Srixon HR-X 333 Balls

Andrew Penner

Posted 2004-07-26

News flash!!! Nine times out of ten I can’t tell the difference between golf ball brands. Oh sure, give me a frozen Pinnacle “hard core” Extreme with a double petrified titanium core and a Titleist Tour Balata (my all-time favorite ball – doesn’t go anywhere but spins like a wild banshee) that’s been sitting in a slimy pond for a year and a half and I can, just a millisecond after impact, give you the lo down. But, for the most part, given, say, a Titleist Pro Vx, a Hogan Apex and a Callaway HX Tour, and it’s just a wild guess as to what I’m hitting. Most high-compression (but “soft”) balls these days are all so good and so similar.

Recently, however, I tried a ball that seemed to be a cut, no pun intended, above the rest in terms of its length, feel, and durability – the latter something that isn’t often considered. The Srixon HR-X 333 is a new offering from this golf ball giant and, not surprisingly, features state-of-the-art cover technology.

The Srixon HR (High Repulsion) X 333 features an incredibly resilient cover that’s made out of a new material called Rabalon®. Rabalon® is a revolutionary elastomer that is highly resilient yet very soft. This ball, a three-piecer made for high swing speeds (100 mph or more), also features a highly elastic rubber mid layer as well as the soft E.G.G. core, which helps optimize launch conditions. The seamless 333-dimple pattern also provides for greater carry and more roll.

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a sleeve and pegged one up. The ball performed nicely. It spun, it felt solid, and it flew. Good ball. However, to me, as earlier noted, the durability of this ball stood out. After three cart paths, five trees, and a direct hit off the ball washer (that’s still slightly under par for me), this ball remained fleecy-white and handled the abuse exceedingly well. And the best part? I still have one left. www.srixon.com.

Andrew Penner is a 12-year member of the Canadian PGA and writes for a number of publications in North America. His book, titled One Flew Over The Caddyshack, is available at Amazon.com. He can be reached at andpenner@shaw.ca.