TITLEIST GOLF BALLS
Last month Titleist sent me their latest AVX ball along with a dozen Tour Soft. I’ve always played ProV1 and more recently the AVX to manage my spin better, but I’ve never put another Titleist ball in play. I’ve tested them on ranges to understand the tech behind them but never played a full round with one.
We all want more distance off the tee and control around the greens, hence why I’ve moved over to the AVX. Another characteristic I opt for is soft feel, especially with my irons and why I keep on coming back to the AVX or ProV1.
Last month I decided to play a round with the AVX and Tour Soft balls and make a note of the differences, not just in terms of performance but most importantly my score.
Off the tee the Tour Soft is a few yards longer and you can visibly see it launches lower but runs out slightly further. My driver is set up at 9 degrees for the AVX and ideally, I would have increased the loft a degree for the Tour Soft. I even preferred the slightly firmer feel compared to the AVX.
Off the fairway I would play the Tour Soft from the same spot and the same club as the AVX to give a true feeling of distance control. I could have seen the numbers on a TrackMan but on course you get a better visual feel. The True Soft was longer, not quiet half a club, but the slightly lower spin gave it a stronger flight. Though like the tee shots, it also ran out more than the AVX. There was noticeable grip with the eight iron down to the wedge but not the same level of control compared to the AVX.
Around the greens the spin control was even more noticeable. The AVX would check and release slightly, where the Tour Soft would grip but roll out further.
With the putter both were hard to separate, as I was starting to become accustomed to the slightly firmer feel of the Tour Soft.
There were a lot of mulligans during the test round, as my golfing palate was becoming confused. The only way was play a round with each ball on their own. Thankfully, the conditions were consistent for both days and the result shocked me. The AXV carded a nine over par round, while the Tour Soft managed to take the win with a 6 over par round. The Tour Soft was NOT three shots better and I did hole more putts during the second round, but the slight yardage gain off the tee meant I was playing approaches with a club less on a number of occasions.
The perfect ball would be a Tour Soft for tee shots and long to mid irons, merged with a ProV1 for short game and putting. That is why I’m staying with the AVX but for soft windy or windy conditions a sleeve of Tour Soft’s will be in the bag.
