Golf’s most popular and successful ball has been given a makeover for 2019 with the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1 X improved to extract even more performance.
It’s hard to believe that the Pro V1 and its sister ball the Pro V1 X could actually get any better when you consider just how long it has been the go-to ball for the vast majority of professionals on the PGA Tour and European Tour.
But with the TaylorMade TP5 now being used by some of world golf’s biggest names, including Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, Titleist have ensured things are not standing still when it comes to their own premium ball.
So what is the difference between the Pro V1 and Pro V1 X that have been used over the last couple of years and the upgraded 2019 version? The obvious starting point is in the color with the traditional white ball now accompanied by a high optic yellow option for the first time ever in the Pro V1 range.
Engineered for more speed and improved tee-to-green performance are buzz words that Titleist are focusing on as the selling point of the new Pro V1. Those claims come thanks to the developments in technology that Titleist’s research and development team have managed to unearth in the 2019 version.
The exclusive Pro V1 Urethane Elastomer cover is now 17 percent thinner than before to help generate than additional ball speed. That has not resulted in any loss of the Drop-and-Stop technology for a soft feel around the greens.
The ionomeric casing, meanwhile, has been thickened by 14 percent on the Pro V1 and 11 percent on the Pro V1 X to help increase ball speed and reduce spin levels, and there is new 2.0 ZG Process Cores with increased stiffness for a higher ball speed.
It all adds up to a ball that has been “designed to leave the clubface with more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while providing the best short game control to help golfers shoot lower scores.” What more can a golfer ask for, particularly if it is an improvement on an already-impressive ball?
“When we set out to develop the 2019 models, we found that golfers at every level are extraordinarily satisfied with the performance of their Pro V1 or Pro V1x. At the same time, golfers keep telling us they would still like more distance—as long as they don’t have to give anything else up,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing.
“Through the prototyping process, our chemists and engineers discovered a way to cast an even thinner urethane cover, and therefore increase the percentage of speed-enhancing materials in the overall construction. Pro V1 and Pro V1x are now even faster, as a result, all while maintaining the scoring performance and feel characteristics that golfers demand from these golf balls.”
The Pro V1 is the softer of the two options and provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers. The Pro V1 X has a higher ball flight and spins less but is the firmer of the two balls.
See also: TaylorMade Spider X Putter Launched