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OFFICIAL FORUM MEMBER REVIEW - VICE PRO/PRO PLUS GOLF BALLS


JBones

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Vice Pro/Pro Plus Golf Balls

 

 

 

 

Chersey                  Stage 1                    Stage 2              Stage 3


Mdumble21             Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Jurassic_lawyer       Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Jay_nick 1                Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Skrupa15                  Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Mtisdale                    Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

MrWellingtonINC       Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Kekeisen                   Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

yungkory                   Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

StripedSweater69     Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

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Vice Pro Plus Stage 1 Review

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Let me just start this review by saying how lucky we are to live in an era where small companies can make a name for themselves by engineering and selling a high quality product straight to the consumer at a huge discount in comparison to the market leaders. This gives us a remarkable number of awesome choices at any budget. Back when I was a kid, you knew if you didn't buy the market leading products you were most likely getting something that wouldn't last or perform nearly as well. It's exciting that this is no longer the case. You are still going to have plenty and plenty of golfers who will only play a Titleist, because it's a Titleist and blah, blah, blah, etc. I say test them all and see what performs the best for you and If you can find a ball that does the job for less money, your wallets now a little fatter, and you'll have more money for the important things in life (like a couple more beers at the turn). All of that being said, this review is about one of those products, the Vice Pro Plus, that promises to perform just as well as any ball on the market but at a significantly reduced price.

 

Now that I've got you all excited about the possible things this ball can provide for your game, I'm going to take a step back and tell you a bit about myself. My name is Chad and I currently live in the Charleston, SC area (Mt Pleasant to be exact), where golf year round is very much a possibility, with a few short breaks for a hurricane or two. Even that doesn't stop me much. The day before the last hurricane was scheduled to reach this area, a buddy and I went out and played 18, while most of the people that live here were packing up their cars and heading for the hills. Kind of cool having the entire course to ourselves J. I love the game of golf. It's on my mind all the time. As good as I am at my job, I constantly regret not pursuing a career that involved golf when I was younger, but I'm now 41 years old and kind of stuck where I am. I'm telling you all of this just so you can understand that golf is the one thing in my life that never gets boring to me. Some people say that if they won a ridiculous amount of money they wouldn't want to stop working. I'd be working to, on my golf game every day. Those people need some golf in their lives.

 

Anyway, I've been playing golf since I was kid. My Dad was a very good golfer. He's still good but he's lost about 40 yards on his drives and gets angry when I'm 60 yards past him on every tee shot. I was pretty natural at the game as a kid but we didn't have a lot of junior golf in the rural area I grew up in so I only got to play occasionally. About mid-way through college was when I realized how much I truly enjoyed the game and started really working on my game. Back in those days, I kind of just skipped the whole short game practice and it really showed negatively in my scores. Now, at 41, I give that more focus than any part of my game. I also work really hard on my fitness now which has allowed me to hit ball just as far as I did at 20, maybe even further. My 10 year old Son also really enjoys playing which is exciting to me, that is until he starts beating me, then I'll have to have a little talk with him. Haha. My handicap currently resides around an 8. I don't get to play nearly as much as I'd like with a 10 and 4 year old, but I try to make it out once a week. I also have a job that allows me to go to the driving range every day at lunch where I hit around 60 balls and practice my short game. This really keeps my game sharp.

My bag is currently as follows:

 

Cobra King F7+ 8.5* w/PX HZRDUS Yellow 6.5

Callaway 816 Alpha 14* w/Aldila Rogue I/O 70 X-Stiff

Callaway 815 Alpha Hybrid 18* w/Speeder 865 X-Stiff

Callaway 815 Alpha Hybrid 23* w/Speeder 865 X-Stiff

Titleist 716 AP2 5-PW w/Steelfiber i95 Stiff

Ping Glide 51* w/Ping AWT Stiff

Ping Glide 2.0 56* w/Ping AWT 2.0 Stiff

Callaway MD3 S-Grind Shamrock 60* w/Tour DG S200

Sentio Sierra 101-M 33" with GP SNSR Grip

Snell MTB

 

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The only club I'm not sure about is the driver. I just picked up the Cobra F7+ and have only had it out for 9 holes after work. I liked what I saw but I need more on course testing to verify. I also have a Ping G400 LST pre-ordered that I'm going to compare against it when it comes in some time in mid to late August.

 

My current golf ball is the Snell MTB and I've gotten some great results from it. It spins well around the green and on approach shots. It feels soft and is easy to control. It also spins a little too much off the driver and longer clubs, which affects it in the wind, so I will really be focusing on how all these facets compare against the Vice Pro Plus in my testing.

 

Now, let's finally talk about the Vice Pro+ golf ball. My initial impressions involve both the packaging and the name. First off, as a child of the 80's, the word Vice instantly make me think of one of my favorite shows from that decade, Miami Vice. The box also cries the 80's to me. The tiger is amazing. It brings images to my mind of some of the artwork you'd see hanging on the walls during the 80's while also making me think of the iconic 80's hit, “The Eye of the Tiger.” All of this makes me want to pick up one of those sweet Don Johnson white sport jackets for the course while jamming to Survivor during my round. What I'm trying to say is I really like the vibes this ball puts off (I love the 80's).

 

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The look of the ball itself is also sweet. I like the crisp black print that really stands out and the cursive writing of “Vice”. The black line on the side for lining about putts is also impressive. I stopped lining up my putts like that a couple of years ago, because I found that it really threw off my alignment, but if I were still doing that, I would really appreciate that line. This ball just has a cool vibe that I feel like I'm missing with the Snell ball for some reason. Everything about the Snell ball, from the name to the packaging and look of the ball, just seems vanilla, where the Vice ball looks edgy and exciting to me. It wins points in this arena before I've even hit a shot with it.

 

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For my testing, I'm going to be putting the Vice Pro+ up against my current Snell ball and the Taylormade TP5x that I've been experimenting with. The Vice Pro+ and the TP5x seem to make very similar claims so it will be interesting to see how they compare. From what I've seen of the TP5x so far it definitely spins less than the Snell but has good stopping power around the greens. If I can get something similar from the Vice Pro+, I'll be very interested.

 

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I'm excited to see how these balls stack up, because part of me wants to put them in the bag just based on my initial impressions. I have tried them on the course but I'm holding off discussing performance until Stage 2, but if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Placeholder - Stage 2

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Placeholder - Stage 3

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Vice Pro Golf Ball Review - Stage 1

 

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G'day to my fellow Spys! My name is Matt, and I'm from Perth, Australia. 

 

What is my Handicap and/or Average Score?

 

My handicap is currently at 9.7 under the Australian handicapping system, and my average score is 80-84 on a Par 72 golf course. My lowest round to date is a 75 on a Par 71 course.

 

What are the strengths & weaknesses of my golf game?

 

The strength in my golf game lies with my irons and longer clubs as I tend to generate a lot of spin on the ball, which gives me some control over the types of shots I can hit coming into greens. It's not quite to a PGA Tour standard, but I produce enough spin to hold greens and to put my ball in the right spots. Putting is another strength to my game, as I tend to average about 32 putts in a round.

 

Like a lot of my fellow Spys, my short game is my main weakness, and it's certainly something I tend to spend time on fixing. During my weekly practice sessions, I devote roughly 15-20 minutes to the chipping greens. Thanks to these practice sessions, my short game has been improving recently, although it does tend to rear its ugly head from time to time.

 

Typical ball flight and typical miss?

