Titleist Introduces New Tour Speed Ball

[storm319]

See Below in thread for official press release.

https://www.golfballs.com/m/New-Titleist-Tour-Speed.html

• Technology driven core design delivers maximum speed on full swing shots
• Fast ionomer casing layer contributes to increased speed and low long game spin
• Proprietary TPU cover generates greenside spin for short game scoring control
• 346 Quadrilateral dipyramid dimple design provides penetrating flight for long distance with tight dispersion

[xOldBenKenobiX]

6 minutes ago, storm319 said:

Apologize in advance if we are not past the media embargo date, but golfballs.com just posted this (looks to be the result of the EXP-01 pilot):

https://www.golfballs.com/m/New-Titleist-Tour-Speed.html

• Technology driven core design delivers maximum speed on full swing shots
• Fast ionomer casing layer contributes to increased speed and low long game spin
• Proprietary TPU cover generates greenside spin for short game scoring control
• 346 Quadrilateral dipyramid dimple design provides penetrating flight for long distance with tight dispersion

I might have to give those a try, after the MGS HRC is over. 

[fozcycle]

Looks like a replacement for the Velocity?


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[DiscipleofPenick]

Coooooooooool

Take Dead Aim

[Golfspy_CG2]

17 hours ago, storm319 said:

Apologize in advance if we are not past the media embargo date, but golfballs.com just posted this (looks to be the result of the EXP-01 pilot):

https://www.golfballs.com/m/New-Titleist-Tour-Speed.html

• Technology driven core design delivers maximum speed on full swing shots
• Fast ionomer casing layer contributes to increased speed and low long game spin
• Proprietary TPU cover generates greenside spin for short game scoring control
• 346 Quadrilateral dipyramid dimple design provides penetrating flight for long distance with tight dispersion

You were fine with the date!  

[JohnSmalls]

1 hour ago, fozcycle said:

Looks like a replacement for the Velocity?


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I think it's the "firm" version of Tour Soft, so a completely new addition.

[xOldBenKenobiX]

1 hour ago, fozcycle said:

Looks like a replacement for the Velocity?


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I should have read it a little better, I thought it was a 3 piece ball

 

[storm319]

7 hours ago, JohnSmalls said:

I think it's the "firm" version of Tour Soft, so a completely new addition.

This has the same basic specs as last year’s EXP-01 (3-piece, TPU cover, 346 dimple pattern), so closer to the higher priced multilayer urethane offerings than the lower priced 2-piece offerings.

[Golfspy_CG2]

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Aug. 5, 2020) – Following years of rigorous product development, the introduction of the new Titleist Tour Speed – a high performance, multilayer golf ball with a proprietary thermoplastic urethane cover – provides golfers with the fastest, best performing golf ball in its category. Proven through extensive testing with amateur players, the breakthrough performance of Tour Speed is further enhanced by the superior quality and consistency of Titleist’s precision manufacturing process.

 

Available in U.S. golf shops beginning Aug. 7, Tour Speed offers a distinct and compelling performance option in the Titleist golf ball family through its innovative three-piece design, delivering a unique combination of exceptional distance in the long game and precise short game scoring control:

 

• A new high-speed core formulation combined with Titleist’s fastest ionomer casing layer delivers maximum speed and low long game spin for category-leading distance. Tour Speed is faster and longer than Callaway Chrome Soft, Bridgestone Tour B RX, TaylorMade Tour Response, Srixon Z-STAR and Srixon Q-STAR TOUR.

 

• Tour Speed’s thermoplastic urethane (TPU) cover is proprietary Titleist golf ball technology specifically formulated by R&D chemists, delivering greenside spin for short game scoring control with soft feel.

 

• The exceptional distance of Tour Speed is enhanced by a new 346 quadrilateral dipyramid dimple design that provides a penetrating, consistent flight.

 

“Golfers can trust that when they tee up a Titleist, they are getting superior performance and quality versus the competition,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “Our golf ball scientists and engineers have gone to extraordinary lengths in the development of Tour Speed – testing numerous core formulations and aerodynamic patterns, while formulating and analyzing hundreds of TPU cover blends – to deliver on that promise. We have made every investment necessary in these new technologies, including a significant expansion of our manufacturing facility and process.”
 

