MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the 2023 Maxfli Tour S. To learn more about our test process, click here.
About the Maxfli Tour S
The Maxfli Tour S is new to the Maxfli Tour range this year.
The “S” is for “soft” and while it is the softest of the Maxfli Tour balls, it’s definitely not a reimagined Softfli.
Like the rest of the Maxfli Tour line, the Tour S is produced for DICK’S Sporting Goods by Foremost in Taiwan. With regard to quality/consistency, we regard Foremost as the best of the factories not under direct OEM ownership.
As we always do in our Ball Lab, we analyzed Consistency, True Price, Compression, Weight, Diameter, Defects, and Core-Centeredness. Below you can see the key takeaways and a deep dive into what we found.
Key Takeaways
- The Maxfli Tour S scored above average in testing, earning a Ball Lab Quality Award.
- With an average compression of 82, the Tour S is an option for golfers who prefer a slightly softer feel without sacrificing too much speed off the driver.
- It offers exceptional value in the urethane category at $39.99 per (before bulk discounts).
Maxfli Tour S Construction
The Maxfli Tour S is a three-piece ball. Like other Foremost-made Maxfli balls, it leverages the familiar 318-dimple urethane cover.
Maxfli Tour S Compression
On our gauge, the Maxfli Tour S has an average compression of 82. What that means is that, while it’s soft by Tour ball standards, it’s only one point softer than our current database average.
For the sake of comparison, it’s only three points softer than the current-gen Maxfli Tour. Balls with similar compression include the Titleist Tour Speed, 2022 OnCore ELIXR and the Spalding SD Tour.
(I’d suggest you avoid that last one.)
Compression Comparison Chart
We’ve had requests for a standalone compression comparison tool. As it turns out, that tool exists. We created it as part of our Golf Ball Compression FAQ page. At some point, we may merge the two charts but, for now, the plan is to include this chart in future Ball Labs.
Diameter and Weight
All of the Maxfli Tour S balls in our sample conformed to USGA rules for maximum weight.
Likewise, none of the balls in the sample fell under the USGA’s minimum diameter standard.
Maxfli Tour S – Inspection
Centeredness and Concentricity
While we did note a couple of exceedingly minor concentricity issues, nothing was significant enough for us to flag a ball as bad.
Core Consistency
Cores were generally consistent and, while it doesn’t count for anything, I like the blue cores.
Cover
No cover defects were identified in our Maxfli Tour S sample.
Maxfli Tour S – Consistency
In this section, we detail the consistency of the Maxfli Tour S. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.
Weight Consistency
- Weight consistency for the Maxfli Tour S falls in the Average range.
- Box 2 was just a tick lighter on average.
Diameter Consistency
- The diameter of the Maxfli Tour S falls on the lower end of the Good range.
- Other than a couple of balls in Box 2, diameter was exceptionally consistent.
Compression Consistency
- Compression consistency for the Maxfli Tour S falls in the Good range.
- Though Box 2 was slightly firmer, the compression range across the sample was under seven points.
- That’s significantly better than the database average (at the time of testing) of just over 10 points.
True Price
True Price is how we quantify the quality of a golf ball. It's a projection of what you'd have to spend to ensure you get 12 good balls.
The True Price will always be equal to or greater than the retail price. The greater the difference between the retail price and the True Price, the more you should be concerned about the quality of the ball.
Maxfli Tour s – Golf Ball Quality Summary
To learn more about our test process, how we define “Bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
As we’ve noted several times in the past, the quality of Foremost-made balls tends to be better than most. With that, and given that DICK’S pays for additional quality checks, the impressive score doesn’t come as any particular surprise.
The Tour S is another winner from Maxfli.
The Good
- Average or better for all metrics we test
- No significant concentricity or cover defects
- Overall score surpasses the threshold for a Ball Lab Quality Award
The Bad
- Only average for a couple of metrics, which is to say, there’s not much here that qualifies as bad.
The Score
The True Price for the Maxfli Tour S is $39.99 (now available in yellow). That’s equivalent to the retail price, though we should note Maxfli Tour balls are often sold with bulk discounts and other specials.
At the time of testing, the Maxfli Tour S receives a Ball Lab score of 89. That’s 15 points above the current database average and high enough to receive a Ball Lab Quality Award.
Dr Harv Simon
6 months ago
So which maxfly ball is better tour , tour x or tour s?