What is the first word that pops into your heads when you read the word, Titleist?
I’m willing to bet the most common answer will be something to do with Tradition, or ProV1.
Let’s be real, those are exactly the things that should come to mind. Titleist has cemented itself in golf tradition, and the biggest reason for that is the ProV1 and ProV1x. Those two entities have dominated sales for decades now, and that can’t be contested. However, the golf ball market has changed and fitting the broader spectrum has become the name of the game. While once upon a time the story from Titleist was always heavily tilted to the ProV1 and ProV1x being able to cover the gamut of golfers needs, the game has evolved, and we are seeing Titleist evolve with it.
While the release of the AVX turned heads in a big way by being a golf ball for the slimmest of the bell curve, now comes something aimed at the bulk of it, and I honestly never saw it coming.
Today Titleist is introducing the new Tour Speed golf ball, a design aimed at speed through the bag and spin in the short game. More than that though, this is a urethane ball from Titleist, coming to market at $39.99. You read that right.
Quick Take
A fourth urethane ball from Titleist, and at a lower price point is something most of us never thought would actually happen but given the direction of the golf ball market we shouldn’t be all that surprised. The Tour Speed checks the boxes for the majority of amateurs offering speed while finding balanced spin and precision where it is needed throughout the bag, at a much more eye-catching price to boot.
Titleist Tour Speed – Where Does it Fit?
If you would have told me that Titleist would be releasing a $39.99 golf ball this year, it wouldn’t have shocked me. However, if you told me it would be a urethane design at that price point, I would have called you a liar.
Now, understand, this isn’t a slight on Titleist, and more options are always good, but this is a company that for years essentially told us if you are looking for a urethane design then you need look no further than the ProV1 or ProV1x. Since then, we got the AVX which fits a decidedly specific portion of golfers, but still at that top tier price. For Titleist to come in with a $39.99 urethane golf ball and pull no punches saying it is aimed to compete directly with the Chrome Soft’s, Q-Star Tour’s and Tour B RX’s of the industry, that is in my opinion a potential paradigm shift. Why is that exactly? Well, not only is this seemingly the sweet spot for a lot of golfers, but it’s the price realm that has become highly competitive in recent years.
The design itself makes it equally as interesting as the price though, as this one is clearly aimed at the average golfer. With that in mind, one can’t help but wonder if this is a somewhat reactionary release that could actually pull away golfers from their other premium offerings, or perhaps it’s just them truly evolving with the times in grasping that having a broader spectrum of urethane offerings only serves to further solidify their presence? Well, I’ll leave that discussion point up to you all.
As for the golf ball, the Tour Speed is a three-piece design focused on what Titleist describes as “a unique combination of exceptional distance in the long game and precise short game scoring control”. The design utilizes a unique high-speed core combined with Titleist’s fastest ionomer casing layer to generate significant speed in the long game, enough that their testing showed it to be longer than some big-name designs. The Tour Speed is finished off with a proprietary TPU (thermoplastic urethane) cover to offer short game control that they have never accomplished in this segment before. With 346 quadrilateral dipyramid dimples done and the first-class quality and design control that only Titleist can offer, this is essentially a ball for all.
Titleist Tour Speed – Performance
Release information is always a fun time, but the real story comes with putting the product through its paces. For this release, I was lucky enough to get a dozen Tour Speed golf balls in to work with and see just what was going on. Rather than comparing them to other designs in the segment, out of the gates I wanted to see instead just how the Tour Speed stood on its own.
First off, I have to mention that it’s always amazing to me how much cleaner Titleist’s tour golf balls look in hand. For example, to my eye, the legendary Titleist script in non-urethane releases has always looked a little thicker and less sharp. Here with the Tour Speed though, this is the same clean precision I see in the ProV1’s and AVX. I will say however, and you will see it in the pictures, the alignment aid design on this one is really out there for Titleist. The multi-arrow look with bright blue “Tour Speed” text worked well for me on the greens, but I do believe it’s going to potentially be too busy some, though it does help set it apart from the ProV’s.
I decided to take a unique direction with the Tour Speed for this review. As is standard, I used the Foresight GC2 to record data for this article, however, being that the marketing focus on this one is low spin and speed in the longer clubs and more spin and control in the scoring portion of the bag, I steered away from the usual show people a driver and lob wedge methodology. Instead, I thought a better picture of what is going on could be seen by focusing on long, mid, and short irons. Specifically, I worked with the 5i, 7i, and 9i.
