HOT LIST 2007: VALUE-PERFORMANCE BALLS

SILVER
NIKE JUICE 312: Street Price: $20 a dozen.; Key Technology: Five dimples of different sizes make up the 312 count of this two-piece distance ball. The cover is .067 inches thick and has a Shore D hardness rating of 65, slightly softer than the typical pure-distance ball.; Panelist Comments: "Distance off the tee might warrant a urine sample after the round, but the downside is distance off the putterface. . . . Checked pretty decently on chips."; Judge's Verdict: It's definitely the ball for those who prefer to freewheel it or those who are overdue for an attitude adjustment.; nikegolf.com

SILVER
PINNACLE EXCEPTION: STREET PRICE: $18 a dozen.; Key Technology: This two-piece, Suryln-covered ball has a high-velocity rubber core and features a compression rating in the low 70s, making it about 25-percent softer than your typical Pinnacle ball.; Panelist Comments: "Clean, simple and traditional. Distance boost makes it easy to get to the green. . . . Flew a country mile. . . . As expected, it didn't perform as well as I would like around the greens."; Judge's Verdict: It's probably the best-feeling ball the company has ever made. It's worth a try at $1.50 per egg.; pinnaclegolf.com

SILVER
SRIXON AD333: Street Price: $20 a dozen.; Key Technology: It's designed for golfers with swing speeds of 80 miles per hour or more. The new two-piece AD333 has the highest trajectory of any ball the company makes. The cover is a blend of the Rabalon elastomer used in some of its tour balls. The core design is firm on the outside and softer toward the center.; Panelist Comments: "Shocking amount of bite on short-iron shots but had a tendency to balloon a little with the driver. . . . I like the alignment mark."; Judge's Verdict: You won't find a softer feel at the same price.; srixon.com

SILVER
TITLEIST Dt SoLo: Street Price: $20 a dozen.; Key Technology: This two-piece ball has a soft core and a durable Surlyn cover with 392 dimples designed to increase the ball's trajectory. The core and cover designs are targeted at moderate swing speeds, as is the higher spin on long-iron shots.; Panelist Comments: "Good overall ball. One of the most durable I've ever tried. You could play it until it found water. . . . Went pretty straight off the tee."; Judge's Verdict: It has durability with a respectable amount of playability for slower swing speeds. Low-ball hitters should consider these.; titleist.com

silver
TOP-FLITE D2: STREET PRICE: $18 a dozen.; key technology: The ball's cover design seeks to improve aerodynamics by fitting a tiny dimple inside each regular dimple. It comes in three versions: Feel, Distance and Straight. Feel has the softest cover for better greenside playability; Distance has the firmest cover; Straight has a coating that is designed to minimize spin.; panelist comments: "Surprise ball. Did not expect it to play as well as it did. . . . Tad clunky with the putter."; judge's verdict: Top-Flite has gone too long without meaningful innovation, but this ball ends that drought.; topflite.com

SILVER
WILSON STAFF FIFTY: STREET PRICE: $16 a dozen.; key technology: The cover is an equal blend of firm and soft ionomer. The large, shallow dimples are intended to increase the ball's trajectory, and the compression measures an extremely low 50 points. The core is 22-percent softer than its predecessor, the Dx2.; panelist comments: "Did amazingly well in gusting crosswinds. . . . Large dimples were unattractive, but it spun enough to hold the greens."; Judge's verdict: The compression makes it a smart choice for golfers with slow swing speeds and the diehard who tees it up in January.; wilsonstaff.com