Jim H,
On one particular point, you are extremely mistaken.
When 8-10 touring pros grab a box each of ProV1 and Prov1x balls, and hit their 24 drives, and then repeat the exercise a few months later, only then to join a further research group on the same subject, they can make a lot more reasonable claims than you would concede.
Additionally, their consistency of distance with each club allows them an excellent opportunity to compare. Among these players is one wh is doing fine in Australasia and playing moderately well on the Nationwide Tour.
Each time Titleist has released a new ball, he hits a club less into a number of holes at his old home club in Sydney. Over the past ten years, he has gone from being a super fit 25 year old to being a 35 year old father of two with less care to diet and no longer a fitness regime. He hits 3-4 clubs less in to a number of holes over that time.
I couldn't agree with you more, that many ambit or one off claims of added distance are made regarding new equipment. My apology to you is in neglecting to advise that I wouldn't bring such claims to this forum. The ones I will bring, I'll make sure are very correct first.
And Jim, at the end of the day, when I add up all these minor 5 and 10 yard claims over a decade or more, one thing holds true. UNDENIABLY TRUE.
I carry a fairway bunker with a 4 iron in winter (ok 2-3 iron with 80s lofts), that I could barely run it into on firm fairways with a driver in summer in the past. And I don't have nearly as much physical strength or fitness that I had then. Give it a few yards for my more modern wide swing without right elbow tucked in, and the rest to the gear I'm using.
With such crazy differences, you must only concede that many of these ambit claims, whilst untested, are of course quite true.