 

My typical ball flight/shot shape is a high baby draw, with my miss at the moment being either high and to the right or a slight pull/push (this is more prevalent with my driver and fairway wood).

 

Current Ball?

 

I currently use a combination of Callaway ChromeSofts and the current Titleist Pro V1 golf balls in the bag. Considering that the Vice Pro ball I'm testing is a direct competitor for the Pro V1, it should be a good match for me and my golf game. 

 

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Driver swing speed & tempo?

 

I have a driver swing speed of approximately 110mph, and it's been described as high tempo.

 

What makes you love the game?

 

I love golf because it's a game that just about anybody can enjoy on a fairly level playing field. I've played alongside elder gentlemen & women, teenagers, as well as people who are amputees. Furthermore, you can play golf the way you want to - you could be as nice or as ruthless as you want to your playing partners. 

 

How long have you been golfing?

 

Like many other people on this forum, I was introduced to the game of golf by my dad. He first taught me the basic form of the game when I was a kid, and gave me more insightful lessons when I was 12 at the local par 3 course. I didn't actually start playing regularly until I was 22, when some friends of mine asked me to play with them - normally the losing player would pay for the round of post-game drinks.

 

What kind of golfer are you?

 

I'm a golfer that tends to take the game a bit more seriously than the average golfer, depending on who I'm playing with. If I'm playing with my mate, I'm fairly laid-back, whereas I'm a lot more serious whenever I'm playing a competition round.

 

What is in your bag & how did you choose these clubs?

 

My current club set-up is a Titleist 915 D3 (Fujikura Speeder Tour Stiff shaft) driver @ 9.5 degrees, Callaway Epic Sub Zero Fairway wood (Rogue Max 75g) at 15 degrees, PING i200 3-PW (XP 95 shafts with S300 flex), Callaway MD2 wedges 52,56 & 60 degrees and a Taylormade Daytona Rosca I.

 

Apart from the putter (Christmas present), all of the clubs in my bag were tested - including the PING i200s, which you can find on the forum here.

 

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Are you a tinkerer or a set and forget it type?

 

I am a bit of a tinkerer, as I do tend to try slightly different set ups with my driver and fairway (both are adjustable) if I want to change the ball flight (e.g. gain more loft). I'm also one of those golfers that enjoys trying out all the new clubs each season, for example I just went to a demo day at my local course for the PING G400 line of clubs.

 

If anyone has any questions about the upcoming Stage 2 review on the Vice Pro ball, just comment in this forum.

 

 

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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Vice Pro Golf Ball Review - Stage 2

 

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Player Intro

 

As you can see from my Stage 1 review, my bag consists of four different brands - Titleist 915 D3 driver, Callaway Epic Sub Zero fairway wood, PING i200 irons (3-PW), Callaway MD2s (52, 56 & 60 degree) and a Taylormade Daytona Rosca I putter. Prior to this review, I had been using Callaway ChromeSofts which I had won through some Facebook competitions, as well as other balls that I was testing (including TP5, Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star). The TP5s were probably going to be the next ones as they had the best performance (just) over the other two.

 

I'm a player that prefers a premium ball that offers a high level of spin but is a little firmer in feel, such as the Wilson Staff FG Tour ball and Titleist Pro V1X from last year. Ball striking is my main golfing strength, particularly with my irons and wedges, whereas my short game is usually my big weakness. So, I'm always on the lookout for a ball that will compliment that strength, and will give me some help (i.e. extra spin and feel) around the greens. 

 

Performance on the Course

 

Distance

 

I'm a golfer who doesn't really struggle for distance on most courses. My average driving distance is about 275 yards, and 7 iron goes roughly 175 yards. 

 

I struggled to find a noticeable difference in distance between a Vice Pro and the Pro V1 I was using as a comparison. The only ball that goes consistently longer than either the Vice Pro or Pro V1 was the Taylormade TP5, but only by 10 yards at most. 

 

The Vice Pro is quite responsive off the tee, with there being a great feel similar to the Pro V1. Every time I stepped up to hit it, I felt like I could confidently shape my shots for particular holes.

 

Consistency

 

In terms of consistent ball flight and spin, the Vice Pro balls were fantastic. I felt like I could accurately predict where the ball would go once struck (assuming of course, that I struck it properly), and this gave me great confidence whenever I was standing over the ball.

 

As mentioned above, my short game isn't great, but I did feel like I could pitch or chip the ball close to the hole whenever I missed the green. Even out of the bunkers, I could tell that I was getting a bit more spin than a Pro V1 or Callaway ChromeSoft.

 

Feel

 

First of all, the Vice Pro balls felt great no matter what club I was using. Off the driver, they felt slightly firm, whereas they felt much softer with the mid-to-low irons, as well as around the greens. The Vice Pro's responded well off the putter face, with there being a good amount of roll-out.

 

Carry vs Roll

 

Most of the courses in Perth, Australia, are similar to the parkland style courses you find over the USA - like Firestone and Quail Hollow. They tend to have tree-lined fairways with generous landing zones and good-paced greens that can help you to make putts. 

 

My usual ball flight is quite high with the irons, and more penetrating with my driver and fairway (both of which are low spinning models). For the most part, the Vice Pro balls seemed to compliment my ball flight. As mentioned above, there was little difference in both carry and total distance when the Vice Pro's were compared to the Pro V1s. 

 

Overall, I give the Vice Pro golf balls a Course rating of 44 out of 50 points. I found that they performed just as well as a Titleist Pro V1 off the tee and with the irons, and they tended to check up a little quicker when chipping and pitching. In terms of feel, the Vice's felt a bit firmer, but still felt fantastic.

 

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Performance Notes

 

Over the past month, I've been struggling to get out onto the golf course due to a combination of work and poor weather. However, last month I booked in for a 2-ball Ambrose tournament at a nearby private course called Mount Lawley Country Club. I'd played this course once before, but it was years ago, so I went into this tournament with no real idea of how the course might play, particularly considering the fact that I would using the Vice Pro balls for the first time in a competition. Furthermore, I'd only played with the balls for 9 holes prior to the competition, so I didn't really have an idea of how they (or myself for that matter) would perform.

 

Turns out I had nothing to worry about, as I played out of my skin for the majority of the round. The course itself was fantastic - not overly long, but it had a lot of raised greens and good bunkering throughout. The Vice Pro golf ball I was using was a little scuffed (hit a few trees a few days prior), but it performed as if it was brand new. 

 

Throughout the round, I couldn't really see any difference in ball flight and distance with the Vice Pro's over the Pro V1, apart from extra spin around the greens and slightly firmer feel off the club face. 

 

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Looks

 

In terms of looks, most golf balls look the same to me. The Vice Pro balls are actually one of the better-looking balls out there. I'm a big fan of balls that have a calligraphic logo, such as Titleist, Vice or Callaway, as they give the ball a bit of character. The highlight of the Vice Pro, though, is the Keep In Line putting line on the side of the ball, which not only displays the name of the ball, but also acts as a great line-up for putts. Whilst I don't normally use a putting line, I can see the advantages of it, particularly for higher handicappers who might struggle with their putting.

 

I found the Vice Pro golf balls to be quite durable, particularly when you compare them with the Pro V1. Whilst testing out the Pro V1 earlier this year, I discovered that the balls would scuff a bit after about 2-3 rounds, even without much contact with trees and rocks. The Vice Pro's fared a lot better. During a round at my local course, one of the balls struck a particularly large gum tree, and whilst there was a tiny scuff (about 1mm across), there wasn't really a change to the look of the ball, and how it performed. I then proceeded to continue this scuffed ball for the next 9 holes, and I couldn't tell the difference between it and a brand new ball.

