How solid-core golf balls changed the game

For nearly a century, we played golf balls composed of materials not out of place at Office Depot — or at Cinnabon. Thankfully, a more solid idea emerged.

By the mid-1990s, many top-shelf golf balls featured urethane covers not dissimilar to what’s used today. Inside that was a middle layer of rubber bands — hence the name “wound” balls. And inside that was a sack of corn syrup or saltwater in the core with yeast or bacteria injected to pressurize it. Weird? Well, it worked.

In 1994, Bridgestone’s Precept brand introduced the EV Extra Spin, a two-piece, solid-core ball designed to take on the category’s best wound offerings. The pitch: The Extra Spin was long and long-lasting, like a traditional two-piece ball, but with the short-game feel needed to compete at the highest level … minus the rubber bands and gooey centers.

In golf balls especially, Tour validation changes the game. Nick Price using the EV Extra Spin to win that year’s Open Championship and PGA Championship was ultimate mic-drop moments.

Wound, liquid-center balls didn’t vanish overnight: Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes with one. But by the time Mark O’Meara earned his green jacket the following year with a solid-core Strata — a three-piecer, with a solid middle layer added — corn syrup was drying up and the rubber band’s relevance had snapped.

In 1999, Titleist introduced its own multilayer, solid-core ball: the Pro V1. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Shop the latest golf balls at Fairway Jockey

Bridgestone 2026 Tour B RXS MindSet Golf Balls

Features:  UNBOUND DISTANCE: New VeloSurge core-mantle integration technology delivers breakthrough velocity for unmatched distance off the tee TOUR CONTROL: The Reactiv iQ cover adheres to the clubface longer, generating tour-level spin and precision control on shots around the green The NEW TOUR B RXS with MindSet – the first golf ball scientifically designed to help players separate analytical thinking from athletic performance MindSet is a visual cue printed directly on the golf ball, serving as a reminder of a simple three-step process: identify your target, visualize the shot path, and focus on the dot.

$54.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Titleist Pro V1x RCT Golf Balls

The Titleist Pro V1x RCT golf ball is engineered to deliver and precisely capture the high flight, high spin performance and feel of Pro V1x. Pro V1x RCT is designed for radar-based launch monitors to provide the most accurate golf ball data on these devices for the indoor golf experience while providing all of the same premium performance benefits as Pro V1x. Why Play Pro V1x RCT? You’re a golfer who uses radar-based launch monitors to train and play indoors and want accurate, reliable feedback from these sessions. You also prioritize total performance. Pro V1x RCT, just like Pro V1x, is recommended for players who may benefit from higher-trajectory flight, low long game spin with higher short game spin, and firmer feel.

$70.00 from Fairway Jockey

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