Right into it, as you will see in the data above, there was a lot to like about the Tour Speed for me and my swing during testing. What stood out most was what felt like the ease of launch while not sacrificing speed/distance for spin. Hitting 35, 37, and 36-yard average peak heights respectively is something that as a mid-ball hitter I enjoyed seeing. Bigger though, the spin numbers in the 9i were higher than I anticipated as a historically lower spin player, and they tapered off into the lower numbers I expected given the product description in the 5i indicating, for me at least, that it’s doing what they claim.
I do want to mention that I did get some quick numbers for my swing on not just the ProV1 and ProV1x, but also the Tour Soft non urethane design and the Tour Speed sat right in the middle for me. In the 5i, the numbers were spot on with the low spin distance I saw from the ionomer Tour Soft, but in the 9i they were about 500 RPM higher, but still lower than the ProV1x. Clearly, everyone’s mileage may vary here, but I saw enough to feel comfortable with how Titleist is marketing this ball and to what segment it is aimed. Personally, I need a slightly higher spin ball, but I’m also a bit outside the biggest portion of the bell curve of golfers.
What does it all mean? Well, for me I walk away from this believing that Titleist is serious about establishing a foothold in this $39.99 price real and potentially taking some share from the competitors which are already there. The big question for me is not performance, as I think we all knew that Titleist wouldn’t bring something like this out if it didn’t live up to the name, rather I think it is how the masses will respond to a middle tier priced urethane Titleist golf ball which is a contrast to what we have come to expect from them basically forever.
What do you think about the new Tour Speed golf ball? Feel free to jump into the conversation both here as well as on The Hackers Paradise forums and let us know!
The Details
Available: 9/7/2020
Price: $39.99
Construction: 3-Piece with TPU Cover
Does anyone know if these will be offered in yellow?
Confirmation of [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] review by TXG:
[MEDIA=youtube]XU4V9iv6d4g[/MEDIA]
[QUOTE=”J.B. Cobb III, post: 9500052, member: 50607″]
Does anyone know if these will be offered in yellow?
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I hope so….
Based on the excitement from the [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] review, I got two sleeves of these to test out. I love the idea of Titleist finding a better price point and competing with the QST and RX of the world. I had one out on my Sunday round but the combination of never ending rain and closed greens made the results essentially meaningless. But I’m going to get one on the Quad tonight and see what I can do with launch and spin.
My package came in for testing!!
The current weather forecast makes on-course testing very difficult for a little bit but I will definitely get these on the launch monitor ASAP.
I really like the alignment aid on this Tour Speed ball. Here’a one picture that compares this ball to my current gamer, Srixon Q-Star Tour.
[ATTACH type=”full”]8961286[/ATTACH]
I look forward to giving these a roll pretty soon to see which design works for me.
[QUOTE=”Iceman!, post: 9500078, member: 32688″]
Confirmation of [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] review by TXG:
[MEDIA=youtube]XU4V9iv6d4g[/MEDIA]
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I’m absolutely shocked.
Or not…. :unsure:
😉
I was not part of the original test group, however my buddy got a dozen over the weekend and gave me a sleeve. I currently play the AVX(and a few others) so I really can’t compare it to those, but I can compare it to the QST and for me the Tour Speed is better, not only around the green but they feel softer putting as well. Distance wise between the QST and the TS they’re about the same. Off of irons the TS seemed to perform better and really had no issue stopping the ball, but it wasn’t the hop/stop kind of stop it did has some roll out. Even though it’s a urethane ball, it feels different that lets say than the AVX urethane. All in all a very good ball and probably will be played some.
NOTE: Balls are getting to be so good and consistent, it’s very hard to get a distinction between different brands and types of balls unless it something glaring and obvious.
[QUOTE=”buckeyewalt, post: 9500648, member: 7203″]
I was not part of the original test group, however my buddy got a dozen over the weekend and gave me a sleeve. I currently play the AVX(and a few others) so I really can’t compare it to those, but I can compare it to the QST and for me the Tour Speed is better, not only around the green but they feel softer putting as well. Distance wise between the QST and the TS they’re about the same. Off of irons the TS seemed to perform better and really had no issue stopping the ball, but it wasn’t the hop/stop kind of stop it did has some roll out. Even though it’s a urethane ball, it feels different that lets say than the AVX urethane. All in all a very good ball and probably will be played some.
NOTE: Balls are getting to be so good and consistent, it’s very hard to get a distinction between different brands and types of balls unless it something glaring and obvious.
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Yeah. There are definitely a LOT of really good options out there now more than ever.
[QUOTE=”buckeyewalt, post: 9500648, member: 7203″]
I was not part of the original test group, however my buddy got a dozen over the weekend and gave me a sleeve. I currently play the AVX(and a few others) so I really can’t compare it to those, but I can compare it to the QST and for me the Tour Speed is better, not only around the green but they feel softer putting as well. Distance wise between the QST and the TS they’re about the same. Off of irons the TS seemed to perform better and really had no issue stopping the ball, but it wasn’t the hop/stop kind of stop it did has some roll out. Even though it’s a urethane ball, it feels different that lets say than the AVX urethane. All in all a very good ball and probably will be played some.
