2013 Titleist Prototype Ball

[SPY ZINGER]

A trip to the mailbox is always better when it contains 2013 Titleist prototype golf balls!

 

Excited to have received them with time still on the clock in Minnesota.

 

I started this thread to discuss the playability if you received them as well.

 

First round with them will be this Sunday & Monday.

 

Attached are a couple pics:

 

[Ice]

I'm on a bazillion different Titleist mailing lists and Team Titleist and all that but I never get these. It sucks.

 

Could it be the new ProV1 with a red number to disguise it? Or maybe it 's the 1x.

[RoverRick]

I did not receive any yet, but two years ago I got some that turned out to be what is now the Velocity ball. Titleist will not tell you what ball it is going to be because they want your "impartial" opinion. I do not know if I will get them this year or not. I am not as active as I used to be on the Titleist site. Unlike here, they filter every response and reply. So to have a conversation it takes days.

 

The dimples on this ball in the pictures look more like a DT Solo than a Pro V1.

 

EDIT: After further review I take back that statement.

[SPY ZINGER]

Just doing some bouncing off wedges and the floor in my basement, the cover feels a little firm for a ProV1...but we'll see on course. I've played the same ball all year (Callaway iZ) so it will be an easy comparison.

[Jgolf]

My initial impression was that they were slightly softer than the old ProV... I'll have to play with them some more. It's always nice to get a surprise package in the mail!

[Tyk]

I just got these today. My initial impression is these are way to clicky for a pro v1.

[Will Par]

I didn't get any (yet) but new ProV1 and ProV1x prototype balls were given to Titleist players at Las Vegas this week. You would think that since they are also sending these prototypes out at the same time that these would be the new version of the ProV1 and ProV1x that will be coming out next year.

[RoverRick]

I didn't get any (yet) but new ProV1 and ProV1x prototype balls were given to Titleist players at Las Vegas this week. You would think that since they are also sending these prototypes out at the same time that these would be the new version of the ProV1 and ProV1x that will be coming out next year.

 

 

Not necessarily, Titleist can get the pros to test Pro V1s on tour however, they can not get them to test out the new DTs or NXTs or Velocity's. They need ametuer help to do that.

[xxio]

Should be easy enough to tell if it is the ProV or a lower level ball.

 

The ProV (and X) are the only urethane balls in the Titleist line up. Urethane balls vs others are easily enough distinguished by looks or even by trying to dig a fingernail into the cover.

[Will Par]

Titleist introduced the new Velocity and updated the NXT line last February. It was Feb 2011 when they last updated the ProV1 line. It appears to me that Titleist is on the same 2 year cycle for ball upgrades that they use for drivers. New drivers every two years in November, new balls every year in February with ProV1 line and the NXT and Velocity line each having a two year period before upgrading. That would make next Feb.(2013)the release date for the new ProV1's, with NXT and Velocity due for new versions in Feb. 2014.

[SPY ZINGER]

Had a chance to play the sleeve today, and I am pretty sure it is the upgraded ProV1. The spin and control around the greens, as well as off the putter, leads me to believe it is a premium ball.

[revkev]

As I'll be looking for a ball to play in two years - God willing - I'm anxious to hear what guys thing of these.

[RoverRick]

I took back the statement about the dimples looked like the DT Solo. Clearly, this is a different dimple pattern than the last Pro V1. It is difficult to tell but there are some smaller dimples mixed in with the larger ones and I can not tell the pattern in those pictures. Of course, that would only tell me it is different which would not be a shock. The pattern of the dimples change every two years which is one of the things that makes the ball go farther.

 

[Will Par]

I received a sleeve of these test balls today. Mine have the black number. I normally play the ProV1 and list the ProV1 as my preferred ball on the Team Titleist website. The dimples on these test balls match exactly the dimples on the ProV1 balls I've been playing.

[SPY ZINGER]

The cover on those looks a little more muted. I currently play the Callaway iZ and these balls reacted similar around the greens and off the putter. But did not have the spin or feel of the iS. It was at best 50* yesterday with up to 20 MPH winds, so not the most ideal conditions to assess a ball, that's for sure.

 

Will, I can't find my enclosed form at the moment, but did your URL include a V2 towards the end...guessing yours possibly has something else like a V1...to differentiate the surveys for the balls then.

[Will Par]

My URL ends with Prototype1. There is a /s3/ in the middle of the URL. I'm guessing the survey will ask what type of ball is currently being played and used for comparison to the test ball. I don't know how they track who gets what type of ball. Maybe, as you speculated, they know based on the URL for the survey. I'm scheduled to play on Thursday and I'll try out one of the test balls during that round.

[Walkerjames]

Mine feel really firm off the putter (in the living room) but ill try them sat on the course

[JMiller]

I'm on a bazillion different Titleist mailing lists and Team Titleist and all that but I never get these. It sucks.

 

Could it be the new ProV1 with a red number to disguise it? Or maybe it 's the 1x.

