Offering brilliant all-round performance from tee to green, the 2025 Pro V1 is a leading choice for golfers seeking length off the tee, control from the fairway, and stable, powerful ball flights.
Pros
- Soft, responsive feel
- Through the bag performance
- Consistent, stable ball flight
Cons
- Lacked carry distance and short game spin versus Pro V1x
The 2025 Pro V1x brings spin down slightly through the bag from its previous iteration but remains the higher-spinning option of the two 2025 balls, with particularly impressive feel and control when pitching and chipping, and strong, high flights off the tee.
Pros
- Strong ball flight
- Good spin control
- Firm but responsive feel
Cons
- Price might be a stretch
Titleist Pro V1 vs Pro V1x Golf Balls
Technology always changes sport as the years go by, but in the vast majority of cases, the improvements made to the status quo tend to be incremental. But in the Titleist Pro V1 franchise, I’m talking about a product that revolutionized the game. Even if you track golf equipment history all the way back to the days of hickory-shafted niblicks and gutta-percha balls, it’s hard to find a single technological shift that moved the needle as much as the Pro V1 when it was introduced in the year 2000.
Even more remarkably, the Pro V1 series has dominated the golf ball market ever since, from the pro tours all the way down to amateur bags. First mover rarely means market leader, but Titleist continues to set the standard for the best golf balls on the market with the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
However, the very fact that there are two models of this beloved ball can be confusing to some. Many manufacturers offer two (or more) versions of their most premium golf ball, which can muddy the waters if you’re not sure what ball is best for your game. So, in this guide, I’ll be comparing the Titleist Pro V1 and the Pro V1x to help you decide which of the two you should be teeing up.
Technology
It should come as no surprise that each iteration of the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x is the result of an incredible amount of R&D, with 125 patents racked up by the franchise to date. With the 2025 editions of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x, the manufacturer’s focus has been something called the “spin slope”.
This term refers to the fact that balls like the Pro V1 series can lower spin for optimal flights and higher ball speed off the tee, while increasing spin when approaching the green. This is achieved through a combination of a high-gradient core and an amplifying, high-flex casing layer for the long game, and a Urethane Elastomer Cover that boosts greenside spin.
So, if that’s the case, why two models? How and why do they perform differently? Well, the difference between the two is found in layering and dimple design. The Pro V1 is a three-piece ball with a spherically tiled 388 tetrahedral dimple design, while the Pro V1x has 40 fewer dimples and a four-layer construction to promote higher spin and a higher flight than the lower, penetrative Pro V1.
Long game
I’ve always been a Pro V1x user, and my indoor testing of these two balls against their 2023 predecessors bore out my choice. The 2025 Pro V1x has definitely brought my spin down compared to the 2023 model while also getting launch up close to a half degree, and while 3 yards of carry and 4 in total distance is a marginal gain, it’s nothing to be sniffed at.
The Pro V1 brought my spin down even further off the tee, but that means trading a slight loss in carry for a gain in roll-out. That didn’t really work too well when I tested the ball out on the course on a wet, wintry day, but wind was a whole other story - the Pro V1 was really impressive as it cut through the wind, battling both crosswinds and headwinds with ease.
If you play in windy conditions and like a little rollout, the Pro V1 feels like it’s a consistent, reliable option that’s easy to keep in play when the weather’s against you. That being said, I like to see a higher flight with my driver, and the Pro V1x gives me a lot of confidence if there are trees and bunkers I want to launch the ball over.
Irons
I spun the Pro V1 about 200rpm less than the Pro V1x with the driver, and while that stayed the same, the rest of the trends flipped with 7-iron in hand. I found the Pro V1 to be the higher-flying, longer-carrying option of the two with my irons. The Pro V1x kept spin up, but also held its line impressively in crosswinds, really rewarding flushed approach shots.
While I was happy with the X, the Pro V1 really blew me away from the fairway. I felt in complete control of the ball from a variety of distances, and carry distances were very consistent as long as I made good contact. If precision with your irons is one of your main priorities, it may be hard to look past this feature of the Pro V1.
Short game
The level of spin the Pro V1x produces gets higher than the Pro V1 the shorter the shot - full wedges spun around the same, but those half and three-quarter wedge shots allowed me to get really nippy, with about 400rpm on average more spin on what I’d classify as a pitch shot. The Pro V1 isn’t floaty by any means, but it feels like you can really have fun with your wedges when you’re using the Pro V1x, flighting pitch shots down but still making them dance.
The feel of the Pro V1x is also distinct, it’s firm off the face when you chip and putt and produces an audible ‘click’ which a lot of better players prefer. It’s exactly the sort of feedback you want when you nip a little chip shot away, then look up as it really grabs on the third hop.
Conclusion
Saying one of these two Titleist flagship balls does a particular job better than the other needs to be put into context, because make no mistake, these are definitely two of the best golf balls on the market. They’re built to perform to an elite player’s needs in all facets of the game, and choosing between the two is likely to come down to your own personal preferences or the results of a ball fitting.
The Titleist Pro V1x continues to offer me the firm feeling and clicky acoustic that I really like when chipping, and it’s got the sort of solid feel off a putter face that can help you dial in your pace a little quicker. It’s also got the sort of high, strong flight with the driver that gives me a lot of confidence in my ability to carry whatever trouble the course presents me with.
If I were to consider switching to the Titleist Pro V1, it would be thanks to its consistent carry with the irons. I felt right at home with the ball flight from the fairway, which soared but still refused to let the wind affect it too much, and it offered a powerful juxtaposition with the low-spinning, penetrating ball flight off the tee.
Which ball should you choose?
Choose the Pro V1 if…
- You need to hit lower, more penetrating shots off the tee
- You want stability and predictability in the wind
- You enjoy complete control of distance when approaching greens
Choose the Pro V1x if...
- You need a little more spin off the tee and from the fairway
- You really enjoy attacking flags with your distance wedge shots
- You like a firmer feel and more spin around the greens
For more golf ball buying advice, be sure to check out our guides on the best golf balls for high swing speeds, best low spin golf balls and best premium golf balls.