NOTE: Balls are getting to be so good and consistent, it’s very hard to get a distinction between different brands and types of balls unless it something glaring and obvious.
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In the urethane balls they are mostly converging around a fairly narrow range of ball speeds and spins off the driver and a slightly wider but still not huge range of spins off wedges. The various brands and models all differentiate themselves on the amount of spin off iron shots along with sound/feel and to a certain extent flight trajectory.
The good news about that is you can get the price, feel, trajectory and iron spin you like without giving up much (if anything) on driver and wedge shots.
I got back from my round this evening and these were waiting. I will try to get skytrak numbers this week before we go on our beach vacation. I will compare against my gamers (TP5x and Snell MTB-x) and possibly the Maxfli tour ball which has worked well for me in recent testing. I’ve hit some putts and short chips and they feel /sound good. I was thinking they would be a harder ball but they feel soft to me. [ATTACH type=”full”]8961343[/ATTACH]
[QUOTE=”Et Tu Brute?, post: 9500663, member: 49535″]
In the urethane balls they are mostly converging around a fairly narrow range of ball speeds and spins off the driver and a slightly wider but still not huge range of spins off wedges. The various brands and models all differentiate themselves on the amount of spin off iron shots along with sound/feel and to a certain extent flight trajectory.
The good news about that is you can get the price, feel, trajectory and iron spin you like without giving up much (if anything) on driver and wedge shots.
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In our testing we have seen over 750 rpms of spin difference with driver between balls. That might not be a lot for some, but we would classify that as a pretty darn big change.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 9500669, member: 3″]
In our testing we have seen over 750 rpms of spin difference with driver between balls. That might not be a lot for some, but we would classify that as a pretty darn big change.
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On driver spin? I would find that hard to believe.
I think various models differ by more than 750rpm on iron shots, which is a lot. That seems to be where a lot of competition among different balls happens. If one ball spin 6000rpm off a 7-iron and another 6750rpm that will definitely affect distance, ball flight and stopping power.
Some probably differ by 750rpm on full wedge shots but the difference in, say, 9000rpm vs. 9750rpm isn’t as big a deal.
[QUOTE=”Et Tu Brute?, post: 9500695, member: 49535″]
On driver spin? I would find that hard to believe.
I think various models differ by more than 750rpm on iron shots, which is a lot. That seems to be where a lot of competition among different balls happens. If one ball spin 6000rpm off a 7-iron and another 6750rpm that will definitely affect distance, ball flight and stopping power.
Some probably differ by 750rpm on full wedge shots but the difference in, say, 9000rpm vs. 9750rpm isn’t as big a deal.
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We just put up a video showing 1200 rpms of difference in 7 irons by changing balls. [USER=2320]@Canadan[/USER]
We have absolutely seen 750rpms with driver. Compression differences matter and when you bring in Less than perfect impact the number can be even greater.
Agree with the putting feel I thought they were going to be a bit hard basednon feel and they measure very nicely with rx and QST. The arrow works even though not my go to alignment
I’ve been a Z Star XV guy but I’m gonna try these next time. Cost the same so will they give me the same performance? Be worth trying.
I plan to try these. I bought a dozen TM Tour Response balls last time I bought some, basically on a whim. These will be more on purpose. I sometimes wonder, where were these guys 50 years ago when I was gaming Spalding Blue Dots!
So this ball in Massachusetts. 😳 Titleist isn’t playing around when it comes to keeping and even taking market share.
I got on the Quad against my gamer, the RXS. I saw some pretty impressive (and true to target demo) numbers with an increased ball speed of 2 mph, a 1 degree increase in launch, and a 650rpm drop in spin on a 7 iron. On the driver, I saw a 500 rpm drop on the driver and the ball speed was about the same but the highest ball speed was a full 3 mph higher (but it could be a fluke because, again, the averages were basically the same). Wedges were spinning a fair bit less.
I’m no fan of the cover because it doesn’t strike me as a Titleist ball. The cover feels different and I HATE that alignment aid. Thankfully the performance is what matters.
[QUOTE=”Molten, post: 9500763, member: 22040″]
I got on the Quad against my gamer, the RXS. I saw some pretty impressive (and true to target demo) numbers with an increased ball speed of 2 mph, a 1 degree increase in launch, and a 650rpm drop in spin on a 7 iron. On the driver, I saw a 500 rpm drop on the driver and the ball speed was about the same but the highest ball speed was a full 3 mph higher (but it could be a fluke because, again, the averages were basically the same). Wedges were spinning a fair bit less.
