Do Noodle Golf Balls Make the Cut?
The Noodle golf ball became a popular choice for amateur golfers in the early 2000s. The Noodle is still manufactured today, but how does it compare to other distance golf balls, and is it worth your purchase? Here’s an overview of the current Noodle and where to find it.
The Noodle Ball: A Brief History
The Noodle has been around since 2001, when its original manufacturer Maxfli began producing the ball. Noodle golf balls were geared towards amateur players who wanted more distance without the ball feeling so hard at impact. The Noodle wasn’t revolutionary in that sense, but its value was. Shoppers loved the fact that they could purchase a 15-pack for around $15.
Maxfli was purchased by TaylorMade in 2002 and six years later the Maxfli brand was sold to Dick’s Sporting Goods. Today, Noodle golf balls are still manufactured at the TaylorMade golf ball facility in Korea and are still part of the TaylorMade umbrella.
Today's Noodle
The current model of the Noodle doesn’t stray far from the original intent behind the ball. It is still designed for amateur players looking for more distance at an affordable price.
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Noodle Long and Soft
The Noodle Long and Soft are sold in two ways. You can find 15-packs for around $15, just as you could twenty years ago. The other option is a 24-pack for around $22. Again, the Noodle has never been short on value.
The fact that Noodle golf balls are produced at TaylorMade’s facility speaks to the quality you can expect. Mutch like the TP5, Distance +, and other TaylorMade golf balls, any imperfections are discarded.
The Long and Soft lives up to the name. First, they are extremely long, especially on tee shots. Amateur golfers with swing speeds under 95 MPH will find Noodle golf balls to be longer than some of the top-tier golf balls on the market because that’s who they’re designed for. With a 34 compression and a durable urethane cover, the current Noodle ball can be played by the vast majority of amateur players with ease.
The downside that comes along with all of that distance is a lack of feel around the greens. Chip shots, bunker shots, and anything that requires a bit of touch will roll significantly more with the Noodle.
For as many players that can use the Noodle Long and Soft, there are players that shouldn’t. Anyone with a swing speed over 95 MPH will see significant regression in distance. This genre of golfer simply compresses the golf ball too much to see distance gains with this ball.
Noodle Neon
Noodle Neon golf balls
The Noodle Neon is a response to popular demand for bright-colored golf balls, and they deliver with flying colors. The golf ball itself is the Noodle Long and Soft detailed above. It has super low compression and is intended for distance, distance, and more distance.
The hi-visibility matte finish to this Noodle is what clearly sets it apart. The vivid colors that are available make this one of the most fun golf balls to take a flier on at the register. For around $15 per dozen, you can pick from red, blue, pink, yellow, green, or orange.
Again, these are not intended for players with higher swing speeds, but that’s no excuse to not have a little fun on the course. Plus, if you happen to live in snowy climates the Noodle Neon is the perfect golf ball for winter golf.
Standing the Test of Time
The Noodle golf ball is rare in the sense that time has seemingly stood still on it. The features that drove people to buy them in 2001 are the same today: distance, durability, and value. In a golf retail market that is ever-changing and evolving, it’s somewhat refreshing to see some of the same.