 

The packaging that the balls come in looks fantastic, with its combination of minimalist and macho-ness (that'd be the lions!) on the sleeves (see photo below). Most ball companies tend to have fairly uniform packaging, so the Vice packaging is quite refreshing and makes the balls look more appealing if they were selling them on store shelves.

 

Throughout my testing I was comparing the Vice Pro's with the Titleist Pro V1 and the Callaway ChromeSoft. Both are fantastic balls that would suit a multitude of golfers of all skill-sets. Whilst I'm a fan of both balls (look at my review of the Pro V1 on the Master Golf Ball thread here), I've found the ChromeSofts to be a little too soft for me, whereas the Pro V1 is easily one of my favourite balls out there. If they weren't so expensive, I'd be using the Pro V1 as my standard ball.

 

The Vice Pro balls remind me of the Titleist Pro V1 in terms of looks as the logo is similar (albeit with a more calligraphic style), as well as the putting line-up line.

 

Overall, I'll give the Vice Pro balls a score of 13 out of 15 points.

 

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Sound and Feel

 

Sound and Feel are 2 integral characteristics that in testing to work out whether a particular ball is the best for me, along with the overall performance of course. 

 

The Vice Pro balls felt a bit on the firm side (as mentioned in the Course section above), similar to a 2016 Pro V1x, which was great to see. Personally, I prefer having a slightly firmer-feeling ball, so the Vice Pro's were right up my alley.

 

In terms of Sound, I couldn't really distinguish the Vice Pro from a Titleist Pro V1 or Callaway ChromeSoft. The sound made by the ball being struck is fairly crisp. 

 

The combination of a slightly firm-feeling ball and crisp sound gives me the confidence to play more aggressively and subsequently get better ball flight and more control over my spin on the greens.

 

For the category of Sound and Feel, I give the Vice Pro golf ball a score of 13 out of 15.

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

Whilst I am a fan of the Vice Pro balls and can see myself purchasing more in the near future, there is a small problem I have with them. This problem is do to with the fact that Vice Golf is an online company, so they'll only be posting products to the average golfer (unless you live near their HQ in Munich). I've heard horror stories with international postage occasionally (e.g. damaged goods, long waits, extra things packed in with the golf products), so there's always that possibility. Furthermore, I always try and test out golf balls before purchasing them, so considering that these balls are only available online I might not have thought of the Vice Pro's as a suitable replacement ball (if I hadn't been given some by MyGolfSpy, that is). 

 

Whilst it might not financially viable, I think a trial program would be beneficial for Vice Golf where they would send out a sleeve of balls to any new potential customer to try out. There's an Australian online golf company called Forte Golf that has been running a fairly successful trial program. It's been successful in the fact that whilst they are an online company, I know a number of Australian golfers who actively use their golf balls and gloves. 

 

Considering that little issue, I'd have to give a Likelihood of Purchase score of 15 out of 20.

 

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Conclusion & Final Score

 

Prior to being selected for the testing process, I knew little about the Vice Golf company apart from the advertisement on the MyGolfSpy main page and the words of some fellow golfers on Facebook forums. Usually I'm not one to buy golf balls unless I can get them immediately (e.g. at my local pro shop) or if I win them through an online competition (I've got 2 dozen ChromeSofts through this process). As a result, online golf ball companies such as Snell and Vice weren't really on my radar. 

 

Once I received the test package from Vice Golf (which got to Australia from Munich, Germany very quickly!!), my first impressions on the course were of a pleasant surprise. The Vice Pro reminded me of how the previous generation Titleist Pro V1x felt (current one feels almost too soft) -  a ball I've loved using over the past few years. Therefore, I found the transition to the Vice Pro from my current gamer Callaway ChromeSoft to be quick and painless. Whilst the ChromeSoft is a great golf ball (particularly around the greens), I've always found it to be a bit too soft-feeling from the tee and on longer irons. 

 

When I first started using the Vice Pro's out on the course, I quickly learned that I could attack the pin more aggressively, considering that I tended to get about 1-2m (3-7ft) worth of backspin on flattish greens when I was hitting a 7 or 8 iron. Longer irons (3-5 irons) got a lot more check once they struck the green. This extra spin reminded me of the Srixon Z-Star XV's I'd been trialling a month ago, but the overall performance of the Vice Pro's felt more to my liking.

 

Overall, the Vice Pro's are fantastic golf balls that I would certainly recommend to other golfers who enjoyed the Titleist Pro V1x from a few years ago.

 

 

Total Score: 85/100

 

Course: 44/50

Looks: 13/15

Sound & Feel: 13/15

Likelihood of Purchase: 15/20

 

 

 

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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Placeholder - Stage 3

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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Placeholder - Stage 1

WITB: 

TM 2017 M1 440 w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M1 15* 3 Wood w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M2 4 Rescue Hybrid w/ Aldila Rogue Black S

TM PSi Tours P - 3i (One too many clubs :D ) w/ DG Tour Issue X100

Titleist SM6 60,56,52 w/ DG Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

TM Spider Tour Red

Titleist 14 way bag  :)  :)

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Placeholder - Stage 2

WITB: 

TM 2017 M1 440 w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M1 15* 3 Wood w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M2 4 Rescue Hybrid w/ Aldila Rogue Black S

TM PSi Tours P - 3i (One too many clubs :D ) w/ DG Tour Issue X100

Titleist SM6 60,56,52 w/ DG Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

TM Spider Tour Red

Titleist 14 way bag  :)  :)

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Placeholder - Stage 3

WITB: 

TM 2017 M1 440 w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M1 15* 3 Wood w/ Aldila Rogue Silver X

TM 2016 M2 4 Rescue Hybrid w/ Aldila Rogue Black S

TM PSi Tours P - 3i (One too many clubs :D ) w/ DG Tour Issue X100

Titleist SM6 60,56,52 w/ DG Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

TM Spider Tour Red

Titleist 14 way bag  :)  :)

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Vice Pro Golf Ball - Stage 1

About Me:

 

Golf for me started 20+ years ago when my dad bought me second hand clubs and a few plastic practice balls to hit around the yard.  What started with backyard practice turned into weekend rounds at our local course through my early teens.  I played competitively in high school and sparingly with friends and family in college/graduate school.

    

Born and raised in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh (LET'S GO PENS!), I currently work as a scientist/engineer in the DC area.  I average 18 holes 1-2 times a month depending on my work league and whether I have visitors in town.  When I can't play a full round, I usually try to hit the range or a local par 3 course at least once a week.  Part of the reason I joined MGS was to make golf connections in the DMV area so I'm always interested in getting a game together.

 

I'm still very much in love with the game and try to get out as much as possible.  For me, golf is all about the chess match between you and the course, you and your swing, you and your mind.  Getting to spend time with my dad and/or my friends in a place where for a short time nothing else matters, isn't a bad consolation prize either.

 

Thank you MGS for providing me with the opportunity to test the Vice Pro golf ball, and for providing the best online golf community out there.

