Titleist NXT Extreme Golf Ball Review
Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, August 27th, 2007
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Reviews
Tags: Golf Ball • NXT Extreme • Titleist
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Reviews
Tags: Golf Ball • NXT Extreme • Titleist
Titleist has released new versions of the NXT Tour golf ball, the NXT Extreme and NXT Tour. I’ve been playing both flavors for a while now. In this article I’ll be reviewing the new NXT Extreme Golf Ball. My NXT Tour golf ball review can be found here.
Titleist NXT Extreme Golf Ball
The NXT Extreme is is a two piece (core and cover) distance ball. It is geared toward players who need distance and don’t need as much spin around the greens, and who don’t want to spend a ton of dough on a box of balls ($34.00). This would likely include about 90% of all amateur golfers. The ball is extremely durable, so if you can keep it in play you’ll be able to play very many holes with it.
The NXT Extreme is so durable that Titleist guarantees you won’t cut open the ball during normal play. If you do, Titleist will replace your cut ball with a whole sleeve of new ones.
Technology
The core of the NXT Extreme is made of Polybutadiene.
From WikiPedia: Polybutadiene is a synthetic rubber that has a high resistance to wear and is used especially in the manufacture of tires. It has also been used to coat or encapsulate electronic assemblies, offering extremely high electrical resistivity. It exhibits a recovery of 80% after stress is applied, a value only exceeded by elastin and resilin. Polybutadiene is a polymer formed from the polymerization of the monomer 1,3-butadiene. ….Right.
The cover of the NXT Extreme is made of Surlyn. Surlyn is a Dupont plastic which is very strong and resistant to cutting.
Dimples
Titleist has long employed a 392 dimple aerodynamic design. Their research has concluded that the 392 dimple pattern provides more carry and distance. There are five different sizes of dimples which are arranged in an icosahedral pattern.
Staggered Wave Parting Design
New for this year Titleist has introduced the “staggered wave parting design.” Titleist balls, including the NXT, ProV1 and ProV1x series have all had a visible seam. What they’re doing now is staggering the dimples where the seam is, to gain that real estate on the ball. This has allowed more dimple coverage and even better results in carry, distance and spin.
AIM System
No longer do you need to draw an aiming line on your ball with Titleist’s new A.I.M. system. A.I.M. is short for alignment integrated marking. They call it a system but come on. It’s just a line, right? Perhaps not. The arrows and lines give you conscious and subconscious influence on aim and club path.
On The Course
I’m not a “hard” ball player typically. I prefer softer cover balls and I usually play the Titleist ProV1. My main two reasons are the spin around the greens and the pain (or lack thereof) when I hit full shots. I’ve been battling golfer’s elbow for several years and I’ve just about got it beat. But when I hit hard balls, or a bunch of range balls for that matter, my pain starts to come back.
I found the NXT Extreme to be “extremely” long. Like I mentioned in my NXT Tour review, the biggest distance increase I noticed was in my irons. I was taking aerial photos of the green as my approach shots flew right over by one or two extra clubs. Once I adjusted and went one or two shorter clubs down I started hitting greens again.
I’m not a bomber, but I can poke my drives out there on an average of 290 or so. I’m definitely capable of going beyond 300 when my timing is right and I hit the sweet spot. I found the NXT capable of drives well over 300 yards, but perhaps more importantly they were all fairly straight. With the Surlyn cover and the lower compression producing less spin, slices and hooks were easier to control.
Though I didn’t get any mad backspin I found that the Extreme stopped quite well on approach shots. Keeping in mind that this is a harder ball, I adjusted my shots around the green as well. Once I found the right touch or shot selection (like a bump and run), I found the consistency of the NXT Extreme excellent. I never ended up hitting a shot and wondering how my distance control was so bad.
NXT Extreme 1, Cart Path 0
One shot I hit on my home course, #13 hole, hit the cart path. This is a par-5, 528 yards. After hitting the cart path, my NXT ended up right at 145 yards out. I’d hit about a 380 yard drive, 80 of which was cart path. I examined the NXT for damage, but that Surlyn cover barely had a scratch. Other balls would be unplayable with an impact like that.
Conclusion
The NXT Extreme is a reasonably priced and very durable ball. It flies true, straight and long. It’s a bit too hard for my game and physical limitations with my elbows, but for the average amateur player this would be an excellent choice. I think the average Joe would hit a few more fairways and gain a noticeable bit of distance off the driver (and irons) compared to other golf balls.
