Titleist is one of the most well-known, most popular, and best-regarded gold brands in the sport, with a reputation for quality, innovation, and performance matched by a few other brands.
While Titleist is known to produce all manner of excellent golf products, they are particularly praised for their golf balls, and while they produce many different models, none are more celebrated than the famous Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x which are widely regarded as the best golf balls money can buy.
These balls have seen widespread use among touring professionals worldwide, and have seen extensive use at the highest levels from the PGA Tour to the Ryder Cup and other major golf events where players are vying for the most prestigious prizes in golf.
However the Pro V1 and V1x don’t offer everything despite their quality, and there are many types of golf ball that can have widely different flight characteristics, feel, and performance. There are many reasons why golfers might require an alternative ball to the Pro V1 and V1x, which is where the Titleist AVX comes in.
In this review, we’re going to look at the performance and quality of the Titleist AVX, as well as its characteristics, and determine just how good this ball is, and if it lives up to the Titleist legacy of class-leading ball design and performance.
Summary
The first thing to know about the Titleist AVX is that it’s very much considered to be an iteration and alternative option to the Titleist Pro V1 and V1x, building on the performance of these balls but offering slightly different qualities to suit golfers with different needs or a different style.
In essence, the AVX is designed to combine excellent distance performance and a very soft feel with low spin and a low flight compared to other golf balls. It aims to provide this alternative option while still offering a premium package and all the features that golfers find desirable or even essential in a Titleist-designed golf ball.
It is believed that the AVX is able to provide these alternative characteristics due to the larger core, thinner exterior covering, and specially designed dimple design which is said to have a specific aerodynamic effect.
All of this creates a lower stronger flight that provides distance and consistency without sending the ball into the stratosphere to achieve them, unlike a lot of high-performance golf balls used currently.
The effect created makes the AVX feel stable and reliable, allowing it to carve through the air as efficiently as possible, being less affected by the wind and weather than can knock most golf balls totally off course and land you in all sorts of trouble.
Despite this enviable long-distance performance, the ball remains composed and sure on the green and during approach play.
Overall this is a superb ball that offers excellent characteristics and all of the features and performance that a golfer wanting a softer, more refined low flight ball could ask for.
However it’s worth noting of course that Titleist’s top golf balls aren’t cheap, and this sort of performance and quality command something of a premium in price, something that touring professionals won’t feel, but other casual and amateur players certainly will.
Indeed in the unlikely event, you do lose a ball (depending on your own play of course) you will feel the sting more than when you’re using almost any other golf ball.
Construction And Materials
Titleist is known for offering the best in construction and materials, and this is no different with the AVX.
The ball uses a three-layer construction which is tried and tested and arguably the sweet spot in performance, and while there are advanced and experimental four-layer, five-layer, and even six-layer balls, many golf pros prefer to stick to the optimal performance of the three-layer design that is most widely used.
In this, the AVX uses the same synthetic rubber core material as the Pro V1 and V1x, believed to be polybutadiene, however the key difference with the AVX is that the compression is lower, coming in at 80, compared to the 90 compression of the V1 and the 100 compression of the V1x.
This is one of the key ways in which the AVX is able to offer a softer feel, and the unique flight characteristics its design aims to achieve.
Typically, balls that offer a softer feel or lower compression typically compromise on distance and speed, but the AVX counters this by using a flexible casing layer which is designed to counteract the loss of any distance and speed and thus provide the performance and ‘feel of a softer ball for players who desire this, without compromising on yardage.
The big calling card of the AVX is Titleist’s proprietary urethane blend outer cover and the dimples of the exterior itself.
The GRN41 thermoset cast urethane elastomer (yes, that’s a hell of a mouthful, we’re aware) cover of the ball differs from the urethane cover used on other premium golf balls and is all part of the overall softer feel and excellent durability of the ball, and its thinner even than the Pro V1 indicating the tweaks that make the AVX so similar yet so different to their sister model.
Finally, the dimples of the exterior are a unique, spherically tilted design or catenary construction which use the same number of dimples as the Pro V1, but which allow the dimples on the AVX to be both wider and shallower, and also increasing the number of vertical walls per dimple than the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
This is what gives the ball such stability, even in high wind conditions or bad weather, and also helps increase the distance particularly for mid to long-range iron strokes.
Feel
The feel of the AVX is markedly different from the other balls in Titleist’s lineup, and is in fact the softest premium golf ball Titleist offer, with its low compression core, thin, high-quality urethane exterior layer, and shallow dimple design.
It offers a long distance from the tee and particularly with long iron shots, but has a very soft and grippy feel while also offering low flight characteristics and low spin except on approach play where the spin is actually satisfyingly high and responsive.
This offers a premium amount of control in terms of stability over longer shots and precision during shorter approach shots and actually makes this a superb ball for high handicap players who could benefit from the stability and control this ball offers… especially if you’re trying to knock some strokes off your handicap.
Durability
This is a very durable ball despite the fact that it’s a little bit softer and doesn’t compromise on longevity or quality in any capacity.
It can handle incredibly high swing speeds and won’t degrade much at all unless left submerged in water for extended periods which can cause seepage and compromise the integral internal structure of the layers and their adhesion.
This is a ball you can rely on and as a bonus, its low flight characteristics and control make it a ball that’s difficult to lose and easy to keep on the fairway, so unless you hit a real stinker, you’re unlikely to lose this ball as much as lower quality golf balls.
Price And Availability
The big drawback that will put some players off this ball is the price. It’s no secret that the AVX and other Titleist balls are class-leading designs used by professional players at the highest level.
As such, these balls command some of the highest prices, even among the premium brands, and this makes it a considerable investment only suitable for serious players looking to maximize their performance and find those extra yards, as well as players capable of handling a softer ball and lower flight.
Generally, beginners will want something cheaper and simpler however ambitious high handicap players looking to seriously progress may consider these as a viable option.
The AVX is available fairly widely from most retailers so they shouldn’t be too difficult to get hold of wherever you are.
Conclusion
Overall, the Titleist AVX is an excellent golf ball that fills a particular niche in the Titleist premium lineup, offsetting the drawbacks of softer compression and feel with some quirky and unique design options which not only indicate Titleist’s consistent research and quality but the importance of small details and the impact they have in golf.
If you’re in the market for a quality low spin ball with good stability, distance, and a soft feel, there are few, if any balls that can compete with the AVX, and it seems that this ball will command this niche for some time yet.
This is why we decided to set up our site, Better Golf, to provide high-quality information that’s accessible to everyone. From newbies, to seasoned golfers, this site covers everything you need to know. Through this site, we will be discussing all the important details.
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