Surprised to hear that Nike offers more golf balls than any other brand? We sure were, though I guess if you are pushing to grow in a market still relatively new to your company and have the dollars to spend, why not throw a bunch of balls against the wall and see what sticks? Also, pay massive sums to Rory. It’s all about the branding…
With so many ball choices things can get a little confusing, so it’s a good thing there is a Nike golf ball fitting and comparison tool available. The tool walks visitors through a series of questions, and then provides the “best golf ball” for them, as well as recommended alternatives (a good way to help decide which two or three balls to take to the course to test).
Nike has “Tour” offerings, such as the 20XI-S and 20XI-X, as well as a ball marketed toward women, and a model that is pitched to “young golfers”. Now I’m not 100% sure, but I don’t have reason to believe that golf balls have knowledge of our gender or our age. Of course, marketing teams do, which is why Nike probably won’t ever have a ball such as the “Power Distance Mid-80mph Swing Speed For The Slicer”. That won’t stop us from wishing they did, however. As an aside, we would like to advise companies against putting a date, even in roman number form, in the model name. It looks a little silly when it’s still marketed in a later year.
At a high level, the 20XI-X and the 20XI-S are Nike’s “tour level performance” balls, designed for players with swing speeds in excess of 90mph. Both balls have Nike’s resin core, which replaces the rubber core on the prior One Tour and One Tour D balls. Comparing the two, the 20XI-X has a slightly lower flight and harder cover, and will provide slightly less spin than the 20XI-S.
The Nike One Vapor Black is designed for swing speeds 80+ mph and is slightly softer than the Crush, which is designed for players with roughly the same swing speeds (80-95mph). The Power Distance Long is for higher swing speeds versus both the Power Distance Soft and Power Distance Women (the Women’s ball also has a higher trajectory). And lastly, the EZ Distance ball is for low swing speeds (well below 80mph), and provides higher ball flight.
Nike 20XI-S
MSRP: $58
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Nike 20XI-X
MSRP: $58
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Nike One Vapor Black
MSRP: $32
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Nike Crush
MSRP: $30
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Nike Power Distance Long
MSRP: $20
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Nike Power Distance Soft
MSRP: $20
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Nike Power Distance Women
MSRP: $20
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Nike EZ Distance
MSRP: $10 for a 6-pack
Not marketed on Nike’s website or included in ball fitting comparison
Nike ONE Vapor Speed
MSRP: $32
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Nike Crush Red
MSRP: $26
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