The Poor-Man's Pro V1

[JalanK]

Normally, I'd steer clear of this topic, but today I will weigh in. In my opinion, the answer is NO. Ball manufacturers are not going to create a ball that performs like Titleist's Pro V1 line, then sell it for nothing. They might as well burn money. Pro V1s didn't/don't just happen. They are the result of meticulous R&D, which costs $$$. Additionally,  they are constantly being tweaked, in the areas of performance & durability.  Different performance characteristics are test win the lab, on the tour and on the course - witness the current Testers Wanted. Two different balls are being offered to us to test and evaluate. They may make it to the market, they may not. I don't believe any other ball company devotes that much time energy and resources to their product. The closest thing to a poor man's pro V1 is, IMHO, an older version of the ball, which can be bought on the internet for a reasonable price. 

I AM NOT SAYING other companies don't produce quality balls; they do, indeed. One of which just might be the better ball for you. I am saying Titleist takes their ball R&D and Marketing to another level. I've played the Kirkland 4 piece, the TP5, and others, and loved them. However, I feel I get much more from the Pro V1, without having to make trade-offs (other than price - but, hey! I'm really good at sussing out great buys on new Pro V1.s).

I'd recommend you take your swing to a reliable ball fitter and get his/her input. Then try other balls. 

FYI The Pro V1x is the only Titleist product in my bag. I've had others, but I've found brands that provide more of what I need/want is those areas than Titleist does. Their apparel? That's another topic all together. I love their clothing, too!

 

[Middler]

^^^ I don’t disagree with your POV, while there are several world class tour balls, by all accounts Titleist makes the most consistent tour ball. But in that $49/dozen, I wonder how much the customer pays for endorsements? [I searched for income statements but didn’t find one with that kind of detail] It should be possible to make a ball to match Titleist performance and consistency at a (substantially) lower price (without endorsements, marketing, sponsorship, retail support) - as you know that’s what DTC is all about, like Snell. They haven’t done it yet, but maybe they will in time…

[ZenGolfer]

8 hours ago, MrShowbiz999 said:

Greetings, fellow Spyers . . . 

So my game is improving (hit my first 230yd drive on Father's Day!) however my ability to lose a ridiculous amount of golf balls in any given round remains the same!

I play red and yellow golf balls so it's easier for me to find and ID mine on the course, and have been playing the Srixon Soft Feel, Bridgestone e6 Soft, and the Taylor Made Soft Response (I am a 59yo "beginner") Played my first Pro V1's this weekend (courtesy of my son-in-law) and was wondering if there was such a thing as the "Poor-Man's" Pro V1 so I can play those and am not throwing away $50-$100 per round (yes, I lost 2dz golf balls in the high weeds this weekend.)

Thanks All . . .

Snell MTB, Vice Pro, Cut (Red?) and Maxfli Tour are all what I would call a poor man's Pro V1.  They perform almost exactly the same as a Pro V and cost about $25 a dozen.  Ive been playing the Maxfli Tour for the past year, Ive played Pro V1s in the past and I honestly cant tell the different from a Pro V1 to the Maxfli.

[Tyler86]

I wish there was someone loosing 2 dozen proVs at my course! Kirkland 3 piece are fantastic balls if you never play one long enough to wash them.

[MrShowbiz999]

10 minutes ago, Tyler86 said:

I wish there was someone loosing 2 dozen proVs at my course! Kirkland 3 piece are fantastic balls if you never play one long enough to wash them.

The funny thing is, as this course was killer with HIGH grass, we found lots of Pro V1's that other unfortunate souls like us were losing. My son played the entire day (after the first hole) with Pro V1's he found.

[Headhammer]

Honestly, if you are losing 12-24 balls per round now is not the time for new balls. Buy some gently used balls or some cheap WalMart balls until you can keep it under 4-5 lost per round then start to experiment with high dollar distance or feel balls. We've all been where you are now and for me Spaulding X-Outs were my ball of choice when I was just learning. 

[russtopherb]

I'm still good for a lost 3-4 balls per round and I stick with the sub $30/doz balls. I've tried playing with ProV1s and I honestly do not notice enough of a difference to justify the price of those vs Duo Soft, Bridgestone e6/e12, Srixon Q Star, etc. If I were in the OP's shoes I'd grab a bunch of Top Flite Hammer Controls on sale at Dicks and go have fun. I speak from experience, because I've done the same! 

