Is this golf ball better than the Titleist Pro V1? Seed SD-01 Golf Ball Review
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- Fantastic tee to green performance
- Highly durable (easily gets through a full round)
- Solid response and pleasant feel
- Outstanding value for money
- Works well for a wide range of golfers
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Cons
- Not sold in as many places as the game's best-sellers
What we say...
The Seed SD-01 is designed to challenge the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, but does it compete with the No.1 ball in golf?
In order to challenge the best golf balls every single manufacturer has to go above and beyond, otherwise they would get left behind. One brand that’s making serious waves in the golf ball industry is Seed, a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Irish golf company.
Seed produces five outstanding golf balls, with the majority of their models being direct competitors to the best premium golf balls on the market. The SD-01 is the model that Seed believes gives the No.1 ball in golf – the Titleist Pro V1 – a really good run for its money. See here how DTC golf balls compare to the Pro V1.
I had the pleasure of attending a Seed press trip in Ireland where I got to sample the SD-01, since returning home I have continued testing this golf ball around my home track, Cleveland Golf Club. Also, the SD-01 is one of the models we tested in our 2024 golf ball robot test. Allow me to take the time to inform you why you should consider the Seed SD-01.
Pros
- Fantastic tee to green performance
- Highly durable (easily gets through a full round)
- Solid response and pleasant feel
- Outstanding value for money
- Works well for a wide range of golfers
Cons
- Not sold in as many places as the game's best-sellers
| Construction | 3-Piece |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Dimples | 336 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Flight | Mid-high |
| Long game spin | Low |
| Short game spin | Mid-high |
| Color Options | White; Yellow; Orange |
- SpeedSpeed core
- Ultra-thin urethane cover
- Responsive mantle layer
Tee to Green Performance
I feel like starting with how the Seed SD-01 golf ball performs from tee to green is a great place to start. I could simply sum up its performance as being fantastic, but I’ll share the details.
Off the tee, I look for a golf ball that feels easy to launch and travels well through the air. Personally, distance isn’t too much of a concern for me, so it’s never really something I’m actively looking for in a golf ball. However, that being said, I have noticed since playing with the SD-01 around my home course that I’ve been hitting into greens with the same club as I normally do when playing with my regular ball.
My issue with a driver is not producing enough spin which can result in the ball falling out of the sky too quickly and not optimizing distance. With the SD-01 I don’t feel as though it flies particularly high but I do feel as though it’s easy to launch and delivers a consistent flight – providing it’s a well-struck shot.
I don’t consider there to be any downsides to the SD-01 off the tee. Before I looked at the results from the 2024 robot test, I genuinely expected this ball to perform well in the average shot area metric (where it came out on top) because when I play with it on course I do find fairways and greens more regularly and consistently. Most importantly off the tee, I really feel like this ball helps you stay on the short stuff.
Let’s turn now to performance when hitting into greens. Obviously, every golfer would love a golf ball that finds the putting surface in regulation every time. Well, with the SD-01 that might be more attainable than you think, given that this is the most accurate golf ball we tested in our 2024 robot test.
The most important aspect I look for in a golf ball is its power to hit and hold a green, and the SD-01 is more than capable of doing this. Will it stop on a dime? not for everyone, but I guarantee you that no matter who you are, if you put a good strike on this ball with any iron it will land on a green and stop – I’ve been doing it on a links golf course!
Some golfers aren’t interested in spin, so what else is there to know about how this ball performs when firing at flags? It feels amazing, travels well, and doesn’t scuff easily. There isn’t much more to say.
Durability
Leading on from my last point, I want to discuss the importance of a durable golf ball; especially in the amateur game. You might think at less than $30/£25 a dozen this is one of the best value golf balls available – you’d be right. However, that doesn’t only come down to price and performance. Durability also has to be factored in. For instance, if the SD-01 scuffed after one shot the value would be terrible. Gladly it doesn’t. I managed to play an entire round with one (on a course I’d never played before) and this is how it looked afterward.
I promise you that ball has been used!
Durability is hugely important when purchasing golf balls because you either don’t want to be playing with a scuffed golf ball or need to retire a ball too early because it’s grazed. I’ve been very impressed with the durability of every Seed golf ball I’ve played with, including the SD-01.
Obviously, if you smash the SD-01 into a tree or enjoy playing in the sand it will scuff quicker than if you find the fairway off every tee and the green on every approach. However, if like me, you struggle to keep the ball away from danger the SD-01 won’t scratch any quicker or easier than any other premium golf ball.