I’m no fan of the cover because it doesn’t strike me as a Titleist ball. The cover feels different and I HATE that alignment aid. Thankfully the performance is what matters.
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Is that the current RXS? I saw my fastest ball speeds ever with my 7iron when I tested that ball. If this keeps up with that kind of speed, I might have a new battle for that spot in my bag.
[QUOTE=”mjkladis, post: 9500772, member: 41986″]
Is that the current RXS? I saw my fastest ball speeds ever with my 7iron when I tested that ball. If this keeps up with that kind of speed, I might have a new battle for that spot in my bag.
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It is the current RXS, yes. It dropped the spin down to (essentially) the same as the RX.
Received my test sleeves yesterday and had the chance to get out for 9 tonight. Weather was nice, temp around 80 with low humidity.
Overall physical feel, the cover was slightly tacky, not slick, which I prefer. There has been a lot of talk about the alignment aid, it’s bigger than some but to me it’s not obnoxious or overbearing. It actually worked quite well tonight.
Distance off the driver was good, it was comparable to my normal gamer (QST). Feel off the driver was equal to the QST as well, you knew when it was struck solid compared to out on the toe. Mis-hits held their line and did not lose too much distance either.
Impact on iron shots felt good. Sound was a nice “crack” not clicky at all like a lower grade ball. Shots into the green had a bit of roll out, 3 – 4 feet, very comparable to the QST for me. So it was a very easy adjustment switching to this ball and being able to trust my distances.
Feel off the putter was solid. I was a bit concerned here after reading other reviews, some had said these were a bit “clicky” off the putter. I did not find this to be the case. In fact I thought the Tour Speed had a solid feel off the putter Which allowed me to gauge distances fairly easy.
Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of this ball tonight. It helps that I was swinging the clubs well.
As far as a comparison with my gamer ( Srixon Q-Star Tour), I would say right now they perform equally.
I definitely look forward to putting this back in play.
Edit: I have to add, they fail the swim test. When hit into water, they sink straight to the bottom. ?
I put the last one I had in to play last night and I was really pleased with the performance.
The course was wet so I can’t talk about the green side spin however off the driver I had no issue drawing the ball and I got good distance from my irons.
Picked up 2 more dozen from Budget Golf Today. Going to play them as the weather cools down.
I have not had a chance to try the Tour Speed outside yet; however, I have spent the last two nights putting with it on a PuttOut mat. I alternated between the TS and QST yellow (my gamer for last two years) about every five putts. I also used two different putters, a Special Select Squareback 2 and an Odyssey Oworks 3T. While putting, the TS felt and sounded a bit more firm off the putter face (particularly the Scotty) than the QST. The differences in feel and sound were very minor and not in a negative way. I like the TS so far and I am looking forward to playing a round with it. Anxious to see how it compares to a QST with driver and wedges.
I was just breaking down some of my data from last night and this ball is incredibly playable and would be ideal for someone looking to lower their spin numbers. I saw a plenty of spin and launch on short irons and full wedge shots to not worry about stopping the ball. It actually took my spin numbers too low for my current driver setup, which is always a load of fun on the simulator – monster distance or monster hooks.
I received my Titelist Tour Speed balls in the mail earlier this week. I’ve used two balls through 27 holes. So far here are my thoughts on the ball:
Off the driver I have not seen significant gains. When I have connected with the center of the club face the ball flight has been great and penetrating however I do think I have lost about 10 yards of distance while comparing it to my chrome soft.
While using this ball I have seen the most significant gains while using irons. When connecting on the center of the club face this ball is a very consistent ball flight and has a very controlled landing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit a shot thinking it will overshoot my target because of the penetrating ball flight however this ball has check. It does roll out a little bit but it seems very consistent.
My wedges and chipping I haven’t seen any noticeable differences however as mentioned earlier I do like bounce the ball has. It’s easy to control.
My putting has been atrocious with this ball. I think this is more of a user error on my end. I am use to watching a truvis roll as of recent and switching back to the white ball has me pushing putts. I don’t really care for the alignment arrow, but it doesn’t bother me really either.
Overall my first impression of this ball is that it is a very good quality ball. The ball feels heavy off of the face at times for me, but when hitting the correct shot this ball will carry with a ball flight that is consistent enough to score well during your round. I don’t see a serious sacrifice of spin around the greens and this is a ball I may start buying.
Tomorrow I plan on posting some videos during my round!
