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Titliest released the new version of the ProV1 and ProV1x today and I was lucky enough to have received the test balls prior to the release. I received a sleeve of each ball about 4 months ago and was able to use them for 5 rounds.

First off, I have been a Srixon XV since they first came out in 2011. I have not used a ProV1 for the past few years because I felt they were too spinny and ballooned into the air too easily.  The Srixon XV just worked for my game.

About my game

I am a 5 handicap that plays a whopping 10 times a year and still maintain that handicap after 3 kids and minimal practice.I am a high ball hitter that hits the ball primarily straight or with a slight draw.. I love hitting low punch shots, even driver punch shots even when they don’t call for it.  My biggest strength is driving the ball as I hit it straight and fairly long with a 265 carry and about 15 to 25 yds of roll out so around 280-290 total.  I launch the ball around 13 deg with 2500 rpm which is close to ideal for my 108 to 110 swing speed.  I do not really try to work the ball left to right or right to left on approach shots unless I’m stuck behind a tree.  My putter is also a strength while my current weakness is my short game. I blame this mostly on lack of playing but that’s besides the point.

Comparisons with driver: XV vs ProV1 2013 vs Test ball Prov1 2015 vs Test Ball Prov1X 2014

The XV ball just likes to go straight and is a fantastic wind ball. I couldn’t believe how well it holds its line into crosswinds or straight into the wind and that’s why I got hooked on the ball. Since I do not work that ball that much, its ability to just fly straight was why I switched to this ball.  It is also a very low spinning ball and was/is lower spinning than the ProV1 2013.

Workability from easiest to work to hardest

ProV1 2013

Prov1 2015

Prov1X 2015

Srixon XV

Like I stated earlier I do not really care that much about working the ball so all the balls workability is fine for my game. The older ProV1’s used to be too easy to turn over which is why I went away with using them.  I believe this was due to all the spin they produced.

Spin off Driver from highest to lowest

Prov1 2013

Prov1 2015

Prov1X 2015

Srixon XV

The only real outlier was the ProV1 2013.  The other three balls were very close to each other in terms of spin off the driver.

Trajectory

I had a very difficult time telling the difference in trajectory between the 2015 Prov1 and Prov1X.  The X is billed as slightly higher launching but I couldn’t really tell a difference between the two balls.  The XV flies a tad lower than the 2015 balls while the 2013 ProV1 launched the highest due to more spin.

Irons and 3H

All my iron shots were pretty much stop and drop with irons 5 and up and the trajectories were similarly ranked as my driver.  I did get a little more rollout with the XV on my 4 iron but only by about 1 foot. My 3H flies high and soft so nothing was really different btwn the balls for me.

Chipping and Pitching

This is where I could see a significant difference between the balls.  I’m used to the XV’s release off pitches and chips so I was shocked when I could spin back my 50 yd pitch shots with the 2015 ProV1.  I could not do this to save my life with the XV or the ProV1X 2015 even though the Titleist rep told me that they spin similarly around the green.  I even had a 9 iron bump and run check up with the ProV1 2015 which I did not like but I guess that’s just going to take some time to get used to.  I had really forgotten what great greenside control a ProV1 could give me aside from that quirky 9 iron bump and run.  The 2013 Prov1 also had great spin for pitches but I never spun back any pitches with it. Chipping wise, they all rolled out the same.

Feel

Although I know this is subjective, I’ll rank these from softest to hardest:

Prov1 2013

Prov1 2015

Prov1X 2015

Srixon XV

The Prov1 2015 is a bit harder than the 2013 model while the Prov1X 2015 is a bit softer than the previous model.  The XV and Prov1X actually feel the same to me when it comes to putting/Chipping/Pitching but the XV feels slightly harder off the tee and with irons.  I really liked how the ProV1 didn’t feel like a marshmellow any more.

Putter Feel

See above.

Durability

The old ProV1s were known for cutting very easily and I am pleased to say that the 2015 is much more durable and didn’t show many battle wounds even after a few rounds.  The paint and cover are much more durable than before and are almost as good as the XV in terms of durability.

Most durable to least:

Srixon XV

Prov1/1X 2015

Prov1 2013.

Conclusion

The newest version of the ProV1/1X is a winner.  They got rid of the marshmellow feeling while cutting down the spin off the driver of the Prov1 while maintaining excellent greenside spin. They also improved the durability of the ball which is a big plus in my book since I usually go 18 to 36 holes with one ball.  I could consistently drive the ball the same distance as my XV and the balls didn’t balloon into the wind like before.  There is definitely less of a difference in terms of feel btwn the two new 2015 balls since they made the compressions closer to each other.  For $48 per dozen, they are pricey but I will be going out to get the ProV1 2015 bc I felt like It gave me an advantage around the green without losing any distance off the tee.  Is it miles and away better than the 2013?  Not really but for $8 more I’m willing to pay the $48 for the newer version.  Good luck and happy birdie hunting!