You Need to Consider This Non-Pro V1 Titleist Golf Ball

Golfers everywhere believe they have hit a certain point in their game when they start playing a Titleist Pro V1. It is the most notable ball out there, the most frequently used on TOUR, and the cream of the crop in terms of that one piece of equipment everyone uses during every shot.

That does not mean it is the best ball for you and your game. The Pro V1 is a high short game spin, medium flight ball with a soft feel, and other variations, like the Pro V1x and Pro V1x Left Dash, increase launch and provide a firmer feel.

However, just because professionals use it and because it is the most-used ball on TOUR does not mean you should. You might be sacrificing strokes simply because you want to say, “I play a Pro V1.” Let’s face it: what is cooler? Saying, “I play a Pro V1,” or “I shot my new personal best today”?

Enter the Titleist AVX. Incited by a post by MyGolfSpy, I felt compelled to write a piece highlighting how it improved my game this year and why it is the ball I play exclusively.

Switched to it this year, best thing I did

— Joey Klender (@KlenderJoey) September 8, 2024

For the past few years, I’ve experimented with various golf balls. I played Pro V1, Pro V1x, TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x, Callaway Chrome Soft, Chrome Tour, and Supersoft. All these balls had distinct advantages and disadvantages, but I still felt as if something was genuinely missing with each.

What I Noticed

With each of these balls, I never considered that I was hurting my game by using them. I always preferred something with a softer feel, but I truly enjoyed being able to control my spin around the greens. I always felt that was more important, but I was also the shortest hitter in my group repeatedly, not by much. However, I never understood why I couldn’t quite get the length my playing partners had.

After being fit by Titleist in May 2023, I realized I was a high-spin player. I was fitted for a low-launch, low-spin shaft in my irons, woods, and driver. But after my fitting, I still was not getting the ball down as much, despite striking the ball solid and playing better golf than I ever had.

This is when I started considering my ball might be the problem.

Enter the AVX

I heard rumblings about the AVX late last year. One of my best friends said he had played with someone who admitted the AVX had transformed their game. He talked about a “marshmallow” feel, and I became immediately interested because I’ve always preferred that in a golf ball. I knew it would sacrifice spin, so I never pulled the trigger.

One day, I decided to give it a go. Even my girlfriend said, “That’s not the box you usually grab,” to which I replied I was making a change. 

Credit: Golf Monthly

From my first experience with the AVX, I felt a tremendous difference.

The Differences

Feel

First off is the feel. The AVX is an incredibly soft ball that offers that compression feel that a golfer chases after with almost every shot — even mishits. While this is more of a preference, there are things about the AVX that revolutionized my game.

Low Long-Game Spin

I needed a low-spin ball that helped me off the tee. I went from one of the shortest hitters in my group to one of the longest. Of course, this depends on how I swing my driver that day, but I have routinely outdriven some of my playing partners with a three-wood since I switched to the AVX.

I have also gotten more consistent with spin rates and gotten spin down to levels where they should be. This has helped me gain 8-11 yards per club, giving me a higher GIR percentage, and has brought me down into the low 80s for most of my rounds.

Low Ball Flight

Low, piercing ball flights should be expected with the AVX. This helps to cancel out those of us who get too much launch, which inevitably costs us distance.

More Confidence

Playing with a ball that lets you know what to expect makes you more confident and lowers your scores. With other balls, I was unsure what the feel would be like because it was entirely dependent on how good the contact was. As a casual player, ball striking simply is too much of a variant to expect middle-of-the-clubface contact every time.

There are Drawbacks

You need to know some things about the AVX, and you should expect them.

Short Game Spin is Lacking

The AVX does not have the same greenside response or short-game spin as the Pro V1 or Pro V1x, so that should be accounted for. This is not to say that I have not had some balls stick when pitching or chipping from 100 yards inward.

However, it is much less likely that you will be able to expect the AVX to get sticky on the greens. I tend to expect more rollouts from the AVX. It has made me transform my short game into a bump-and-run instead of a more aggressive tactic, especially around the greens.

Where to Buy the Titleist AVX

The Titleist AVX is available in any store that sells golf equipment. It will be a green, glossy box located near the Pro V1s you usually buy.

They cost anywhere from $44.99 to $49.99.

Cover Image via Joey Klender