Hello.
I received my left dot balls last week and inside the box was a card asking for reviews. I played 18 with the new ball and here are my findings.
I know all the talk is to slot this in between the AVX and the Prov1 but i have to be honest, i think that is incorrect. TO ME, this ball belongs in between the V1x and left dash or possibly in between the V1 and v1x. This ball from a feel perspective feels more like its in between the v1x and left dash. It feels firmer than the v1x but feels closer to the v1x than the left dash. The balls trajectory is much lower than the left dash and really explodes off the driver. I have to be honest. The left dash is a beast off the driver and the left dot turned out to be better and longer.....i dont know what is in the ball but i hit 4 drives at 300 yards or slightly better. I NEVER hit 300 yards. I had one with the left dash a few weeks back but the left dot rewarded me with multiple drives at 295-305.
When you flush this ball off the tee, its trajectory and peak height is literally perfect. FOR ME, its the perfect flight.....this ball is the unicorn ball off the tee as far as feel, trajectory and distance. I was swinging really good this weekend so that contributes, but even the guys i was playing with made comments. They had no idea i was testing out a new ball. I heard comments like "what the hell did you eat today?" and "Dude, thats over 300".
This is the best all around ball i have ever hit off the driver. Explosive is the term i will use. Even if i did not flush this in the middle of the face, it was very forgiving for me. Whereas the BXS (the ball i tested against) would really spin "out of control" for me, the left dot seemed to fly 50% less off center.....on similar strikes i was aligned closer to the center of the fairway than the bxs....sometimes by 30 feet.
The iron play was a little different than the driver experience. This is where the ball comes back to reality a bit more. Its still long and still hits the trajectory window, but for me, the ball does not hold the greens as well as i had hoped. One example of this was a 6 iron shot from 178. I hit it really good and was right at the pin which was tucked in the back left corner. The shot looked beautiful off the club, flew in the window i really like. I saw the ball hit and from that distance it looked like a great result. I approached the green, saw the ball mark which was 18 feet from the hole and the ball ended up rolling past the pin and off the back side of the green. I was only 10 feet from the hole and got up and down for par but the distance from initial green contact to resting spot was almost 30 feet. That shocked me. This was far different from the regualr prov1 in my experience this summer.
The very next hole was a par 3, 150 yards. I hit an 8 iron and lifted it very high as the pin was tucked in front right corner. It landed 15 feet from the hole and stopped because the angle of descent was very high. I feel you need to hit it higher on approach shots to limit the roll out. For me, i had multiple shots into the green with 6-8 irons that resulted in longer roll outs than other balls. not that its bad, but i had to adjust my shots a little bit to account for this. from 30 yards and in, the ball did not perform like a normal prov1...it performed more like the left dash. Its not bad, but in direct comparison to a prov1 or the BXS, the left dot is not as comfortable for me in getting up and down if needed. If i were to play this ball full time, i would need to make some adjustments in the short game....with the amount of distance i get off the tee, it may be worth it.
Anyway, putting with the left dot was great. Its a nice firm feel, but not a clicky feel off my GSS Mills putter. you get what you put into it. I liked it.
In conclusion, I feel the left dot is a really good ball and for the last few weeks of fall golf, i have to decide if this is my ball moving forward.....the distance off the tee is almost intoxicating for me, just like the left dash.....its a much better all around ball then the left dash but does have some issues with roll out for me...i would say the left dot is a nicer all around version of the left dash. To me, its nothing close to the avx and i feel the slotting near the AVX is misleading because to me the AVX fee is 100% different, the trajectories are much different and the left dot flies much further than AVX.
I hope this ball come to market because it can be a very good ball for a lot of players. I see the AVX as a niche ball and maybe this one is too but its definitely a ball i would consider to use full time. To me the Prov1 is the best with the left dot a close second.....with the distance i got off the left dot, it really is hard not to tee this up. BRING IT TO MARKET!!!!