Nike introduces 20XI Tour golf ball | GolfEquipmentDepot.com

By James Achenbach
February 15, 2011

Here is the core of golf ball development: Players want a ball that goes far off a driver, holds its line in flight and stops quickly with a wedge. To address these desires, Nike has re-engineered the core of its new tour-quality golf ball, to be introduced today (Feb. 15).

At the center of the Nike 20XI is a resin core. Most balls have a core made of rubber or a rubber derivative. Resin is a lightweight polymer with excellent rebound characteristics.

Rock Ishii, Nike Golf’s product development director for golf balls, says that because the core is lighter, he and his team were able to move a small amount of additional weight to the outer layers of the ball. This produces what Nike refers to as “perimeter weighting” or, in simple terms, more stability during flight.

“We are going in a new direction,” said Ishii, before the ball was officially introduced.

And stability isn’t the whole story. Nike says that “internal tests have shown an average of 2-3 MPH increase in ball speed (over the Nike One Tour ball).”

There are two versions of Nike’s new ball. The 20XI-S has a softer cover for better control. The 20XI-X has less spin off the driver and generally goes farther.

Stewart Cink went through an extended ball-fitting with Ishi in December. “They’ve been able to increase the gap between driver spin and wedge/iron spin,” he said.

The ball is being used by Nike staffers Stephen Ames, Lucas Glover, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Francesco Molinari, Carl Pettersson and Cink.

Nike says Tiger Woods is taking a serious look at the ball, although he used the Nike One Tour D (a longer, slightly firmer ball than the One Tour) in two tournament appearances this year. In recent years Woods has shown interest in longer, firmer golf balls.

Here are some of the 20XI attributes being highlighted by Nike:

• Less spin off the driver, more off the wedges.

• A reduction of 100 to 200 RPM in driver spin at impact.

• The ball has the highest MOI (stability, or resistance to twisting) of any golf ball to date, according to Nike.

• High MOI results in additional carry as the ball passes its apex.

Both models of the 20XI will be available at retail on April 29. The cost will be $45.99 per dozen.

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