Japan Has Got Balls – I’m Talking about Golf Balls

Japan’s golf market can sometimes be overwhelming. So many different, clubs, accessories, wear to choose from. Manufacturers are constantly rolling out newer and better products which is a great thing for the consumer but not for the consumers wallet! One area where there is no shortage of products to choose is golf balls. Besides all the US Market golf balls which are also available here in Japan, consumers get to choose from an equally large amount of Japanese market balls.

There are many players who do not think twice about golf balls and simply buy the cheapest ball off the shelf without any thought of how the design might affect their performance. Golf balls are made for all kinds of players, from slower swingers to ultra fast, from beginners to pros, from men to ladies. Some spin a lot, some spin very little. Some balls will excel off the tee with distance, others around the green with control and even some that do both well to an extent.  Some are hard and some are soft.

I am one of those players who in fact likes to experiment with different balls. A ball will affect your spin, trajectory and very much your feel. I gathered together a few balls I have on hand not really for a head to head comparison, as all these balls have different target audiences and strengths. Instead this post gives readers more of a quick look into a few of the very popular balls here in Japan that are not available worldwide.

Tourstage New V-10 Vivid: Tourstage introduced their all new V10 Vivid golf ball for 2009. The V10 series has been around for a few years and  while the Tourstage  X series balls target the professional and better player, the V10 is made as the premium performance ball for the average golfer.  Made for all swing speeds, this  new 2009 3 piece ball features an advanced WEB dimple design which increases the dimple surface area by 15%. This eliminates wasted space between dimples and increases its strong ballistic trajectory by reducing wind and air resistance.  The soft NEO G core gets progressively harder from the center outwards and is covered by a High Rally inner cover which helps create low spin. The outer cover is similar to　the X-01 using a special blend of polyurethane for performance. The Vivid is long of the tee with feel around the greens and comes in vivid florescent colors using a special pearl paint. I like the feel of the V10 as it is not ultra soft but soft enough and really has a good balance of performance with both the driver and around the green. A great ball for the mid to higher handicapper with under 100mph swing.

XXIO Super XD: XXIO balls are made by Sri Sports which make Srixon balls. While Srixon is known outside of Japan, XXIO is mostly a Japanese market brand. XXIO has long been one of the best selling club lines in Japan and their golf balls are no exception as they perform for the average golfer. The Super XD- for 2009 is the premium distance ball in XXIO’s lineup. This new Super XD- is made for all swing speeds and provides great feel and max distance off the tee. This super soft ball features super low spin with a special three piece design comprising of a Super High Rally soft EGG core, Neo-Metal Soft Mid cover and a High Rally Ionoma cover.  The XXIO Super XD- has 324 aerodynamic dimples and a low compression that really does well with swing speeds between 80-95mph. The Super XD- is a favorite among senior players in Japan or those simply looking for added distance.  Truly a performer off the tee for me.

Hi-Brid BB Soft: The brand Hi-Brid is in fact a Sri Sports/Dunlop sub brand that focuses on higher handicap golfers. The Hi-Brid BB-Soft is actually my choice ball in my bag for several reasons.  The BB-Soft is an ultra soft, high launch, low spin distance ball. Best of all, it costs half the price of some of the other premium 3 and 4 piece balls in Japan but for the average golfer, it performs like a premium ball. This high rally two piece ball features a high rally EGG core like the Super XD- but instead uses a Hi-Brid HR Rubber Cover for high elastic performance. The Hi-brid has 333 dimples and is amazing for the golfer who swings between 75 – 95 mph wanting max distance and carry off the tee. A super soft feeling ball for those who like that spongy feel at impact. This is a ball you can use to go over the lake and even if you drop in not worry about a $7.00 ball.

PRGR TR Spin: Many people don’t know that PRGR, or Pro Gear, is in fact the golf division of Yokohama Rubber Industries.  They make good tires and good golf balls. The TR Spin is the choice ball of several pro players on the Japanese tour. The TR Spin features a 330 dimple design which surprisingly is still rather soft for a max spin ball. This is acheived using PRGR’s special TC330 Outer cover and a special urethane isotome flexible material. The core and cover pair together to create a ball that spins to a stop on any green but still has good distance off the tee thanks to its ability to create maximum hang time. Aimed at golfers with swing speeds of 90-115mph wanting a balanced ball for the single digit scoring game. This ball had 4 wins on the Japanese tour in 2008 the year of its introduction.

Tourstage X-01B+: Tourstage X series balls have long been one of the dominant balls on both the men’s and ladies’ tours here in Japan. Even Ryo Ishikawa chooses to play a Tourstage ball. The new X series was created based on R&D focusing on lower compression in golf balls.  Tourstage wanted a ball that would perform even for fast swingers but still produce wonderful feel and touch. Unlike the old X series, where different models excelled depending on different swing speeds, this new line of balls targets all swing speeds. The new X-01 B+ is an advanced 3 piece ball with a compression rating of 83 and 344 dimples.  The X-01 B+ is a maximum spin ball with plenty of feel that still performs off the tee. Higher swing speeds produced by the driver actually lower the spin on the X-01 B+ while iron shots and approaches around the green generate maximum spin. These characteristics also make the X-01 B+ an ideal ball in the wind. Seems like the soft pro ball is all the rage now.

Super Newing Brill: The new Super Newing Brill ball which was introduced to humongous fanfare this spring is what Bridgestone  touts as its greatest distance ball ever. The new Brill is premium soft 3 piece ball featuring a new big repulsion core with High Rally inner cover and soft Ionoma outer cover. The key new feature is the 272 Big Web Dimples which create amazing aerodynamics to minimize wind resistance for ultimate carry off the tee.  Compared to the previous best selling LS330 ball, the Brill carries higher and further thanks to a 15% increase in dimple area. The new Brill shows a nice increase in ball speed off the tee but still good touch around the greens and putting. This has been one of the best selling balls this year and for good reason as it targets all swing speeds and low to high handicappers.

This is just a small sampling of some of the great balls available in Japan right now. There are still many many more. Right now the most used balls on tour like Tourstage X Series, Srixon Z Star, Titleist ProV1, do NOT necessarily reflect the best selling balls for amateurs. Japanese golfers demand the best products for every level of player which is why the most expensive balls are not tour balls but Premium performance balls.  Balls like the XXIO Super XD- and Super Newing Brill dominate there.  I have long been a fan of Mizuno balls as well and was previously a user of the Tour Series 352s, Mizuno’s first venture into a Tour ball last year. Mizuno is about to release their new MP-801 ball, a high end 4 piece Tour ball which they hope can challenge some of the big guns. Look soon for my review on that as I’ll definitely be trying it! Check out some of these balls in the TSG Proshop!