Pinnacle Point Scorecard
Magnhild Mongolo
[quote name='lafayette7' timestamp='1344040019' post='5404124']
[quote name='Jonnybagadonuts' timestamp='1343962569' post='5399824']
[quote name='skaarsgard' timestamp='1343961510' post='5399740']
Personally I would prefer the short game bonus of the proV vs the complete lack of it in the pinnacle gold. Most people vote for the PGold as one of the longest driving balls out there but feels and plays like a non stoppable rock
You may gain much needed yards with the proV1x or similar ball (Penta tp5, srixon z star xv or callaway hex black) without losing too much green side spin
Try the prov1x ball vs the pinnacle gold on the same hole next time you get a chance
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Thanks for the advice, i never looked into high compression urethane covered ball as i figured i dont swing 120+ so why bother.
But never thought of the added spin benefits.
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Now I have just the opposite thoughts here. Personally, I'd much rather be in the fairway and 120 yds from the green with ANY ball and a wedge in my hand as opposed to being 165 out with a ball that spins. To make a spin ball beneficial, I first have to HIT the green, which I'm not gonna do nearly as often from 165 out. This is only my opinion, but I've never understood the need to "spin" the ball, ever. If I've missed the green and have to chip on, what's wrong with taking the 9 iron, measuring out the distance you have to chip it, and let the ball roll up to the hole? I believe this can be practiced and perfected much easier than the hop, hop, and stop shot. Now, I understand there may be circumstances where a spinning chip would be helpful, (short sided to the green or out of sand) BUT, if I'm 120 out, my chances of hitting the green, and staying out of the bunker is MUCH greater that 165 out.
Same philosophy from iron shots from the fairway. Whats the difference between hitting the ball 10 feet past the hole, having it spin back to the hole, and hitting it 10 feet short and letting it roll up to the hole? I'll tell you the difference, the second shot is much easier to hit. Not to mention that the extra spin can hurt a driver whose swing isn't quite perfect, can turn that fade into a hurting slice.
I just don't understand the fascination with ball spin. I'm a single digit HC and play with a Pinnacle ball every round. I'll take closer to the green and in the fairway over greenside spin any day of the week, and twice on Sunday!
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i guess the point of my reply was there is distance to be gained with a ProV1X and not sacrificing too much loss in spin - or some of the similar choices out there now (Z Star XV, Penta TP5, Hex Black, etc). to me the added distance and better iron control is worth more than a big drive and then a 120 out with a ball that only a minor percent of players can stop on a green.
Tested a prov1x vs. a pinnacle gold today side by side. I have a 100-102mph driver swing speed on average and have an 8 handicap. Depending on conditions and the temperature, I typically drive the ball 250-270 off the tee. Here are the results:
Tee: The pinnacle gold was significantly longer and straighter. 10-15 yards in some cases. My driver spin numbers are very high, so I'm guessing the lower spin is the reason. Love this ball off the tee.
150-200 yards: The pinnacle gold was again a longer ball. However, the dispersion of the prov1x was much better from this distance.
0-150 yards: The prov1x is the best ball in golf for this shot imo. The pinnacle doesn't perform as well in this area but from time to time it will surprise you. Hit a couple of fliers with the pinnacle on these shots. Prov1x is very forgiving in this area...miss hits don't punish you as much for some reason.
Putting: Prov1x is the better of the two balls here...much softer and won't spring off the putter face like the pinnacle. Again, the pinnacle is still capable in this area, just not nearly as good as the prov1x. Noticeable difference in this area.
Conclusion: While there were no surprises in my test, the pinnacle is truly a very long ball off the tee. I would guess that most golfers would have similar results in this regard (depending on your game). But the Prov1x is vastly superior on the scoring shots. If golf manufacturers can ever figure out how to truly combine extremely low driver spin with great approach control...the perfect ball will be made. A combination of the Pinnacle Gold's tee performance and the prov1x's performance around the green...perfection in my opinion. Does this ball exist?????? anyone
There are plenty of golf balls that offer distance approaching a Pinnacle Gold or a Top-Flite XL yet provide good control around. I have tested several balls on practice rounds and have found that the Gamer Tour, RBZ U, and NXT Tour are all longer (for my 90-95 mph swing) than the ProV1. The Pinnacle and XL are strictly distance balls but I have a tough time around the greens and give back more strokes watching the ball roll like a marble across the green and into a sand trap. The 10 yards extra on the drive is not worth it. You do not have to use the ProV1 series, which to me has the highest spin of any ball I have used, to have good workability around the greens. I would give a couple of the longer moderate spin balls a try for a better comparison with the ProV.
