They’re heee-eeere…the 2013 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

Titleist is the brand played by most of the Critical Golf staff (specifically the Pro V1). It’s also the brand played by most professionals on Tour and has the most worldwide golf ball wins. Coincidence? Certainly. While we can (will) always dream that the Pro V1 will help us play like the pros, we like it for its feel, durability, and spin characteristics.

Titleist Driving Distance Comparison

Driving Distance Comparison

Titleist offers a number of tools to help with Titleist golf ball fitting, including on-course evaluation scorecards, as well as their online golf ball fitting tool. Their site provides a nice range of information for the user to help wade through their options. The tools aren’t overly specific (what is the “average” driver swing speed Titleist uses in their calculations?), though it is nice to see less marketing BS than in the past. Even Titleist will tell you that their ball fitting prioritizes the short game, and driving distances between their different balls is just 4-5 yards regardless of swing speed, an amount small enough not to change club selection for your approach shot, so best to select a ball that performs best for your scoring shots.

Ball Spin Comparison

Titleist Ball Spin Comparison

At the highest level, Titlest breaks their golf balls into three different tier: Best, Excellent, and Good. The “Best Scoring Performance” balls include their flagship (and most expensive balls) Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x. For 2013 the Pro V1 has a softer feel due to a lower compression and improved cover for both aerodynamics and durability. Additional changes in the 2013 Pro V1 produce lower driver and long game spin, and a shallower angle of descent that produces more roll. The 2013 Pro V1x has changed it’s core (a dual core) also, providing increased spin with shorter clubs. The dual-core construction of the Pro V1x provides less spin and thus more distance off the tee than the Pro V1. The Pro V1x also has an improved cover, like the Pro V1, as well as different sound profile. Overall the Pro V1 has a softer feel than the Pro V1x, with more long game spin and lower flight, with the Pro V1x providing more distance.

Titleist Golf Balls

Performance differences

Titleist will also tell you that their fitting tool will recommend the Pro V1 and Pro V1x most often, because these balls offer the best performance for all golfers. So why the rest of the line? Since some player’s preferences for feel, color, durability, and price all play a role in what purchasers select (we bet price is at the top of the list).

Titleist Pro V1
MSRP: $62.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

Titleist Pro V1x
MSRP: $62.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

The “Excellent Scoring Performance” balls, are the NXT Tour and NXT Tour S. The NXT Tour S has a softer feel than the NXT Tour, and comes in bright yellow. These balls have lower spin than the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

NXT Tour
MSRP: $42.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

NXT Tour S
MSRP: $42.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

Titleist’s “Good Scoring Performance” balls are the DT SoLo and the Velocity. The DT SoLo has very soft compression, and the velocity has the lowest ball spin and fast ball speed.

Velocity
MSRP: $35.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

DT SoLo
MSRP: $28.00
Amazon.com: Check price now
Golfsmith: Check price now

You want bright yellow golf balls? Custom numbers? Titleist custom imprinting? They’ve got that too.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.