Earlier this year, we introduced you to Snell Golf’s PRIME family of golf balls. While each of the three has its audience, the PRIME 2.0 is the most interesting, if for no other reason than it’s a bit of a golf ball unicorn.
About the Snell Prime 2.0
While it may not be accurate to say that the Snell Prime 2.0 is the only two-piece urethane golf ball in the marketplace, it’s certainly the only one (at least right now) that’s likely to be played by a MyGolfSpy reader.
Historically, two-piece urethane balls have been a challenge to make. On the positive side, manufacturers were able to generate more greenside spin because of the urethane cover. The trade-off was that the high-spin properties carried through the bag, leaving you with a ball that was slow, spinny and ultimately short off the driver.
Cool.
According to Dean Snell, relatively recent advances in core technology have made two-piece urethane viable and, with that, created a unique opportunity in the market that Snell Golf is more than happy to fill.
Snell Prime 2.0 Compression
As you may know, compression is a measurement of how firm (or soft) a golf ball is. Today’s marketplace ranges from roughly 40 compression (Callaway Supersoft) to 100-plus (Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash, Wilson Staff Model X).
Compression correlates strongly with feel (lower compression balls often feel softer) but there’s some wiggle room in that, depending on the materials and construction of the golf ball.
Dean Snell says the Prime 2.0 is approximately 80 compression. On paper, that’s solidly in the mid to mid-firm range. Performance characteristics aside, it’s in the same compression ballpark as Titleist AVX and Velocity, Bridgestone TOUR B RX, and Srixon Z-Star.
I mention the two Titleist offerings because they make for a perfect illustration of how materials impact the feel equation. While roughly the same compression, I’d wager there isn’t a golfer on the planet who wouldn’t tell you the AVX doesn’t feel significantly softer than Velocity.
The point in all of this is that while the Prime 2.0 is mid-compression ball, the competitive set, while low compression, is made up of ionomer offerings. What the PRIME 2.0 lacks in low compression, it makes up via the softer urethane cover.
Snell Prime 2.0 Performance
Snell describes the PRIME 2.0 as offering higher launch with mid-high iron spin, and very soft feel.
As golf balls decrease in compression, manufacturers typically compensate for the speed loss with higher ball flight. That’s not entirely the case here, if for no other reason than at 80 compression, you’re still in the ballpark of the low end of what gets played on Tour.
Driver and iron spin rates should also fall in the mid range, with for the target player being the operative words.
The real benefit of the 2.0 over most similarly priced balls is that the urethane cover should provide more greenside spin than those ionomer-covered alternatives.
The caveat is that, without the firm mantle layer found in three-, four- and five-piece models to pinch against, you’re not going to see as much spin as you would in a ball with what’s often described as “Tour-level construction”.
Who the Snell Prime 2.0 is For (and Who It Isn’t)
To keep things simple, Snell says the PRIME 2.0 is ideal for golfers who hit their 7-iron 125 yards or less. While a complete golf ball fitting extends beyond just swing speed, it can help you eliminate some balls from the competitive set.
For slow to moderate swing speed players seeking more greenside spin than they’re getting with a two-piece ball without having to give up the budget-friendly pricing, the Snell PRIME 2.0 is one of the more interesting offerings on the market.
Mid to faster swingers are going to miss the mangle layer and are likely to suffer a significant performance penalty (most notably balls speed) as a result. Those golfers are likely better suited to the PRIME 3.0 or PRIME 4.0.
Availability and Pricing
The Snell PRIME 2.0 is available now. Retail price for a dozen is $24.99. Prices drop with each dozen you buy, bottoming out at $21.99 if you buy five dozen or more. If you’re looking to try the entire Snell PRIME lineup, the 2.0 is included in the Snell Test Pack alongside the Get Sum, PRIME 3.0 and PRIME 4.0.
For more information or to order yours, visit Snellgolf.com.
This article was written in partnership with Snell.
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