The Vice golf balls have made quite a splash in the golf ball scene in the last few years. We often hear the technology being referred to as similar to Titleist or Bridgestone. For this one, we had to see for ourselves. The Vice golf balls have great pricing, unique marketing, and a modern feel to the company; here’s how the performance of the golf balls stacked up.
If you would like a deep dive into the Vice golf balls vs Titleist Pro V1’s check out this article.
TLDR
- Vice Pro golf balls keep up with premium brands tee to green, unless you have a super high swing speed. They feel great and do spin, but pitching and chipping spin is 10-15% lower than a Pro V1x or TP5.
- The Vice Pro Plus offer great tee to green distance for high-swing speed players. It is a great ball if you want to reduce spin throughout your game. Very similar to the Pro v1x Left Dash.
- The Vice Pro Soft is a low compression ball well suited to slower swing speeds. You won’t gain too much off the tee, but across your bag you’ll see 2-3 yards increase in average carry. Mid-levels of spin, similar to Srixon’s Soft Feel, but a great feel for the price point.
- Vice Tour balls are long, with low spin. No standout performance, but if you are on a budget, and want to play with new golf balls these are a sound choice.
Vice Golf Balls Review
- Vice Pro (Best Overall)
- Vice Pro Plus (Best for High Swing Speeds)
- Vice Pro Soft (Best For Feel)
- Vice Tour (Best Value)
Vice Pro
The Vice Pro is a three-piece golf ball that we found to be the most suitable golf ball for the widest range of players. The performance from the tee was equally as good as the performance around the greens.
Distance
We compared the Vice Pro to the Titleist Pro V1 and found that it gave us about the same distance, a few extra yards for mid swing speeds, and a few yards less with long hitters (310+ yards). The balls have a very similar feel off the tee, although the Vice Pro felt just a little harder. When it came to long game spin, the Vice Pro sits middle of the pack and is very comparable to most premium brand balls.
Spin
Spin around the greens is good. The ball doesn’t spin and bite as much as a Pro V1x or a TP5, but it does stop and grab enough for most golfers. If you’re keen to max out spin grab another golf ball, but the Vice Pro balls are still a great performing ball.
Feel
Of all the Vice golf balls, the Vice Pro has the second-best feel, with Vice Pro Soft coming in as the overall best. This feels like a premium golf ball and performs like one when you are chipping and putting.
Longevity
The longevity of the Vice Pro ball is great. There is a very thin cast urethane cover that helps improve the feel, but it is also really strong. We had no trouble playing four or five rounds with a Vice Pro that still looked brand new.
Value
For the technology it offers, the Vice Pro is an excellent deal. This is a three-piece golf ball and not a four-piece, so the greenside performance is not perfect. However, for the price, most golfers will find this golf ball to be an all-around good solution and substitute for high-priced alternatives.
Golf Insider verdict
Both high and low swing speeds tend to do quite well with the Vice Pro. Expect a mix of greenside and tee performance for a really fair price. If you want a unique-looking golf ball try the Vice Pro Drip.
Vice Pro Plus
Most amateur golfers look for a golf ball that has lots of greenside spin; however, some don’t need it. If you are one of those players that generate too much spin, take a look at the Vice Pro Plus. Furthermore, if you’re a fast swinging player who wants to max out distance, this is a top choice.
Distance
This was the longest of the Vice series that we tested; however, this comes with a caveat. This is a four-piece golf ball with extremely low spin and slightly higher compression. If you don’t have a swing speed of 110+mph with driver, the Vice Pro Plus will be less than stellar, as it doesn’t perform at slower swing speeds.
The epic distance carries on through your mid irons, thanks to the lower spin rates and reduced drag. If you hit your shots high and long and aren’t looking for more mid-iron spin this could be a great shout. Its performance tee to green is highly comparable to the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash.
Spin
The Vice Pro Plus carries a long way, and then it keeps going when it lands. This is some of the lowest long game spin we have seen. For the short game, the spin is still relatively low, and the ball flight is slightly lower as well, meaning it is unlikely to suit you.
For golfers that spin the ball too much, hate high spinning drives, and struggle to stop wedge shots ripping back on soft greens the Vice Pro Plus will help you control things. It is difficult to say for sure without a robotic test, but from our elite player testing, we’d estimate 10% less spin across drives, iron shots and wedges compared to a Pro V1x.
A quick note, this low spin continues around the greens, not an issue, but this ball isn’t winning any awards for pitching and greenside spin.
Feel
The Vice Pro Plus naturally feels just a little harder than the Vice Pro. however, it was not enough to say that this ball has issues with feel. Overall it was actually really similar to the Vice Pro and a similar feel to the Pro V1x.
Longevity
Again, the Vice golf balls are made to last, and this ball has a highly durable cover. Even if you are a golfer with extreme speeds that tends to cut something like the Pro V1x, you may have more luck with the Vice Pro Plus in play.
Value
Golfers will have a hard time finding a four-piece golf ball with this much carry distance in this price range. If this is what your game will benefit from, Vice offers it at a fair price.
Golf Insider verdict
Overall the Vice Pro Plus is a great low spin golf ball for big hitters. If you’re suffering from high, spinny drives and too much spin on your approach shots, we would recommend the Vice Pro Plus. A great option for golfers at a great price.
Vice Pro Soft
Vice tries to take care of all swing speeds, and the Vice Pro Soft is for those with the 90mph swing speed and below. However, the feel from this golf ball was our favorite, and slightly higher swing speeds (into the low 100’s) could also benefit from the Vice Pro Soft without losing any performance.
