Okay, so I’ve been meaning to do a proper comparison between the Pro V1 and Pro V1x for ages. You hear so many different opinions, and honestly, I just wanted to see for myself what the real difference was on the course.
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed a dozen of each. I wanted fresh balls, no scuffs, no excuses. I also made sure I had a relatively free day at my local course – I didn’t want to rush this.
The Testing Process
I started with my short game. I spent a good hour just chipping and pitching around the practice green. My main focus here was feel and spin. I wanted to see how each ball reacted off my wedges.
- Pro V1: Felt a bit softer, which I liked. Seemed to check up nicely, but I had to be pretty precise with my contact to get that real bite.
- Pro V1x: Definitely felt firmer. It felt like it jumped off the face a little quicker. The spin was there, and it was maybe a touch more consistent, even on slight mishits.
Next up, I moved to the putting green. This was all about feel. I’m a feel putter, so this was big for me.
- Pro V1: Again, softer. That classic Pro V1 feel that everyone talks about. I found it easier to judge distance on longer putts, maybe because I could feel the compression more.
- Pro V1x: Firmer, a more distinct “click” off the putter face. I could see some people preferring this, especially on faster greens.
After that, I played 9 holes, alternating balls on each hole. I made sure to use the same club off the tee for each ball on comparable holes (e.g., driver on hole 1 with Pro V1, driver on hole 2 with Pro V1x, etc.). I did the same thing with my irons approaching the greens and kept all the notes on my score card.
- Off the Tee: The Pro V1x was noticeably longer for me. I’m not a huge hitter, so this was a pleasant surprise. The Pro V1 felt great, don’t get me wrong, but the extra distance with the Pro V1x was hard to ignore. The Pro V1 might have been a touch straighter, or that might just been my swing that day.
- Iron Play: Here’s where things got interesting. The Pro V1x flew higher, which I liked. It also seemed to hold its line a bit better in the wind. The Pro V1 had that softer feel, which was nice, but I felt like I had to be more dialed in with my distances.
The Result
My take? It really depends on your game. For me, a mid-handicapper, that added distance with the Pro V1x off the tee is great and also gave a bit more height on my approach shots, and a firmer feel on the greens. The Pro V1 has that classic Pro V1 feel that everyone talks about.
I’m going to game the Pro V1x for a while and see how it goes, I’ll probably make an update too.
