When I am interested in trying a new golf ball I'll go to my course and compare them on the putting green and short game area. Then I'll play 9 or 18 by myself, usually in the afternoon and hit tee shots/ approach shots with both balls. I'm not worried about score but am looking at the trajectory, feel, distance etc of the golf balls I'm comparing.

I have found the Pro V1 works best for me as I like the softer feel around the greens and find it spins a bit more on pitches and chips.

There are tour pros who use both models so you can't go wrong with either model.

Hi Jim. Pro V1 is a great ball for most players, but don't hesitate to test the NXT Tour ball either. It is very similar in feel and performance to the Pro V1 but i also find it gives better results with slightly lower swing speeds. As srstrait says, ask your pro for a ball fitting and test different balls around the greens and on fullswings, pitch shots etc.
Good luck and good golfing #teamtitleist

Hey Jim - while I'm no expert on using Trackman data, I have had several experiences with it from which I will share.

Firstly, I presume that you used a driver to produce the numbers that you shared. Assuming such, I would then add that your spin numbers will be greatly affected by factors such as launch angle, angle of attack, club path, etc.

Secondly, are these an average of say 10 driver shots? Or is it more of a sample or a smaller sample (say around 4-5 shots?) The smaller sample size is not as statistically significant - as there can be many "outliers" in the sample and you would need a much larger sample size to generate better data.

The right ball.

I assume that the crux of your question is really, what ball should I play given my swing speed?

As such, there are some manufacturers that market their golf balls primarily on the basis of driver swing speed -- using the theory that you need to be able to compress the ball and therefore need a ball compression to match your swing.

If you stop to think about it, you typically use a driver only 14 times on a full, par 72 course. As such, you have far more putts and use your irons more than the driver. Given this, the swing speeds will vary greatly. You indicated that your "driver"(?) swing speed is approximately 92 mph. Your 5-iron swing speed will be less and your 9-iron, wedges, etc. will be even less than that.

Titleist has a great video on golf ball compression - in the video they use a high speed camera that captures footage at a clip of 22,000 frames per second. Using the camera they capture still images of the ball compressing at impact with the driver. They show varying swing speeds of a driver swing speed in excess of 110 mph, 100 mph and one of 90 mph. Here is the link to the Titleist YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/6TA1s1oNpbk

You will see that there is virtually no noticeable difference in the swing speeds and golf ball compression.

Given this, the emphasis on golf ball fitting comes down to on course performance - as "srstrait" shared, he/she takes the ball out for side by side "testing" on the course. For me, I did a side by side comparison between the various golf balls, hitting the same shots into the green, checking for spin, trajectory, and feel among other factors. Then I worked back from the green to the tee box.

My experience was that the Pro V1x gave me the best performance - and I had been using the Pro V1 based solely on the idea that it was softer so I should be able to compress it better! Go figure!

Regardless, I have gone on at length - I hope my posting makes some sense. I'm sure that others will add more and if I am missing something, I trust that the TT staff will correct me where needed! All the best Jim in finding your best golf ball - and enjoy the process!

Thank you all very much for your insightful replies. For the most part, I'm hearing from you that I should take some ProV1 and ProV1x balls out on the course and see which one feels best for me. My Trackman data was interesting, but as you noted, it's a very small sample (maybe three balls at a Pro-Am), and it only looked at my driver, which I only hit 14 or so times in a round. Thanks again.

Hey Jim ... as someone else mentioned, try the NXT Tour S as well. It is a pretty good performing ball as well and it is my "Go To" ball in the winter months. I use it mostly because it has a soft feel and is a little easier on the wallet should I lose them in the leaves, mud or from plugging in the soft turf!

All in all though, enjoy the process! I think it can be kind of fun as you go through the process of "fitting yourself"! I hope you share your experiences here on the website too!

Purchase a sleeve of ProV1 and ProV1x and test them out at your short game area. Note the one you love most. Once that is completed play a 9 hole with only the one you they love the most. The other 9 holes with the one you loved the most. Then you can really judge which one you will prefer. Take notes on your card, if you loved how it reacted on one shot or not, try the same shot with the other ball.

Of course, it's best to be alone while doing this to take the time.

Do it and your game will thank you for it!

Jim,

Most of the comments took the easy route and suggeted you look at just the ball. I am thinking your spin rate is too high. I would like a fitter to look at a number of things you can do to bring this down without losing any carry distance. I would look at your swing and setup. I would like to know what is your angle of attack. I would also look at your shaft flex. I would also take a look at your ball position. There are many factors that contribute to the performance metrics you provided. See a good fitter/teacher. It seems to me your distance can improve tweaking some of these variables. So, my take is see a fitter.

Best Wishes,

DV

You stated that you're getting older and your playing an older driver.

I would be willing bet you would benefit greatly from a quality driver fitting. You could probably bring the spin rate down and gain some distance.

Plus, not much more fun than a driver fit and some new equipment.

Thanks, DV. Very perceptive. What I didn't mention was that my angle of attack was ridiculously steep- minus 7.1 percent. (Not my best swing). Ball flight was low.

Jim,

Two things not mentioned on your trackman data was the launch angle & angle of decent. It may be time for a 917 driver fitting as well as ball fitting.

I tend to launch the ball a little higher than I like (14*+) with driver, leaving me with a higher angle of decent. For me the lower launch & spin of the Pro V1 may be beneficial off the tee, will still have to test thru the bag.