 

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My Game:

  • Handicap: 11.5
  • Strengths: This is a tough one at the moment.  I've been deadly with the putter and driver so far this season but never at the same time.
  • Weaknesses: Much easier to answer!  180-220 yards is a nightmare for me at the moment. I have zero confidence hitting my hybrids and fairways from the deck.  It's something I work on constantly and still struggle with. 
  • Typical ball flight: I played a functional fade through my teens but then became obsessed with drawing the ball.  I played my best golf in my early 20's drawing the ball.  Injuries to both wrists has changed my delivery.  Since then my strike has become more inconsistent.  Currently, I'm most focused on making good strikes and hitting the ball straight, as stupidly simple as that seems.  I only try and work the ball when absolutely necessary.  Trajectory for me has always been medium-high to high.
  • Typical miss: Thin and off the toe.  Every once in a while a toe shank or top rears its ugly head.  Okay enough of this!
  • Video of swing:

 

Here she is. Please be gentle.  On the day I took these I was not striking the ball well by my own standard.  It looks like I was standing up and not keeping proper posture.  If I did this plus kept a little more flex in my knees I don't think I would struggle nearly as much with the toe hits and thin shots.  Feel free to comment/send advice as I love to talk about the golf swing.

 

Side note: Hank Haney once told me that I'm a little upright and need to hit more from the inside, but that I make up for it with “great” hands.

 

Hank comments.jpg

 

So I've got that going for me, which is nice…

 

My Bag:

 

WITB.jpg

  • Callaway Great Big Bertha 10.5 set +1 to 11.5, -1”
  • Ping G30 5W, -0.6 to 17.4
  • Cobra King F7 Hybrid 20.5, 23.5
  • Taylormade R9 5-AW, -.75”
  • Cleveland RTX 3.0 CB 56, 60
  • Ping Karsten TR PAL

This bag came together as a mixture of experimentation and blind luck.  Sometimes a deal is just too good to pass up even without trying them first.  I do try to fill my bag with clubs that serve specific purposes and the invention of adjustable lofts has helped with this tremendously.  While I'm constantly looking for the next former club in my bag, I'm as happy with this current makeup as I've ever been.

 

taylormade side by side.jpg

 

I'm currently gaming the Taylormade Project (a) and I really love this ball.  It checks so many boxes for me: distance, feel, short game spin, and great off the putter.  It's always been really durable for me while still at a decent price point.  This is the only ball I'll be testing against the Vice Pro; the explanation for this decision will come in Stage 2.

 

Conclusion:

 

Thanks again to MGS for this opportunity.  I'm going to my best to give the Vice Pro a thorough, honest review. If anyone has a question or suggestion for the review, please don't hesitate to share.

 

Inside of box.jpg

Inside with open sleeve.jpg

 

While the full Stage 2 review is still to come, I can confidently say that Vice deserves some major credit for coming onto the scene with a brand and ball with this level of fit and finish.  Everything from the packaging to esthetics of the ball itself scream premium product.  My early experiences with the ball have been tantalizing to say the least.  Can it supplant my current gamer and find its way into my bag?  We'll see! 

 

Open sleeve 2.jpg

Sean K.

Driver: :callaway-small: Great Big Bertha, 10.5o, -1"
Wood: :srixon-small: Z-F85, 3W, 15o
Hybrids: :titelist-small: 818 H1, 19o
Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 919 Hot Metal 4-GW
Wedges: :cleveland-small: CBX 2.0 55o, 60o
Putter: :1332069271_TommyArmour: Tour Impact No. 3
Ball: :srixon-small: Z Star

2017 Vice Pro Forum Review
2019 Tommy Armour Tour Impact No.3 Forum Review

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Vice Pro Golf Ball - Stage 2

 

vice pro 1.jpg

 

Player Intro

 

My current bag:

  • Callaway Great Big Bertha 10.5 set +1 to 11.5, -1”
  • Ping G30 5W, -0.6 to 17.4
  • Cobra King F7 Hybrid 20.5, 23.5
  • Taylormade R9 5-AW, -.75”
  • Cleveland RTX 3.0 CB 56, 60
  • Ping Karsten TR PAL

My current gaming ball: Taylormade Project (a).  I really love this ball.  It checks so many boxes for me: distance, feel, short game spin, and great off the putter.  It's always been really durable for me while still at a decent price point. 

 

I'm a semi-weekly player currently playing off a 12 handicap.  I talk a bit more about game in Stage 1 so for now I'll just say I try to avoid situations like this…

 

tobacco road.jpg

 

 

Testing Methodology

 

For this review, I compared the Vice Pro to my current gaming ball, the Taylormade Project (a) and no other ball.  Simply put, at my skill level there is no way I can quantitatively tell you the difference between these golf balls without the help of a launch monitor that also measures strike location.  I was pretty close to scheduling an hour on a launch monitor but unfortunately the only time they had available was when I was traveling for a wedding.  I decided then to base this review completely off of on-course impressions.

 

For three 18 hole rounds I used the Vice Pro instead of the Project (a).  When I say “instead of” I mean I literally treated the ball as if it was my current gamer.  I played the same clubs from the same yardages I always do, making notes and looking for noticeable differences.  I also did some extended short-game practice where I tried to “control” the Vice Pro like I normally would.

 

While this is admittedly less scientific than “dry ball” or launch monitor based testing, I would argue there's little scientific about heading to the course, putting down a Vice Pro next to a Chrome Soft, TP5, ProV1, etc. and hitting identical clubs then reporting the results.  This isn't said in criticism of what my fellow reviewers do or what past reviewers have done.  I just feel that it's important for me to honest about my abilities as a human tester and what it means for me personally to review another golf ball.

 

 

Performance

 

Performance on the Course

  • Distance – In the 3 rounds I played with the Vice Pro I can confidently say that it's easily as long as my Project (a)'s.  Over the course of a season I wouldn't be surprised if I ultimately concluded that it was a few yards longer.  I certainly saw hints of that given some of the drives I hit.  I just didn't see enough evidence so far to call it longer…yet.

 

6iron.jpg

 

This shot was from 156 yards, a little uphill to a back pin.  This is a 6 iron all day for me and that's what I grabbed.  I hit one of my better struck irons that day and was pleased to find the ball perfectly pin high with some impressive stopping power.

 

8iron.jpg

 

 Here's another iron shot, this time an 8 iron from 135 uphill and into the wind to a front pin.  I "middled" this one too and managed to back it up about a foot.  I ended up just a hair short of pin high but again the Vice Pro rewarded a quality strike.

 

  • Consistency – When I was hitting it well I thought the flight was medium to medium-high which is exactly what I prefer to play.  I couldn't tell much of a trajectory difference to be honest. 

 

Around the greens this ball spins considerably more than my Project (a).  Properly struck pitches and chips had some serious bite to them.  I was hitting shots that brought back memories of the first time I played a ProV1 and the difference between that and whatever ball I was used to at the time.

 

Short Game labeled final.jpg

 

All in all, I felt like I could get the Vice Pro to do what I wanted it to relative to my skill level.  This picture was taken from some short game practice.  Aside from thin shot off the toe, the Vice Pros held up well against my Project (a).  This was further supported by the rounds I played.  Despite not shooting the best scores, the short game was far from the weak link in those rounds.

 

  • Feel – At this point in the review, we get to my first and really only criticism of the ball.  It felt significantly harder than my Project (a).  I don't believe I saw enough evidence to say this affected my score but it was noticeable from the first few putts I hit with a Vice Pro.  Compared to the Project (a) the Vice Pro has hard but dull sound off my putter.  It wouldn't be a deal breaker when deciding whether or not to game this ball, but the hard feel and sound is definitely not my preference.
     

