Question:
oh yeah, that’s it, they made too many so they give them away. like my brand new ford tauraus X-out.
I wouldn’t take a Ford for free. They would have to pay me for the future repair bills. 
Mark
Response:
Hi–Boys!, Are you still missing fairways? Can’t seem to make a 6ft. putt. Still playing in the 80’s and 90’s ( if your shooting in 100’s stay with those X-outs). Well it might not be your swing or your putting stroke. ITS THE BALL!! Well over 2/3 of all X-outs are out of round. Thank you. Check with your local PGA Pro. Or better yet pick-up the phone and call Titleist,–Ask for Joey. Enjoy the game!! Thank MOM
Hmmm. Then how come I always hit driving range balls better than brand new Titleists? Vince
Response:
Hmmmmmm, Vince, ever hear the phrase, "he ’s a range hitter" or "the longest walk in golf is from the range to the first tee" BB
Response:
I agree. Just bought a box of Titleist Balata X-outs and the word Titelist was not x-ed out but had the word "XOUT" on the other side. Seem to feel the same as the normal Titleist. Incidentally, I am a low handicapper, so I do have some idea of fell and spin. — Have a Nice Day Eric – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Uhm…. worked with mil specs, when every nut and bolt went out. Like it or not. Plse don’t go for this bs. XXXs are superficial blemishes- check the darn printing. If you think that manufacturers check every ball for, etc, etc. Or, that they deviate in any way whatsoever [no "infinite" key on here]. Then you are as stupid as I look! — http://www.geocities.com/MadisonAvenue/1488 Tiger Alert USA liason for MIHRA-UK [London]
Response:
Cores are as many as ten types. There are steel [like ball bearings], rubber balls with liquid inside, "nougat" cores. And, I assume, all in-between. The "2-piece" balls that we speak about [?] are most likely to be out of round. *Quick call to Japan* "Sirs, the $100k fabrication machine is turning oval ball-cores. These we must waste our time, and sell as XXXX’s. Do you expect us to convert to chocolate-covered cherries?" — http://www.geocities.com/MadisonAvenue/1488 Tiger Alert USA liason for MIHRA-UK [London]
Response:
I have a theory about X outs. I think they are a marketing ploy. Manufacturers sell these balls to the public, regardless of what makes them X-outs, as a lure.
Yep – it’s called market segmentation. You sell to the high end market at full price, but you’d rather take a slightly lower profit on the low end market than miss it altogether. Airlines, for example, have come up with a stunning variety of market segmentation techniques. — "What the world needs now is a new kind of tension…" -Dave Lowrey
Response:
in the book i referred to originally, zen and the art of golf, the author travels to springfield mass to the (i think) topflite factory and tours the manufacturing facility. one of the first quality checks performed is on the roundness of the cores. mis-shaped cores are not thrown out – they complete production and are labelled X-outs. other manufacturing problems are detailed including getting too many coats of paint which over fills the ball’s dimples.
Response:
Excerpts from netnews.rec.sport.golf: 17-Jul-97 Re: x-out golf balls by oh yeah, that’s it, they made too many so they give them away. like my brand new ford tauraus X-out.
