The best value rival to the Titleist Pro V1x: Seed SD-02 Golf Ball Review
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- Amazing versatile golf ball that works for a wide range of golfers
- Good distance off the tee
- Consistent ball flight
- Incredible value for money
- Durable and responsive urethane cover
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Cons
A lower ball flight compared to other X-model golf balls
What we say...
The Seed SD-02 has been designed to challenge the Titleist Pro V1x, does it outperform the favored X-model golf ball on Tour?
If you’re in the market for an X-model golf ball then the option you’re most likely to settle on is probably the Titleist Pro V1x because it’s the most popular X-model golf ball in professional golf and the second most represented golf ball on Tour behind the Titleist Pro V1. However, I’m going to tell you why it might be worth looking elsewhere…
Introducing the Seed SD-02! You might be thinking that’s not an X-model golf ball, and although there isn’t an X in the name and Seed has the SD-X1, the SD-02 is Seed’s challenger to the Pro V1x, Chrome Tour X, Wilson Staff Model X, etc…
The results from our 2024 golf ball robot test show that X-model golf balls are great options for all golfers and our equipment editor, Simon Daddow, goes as far as to say “I can’t see why you’d choose any other golf ball”.
I tend to agree, especially considering the SD-02 is a premium golf ball that is one of the best golf balls for slow swing speeds. This is definitely Seed’s most versatile golf ball and at the price of other brand’s golf balls for beginners and high-handicappers, regardless of your ability, you should give the SD-02 a spin.
Pros
- Amazing versatile golf ball that works for a wide range of golfers
- Good distance off the tee
- Consistent ball flight
- Incredible value for money
- Durable and responsive urethane cover
Cons
- A lower ball flight compared to other X-model golf balls
| Construction | 4-piece |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Dimples | 336 |
| Feel | Medium |
| Flight | Mid |
| Long game spin | Low |
| Short game spin | Mid-high |
| Color options | White |
- High energy rubber core
- Ultra thin DuPont Surlyn mantle
- DuPont HPF inner cover
- Soft cast urethane cover
Based on my individual scores for the four criteria, the SD-02 scores slightly higher than 4.5 (4.625 to be exact) making it the highest-ranked Seed golf ball we tested in our 2024 golf ball robot test. Below I’m going to provide you with a full breakdown of why I view this as the best Seed golf ball.
Versatility
I’m going to start by explaining why I’ve given the SD-02 a five-star rating for versatility. I genuinely believe that any golfer could play with this golf ball and make it work for them.
As I’ve already mentioned, this is one of the best golf balls for slow swing speeds, it’s a challenger to the premium golf balls played on Tour and it’s outstanding value for money.
Moving onto performance, this ball does it all. It’s long off the tee, it spins on approach shots (granted not as much as some of its competitors), and it rolls perfectly on the putting surface.
If any golfer out there plays with the SD-02 and doesn’t enjoy playing with it, I hate to tell you… you are the problem!
Tee to Green Performance
I feel like moving on to tee to green performance next makes the most sense. I tend to prefer golf balls that are designed to fly higher because I don’t launch the ball high whatsoever. However, I really enjoy playing with the SD-02 because it’s not as low-flying as Seed suggests, I would say it flies in between the flight window of the SD-01 and SD-X1.
I’ve played with the SD-02 on a couple of occasions around my home track, Cleveland Golf Club, and finding the short stuff off the tee is incredibly important given that it’s a links golf course. The ball flight is consistent above all else so I feel like I can trust that this golf ball will behave off the tee and help me find the fairway. The other plus off the tee is that it’s long, which no golfer can complain about.
The SD-02 isn’t challenging the best high-spin golf balls but you can easily get this ball to grab around the greens and when approaching with irons provided you have the game to do that. From tee to green this ball offers everything any golfer needs. The only way this ball would score five out of five is if it spun easier in the short game.
