When we asked golfers how we could make the Pro V1 and Pro V1x better, the common response was, "Don't change a thing. I love it just the way it is." But as we learned from Mike Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Golf Ball R&D, our constant testing and on-going conversations with golfers revealed that there's always room for improvement:
"When you dig a little deeper, you start hearing, 'Well, if you could make it maybe a little bit longer. If you could give me a little more spin around the greens. If you can give me a little better feel without compromising any of the qualities that I like now about the ball.' So that becomes the challenge – to outdo ourselves.
Finding ways to make the best products in the game even better is what drives us in Golf Ball R&D. We're a lot like golfers in that respect. We always want to improve."
To make the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x even longer (without sacrificing performance in every other phase of the game), Titleist R&D came up with an ingenious solution that began with the thin intermediate layer that encases the golf ball core.
"The new Pro V1 and Pro V1x both utilize a new high flex modulus ionomer material in the casing layer," said Brian Comeau, Director of Materials Research. "We first experimented with high flex casings in AVX development. We took that a further step and saw great success when we incorporated HFM into the casing design for the Pro V1x Left Dash ball.
This material is more lively, more resilient than previous Pro V1 formulations and generates faster ball speed. To counterbalance this new, stiffer casing layer, we formulated a completely new, softer core. That allowed us to keep the compression neutral, but the softer core gave us the added benefit of lowering the spin rate off the tee and with long irons. The net result is more speed with less spin – a perfect combination for longer distance where you need it."
The new Pro V1 and Pro V1x also get an added distance boost through more efficient aerodynamics.
"The new Pro V1 has a brand new, spherically tiled, tetrahedral 388 dimple pattern," said Michael Madson, R&D’s Director of Aerodynamics & Research Engineering. “The Pro V1x utilizes a new, spherically tiled, tetrahedral 348 dimple design. Both patterns are the first brand new dimple counts that we've used on a Pro V1 since 2011."
Why two different dimple patterns?
“Different dimple counts are necessary because Pro V1 and Pro V1x are designed to give golfers different trajectory options,” Madson explained. “We wanted to maintain that relationship where Pro V1x flies perceptibly higher than Pro V1 and different aerodynamics are needed to optimize flight for those two distinct launch windows. Typically, what we see is that as you go up in dimple count that point of optimal trajectory flies a little bit lower in the air, and as you reduce the dimple count that point of optimal trajectory flies a little bit higher in the air.
So, through the development of these two patterns, what we found is that the 388 optimal trajectory is lower than the 348 optimal trajectory. By applying the 388 pattern to Pro V1 and the 348 pattern to Pro V1x, we were able to maximize distance for both constructions.”
Optimizing those two new patterns was no small feat. For Pro V1's new aerodynamics package, Madson and his team made and tested over 60 different versions of the 388 design before landing on the right combination of dimple depths and edge angles that would provide the added distance and stability in flight that they knew was possible. They made and tested 35 different iterations of the 348 pattern before achieving the ideal flight for Pro V1x.
"In both patterns, we knew we had something great," Madson said, "but we had to make it perfect before we could actually put it on a Pro V1 or Pro V1x. Really it's about maximizing distance through trajectory. As we make the dimple deeper, the ball flies lower in the air. As we make the dimple shallower, the ball flies higher. So, somewhere in between those two extremes is a point of maximum distance, which is the optimized trajectory. The bottom line is, for golfers that play either of these products, these optimized dimple patterns will provide more distance and better consistency. Your shot dispersion will be tighter, and they'll perform better in the wind, too."
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New Pro V1 offers the greatest combination of speed, spin and feel in the game and is the best fit for the majority of golfers. Pro V1 features a mid-high, penetrating trajectory, low long game spin and high short game spin and very soft feel.
New Pro V1x has a fast, high flight and delivers spin when and where a golfer wants it. Pro V1x is designed for players who want a higher trajectory and increased spin relative to Pro V1, with a slightly firmer feel.
Click here to learn more about the additional short game spin and greenside control you’ll experience with new Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
Click here to learn more about the enhanced feel you’ll experience with new Pro V1 and Pro V1x and the confidence it will inspire in your game.
If you'd like to know which model is right for you game, visit our Golf Ball Fitting & Education Resources, where you can schedule a live, one-on-one virtual golf ball consultation with a member of the Titleist Golf Ball Fitting team and access the Titleist Golf Ball Selector Tool.
And to order New Pro V1 and Pro V1x, visit MyTitleist.com.
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