 

I got them back in 2010 right around the end of the season,first year of groove rule changes so i assume they were testing different things about the ball for that reason.

[fozcycle]

I love Christmas! Not only is it my birthday, but also a day that brings gifts.....Like Yesterday.

 

Upon returning home from a hard day at the office, I also received a sleeve of the Titleist test balls. I tested a sleeve last year that were most definitely the NXT's, and later received a complimentary two ball pack of the NXT Tour & NXT Tour S. I expect these to be ProV1's.

 

Can't test them this weekend as I have a two day tournament to run & participate in.

 

However, I will be testing these babies shortly.

[RedPanda]

I received mine this week and hope to get out to "run the test". I have the black numbers.

[TWShoot67]

Black # is pro v's and Red # is the Pro Vx. When you fill out which ball you prefer to test or ball that you usually play they (Titleist) send the prototype of that said ball.

[Dean D]

I have only putted with mine but will play Monday--did you notice they are more "white" than the Pro V1 or the Pro V1x's. They feel a little softer on the sweet spot of my Ping Ally putter and sound "richer". I have the red numbers.

[Peach]

I got a sleeve with the black number...feels like ProV1 and had the spin of a ProV1. Felt like the ball flew just a shade further and with less spin on driver shots. Mid irons had decent spin. Short irons and chipping/pitching the spins was again decent.

 

To me, last years model actually had more zip on the greens than this does, but then again, this was only one round of testing in cooler temps (50) with a slight breeze.

[Sinister]

I received the black numbers test ball. It sounded a little clicky when putting but after being hit a few times the clickyness went away. Not sure why they were sent to me but I did answer a survey a few weeks ago which must have been on the titleist web site. I have been playing the prov1 recycled balls from knet golf. The test ones seemed better around the greens. I chipped in a birdie on a par three over a bunker. Hope it continues!

[Will Par]

Played 18 holes today with one of my test balls (black number). I feel certain this is the ProV1 and my first impression is that it's an improvement over the current ProV1. I like this ball better off the driver... seems to have a little less spin. I've always felt the ProV1 normally spins a little too much off the tee. Ball feels really solid and good off the irons. And it is really solid and flies well when hitting a hybrid. I hit a wedge shot that landed, hopped forward, and then spun back just as you would expect from a premium ball.

 

I didn't really get a good test of how it plays on short shots around the green. I had a really good day tee to green hitting every fairway and 14 greens in regulation. I hit mediocre pitch shots on the four greens I missed so I can't make a judgement on ball performance from those few pitch shots. But I don't have any reason to think the ball will perform any differently than you would expect from a ProV1 on pitches and chips.

[Becu_Ping]

I received mine a few days ago. Played one today for a few holes. It is definitely a premium ball. Unbelievable on putts regarding holding line on breaks. Its soft, not mushy (I use milled stainless steel face ANSER types). I loved the short flop shots with it, checked about like a PRO V1, maybe like NXT TOUR S. I compared it today to Bridgestone 330 RX and Nike 2011xi. I would take this prototype on putting all day over the other two, its still too early to make the call on chipping, pitching and flop shots. Plan to evaluate mid iron/hybrid shots in next few days, then fairway woods/driver next week. I really think the golf ball company's need to do more trials to the general golf public like this. I mean we can all get launch monitor stats and that is very good. But in play, in real conditions, we need live comparisons and I am glad I am getting a chance to test and provide feedback. Enjoy reading everyones comments on this review. Thanks

[Tbone67]

I too received my test balls this week and tested them yesterday. I noticed it has a softer feel than the Pro V1x, and was 8-10 yards longer with my irons. I do think the Pro V's spin better on the green, more testing to come. I

[SPY ZINGER]

I too received my test balls this week and tested them yesterday. I noticed it has a softer feel than the Pro V1x, and was 8-10 yards longer with my irons. I do think the Pro V's spin better on the green, more testing to come. I

Which color were the numbers?

[curtis1682]

played with the prototype balls today and copared to the b330 rx they held there own. had too much driver spin. oh by the way my test run had black numbers

[Will Par]

Since this is the first time I've received test balls, I've got several questions. I'm wondering if we ever find out for certain exactly what ball we received? Is it certain that the black number ball is the new ProV1 and the red number test ball is the new ProV1x? Are these the final version of the new balls Titleist will release in February, or do they tweak them again based on feedback from the tour players? I'm guessing this is the final version.

 

And while I'm sure they have some method of evaluating the survey responses, I'm thinking they send these test balls out more as a promotion of the Titleist brand than to collect survey data. If they really analyze feedback, I'm thinking they primarily use feedback from their tour players.

 

(I was involved with compiling the results of a corporate survey once, and top management seemed have very little interest in it... which was not surprising. When you get a large number of replies, a high majority of those replies are positive and it's almost impossible to isolate any useful information from the survey. I'm sure Titleist already knows from computer simulations exactly how the balls perform in different conditions.)