Testing The Titleist AVX Ball

If you live in California, Florida, or Arizona - and have been in a golf shop recently - you may have seen a green colored box of golf balls with the famous Titleist script emblazoned on it. Stop by Dallas Golf's Retail Pro Shop and you will see that same green box. That is the Titleist AVX.

So what is the Titleist AVX? Glad you asked!

The AVX is a brand new ball that Titleist has been testing in select markets. It initially appeared in California, Florida, and Arizona. Most recently it made its way to our great state of Texas.

Dallas Golf has them right now. (Full disclosure, we have a limited supply of them - just 12 dozen!) 

Before our customers scoop them up, we decided to test the ball in-house to help set the expectations for you in terms of performance. 

Specifically, how is the AVX different from a Pro V1 or Pro V1x?

The information Titleist shared with us states the ball has a cast urethane cover (similar to the urethane elastomer cover of the Pro V1 & Pro V1x.) It offers lower launch, lower long game spin and softer compression than the Pro V models. They say the ball is a good fit for a player who prioritizes more distance over ultimate green side control. 

We took the ball into the fitting bay and tested it. 6 shots with driver. 6 shots with the 7-iron. 6 shots with a wedge - trying to hit it 50 yards. 

The data presented is the average of the 4 best shots out of 6. We compared the new Titleist AVX ball with the current model Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

The AVX Verdict with the Driver: About The Same!

With the driver we saw remarkably comparable performance to the standard Pro V1 ball. You will see that the data above shows the Pro V1x to have nearly 3mph greater ball speed, and 300 more RPMs of spin, but this should likely be attributed to my hitting the center of the face just a fraction more accurately during testing. 

We do not necessarily see lower launch or less spin with the AVX. Carry and total distances are all right in line. We see comparable performance to both of the Pro V balls with the AVX.

The AVX Verdict with the Wedge: About The Same!

Titleist says the AVX ball may be a good fit for a player seeking more distance and willing to give up "ultimate" greenside performance. Fortunately for anyone who gets their hands on the AVX, we do not see anything in our data that demonstrates a sacrifice in greenside performance. 

Yes, the ball is the lowest spinning of the 3 with a partial wedge shot, but the difference is only a couple hundred RPMs. That's not much! We don’t find the difference to be statistically significant enough to say you will sacrifice any greenside control. In this case, "about the same" is actually a win!

The AVX Verdict with Irons: Major Distance Gain!

These were full swing 7-iron shots for me. This is where the difference in the AVX golf ball becomes apparent.

The data clearly shows that the AVX ball spins less – about 1000 RPMs less. This is a significant difference. The result is that the AVX ball carries 6 to 8 yards longer than the Pro V1 models tested.

The AVX ball does indeed feel a bit softer than the Pro V1 & Pro V1x, but not significantly so in my opinion. I think this ball would be a great addition for Titleist as it genuinely helps players looking for more distance with the irons. Titleist should be completing their market testing of the AVX in February and decide then whether or not to release the ball to golfers around the world. 

If you want to grab a box before they're gone for good, stop by soon. They're available only in the Dallas Golf Pro Shop while supplies last. Not available online.