ScooterMcTavish

Holy heck, looks like I've been out of the ball market for some time! $73 CAD for a dozen Chromesoft? $65 CAD for a dozen AVX? Think I got a bit lazy just buying Z-Stars whenever they went BOGO, ordering 6 dozen at a time. May have to go to the store and buy sleeves if I don't want to have to sell a kidney.

First update. Despite ordering the Frontline last, it arrived yesterday, just in time for a league round last night. First impressions were good. Although I thought I'd prefer the thicker alignment line, it is a bit visually jarring, and I may lay some pinstripes or something on it to black it out a bit. Positives: - Very stable with a clearly high MOI - The sink-fit oversize pistol grip is fantastic, and helps quiet the hands. - Good shape for alignment - Insert is a nice "just right", not too soft, not too firm - Strikes feel consistently good, even if the ball is not in the centre of the face Negatives: - The putter feels a bit lightweight, so I felt I had to swing it more firmly than I am used to - The alignment "line" is a bit much Results: Total of 15 putts for 9 holes, versus the 21 I hung up last week. No 3-putts, and all but one lag putt was in "pick it up" distance. Had two putts under 8' which I felt I should have made but didn't, but I did make the third 8', likely as I saw I was missing left and adjusted my aim. Special thanks to @rsballer10 as I certainly felt more loose on the greens last night. Having a new putter with low expectations certainly helps. But I also quit obsessing about my form and staying SBST, and just let the swing flow freely while concentrating on distance. And I wasn't far off, as I left three putts of 15' and over within one inch of the cup with good weight, just slightly offline. Will also order some heavier weights, and try experimenting in making the putter heavier, and adding some toe hang. Not a bad start.

As a further follow up, I played the S ball in league tonight. Ball lasted 9 holes with minimal damage, and I’d likely play it a few extra holes before replacing it. I thought back to the many balls I’ve played over the years, and it occurred to me that this ball reminded me of the well-loved TP Red. Soft yet firm, good spin on approaches, yet incredibly straight on drives. If you loved the TP Red, this is worth a go.

Have played the S for a few consecutive rounds, and genuinely like the ball. Lots of spin on approaches, and feels nice off the irons. Also very straight (almost too straight) off the driver. Need to adjust for its lack of fade spin. Durability is still my main complaint, as 9 holes feels about the max before it gets too beat up to continue playing. But am guessing that this feel comes at the price of durability. I compared the ball previously to the original FG Tour X. But after a few more rounds, it is starting to remind me of the old TP Red. And that is a heck of a positive comparison.

I’ve bought pristine golf balls from a Canadian retailer, and loved the free customization offer. Every single one of them looked like new. But I certainly noticed some of them did not react like new balls. Last time I ordered 4 dozen B-RXS, and they were noticeably “off”. Considering how mental this game is, it’s just not worth it to me. Also considering how rarely I lose balls, I cannot justify the cost savings. YMMV based on how many balls you lose, but for me, the savings are not worth it.

Sounds like the Z-Star may be it, though the XV may also be worth a try. It’s a firm ball but not overly so. Certainly softer than the B330 X. Though maybe the Mizuno Pro X might be worth a try. Firmer ball but very soft cover.

I'm kind of the extreme in the opposite direction, and I have almost fully given up on buying used irons. Despite the jokes made about iron covers, I see people dropping $1,500 on a set of irons, then beating the holy hell out of them. In short, I have been around long enough to see how poorly people treat their stuff, and I'd like to avoid someone else's lack of care in my bag. But please also note that I can afford new clubs at this point in my life. I was much less fussy when I had a young family, so would pick up whatever I could find used on deal (games Eye2 and Zings for quite some time). So if this is a financial decision, I can only encourage you to buy what makes financial sense for you. So at this point in my life, only reason I would buy used clubs is if there is a purpose to the buy (i.e. I wanted to try out the head or shaft), and I knew I could resell them with a small loss when I was done trying them out (I refer to these as beater sets). But to me, a beater set is under $400. Where am I going with this? If you were interested in the i230 model, you could buy a used set like this to try, then try to replace with a nicer used set (or even NOS or demo set) if you love them. But I wouldn't be dropping $600 US ($822 CAD) on this set, especially when I can buy nice new sets on clearance for under $1,100 CAD ($800 US). Heck, I can buy the newest W/S CB set (4-PW) for $1,260 CAD/$912 US - would rather buy those, get an extra club, and have them be brand new for the extra $300. Just my thoughts, and I know I'm likely on the fussier end of the spectrum. But value for money is universal, and these seem way overpriced considering their condition.

Another option might be B-RXS. Although it doesn't spin quite as much as the XS, that ball certainly does launch high. Might also be a good fit if current launch is low, as an increased descent angle may compensate for a lower amount of spin. And it's not like the ball doesn't spin a decent amount (unlike the B-RX). Think asking @skibmg for their swing speed might of helped.....lol. If their SS is moderate (i.e. 95-100) then they may appreciate the higher trajectory of the B-RXS, AVX, or Tour Response. If their swing is faster (over 100) then the Z-Star may be the magic ball.

Gorgeous club. And as much as I do like the matte finish that Mizuno put on my JPX923T and the S3, there's something to be said about having nice chrome on the club, and matte in the cavity only. Always loved the look of MP-30s as well. Elegant and simple like the MP-52, but with a shorter head and softer lines. Again, none of these are exceptionally forgiving CBs, with all having most of their mass centre and behind the ball, like a blade.