EXTENSIVE AMATEUR TESTING

In addition to Titleist’s robot testing protocol, the performance of Tour Speed has been validated through rounds of comprehensive amateur testing, including:

 

• A three-month R&D test market conducted in the United States and Canada for the experimental golf ball EXP•01 – a prototype created during the development process for what has now become Tour Speed; and

 

• A golf ball performance study of amateur golfers led by Fordie Pitts, Titleist’s R&D golf ball consultant on the PGA Tour. The blind test, conducted at the Manchester Lane Test Facility in Massachusetts, evaluated Tour Speed prototypes versus a wide range of current Titleist and competitive golf ball models.

 

“Every new Titleist golf ball must exceed our stringent machine and player testing targets in order to advance from the R&D phase,” said Scott Cooper, Titleist Golf Ball R&D’s lead implementation engineer for Tour Speed. “All of the data and golfer feedback we’ve collected has been clear: Tour Speed is consistently the fastest, longest and most preferred golf ball among the competitive urethane-covered products in this category.”

 

AVAILABILITY

The new Titleist Tour Speed is available in the U.S. beginning Friday, Aug. 7. MAP $39.99.

 

ON THE WEB

https://www.titleist.com/golf-balls/tour-speed

[Kenny B]

I particularly like how Titleist relegated the Chrome Soft and Z-STAR balls to a different category level than the PV1.  

[Kanoito]

14 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I particularly like how Titleist relegated the Chrome Soft and Z-STAR balls to a different category level than the PV1.  

And Tour B RX

[Invader Zim 315]

13 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I particularly like how Titleist relegated the Chrome Soft and Z-STAR balls to a different category level than the PV1.  

I just don't understand that though...

Titleist is essentially saying this ball is one step down from ProV... the MGS test and everyone in this forum has basically confirmed that Z-Stars are tour level balls

 

Maybe I am biased, but to offer this ball at the same price as the Z-Star makes little to no sense to me, why would anyone switch?

[Kenny B]

7 minutes ago, Zimbo Slice 12 said:

I just don't understand that though...

Titleist is essentially saying this ball is one step down from ProV... the MGS test and everyone in this forum has basically confirmed that Z-Stars are tour level balls

 

Maybe I am biased, but to offer this ball at the same price as the Z-Star makes little to no sense to me, why would anyone switch?

Yep!  That's what I think.  Titleist put this ball one step below PV1, AND says that's where those other tour balls fit.

I wonder if saying that this ball is better than other tour balls, Titleist won't lose some PV1 players to this less expensive ball with tour level performance.

[russtopherb]

$10 more than the Q Star Tour, it'll be interesting to see if it really does outperform it due to it's characteristics. 

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

The alignment arrow looks pretty good, highly visable but not distracting. I will keep an eye out for them.

[fixyurdivot]

MGS Ball Testing Lab review;  https://mygolfspy.com/titleist-tour-speed-golf-ball-2020/

Titleist trying to fill a price point position?  Yesterday I played with a guy who has fallen in love with the Kirkland Performance+ balls.  He is a single digit player, who has mostly played ProV1X but is now convinced these are the best ball for the money.  He did say he gives up a little bit of control on approach to greens but very little. The ball market must be a knife edge one - particularly that middle ground.

[GregGarner]

4 hours ago, Zimbo Slice 12 said:

I just don't understand that though...

Titleist is essentially saying this ball is one step down from ProV... the MGS test and everyone in this forum has basically confirmed that Z-Stars are tour level balls

 

Maybe I am biased, but to offer this ball at the same price as the Z-Star makes little to no sense to me, why would anyone switch?

From a marketing perspective, though, I get it. Srixon isn't really seen as a major player and if you just look at price point, Titleist is going after consumers who shop based on how much it's going to cost. If you say, "this ball is the same price as that other ball over there, but this one is faster," that's pretty effective marketing and it doesn't gobble the ProV1 marketshare, since a lot of guys (myself included) just aren't going to shell out $50 for a tour ball.

[Invader Zim 315]

1 minute ago, greggarner said:

From a marketing perspective, though, I get it. Srixon isn't really seen as a major player and if you just look at price point, Titleist is going after consumers who shop based on how much it's going to cost. If you say, "this ball is the same price as that other ball over there, but this one is faster," that's pretty effective marketing and it doesn't gobble the ProV1 marketshare, since a lot of guys (myself included) just aren't going to shell out $50 for a tour ball.