[MrShowbiz999]

Thank you, everyone, for your input. It confirms my thoughts, which is at this time I really gain nothing with Pro V1's (original or clones) and sticking with the one's I'm playing - and even adding back into my ball rotation the Wilson DUO's, is the best bet until I gain some better control or I win the lottery LOL! 

My pulling the DUO's out of my bag was because of the very low compression and the recommendation from the driver manufacturer to use a higher compression ball, but maybe that doesn't have to be the case? Anyone interested in buying four dozen brand new Optix Yellow DUO's? 

[russtopherb]

2 minutes ago, MrShowbiz999 said:

Thank you, everyone, for your input. It confirms my thoughts, which is at this time I really gain nothing with Pro V1's (original or clones) and sticking with the one's I'm playing - and even adding back into my ball rotation the Wilson DUO's, is the best bet until I gain some better control or I win the lottery LOL! 

My pulling the DUO's out of my bag was because of the very low compression and the recommendation from the driver manufacturer to use a higher compression ball, but maybe that doesn't have to be the case? Anyone interested in buying four dozen brand new Optix Yellow DUO's? 

To be blunt, the manufacturer's recommendation means very little when it comes to your specific game and how you feel about the balls you're playing. If you enjoy playing the DUO and don't notice any appreciable distance loss or concerns vs. other balls, then by all means keep playing them. 

[ChuckZ]

If you are loosing balls at that rate, does it really matter the quality of the ball.  First thing you need to do, with respect, is to hit the ball and control it.  If I were you, again with all due respect, I would go to Walmart and purchase the cheapest ball you can find, and they do have refinished golf balls for under ten dollars and some are even Titleist and play those.  I would take that $100 a round you are wasting in lost golf balls and see a teacher and make golf more enjoyable.  If you are loosing two dozen a round, you are costing yourself at least 48 strokes a round, minimum.  Lessons, lessons, lessons then worry about the type of golf ball.  Vice and Kirkland are not comparable to Prov1s, just cheaper.  Kirkland at one time made a good ball, but changed molds and now, well not so good.  There are a lot of wannabe Titleist balls, but they cannot backup the R&D, the performance, the quality and the customer service.  I was fitted for them years ago and have never looked back.  I also saw an instructor to get my game in line over the past few years, once I retired and made a big difference.  Saw him this week for a few tweaks.  Am 75 and the best I can get the ball out there is 230+.  I bet if I took the markings off a dozen different balls and let you hit them, you could not tell the difference on the driving range.  Just saying.  Once you game got down to a single digit, you probably could.  With respect to you game, hope you find what you are looking for.  Follow that dream.  Cheers, CZ        

[KCEE]

Even though I don't lose a lot of balls, I like the Maxfli Tour balls for a bargain "tour" ball.  They always seem to be available at 2 for $55 and the $10 DSG credits are easy to come by.  I like some of the other big name tour balls a bit better, but not enough to justify the price....and when I play a ProV it doesn't seem to help my score.  

I definitely want a urethane cover on my ball.  I did really like the Kirkland 4-piece ball, but found the original 3-piece to be short hitting.  I haven't tried the latest Kirkland ball yet, but I hear it is better and the price is certainly good.  I like Snell also, but they weren't always available this year.

[ChuckZ]

2 minutes ago, ChuckZ said:

If you are loosing balls at that rate, does it really matter the quality of the ball.  First thing you need to do, with respect, is to hit the ball and control it.  If I were you, again with all due respect, I would go to Walmart and purchase the cheapest ball you can find, and they do have refinished golf balls for under ten dollars and some are even Titleist and play those.  I would take that $100 a round you are wasting in lost golf balls and see a teacher and make golf more enjoyable.  If you are loosing two dozen a round, you are costing yourself at least 48 strokes a round, minimum.  Lessons, lessons, lessons then worry about the type of golf ball.  Vice and Kirkland are not comparable to Prov1s, just cheaper.  Kirkland at one time made a good ball, but changed molds and now, well not so good.  There are a lot of wannabe Titleist balls, but they cannot backup the R&D, the performance, the quality and the customer service.  I was fitted for them years ago and have never looked back.  I also saw an instructor to get my game in line over the past few years, once I retired and made a big difference.  Saw him this week for a few tweaks.  Am 75 and the best I can get the ball out there is 230+.  I bet if I took the markings off a dozen different balls and let you hit them, you could not tell the difference on the driving range.  Just saying.  Once you game got down to a single digit, you probably could.  With respect to you game, hope you find what you are looking for.  Follow that dream.  Cheers, CZ        

The only ball in my bag is the Prov1.  Based on performance and my ability.  I sometimes will play a ball two to three rounds.    

