One of the most popular golf balls with MyGolfSpy Forum members has received a visual update aimed at helping with alignment. It’s the Maxfli Tour series and, for 2024, Maxfli introduced Max Align Technology.
The Testing Opportunity
For this Forum Member Test, we selected 10 golfers to test, review and keep two dozen Maxfli Tour series golf balls. The testers were split into two groups of five, with five testing the Tour X model and another five testing the standard Tour model.
The entire Maxfli Tour Series was praised last year by Forum members so while we were confident the golf ball itself would perform well, any change is still a change that can have an effect, one way or another.
We wanted our testers to review and test to see how the golf ball performed but, importantly, what effect the new Max Align graphic had and if it helped their game.
The group of testers ranged in handicaps from scratch to 12 with varying swing speeds and abilities. We do this to get a broad range of views and experiences to relate to as many of our readers as possible, all while obtaining real-world feedback.
Maxfli Tour Max Align First Impressions
The experience out of the box is important, especially when it comes to aesthetics. Without further ado, let’s dive into what the testers had to say.
@vandyland: “I like the alignment aid, and it is not as busy or distracting as I was expecting. It is not subtle by any means, but the lack of additional colors helps it blend in well while still serving its purpose. I like that you can easily recognize your ball without it looking cartoonish. I like that the arrows are fairly simple but large enough to clearly provide a distinct visual difference from any line you would generally draw on the ball.”
Out Of The Box
@peejer: “Out of the box, the look of this ball can be a little off-putting (no pun intended). The three arrows are large and obvious. I initially didn’t think I’d like the design, believing it’d be too distracting. After only a few shots, I came to really like it. I line up my putts using the arrow, using the middle arrow as the primary alignment, with the first and third to confirm my line. Personally, I think this really adds to getting the ball on line.”
@vernl4: “The ball and the alignment are the main objectives here, and the alignment aid was a pleasant surprise. I don’t know why, but I was expecting the alignment arrow to be printed one time on the ball. It actually repeats three times around the ball, with “MAXFLI” taking the place of what could have been a fourth arrow.”
Overall, positive feedback and nothing too drastic upon first inspection with the group of testers. None of the testers felt it was too distracting. Nor something that was going to take away from their enjoyment of using the Maxfli Tour golf balls.
On The Course
Ultimately, it matters how the golf ball performs and, in this case, how the new markings of the Max Align technology had a positive or negative effect with our testers on the course. All the testers were able to play several times, get launch monitor data, and we even had one tester build a fully machined putting machine to get more consistent real-world results.
@brogies: “The alignment aid was distracting to me when putting. I didn’t mind it on full swing shots, but with the putter. I found myself trying to match up my putter head with the alignment aid on the downswing, and it seemed to throw my putting off. I’ve never been a person that lines up their putt, so I’m not used to putting that way, so maybe it would just take me some getting used to. But the alignment aid was very noticeable when putting (which I guess is the point). But I found myself focusing too much on it.”
Alignment and Feel
@knotthead3: “Getting it out on course and next to other alignment balls. I quickly noticed all the alignment graphics on different balls were all the exact same width. I would not have guessed that without placing them side by side. I’m not sure who decided that was the proper size, but it looks like everyone is sticking with it. Even though they’re all the same width, I would say they don’t look the same. Comparing the Maxfli to triple track, I think triple track is much more distracting and a much more prominent graphic. It took me a little while to figure out why. But I think it really comes down to the blue and red versus black only.”
@vandyland: “Overall, the ball does what I need/expect/want it to do. It spins where I want it to spin and flies high but still gets through the wind fine. The ball sits down going into greens and is controllable around the green. The alignment feature has been well ingrained into me now where (a) I don’t really notice it and (b) would feel strange without it now. Especially on putts, but I have also started to rely on it for tee shots.”
Once again, generally positive feedback. Even Brogies, who didn’t get along with it, had his negative comments that could be turned into a plus side for those looking for a more noticeable alignment aid.
Play It Or Trade It?
For many, this is the most important section of the review. Will the testers make the Maxfli Tour with Max Align technology their new gamer? Or will they go back to their previous ball?
Of the five Maxfli Tour X golf ball testers, all agreed they would play it. While they were not necessarily going to make it their go-to golf ball, they would keep it in their rotation and happily use it as the ball provided the results they wanted to see on the course and in testing.
For the five Maxfli Tour testers, three are going to continue with them as their gamers, with the other two being split. While they enjoyed them, they didn’t quite see enough to make the full-time switch.
Key Notes From Testers
Interestingly, our testers got a little creative with the Max Align graphics and colored some in to make them more noticeable. This, while unexpected, produced better results for some and added the personal flair they had been looking for.
Durability was praised by the testers, noting that the cover held up very well both on the course and for indoor practice.
Spin was also an important note for our testers. The overall spin profile for our testers was in a good spot: not too much off the tee and plenty of spin along with feel around the greens. The Maxfli Tour golf balls were compared to many of the top brands during testing and were found to be comparable or even surpassing expectations in some cases.
Price was a final note from the testers. Given the performance and cost compared to other top golf balls, testers found them easy to recommend to a friend. Especially those looking for a premium golf ball that doesn’t break the bank.
Final Grades and Quotes
We had our testers grade the Maxfli Tour and Tour X golf balls out of 100. This covered different topics and aspects for an all-encompassing review.
The Maxfli Tour X with Max Align Technology received grades of 80, 91, 96, 88 and 95.75. A near slam-dunk.
The Maxfli Tour with Max Align Technology had grades of 84.5, 87, 68, 89 and 93. A little lower but very impressive.
To wrap up, here are a few final words from our testers.
@tdc1: “The ball is quality, the alignment aid works great for lining up putts and off the tee. Add a little bit of time with a Sharpie gives me a ball with plenty of visual feedback capability.”
@peejer: “Now with the Maxfli Tour MAX ALIGN element added. I’m back in the camp of this being a ‘must-have’ golf ball. I think I’d like the arrows a little thicker, but that’s something a Sharpie can help me fix quickly. The ball actually performed better than my usual gamer. When you couple that with the immense value that you get from this ball (~$30 when buying 4 dozen at a time), you just can’t beat it!”
@enderinAZ: “This is a great ball. The Max Align Technology works for me even with the issues with my eyes. The balanced core is amazing in the repeatability it produces on and around the green.”
To read the full reviews of the Maxfli Tour golf balls with Max Align Technology, go HERE!
The post Forum Member Review: Maxfli Tour Golf Balls with MAX ALIGN appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Article Link: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/forum-member-review-maxfli-tour-golf-balls-with-max-align/