NCG TESTS: Titleist Velocity ball

AT the official media launch of Titleist’s 2012 range, head of ball R&D Bill Morgan explained the design process behind the new Velocity.

“I gave the guys [his R&D team] two instructions,” he said.

“I want serious distance, but with 90 compression – I don’t want a rock.”

The team got to work and, astonishingly, the early prototypes were so fast that they had to be redesigned five times before they conformed to the rules. Morgan claimed that the ball’s compression – the same as a Pro V1 – meant it would maintain ‘playable feel’ but I was far from convinced.

How wrong I was.
The early prototypes were so fast that they had to be redesigned five times before they conformed to the rules. I’ve now played three rounds with the Velocity and can’t praise it highly enough – it is seriously quick off the face and doesn’t feel anything like a rock-hard range ball.

Indeed, on all full shots the feel is more than acceptable.

The only issue is the sound, which is quite clicky. This is because of the firm cover, which also reduces spin.

That’s not to say you won’t be able to stop it – I never had trouble – but don’t expect it to dance around on the greens like a Pro V1.

I suspect this ball will work best for mid-to-high handicappers looking to squeeze extra yards off the tee, but also think it is the perfect winter ball for better players when soft greens mean you don’t lose out on any spin.

Try it out with the double-digit numbers, which are really cool!