So, I spent some time with this ball today. My initial thoughts upon opening them is that they look like a quality ball. [ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230314.jpg”]8961577[/ATTACH]
The font looks a tad thicker than the “Titleist” font on the ProV1. As far as the alignment arrow I don’t use a line or arrow when putting so it doesn’t do anything for me.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230253.jpg”]8961578[/ATTACH]
I started with a bunch of putting with my Cleveland Huntington Beach 11s on my mat and it felt good off the putter face. At times it sounded a tad bit clicky but it feels soft and rolls nice.
I then decided to try some half shots with my 58* Cobra MIM lob wedge on my skytrak versus my current gamer balls. I took 10 shots with each. This is a shot I’ve worked on a bunch with my coach. I play it when I’m 45-50 yards from the flag. I try to land it 40-45 yards and have it check then roll out a bit.
First up is the Taylormade TP5x which has consistently performed the best for me especially in windy conditions. This was consistent and the details are below but it averaged 6,001rpms and carried 43 yards and rolled out to 46 yards.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_215628.jpg”]8961579[/ATTACH]
Next up is the Snell MTB-x which has been really good for me lately and is one of the best balls for the price in my opinion. The detailed numbers are below but on average it had 5,349rpms of backspin and carried 44 yards and rolled out to 48 yards.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230119.jpg”]8961580[/ATTACH]
Finally I hit the Titleist Tour Speed ball. It felt good on these short shots but sounded a little higher pitch than the the other two balls. The details are below but on average it had 5051 rpms of backspin and carried 44 yards and rolled out to 48 yards. This performance will work fine on the course.
[ATTACH type=”full”]8961581[/ATTACH]
I plan to do similar testing with a mid iron and also with driver. Is there anything else you all would like to see? I’m going to the beach with my family in a couple days so some of the data will come after that trip. I am planning to play a round or two with friends over the beach vacation and will bring a couple of these balls to try out on the course.
so much rain here this week have not been able to et out other than rolling a few in the office with he putter. Feel nice off the scotty. Have an 0730 tee time for Saturday to put it into play….
[QUOTE=”93civiccpe, post: 9502733, member: 41068″]
So, I spent some time with this ball today. My initial thoughts upon opening them is that they look like a quality ball. [ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230314.jpg”]8961577[/ATTACH]
The font looks a tad thicker than the “Titleist” font on the ProV1. As far as the alignment arrow I don’t use a line or arrow when putting so it doesn’t do anything for me.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230253.jpg”]8961578[/ATTACH]
I started with a bunch of putting with my Cleveland Huntington Beach 11s on my mat and it felt good off the putter face. At times it sounded a tad bit clicky but it feels soft and rolls nice.
I then decided to try some half shots with my 58* Cobra MIM lob wedge on my skytrak versus my current gamer balls. I took 10 shots with each. This is a shot I’ve worked on a bunch with my coach. I play it when I’m 45-50 yards from the flag. I try to land it 40-45 yards and have it check then roll out a bit.
First up is the Taylormade TP5x which has consistently performed the best for me especially in windy conditions. This was consistent and the details are below but it averaged 6,001rpms and carried 43 yards and rolled out to 46 yards.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_215628.jpg”]8961579[/ATTACH]
Next up is the Snell MTB-x which has been really good for me lately and is one of the best balls for the price in my opinion. The detailed numbers are below but on average it had 5,349rpms of backspin and carried 44 yards and rolled out to 48 yards.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230119.jpg”]8961580[/ATTACH]
Finally I hit the Titleist Tour Speed ball. It felt good on these short shots but sounded a little higher pitch than the the other two balls. The details are below but on average it had 5051 rpms of backspin and carried 44 yards and rolled out to 48 yards. This performance will work fine on the course.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20200902_230214.jpg”]8961581[/ATTACH]
I plan to do similar testing with a mid iron and also with driver. Is there anything else you all would like to see? I’m going to the beach with my family in a couple days so some of the data will come after that trip. I am planning to play a round or two with friends over the beach vacation and will bring a couple of these balls to try out on the course.
[/QUOTE]
Good info. I play the tp5x some at home, and being able to control this particular shot is a big part of my game. It doesn’t surprise me you and your coach work on it. It’s a pretty important one.
I think those numbers for the tour speed could play for most, and aren’t unexpected, but a 16-17% drop off in spin is pretty massive on that shot, imo.
Good stuff. I can’t wait to get home and start getting a feel for these compared to my gamers.
