The golf ball is only piece of equipment you use on every shot, so choosing a ball that builds confidence and consistency will ultimately lead to you lowering your scores. So have Titleist got it right with the new Tour Soft in terms of all-around performance? The Titleist Tour Soft golf ball replaces its predecessor the NXT and continues the trend in ball technology as manufacturers strive to make the cores as big as possible and the cover thin and soft to effectively produce a long ball that has a lot of grip. However soft doesn’t always mean control so let’s see how this new ball from Titleist stacks up against the Pro V1.
Titleist Tour Soft vs. Pro V1 – So, which golf ball is better for your game? If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Titleist Pro V1 that delivers comparable ball attributes, sadly the Tour Soft is not for you. Although cheaper, better golfers will be disappointed with the overall stopping power and high ball flight. Pro V1 still delivers a superior performing ball. Below we will look at this in more depth.
Read also: Titleist Pro V1 vs Pro V1X
Titleist Tour Soft vs. Titleist Pro V1: Comparison Table
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Titleist Tour Soft Review
Pros
- Good Distance
- Price
- High ball flight for extra carry
Cons
- Iron shots not as penetrating
- Lacks greenside feel
- Could feel too soft for some players
Review
The Titleist Tour Soft golf ball is constructed with Titleist’s largest core ever, to provide excellent distance comparable to any distance ball, and a 4CE grafted cover to provide a very responsive feel.
The spherically-tiled 342 cuboctahedron dimple design delivers a consistently high ball flight especially with the driver, whilst spin rates are reduced on longer shots. Around the greens the Tour Soft feels really soft, and delivers adequate spin and control that the mid handicapper will appreciate.
Titleist Pro V1 Review
Pros
- Exceptional feel
- Short-game performance
- Improved distance technology
Cons
- Durability
- Price
- Suited for faster swing speeds
Review
The Titleist Pro V1 still delivers on overall performance and is clearly still the best premium ball on the market.
Extraordinary distance, very low long game spin, and a penetrating ball flight are the reasons better players don’t mind paying top price for the Pro V1. The new 2019 model has been designed to create even more ball speed off the face and more stopping power around the greens.
Titleist Tour Soft vs Titleist Pro V1
Off the tee
Very different flights off the driver with The Pro V1 delivering a more penetrating ball flight that better players with appreciate. The Tour Soft is designed to fly high and maximise carry for slower swing speeds. Both balls offer lower spin rates off the driver and although the Tour Soft does feel incredibly soft, the majority of golfers will still prefer the unmatched feel of the Pro V1.
Distance
For faster swing speeds the Titleist Pro V1 will go further and off every club in the bag. For the mid handicapper with a slower swing speed, the Tour Soft flies higher to promote carry and will add some distance to your game specifically with the driver and utilities.
Feel and greenside control
There isn’t a lot of comparison here as the Pro V1 out performs the Tour Soft in over all grip and stopping power. This is very noticeable when playing wedge shot approaches as the Tour Soft rolls out a lot more in comparison. The Tour Soft certainly feels softer at impact but this doesn’t equate to more spin and control.
Durability
The ProV1’s new cover technology is significantly better than they used to be, and contact marks don’t appear as quickly, but the better player will still probably only get 1 or 2 rounds out of a ball as opposed to around 3 for the Tour Soft which has a slightly more resilient 4CE grafted cover .
Workability
One of the real performance benefits of playing the Titleist Pro V1 is the ability to shape shapes and alter ball flights according the wind. The Tour Soft is more of a control ball designed to deviate less on poorly struck shots and ultimately carry longer because of a much higher ball flight. Because of this the ability to shape a shot is greatly reduced.
Price
Pro V1’s are priced as a premium ball in the top bracket whereas the Tour Soft is top end mid range.
Conclusion
Titleist Tour Soft vs. Titleist Pro V1: And the winner is…
For the golf connoisseur who doesn’t mind paying for the privilege, the Titleist Pro V1 is superior in every way, except in durability and of course price.
Titleist have marketed the Tour Soft to a wider cross over audience than the Pro V1 in terms of ability and is aimed primarily at the mid to low handicapper. At this cross over point, I feel the better player will still prefer the Pro V1 due to much better performance around the greens and overall stopping power.
Although noticeably much softer, the Titleist Tour Soft definitely rolls out more on iron shots and I think players will be disappointed with this, and possibly confused because the ball is so soft. The Tour Soft may suit players who lack swing speed as the lower compression and dimple design promote a higher ball flight and this can be confidence building.
Both balls offer comparable low spin rates from distance and off the tee but overall the better player will still choose the Pro V1.
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