Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x Review: Has the GOAT been knocked off its perch?

Titleist's Pro V1 golf ball needs no introduction. It's the holy grail of pills: the ball you dream of finding in the long-grass despite the fact that, unless you play off a single-figure handicap, you're more than likely to lose it just as quickly as the last poor sucker did. 

The Pro V1, alongside its twin brother in the Pro V1x, is the most popular ball on tour, the most expensive mass-market ball around, and if you ask most people, the best golf ball money can buy.

But is that last statement really still the case?

For some time now, plenty of brands have been catching up with Titleist, employing four and even five-piece constructions to produce balls that challenge the Pro V1 in terms of feel, ball speed and and spin. The TaylorMade TP5/TP5x, Callaway Chrome Tour and Srixon Z-Star all have cult followings both on tour and at an amateur level, while new entries like Mizuno's Pro X and Pro S are also worthy of consideration given the lower price tag.

So with this in mind, GolfMagic Equipment Editor Tom Usher stacked the the Pro V1 and Pro V1 back up against the stiffest competition possible in our big golf ball test of 2025, to see just how it performed against the contenders.

Looks and feel

The Titleist Pro V1 remains about the most recognisable ball there is, even from a distance away. There's the classic choice of white or yellow finishes, Titleist's iconic scrawled logo, and the black or red lettering that instantly gives it away as either a Pro V1 or Pro V1x. 

The Pro V1 or Pro V1x construction is made clear in the low-profile alignment aid along the side. Overall, it makes for a simple, minimalist design that we don't expect to change any time soon, and minimises distractions at address—although it's worth noting that an enhanced alignment option is also now available with a more prominent aid.

As ever, Titleist's Pro V1 remains the softer of the two—the larger, more supple core enhancing compression and providing a more supple sense of feedback from tee to green. The Pro V1x is slightly firmer to help faster swingers really get the most out of it, something we found became particularly noticeable on shorter chip shots and putts.

Technology and features

Titleist's updates to the Pro V1 and Pro V1x models have always been more incremental than revolutionary—an approach that hasn't changed much with the 2025 option, although there are multiple updates to be aware of. 

The brand's goal with the 2025 variant of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x was to make it higher-spinning around the greens without affecting the reliable trajectory both balls are renowned for. As such, both have a variant of the high-gradient cores made popular in the Pro V1 left-dash models last year—the four-piece Pro V1x having the high-gradient dual core to maximise ball speed.

The ProV1 gets a new 388 tetrahedral dimple design to keep the ball flight consistent and penetrating, while the ProV1x retains the older model's 348 tetrahedral dimple design to help produce a higher trajectory while the updated core minimises driver spin.

Beyond the core and new dimple patterns, much is the same as before in both models. Both have Titleist's high-flex casing layer to maximise ball speed and lower driver spin, and both boast the brand's softest Urethane Elastomer Cover for enhanced greenside spin.

Performance

Titleist's Pro V1 is designed to be the most controllable golf ball on the market around the greens, while the Pro V1x is intended to provide the distance and workability needed from the game's most powerful hitters of the ball. Suffice it to say that in our test, both balls do their jobs as well as they ever have.

The Pro V1 is among the most spinny balls around, generating wedge spin well past 5700rpm. What aids the overall sense of control you get with the Pro V1, however, is the slightly taller ball flight and steeper descent angle, both of which work together to generate best-in-class stopping power on approach shots.

The Pro V1x, meanwhile, is in our estimation still the fastest mass-market ball on the market. Our ball speeds during testing topped out at 153mph, the Pro V1x generating slightly more driver spin than its two main rivals, but besting them all the same in terms of launch and carry.

Out on the course, we found the Pro V1 and Pro V1x both provide the classic experience we've come to expect from both models. The Pro V1, we feel, provides a combination of spin, softness and power that'll probably suit a wider-range of golfers who prefer a softer-feeling ball, whereas the low-spinning, firmer-feeling Pro V1x will really come into its own when played by a very low-handicapper who can make the best use of its firmer core.

Testing Data Summary

Should you buy the Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x Golf Balls?

If you're a Titleist loyalist and well-versed in playing their most high-end balls, there's very little here to suggest you shouldn't stay on the path-well-trodden.

The Pro V1 and Pro V1x both deliver performance among the best in their class for the respective needs they fill. The ProV1x still generates industry-leading ball speed and distance, while the ProV1 is among the best-performing balls on the market around the greens.

If you're familiar with the fit and feel of these balls, the subtle updates to both models will likely help provide even more of what you love, maximising spin in your short game while producing more consistent ball flight.

Put simply, there's a reason these remain the number one ball on tour.

Verdict

With all this being said, is the Pro V1 still the best golf ball money can buy?

In our opinion, no. While the Pro V1 and Pro V1x both produce raw data that suggests it's a true industry leader, we couldn't shake our preference towards TaylorMade's TP5 in terms of pure feel across the course.

Compared with the Pro V1, the TP5 base model felt softer and more workable to hit both on both full shots and with the putter, with the added feeling that you were able to manipulate it better around the greens. And while the Pro V1x is arguably the longest ball you can buy, it comes with the age-old tradeoff that you pay for it in feedback with the shorter clubs.

While both are still very rightly in the conversation among the best balls you can buy, for us, the TP5 pips the Titleist as the very best out there right now. If you want to stick with a classic, however, you can invest safely in both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x knowing you're you're going to get one of the best golf ball experiences around.