Performance Notes

  • In the 3 rounds I played with the Vice Pro I admittedly did not play my best golf.  Ball striking and untimely mistakes did me in. I have no reason to think the ball itself or feel of a new ball in general had anything to do with these scores.

 

  • Round 1: 1757 Club, Dulles, VA; Score: 92
    • Highlights: Not much but I putted and chipped exceptionally well with the Vice Pro this round.
    • Lowlights: Four of my beautiful Vice Pros were victims of my shoddy ball striking this day.  Seriously, if you are ever in the DC area and are feeling masochistic, give this place a try.

 

  • Round 2: The Courses at Andrews – West, Joint Base Andrews, MD; Score: 88
    • Highlights: I hit a few of my longest drives of the season making me think the Vice Pro plays a few yards longer when I'm hitting the sweet spot. I also was really impressed with the how soft these landed given their harder feel.
    • Lowlights: Two more Vice Pros gave their lives this round.  Way too many short putts missed, but again that's me and not the ball.

 

  • Round 3: Five Ponds Golf Course, Warminster, PA; Score: 85
    • Highlights: Only 1 Vice Pro met its maker this round. The Vice Pro performed well again off the tee and around the greens.
    • Lowlights: Couldn't make anything with the flat stick.  Had 4 birdie chances from 12 feet or less and none dropped.

 

  • I hit some absolute bombs off the tee with the Vice Pro.  If I could hit middle of the club every time, I suspect I would be able to perceive a slight improvement in distance with the Vice Pro.
     
  • It's hard to express just how impressed I am with spin of this ball.  Despite feeling harder, it sure didn't land that way.  Irons and wedges were routinely stopping with ease.
     
  • As much as I complained about the feel of the Vice Pro, I found my putting pace was on point despite having a much different feel than I'm used to.
     
  • The ball sadly has no magical powers. It didn't stop or go when I told it to, it still tops just as easily with my 4 wood off the deck, and it's not immune to the occasional 3 jerk.

 

Course Score: 45/50

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks & Durability

  • As I mentioned in Stage 1, the packaging and fit/finish of the Vice Pro screams premium brand.
     
  • Overall I found the Vice Pro to be as durable but no more so than my Project (a).  If you hit a tree or path it's going to scuff but if not, then multiple rounds are going to be easily achievable with the same ball (or if you're like me until you hit in a hazard after birdieing the previous hole)

durability.jpg

  • A lot of golfers that I played with were curious about the ball and had lots of questions about the brand.  In short, lots of people complimented the looks and agreed it feels like a premium product.
     

Looks Score: 14/15

 

 

Sound and Feel

  • As I teased earlier the Vice Pro feels noticeably harder than Project (a) and is one of my only, albeit subjective, criticisms.  It was hard off the driver, and especially hard off the putter which I do not prefer.
     
  • I would hope that with a harder feel would at least come more feedback on mishits however at least over 3 rounds this didn't seem to be the case.
     
  • As far as I could tell the harder feel had no impact on performance.

 

Sound and Feel Score: 10/15

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

This section of the review was the most difficult to write.  Part of me wanted to give it a 10/20 and part of me wanted to give 20/20.  I'll explain in a minute, but first…

 

While this might be a long shot, should anyone from Vice actually read this, I think it would be an interesting idea to offer your premium price for combination orders.  For example, while I don't see myself purchasing 5 dozen per year, 3 dozen is pretty reasonable.  If I found/converted a friend or family member to play a Vice ball and do the same, we could place our order together.  In this way Vice would still get an order of 5 or more dozen while providing more flexibility at the premium price point to their customers.

 

After playing 3 rounds with the Vice Pro I can confidently say I'm not going to buy a single dozen let alone the necessary 5 to get Vice's best pricing option.  My reservations about the feel of the ball lead me toward sticking with my current gamer which I can get new for the same price per dozen as 2 or less of the Vice Pro, or in mint condition for even less.

 

Here's where things get interesting… As a matter of curiosity I went to Vice's website and utilized their golf ball matching app.  Every question was easy to answer except for the last: Which trajectory do you prefer?  If I answer medium I get paired to the Vice Pro while answering high pairs me with the Vice Pro Soft.  This doesn't surprise me as I suspect my 90mph driver swing speed is at the low end of where the Vice Pro is optimized.

 

pro_vs_prosoft.jpg

 

Curiosity and temptation were too great to resist.  I was so impressed by total package presented by Vice that I purchased a dozen Pro Softs to see if I don't get along better with those vs. the regular Pro.  So in that sense, before this review was even completed they already had a new customer!

 

LOP Score: 16/20

 

 

Conclusion & Final Score

 

I can confidently say Vice has entered the golf ball market as a serious threat.  The Vice Pro plays as well as any premium ball I've gamed and my only criticisms were subjective.  If I didn't already have notions about how I want a golf ball to feel or sound, I'd have little reason not to game the Vice Pro. 

To have a line of products with the fit and finish they do, solid performance, and availability of discounts is truly commendable.  Even though I get the feeling that the Vice Pro isn't the best fit for me or my game, that's not to say another product in Vice's line will not be (Pro Soft I'm looking at you).

 

After reading Tony Covey's awesome piece on the new Kirkland Signature Ball, this section on spin ratings as per the USGA conforming list stuck out to me:

 

To put all of this into perspective, you need to look at where the leading tour balls fall on the USGA's rating scale.

  • TaylorMade's TP5 series, depending on which of the numerous versions we're talking about, are either L-M or L-H. The Snell MyTourBall is also designated L-H.
     
  • The majority of ProV1 models are M-H, as is Srixon's Z-Star series, and the Wilson FG Tour. Most relevant to the conversation, the original K-Sig was also rated M-H.
     
  • Bridgestone's B330 series balls are predominantly L-M, as are the Callaway Chrome Soft, Bubba Watson's Volvik S4, and the last of the Nike RZN series.

With this in mind, I took the time to look up Vice's product line on the USGA conforming list.  Every one of Vice's Pro lineup is listed as L-H (low driver spin, high short iron spin).  Even the non-Pro balls: Vice Drive and Vice Tour, are still rated L-M.  While I know these ratings aren't conclusive, to me they represent that Vice means business when it comes to the quality of their golf balls.

 

I would recommend the Vice Pro to anyone currently playing a premium golf ball and especially if they play enough golf to make use of the discount program.  If nothing else, you'll get to experience a new company, providing a quality product, and trying to change the way we purchase our gear.

 

Thanks again for MGS for this opportunity to test the Vice Pro; it was a blast.  If anyone has any questions about my review or my thoughts on the Vice Pro, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Total Score: 85/100

 

trio.jpg

Sean K.

Driver: :callaway-small: Great Big Bertha, 10.5o, -1"
Wood: :srixon-small: Z-F85, 3W, 15o
Hybrids: :titelist-small: 818 H1, 19o
Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 919 Hot Metal 4-GW
Wedges: :cleveland-small: CBX 2.0 55o, 60o
Putter: :1332069271_TommyArmour: Tour Impact No. 3
Ball: :srixon-small: Z Star

2017 Vice Pro Forum Review
2019 Tommy Armour Tour Impact No.3 Forum Review

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Vice Pro golf ball Stage 1

 

First thing I have to give a big thank you to MGS for selecting me for this Vice Pro golf ball product test. I feel very honoured that they would trust and have me share with you the MGS community my thoughts and opinions on the Vice Pro golf balls.