Who ever here mentioned durability issues, I concur. I have 2 full rounds with the TS(don’t loose balls that often), and the cover does scuff easily compared to the AVX. Don’t know if it’s the type of urethane cast vs injection don’t know, just that the cover will scuff easier with the TS. I don’t think it affects anything as far as driving/putting but appearance wise it’s very visible.
got a tee time for Saturday am and one for Tuesday morning…..gonna bang the Tour Speed for a couple of rounds
What an interesting start to my review…. Long story short, I thought the golf balls were lost, but turned out, my neighbor had them, and hadn’t had a chance to bring them by. I finally got them tonight, and have 18 with them tomorrow.
First of all, thank you to THP and Titleist for this awesome opportunity. I always enjoy Golf Ball testing, because I personally think it is one of the parts of the game that is least thought about by most, but can definitely be impactful to a persons score at the end of the day.
[B]Packaging: [/B]When I think of Titleist, I always think of “Classy.” They are always the “Premium” offering, the “Country Club” choice, and I think this packaging is very “Titleist.” I think it is minimalistic, while still having just the slightest bit of an edge to it, that would make me want to pick it up off of the shelf.
[B]Feel: [/B]Putting in my living room, comparing it to my gamer (Bridgestone Tour B XS), it feels slightly softer, but not something I feel I would truly notice if they weren’t side-by-side. As expected, when I roll a good putt, it rolls true, it is, after all, a premium golf ball.
[B]Alignment: [/B]This is an area I REALLY think Titleist nailed with this ball. While I don’t think we will ever see it on a Pro V1/V1x, I think this alignment aid is much nicer than one we see on a typical golf ball. The arrows really help to line up a putt, and I look forward to trying them out on some tough greens tomorrow.
All in all, initial thoughts are promising, but I have yet to hit a full shot. I have 18 scheduled tomorrow, and 18 more on Monday to really get a sense of how these perform from tee to green. I am going to be most interested to see what happens on wedge shots, as that is area where I rely and play a good amount of spin, so we will have to see if it performs similar, if not better, to my current gamer.
As always, please ask any questions you have, and I will do my best to get them answered.
[ATTACH alt=”IMG_2459.jpg”]8962004[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt=”IMG_2460.jpg”]8962005[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt=”IMG_2461.jpg”]8962008[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt=”IMG_2462.jpg”]8962009[/ATTACH]
Another thing, I spent quite a bit of time tonight doing some research on the difference between Urethane (Honestly, I didn’t realize there was much of a difference, but apparently there is!)
More Premium balls like the Pro V1, use Cast urethane covers, the Tour Speed has a cover made from a proprietary thermoplastic polyurethane. From what I was able to gather, this leads to cheaper manufacturing processes, which makes sense, but will be interesting to see what kind of a difference that makes on the golf course.
[QUOTE=”TexasHacker34, post: 9506294, member: 5933″]
Another thing, I spent quite a bit of time tonight doing some research on the difference between Urethane (Honestly, I didn’t realize there was much of a difference, but apparently there is!)
More Premium balls like the Pro V1, use Cast urethane covers, the Tour Speed has a cover made from a proprietary thermoplastic polyurethane. From what I was able to gather, this leads to cheaper manufacturing processes, which makes sense, but will be interesting to see what kind of a difference that makes on the golf course.
[/QUOTE]
In this instance perhaps, but not all premium balls are cast urethane. Srixon, Callaway and Bridgestone do not use cast urethane. Taylormade and Titleist do.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 9506296, member: 3″]
In this instance perhaps, but not all premium balls are cast urethane. Srixon, Callaway and Bridgestone do not use cast urethane. Taylormade and Titleist do.
[/QUOTE]
Again, I am learning more every day! Is it a fair statement that this Thermoplastic Polyurethane likely cuts down on manufacturing costs?
[QUOTE=”TexasHacker34, post: 9506298, member: 5933″]
Again, I am learning more every day! Is it a fair statement that this Thermoplastic Polyurethane likely cuts down on manufacturing costs?
[/QUOTE]
Possibly. But not always. What’s interesting is how many types of proprietary items are used in gold balls. The process in some can be less expensive.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 9506302, member: 3″]
Possibly. But not always. What’s interesting is how many types of proprietary items are used in gold balls. The process in some can be less expensive.
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Interesting. Appreciate the insight. Again, not something I ever really considered. I was always just conditioned Urethane = Spin and never really thought about what else went into it…
Thanks for the information as always Josh
I didn’t get a chance to do any more ball testing on my skytrak with all the packing but that is coming. I also will be playing at least one round on vacation and this will be in play. I got a chance to hit some chips with this and it seemed to come out a fraction lower and roll out a little more. I quickly got used to this and holed a few chips on the practice range. If I want a higher chip that rolls out less I found that opening the wedge up a fraction would do just that. I will note that I’ve used the same ball in all the half swings & chipping and the cover is still pristine. After I put one in play and hit full shots I’ll update on how well the cover holds up!
