UnFreakinbelievable!
Written: Feb 23 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Who doesn't like dimples, and this has them inside of other dimples.
Cons: Sacrificing feel for distance.
The Bottom Line: This is another one of those balls made for the golfer who likes to hit the ball as far as possible but doesn't really care about their scores.
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| smallmouth's Full Review: Top Flite Freak |
It is humorous how the golf ball world is evolving right before our very eyes. While the golf ball manufacturers cannot change the shape of the ball, they can change many other things pertaining to appearance and performance. Changes we have seen in appearance are with color, dimples which also have to do with performance, and especially the wording or advertising on the ball itself by the parent company. Now these are not logo balls, that is how they come from the factory to the general public, with all of the funny writing on them. They are long and soft, crazy, super, feel, far, distance, fire, accelerator, speed, and now Freakish. Just about any adjective that might sell will be printed on a golf ball. I love it because I find it humorous and it gives me a chance to try out a new ball. One that might just magically shave a stroke or two off of my game for any given day. There are about three different balls now which I always fall back to after testing or trying out a new ball, they are my old reliable’s, they work for me, I have confidence with them, and I end up comparing any new ball to them. So when I talk about feel, performance, appearance, distance and durability you have to understand where I am coming from and what balls I prefer to play. They are the Titliest Pro-V1, Callaway HX Tour, and Taylor Made TP.
---------------- The Freak: ----------------
This is the newest ball in the line of what I call New Years Resolution balls. They resolve to do something for your game but it never really comes true. The resolution is written on the ball itself or the box. I would recommend this ball to the golfer who doesn’t care at all about score or feel but is more interested in long distance off of the tee box. This would be a good ball to use for a long drive competition but not for all 18 holes.
---------------- The Thumbnail Test: ----------------
I gave it the thumbnail test in the store and it passed with flying colors. This is when I take it out of the box and dig my thumbnail into the side of the ball to feel how soft the cover is and if I can leave a mark. I push my nail directly into the ball to see not only how far it will go in, but for how long the mark will appear on the ball. I know this isn’t a very scientific test but it usually works in the store. If the ball is too hard you will not be able to even make a compression mark into the ball, too soft and the mark will never go away. This is kind of a feel test of a field test which doesn’t even take place out on the field. I already knew the Freak was going to play like a rock and as with most balls that’s main claim to fame is distance, they are generally very hard and fail the thumbnail test, but the Freak surprisingly passed. I was actually amazed when my thumbnail dug into the ball and left a small mark. I became very excited that I might find a ball that does actually have both feel and freakish distance.
---------------- Feel: ----------------
Irons
I guess I am going to have to come up with a new test in the store as this ball found a way to fool my thumbnail test. It played like a glorified rock! It is very hard and not very forgiving. I found it tough to spin and work into greens or around objects. I can compare it to the other rocks I have tested, the best probably being Nike’s Platinum. That ball passed the thumbnail test too but proved to be a little harder on the course. I thought I had found The ball with the Platinum as well, but after a couple of rounds it showed all of it’s true colors and flaws and I was off of my New Years Nike Ball diet and back to getting fat off of my comfort zone three. I also have a funny way of judging a ball that works for me. I listen for the sound it produces off of my wedge. I use the wedge because I have a ton of confidence in it and have used it so much that I know how a ball should sound and react when I take a full swing and make good solid contact with the old PW. This ball gives a more sharper click then I had hoped for. Don’t get me wrong, I could care less about the actual sound the ball makes when I hit it, but I have learned what the sounds tell me about the ball and this one screamed, Too hard, No feel!