NJpatbee has it right. The valid comparison isn't between a ProV1 and a Pinnacle Gold with no intermediate compromises. That extra distance you're seeing from the Pinnacle Gold is probably a combination of more carry distance from lower spin off the driver and a good bit of extra runout once it hits the fairway.
There are other balls with the low driver spin that are at least moderately controllable around the green. Not ProV1 "Tour" ball type control but there's a lot of room between that ProV1 and a rabbit ball like the Pinnacle Gold.
I do think, in my experience at least (90mph clubhead speed, 17 handicap) that any ball that behaves around the green will give up at least a little of that extreme rollout on tee shots that a Pinnacle Gold provides. I've tried the Pinnacle Gold (very briefly), Hex Hot (not Pro, not Bite) and the Titleist Velocity. All of them are unusable IMO for short shots around the green but all of them will definitely gain 10, 12 15 yards of rollout on a tee shot several times per round.
So the difference isn't really 45 yards under normal circumstances. It's 10-15 yards between the Pinnacle Gold class of ball versus something like an e6 or Hex Hot Pro or even the lowly DT Solo which is actually pretty tame around the greens. I played a couple holes back to back with the DT Solo and an Pinnacle Gold and the difference on both approach shots and chipping were instantly apparent. But the DT Solo still runs out pretty good and doesn't spin much on driver shots.
If you are a high spins player all ball are playable around the green, I game the toplite gamer V2 until I run out now I game Bridgetones E7 and have no problem stopping it on the green.
So if you are gaining distance on pinacle gold and gaining 20 more yards of the tee well that a no brainer.
Johnny Miller won a British Open with a Top Flight. maybe he was a high spin player; over there he probably preferred straight and low spin in the windy conditions, and was able to land the ball short and roll it on the green consistently.
[quote name='gvogel' timestamp='1383432446' post='8093596']
I am guessing that since Pinnacle is owned by Acushnet, which also owns Titleist, that the Pinnacle Gold is pretty close to the Titleist Velocity.
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I played both side by side yesterday. You can't tell the difference other than logo and cool orange number. I am not sure why the Velocity sells other than it is "not a Pinnacle".
After my shock and awe with the Pinnacle Gold last week I played the Pinnacle, Wilson Duo, and the Titleist Velocity yesterday throughout my round. I threw in the PROV1 a few times for good measure. The results are pretty straight forward. The 2 pc balls are about 10 to 15 yds longer off the tee and the distance difference dissipates down through the bag. A wedge is a wedge is a wedge distance wise. There is not much difference between the three balls except for the Duo which feels and sounds like hitting a nerf ball. The Duo might spin around the green more in certain situations, but probably not enough to be noticeable for most players.
I think the short game debate largely hinges on individual preference and course conditions. Golf instructors are all most universally in agreement that amateurs should play the ball on the ground around the greens which in most instances would yield little difference between ball types. Most players have enough inconsistencies in their short game to where a tour ball can react inconsistently also. The ball can check up if you pick it cleaner than you are used to , etc. Obviously if you have a delicate pitch over trouble or have short-sided yourself to a tight pin than you will certainly want a ball that spins, however, you still have to hit a great shot. 9 times out of 10, the best approach is to bail out and hit it 20 feet by the hole and two putt.
I think there is still significant stereotyping of the two-piece genre as behaving like the rocks of yesteryear with visions of perfectly struck shots bounding endlessly into infinity. In most instances it is just not that hard to gauge a little extra roll out around the greens.
Perhaps, as some have mentioned there is a compromise. The GD spin chart suggest the E6 and the Hex Chrome might do the trick.
Depends on the greens. If they are rock hard the ball doesn't make much difference to me on full shot approaches. Conversely if they are so soft you can easily find your ball nark, most anything works.
But the typical firmness I play on, some balls will not stay within 20 feet of where they land with a full 7 or 8 iron. That's pretty much my only criterion.