 

vice box.jpg

 

When I saw I was selected my thought was excitement but my seconded turned to ACDC's song Big Balls.

 

I've got new balls, I've got new balls, Shiny new ball fancy new balls.. My balls are always bouncing, to the left and to the right. It's my belief that my new balls will be a great delight.

 

ball compare.jpg

 

About me:

 

I'm a 33 year old proud father of a 15 month old girl, and happy husband to a wonderful wife.

 

I work for an Industrial sales company selling metal cutting tools to manufacturing companies. In my job I am the process improvement lead which means I find new products for our customers, test them, report on the findings and make my recommendations. So in essence very much like what this forum is all about.

 

My golf story, like most of us, goes back to starting out golfing with my dad and my grandfather when I was about 11. I took to it pretty quickly but didn't get to play all that often. I often would play our local university course that was free to play. It is the only course that I've ever played that you could lose your ball in the fairway!

 

I started playing consistently in high school once I had a part time job and could pay to get out and play. I had some great encouragement from my high school gym teacher who would take me out for a round here and there.

 

What really got me hooked on the game was when I worked for one the local private courses (Deer Ridge in Kitchener) doing the course maintenance, which gave me a whole new perspective on the game, how much effort,  hard work and dedication goes into keeping the courses we love in fantastic shape.

 

Onto my golf game:

 

I don't hold an official handicap but usually shoot high 80's low 90's typically 87-94.

Strengths of my game would have to be my driver and my short game. I consider myself a fairly long hitter with typical drives around the 270 yrd mark.

 

I have worked a lot this year in improving my short game. It has helped me greatly in getting closer to the pin on my approach shot and not having to 3 putt very often.

 

My biggest weakness would have to be consistency in my ball striking, thou it is getting better. Also I'm not very good with my fairway woods.

 

My typical miss would be a pull with driver and irons and long with my short irons. My usually ball flight is low on the driver, mid high with irons and high with wedges.

 

I currently game the Taylormade project A, I've been very impressed with the distance and short game spin.  Also I have seen a big decrease in lost ball off the tee.

My swing tempo is fairly fast, driver club head speed ranges from 106-109. I'm working on slowing down my takeaway with my irons.

 

On the course I feel like I'm a risk taker. I love trying to make the perfect shot from impossible lies (usually works out J)

 

I currently have in my bag a Ping G5 driver (it's old but still good) Taylormade Aero burner 3&5wd, Cobra amp cell irons 4ir-Gw, Titleist Volkey SM5 60deg wedge, Odyssey V7 tank putter. As for my driver, I tried a friends out on the driving range of a charity tournament and fell in love with it and went out and bought it. My father gave me my woods when he bought new woods. The irons I went to Golf Town and did a comparison in my price range at the time and then had them fitted.  The wedge I impulse bought based on the clubs reputation. I found a great deal on my putter at golf town which has gave me incredible confidence when I tried it in the store. My buddy Newballcoach regrets convincing me to buy it then and there. 

 

Enough about me! On to the product!

 

First impression is that Vice is a company that cares. Their packaging it first class, graphics are awesome and all the info you need to know about the ball is on the packaging.

ball description.jpg

sleeve in box.jpg

 

lion in the box.jpg

 

 

Feel: Heavy, reminds me a lot of a Titlelist Pro V1.

IMG_20170716_122124.jpg

 

Looks:  Distinct large logo and putting alignment line.

I've played a few rounds already with these and can't wait to tell you all about them in stage 2 of my review.

ball spin.jpg  

Driver - Ping G5 10.5

3W & 5W - Taylormade aeroburner 

Irons - Cobra Amp cell 4-GW 

Wedge - Titleist Volky 60deg

Putter - Odyssey V-7 tank superstoke long grip

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Placeholder - Stage 2

Driver - Ping G5 10.5

3W & 5W - Taylormade aeroburner 

Irons - Cobra Amp cell 4-GW 

Wedge - Titleist Volky 60deg

Putter - Odyssey V-7 tank superstoke long grip

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Placeholder - Stage 3

Driver - Ping G5 10.5

3W & 5W - Taylormade aeroburner 

Irons - Cobra Amp cell 4-GW 

Wedge - Titleist Volky 60deg

Putter - Odyssey V-7 tank superstoke long grip

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Stage One - Kekeisen

 

Hey there-- first of all, a big thank you to MGS for swapping me into the testing group last-minute!  I'm a first-time reviewer, so please bear with me as I get my feet wet.  By way of introduction, my name is Kyle.  I'm a 30 year-old ex-athlete, and I've played the game off and on since the end of high school.  I really “caught the bug” when I moved back to the Boston area ~4 years ago, and have managed to drop my handicap from ~20 to ~13 (GHIN 7748534 if you care to look) since I started to take the game more seriously.

 

Here's a pic of me (2nd from right in the Masters visor… I'm 5'11” 215, my buddies are tall) playing the Ocean Course earlier this year:

IMG_3487.JPG
 
In terms of my game, I'm your standard mid-handicapper.  Strengths (and misses) come and go from round to round.  I hit the ball fairly high, but have been fighting a push fade/slice as of late.  If I keep the ball in play and avoid penalties, I shoot in the mid-to-high 80's, and if I have a wild day off the tee I trend towards the mid-to-low 90's.  Swing speed is 95-99 with a mid-iron (6i) and 107-112 for the driver.  This season, I've been working on getting un-stuck and extending my trail arm through impact, but that's probably more than you cared to know about my work in progress.  Here's a heel-y driver swing for reference:
 
Got fitted for my first new clubs since ~2005 earlier this spring.  I've gone full TM fan-boy and now game:
 
Driver: 2017 M2 9.5* (set 2 clicks open/lower) w/ Matrix Speed Rulz A-Type 60 S, tipped 1.5", playing 45.5"
3W: 2017 M2 15* w/ Matrix Speed Rulz C-Type 70TX, tipped 1.5", playing 43.5"
3H: 2017 M2 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Black 85 S, not tipped, playing 41"
4-PW: P770, std loft, lie 2* upright, DG S300 +1/2"
AW: Milled Grind 52* loft, 9* bounce
LW: Milled Grind 58* loft, 11* bounce
Putter: Evnroll ER2 @ 1*/69*/35" loft/lie/length
 
I know that's 13 clubs. I'm trying to decide whether I need an extra club at the top.  3W is 245-265 and 3H is 215-230, so I might slot a 5W or 2H in between...
 
Posting this on a slow Friday at work and don't have pics of WITB, but will try to edit later (or add to Stage 2).
 
For balls, I've been gaming the Pro V1x and Tour B330S this season, which segways to my initial thoughts re: Vice's Pro+.  The dozen Pro+ have been traveling in my bag for the last two weeks, so please excuse the not quite pristine packaging.  First impression out of the box is that Vice has done a great job on the branding side of the equation.  From my perspective, I can't think of another ball manufacturer whose packaging comes near to Vice's "cool" factor, but that's an admittedly subjective measure, so your mileage may vary.  The balls themselves look and feel very similar to a Pro V1/V1x; from both a visual and tactile perspective, they offer the same "sheen" or "glossiness" as I'm used to seeing from Titleist.  The Tour B330S, in contrast, isn't quite as glossy.  Think front vs. back of a printed photograph, though to a much lesser extent.  The Vice balls also have a bold alignment line opposite the logo, and otherwise have the look and feel you would expect from a premium/tour ball.
 
