Among the numerous variables that professional and amateur golfers incorporate into their games to improve their scores, playing the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball consistently rewards our best efforts. This year the ball that changed it all turns 25, and we look back towards one of the most important innovations in the history of golf.
Golfers of every level will seemingly leave no stone unturned in the name of improvement and confidence. This became crystal clear to me a few weeks back when Viktor Hovland told the media, “I’m certified nuts.” During this interview, the Norwegian discussed the countless changes in his golf swing that have led him astray. From adding more draw pieces to growing tired of seeing the ball miss left, Hovland has turned over many stones in his discernment, except one. He games the Pro V1 faithfully, wherever his swing may take him.
When I read this line, I couldn’t help but laugh because it’s a jarring quote from a professional golfer, and his words are incredibly relatable for golf-obsessed amateurs like myself. While most of us cannot relate to the professional game, we do know what it feels like to (seldom!) strike a golf ball flush. It’s a glimpse at the grandeur that connects us to elite players. Thanks to the Pro V1 and Pro V1x, we can play with the same equipment as the world’s best.
A professional in its own right, the Pro V1 originally became available in October of 2000. Two months later, the public found it on shelves across the country, where it eventually became the bestselling ball in 2001. Today, it remains the top seller. While the outside world celebrated a new millennium in Y2K, the golf world celebrated the release of the Pro V1. If you’re reading this, I know which world you belong to.
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Pro V1, let's go back to where it all began. Famously, Billy Andrade first put the Pro V1 to the test at the Invensys Classic in Las Vegas in October of 2000. Struggling through a difficult season, Andrade, who had already signed up for Q-school to re-secure his PGA-Tour status, discovered a white Titleist box in his locker and immediately put it in his bag. Trusting its durability, Andrade posted two 67s and a 63 en route to a career-rejuvenating victory. I’d encourage you to go back and watch the highlights: each time Andrade made contact with his Pro V1, it sounded like a jet racing down the tarmac. And so the Pro V1’s reputation took off. That week, 47 competitors put the Pro V1 into play in Vegas alongside the champion. Today, the majority of tour pros game them. Undoubtedly, it’s safe to say that what happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas.
More recently, Bryson DeChambeau played the Pro V1x Left Dash on a baked-out Pinehurst #2 en route to his second U.S. Open trophy. He trusted it from 55 yards away in the bunker for perhaps the greatest up-and-down of all time. Harris English, playing this newest edition of the Pro V1, won the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open during a blustery week at Torrey Pines, where 75% of the field played Titleist golf balls. I offer these anecdotes in support of the argument that the introduction of the Pro V1 and the modern game go hand in hand. These days, players attack golf courses with high-flying drives and spinny wedges from scoring positions. For the last 25 years, Titleist has constructed their ball to maximize both efforts.
A tremendous amount of scientific construction goes into creating the Titleist Pro V1. The engineering teams at Titleist have spent two years building this newest edition, developing factors such as the core, the casing, aerodynamics, and the coefficient of restitution, which means the bounciness of the ball. In my opinion, their testing is the most interesting to discuss during a post-round beer in the clubhouse because we experience the responsiveness of the ball firsthand.
Titleist utilizes The Rover, a robot with a baseball pitching machine retrofitted to a rover chassis, to collect data on how the Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls will respond once they are introduced to the putting surface. For example, from a 40-degree impact angle, The Rover dispenses golf balls onto the green as you would see from a pitching wedge or scoring club. If it’s a Pro V1x with more spin on a firmer green or a different set of circumstances, The Rover produces shots that occur in the real world, providing data players can believe in. In the bigger picture, this launch-condition technology democratizes the golf ball for amateurs and professionals. Because each player hits approach shots with different angles and clubs, the ball responds consistently depending on ever-changing impact factors.
Once the research has been conducted, Titleist validates the playability with players of all skill sets and sends white boxes of new model Pro V1 balls out to amateurs and professionals alike. These white boxed balls have become a known and important moment—like the first Masters Tournament commercial during December NFL coverage—that signals the anticipation of the upcoming golf season. Titleist values opinions from those who aren’t solely focused on posting the lowest score possible, and we don’t take the accessibility to the Pro V1 for granted.
My journey with the Titleist’s golf ball began in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone and their grandmother stormed the tee sheets. As I dove deep into the sport, my friends brought me along and offered their wisdom. Having consistently played Titleists for years, they guided me into choosing the Pro V1x, which I religiously and uniquely mark in navy blue Sharpie as I head to the first. Playing Titleist was and is part of their identity with the game, and it swept me up over time like a strong, convincing current.
If you feel like Viktor Hovland’s quote could’ve been yours, know you are not alone. Many of us are golf crazy, endlessly daydreaming about flushing our irons higher and higher. The only path forward is to keep getting out there, teeing up your Pro V1, and trusting it to take you further.
