FIRST LET ME start by saying I'm not sponsored by any ball company, don't wear a hat promoting any ball company, don't carry a bag with a ball company's name on it (thankfully Ping failed there; remember those two-toned rocks?) and, perhaps unfortunately, I am not given free products by any ball company.

Therefore, I feel I can discuss this golf ball controversy with no bias, despite being partial to the Maxfli Revolution the last two years.

Last year's hot topic was Callaway's ERC driver -- you know, the one that's playable everywhere, yet is banned by the United States Golf Association. This year, it's solid-core golf balls flying just too darn far (a detriment on narrow holes, but good everywhere else).

Making the most noise in this latest hullabaloo has been the bomb, known as the "Pro V1," Titleist has dropped on the golfing public. Every tournament it seems Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III and others are speaking out about how great the ball is. Note: They are making millions of dollars to do this.

But their claims are justified -- for certain golfers.

Demand for this ball has been unmatched. Titleist has been working 24 hours a day trying to fill orders and still can't do it. Some local country clubs are limited to as few as 12 dozen per month and therefore can charge exorbitant amounts for them. One area Dick's Sporting Goods store went through 95 dozen in less than five days at about $50 a pop.

Who would pay $5 per ball you might ask?

Turns out there are many, many, many people who would if there's a slight chance it might make them a better player.

Keep in mind, these are the same people who showed no shame in buying Precept's women's ball because it has a soft feel and more control than the ball they were previously playing.

But the good folks at Acushnet (Titleist's parent company) aren't alone in trying to stay competitive. They are doing what they have to to stay on top of the industry they've basically ruled as a monopoly the last two decades.

So when their biggest star, Tiger Woods, switched to Nike -- and to a better ball in the "Tour Accuracy" -- Titleist had to find an answer. They did with the Pro V.

So did Callaway, Maxfli and Spalding, which makes the Strata golf balls. The solid-core phenomenon was on and now over 75 percent of players on the five major golf tours play solid core balls.

Over the past month I've had the opportunity to test drive (actually, play) the Pro V, Nike's Tour Accuracy, Callaway's Rule 35 red and Maxfli's Revolution Solid -- all "pro-level" balls. To all of you Strata fans, sorry I didn't get to that one, but I was turned off by the company's insistence that Hal Sutton and Jim Furyk wear bright orange caps at the season-opening Mercedes Championships. It's tough to get into the Halloween spirit when it's early January.

Anyway, as unscientific as my study was, here is what I found. Keep in mind that results will be different for each player under different playing conditions:

The four balls were comparable off the tee in terms of length. The same goes for iron shots, and feel while putting. I really didn't notice any great variation from one to the next.

Spin control, however, was much different on wedge shots from 60 yards and in. The Revolution Solid seemed to be much harder around the green and didn't check up that well on the green. Conversely, the Tour Accuracy's stopping power was so good it would make some auto manufacturers drool. The Pro V and the Rule 35 were comparable to each other and were just slightly behind the Nike. Even on rock-hard greens, wedge shots stopped quickly.

The biggest difference I found was in durability. The Nike was the poorest in this category by far, followed by the Revolution Solid. After just a few shots, the Nike began to show scuff marks. The Rule 35 and the Pro V, again, were comparable and proved to be very durable. Aside from horrifically bladed shots they lasted a full 18 holes, if not longer, before showing signs of wear.

So what it may come down to is price. While each distributor sets their own cost, I found the Pro V and the Tour Accuracy are about the same price per dozen.

The Revolution Solid was a few dollars cheaper per dozen. The Callaway is also a few dollars cheaper, but the Rule 35 is sold in a 10-pack. If it were sold as a dozen, it would be about the same as the Nike and the Titleist.

Choosing a golf ball is still an individual choice and it always will be. It will likely take some trial and error until you become comfortable with one, or none of the ones mentioned in this column.

Or it will just come down to product loyalty.

The ongoing golf ball wars are just the latest battle between manufacturers. Pretty soon a better ball will come along and make the Pro V look like a Flying Lady. But until then, take advantage of what's out there -- or what you can afford.