I have a theory about X outs. I think they are a marketing ploy. Manufacturers sell these balls to the public, regardless of what makes them X-outs, as a lure. Joe Public then plays the X-outs for a while. He likes them but finds he can’t use them in competition at his club. So what non-X-out balls does he buy? He buys the $30+ per dozen box where the only difference in the balls may be the lack of X’s. Golf ball manufacturers don’t need to give the balls away. They can make a profit on the samples they distribute to potential customers. If Ford could charge you to test drive a brand new Tauraus, they’d do it. –Shawn Bannon
Response:
Hi–Boys!, Are you still missing fairways? Can’t seem to make a 6ft. putt. Still playing in the 80’s and 90’s ( if your shooting in 100’s stay with those X-outs). Well it might not be your swing or your putting stroke. ITS THE BALL!! Well over 2/3 of all X-outs are out of round. Thank you. Check with your local PGA Pro. Or better yet pick-up the phone and call Titleist,–Ask for Joey. Enjoy the game!! Thank MOM
Response:
Interesting conversation,— good thing nobody has an attachment to being Right!! right Mitch.. golfspirit
Response:
Uhm…. worked with mil specs, when every nut and bolt went out. Like it or not. Plse don’t go for this bs. XXXs are superficial blemishes- check the darn printing. If you think that manufacturers check every ball for, etc, etc. Or, that they deviate in any way whatsoever [no "infinite" key on here]. Then you are as stupid as I look! — http://www.geocities.com/MadisonAvenue/1488 Tiger Alert USA liason for MIHRA-UK [London]
Response:
]oh yeah, that’s it, they made too many so they give them away. ]like my brand new ford tauraus X-out. That’s funny…
Response:
The USGA 1997- Appendix III (The Ball) C) Spherical Symmetry The ball must not be designed, manufactured or inttentionally modified to have properties which differ from those of a spherically symmetrical ball. RULE 5. THE BALL 5-1 General The ball the player uses shall conform to requirements specified in Appendix III on maximum weight, minimum size, spherical symmerty, initial velocity and overall distance. The following from PGA Teaching Manual: –X-out golf balls are generally the most poorly balanced and can affect a six-foot putt by as much as three to four inches on either side of the hole. The effect is like having a tire out of ballance on your car. In short- no you can’t use X-out balls in a USGA Event. BB
Response:
My long-time understanding of XXXXX balls, is that they are rejected for _purely_ cosmetic reasons. No other shape or form of reason. The manufacturers wouldn’t mark them as XX because of overproduction, since this would devalue them further, in any market. Plse advise if above is incorrect. — http://www.geocities.com/MadisonAvenue/1488 Tiger Alert USA liason for MIHRA-UK [London]
Response:
i was wondering if anyone knows if x-out balls are deemed playable by the usga. are these balls legal for tournament play? supposedly they conform to the standard ball, and the only reason they were "x-ed out" were because of cosmetic blemishes. thanks.
In the US, they seem to be illegal as most comps. over there seem to have the "Conforming List" rule applied. In the UK, they seem to be legal, SO LONG as they meet the specifications in the Rules. But who tests the conformity if an appeal is made against the user of a x-out is debateable – presumably the Committee. The ‘Conforming List’ rule is recommended to be only applied to major competition (eg National Championships, County Championships, etc) which are restricted to low h’cap players. Also from what I’ve seen/read: (1) Most X-outs are PERFECT balls but are just over-production and are dumped onto the market at low cost. (2) A lesser number are cosmetic flawed. (3) Few, if ANY, are illegal/out_of_spec. Manufacturers prefer to dump them altogether rather than issue duff goods with their names on, even if their names are under a row of ‘x’s. SteveR
Response:
oh yeah, that’s it, they made too many so they give them away. like my brand new ford tauraus X-out.
Response:
i was wondering if anyone knows if x-out balls are deemed playable by the usga. are these balls legal for tournament play? supposedly they conform to the standard ball, and the only reason they were "x-ed out" were because of cosmetic blemishes. thanks.
Response:
i dunno… "zen and the art of golf" told me that x-outs are usually defects, and not cosmetic. if the core isn’t round, they don’t throw it away.. or the ball get’s too much paint which fills in the dimples…
Response:
i was wondering if anyone knows if x-out balls are deemed playable by the usga. are these balls legal for tournament play? supposedly they conform to the standard ball, and the only reason they were "x-ed out" were because of cosmetic blemishes. thanks.
In oeder for a ball to be legal it must be on the USGA’s approved list. For instance all Titleist balls produced for sale are approved (with the possible except of the 384 Tour Balata ball). When these brand new balls fail muster for whatever reason they become XXX out’s. The XXX ball is not approved by the USGA, you will notice the the XXX’s always cover the name on the ball, therefore the ball is no longer a Titleist its an XXX ball.I once read that most balls are x’ed out to cosmetic reasons, but some were really out of round.
Response:
I imagine a big part of the ‘cosmetic’ defect is the x’s themselves. Either x-outs are intentionally being produced or the manufacturers have some real quality-control problems. Seems like they would’ve gotten it right by now, huh?
Response:
<HTML
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITEi was wondering if anyone knows if x-out balls are deemed playable by the <BRusga. are these balls legal for tournament play? supposedly they conform <BRto the standard ball, and the only reason they were "x-ed out" were <BRbecause of cosmetic blemishes. thanks.</BLOCKQUOTE Nothing to do with cosmetics. The type setter can’t spell. <PRobbo <BR </HTML