Anyways, that's it for an initial reaction.  On-course thoughts to come in Stage 2.
 
Dozen Front.JPG
Dozen Back.JPG
Dozen inside.JPG
Sleeve1.JPG
Sleeve2.JPG
Sleeve3.JPG
Sleeve4.JPG
Vice Balls.JPG
V vs B logo.JPG
V vs B alignment.JPG
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Vice Pro+ Review

 

I would like to first thank MGS for the opportunity to test a ball that I've been very interested in since playing my first Vice Pro a couple months ago. I'm excited to give back to the fellow spies, and hopefully provide some valuable information to help them decide if they should invest in trying the Vice Pro+ for themselves.

 

vicesplash.jpg

 

About the reviewer

 

My name is Kory and I'm fortunate to call Hawaii my home for the past 18 years. I've been playing golf since I could walk, but took an extended break while I was getting accustomed to the "real world" after high school. I played a bit on my High School team, but didn't compete, mostly just to hang out with the rest of the golf team, and practice for free. It's always been an important part of our family, so I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm more of a leisurely golfer than a competitive one. Since coming back to golf earlier in the year, I realized that something I really enjoyed was missing from my life, and I haven't stopped thinking about golf, or wanting to play, ever since.

 

My story today

 

With my newly-restored love for the sport (thanks to my buddy for riding me to come out and play for weeks and weeks) I set off on the Internet to find golf resources. I've been on Reddit for about 7 years, and while there's good information between all of the troll posts, I was left wanting more. I was also in the market for a new putter, because the b60i original isopur I was playing at the time didn't feel so "pur" after ~20 years. I stumbled upon MGS' most wanted putter guide, and started reading about how they test, the goal of the site, and I really liked what it stood for. After some personal research and trial, an Evnroll ER7 landed in my bag, which set off a chain reaction to go through all of my high school clubs and replace each one, absolutely destroying my wallet in the process! I was also fortunate enough to be selected to test the JPX 900 Tours, which you can see in my most-recent WITB update: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/19972-my-witb-finally-finished-updating-my-bag/?p=318712

 

Now that I'm satisfied with my equipment, the last step is finding a ball that I like!

 

viceputter.jpg

 

My game

 

  • I'm unofficially a 12 hdcp. My normal scores are around mid 80's, with an occasional lower round, but I've yet to eclipse 80 (that will change soon!)
  • The strong point of my game right now would have to be my driver. Since my Epic fitting, I'm finding fairways and my drives are much longer now that I don't have a fade to fight.
  • While the long game is solid, the short game is pretty abysmal right now. I'd rather be 100 yards out than 50, and my lag putts aren't helping me out either.
  • My ball flight is a slight butter cut, with a medium-high trajectory, and my miss is a pull when I rope one across my body, normally when I'm trying to get after one. On a very rare occasion I'll launch a rocket way right as well, I don't want to call it by the dreaded "S" name, so I'm just leaving it at RIGHTWARDS ROCKET.
  • I have a smoother tempo according to my Mizuno fitting. My driver speed hovers around 105-108mph from my latest trackman session in early June.
    You can check it out here.
  • I'm currently gaming RZN Blacks. I really like the ball, but since they're out of the game, it's rather pointless to stock up since I'll eventually run out. I've tried the Vice Pro and I really liked it, except that it felt a little marshmallowy off of the driver face. When I heard of a firmer Pro+, I just had to try it out. I really like tinkering with my equipment. I wish my finances allowed me to do more of it, but at the ball-level, it's not too bad. There's something exciting to me about putting a ball you've never tried before onto that first tee!

Since I'm between balls at the moment, I thought it would be interesting to put the Vice Pro+ up against some competition, so I'm going to try more 4-5 piece balls to see which one I end up bagging. Hopefully, everyone enjoys my posts as we journey on! I'm going to keep the Vice Pro+ as the star of this first post, so I'm not going to reveal all of the players in this game.

 

vicemeow.jpg

vicepig.jpg

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Vice Pro+ Stage 2 – Review by YungKory

 

As I mentioned in my Stage 1, I'm currently searching for a ball to game. I liked the Vice Pro when I first played it this season, but I wanted to see what a harder, 4-piece ball could do for my game. Since I am between balls, I figured that a great way for me to test would be to put it up against other balls that I've yet to try, especially the more-expensive popular balls like the TP5x and the Chromesoft. I chose these two because they seem to be the most popular after the obvious ProV1x, but I had already tried that and found that it spun higher off the driver than I could handle.

 

I don't want to disrespect the Vice ball, so I'm not going to focus on, or mention the other balls heavily, but I will compare them directly a bit in this review. I want to give insight for anyone who has tried the Chromesoft or TP5x to provide them with some feelings I've gathered, and possibly help them make a decision on whether or not they should purchase these balls.

 

Performance on the course

  • Distance – I find the Vice Pro+ to be middle-of-the-road in terms of distance. It doesn't feel crazy long off the driver or irons, but it's no slouch either.
  •  Consistency – I find that my trajectory comes down a little bit when the Pro+ is in play, which helps reaffirm when I say that it feels like it spins less off of all clubs.
  • Feel – The feel off the driver is harder than the regular Vice Pro. I found that ball to be a little marshmallowy when I played it, but the sample size was small. Around the green it feels firm, but I still feel it is soft enough to where I don't consider it to be “clicky” off of the putter face. The TP5x definitely made more of a click sound.
  • Carry vs. Roll – I get a more middle trajectory from these as I mentioned before, which leads to a decent amount of roll out. I'm still able to stop them on the green, but they roll a bit in the fairways. I've definitely not been able to “pull the string” with this ball. For the courses I've been playing in the past 2 months, the extra roll in the fairways hasn't been a factor in terms of scoring.

 

Course score: (35/50)

vicestage2-1.jpg

 

Performance Notes

 

With 6 rounds under my belt with the Vice Pro+ I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed. The testing methodology I employed was to play the first 9 with one ball, and the second 9 with another. Some days I would start with a Vice, some I would end with one. I'm not a tour professional, so I can't tell you every little nuance between all the balls I've been rotating between. I wasn't able to get on a launch monitor to back my feelings up with data, but I definitely had some consistent feelings from the Pro+ to the other balls I tested.

 

Let's start with the best thing about this ball, the price in relation to the quality you receive. There's absolutely nothing that would lead me to hesitate to call this a premium golf ball. It feels and plays as well as any ball I've played this season, but it does have different characteristics. At $25 when you buy in bulk, this is a no-brainer if you're looking for a quality golf ball that you can afford to crush into a pond. I haven't tried any of the other direct-to-consumer balls, but as an introduction to the business model, it gives me total confidence to try the others.

 

Head-to-head notes

  •  TP5x – I found the ball to be very comparable to the Pro+. They were similar in terms of how hard they felt to me, with the TP5x feeling slightly harder. I also found the TP5x to be clickier off the putter face, and that it was harder for me to control distance on my approach shots. The TP5x was giving me a more penetrating ball flight, and seemed to spin less, so my shots were taking big hops on the green before slowing down. Not quite a hop and stop, more like a big hop, a small hop, and then a couple feet of roll. Where the Pro+ was still slightly lower trajectory than usual, but I was able to stop them dead.
  •  Callaway Chromesoft – This ball feels like a middle-ground between the Vice Pro and Pro+/TP5x in terms of firmness. If you game the Chromesoft but want something that's harder, the Pro+ could be the ball for you. The Chromesoft spins more for me on my irons and wedges, but it doesn't seem to do so on my tee shots, and of the three balls, it's the longest for me.

vicestage2-2.jpg

This was a 9i from 135 into a breeze, from a slightly elevated tee box, so the ball was relatively "held up." From my testing with the ball, this is what I've come to expect from the Pro+ on approach shots, where with other balls I'm getting more backspin and a higher angle of descent.

