Every two years like clockwork, Titleist introduces us to the newest generation of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x. They've spent the last couple of years looking for ways to making the ball better, and they feel they've made it longer, spin more around the greens and feel softer.
You're going to buy them regardless, but Titleist does show their work.
First, a reminder. The three-piece Pro V1 flies lower and feels softer than the four-piece Pro V1x, which flies even higher than the previous generation, spins more with scoring clubs and is firmer. Despite these notable differences, the improvements to both balls are shared.
There's a new tetrahedral dimple pattern on the 2021 generation balls, which is the first time that's changed since 2011. The Pro V1 is now a 388-dimple design, with the Pro V1x cover coming in with 348 dimples. It took 90 total iterations of the covers -- 60 for Pro V1 and 30 for Pro V1x -- to land on the production models.
The cast urethane cover is the softest ever used on either ball, and it's designed to increase greenside spin by allowing scoring clubs to dig in and create that backspin.
The core in both balls has been reformulated. Dubbed the 2.0 ZG Process cores, each produces more ball speed compared to their predecessors.
The ionomer mantle layer -- or the casing layer in Titleist parlance -- flexes more to deliver more ball speed and kills spin with longer clubs. This mantle was built for the Pro V1x Left Dash model and called up to the main models.
The Titleist 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls will be available Jan. 27 in white and optic yellow for $50 per dozen.
