Titleist Pro V1 Through The Years

By: Michael Geiger, 2nd Swing Product Expert

October 11th, 2020

Las Vegas, Nevada

The world of golf did not know it, but it was about to undergo a seismic change. Until the year 2000, golf balls contained wound cores with liquid-filled centers. These wound cores made the balls incredibly soft and “spinny,” causing them to cut quickly and harshly punish mishit shots. 

But at the 2000 Invensys Classic, held at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, 47 PGA Tour players put the brand-new Pro V1 into play. With its solid core, cast-urethane cover, and multi-component construction, the Pro V1 unlocked a new dimension for golf ball technology. 

Billy Andrade quickly demonstrated the capabilities of the ProV1, shooting 67-67-67-63-68 over the five tournament days to post a sizzling -28 winning score, bettering runner-up Phil Mickelson. By the autumn of 2000, Mickelson had already established himself as one of the world’s premier golfers, but his major championship trophy case remained empty. While he remained frustrated, thanks to the Pro V1, his time would soon come.

April 11th, 2004

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta National has always received attention for rewarding a right-to-left ball flight. Historically for right-handed golfers, bending the ball right-to-left meant a power draw. On the other hand, for left-handed golfers, that ball flight produced a spinny, weak fade.

But, armed with a solid core Pro V1, left-handers could now shape the ball around Augusta’s doglegs without sacrificing power. Mike Weir, nobody’s idea of a bomber, had proved this fact the year previous, becoming the first left-handed golfer to win a green jacket. 

Stymied mainly by the dominant Tiger Woods until that point in his career, Mickelson now had a technological advantage over his rival, and he made sure to capitalize on it. After an even-par opening round 72, Mickelson fired three consecutive 69s, the last of which included a final nine 31 to earn his first major championship.

Mickelson confirmed his inaugural win was no fluke by winning twice more at Augusta in 2006 and 2010. Left-handed golfers failed to win any of the first 66 Masters, but Bubba Watson’s second Masters win in 2014 marked the 6th win in 12 years by a southpaw. The Pro V1 and its solid core had changed The Masters forever.

October 3rd, 2010

Madison, Mississippi

The 2010 Viking Classic marked a significant milestone for Titleist and the Pro V1 family. On a beautiful autumn day at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi, Bill Haas cruised to a three-shot victory playing a Pro V1x. While the win was Haas’ second, it was the 1,500th for the Pro V1 family.

In less than ten years, Titleist’s golf balls established themselves as the most-played ball in golf. The Pro V1 and the Pro V1x repeatedly proved their merit on the most challenging courses and in the biggest tournaments. However, despite their success, Titleist was not done innovating.

Titleist continues to improve every piece of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf ball, from the side stamp alignment aid to the ZG Process Core 2.0 and everything in between. It’s no coincidence that Titleist has remained the most popular ball in golf for both amateurs and professionals. And in 2021, Titleist pushed the envelope even further.

January 27th, 2021

The 2021 ProV1 and ProV1x hit the shelves in late January of this year, and the products feature one of the most significant technological leaps since the model’s original release. After testing 60 different ProV1 dimple layouts, 30 different ProV1x dimple layouts, and over 1,900 total aerodynamic patterns, Titleist’s engineers debuted the family’s first dimple redesign in 10 years.

The new dimple design, which consists of 388 dimples on the ProV1 and 348 on the ProV1x, maximizes distance and flight consistency without forcing golfers to sacrifice any feel around the greens.

Titleist’s 2021 ProV1 models also sport new Reformulated 2.0 ZG Process Cores that deliver increased distance for golfers. A faster high-flex casing layer adds even more speed while keeping long game spin low. 

Last fall, the ProV1 golf ball reached its 20th birthday, a date that marked two decades of tournament dominance for Titleist in the bags of professionals and amateurs. And, based on last year’s editions, those golfers can expect to see the ProV1 and ProV1x continue to improve through the years to come.