TWmccoy
3DX Connoisseur
I finally got my hands on one of these balls (direct from Tennessee last weekend). The hard core Pro M is what USSSA has developed for use in hot climates and on big fields. After a couple BPs with this ball I feel like I have enough to discuss some observations of it.
First off, the ball itself is very soft (on the outside, at least). It has a regular cover as well as a soft, thick inner layer that feels like foam rubber. Very reminiscent of Thunder Advance or Trump X Rock balls from years past. The seams sit very low, below the surface of the cover. The ball itself is very aerodynamic for that reason.
USSSA had banned multilayer balls at least a decade ago. Why they're reintroducing them now is anyone's guess.
I've hit this ball in weather from about 75-90 degrees with assorted bats (an Easton L2 and a few older, metal Worth ESTs). I wanted to test how hot he BALL was, not the bats. Let's just say, the ball is plenty hot. Despite the soft, thickly padded cover you feel the hardness of the core immediately. I found that any ball struck even halfway decently with backspin would soar high and far easily. The hard core penetrates superbly, and stays in the air way longer than other Pro M's. I'd describe it as "staying hit". When other balls slow down and die this one keeps going.
The hard core performed best when spun. All the longest shots I had with it I almost felt like I got under it a bit. Anything hit on a line wanted to knuckle or side spin.
Top distance with the L2 was about 380'. With the aluminum ESTs it was substantially less. Only having 1 ball meant I could only hit it so many times. As the temp rose to 90+ degrees I noticed a drop off in performance. The hard core was still performing well, but the core definitely did soften.
Let me just say, this hard core ball is LIGHT YEARS better than other Pro Ms or .44 375s. The multilayer cover is a huge advantage over any single layer cover ball. I can only imagine the distance I could get by using a better/hotter bat on it. The hard core is NOT as good as a decent stadium ball, but I'd say it performs like a "bad batch" stadium ball. The 1 stadium ball in my bag was noticeably harder and flew further.
The hard core Pro M is in the upper echelons of ball performance, and it seemed to do well in hot weather (which is why it was designed in the first place). For many places this will be WAY too much ball, and probably shouldn't be used on small fields or in cool/cold climates. This is a ball that will hurt pitchers, damage bats, and make weak hitters look like Bubba Mack. Other than places like Viera during the summer I can't really see a purpose for this ball. Anyone who's ever hit multilayer balls before knows what I'm talking about with all these descriptions.
Fun ball to hit. Struck well, it'll go almost as far as any ball out there. Some of the higher cor or other outlaw balls will outfly it, but the hard core Pro M is a jumper for sure.
First off, the ball itself is very soft (on the outside, at least). It has a regular cover as well as a soft, thick inner layer that feels like foam rubber. Very reminiscent of Thunder Advance or Trump X Rock balls from years past. The seams sit very low, below the surface of the cover. The ball itself is very aerodynamic for that reason.
USSSA had banned multilayer balls at least a decade ago. Why they're reintroducing them now is anyone's guess.
I've hit this ball in weather from about 75-90 degrees with assorted bats (an Easton L2 and a few older, metal Worth ESTs). I wanted to test how hot he BALL was, not the bats. Let's just say, the ball is plenty hot. Despite the soft, thickly padded cover you feel the hardness of the core immediately. I found that any ball struck even halfway decently with backspin would soar high and far easily. The hard core penetrates superbly, and stays in the air way longer than other Pro M's. I'd describe it as "staying hit". When other balls slow down and die this one keeps going.
The hard core performed best when spun. All the longest shots I had with it I almost felt like I got under it a bit. Anything hit on a line wanted to knuckle or side spin.
Top distance with the L2 was about 380'. With the aluminum ESTs it was substantially less. Only having 1 ball meant I could only hit it so many times. As the temp rose to 90+ degrees I noticed a drop off in performance. The hard core was still performing well, but the core definitely did soften.
Let me just say, this hard core ball is LIGHT YEARS better than other Pro Ms or .44 375s. The multilayer cover is a huge advantage over any single layer cover ball. I can only imagine the distance I could get by using a better/hotter bat on it. The hard core is NOT as good as a decent stadium ball, but I'd say it performs like a "bad batch" stadium ball. The 1 stadium ball in my bag was noticeably harder and flew further.
The hard core Pro M is in the upper echelons of ball performance, and it seemed to do well in hot weather (which is why it was designed in the first place). For many places this will be WAY too much ball, and probably shouldn't be used on small fields or in cool/cold climates. This is a ball that will hurt pitchers, damage bats, and make weak hitters look like Bubba Mack. Other than places like Viera during the summer I can't really see a purpose for this ball. Anyone who's ever hit multilayer balls before knows what I'm talking about with all these descriptions.
Fun ball to hit. Struck well, it'll go almost as far as any ball out there. Some of the higher cor or other outlaw balls will outfly it, but the hard core Pro M is a jumper for sure.
