Ball tested: Srixon Trispeed Tour
Category: Premium
Specs: Construction – Three-piece; Cover – Rabalon Blended Ionomer; Core – Energetic Gradient Growth; Dimples – 324
Compression: High
Price as tested (new): $29.99 per dozen
Ball notes: Srixon created the Trispeed Tour as an alternative to the highly successful Trispeed. The primary difference is the Tour’s 90-compression core, which makes it more viable for golfers with swing speeds in the 90 – 100mph range. The softer Trispeed, at 64 compression, is geared toward slightly slower swing speeds.
The Trispeed Tour features the same cover material, only slightly thinner. Available in yellow, the Trispeed Tour’s primary competitors in the “premium” category include the Titleist NXT Tour and NXT Tour S; Bridgestone’s B330-RX and B330-RXS are also comparable.
Sound and feel: Soft, but not the softest. That’s to be expected in a ball with a surlyn-based cover, no matter how thin. While it may not match urethane models in the feel department, the Trispeed Tour is similar to competitors, and plenty soft for all but those golfers who crave a super-cushy impact sensation.
Off the tee: Total driving distance with the Trispeed Tour proved pretty similar to that of its sibling, which we consider a very long ball. We did note a slightly lower trajectory with the Trispeed Tour, likely due to its higher compression. Slower swingers who need a little help with loft would probably benefit from the Trispeed, non-Tour version. The Trispeed Tour delivered excellent accuracy and stability, too.
From the fairway / rough: Here again the Trispeed Tour flies a bit lower than the Trispeed while spinning more. That puts the Tour model closer to the likes of the ProV1 in terms of workability and overall performance on approach shots. Yet it’s not a ball that will back up excessively on crisp wedges and short irons. It typically took a short bounce and stopped dead.
Around the green: As we’ve found throughout these tests, the biggest difference between “premium” and “tour” balls is short game performance. Golfers who generally use tour balls (ProV1, Wilson Staff FG Tour X) will need to adjust if they switch to the Trispeed Tour. Simply put, it does not offer the same spin or control on chips, long pitches and bunker shots. Where tour models check up quickly, the Trispeed Tour is more likely to roll out a few feet. That’s not a criticism – this ball offers nice feel and decent control, as you’d expect in its category.
Bottom line: The Srixon Trispeed Tour is an excellent compromise between tour balls, which don’t generate maximum distance for most amateurs, and low-compression premium balls that may feel a touch too soft and fly too high for those with 90mph+ driver swings. It offers excellent length and trajectory control from tee to green, along with adequate greenside performance.
Golf Ball Videos:
– Compression Video
– Spin Video
– Dimples Video
– Golf Ball Brands Video
– Titleist Video
– Understanding Spin Video
Categories Explained:
Value/Recreational/Distance – Designed for mid- to high-handicap golfers with swing speeds below 90 mph; typically feature two-piece construction and firm covers; promote greater distance over high spin rates. Examples: Pinnacle Gold, Slazenger RAW Distance
Premium – Designed for low- to mid-handicap golfers with swing speeds of 90-99 mph; typically feature multi-layer construction and medium-soft covers; happy medium between Value/Recreational and Tour categories for distance and spin qualities. Examples: Titleist NXT Tour, Callaway HEX Diablo
Tour/Advanced/Performance – Designed for low-handicap and professional golfers with swing speeds in excess of 100 mph; typically feature multi-layer construction and soft covers; promote greater spin rates and enhanced feel over distance. Examples: Titleist ProV1, Bridgestone Tour B330