Cleared for take off Sunday morning!
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Low spin monsters – that’s what these balls are. They fight through the wind real well as a result. I like the ball flight and performance on full short irons and mid irons because they go for days and the launch gain cancels out the lost spin for stopping power. I don’t love them off the driver through long irons because the spin drop is essentially too much for my current setup and really highlights and exasperates my misses. I’m still pretty ambivalent on the alignment aid but that’s a pretty minor critique.
So here we go:
I played at Prairie Lakes Blue/Red in Grand Prairie Texas. Hole by hole and what i felt with he ball.
1, Par 4 straight away with a Large Tree blocking the green on the right side of fairway, I pulled it left. Felt really good of the Driver though, slight draw and I had 131 left to the pin. Ball on an upslope and i was able to get it up with the PW to the right pin, just off the green behind, ball bait of the pitch and made the 4 footer coming back for par. Ball felt good of the putter all day!
2. Slight Draw right down Broadway with 120 left to a back pin and i hit it about 15 feet behind it, the ball stopped within 3 feet of the drop on a 50deg shot, 2 putt par.
3 slight Dog leg left and i shoved a 4 iron right into the trees. Punch out and left 95 yds, pulled the wedge to left of the green then ripped on and ball bit nicely for a bogie.
4. par 3 151 yds and i played a 9 iron flag high, the ball actually stopped within a couple of feet from where it hit and my first birdie of the front nine.
5 par5 drive right down the middle, lay up and then a 50 deg to the green. Kinda pulled the 3rdshot so i had a 50 footer to the pin and ir rolled within 2 feet for my par.
t this point in my rounds i am thinking this ball is reating pretty well for me. I am clubbing myself off my Bridgestone Tour B X normal yardages and its performing quite well. I am hitting fairways and rolling it well with the putter. I will also say that this was the first day with my new Kirkland putter. I hit maybe 15 putts before starting at a tee i putting the putting green.
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This was a 50 deg into the 7th green from 95 yds and stopped in 3feet. Second Birdie of the front nine.
I will not run you through the entire 18. but, I was hitting a few on the center of the club face on drives and the balsas flying. I told the guys in my 4 some that it was anew Titleist and they were impressed but i was having a good ball striking day.
M hy over all impression? I shot 74. Ended the front nine 1 under 35, played the back nine at 3 over with a double bogey on the Par 5 4th on the Red, stupid mistake hitting a fairway, laying up to 100 yards and pulling the 3rd into the lake, damn near pulled the next in there too. I hit a few knitting chips that did, crushed a drive across the lake to 20 yards short of the 8th and hit the chip to 2 inches for a gimme bird.
Played the same ball for 113 holes and the pull into the par 5 cost me 18 with one ball…..I need a dozen. I can see me buying these when the closet empties of my Bridgestone.
I was able to flight it, when i hit the center of the driver, it flew. I caught a few low on the club and it still went straight. Lot of early dew from a week of rain, but distance was not an issue. It was a lower flight ball, not a bullet like the AVX, but somewhere in between. It was funny, There were times i felt like i got more out of it and there were times it just felt good and turn out to be a bomb.
the ball seemed to be durable and kept up with my pinching it when i needed to and i hit down and through the ball, i AM NOT a sweeper.
The aiming lines are okay, i tend to draw a line anyway
do i think this box
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will fit in this line up?
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Yes, i believe it will and I would buy it……
Played these last time out. Nice ball. Consistent. Will play again. Not as firm as the TP5x I currently play. TP5x is longer.
Played TS today and was quite pleased with the results. Played in a 20MPH wind and the ball cut right through it. Hit really nice draws with off the driver. Really impressed.
Tomorrow is the day! Tee time is a go… Live round is a go… Let’s do this….putter is good to go
Got the chance to put these in play again yesterday. Although my swing was total garbage (couldn’t get off the tee to save my life). The iron play was fairly solid. The ball felt good off the irons, when struck pure, it felt like the ball just jumped off the club face. Mis-hits did not feel too harsh, but you definitely knew it wasn’t pure.
I was still getting the 3-4 foot roll out with shots into the green so that consistency was comforting. Durability did not seem to be an issue, The cover held up pretty well even after it met a few trees up close and personal.
[QUOTE=”donny475, post: 9506606, member: 4683″]
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That’s a great write up. Thanks [USER=4683]@donny475[/USER]
I am sure that I do not know what I am talking about because a company like Titleist would have teams of people analyzing what I conclude with no data, simply anecdotal observation. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe Titleist risks redistributing its pie, rather than growing it. Here’s why.
