Ben Griffin may make his Ryder Cup debut later this year.
The 29-year-old has won two wins in the 2025 Zurich Classics against Andrew Novak before following up with the Charles Schwab Challenge sitting outside the automatic venue.
Now, he is professional.
Griffin finished eighth in the PGA Championship last month, and midway through the U.S. Open – his debut – he tied for fourth in Ultra-Tough Oakmont.
It is worth noting that he has been a loan officer for the mortgage group just a few years ago.
Part of the key to his success is that he has been playing basketball.
At the start of the 2024 season, Griffin switched to Maxfli ball-he played the X-Tour X-watched Lexi Thompson used the ball (his caddie used to work for her brother Curtis).
The American talked about turning to brands that resonated with most golfers decades ago in various interviews, but his efforts likely helped to restore Maxfli to more players’ bags.
1) What was the initial impression?
First, Griffin will naturally hesitate because he uses Maxfli balls – the Premium series is made up of Tour, Tour X and Tour S – but that all changes as he keeps winning and high scores.
“I just don’t have very high expectations, which is probably the lowest of all brands. I’m just curious about the general market. There have been a lot of changes in the past five years. I think there have been more superior brands in the past, and there have been fewer separations in the past five years.
After testing, I began to realize that it was not only the longest ball, but also had the most similar rotation curve to the game I’ve been playing. I noticed Tee immediately on Tee and it was sent out immediately. It was the best for my golf game, I was immediately successful and it got better this year. ”
⚫2023Maxfli Tour
result: pic.twitter.com/tn98y5ejnf
— Tony Covey (@golfspyt) April 26, 2023
2) How to measure?
The general consensus is that most players use Titleist Prov1 or Prov1x, while Taylormade, Srixon and Callaway all fill in the blanks. But Griffin saw some significant gains from Maxfli’s ball speed and distance, especially during a practice game at CJ Cup Byron Nelson when he easily cleared the 300-yard bunker.
“It’s a surprising surprise. You’ll see something like this and wonder why you didn’t switch faster. The result is a effortless one. I definitely think it would help. There was about eight extra yards of extra distance during the initial test. Around the green. I didn’t see a lot of differences. The distance is far away.
3) How compared to previous models?
Griffin did play the 2023 model, but once it was USGA-compliant, it turned to this year’s ball.
“I pretty much immediately switched because every single part of the ball was pretty much the same except it was a touch longer for me. I gained an additional 0.5 to a mile per hour ball speed by switching to the new 2025 model. The data is something we all have access to on tour, but the feel on the course definitely matters as well, especially chipping. You can’t rely on a launch monitor for how a ball is going to perform and feel on chips and putts. Every golf ball has a little different feel, a sound is crucial. “
4) What is the potential of this ball?
Historically, Greg Norman and Fred Couples used to play Maxfli, but we didn’t hear anything over the years. It’s now owned by Dick’s sporting goods, and you can be sure that more and more players will now try the ball in entertainment games.
“I know a lot of people are hesitant. I’m happy to be a free agent and test more products, and the (Maxfli) ball is the one that most interested me. Maybe part of the reason is because it doesn’t have the opportunity to exist. It’s a chance to show it’s good. I’ve done enough tests to be confident in it.
“This may be the beginning of what we’re seeing more people testing it. Maybe not this year, but in the years to come. It’s fun to try something else here. Some might say it’s a risk. But for me, it’s very computational. I’ve seen the numbers that prove that.”
5) Should we try?
It’s certainly saving when trying Maxfli Ball and Griffin think it can tick all the boxes, and if it’s good enough for PGA Tour winners, it’s certainly worth a try.
“I’ve done enough tests to make me feel very confident about the ball’s tour. If you look at the price compared to other balls in the store, it’s much less. However, I think it has the feel of an elite ball, and the distance is also proof of that. There’s also a steady stability in the wind.
Read more: How Matt Fitzpatrick’s Hover Chip Technology Helps Your Short Game