For more pictures of the NXT and other Titleist products, click here to visit the Hooked On Golf Blog Titleist image gallery.
The most exciting golf on TV this week isn’t the FedEx Cup
Written by: Tony Korologos | Sunday, August 26th, 2007
Categories: Golf Media • Miscellaneous • PGA Tour • Tiger Woods
Categories: Golf Media • Miscellaneous • PGA Tour • Tiger Woods
FedEx Cup wild card round
Tiger Woods is sitting out for this week’s first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs. We can just say he’s secured a first round bye. Vijay Singh missed the cut. Phil Mickelson is probably too far back to win.
I guess this first round we can look at like the wild card rounds in the NFL. With players like K.J. Choi, Hunter Mahan, Rich Beem (134th in FC points) and Woody Austin all in contention, that seems reasonable.
U.S. Amateur
THE most exciting golf on TV this week is the U.S. Amateur at the Olympic Club. It’s down to two players, Colt Knost and Michael Thompson. 36 holes of pure, intense match play–my favorite kind of golf. Both players are already in The Masters and the U.S. Open.
Two measly hours of coverage?
So today’s TV coverage of the U.S. Amateur is from 4-6pm ET. Um, I think it takes longer than two measly hours to play 36 holes of match play.
Tattoo Golf Poly-dri Microfibre Golf Shirt
Back on January 11, 2006 I did my first review of some Tattoo Golf products. I still proudly wear my black Tattoo Golf t-shirt and my TG golf shirt. Despite being worn and washed dozens of times over a year and half, my TG golf shirt is still extremely comfortable and not wearing out at all.
“Poly-dri Hi Performance Microfibre Golf Shirt”
Wow that is a mouthful. Let’s call it PDHPMGS for short.
Essentially this golf/polo shirt has a fabric designed to wick perspiration from your skin where it can evaporate. This keeps you cool and dry, even in very hot and humid conditions.
The shirt has a stylish stripe going from the neck down the sides. It carves a very hip and manly look. The shirt also has the Tattoo Golf logo embroidered on the sleeve rather than in the upper chest. This is a very nice touch.
I’m thrilled with my PDHPMGS shirt. I’ve played in it several times this Summer. Our July here in my state was the hottest ever recorded. I played several times on the course when the temps were well above 100 degrees. Even though my PDHPMGS is black, I didn’t feel as hot because of the evaporative qualities of the shirt.
Bachelor friendly
One other thing I really like my PDHPMGS is how “bachelor friendly” it is. I’m not a laundry pro and ironing is one of the biggest PITA’s’ I can think of. I don’t want to spend my time ironing, I want to spend it on the course.
If I get my PDHPMGS out of the dryer quickly and hang it up on a hanger, I’ve got a wrinkle free golf shirt. The only ironing I do is on the driving range.
Ok I admit it. Nikki Disanto rocks my world.
One other nugget about Tattoo Golf. They have to be one of THE coolest golf apparel companies out there just because they have Nikki Disanto as their female model. Nikki Disanto was on a couple of editions of The Golf Channel’s Big Break series and she is easily in my top three list of all time hottest golf babes (more to come on that list later).
Maybe my pals at Tattoo Golf can hook us up… I can dream can’t I?
Conclusion
Tattoo Golf brings an edge to the sometimes stuffy game of golf. I love wearing my TG gear at the snobby country clubs. They’re so concerned with “shirts with a collar.” I love showing up with my skull and cross bones/clubs TG shirts, which do have a collar!
All that being said, the shirts aren’t just a novelty. They’re high performance, high quality, extremely durable and most of all…stylish!
I have a bunch of Tattoo Golf images in the Hooked On Golf Blog Tattoo Golf image gallery. Yes, there are more pictures of Nikki Disanto there too.
Bill Murray busted for drunk driving…in a golf cart
I’m a big Bill Murray (Caddyshack) fan. So is my daughter who became his friend a couple of years ago when he befriended her and even bought her an ice cream.
Apparently Bill was driving a golf cart in Stockholm and was pulled over for drunk driving.
I gave long driver Jason Zuback some grief
Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Categories: Golf Videos • Hackers • Miscellaneous
Categories: Golf Videos • Hackers • Miscellaneous
Check out Jason Zuback in this video. He’s the long drive guy with the ripped muscular arms, veins popping out. He swings out of his shorts and drives 400+ yard par-4’s…
In this video he proceeds to knock three shots OB right. Listen to my smart a** comment at the 0:20 mark…
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