Golf-ball manufacturers are always searching for ways to make their product faster…spinnier…softer.
For Mizuno, the goal for their new Pro X and Pro S golf balls was to meet the demands of players regardless of their game-enhancement needs. In reimagining its ball design, the company says it was able to deliver more feel while still being able to maintain speed.
Here are 3 things you need to know about the Mizuno Pro X and Pro S golf balls:
1. Soft feel and more speed
Every golfer — amateur or professional — wants a ball that can help them add length off the tee and give them control around the greens.
“It’s about feel and precision on it,” Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s head of product, said of the company’s new balls.
“We’re still maintaining ball speed but we’re getting extra feel out of it. So, especially in the short game, when you are putting and chipping, it’s a softer feel, yet you are not losing ball speed with it. That’s just through mixing up the different layers that we are using, the materials we are using with that ball. Again, we feel like this is the first ball that’s really worthy of that Mizuno Pro name.”
By altering the “dimple profile” of the Pro S and Pro X balls, Mizuno was able to increase speed while maintaining control around the green.
Mizuno says both the Pro X and Pro S models have a 12% thinner cover and a 6% thicker mantle layer, which allows for increased ball speed and distance off the tee and responsive performance on approach shots.
Where the two balls differ is in their spin profiles.
The Pro S’s makeup allows for low long-game spin and moderate short-game spin, while the Pro X is better suited for golfers who prefer mid-spin in their long game and moderate spin in their short game.
2. Drag reduction
Both the Pro S and Pro X have 332 Axial Flow dimples, which reduce air resistance and drag while enabling stability for a consistent ball flight no matter the conditions.
“With these, we really messed with the actual dimple profile to make it look a little bit more players,” Voshall said. “We are still using that Axial Flow dimple, but it got smaller, and it’s a more normal number. It doesn’t look as odd because the dimples aren’t as big. Then, we messed with the compression and the thicknesses of the layers, where we made this mantle layer feel even softer. One of our biggest things is when you’re looking at golf balls, it’s not uncommon to measure yourself against Titleist Pro V1, and we wanted this to feel even softer than a Pro V1, and it does.”
3. Different trajectories
There are two key differences between the Mizuno Pro S and Pro X models.
The first is the spin rate, which we covered above; the second concerns the trajectories the balls produce.
The Pro S was created to offer a mid-trajectory for players who want piercing flight with great control, while the Pro X delivers a higher trajectory for those who want a steeper landing angle on their shots.
4. Price and availability
The Mizuno Pro S and Pro X golf balls will retail for $47.99 per dozen and will be available starting Jan. 22.
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