[MrShowbiz999]

7 minutes ago, ChuckZ said:

If you are loosing balls at that rate, does it really matter the quality of the ball.  First thing you need to do, with respect, is to hit the ball and control it.  If I were you, again with all due respect, I would go to Walmart and purchase the cheapest ball you can find, and they do have refinished golf balls for under ten dollars and some are even Titleist and play those.  I would take that $100 a round you are wasting in lost golf balls and see a teacher and make golf more enjoyable.  If you are loosing two dozen a round, you are costing yourself at least 48 strokes a round, minimum.  Lessons, lessons, lessons then worry about the type of golf ball.  Vice and Kirkland are not comparable to Prov1s, just cheaper.  Kirkland at one time made a good ball, but changed molds and now, well not so good.  There are a lot of wannabe Titleist balls, but they cannot backup the R&D, the performance, the quality and the customer service.  I was fitted for them years ago and have never looked back.  I also saw an instructor to get my game in line over the past few years, once I retired and made a big difference.  Saw him this week for a few tweaks.  Am 75 and the best I can get the ball out there is 230+.  I bet if I took the markings off a dozen different balls and let you hit them, you could not tell the difference on the driving range.  Just saying.  Once you game got down to a single digit, you probably could.  With respect to you game, hope you find what you are looking for.  Follow that dream.  Cheers, CZ        

ChuckZ:

As I have said, I have been taking lessons and my game has vastly improved. While my drive is on the slower side, I actually hit a bullet straight down the fairway for 230 yds - a BIG number for me. Until I get to the point of being able to play these championship level courses with better control, cost is a factor. As a side note, I played a couple weeks ago and lost maybe 4 - 6 balls over 18 holes on a more forgiving course.

[DechamBRO]

I really like the snell mtb black and the vice pro. My favorite right now might actually be the taylormade tour response. Much softer, but feels great of the clubs, urethane cover so spins great.

[JohnP]

Try the MG C4 golf ball   Only $19.99 per dozen 

[peteco]

3 hours ago, russtopherb said:

I'm still good for a lost 3-4 balls per round and I stick with the sub $30/doz balls. I've tried playing with ProV1s and I honestly do not notice enough of a difference to justify the price of those vs Duo Soft, Bridgestone e6/e12, Srixon Q Star, etc. If I were in the OP's shoes I'd grab a bunch of Top Flite Hammer Controls on sale at Dicks and go have fun. I speak from experience, because I've done the same! 

Top Flite Hammers for me. Buy a stock of them when on sale, less than $1 a ball. Maybe someday when I get to the mid teens (I hope) I will upgrade to something better. But they work great for me at this point.

[Wedgie]

Just now, peteco said:

Top Flite Hammers for me. Buy a stock of them when on sale, less than $1 a ball. Maybe someday when I get to the mid teens (I hope) I will upgrade to something better. But they work great for me at this point.

The TF Hammer used to be the D2 Feel. I shot the second best round of my life with that ball. My best was with a Duo. When you are ready to upgrade balls just go back to Dick's and try the TF Gamer. It's a little longer than the Hammer and provides more spin.

[korsmot]

Lots of good advice here.  The Direct to Consumer is the way to go unless you are a single digit hcp anyway.  I play vice pro soft and hit it just as far as pro V1.  I chose the pro soft vice the pro because it has a little better stopping power with the approach irons.  They have mixed pack that you can try a few different models.  At less than $30 per dozen, pretty good (have to buy 5 dozen).  Kirkland signature is the best value, super cheap and decent ball.  Probably 80% as good at a tour level ball.  I believe that Vice and Snell are probably 95% as good as ProV1 for 1/2 the price.  

[DONDC1958]

 As has been mentioned by many, the Kirkland is a decent ball especially for the price. I have been using the Oncore Elixr and find that it performs very well against the ProV1x (my preferred ball). And they just had a Father's Day sale, buy 2 get one free, which worked out to $60 for 3 dozen. You could also the the Oncore Avant 55.

 

[JoshDay]

It's tough to find a quality ball that may feel similar for less than$30 a dozen. My suggestion would be the Srixon Q-Star. They do a yellow for sure, and maybe an orange/yellow too.