~ ~ Ever since they first came on the market back in the early 1980’s, the ‘mad cabbie’ has been playing balata golf balls. A balata golf ball is made with a soft balata rubber cover, with an interior that is ‘wound’, which means that if you were to cut through the outer layer than you would find a huge length of what is basically a very long elastic band, wound round a soft inner core. The balata golf ball, which most manufacturers produce these days, is the ball chosen by about 99% of all professional golfers and low handicap amateurs, for the simple reason that it is softer than solid golf balls, and thus allows you to achieve more backspin on your iron shots, and to fade and draw (move from right to left and vice versa) more easily. The reason this is more easily achieved with a balata ball as compared to a ‘one piece’ solid ball, is that the balata stays on the clubface of the golf club fractionally longer at impact, thus allowing the grooves on the clubface to have more effect.
~ ~ But the balata golf ball also has its drawbacks. A one-piece solid golf ball is virtually indestructible, and will take all sorts of punishment and beating without losing its shape, whereas the softer balata ball doesn’t take to rough treatment at all well, and will distort and cut very easily. Because the balata ball is softer, it doesn’t ‘bounce’ of the clubface with such venom, which means that it doesn’t travel so far as a solid golf ball. And because it spins more in the air, it doesn’t roll so far on landing. When you are a young fit fella like Tiger Woods, then this doesn’t matter that much. He hits the golf ball such tremendous distances that a few yards lost distance is mostly insignificant. But as the years start to creep up on you, and the old body isn’t just as flexible as it used to be, then the first thing that really begins to suffer in most golfer’s game is the length they can hit the golf ball. You simply can’t generate the same amount of club head speed at impact as you were once able to. I know that this is certainly the case with me. Nowadays I would say that I hit the golf ball about 30 yards less (on average) than I did when I was in my golfing prime in my late twenties and early thirties. You can overcome this drawback (to a certain extent) by purchasing the latest golf club equipment, where HUGE advances have been made in the last decade or so, thanks mainly to the use of CAD. (computer-aided design) You can also achieve extra distance by using a one-piece solid golf ball. But to be honest, I always felt like I was hitting a stone when I played with one of these, and the lack of “feel” and spin always put me off using them.
~ ~ But just recently I think I might just have come across the solution to my problem! It’s a new golf ball (well, relatively new) called the ‘Maxfli Revolution’. I first heard about it when one of the Sky Sports commentators happened to mention that a number of the top professionals had began to use it in preference to the balata ball, as it was giving them extra distance without sacrificing spin and feel on their iron shots. So the next time I was in ‘Nevada Bob’s’ (my local golf superstore) I purchased a sleeve of three to try them out. The Maxfli Revolution is different in that it combines the best features of both a balata ball and one of a solid-piece construction. It has a solid centre, but this is then surrounded by various different layers of both elasticated rubber and solid material, and finally finished off with an outer skin of Urethane. (not quite so soft as balata) Maxfli claim that it is as long as a solid-piece ball of the tee. I can’t go along with that entirely, but I would say that it has probably given me an extra 10 to 15 yards. And I agree with their claim that it is as easy to spin as a balata ball, and to draw and fade. I haven’t noticed any difference whatsoever when I attempt to put spin on the ball, and if anything, I think it probably lands softer on the putting surface with a well hit pitch. It’s a durable ball as well. I’m getting at least two complete rounds out of each ball now, whereas with the balata it would be rare if I managed to finish the round with the same ball I started out with. Although it still cuts and scuffs more easily than a solid-piece ball. I wouldn’t recommend this ball to a high handicap golfer though, as it is too soft, and they would end up cutting or marking it badly with their first badly struck shot. But it is an ideal compromise to the softer balata ball for the low to mid-handicap golfer.
~ ~ Pricewise it’s about on a par with the balata. I paid €11 for the first sleeve of three balls that I purchased, but since then I have been buying them by the dozen for about the €36 mark. If you were to shop around on the Web, you would find various (mostly American) sites where you could buy them even cheaper. About $25 is the best price I came across at various different sites. (Just type in the name of the ball in Google) But by the time you add in the carriage it usually isn’t worth your while, as sometimes delivery from America can be very slow. Highly recommended by the ‘mad cabbie’.
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