I play a lot of golf as a single, so I see what many different players and what ball they use. I believe that more than anything else, I see average golfers using Titleist Pro V balls. It is clear from watching their games that they cannot make use of the ball. However, they buy Titleist because it is the name to play and they perceive it is better.
With that frame of reference, why would they not simply switch to a cheaper urathene ball that is still a Titleist? I think it is a big risk to Titleist.
[QUOTE=”DataDude, post: 9507680, member: 47057″]
That’s a great write up. Thanks [USER=4683]@donny475[/USER]
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Thank you, I really enjoyed the ball and Played well with it. I have been fighting swing changes the last few months and changes to the new clubs, Speedzone OL with recoil 110’s. I “Should” have gone with more of a blade, i know that, then covid and i do not play as much as i used to…..I had a good warm up this morning, and things seemed to click, great day to try a new ball.
The feel off the driver was great the first shot, I hit a few low on the driver, but still hitting a 9 or 8 into the green instead of the wedge or 50 deg, not an issue for me. Again, this was the first day with the new Kirkland Putter….. a little light for me because i have not been able to get the weight lit yet, I putted very well….THe ball felt really good and not clicks off the putter. True Roll
Ok soooo a very thorough run with with these Tour Speed balls. What did I notice, a bit hard on the putter, but great roller. Clicky cover which makes sense in a little bit.
Ok sooo let’s start with the big clubs… Hammered off the face today with driver and wood… No use for a hybrid today and pretty straight ball flight. Not sure if there was spin reduction in the cover/core, but they produced pretty straight balls. Could be me. Great piercing flight with good roll I’m fairways. Driver were we long ones when compared with other balls definitely a great feeling. Almost booking off the driver when I was on.
Irons felt a tad hard off the face and these ran out a long way after the carry… Some helped hitting fairways but approaches I didn’t get enough room to stop.
Chipping and less than 100 were more roll out and release than current gamers that had check, but still a good amount of spin into greens, but mostly made for letting any shot into the front and them release to the hole… This hurt a few times as didn’t plan on it but also didn’t kill me
Good response on putter and the alignment was nice touch for aim…
All in all good balls the price point is a little more but very comparable to others offerings.
So I went and played my second sleeve of Titelist Tour Speed balls today while playing 9 at my home course, The Players Club at Woodland Trails in Yorktown, In. Conditions were a consistent 15 mph wind, 75 and partly sunny (glass half full kinda guy).
I only played 9 holes so I could get back to the family. The last 27 holes I played with the balls went well. Penetrating ball flight, and great for producing consistent iron shots. I was very happy with the amount of check the balls had in comparison to what I was expecting. The ball seemed to me that it looked like I was going to fly over the target but I would only end up slightly past each time. At the time didn’t see a noticeable spin or distance increase off the tee. Chipping and putting I was satisfied with. All in all I thought it was great and would recommend.
I noticed a lot of people were mentioning it scuffing easily. I didn’t see this at first. Today though as the box of the sleeve was falling a part and my balls fell out onto the parking lot from a foot high two of the balls scuffed up. Nothing too crazy but for sure noticeable.
Anyway with wind at my back the increased spin off the tee was absolutely noticeable. Balls were leaping 20 yards on the first bounce. However, the balls generally would end up the same distance as my chrome soft gamer. Part of that was my crappy swing putting me in the rough, but the increase in distance with the roll out was a real thing. As I got through the first couple holes the ball started to scuff more but no chipping in the cover. The irons, just like last time out were a low penetrating ball flight that was consistent and didn’t have too much roll out where I couldn’t hold a green. Very satisfied with how that played. My chipping with this ball was much harder this time around as the greens were baked out and very fast. Tough to go after the ball knowing if you don’t put the right spin on it, the roll out is more penalizing. I love how the balls rolls of the putter and have no qualms there. Overall I really like this ball. I’m worried about the durability, and If I’m going to spend the money will probably stick with my truvis. However, if I am in the pro shop and need to purchase balls in a pinch then these are certainly near the top of my list. I love that Titelist is offering a lower priced utherine ball that can really add some spin and bounce for drivers who hit the fairway.
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Below is my scorecard for the round. Unfortunately didn’t play my best and came out with a score slightly worse than average for me. This ball isn’t Michaels secret stuff from space jam but helped me drive a 322 par 4 to set up a birdie. I think this a ball that will help me score when I’m playing my best.
Here is a hole I filmed to see what it looks like playing this ball. I apologize for the bad camera work and even worse golf.
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1st shot: Driver 275 to the right rough.
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2nd shot: PW 160 left of the green
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3rd Shot: Epic Fail, 60 degree chip to 8 feet
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4th Shot: 8 foot putt miss on the right edge
5th shot: Tap-in Bogey
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