 

Subjective

 

Looks & Durability

 

Like previously mentioned, this ball screams quality when you look at it. The branding is something that I'm personally very attracted to. From the font of the Vice logo, to the ridiculously-cool boxes, and the rest of the aesthetically pleasing stuff I've seen from Vice (that stand bag from the best bags blog post?!?! https://mygolfspy.com/2017-golf-stand-bag-buyers-guide/) their marketing/branding is superb. I think they are miles ahead of Callaway in terms of their branding and packaging, but when you're a bazillionaire, chicks don't care if you're ugly right?

 

One of the hot topics I've seen on the forums is related to their durability. I can't speak for their previous formulas, but if you're not hitting trees or cart paths, I've played an entire round with a single ball and not thrown it into the practice bag. Playing two rounds with one ball would be a milestone for me, so I can't quite comment on that, but I'm one of those guys that digs for a fresh ball on the first tee, and if things aren't going well in my round, I reach for the “zombie balls.”

 

Looks Score: (15/15)

 

vicedurability.jpg

Picture from yesterday on the 10th tee after playing the Pro+ for the front 9. Managed to stay out of the trees and didn't hit any cart paths. As you can see, the durability of the cover holds up fine. Not sure what folks are doing to cut them after three holes, but this ball saw plenty of my Callaway MD3 wedges, and it is still playable.

 

Sound & Feel

 

When I hit this ball from the turf on a full shot it sounds dead and dull, even when I absolutely pure it. It's rather off-putting from the fairway, and if I couldn't feel it, I would just assume I hit everything an inch behind the ball.

 

As I mentioned before, the ball feels on the firm side. If you've tried any of the balls I've mentioned in this review, ranking them from softest feeling to hardest, it would go Vice Pro > Chromesoft > Pro+ > TP5x with the Taylormade being the least soft.

 

Sound & Feel Score: (9/15)

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

Having played the Pro and being left with the feeling that it was too soft, the chance to try the Pro+ really intrigued me. I'd like to thank MGS and Vice again for giving me a chance to do so, and I hope anyone in the same boat finds some clarity through my review.

 

For this particular ball, the Vice Pro+, I would not purchase it. Through my testing, I found that I just prefer a softer ball, as I am able to control it around the greens much better, and it makes scoring easier for me. In terms of the Vice brand itself, I'm definitely going to try the regular Pro again, because I feel that the ball could be everything that I want it to be, if I just give it another chance. I also recall that my only gripe with it was that it felt soft off the driver, but now that I've been playing more golf recently, I've learned that isn't an important feeling, and that it was just a random observation that I got stuck on. From doing this review, I really learned the value in choosing your ball based on the performance from 100 yards and in.

 

Please don't look at the number below as a score for the Vice brand itself, this is purely based on the Pro+ model, I'm definitely going to give the Pro another go, this time with more than just a sleeve that I was given.

 

LOP Score: (0/20)

 

Subjective Notes

  • In terms of looks, my favorite ball that I've played this year
  • A firm ball, more than the Chromesoft, but less than the TP5x
  • Cover is durable as long as you're not hitting trees or cart paths
  • Sound is muted or dead and dull.

 

Conclusion and Final Score

 

In conclusion, this is a premium quality ball at a great price (when bought in bulk). It came into the boxing world and jumped right into the ring with Ali. That said, this is an amazing ball that just doesn't fit my game. Lately, I've been making my money on crispy approach shots, and I just can't quite get the level of control/short game success, with the Pro+ that I have found with the Chromesoft. Please don't dismiss this ball as not being as good as the Chromesoft though. It's an amazing ball and if you're looking for something that leans towards the firm side of the spectrum, this is hard to beat. If you're looking for a ball with a lower trajectory and spin rate, and a ball that plays more firm, this one checks all of the boxes IMO, and I 100% recommend trying it.

 

Total Score (59/100)

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Placeholder - Stage 3

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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I'm very excited to have been selected to review the Vice Pro!  My name is Riley and I'm 25.  From September to May, I referee junior hockey for a living and from May to August, I work at a golf course in my home town.  I started playing golf when I was young, but stopped shortly after starting and picked the game back up about a year ago now.  My handicap index is currently 15.5 (started the summer at about 20).  I get to spend most of my free time at the course practicing, so I've made a lot of progress.  I'd say that the strengths and weaknesses of my game can be pretty erratic.  My most constant weakness is my long irons and my most constant strength is full shots with my wedges.  My ball flight is fairly high, but has dropped a little bit since changing from regular flex TM Burners to stiff AP2s.  At the beginning of this season, my typical miss was a push slice, but after changing my swing quite a bit this summer, it has transitioned to a pull or pull-hook.  I've played quite a few different balls this summer, but I've played most with Pro V1s and Chrome Softs.  My swing tempo is moderate to quick and my driver club head speed is 105-110.  I'll post a video of my swing soon!  Probably in this post or Stage 2.  I think that golf appeals to me because of the inability to "win".  I love competing against myself and play by myself a lot, probably over half of my rounds, to be honest.  I'd say I'm a serious golfer, but I am not one to get mad out there on the course and beat myself up about a bad round.  I really enjoy being out there and try to have fun every time.  I'm currently very content with my bag.  I'm playing Cobra F7 driver and 3W (both with Project X HZRDUS Black stiff shafts), a Callaway XR Steelhead 19º Hybrid, Titleist AP2 4-PW (DG AMT stiff), Cleveland RTX3 50º, 54º, and 58º (tour raw), and a Cameron & Crown Newport Mallet 1 (I'm going to post a review of this putter soon!).  I did a lot of research on these clubs and hit a bunch of different combinations.  I never had a true fitting, but I'm very happy with how I'm playing these clubs.  I'm generally a tinkerer and love technology.

 

Here are some photos of the balls:

 

Vice1.JPG

 

Vice2.JPG

 

Vice3.JPG

 

Vice4.JPG

 

Vice5.JPG

 

 

 

Driver: Cobra King F7, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0, 9.5º

3W: Cobra King F7, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0, 14.5º

Hybrid: Callaway XR Steelhead 19º

Irons: Titleist 716 AP2, True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 AMT, Standard lofts and lie

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 3.0 50º, 54º, 58º, Tour Raw finish

Putter: Scotty Cameron Cameron & Crown Newport Mallet 1

Ball: Bridgestone B330 RXS or Titleist ProV1 or Vice Pro

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Placeholder - Stage 2

Driver: Cobra King F7, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0, 9.5º

3W: Cobra King F7, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0, 14.5º

Hybrid: Callaway XR Steelhead 19º

Irons: Titleist 716 AP2, True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 AMT, Standard lofts and lie

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 3.0 50º, 54º, 58º, Tour Raw finish

Putter: Scotty Cameron Cameron & Crown Newport Mallet 1

Ball: Bridgestone B330 RXS or Titleist ProV1 or Vice Pro

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