The only equipment used in each shot is the golf ball. With a market flooded with options ranging from two-piece ionomer-coated balls to five-piece urethane balls, it can be difficult to know which ball best suits your game (and budget). Volvik, which holds the second-largest market share of golf balls in Korea and exports to more than 50 countries, hopes to gain further traction in the U.S.
Their “Tournament Performance” line of golf balls, e condor AND Condor Xwere recently tested by members of the MyGolfSpy Forum to see if Volvik’s claims of higher ball speed, lower spin and softer feel hold true to their current ball of choice. At $42.99 per dozen, they come in at a more affordable price than other “tournament performance” balls.
Read on to find out if this ball deserves a spot in your bag when you need to grab a new dozen.
Volvik test highlights
- Premium finish: Both the Condor and Condor X were praised for their premium finish and feel, with testers commenting that they were much better than other Volvik balls, especially their matte finish line.
- Soft shooter feel: Testers of the Condor golf ball noted that the ball felt soft from the putter, which they liked. This matches their compression rating of 85.
- Distance results varied: Depending on swing speed, distance results varied for Condor testers. Players with higher swing speeds (95-100 mph) saw a marked loss of yardage on all clubs, while players with slower speeds (85-90) saw increased yardage. For the Condor X testers, no loss of distance was noticed, going head-to-head with other major OEMs.Durability an issue: Testers noted issues with the durability of the Condor and Condor X with the balls scratching easily and rendering some unplayable.
Initial thoughts and impressions: packaging, finish and feel
The first impression a golf ball makes is vital to user perception. In a flooded market, rack appeal is a factor to consider in addition to the feel and finish of the ball itself. Does the brand grab your attention enough to tear you away from Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade?
Initial impressions were a bit mixed for our testers. While the tester xayarr loved the simplistic approach and extensive detailing on the back of the Condor packaging, he couldn’t help but think it left something to be desired. “This seems like a good first step for them to introduce themselves in the space, but IMO they really need to improve their marketing for the fact that they are now selling a competitive ball in the tournament. The only space I’ve ever seen them market before is low-end colorful balls with weird matte finishes and fancy branding.”
probative JackBurtonsPorkchopExpresson the other hand, liked the packaging presentation of the Condor X, stating “I thought the presentation (box) was super simple and effective. I feel like most boxes have red all over the ground as a way to stand out from the crowd, but there isn’t a single drop of it on the box. The back of the box did a good job of explaining the construction of the ball and comparing it to the other Condor variant.”
The finish and feel of both condor AND Condor X were well received by testers, who noted that they were consistent with other “tournament level” balls they’ve played.
Performance on the course: distance
No matter how a ball looks or feels, nothing is more important than its performance. Volvik promotes the three-piece Condor as a high-velocity, low-spin, softer-feeling ball designed for distance. The four-piece Condor X features a double white carbon urethane cover, which it claims offers improved feel, high speed, high rebound and maximum distance.
Results were somewhat mixed for Condor and Condor X testers.
probative xayarra player with a higher swing speed saw a noticeable loss of distance across the bag with the Condor. “On average with the driver, my drive was five to ten feet shorter with the condors compared to a Titleist ProV1. The irons were much less of a drop, but I was still averaging about a five yard loss per iron. This was bigger in the long irons and tightened up more when you got to the scoring points.”
Zman56a Condor tester with a swing speed in the 85-90 mph range noticed no real decrease in driver distance and increase in distance on his fairway woods compared to the Tour Response ball from Taylormade.
Condor X tester TK_ saw no noticeable distance discrepancy when compared to the Srixon Z-Star XV, which impressed him. “When you see the numbers you immediately jump into the distance. The Volvik Condor X did not shrink from the competition. Something else I was looking for was dispensing rate and stopping power. Again, the Condor X impressed. It was in line with Srixon.”
Performance on the course: spin
Spin is another key factor in measuring the performance of a golf ball. If it spins too much, especially from the top, you will lose distance. There isn’t enough spin around the green and the ball won’t stop when you need it to, potentially leaving you with a long putt to save value.
Once again, the Condor and Condor X produced a mixed bag, with players with the Condor’s higher swing speed not seeing the spin they wanted. However, positive results were also seen.
Compared to the Titleist AVX, Sharp. shell found that Condor X had more teeth around the green. “I felt better contact and feel with the Condor X than the AVX. Performance on the green I would have to favor the Condor X, it seemed to bite harder with the spin I was putting on it.”
MichaelC_81testing the Condor, found more than adequate torque. “Around the greens they were very consistent getting a nice height and spin and even on the wet greens they managed to pull in quite quickly which gave me a bit of confidence to ‘attack’ the pins a bit more.”
Ball durability
A golf ball must be held well during a round. Finding a tree or cart path is inevitable for some of us, while others must withstand the repeated hammering of increasingly aggressive potholes. It has been proven that a scratched ball can significantly alter spin and flight, causing loss of distance and accuracy.
Once again, we saw mixed results in our testing. While some testers rated the durability positively for both balls, others found the exact opposite. probative xayarr found the Condor lacking in this category, having to pass the ball several times in a round due to the stroke. probative JackBurtonsPorkchopExpressHowever, there were no problems with the durability of the Condor X.
Because of this, it is difficult to gauge how well this ball can hold up over the course of a round.
Shutting down thoughts – a worthwhile investment?
Coming in at $42.99 per dozen, Volvik Condor AND Condor X are priced lower than other “Tour” balls such as the Titleist ProV1, Taylormade TP5 and Callaway Chrome Tour. Does this make these balls a worthwhile investment or are you better off paying for one of the top players?
Some testers, such as Zman56would not hesitate to bring the Condor balls into play. “The Volvik Condor is a great ball for the target price of $40 +/-. I have a low swing speed of 80-85 and the ball definitely meets my needs.”
However, if you’re someone who doesn’t mind losing golf balls during a round, the cost savings may not be as effective. From the tester uncle, “The argument of paying less per ball than a Pro V1 because it loses it often is one thing. But that goes completely out the window when you’re not losing this ball, but you have to replace it anyway because of a scratch on the case that makes it completely unplayable.”
of condor AND Condor X both performed well on the course for our testers. Depending on your swing speed, these can be a great option to save money on a “tournament level” ball. However, if you’re keen to push the limits of durability, you may be better off looking elsewhere. To take a look at the full and in-depth reviews of Condor and Condor X balls from Volvikhead over to the MyGolfSpy Forum!
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