Feel and Response
The first point I want to make about the SD-02s feel and response is how well it performs on the putting green. I absolutely love the way Seed golf balls in general roll and feel on the dance floor and the SD-02 is definitely no exception.
The SD-02 feels slightly softer than other X-model golf balls which will please most golfers because typically X-models tend to be firmer-feeling. I’m a fan of a firmer golf ball and the SD-02 still feels really good to me.
Throughout the bag, the response you get from the SD-02 is very strong. If you hit the ball well you’ll know and if you hit the ball badly (sadly) you’ll know.
Durability
Seed have definitely stepped up with the durability of their golf balls. I didn’t see one blemish appear on the SD-02 when I was playing with it on the golf course.
The only time the SD-02 scuffed was when I was testing them out of the bunker at the short game area. You have to expect this when you hit the best part of 100 shots out of the bunker with only 12 golf balls.
Seed says that you could play two or more rounds with an SD-02 before needing to change. If your ball stays in play for two rounds – well done – you might start to see wear marks. However, I would always suggest playing a maximum of 18 holes with one golf ball before retiring it to the practice bag.
I’m going to share with you the robot test data and verdict of the SD-02 before leaving you with my final verdict.
Robot test data and verdict: Seed SD-02
| Driver 85mph Swing | Seed SD-02 |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 124.2 / 13.3 (T3) |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,615 |
| Carry (YDS) | 191.8 |
| Driver 100mph Swing | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 144.3 / 13.6 |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,536 |
| Carry (YDS) | 242.7 |
| Driver 115mph Swing | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 165.8 / 11.4 |
| Backspin (RPM) | 2,137 |
| Carry (YDS) | 280.4 |
| 7-Iron | |
| Ball speed (MPH) / Launch angle (º) | 108.2 / 21.1 (T3) |
| Backspin (RPM) | 5,188 |
| Height (YDS) | 31.9 |
| Descent angle (º) | 45 |
| Carry (YDS) | 155.8 |
| Wedge | |
| Backspin (RPM) | 7,175 |
| Shot area (SQ YDS) | 8.2 |
| Carry (YDS) | 106.1 |
| Average Shot Area | |
| Averaged over driver, 7-iron and PW | 39.8 SQ YDS |
VERDICT: Seed SD-02 The Pro Tour
Titleist get annoyed when YouTubers and influencers title up golf ball review videos as ‘Seed: Titleist Pro V1/Pro V1x killer?’ when hitting balls like the SD-02, and based on our results I completely understand why.
Of course, brands like Seed, Vice, and Snell have come about thanks to producing balls that can compete with the very best at a lower price. However, golf balls like and including the SD-02 ask golfers to make a compromise somewhere along the line, which really irks the top brass at Titleist towers, especially when the difference isn’t explained.
Looking at our driver data we can legitimately say the 4-piece SD-02 is longer than the Titleist Pro V1x it is designed to compete with, it’s also 4.8 yards longer with the 7-iron, metrics that golfers notice and favor on the golf course. Yet dig down into spin numbers with wedges and irons, which are much more difficult to access unless you own a launch monitor, and there are some significant differences between the two balls.
If your game is about control and precise shot-making you will notice a difference in performance between the Pro V1x and SD-02, as our numbers show a 647 rpm spin difference with a 7-iron and 871 rpm variation when hit with a wedge. Both are decent amounts, which YouTubers and influencers rarely highlight, but these numbers represent the difference between premium tour-level balls and models bought from a DTC brand.
Final Verdict
I found it very hard to say anything negative about the SD-02 which is a sign of how great this golf ball is. The only downsides I could come up with are that it isn’t the highest-spinning golf ball out there and it flies lower than other X-model golf balls. However, for you that might not matter.
I would welcome every golfer on the planet to invest in Seed SD-02 golf balls because they are extremely versatile, in that they are a great option for all golfers to play with.
If for whatever reason you don’t want to save money on premium golf balls then I have provided you with a couple of other options to consider if you would like to play with an X-model golf ball.
Alternative options
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.
