If there’s one very clear and true trend in golf — and it’s been the same for decades now — it’s that Titleist golf balls dominate the professional tours. The year 2017 is no exception, as the Acushnet company reminds us at every turn. So do the PGA Tour guys who put the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x, which were introduced in October, in play each week.
More than 100 players are in that group, including Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Jimmy Walker, Kevin Kisner, AngelCabrera, Billy Horschel, Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk, Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffmann, Ian Poulter and Thongchai Jaidee . And they’re not afraid to sing their praises.
“I think the remarkable thing with the new Pro V1 is how far it goes now,” said Scott. “I’m hitting it longer than I ever have but I also have that soft feel like when I grew up playing a balata golf ball – it’s incredibly soft.” Added Spieth, “I put new Pro V1x in play in Australia and in the first week we won. What I noticed immediately was the improved flight. It held its line in the crosswinds better.”
So, after all these years and iterations of the Pro V line, what makes the 2017 models so different? According to Acushnet, they are “are the most advanced, best performing golf balls ever stamped with the Titleist script, providing total performance for every player and deliver unmatched quality and consistency.
Let’s go to the specifics:
The 2017 three-piece Pro V1 has been reengineered with a Next Generation 2.0 ZG Process Core that delivers longer distance on all shots through lower long game spin and faster ball speed, while maintaining the very soft feel and superior short-game performance that Pro V1 players demand. A new spherically tiled 352 tetrahedral dimple design produces a penetrating trajectory with even more consistent flight. The four-piece Pro V1x, features a ZG Process Dual Core, is enhanced by a new spherically tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design that produces a high trajectory.
- Both balls deliver superior short game scoring performance thanks to a soft Urethane Elastomer cover system formulated to deliver drop-and-stop greenside control with soft feel. Created by a chemical reaction that takes place during the casting process, the cover is also durable.
- Choosing between the total performance of Pro V1 and Pro V1x, golfers will notice differences in flight, feel and spin. Pro V1 flies lower with a penetrating trajectory and feels softer. Pro V1x flies higher, has a slightly firmer feel, and spins more on iron shots.
- Every Pro V1 and Pro V1x is manufactured by Titleist associates in the company’s state-of-the-art golf ball manufacturing facilities, to the highest performance and quality specifications in the industry. This investment in quality control ensures the most consistent performance from ball to ball, and dozen to dozen. This is critical to allowing golfers to consistently execute the same types of shots, round after round.
- “Every time we set out to develop new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, our challenge is to set an even higher benchmark for golf ball performance,” said Michael Mahoney, vice president of Titleist golf ball marketing. “We are constantly in the field talking to golfers of all skill levels about what we can do to help them shoot lower scores. At the same time, the Titleist Golf Ball R&D and Operations teams are working together to develop new golf ball technologies that deliver performance golfers may not yet realize they need. It’s because of this ownership and commitment at every step of the process that we’re able to deliver meaningful performance improvements and make the best golf balls in the game even better.”
In total, the testing and validation process for 2017 Pro V1 and Pro V1x included more than 80,000 golfers of all skill levels who received numerous iterations of prototypes throughout the rigorous two-year development process. This included six different double-blind prototype tests during the summer and fall of 2015 that were instrumental in determining the final 2017 designs.
“If a golfer hits a number of golf balls, they will fly through a ‘window’ in the air. What we’ve done with 2017 Pro V1 and Pro V1x is make that window smaller, which is the result of a more consistent flight,” said Bill Morgan, vice president of golf ball R&D. “We go to great lengths to ensure that Pro V1 and Pro V1x are precision equipment. We know golfers depend on that consistency on every shot in their round.”
$47.99 per dozen | www.titleist.com