Putter
This isn’t a horrible ball with the putter. How’s that for saying something good about it. I found it to hold true to its line and show a little bit of feel and compassion to that big ugly guy standing over it with the flat stick. It doesn’t at all compare to the feel of the HX Tour or the Pro-V1 on the putting surface but it isn’t an impossible ball to putt like some of the other distance balls I have tried. I have found most of the Pinnacle distance balls to putt like square rocks or mini-rockets, different from stroke to stroke and nearly impossible to ever gain any feel for the ball while putting. The Freak isn’t quite as bad as that but it isn’t a whole lot better. It is exceptional at staying true to the path you put it on and staying straight. However, there is a lot more to putting than just choosing the right line and staying on it, you have to find the right speed as well. I have the biggest problem putting this ball and finding the right speed to hit it. It takes off and I find myself either blowing it by the hole or overcompensating and leaving it four feet short.
Driver
Those who don’t golf, or don’t golf often will probably think it is amazing that one can talk about the feel of a ball with a driver. If you hit enough balls with the same driver you can definitely fell the differences. In that multi-millisecond that the ball meets the club face, it tells you a bunch of different information as it is being sent far away. The sound of the contact can tell you some information as well. The louder and sharper the sound is, the farther the ball usually goes. This ball is built for distance and is loud and sharp off of the driver. While on the club face, I feel that it isn’t very workable and it doesn’t want to stay on the face for very long. It does hold a little bit straighter line of flight then most ball s on the market and I would have to say it’s greatest traits can be seen on the tee box.
---------------- Durability: ----------------
This is a very durable ball and will last forever as far as golf balls last. It doesn’t float so if you want to get plenty of use from it, keep that in mind. I can usually get a round or two from a Pro-V1 depending on how much time I spend at the beach, if I use the added bounce of a cart path, or if I skull it with the blade. The Pro-V1 has a soft cover and it is susceptible to slices, gashes, and quicker wearing. The Freak has a hard core and it is very durable. When keeping it on the grass, I can probably get ten rounds out of one ball if I didn’t hit it in the water or lose it OB. When it does hit a path, a rock, or any other abrasive foreign surface, it peels a little bit stringy or fuzzy. It will leave little jags dangling off of the ball which can be scraped off with a sharp fingernail or sharp object. It stays very white after a ton of hits which also is a tell-tale sign of how durable and hard it is. Softer balls pick up dirt and discolor faster than harder balls.
---------------- Dimples In Dimples: ----------------
The feature of this creature is the dimple in dimple construction. This is Top Flights innovation and new design. Every dimple has its own smaller dimple inside of it. The larger dimples are similar to those of Callaways HX hexagon dimples and the smaller internal ones are little circles. This is designed to increase lift and keep the ball on its line. It makes sense if you think about it, the added dimples help to lift the ball which should keep it in the air longer and higher for added distance. They work like a seam on a baseball which help to keep it on the path chosen by the pitcher putting the spin on the ball. Do I think it works, yeah probably, I can’t really notice it going any higher, maybe a little bit and it might also be a little bit straighter then other balls, but nothing revolutionary noticeable.
---------------- Price and Availability: ----------------
These balls are selling for about $16 per box of 12. They are an inexpensive ball and fun to try and hit as far as you can, but not fun to try and score with. Tope Flite is a popular brand and these are not hard to find, check you local Wally World or Pro shops, and most of the Golf stores are carrying this for the time being.
---------------- 19th Hole: ----------------
I really don’t care for this ball. It is hard to play a ball that the company advertises as basically a distance ball and that is it. Top Flite actually comes out and says that with their advertising. This isn’t a lay up ball, this ball was designed to wow your buddies on the tee box, etc. Those statements are ridiculous to a golfer. I would rather wow my buddies with my scorecard as we all know that you only Drive for Show, but you Play for Dough. Overall I like how they are taking some chances with the D-i-D innovations and are advertising the ball the way they are, it is interesting and fun to watch, but as far as playing this ball, I have played it enough in my testing stage. I would compare it either to Nike’s Platinum or a Driving Range ball, that should get some people wound as tightly as this ball.
© smallmouth 2008
Titliest Pro-V1
Callaway HX Tour Ball
Maxfli Tour Fire Ball
Ping G-10 Driver
Ping G-10 Irons
Recommended:
No
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