Balls of Steel

When it comes to golf balls, I've tried plenty of different brands and model, but I keep coming back to the tried-and-true. Recently, though, I played a round with something different and I have to confess it caught my attention.  It's the OnCore EVO, billed as the world's first and only hollow metal core golf ball. These guys are on to something!

I immediately noticed two differences from my normal Pro V1x: the OnCore EVO flew straighter and it came off the irons hotter. I only played one round with the ball and certainly can't claim scientific certainty, but what I saw definitely was not a figment of my imagination.

I can't say that I got much more driver distance, but there was obviously less spin on the ball. My typical ball flight is a draw that starts right and comes back to my aim point. The OnCore EVO, though, would start right but then draw back only about half as much as usual. I kind of like that since it gives me a little better chance of staying in the fairway on holes that call for a fade while still letting me get that extra roll from a draw.

There also was no question that I picked up some distance with my irons, although that was a double-edged sword. I was not only a full club longer in the air (a good thing), but couldn't get the ball to bite on the green (a bad thing), probably because of the reduced spin. Regardless, I could see scores dropping after I get used to the performance characteristics.

What I saw is what the manufacturer promises--gee what a concept! The idea behind the technology is that the hollow core and polymer composite mantle layer shifts the ball's weight to its perimeter, both increasing the Moment of Inertia and reducing spin. I don't know if the USGA has approved it (and suspect they may have some concerns about the MOI), but the OnCore EVO is without question a ball worth trying out.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf