Snell Golf MTB-X Golf Ball Review

In this Snell Golf MTB-X golf ball review, Neil Tappin finds out how it performs in all areas of the game

Snell Golf MTB-X Golf Ball Review
(Image credit: Tom Miles)
Golf Monthly Verdict

For those after a urethane-covered ball at a more affordable price, the Snell Golf MTB-X is an excellent all rounder that in particular, offers good distance to the faster swinger.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Excellent distance

  • +

    Impressive control and flight on approach shots

  • +

    Good value

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Not as durable as premium alternatives

  • -

    Some golfers may prefer a softer feel

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Competition among manufacturers at the urethane-covered end of the golf ball market has been hotting up over the last few years. In particular, we have seen a range of more affordable alternatives to what we see played on tour. We’ve tested the likes of the Kirkland Signature 2.0 and Trust’s Bison range of balls to find out how they stack up against more expensive alternatives and in this review and video, we are focussing on the Snell Golf MTB-X golf ball.

Snell Golf MTB-X Golf Ball Review

At under $35 per dozen, we wanted to see how the MTB-X compares to the best golf balls on the market in 2022 so we played 18-holes at Essendon Golf Club. We had Arccos running during the round to provide performance insights.

What became very clear during the round was the impressive distance on offer. My average driving distance was 277 yards and this included one drive that went 311 yards. This was on a par with what I’d expect from my usual golf ball, the Titleist Pro V1x. In my experience when you drop down in price, especially as a faster swinger, distance off the tee can fall away. This was something we noticed with the Kirkland Signature 2.0. That the Snell Golf MTB-X still offered excellent long game performance was a big plus. 

The MTB-X features a thicker, firmer mantle layer and Snell says this should deliver more spin on mid and short iron shots. For us, this translated into good control when hitting into the green. The trajectory and ball flight were relatively high without being uncontrollable. We did notice longer approach shots grabbing when they hit the green. However, the spin control was less noticeable in the short game (we should say that the greens on the day of testing were firm and we weren’t expecting a huge amount of short game spin).

Snell Golf MTB-X on course test

(Image credit: Tom Miles)

The feel off the putter was on the firm side (the MTB Black version is designed to offer a softer feel). This may well be a consideration if you usually play on super-fast greens but for me, playing year round in different conditions, the firm feel was perfectly playable. 

Another important factor when considering more affordable, urethane golf balls is durability. Does the ball have a premium finish and how well does that finish maintain during play? Well, firstly, we really liked the look of this ball. Unlike the Trust Bison X, it has exactly the sort of finish we’d expect from a premium ball. However, by the end of the round it did start to look a little tired (we managed to keep the same ball in play throughout). The paint finish, particularly on the logo, started to fade more than we would expect from those Tour-played options at the premium end of the market like the Callaway Chrome Soft. The gallery image below shows the ball before and after the round.

For less than $35 per dozen, there is a lot to like about the Snell Golf MTB-X golf ball. We think it is up there with the best mid price golf balls on the market in 2022. The long game performance was the stand-out feature here and we felt it also offered good control when playing into and on the greens.

Neil Tappin
Editor

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. 

Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points. 

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X