Distance
The Vice Pro Soft is a three-piece ball that features the same High Energy Speed Core that you find in the Vice Pro. This golf ball has a slightly lower compression and will give more distance to the golfer with slower swing speeds. High swing speed players could lose a few yards as the ball will launch with a slower ball speed when hit hard with driver.
As we see with many lower compression golf balls, driving distance doesn’t necessarily increase compared to high compression balls, but the Vice Pro Soft, and similar low compression golf balls, start to add a few extra yards across the bag, where swing speed slows further.
Nothing life-changing, but you could expect 2-3 extra yards on your iron shots compared to a ball that isn’t suited to your swing – I’d still take this!
Spin
For a three-piece golf ball, we really liked the spin capabilities from the Vice Pro Soft. With slower swing speeds the spin from the tee was average to low, and spin around the greens was average to high. If you hit a great chip this golf ball will do exactly what you are asking it to do.
It doesn’t perform as well as a Pro V1, TP5 or Callaway Chrome Soft for grab, but it isn’t far behind.
Feel
Some golf balls with a “soft” label are a bit mushy and feel as though you can’t really control them. Vice did a good job combining control and feel with the Vice Pro Soft and making it a really good overall choice for around the greens.
Longevity
We had no issues getting more than five rounds out of this ball but did find that it cuts a little easier than the Vice Pro Plus.
Value
Finding the right feel in a golf ball is tough, but getting this great feel for the low price offered by the Vice Pro Soft helps it stand out as one of the best values from this brand. Highly comparable performance for golfers with slower swing speeds compared to other brands and money saved to spend elsewhere.
Golf Insider verdict
If you are an average to slow swing speed golfer looking for distance across your bag, but still want a soft feel and good levels of spin grab a box of the Vice Pro Soft.
Vice Tour
The Vice Tour is your three-piece value ball from Vice. Essentially you will get a ton of distance and a golf ball that will last you all summer as long as you can keep it straight!
Distance
This golf ball is tough, high compression, and it’s meant to handle a real smack. If you have medium or high swing speed and want a good distance golf ball, the Vice Tour is a solid choice. Particularly if you want to save some golfing dollars along the way.
Spin
The long game spin is average to low – hence the long distance off the tee, and the short game spin was not all that high. The DuPont Surlyn cover just responds a bit differently than a urethane cover and that impacts spin and feel.
Feel
The feel of the Vice Tour is a little hard. Not hard like a Top Flite or a range ball, but it is harder than the other golf balls in their lineup. However, at this price point, something has to be sacrificed
Longevity
The longevity of the Vice Tour is really good. This cover is durable and virtually cut-resistant.
Value
The golf balls come in at a fair price and last for many rounds of play. When you look at how long these golf balls last with the low initial price, they are a very good overall value. However, you will have to make some trade-offs in spin and feel compared to the Vice Pro range.
Golf Insider verdict
If you want a cheap golf ball that doesn’t perform like a cheap golf ball, the Vice Tour is a great choice. For ultimate greenside performance and feel, this is not your best overall choice. But for solid performance tee to green and enough feel around the greens, this is a pretty good choice.
Are vice golf balls actually good?
Vice golf balls are really good, with the Vice Pro range showing comparable performance to the more well-known brands at a lower retail price. The company saves money by selling direct to consumers, so you are getting premium technology for a very fair price.
What is different about Vice golf balls?
Vice golf balls have unique technology like any golf ball company, but their usp is great golf balls at a fair price. They offer golf balls that works for each handicap and player’s ability. The thing that really sets the Vice golf ball apart is the price range; all models of the Vice ball are really fairly priced.
What Vice golf ball is similar to Pro V1?
The Vice Pro is the most similar to the Pro V1. You will notice similar distance and spin rates that you get with the Pro V1 at a greatly reduced cost.
Which is softer Vice Pro or Pro Plus?
The Vice Pro is softer than the Pro Plus. The Pro Plus is built for higher swing speeds and will need a bit more speed to compress the ball properly.
What is the difference between Vice Pro and Pro Plus?
The Vice Pro is a 3 piece ball; the Pro Plus is a 4 piece golf ball designed for very high swing speeds that need low spin. The Vice Pro has good greenside spin and a higher ball flight than the Pro Plus.
Which Vice Golf ball spins the most?
When we did our product testing, we found the Vice Pro to have the best greenside spin. The Vice Pro Plus was not far behind.
What compression are Vice golf balls?
Compression will vary on the Vice golf balls. The Vice Pro is ~85, while the Vice Pro Plus is 95. The golf balls made for the slower swing speed players like the Vice Pro Soft have a slightly lower compression, around 70.
Do professionals use Vice golf balls?
Most of the professionals that use Vice golf balls are those on the Korn Ferry tour. Golfers that are on the PGA tour are mostly using Callaway, Titleist, TaylorMade, and Bridgestone golf balls. This is in part because of the lucrative equipment contracts tour players sign up that do not allow them to use a different manufacturers golf ball. As time goes on we may see this change, as their performance is comparable.
Summary – Vice golf balls review
Hopefully, you now have a better idea as to which Vice golf balls are best for your game. If you are still not sure Vice sells a variety pack that gives you two of each kind.
An overall excellent review, however the Vice Drive golf ball was excluded. I still play persimmon woods and was interested in knowing the compression of the various balls so that I wouldn’t damage my woods. I tried the Vice Pro Soft…an excellent overall golf ball very comparable to the Srixon Soft Feel.
Vice drive is the best golf ball I have ever played. I keep at least 10 dozen on hand at all times. Just in case friends want to try them.