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What’s the difference between Titleist’s new 2023 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls? Here’s a full breakdown

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Titleist’s PGA Tour seeding of its new 2023 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls began at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas (although several pros actually started using them the event prior, at the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship).

At the time, we didn’t yet know about the technical improvements, release date or pricing, we only had the early feedback of pros who already started testing and using the new golf balls.

Charley Hoffmann, for example, switched into the 2023 Pro V1x golf ball at the Shriners during Tour launch week. Speaking with GolfWRX.com at the Shriners, Hoffmann compared his experience with the new Pro V1x golf ball, versus the Pro V1x Left Dash golf ball he was playing previously.

“I just started hitting it [in Oceanside] and the speed was great,” Hoffmann told GolfWRX. “I call the Left Dash a ‘Trackman ball,’ because all the numbers look really good on Trackman, but you lose a little bit around the greens. This ’23 golf ball is, I would say, a very fast golf ball. It spins a little bit more [than the low-spinning Left Dash], but with the driver you can get optimal launch conditions, and low spin with the driver. But where I really like it, and where I’ve seen the bigger difference, is that it’s really tight with the irons, and really, really good around the greens. I would say a little softer feel, not as click-y as the Dash I was playing, or a traditional X golf ball. It’s a little quieter sound, and really, really good around the greens. It’s hard to keep both the distance and good ball flight with driver, and keep up performance around the greens, but somehow Titleist has figured it out with this ’23 golf ball.”

Fordie Pitts, Titleist’s Tour Consultant for Golf Ball R&D, confirmed at the Shriners that Titleist’s goal with the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls was to make them “a little bit longer,” by reducing spin on high speed full shots. To avoid a tradeoff on short game performance, though, Pitts and team sought to keep the short game performance the same within 100 yards.

During the official retail announcement today, January 18, Titleist confirmed exactly how the company went about making those desired improvements.

According to Titleist, the company designed a new “high gradient core” to achieve lower spin and faster speeds. The cores of both golf balls are now built to be firmer on the outer portions, getting progressively softer as the core reaches the exact center of the golf ball. The Pro V1x golf ball, specifically, saw its inner core increase by 44 percent – the larger soft area of the core works in concert with the high-gradient design to lower spin and enhance stability as the ball flies through the air.

Just like previous Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls, the 2023 versions also have soft urethane covers and firm casing layers to help maintain the maximum greenside spin.

The combination of a soft cover, firm inner casing layer, and progressively soft inner cores allowed Titleist to decrease spin in the long game and increase distance on full shots, while maintaining the short game spin that Titleist golf ball users have grown accustomed to in recent years.

2023 Titleist Pro V1 vs. Pro V1x

Now, for the real question: Which golf ball should you play – the 2023 Pro V1 or the 2023 Pro V1x?

Let’s take a look at the differences.

The Titleist 2023 Pro V1 golf ball has 388 dimples on the cover, a black number, and it has a 3-layer construction (urethane cover, casing layer and core). The Pro V1 is built to have the lower long game spin and more penetrating ball flight, with a softer feel.

The Titleist 2023 Pro V1x golf ball, on the other hand, has 348 dimples, a red number, and it has a 4-layer construction (urethane cover, casing layer, dual core). The Pro V1x will offer slightly more spin in the long game and a higher flight, with a firmer feel than the Pro V1.

Titleist’s new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls will be available in retail shops starting on January 25 for a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) of $54.99. Both golf balls are available in white (numbers 00, 1-99) and high optic yellow (numbers 1-4).

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. MICHAEL

    Mar 4, 2023 at 8:02 pm

    The difference? You’ll pay a few bucks more & 99.99% of golfers wouldn’t know (or couldn’t tell) the difference.

  2. Andrus

    Feb 5, 2023 at 8:00 am

    Have you been paid for this <> ? Get serious and bring data, comparable 2023 vs 2022, track man results exterior trials for aerodynamic etc….

    Andrus, Montréal Canada

  3. jgpl001

    Feb 1, 2023 at 7:11 am

    The reality is there is no difference, end of story

  4. Plebes

    Jan 20, 2023 at 9:49 pm

    Give us plebes the dot and the star!

  5. Will

    Jan 19, 2023 at 6:35 pm

    That was not a full breakdown at all, that was a very brief overview of the differences

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head

From the seller: (@lasallen): “For sale is a BRNR mini 11.5 deg head only in brand new condition.  $325 shipped.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: TaylorMade BRNR mini driver head 

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.

From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.

Specs/ Additional Details

-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)

-Original Anser Design

-PING PP58 Grip

-Putter is built to standard specs.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes

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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.

The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.

On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.

Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.

At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.

“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.

Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.

“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.

“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.” 

In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.

On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.

According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.

“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.” 

See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here. 

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