As you may have read in the last RZN MS-TOUR review, the old Nike faithful ball is back under the new label of RZN.  The nice thing about the RZN DISTANCE ball is that it shares some of the upgraded technology of the MS-TOUR while still distinguishing itself in a category all its own.

Similarities are the bigger alignment visuals which really help in aiming the ball to the target; Speed Lock technology which binds the layers for better energy transference and the Micro Dimple Technology which helps the ball with better contact to the club face and reduces air drag.

Here’s where the RZN Distance comes into its own.  First, RZN has used an ionomer cover rather than urethane.  Ionomer is harder and more durable than urethane and will help the ball fly true off the tee hence promoting distance.  The big difference will be in the feel of the ball.  If you’re looking for a lower compression but still want that classic ‘click’ when you take you’re shot, than the cover on the RZN Distance will feel right for you.  Better players say that the cover causes the ball not to stop as well on the greens due to spin rate but, unless you’re a scratch or single digit handicapper, you may not notice that big of a difference.

The construction of the ball is obviously different.  When you look at the inside of the ball you can see an obvious difference over the MS-TOUR.  This is to be expected.  After all, this ball is designed to fly.  So let’s bring these puppies to the course and see how they perform in the real world.

Off the tee, just as expected, the ball is easy to line up to the target via the bigger alignment lines.  This is great for us aging golfers with glasses or bifocals.  Easy to read means that you don’t have to adjust the angle of your head at setup.  A big plus right there!  When struck the ball has a resounding sound which is more like a higher compression ball.  The ball flew rather straight when I wanted it to and, of course, sliced a few times but surprisingly not that far off line as some other balls seem to (notice that I put the fault on the balls and not on me!).  

From the grass or rough the ball gripped the club face well and seemed to come out the tall stuff pretty nicely.  Seems to have been a slight loss of trajectory but nothing that really impeded my game.  The Micro Dimple Technology on the ball also seemed to help when I got into the damper areas again giving a very controlled feel on my shots.  The sand shots showed the same results and from the fairway bunkers I really didn’t get the sense that there was any difference over most of my other bunker shots.  The ball performed well but nothing that could I say was a noticeable improvement.

Wedge shots to the green were uneventful but that’s actually a good thing.  I know that some say the ionomer cover makes it harder to control spin and stopping ability on the greens but I guess I just don’t have that kind of prowess to find any noticeable difference.  Then again, I am a mid-handicapper so one more thing that is a constant work in progress.

Putting was on point with the bigger alignment lines coming into play once again.  There’s just something that exudes confidence for me to look down, see an accurate point of contact and watch my putt head towards where I lined it up.

Overall the RZN DISTANCE golf ball performed handsomely.  It was definitely an improvement off the tee and was pretty much as expected the rest of the way.  And, at a price of under $20.00, it is definitely a value when you look at the performance and durability of the ball.  I would highly recommend that you try a dozen with one of your golf buddies and compare them to what you’re using now.  Reach out to them at www.RZNgolf.com and check out the specs and see which ball would fit your game.  You’ll be happy that you did!

Stay safe and play well,

Joe