Nick Price won two majors using the Precept EV Extra Spin.Jeffrey Westbrook
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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Built on the success of the best Team TaylorMade athletes in the world, TP5x is designed to deliver unparalleled low spin and distance off the tee and world-class feel and control where you need it most around the green. Microcoating No two golf balls are the same, but the all-new TP5x sets out to solve an invisible problem through our revolutionary microcoating finish process. Uneven paint and excess pooling in the dimples can compromise distance and accuracy. Microcoating uses precision application technology to ensure uniform coverage across the ball’s entire surface. Click on the video for a deep dive. Thinner Than a Human Hair Microcoating is thinner than a human hair and delivers measurable performance advantages: more consistent ball flight, optimized distance, and tight left-to-right dispersion. Tour-Level Speed The reengineered Speed Wrapped Core in TP5x increases the coefficient of restitution (COR) for exceptional ball speed at the top end of your bag.
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SPEED TECHNOLOGY Revolutionary new Tour Fast Mantle that increases distance through an optimized core/layer system. ADVANCED SEAMLESS TOUR AERO® Incredible distance and flight consistency on every shot. PRECISION TOUR URETHANE COVER Incredible feel and wedge control. PRECISION TECHNOLOGY Provides the ultimate in consistency. Every detail in the design, manufacture, and testing of the Chrome Tour X ball has been engineered to ensure maximized performance throughout your game.
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The Staff Model golf ball is a tour-caliber, four-piece urethane golf ball that delivers unmatched precision, speed and consistency. Featuring a medium-compression core, Staff Model feels great off the club face and delivers a penetrating ball flight and maximum greenside spin while maintaining low spin off the tee. Each Staff Model ball is painted using a finely controlled application process that ensures a nearly flawless finish, resulting in the highest-caliber performance.
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Z-STAR SeriesWhether you’re chasing major championships or your next personal best, the all-new Z-STAR series is the choice for serious players everywhere. Featuring reformulated cores and covers across the line, this generation of Z-STAR golf balls delivers greater distance, optimized spin, and tour-level stopping power around the green. It’s a formula designed to give you one thing: pure performance when it matters most. Z-STAR XV provides maximum ball speed for unmatched Driver and Iron distance. Its premium 3-piece construction gives skilled players complete tour performance, tee to green.
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