Versatility
Reading versatility you might be thinking, “What on earth does versatility mean when it comes to golf balls?” I’m referring to the range of golfers the SD-01 works for. Certain premium golf balls intended for Tour players are only really suitable for Tour players and elite-level amateurs. However, that’s far from the case with the SD-01.
We’re really able to highlight this with the findings from our 2024 golf ball robot test where the SD-01 finished first for overall carry distance against the other 23 models. Also, as an average over three driver speeds, 7-iron, and pitching wedge the SD-01 was the most accurate golf ball in the test.
Whether you play off +6 or 36 you’ll be able to game the SD-01 and enjoy playing with this golf ball.
Feel and Response
Not every golfer is in the market for a soft-feeling golf ball or a firm-feeling golf ball so that isn’t really what I’m evaluating here, it’s more based on how the golf ball feels off the face and the feedback you’re provided with.
The SD-01 delivers a solid feel and response which I really like. By this, I mean that when you hit the ball you know you’ve hit it. Some people might not like this, but for me, this is exactly what I want from a golf ball because it helps you understand whether you’ve made good or bad contact.
Before leaving you with my final verdict of the Seed SD-01 here is the data and verdict from the 2024 golf ball robot test. The bold numbers inside the brackets indicate the ranking against the other 23 models in the test.
Robot test data and verdict: Seed SD-01
| Driver 85mph Swing | Seed SD-01 |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 123.9 / 13.5 |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,583 |
| Carry (YDS) | 191.7 |
| Driver 100mph Swing | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 143.8 / 13.6 |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,597 |
| Carry (YDS) | 241.9 |
| Driver 115mph Swing | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 165.4 / 11.5 |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,125 |
| Carry (YDS) | 279.5 |
| 7-Iron | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 108.5 / 21 (2) |
| Backspin (RPM) | 5,314 |
| Height (YDS) | 31.9 |
| Descent angle (º) | 45.1 |
| Carry (YDS) | 155.8 |
| Wedge | |
| Backspin (RPM) | 7,275 |
| Shot area (SQ YDS) | 4.2 |
| Carry (YDS) | 106.3 |
| Average Shot Area | |
| Averaged over driver, 7-iron and PW | 15.5 SQ YDS (1) |
VERDICT: Seed SD-01 The Pro 1
The goal of the SD-01 was always to compete against the Titleist Pro V1 on performance and beat it on price, and our data shows it does a great job of delivering on each of those key objectives.
Across the board, the SD-01 was longer than the Pro V1 in all five test situations, albeit with miniscule margins, which in anyone’s book has to be a great start against the market leader. With the 7-iron the Seed was faster (1 mph) and 3.8 yds longer (the biggest difference from any situation) while giving up just 5% backspin (280 rpm), which in no way should be a deal breaker.
For wedge play the SD-01 spun 5.4% (416 rpm) less than the Pro V1 but we’re talking levels that will have a negligible impact on the golf course, and the SD-01 story doesn’t quite end there.
Thanks to tracking shot area for accuracy numbers and drop-offs for consistency we can see the SD-01 is a really consistent golf ball choice. Averaged across all five test situations the SD-01 produced our smallest shot area, 15.5 sq yds, which is 12.7 sq yds tighter than the test average and 2.1 sq yds smaller than the 2nd placed Titleist Pro V1.
Some may argue we just happened to test five dozen Seed SD-01 balls that were well-made, hence the small dispersion figures. But our consistency data backs up the shot-to-shot consistency and reliability on the golf course. Incredibly this model produced the smallest amount of carry distance drop off of any of the balls tested, it also ranked 11th for ball speed variation and 7th for backspin difference giving an average consistency ranking of 5th from a field of 24.
All in that’s a really impressive overall performance, just make sure you buy on Seed’s keenest terms to get the best possible price if you buy in.
Final Verdict
The Seed SD-01 seriously impressed in the 2024 golf ball robot test, but I wasn’t particularly surprised by how well it performed in our test because I had seen how well this golf ball played on course. I understand that because Seed isn’t as big a name in the golf ball sphere as Titleist, Callaway, or Taylormade there may be some of you who are skeptical about ordering a box. Don’t be!
It really is as good as it sounds with the SD-01. You are buying a premium golf ball at a fraction of the price that clearly competes with the best golf balls played on Tour.
From tee to green the SD-01 is fantastic and it should definitely be a model you consider if you want to play with a premium golf ball. The best thing about this ball for me is that it’s a premium golf ball that works for every golfer.
To say that this golf ball is hands down better than the Titleist Pro V1 would be a lie, but it’s definitely more accurate and more consistent based on the findings from our 2024 robot test.
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About the author
James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer
James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.
He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.
James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.
You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.
