Pros: Longer than the original, w/good greenside spin, and great overall feel.
Cons: Still very pricey.
The Bottom Line: If you are a scratch player, and have the dough--give this ball a go. From here you can judge which multi-layer suits your game the best.
berniez40's Full Review: Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls
I've been knocking a lot of Titleist's stuff lately. The new DT Roll and DT Carry as well as the NXT Extreme have all struck me as over-priced two piece hacker balls. The new Gran Z remains mis-marketed and misunderstood. The NXT Tour is just beginning to hit it's prime. Let's not even talk about the marketing ball on their drivers having been completely fumbled. Nothing real market grabbing since the 983K, and that was several club generations ago. Through all the missed opportunities, mediocre offerings, and outright screw ups at The Titleist Division of Fortune Brands, one thing remains clear--"The Pro V1 is still 'King of the Golf Ball Market.' "
Since I last wrote about the Pro V1--roughly 4 years ago, the ball has seen a Metamorphisis fit for a Franz Kafka novella. Though there are some serious challengers now on the horizon, some are longer (Bridgetsone), some have more spin (Srixon), some are more workable, (TaylorMade), the Pro V1 remains the very standard which brought these challengers into existence. Here's what the Pro V1 has to offer, and believe me, it's more than a new box, and an alignment line stamped on the ball. Let's, if you'll pardon the pun, take her for "a test drive."
DRIVER
The Pro V1 still feels quite good off of the face. Despite the slightly firmer mantle and cover, she still sports an overall compression of a nice middle of the road 85. This is comfortable for many swingspeeds, and beginning at roughly 92MPH driver swing speed, you can get this ball to grant you it's fullest potential.(Most tour level balls will not perform for you at any swingspeed in less than the 95-100 MPH range.) It does not feel quite as soft as the first two generations of this ball at driver impact, nor does it grant the same amount of sidespin that the original versions did. In return, however, it is easily 10-15 yards further than the original, w/out feeling anything even approaching rock-like. In order to compete w/all the "seamless" balls coming onto the market, the 392 Icosohedral dimple pattern has been altered a bit into what Corporate Speak refers to as "The Staggered Wave Pattern." By obscuring the seam The Staggered Wave does help the ball fly on the line you chose for it, while retaining Titleist's trademark 392 pattern which they use on so many of their balls in both the Titleist and Pinnacle lines.
So the ball feels good off the driver, goes a long way, and holds the line--BUT--is it still workable? In a word--Yes! Though the staggerd wave pattern has indeed cut the sidespin a bit--thus improving distance, it hasn't given up enough of it to effect your Power Fade, High Cut, or Power Draw any, unless you are amongst the most prolific of golfers sporting a better than scratch handicap. Seriously--a few of the "Team Titleist" tour pros have requested that Titleist still make the 1st and 2nd generation Pro V1's for them, but these guys could work a rock, and can afford the give back in distance. Most of them want the older design for it's unmatched backspin on greenside wedge shots. As far as the driver goes, this ball remains The Gold Standard. Smooth, long, and workable. It still earns every ounce of respect it gets--even from a cheap skate like me.
FAIRWAY METALS/LONG IRONS/ HYBRIDS
This ball is still a charmer to all varieties of club and this is definitely a category where this baby earns her keep. My fairway metals are often my bread and butter clubs, because they are my only opportunity for birdie on a long par 5. They have also bailed me out w/super long and accurate recovery shots after many a muffed drive. Both my three and five wood like this newer version. Unfortunately, my swing actually needs the lower amount of sidespin that the new staggered wave pattern imparts on the ball. A 250+ yard three wood doesn't end up tailing off left or right at the end of it's flight. My five wood likes the fact that you can alter the trajectory succesfully ala David Toms and make the five wood earn it's keep as both a long distance placement club and super long rescue club.
My lone long iron truly loved this ball. Thanks to the 2 1/2 club wind we were playing with/against that day it got to repeat it's one and only semi-repeatable trick shot several times . (AKA The Stinger) . Now this ball will take that lower trajectory and throw on the brakes greenside. She doesn't stop quite as fast for me as the original version, but it's still more greenside spin than I'll ever need. Low -Cappers can still back this ball up from long distance. For me it changed from a one hopper w/minimal release, to a two hopper, but release remained minimal. Once again, as w/my fairway metals, my clubs preferred this ball to the older version(s) due to the gain in both distance and accuracy from less side spin.
My hybrids liked this ball for the same reason as my five wood. The trajectory is still easy to play w/via ball position, and still get the desired results. I could get a high and soft landing from long distance, or a more boring and piercing trajectory for a rescue from the woods situation. All three clubs enjoyed the famous "Titleist Click" off of well struck shots, and with these clubs one can feel the slightly firmer mantle and cover on this newer version. It's not like "The Infamous Hogan Sting" off of a miss hit, but more of a slightly firmer tactile cue that exudes a subliminal confidence. The ears and hands tend to feel and hear this click simultaneously in a pleasant fashion (despite the slightly firmer feel) that is usually only reserved for the putter. Only the highest level tour balls do this, and Titleist is making darned sure that you associate this ball w/that elitist feel.
MID IRONS
The Pro V1 is the ball that introduced me to the concept of long distance pin-seeking. This newer version is still quite capable of that, though my approach to the shot is a tad bit different. The original Pro V1's were legendary for their backspin, and starting at about the 5 Iron on up, one could count on these babies backing up 1/2 the green when the shot was hit correctly. (I personally was never good for this amount, but I could definitely get her to back up a full 10-12 feet on a well hit shot. My low-capper buddies used to back her up 1/2 the green on a regular basis.) The newer version doesn't back up quite as far, but in return she'll add a full 1/4 club's worth of distance to your shot, and hold the line a lot better than the older version. From 175 on in I feel comfortable taking dead aim. I may not always hit, but I know that the ball will hold the line I've drawn for it, and throw on the brakes come greenside. Seems like only a bladed wedge can make these suckers go dancing completely across the green.
SHORT IRONS/WEDGES
This is where the ball shows just how careful they were with the new design. This ball is laser like w/the short irons, and makes the shorter approach shots seem like confidence building exercises. The wedges, especially on the dreaded 1/2 wedge shot, will get this ball to stick like glue. Yes she will dance backwards for you, but again, it won't be quite like the old one's which could dance their way backwards up Mt. Everest. My 1/2 Sand Wedge from 70 yds is a definite dead aim shot, and this ball makes it seem like practice time at the range. I can see why a few of the pros want the older version, but for most of us, that amount of spin is very dangerous with even the slightest of swing flaws.
FLAT STICK
This is not quite the ball's strongest point. Don't get me wrong here, it's absolutely pure tour quality, but it's a tad different from what I truly loved about the older version. The audible cue is still a muted click, but not quite as muted as the older version. It sounds more like a softer Pro V1X. The tactile cue is also a shade less clingy. She does cling to the face for a split second, but not quite as long as the older version. Still, it times incredibly well with the audible cue, and the staggered wave does help her hold a better putting line.
OVERALL
This newer version of The Pro V1 is a great compromise between The Old Pro V1 and The Old Pro V1X. It takes the best qualities of both, and does a fine job of blending them into a superior tour level ball. My longer clubs actually like it better than the old version, though my wedges and putter have a slight preference for the original. It's a great ball that still remains The Gold Standard for Multi-Layered Tour Level Balls. Though other makers are making tremendous inroads, this ball still remains the one by which all tour level balls will be judged.
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