Pro V1 vs Pro v1x Golf Balls – Data & Golfer’s Insights

A golf ball alone won’t revolutionise your game, but choosing the right one can add up to 6 yards to your drives and significantly impact your short game performance.

Golfers often wonder, “What is the difference between the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x ?” Both are premium balls from Titleist, known for delivering tour-level performance, but can they truly impact your game and can golfers detect the differences on the golf course?

In this article, we break down distance, spin, feel, and value with data and golfer’s insights to find out.

Quick Summary

Distance

As expected, in testing there was very little difference between these two golf balls. We should note, that this is not about what golf ball is ‘better’, all premium golf balls will travel a long way and straight (when hit well).

However, this testing shows us how different golf balls are and how they may fit your game. we can see these golf balls travelled near identical distances. There was a small difference in peak height, and the Pro V1x generated a little more backspin.

At higher swing speeds we are looking for 2,300 – 2,800 rpm of backspin with drives so both these balls are well suited to me.

Your key takeaway is that if you need a little more spin to optimise your drives the Pro V1x is a great pick. if you are looking for less backspin opt for the standard Pro V1.

Spin

We look at spin performance on full shots and around the green. Let’s dive in.

Wedge Spin

Titleist suggest the Pro V1x is designed for higher iron spin, and the testing consistently showed this from our launch monitor testing. The Pro V1x spun 10% more on full wedge shots. That is a noticeable and worthwhile gain in backspin.

Another factor that dictates how quickly a ball will stop on a green is its decent angle (the angle it comes down to land). The Pro V1x was a little lower in this area, but that is often the case, when I golf ball is launched with more spin – it tends to launch lower, and reach a lower peak height, resulting in a lower decent angle.

So for iron and wedge spin we can see that there is a district advantage for playing a Pro V1x.

Spin Inside 50 yards

Inside 50 yards both balls perform incredibly well and the results depend on a few factors in terms of lie and green firmness and temperature. Overall, I feel the Pro V1 generates more spin across a range of conditions. Mainly because the softer cover seems to really grab on the greens for shorter chip and pitch shots.

However, both balls are amazing and would be in my top 3 golf balls to chip and putt with if my life depended on it.

Feel

These feel very different and that surprises some golfers. The Pro V1 is like a barometer to compare every golf ball against. In my opinion, the Pro V1 is the best feeling ball on the market. Powerful, yet soft and it feels like you can make the ball do what you want on command inside 50 yards.

The Pro V1x is great, but noticeably firmer. You’ll feel this firmness both on long shots and chip shots and putting. It still feels great, but this firmer cover is likely one reason it feels like the Pro V1x has less short game spin.

Longevity

One of the toughest tests for a golf ball cover is indoor launch monitor testing. We see a lot of quick wear and tear when the golf balls hit a screen at 140 mph. Both these golf balls out perform most on the market, but you can see from the image below, the firmer cover of the Pro V1x is really robust.

I would like to have an image of each after 5 rounds play. The truth is I keep losing them. However, both are still in top condition after 36 holes. After that you’ll start to see the odd sign of wear and tear. Again, the Pro V1x holds up a little better for any bumps and scrapes it might experience along the way.

Value

Let’s not beat around the bush – both of these are really expensive. If you love your golf and can hang on for a golf ball for 1-2 rounds I would say they are worthwhile. If not check out the Vice Pro golf balls as a slightly cheaper alternative.

Golf Insider Verdict

What always surprises me when we run these tests is that there is a noticeable difference between golf balls. With this in mind, don’t sleep on your golf balls…the differences are small, but will really affect both your long game and short game performance.

If you want a softer feel, mid-spin on long shots and great grab around the green go for the standard Pro V1. If you want a firmer feel, and want higher levels of spin on your drives, irons and wedge shots go for the Pro V1x.

This is about golf ball fitting, not which is best, but I hope you’ve found it useful.

Alternatives to the Pro V1 & Pro V1x

We’ve done a lot of golf ball testing, the cheaper alternatives are great but never fully match the premium products. If you are not focused on price, the TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x are the closest matches.

At a lower price point, I would suggest the Vice Pro golf balls are the next best in line, with the Cut DC golf balls a good backup for someone looking for a Pro V1x ‘look-alike’, but ironically they do cut up easier.

Happy golfing – Will @ Golf Insider