BUYERS GUIDE: Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x, and AVX

12 Mar 2019
by AmateurGolf.com Equipment Panel
see also: Equipment Reviews
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Many players assume that choosing the right ball for their game means finding the one they can hit the longest off of the tee. This is great for distance shaming your playing partners, but the truth of the matter is that choosing a ball that fits your scoring clubs is going to help you shoot lower scores and ultimately enjoy your round more.

Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x, and AVX are premium performance golf balls that any player, not just low handicap tournament players, can benefit greatly from if he chooses the right ball. The AmateurGolf.com Player Staff has created a simple guide to choosing a premium Titleist golf ball for your game.

First, a video from the launch of the 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x:

IT'S NOT ABOUT SWING SPEED

Many golfers believe that they should be fit for a golf ball based solely on their driver swing speed, but years of research from Titleist has shown that this is a flawed approach.

Every player, regardless of handicap, has many different swing speeds that they use throughout a round. From 50 yard pitches to all out driver swings, players utilize a vast range of swing speeds to execute a wide array of shots. Indeed, Titleist has found that driver swing speed should be only a small part of the overall decision when choosing a ball.

GREEN-TO-TEE ON COURSE EVALUATION

Evaluating which premium Titleist Golf Ball is best for your game starts with shots around and into the green. Hit multiple chip and pitch shots of varying length and height into a green. Take notice of how the ball feels off of the club face and how it reacts on the green. Are you looking for a drop and stop shot, or do you want a gentle roll?

According to Titleist, the Pro V1x is the most firm and AVX has the softest feel. Pro V1 falls somewhere in the middle. Depending on your chipping technique, equipment, and course conditions, you might see some different results. It is important that you hit enough shots to notice the difference between these balls and choose the feel and spin characteristics that produce the best results for you.

COMPARING SPIN

For the three premium Titleist models, the difference in spin rates on scoring shots is significant. Pro V1, Pro V1x, and AVX are all low spin off of the driver, and extensive testing from Titleist shows only a small difference in spin between them. The bigger difference is one the scoring shots, which reflects Titleist's philosophy of combining lower spin off the driver for distance, with higher spin on the scoring shots for greater control and the ability to hit shots closer to the hole more frequently.

WHICH TITLEIST BALL IS THE LONGEST?

Titleist says that all of their premium golf balls are designed and manufactured to be exceptionally long off the tee. Extensive testing has shown that Pro V1, Pro V1x, and AVX are all within 4-6 yards of each other. So there is distance advantage regardless of which one of these balls a player chooses. But there is more to the game than long driving. In any a given round a player will likely hit a maximum of 14 drives. For this reason, and the fact that none of the their three premium balls goes significantly longer than the others, Titleist highly recommends choosing a golf ball that fits your scoring clubs.

WHICH BALL IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

The truth is that every player has individual preferences -- how hard or soft the feel, the trajectory of driver and iron shots, spin rate, and so on. Titleist has a golf ball fitting tool that will help you determine which ball is the best for your game. So do your research, put in the time, and watch your scores go down.