Guess I'm kind of struggling with your question, as there is very little difference between new Mizuno player's CB clubs (like the JPX 923 Tour and the S-3) versus the cavity backs of yesteryear. You mentioned the MP-64 as an example, but the way the mass is placed low and in the middle of the head, and with a very shallow cavity, it looks closer to a blade/MB style than my JPX do. Comparing to the Wilson is also odd, as the latest CB is a very scary club. I looked at these in store, and they might as well be a blade due to less weight down low, and very low bounce and offset. Possibly you're speaking about the design, where the cavity itself is larger in appearance? If that is it, then certainly, aesthetic comments are very valid when comparing older and newer clubs. But in any CB, it is important to see where the weight is placed. In my JPX 923 Tour, there is a solid amount down low, and good bit at the toe which adds off-centre forgiveness. And to the S-3 looking blade-y, I'm not sure about that. Here is one of (IMHO) the nicest MP-series clubs that Mizuno made, the MP-52: And here is the S-3. What's old is new apparently:

It's really why the numbers on the bottom of the clubs have become meaningless. But to OP's question, a GI cavity with more traditional lofts simply doesn't seem to exist right now. Player's CB? Yes, but not GI.

It really is more of an AA-type thread, IMHO. "My name is Scooter, and I am a club ho'" There's those of us who really want to quit ho'ing, and feel if we hang out with people who don't ho', we'll stop. There's those of us who know we should stop ho'ing, but inside really don't want to quit, as we haven't hit "rock bottom". Although shipping clubs to the office and hiding the credit card bill could be a "high bottom", still haven't read if anyone has sold a kidney or a been evicted so they could afford the latest driver with exotic shaft. And there's those of us who enjoy the schadenfreude of watching our fellow ho's fail miserably, and who gladly watch this behaviour as it allows us to justify our own ho'ing. In a way, I think the OEMs like this thread, as each person who falls off the wagon may take another one with them.

My long time favourites were the MP-30,and my memory of them had me pick out my current irons. Unsure why OP railed on the JPX 923 Tour, as this club is pretty much the classic Mizuno player's CB, and not substantially different than the cited MP-64. Thin topline, nice sole, low but useable offset, and moderate forgiveness, especially toe-side. There is actually a bit more perimeter weighting on the JPX 923 tour than the MP-64. Also lofts were mentioned - my MP-30 had a 47º PW, and the JPX 923 Tour had a 46º PW. No jacked lofts here. Trying to understand what OP is looking for, as the JPX 923 Tour, and the newer Pro S-3 (more forgiving for heel strikers) are truly updated "classic" Mizuno player's CBs. Only difference is they have a non-chrome finish. Possibly the absence of a more forgiving CB GI option is the larger issue OP has. Unfortunately, we now live in an era of fitting bay wars and jacked lofts, so we see clubs like the JPX925 Forged with a 43º PW. This is unfortunately the time we're in, and I do not believe we'll ever return to the days of a more forgiving CB iron with traditional lofts. It's not just Mizuno - it's everyone; just look at PW lofts on all more forgiving CBs or PD irons (Ping i530, 42º; Ping i240, 45º, TM P790, 44º; WS Dynapower Forged, 44º; Cally X-Forged Max, 44º).

What I’ve found interesting in my own ball journey is that “spin” isn’t consistent from ball-to-ball depending on clubhead speed. So although the BX or Z-Star XV or ProV1x may be listed as high spinning, much of this benefit may be lost with a slower SS. Someone recommended trying the Z-Star, and it is a reliable middle of the road ball. Also saw BXS recommended, and it is a nice feeling high spinning ball. However, I did find it a bit spinny off the driver. May also want to try the Mizuno Pro S. I like the feel, very straight off driver, and it spins well - only issue is poor durability.

Yes, title says it all. Been playing the Z-Star/XV for the better part of the last decade, and although it is a very good ball, it is also a bit "meh". This was highlighted by recent play of the Mizuno Pro S, a ball which had a different feel, and launched differently with higher spin than the Z-Star does for me. This was interesting, as despite the ball being both soft and hard at the same time, it was a lot of fun to play. Durability was crap, which is why it will not become my permanent gamer, but it highlighted I maybe need to try a few more balls out. I also noticed when I went to my Mizuno irons this spring, I no longer liked the XV. It went from feeling firm to hard, and I do not like hard. Wish list: - "Tour" ball with a urethane cover - Softer feel, so no X balls - Will play white, but prefer yellow - Excellent greenside spin - Higher launching off irons - Goes on sale regularly for stock-ups So thinking it would be fun to do a "soft" tour ball shootout, and see how we do with those. To me, soft in a tour ball means around 80 compression or under, which would include the following: Callaway Chromesoft Mizuno Pro S Wilson Staff Triad (2024) Titleist AVX Z-Star (a stretch at 85 compression, but good to include a Srixon) TaylorMade Tour Response Bridgestone B-RX Bridgestone B-RXS Any other ideas? Am actually a bit impressed at how many balls are here in the "soft tour" space, not even counting balls that are harder for me to access, such as Maxfli Tour S and Vice Pro Air. Maybe get this started next week some time. Edit: Eliminated the "sale" requirement. Who am I kidding. I've lost a grand total of 1 ball in my last 108 holes, and take balls out of play due to damage. In doing my 2-piece ball test, I lost only one ball in the seven different balls tested. So really, I'm at a point where the right ball is more important than just price.