Grouchy Golf Blog

Saturday, May 03, 2008 at 8:23 PM

Titleist Pro V1 and V1x Differences?

Introduced in the Fall of 2000, the Titleist Pro V1/V1x was one of the most revolutionary golf balls of all time by incorporating a multi-layer construction with a soft urethane-covering to virtually eliminate the traditional trade-offs between distance, spin, feel, and durability. Since then the Pro V1/V1x has been the dominant ball in golf. Dominant among pros and amateurs alike.

Not wanting to be left behind, I adopted the Pro V1 as my primary ball from the get-go. I'm always open to trying the competitor's new offerings, but I just haven't found anything that's materially better yet. Part of the reason is that Titleist isn't content to rest on its laurels. There has been at least 2 major revisions to the original Pro V1/V1x. The newest adds the A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp so that you don't even have to manually line up your golf ball anymore!

I've always used the Pro V1 rather than its X-rated sibling because I've always thought that the former was softer, spun more and produced a higher ball flight; all qualities that I prefer. According to the Titleist website, here are the differences between the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x:

• Distance: For most players, Pro V1x will be longer off the tee.
• Feel: Pro V1 is softer than the Pro V1x.
• Durability: Pro V1 is the most durable Titleist tour played golf ball.

However, results from the cover story, "The Best Ball For You" of the February 2008 issue of Golf Magazine seem to contradict some of these claims. According to this exhaustive robot golf ball test, the Pro V1x is indeed slightly longer than the Pro V1 by about 1.4 yds in total distance (carry plus roll) off a driver (90 mph swing speed, 137 mph ball speed, 13.75-degree launch angle, 2,900 rpm). However, additional tests indicate that the Pro V1x also spins more (the printed article lists the spin rate of the Pro V1x at 12,299 rpm vs. the Pro V1 at 11,914 rpm with a sand wedge) and is softer! Based on these new test results, here's a revised summary of the differences between the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x:

• Distance: For most players, Pro V1x will be longer off the tee. (According to Titleist and Golf Magazine)
• Feel: Pro V1x is softer than the Pro V1. (According to Golf Magazine)
• Spin: Pro V1x spins more than the Pro V1. (According to Golf Magazine)
• Durability: Pro V1 is the most durable Titleist tour played golf ball. (According to Titleist)
• Ball Flight: Pro V1 has a slightly higher flight. (According to Titleist)

As a longtime Pro V1 user, I found the new evidence that the Pro V1x is actually softer and spinier than the Pro V1 to be downright shocking. Maybe even more shocking is that it took almost 8 years to come to light. Durability and ball flight be damned, any ball that flies farther and spins more is a better ball in my book. I'll be switching to the Pro V1x right after I go through my current stash of 3 dozen Pro V1s! How about you?

Labels: Equipment

 Bobbio said...

V1x has always felt harder to me. Maybe it's implanted in my pea brain, but that's how I see it. V1 feels the best from 100 yds. than any other ball I've played, which is most of them.  

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 Mizuno Jim said...

Mmmmm, I feel kinda stupid now... I play pretty much every bal that is available, wether I buy them, win them or get them for free in a tournament... I like them new though! My assumption is that an 18 hcp cannot tell the difference anyway, what do ou guys think?  

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 Dave said...

I can't imagine a softer ball than the Pro V1. It took me atleast two years of playing to even consider using the Pro V. Even now, if I ever shank one and lose it, I need atleast 2 days to recover from the loss! :) I do think an 18 hcp would notice a difference.  

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 Wedgehead said...

I always felt that the V1x spun more, and that on the occasional "bad" shots, that wasn't what I wanted at all.

I have been playing the V1 for some time now, but I have tried the Callway HX Tour and allthough I liked the feel of the ball, it didn't seem nearly as durable as the ProV. At those kind of prices, I prefer a ball that will survive an occasional tree or cartpath!  

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 Anonymous said...

When considering golf balls, a couple yards difference off the tee has never seemed to me nearly as important as a ball that feels soft and friendly around the greens where the real scoring is done.

I'm surprised there wasn't any comments on how much safer most feel on very fast greens with a softer feeling ball - I know I do.  

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 Westy said...

Golf balls in some sense are like tires. You pay more for the "feel", but it seems that the softer the feel, the faster they wear out.

I watched Greg Norman at a tournament in CA where he hit a "line drive" (at the Riviera CC), on a par three...We were standing at the green...the ball came in almost level with the horizon, skipped twice on the green, then backed up about 12 feet from the cup. VERY Impressive!!

His ball back then, I believe by Max-Fli, was a Tour Balata.

This was in the mid 1990's and I read that he used to play a ball in the 1980's that spun even more!  

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 Anonymous said...

While the data shows that the spin is slightly higher with the Pro V1x than the Pro V1, this is a result of the inner construction. The ProV1x is not softer than the ProV1.  

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 capt. scott said...

Guys, guys. Least we forget that Titleist has had to change the way they do everything! They lost a 9 count patent infringement suit to Callaway. They have been copying Callway for years! Callaway HX Tour is the best ball. It's what Titleist wants to be. We've ALL just been brainwashed. Don't forget also, all those Pros on the Tour get PAID to play or get all their equipment FREE. That includes Titleist golf balls. It's a mindset - Titleist is for Pros and Callway is for Amatures. Eli was a man for the people. I like the new Srixon Z-Star better than both of them!  

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 Anonymous said...

As a 10 handicaper, at my local cource i feel that those couple extra yard make alot of differences expessially when trying to make it over fairway ridges. The ProV1x is my choice due to the extra distance and spin but i felt "safer" on the greens with an extra soft ball such as Srixon Soft feel.  

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 Anonymous said...

My index is 8.7 and I play top level golf balls - I really can't tell the difference between them. When I hit it well and onto the green - it stops pretty close to where it lands. I can't tell if it'll go forward a yard or two or back up a yard or two. I play ProV1's because that's what Ifind most of on the course I play!!! I tried the Bridgestone B330 RX and it worked well - same as the Pro V's.  

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 Mike said...

I've been playing the Pro V1 for almost 2 years now and I am shocked what I'm reading...I have hit the occasional 'found' Pro V1X, but it always felt harder to me...  

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 Anonymous said...

I tried the new Callaway ball... I believe it is called the tour i? Comparing it to the Pro V1, i noticed a significant difference in distance with my short irons. Approximatley 4-6 yards shorter with the Callaway ball, this difference blew me away. Never have I bought another sleeve of them and I won't.  

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 Anonymous said...

Everyone tuck your skirts in and just play a Pro V, If everyone buys Pro V it will be cheaper for all of us because we get to use them when they are recycled!Shhhhhh, don't let the high handies know... We have field tested a brand new ball comparied to a used ball, no difference from a single digit (4) handicap player. Quit buying, slow down, and hit it dead in the middle of the club face, bam, new ball feel!  

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 Anonymous said...

v1 definitely feels softer to me than the v1x. ...perhaps an "objective test" reveals one softer than another, but in the end, isn't perception of feel everything?

I remind everyone, unless you're a single digit HC, it AINT the BALL!!  

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 Anonymous said...

If the Pro V1x is softer than the Pro V1 then concrete is softer than jello.  

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