3 Tour LT
  
• Precept U-Tri Extra Distance
  
• Natural Golf Pro Performance
  
• Volvik Blue 90
  
• Dunlop 65u
  
• Precept U-Tri Extra Spin
  
• Maxfli M3 Tour
  
• Nike Power Distance Soft Feel
  
• Nike Tour Accuracy TW
  
• Volvik Green 80
  
• Maxfli A3

Following are some ratings, conclusions and observations GolfTest USA made using the results obtained from the test.

Distance: The Precept U-Tri Extra Distance was rated as the best ball for distance by a wide margin overall. Two balls, Volvik Blue 90 and Nike Power Distance Soft Feel tied for 2nd. The Maxfli M3 Tour LT and Dunlop 65u also received high ratings.

Control: The Precept U-Tri Extra Spin was tops followed closely by the Maxfli M3 Tour LT and the Precept U-Tri Extra Distance.

Accuracy: Three balls tied for the top accuracy rating. They are the Volvik Blue 90, Precept U-Tri Extra Distance and the Precept U-Tri Extra Spin.

Putting: The Precept U-Tri Extra Spin was rated tops with the Nike Tour Accuracy TW, Volvik Green 80 and Maxfli M3 Tour LT close behind.

Short Game: The Precept U-Tri Extra Spin was again received the best rating with the Nike Tour Accuracy TW and Maxfli M3 Tour LT doing very well.

Feel: The Precept U-Tri Extra Distance was best for "feel" with Maxfli M3 Tour LT in 2nd and Precept U-Tri Extra Spin & Maxfli M3 Tour tied for third.

Appearance: The Precept U-Tri Extra Distance got the best average rating for "appearance" and Precept U-Tri Extra Spin, Maxfli M3 Tour LT and Maxfli M3 Tour also scoring well.

Durability: The Volvik Blue 90 and Maxfli M3 Tour LT was tops while the Maxfli M3 Tour also did well.

Trajectory: Precept U-Tri Extra Distance rated the best and Nike Power Distance Soft Feel and Volvik Green 80 were close behind.

Overall: This rating is not an accumulation of the other categories. We asked the testers to take into account everything they look for and is important to them in a ball and give an overall rating. It was no surprise though based on the other scores that the Precept U-Tri Extra Distance and Precept U-Tri Extra Spin were picked best overall. Following up these two balls were the Maxfli M3 Tour LT, Nike Power Distance Soft Feel, Volvik Green 80 and the Volvik Blue 90.

GolfTest USA also added up all the nine categories that were rated for each ball and then we determined what the overall average rating was. Using this method, The Precept U-Tri Extra Distance finished # 1, Precept U-Tri Extra Spin was # 2 and the Maxfli M3 Tour LT was # 3.

After each tester played and rated all eleven balls they picked which balls they thought were the top four in the test. 20% of our testers picked the Nike Tour Accuracy TW and the Precept U-Tri Extra Distance as the top ball while 15% each picked the Volvik Green 80 and the Volvik Blue 90 as the top ball. When all votes were counted from 1st to 4th place the Precept U-Tri Extra Spin received the most votes and the Dunlop 65u and Precept U-Tri Extra Distance were tied for 2nd.

We have looked very carefully at all the results from many different angles and are making this unscientific judgment and taking the liberty of ranking what we think were the top balls in this test.

1. Precept U-Tri Extra Distance
2. Precept U-Tri Extra Spin
3. Maxfli M3 Tour LT
4. Volvik Green 80
5. Nike Power Distance Soft Feel
   

We are leaving it up to golfers to draw their own conclusions as to how the price of the balls relates to how each ball did in this test. We welcome your thoughts regarding the results of this ball test. Please feel free to post your comments on our "Message Boards".

GolfTest USA has already received requests from several ball manufacturers to conduct another test. We have scheduled one for April 2003. If you would like to see a specific ball included that we have not done to date let us know and equally important let the ball manufacturer know that you want them to participate in the new GolfTest USA test.

We would like to thank each of the ball manufacturers for their participation. Without their support and assistance we would not have been able to conduct this test and bring the golfing public these results.

Go to our manufacturer's links page to find out more information about the items in the above category.