How do you improve on the number one ball in golf?
Well, that's the task that the boffins at Titleist give themselves year on year thanks to the popularity of their ProV1 ball, which is the go-to choice for over 70% of Tour players and millions of amateurs all over the world, week in, week out.
So what's new for 2021 compared to 2019's offering? The new Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls feature a new core, casing layer, cover and aerodynamic technologies which are said to provide golfers with longer distance, even more greenside spin and control, with a softer feel.
As always, each ball offers slightly different performance characteristics in order to best cater to the needs of different golfers.
The Pro V1 offers a complete combination of speed, spin and feel, and will be the best fit for the majority of golfers. It flies a little lower than the Pro V1x, with a penetrating trajectory and a very soft feel.
The Pro V1x has a fast, high flight and provides spin for the golfer at the times where they want it most. The ball is designed for golfers seeking a slightly higher trajectory and increased spin compared to the Pro V1, along with a firmer feel.
A range of new technologies have been introduced into the Pro V1 ball range for 2021, which Titleist say contribute towards their goal of providing 'total performance and extreme consistency' from every shot on the course.
Reformulated 2.0 ZG Process Cores are responsible maximising distance in the solid core Pro V1 and dual core Pro V1x.
A faster high-flex Casing Layer adds ball speed and also lowers spin in the long game for better results off the tee. This layer is a highly resilient, high-speed ionomer that was initially developed in the Pro V1x Left Dash - a ball which was originally designed for mainly Tour use and which features the same launch characteristics as the Pro V1x, but with lower spin for greater distance at the top end of the bag.
The softest ever cover formulation used on a Pro V1 or Pro V1, a Urethane Elastomer, adds extra greenside spin to hopefully give you more control and more confidence in the short game.
There are new spherically-tiled Tetrahedral Dimple Designs, with 388 dimples on the Pro V1 and 348 on the Pro V1x. In English, this means that the balls have been designed in a way which optimises each model for maximum distance and flight consistency. Pro V1 maintains the same penetrating ball flight, while the Pro V1x will fly higher than last year's model.
These dimple designs are the first new patterns since 2011 and come after extensive testing at the Titleist Ball Plant over the years in order to produce the best possible performance from their balls. Since Pro V1 first debuted, the Titleist R&D department has designed and tested more than 1,900 different aerodynamic patterns, including 60 different iterations of the new Pro V1 and 30 iterations of the Pro V1x.
"When a golfer chooses Pro V1 or ProV1x, they are choosing absolute performance. Our R&D and Operations teams have spent years engineering new technology into each and every component of 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x. When it comes to the performance and quality of these products, we will continue to go to every length possible to help golfers play their best and shoot their lowest scores."
Jeremy Stone, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing
As is always the case with new Titleist product, the Pro V1 balls have undergone a Player Validation process whereby the balls are tested and used by PGA Tour stars including Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith before making their way on to the market.
The new 2021 Pro V1 and Pro Vx golf balls will be available from 5th February 2021. They are available in both White and a High Optic Yellow at an SRP of £50.
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