OnCore debuted its hollow, steel-core golf balls a few years back, with the Omen and EVO models. It followed up with the MA 1.0 in 2015 and released the Avant in 2016. The most glaring difference, economically speaking, is the price: the MA retails for $36 per dozen, while the Avant checks in at $20. Frugal fellow that I am, that latter price was quite appealing, so I grabbed some Avant and took them for a test drive.
I won’t lie about this fact, because I don’t see it as a negative for a golf ball. When I tested the first two or three iterations of OnCore’s golf balls, I found one commonality: I was getting 90% of the distance I received from a Titleist ProV1, with much greater accuracy. I simply could not miss a fairway, but on shots into the green, I had to allow for a bit more club. Putting was equal to the TPV1. When I took the Avant out for its first test drive, I paired it with some new Callaway TruVis (the soccer ball ones that Tom Watson used at the 2016 Masters) from 150 yards. I hit 8 iron for one shot each with Avant, TruVis Yellow and TruVis White. All three shots were struck crisply and landed within 25 feet of the hole.
I’ll report back on this one, but it looks like (at least with the irons) OnCore has found a way to close the distance gap, which could make things very exciting for this Buffalo-based company. If you can’t wait for a follow-up, check out OnCore on Instagram, on Twitter, on YouTube, and on Facebook. In the meantime, here’s a nice video on what they do to wet your appetite.
Update: I banged the Avant around the course on Tuesday, 4/19. I again pitted it against the Callaway Truvis and the Avant was as long, if not longer, than the Truvis. Next upwill be the head-to-head with a ProV1.
