Two boxes sit next to each other in the shop. Same price, same badge, almost the same ball. One says Pro V1, the other says Pro V1x.
Most golfers pick whichever one they have heard of, or whichever their mate plays.
That is not a disaster, because both are very good balls. But they are built to do slightly different things, and the difference is big enough to notice once you know what you are looking at.
The short answer
Pro V1 flies lower, feels softer and is the steadier of the two for most club golfers.
Pro V1x flies higher, feels firmer, and spins a little more with your irons.
So if you already hit the ball high and get knocked about in wind, Pro V1 is the sensible starting point. If your iron shots land and run on instead of stopping, Pro V1x is worth a look.
What is actually different
| Pro V1 | Pro V1x | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Three-piece | Four-piece |
| Flight | Lower, flatter | Higher |
| Feel off the putter | Softer | Firmer |
| Iron spin | Moderate | Higher |
| Best for | Flatter flight, softer feel | More height and stopping power |
Both have a urethane cover, which is the part that matters most. That is what lets a wedge shot grab rather than skid, and it is the main reason a tour ball costs what it does.
The gap between them is smaller than the internet suggests. Nobody is losing shots because they chose the wrong one. But if you play most of your golf on an exposed course in the wind, or you are forever short-siding yourself on firm greens, the right choice makes your life slightly easier.
How to choose properly
Almost everyone tests golf balls with a driver. That is the least useful club for the job.
Driver numbers between these two are close enough that you will struggle to separate them without a launch monitor and a lot of swings. Where you can feel the difference is inside 100 yards, and on the green.
A test that takes twenty minutes:
- Hit ten pitch shots with each from around 40 yards and watch how the second bounce behaves. One will check up sooner.
- Hit ten full mid-iron shots with each and look at the height, not the distance.
- Putt twenty with each from ten feet. Pick the one that sounds and feels right to you.
Then play the winner for three rounds before you change your mind. Chopping between balls round to round is the quickest way to never learn what your own flight actually looks like.
Do you need a tour ball at all?
This is the part most ball comparisons skip.
If you are losing three or four balls a round, a premium ball is an expensive habit and the spin you are paying for is not what is costing you shots. You would get more out of playing a cheaper ball and keeping it in play. We have written about that in more detail in our guide to golf balls for beginners and high handicappers.
If you are keeping most of your tee shots on the grass and you have a wedge game worth protecting, then yes, the cover is doing something for you and the choice between these two is worth making deliberately.
There is also a middle route. Graded balls are used balls sorted by condition rather than by brand, so a tour-level ball in A or Pearl grade has only very light marks and plays much the same as new. B grade has moderate marks, C or practice grade is more scuffed but still playable. Our A-grade golf balls are the ones we would put in our own bag.
Buying them as a gift
If you are buying for someone else, this is the moment to be careful.
Ball choice is personal, and a golfer who has settled on one of these two will usually have a view. Guessing wrong is not the end of the world, but it is a slightly flat present.
Two ways round it. Either ask them outright, which is less romantic but more useful. Or give them something that covers the question rather than answering it for them.
Our Presidential box is the one that leans tour-level: twelve premium A-grade golf balls, a tour-standard glove, a premium brand cap, a driver headcover or triple headcover set, at least two ball markers, 100 bamboo tees and a bag of sherbet lemons, hand-packed here in the UK and sent gift-ready. It is £94. The Members box is £28 and the Captains £54, and you can see how the three compare on our golf mystery box comparison page.
If you already know exactly what they play, it makes more sense to build your own golf gift box from £24 and pick the balls, grade, glove and extras yourself. We then hand-pack it the same way.
Do Pro V1 and Pro V1x go the same distance?
For most club golfers, near enough. The difference shows up in height and in how the ball behaves when it lands, not in a number on a yardage chart.
Is Pro V1x better for higher handicappers?
Not inherently. The extra height can help a player who struggles to get the ball up, but neither ball is designed around forgiveness. If you are picking a ball to help your scores, you are better off thinking about how many you lose than which of these two you play.
What is Pro V1x Left Dash?
It is a limited-run version of the Pro V1x with a flatter flight and less spin on full shots. It is aimed at players who already generate plenty of spin and want to take some out. Most golfers do not need it.
Can I use both in the same round?
You can, unless you are playing under the one-ball condition in a competition. We would not recommend it. You lose the only real benefit of picking a ball, which is knowing what it does.
If you are still not sure which way to go, play the one that feels better on the greens. That is where you will use it most, and it is the judgement you can actually trust without a launch monitor. And if you are buying for someone whose preferences you do not know, our golf gift boxes are a safer bet than a dozen of the wrong ball.