I guess that's just the upcharge you pay for the Titleist name then.

ProV ($50) vs Z-Star ($40) in the tour category and Tour Speed ($40) vs Q-Star and Q-Star Tour ($30) in the upper mid-market category

I have just always refused to pay that premium just for the name on the cover

[GregGarner]

Just now, Zimbo Slice 12 said:

I guess that's just the upcharge you pay for the Titleist name then.

But it's the #1 ball in golf!

I have a buddy that went through a full ball test and the Bridgestone Tour B X was hands-down the best ball for him. But he absolutely refused to play anything other than ProV1 or ProV1x. He even tried the AVX and said while he liked the performance, it wasn't a ProV1. So even within the Titleist loyal, you have to deal with another subset that are ProV1 loyal!

[TENBUCK]

I will try a sleeve when it come out, however, when I play a ball I look for a certain feel/spin/distance. I know that I can hit certain balls a lot further but they are hard feeling(to me) and really I just don't prefer that feel. Some are just way too soft and I don't play those except in the winter. The rest of the balls I just lump together and play them and weed some out if I don't like certain things about them. This isn't very scientific or brand supportive but for me at least it works. I play to a 13 hdcp. so I'm not that good of a golfer(compared to some on here), and yes I still manage to slice and hit squirrely shots so I don't think that ball type will magically help me there. I currently play Wilson Professional, QST, Tour Response, Tour Soft, and a couple of weird ones strictly because of feel/distance...AVX, TP5

[DiscipleofPenick]

I just switched from the PV1 to ZStar, so it's going to take a lot to get me to switch back. Though if this is a firm ball at the "tour level" I'm interested. The Tour Soft was a disappointment.

And also isn't this level already home to the AVX??

Take Dead Aim

[ChitownM2]

My guess is that this ball is intended for people who don't really follow equipment/balls that closely and don't want to pay for Pro V's.  I guess we'll have to see if there is a full review/comparison, but I'd bet that these will perform worse than the options from Bridgestone and Srixon at about the same price. For people in the know, there doesn't seem to be any upside here other than the titleist name. 

[HAC]

On 8/5/2020 at 3:05 PM, Zimbo Slice 12 said:

I guess that's just the upcharge you pay for the Titleist name then.

ProV ($50) vs Z-Star ($40) in the tour category and Tour Speed ($40) vs Q-Star and Q-Star Tour ($30) in the upper mid-market category

I have just always refused to pay that premium just for the name on the cover

This understates the price differences as Srixon balls are often on sale.  In June, I got two dozen Z Stars for $20 a dozen as part of their BOGO sale.

[HAC]

On 8/6/2020 at 4:04 PM, Tsmithjr9 said:

I just switched from the PV1 to ZStar, so it's going to take a lot to get me to switch back. Though if this is a firm ball at the "tour level" I'm interested. The Tour Soft was a disappointment.

And also isn't this level already home to the AVX??

Take Dead Aim
 

That is a question I had.  How is this new ball different from the AVX.

[ZenGolfer]

$40 a dozen though.  I'll keep my Maxfli Tours and Spalding SD Tours.

[chipyips]

How does the Titleist Tour Speed compare to Taylormade Tour Reponse.  Both a tier down than their big brother golf ball in their respective brands.

[TxTwinDad+2]

This summer I started  playing the Srixon QStar Tour and was really liking them. I saw the Tour Speed at my local range and decided to give them a try. So far I'm  really like liking the ball its a little longer than the Srixon, plays really well around the green I usually get 6"-12" of roll out after it hits. Previously my ball of choice was Snell but I decided to try something different to see if there was a ball around same price point that I could get locally. After saying all of that i'd have to say I am torn between going back to Snell or starting to play the Tour Speed. 

[KurtActual]

Decided to try these out. Just from my garage hitting bay, all I can say is holy smokes they come off hot. Even on the putter, they seem to really jump off the face. 

Will be playing a round with them today. Will try and follow up with distance and spin feedback.

[KurtActual]

Great spin and distance, but the covers cut easily.


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[KurtActual]

Just realized how poorly focused that pic is. Maybe this will show the deep cut better.



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