Thursday, November 21, 2024

Titleist 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 Ball Review

I've had the chance to play the new 2025 Titleist Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls now for about one month.  I told all of you back when I received these that I'd be putting them through the wringer.  And I did.

I hit comparative chips and pitches with wedges from 75 yards and in.  I also hit full swing iron shots from about 150 yards out.  And of course off the tee with driver.  Here's how the new 2025 Pro V1x performs and compares to the new Pro V1 as well as how each of these new 2025 balls perform and compare to the last gen (2023) Pro V1x and Pro V1.  A lot to unwrap here, so let's get right into it.

DISTANCE, LAUNCH, ACCURACY and SPIN: 2025 Pro V1x vs. 2025 Pro V1 Comparison (including comparison of both to previous gen balls)

Driver Comparisons

One of the reasons I play the Pro V1x is because I'm a low ball hitter and Pro V1x is the higher launching ball compared to Pro V1.  And I'm happy to report the new Pro V1x actually launches even higher off the tee than the previous (2023) model Pro V1x.  If you're a low ball hitter or tend to catch your drives a little low on the face the 2025 Pro V1x is going to make some of your mediocre drives a little better and a little longer.


Interestingly I found the new 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 both launched higher off the tee than their respective previous gen 2023 counterparts.  Comparatively, Pro V1x and Pro V1 still remain different in higher and lower launch respectively.  But it's like the new 2025 models just raise that launch trajectory window higher for both balls.  I know the golden rule for distance off the tee is high launch, low spin, but I wonder if there will be some Pro V1 players who prefer the slightly lower launch of the older 2023 balls.


With all that said here was my first surprise.  I saw equal distance gains with both the new 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 compared to the 2023 balls.  Nothing substantial, but a good 4-5 yards longer with the 2025 balls compared to the 2025 balls (both models).  Pro V1x remains the longer ball for me off the tee (I have a neutral angle of attack into the ball).  But more balls with the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 landed further up the fairway than with drives hit using the 2023 balls.  And the craziest thing maybe is that the new 2025 Pro V1 distance was so comparable to the old (2023) Pro V1x ball that if I was choosing a ball just for driver distance and had to choose between the old Pro V1x and new Pro V1 it would be a tough decision.


Another thing common to both the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 is they both (probably) spin less off the tee than the previous gen balls.  With both 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls I hit more shots that held their lines better than I did with previous gen Pro V1x and Pro V1.  I just threw a handful of each model balls down on the tee, hit a bunch of drives, watched their flight, and then did the same thing with the old gen models.  Not highly scientific but the eye test doesn't lie.  Of course I hit a few balls off the planet never to be found again.  I'm not saying the new 2025 balls are automatic fairway finders.  But I am saying the new Pro V1x and Pro V1 are definitely straighter off the tee and I think everyone will notice this.

Irons and Wedges Comparison

Again like with the driver, the new 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 were longer than the old (2023) models, but it was less pronounced.  My best shots were a few yards longer with the new Pro V1x and Pro V1 but nothing so significant that it would require any yardage or club changes.  The most interesting thing to me about the new Pro V1x and Pro V1 on iron shots was that more of my shots with the new balls collected closer to the pin than with the previous models.  I saw with my own eyes there was just less rollout with the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 compared to the 2023 balls.  And I have to assume this is because of increased spin.

I mentioned earlier with driver that both the Pro V1x and Pro V1 launched a bit higher than the 2023 balls did.  But with the irons the flight of 2025 Pro V1x looked identical to the flight of 2023 Pro V1x.  And similarly the flight of 2025 Pro V1 looked identical to the light of 2023 Pro V1.  So the 2025 balls have to be spinning more than the 2023 balls (at least that's my take on it).  Regardless, I think Titleist did a good thing by not changing iron trajectories with the new balls (both comparatively between the Pro V1x and Pro V1 models as well as compared to the 2023 balls).

In terms of accuracy I didn't see a lot of difference in left-right dispersion between the 2025 and 2023 Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls.  In fact I'd say in this respect they're almost the same ball.  But as just mentioned earlier there's definitely a tighter downrange dispersion into the greens with the 2025 models and I think this is the big benefit of the new balls with iron play.

Chipping and pitching with the new 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 was another surprise for me.  I've always found the Pro V1x to be better around the greens with more bite than the Pro V1.  But the 2025 models both bit so well I'd say they're indistinguishable in terms of control and holding the greens.  For me, Pro V1 spin has caught up with Pro V1x spin and I couldn't say that about previous models.  Also interesting to me was the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 have almost identical trajectories on half and full swing pitches.  Pro V1 is lower launching on drives and iron shots with both 2025 and 2023 models as mentioned earlier.  But anything inside 75 yards and the new Pro V1x and Pro V1 were basically the same ball to me (other than feel, more on that below).  Titleist always boasts excellent greenside control for both Pro V1x and ProV1, but with these 2025 models it's never been more true.

FEEL and DURABILITY: 2025 Pro V1x vs. 2025 Pro V1 Comparison (including comparison of both to previous gen balls)

The 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 both feel softer to me than 2023 models on all shots.  It's nothing close to a wholesale change in feel.  Pro V1x is still clearly firm feeling.  Pro V1 is still softer feeling.  But like I saw with driver trajectories, Titleist seems to have made both models proportionately softer.  Full disclosure I prefer the slightly firmer feel of the 2023 Pro V1x.  But at the same time the added distance and definitely straighter ball flight off the tee more than makes up for that.

You also notice the softer feel of both new Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls on iron and wedge shots.  With driver and irons the firmer feel the better for me.  But again here I'm okay with the slightly softer feel with irons because of the above mentioned less rollout on shots hit into greens.  And for those players who like Pro V1 because of the soft feel, the slightly softer feel will just make them like Pro V1 even more.

On chips and pitches however?  Inject the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 feel directly into my veins.  With both new 2025 models it feels like the balls just stuck to face more, almost like they're stickier.  And I absolutely love this feel around the greens.  Combine this feel with the consistency and strengthening of spin and both 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 are the best feeling balls I've ever hit around the greens.

And last but not least, after a few rounds with both 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls it became immediately apparent that durability is improved.  I'd like to see if Titleist did some durability testing with number of shots hit between the old and new balls because I can tell you absolutely the new 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 lasted twice as long as the 2023 balls before any scuffs appeared.  And on top of that not only did I hit more shots with the new balls before signs of scuffing appeared, but the scuffing itself with the new 2025 balls is less destructive.

CONCLUSION

Overall I'd say the 2025 Pro V1x and Pro V1 balls are more similar to the 2025 models than they are different.  And that's a good thing.  You know the unique feel and performance of a Titleist Pro V1x and Pro V1 almost the exact moment you hit either.

What Titleist has done however is keep everything that we love about these respective balls and enhance a few things to make both balls perform even better.  For me, the biggest takeaways with both the Pro V1x and Pro V1 were straighter distance off the tee, tighter downrange dispersion with irons, and greater control around the green.

1 comment:

  1. Awesome! Love hearing the "Stickiness" on the face. Added spin around the green is what i look for in the V1. I've got a high trajectory anyway but to see a tiny window change is great to see. I'm sure most of it comes from Tour player comments. Great review Pete! Also, i wouldn't be able.to compare them for very long off the tee, as I don't find fairways very often. Lol! I can test their ability to retain sap off of trees though

    ReplyDelete