Vice follows a direct-to-consumer model that allows for lower pricing on many of their golf balls, but how do they stack up against premium-priced golf balls like the Pro V1 and Pro V1x?
Here we tested the Vice golf balls, Pro V1 and Pro V1x out on the course as well as with Trackman to try and help you decide which is best for you.
Vice vs. Titleist Pro V1 – Let’s look at what the numbers had to say.
Distance
No golfer wants to lose distance, so will the cheaper Vice golf balls cost you yards off the tee?
To properly analyze distance, we looked at carry distance and total distance with driver. We then dived into launch characteristics to help explain these findings and to help you personalise your choice.
The results show some differences between the brands and individual golf balls when comparing well-struck drives. For most golfers, there shouldn’t be anything here to put you off Vice golf balls, but if distance is important you might want to select the right model to max out your distance.
Here are the key findings:
- The Pro V1x had the longest carry distance, followed by the Vice Pro Plus and Vice Pro and Pro V1. The difference in carry distance between the premium Pro V1x golf ball and the Vice Pro Plus was about two yards on average (~1.5%).
- When we look at the total distance, the Pro V1x and the Vice Pro Plus golf balls are exactly the same. All other golf balls, besides the Vice Pro Soft, finished within 5-yards of the longest golf balls.
- The golf ball with the worst results from a distance standpoint was the Vice Pro Soft. However, the purpose of a Vice Pro Soft golf ball is to give golfers better feel around the green, not hit the longest off the tee.
The bottom line is that Vice balls hang in there with Titleist premium golf balls when it comes to distance.
Launch Characteristics
This information might be a bit overkill for some golfers, so feel free to skip it. However, the peak height and spin characteristics help explain the above and might help you find a golf ball that better fits your golf game.
There is quite a bit of information here, so we felt it was best to break it down into some simple-to-read and easy to digest bullet points.
- Pro V1 golf balls fly a little higher and spin a little less than the Pro V1x. This is exactly what Titleist tells us that the Pro V1 golf ball should do.
- Pro V1x has the lowest peak height but some of the highest spin of all the golf balls.
- The Vice ball with the highest ball flight was the Vice Pro Soft. This is a soft golf ball with a spin rate that is about average.
- The lowest spinning golf balls were both Vice golf ball options, the Vice Drive and the Vice Pro Tour. These are the distance golf balls in the lineup, and for slower swing speed players, they can result in less drag through the air and a little extra roll once the ball hits the ground.
- If you are looking for similarity in launch conditions and spin, the Pro V1x has similar spin rates to the Vice Pro but has a similar peak height to the Vice Pro Plus.
We’ll leave the geekiness there and move on. The best golf ball for max distance will depend on your swing speed and impact characteristics.
The more important message is all Vice golf balls and Pro V1 options are great off the tee. Avoid the Vice Pro Soft if you do care about maxing distance off the tee.
Spin
Here we’ll look at wedge spin from 120 yards and spin around the green. The latter is tricky to do with a launch monitor so we rely more on our observations over many shots with each in practice and play.
Wedge spin
Here we look at two key factors for shot-stopping control: backspin (on launch) and descent angle how steeply the ball drops to the ground. The spin value is critical, but both of these factors are important. On firmer greens descent angle will be more of a factor, on softer, lusher greens spin rate will dominate how a golf ball reacts.
Again, as Titleist claim, we found that there is a considerable difference between the Pro V1 and Pro v1x. The Pro V1x generated more backspin than any other golf ball for full wedge shots. All other golf balls fell between 7,000 and 8,000 rpm.
The low-compression Vice Pro Soft finishing bottom for spin, but generated the steepest descent angle.
Here are a few key takeaways about the Vice golf balls and the Titleist when it comes to full swing approach wedge spin. Remember that greenside spin will be a little different and not measured quite as accurately with a launch monitor. It’s best to test these on the golf course to see how they compare.
- The Vice Tour, Vice Pro, and even the Vice Drive have similar spin rates. In addition, the descent angle is also very close. However, the Vice Pro had the greatest carry distance.
- The Pro V1 has spin rates most closely matched to the Vice Drive; this was a little surprising as the Vice Drive is not known for its spin in wedge shots. The Pro V1 does have a slightly higher descent angle and a longer carry distance.
- The highest spinning golf ball was the Pro V1x, no surprise here.
- The Vice Pro Plus would be the most comparable to the Pro V1x from a spin rate perspective. However, it has a much higher descent angle, which should help make up for the almost 1000 fewer rpms of spin that the Vice Pro Plus golf ball gets.
What does this mean for you?
All these golf balls perform really well. As your club speed increases both spin and descent angle increase (if all else stays the same), so if you want to adapt your performance without making technical changes here are our thoughts.
- If you struggle for distance and struggle to get the ball close to tucked pins and elevated green try out the Vice pro Soft for its height and descent angle and the Vice Pro Plus or Pro V1x for their distance off the tee and spin. You will find a difference in how they perform if you are relatively consistent in your ball striking.
- High swing speed players who want lower, more penetrating wedge shots should try out the Pro V1x golf balls if they haven’t already.
Green side spin
Within 50-yards the characteristics of spin change, the ball will not be compressed as much and so the cover and thin layers beneath the cover starts to have more of a role to play.
Around the greens the Titliest Pro V1 and Pro V1x really stand out. The Vice Pro, Pro Soft and Pro Plus all perform well, but we don’t feel the reactvity levels and consistency of spin match the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
Something like the Vice Pro ball can have moments where it feels like a Pro V1, and it’s a very good ball for the money. However, when I get around the greens, there is something just different about the feel of the Pro V1.
Feel
Feel isn’t an objective measure, but as profesional players and coaches we intrinsically know what we want a ball to feel like when putting and chipping.
Most of the time, premium balls have a much better feel, and this is why better players pay for this great feeling golf equipment. In our testing we could tell the difference between the Vice golf balls and Pro V1’s, but there wasn’t a conisderable change between the Pro Series Vice balls and the Titliest Pro V1’s.
The great thing about the Vice line of golf balls is that there is a variety of feel that you can get. The Vice Pro Soft has really great short game feel but certainly feels softer than a tour ball.
Remember that some of the Vice golf balls are lower compression balls with a softer feel; sometimes, golfers will complain of this feeling a little mushy around the greens.
Longevity
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the premium Vice golf balls I have used hold up just as long, if not longer, than the Titleist golf balls. Vice sells their golf balls for less money, I kind of expected they would cut quicker, but they don’t.
However, the exception here is the Vice Pro Soft. The Vice Pro Soft has a unique feel that is noticeably softer, and if your club face and the ball make the wrong contact, you can chip this one pretty easily. For higher driver swing speeds, stay away from the soft Vice Pro soft golf balls.
Value
The value category is very easily won by the Vice golf balls. As a leader in the golf industry, pushing for more of the direct-to-consumer product types, Vice golf balls have, without a doubt, shaken some things up.
For great players that know how the Titleist Pro V1x can perform in a tournament situation on a fast green, the golf balls are worth every penny. However, for many average golfers, the Vice golf balls launch angle, carry distance, spin rates, and feel will be very comparable.
Golf Insider Verdict
I like Vice golf balls. I’ve played them a bit here and there. Can I tell the difference between a Vice Pro Plus golf ball and a Titleist Pro V1x? Absolutely.
However, do I think the Vice golf balls are worth the money, absolutely. For golfers on a budget that want near premium performance Vice golf balls are a great pick.
Expect to give up a small amount of spin around the greens and feel, but in return you’ll have some extra cash for green fees and coaching.
Vice Golf Balls
Titliest Golf Balls
Happy golfing.
