Review: Titleist AVX golf balls
Titleist AXV golf ball review: The fitting process
My ball fitting started by hitting 50-yard wedge shot so the fitter could get a good idea of how high I hit the ball and how much spin I put on the ball.
I think it was clear at this stage that I hit the ball high with lots of spin.
We then moved to hitting some 7-irons and started to take more of a note of the Trackman numbers.
With the AVX I was spinning the ball less than with the Pro V1 and hitting the ball a little bit lower.
But the spin and descent angle were still very playable with the AVX.
On average I was hitting the AVX about six or yards further too which was interesting.
I honestly couldn’t feel any difference between the two balls but I could see the slightly lower and more penetrating flight with the AVX.
We then hit some shots with the driver and the fitter noticed how my miss was the one that went a bit too high and span too much.
With the AVX my driver performance, on the good shots, was pretty much optimal from a spin and launch point of view.
We then moved to hitting full shots with a pitching wedge into the green to see how the ball reacted.
This was where we saw quite a big difference between the AVX, Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
With the AVX we had a couple of yards more roll out than with the Pro V1 but it was still grabbing to the putting surface nicely.
We also hit a few Pro V1x’s and saw a higher flight with a bit more spin which resulted in more even greater stopping power.
So it was clear to me that there was a tiny bit of control being lost when switching out of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
However, playing into the wind I would feel like I had a bit more control with the AVX due to the lower flight and lower spin.
Titleist AVX golf ball review: Around the greens
Again, there are clear differences here between the AVX and the Pro V1.
The AXV feels softer and it pops up off the wedge with ease which I like.
The Pro V1 has a clickier sound and feel and again looks like it has a bit more spin. The Pro V1x is a lot firmer feeling than the AVX.
I do like that softer feel and it’s what I have got used to this year from playing with the Titleist Tour Soft ball.
There’s also a softer feel with the putter. I felt like I had to hit the Pro V1 a bit harder to get to the hole.
Titleist AVX golf ball review: Out on the course
I played a few holes with both the AVX and the Pro V1 to see if there was a noticeable difference in real-life performance.
On one hole I flew the ball over the green with the AVX when I had what I thought was a good yardage for an 8-iron so it’s something I would have to factor in.
On a hole-by-hole basis it was difficult to say which ball was working best for me.
Titleist AVX golf ball review: NCG verdict
There was a lot of information gathered during the fitting process which made me feel like the AVX was the ball for me.
Lower flight and less spin with the driver, more penetrating flight with my irons without sacrificing control, nice soft feel around the greens.
But the fact that the Pro V1 seems to have a little bit more stopping power means I’m not 100 percent sure yet.
With the Pro V1 I feel like there’s a bigger target for me to hit and still keep the ball on the green.
But if I’m driving the ball a bit further and hitting my irons a bit further with the AVX then I’m going to have a shorter iron in my hand more often than not.
I’ll need to play a few more round to see which is having the most impact on my scores.
The real acid test will be to play a couple of competition rounds with the AVX.
What was clear from my fitting was the fact that I’m definitely a prime candidate for the AVX – it’s ticking a lot of boxes for me.
So if you struggle with a high, spinny miss then the AVX might be right up your street.
It’s just a question of whether the better driver and iron flight helps me shoot better scores than the added spin and control with the Pro V1 might…
Titleist AVX golf balls details
SRP: £52 a dozen
Colours: White and Yellow
Available: July 2, 2018
More information can be found on the Titleist website.
Gear test: Best golf balls 2017
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
