The AD333 has become a really strong franchise for Srixon with consumers associating it with consistent performance and good value for money. Widely regarded as one of the best golf balls available for under $35 a dozen, I was interested to get my hands on the 2024 model and see what has changed.
The simple answer to that question is, not too much. That is not necessarily a bad thing however, with thousands of golfers across the globe trusting the AD333, it would be foolish to discard a winning formula.
In terms of the technology, Srixon tells us that a reformulated FastLayer Core transitions from soft in the centre, to slightly firmer around the perimeter, which adds ball speed without sacrificing feel. The 338 speed dimple pattern is also present to help promote a penetrating ball flight.
It almost feels silly to mention that the compression has been subtly lowered from 72 to 70 to allow a little more deformation at impact which Srixon says reduces unwanted spin from the tee. However, if you already love the feel of your current AD333, I can assure you that you won’t notice!
I tested the AD333 on the practice area and course at Saunton Golf Club and was impressed with the overall performance. My normal ball is the TaylorMade TP5x and the AD333 was noticeably softer in feel around the greens and off the putter face, which is something I enjoyed. Spin levels on the shorter shots were more than adequate with the ‘Spin Skin’ coating seemingly doing its job well. I would say that my TP5x maybe grabbed a touch more on chips and pitches but there wasn’t a huge amount in it.
On the longer shots, I really did enjoy the soft, springy feel, and found the ball very stable in the wind. It was fairly gusty when I tested and the AD333 held its course admirably with some fairly severe sidewinds.
I would say that in direct distance comparisons, it did fall somewhat short of my TP5x gamer but it is significantly lower in price, so you would expect something to give in at least one performance category. To give that some context, I found it 4-5 yards shorter throughout my irons and nearer 8 yards with my driver.
The 2024 Srixon AD333, is a genuinely good all round performing golf ball that represents excellent value for money. Whilst this model is definitely more evolutionary rather than revolutionary, that’s all that was required and it remains one of the leading contenders amongst the best value golf balls.
