Golf balls test: Srixon Distance vs Titleist Pro V1

We pit the premium Titleist Pro V1 golf ball against the entry-level Srixon Distance golf ball.

The Srixon Distance golf ball costs less than 90 pence and is the best-selling model on Amazon. The Titleist Pro V1 is the No.1 ball in golf and costs more than £4. Our pro tested them head-to-head on a launch monitor to find out if their performances reflect their price.

Whether shots are topped into a lake, thinned into hedges or shanked into knee-high rough, average golfers lose lots of golf balls.

As a result of that, coupled with the tough financial times we are living in, lots golfers buy the cheapest balls they can get their hands on. For many, that means visiting Amazon, searching ‘best value golf ball’ and buying Srixon’s Distance for £10.42 a dozen (correct at the time of writing). It’s a ball that regularly frequents the site’s top-selling golf ball spot and it’s hardly surprising. Srixon are a well-known brand, played on Tour, and they produce a ball that is nicely packaged and costs less than 90p per unit.

But we wanted to find out how the Distance compares to what many consider the ultimate golf ball; Titleist’s Pro V1. Are golfers sacrificing driver and iron speed/distance, or giving up wedge spin and control? Or do the savings outweigh any performance disadvantage?

The golf balls

SRIXON DISTANCE
Price: £10.42 per dozen | BUY NOW
Construction: Two piece | Cover: Ionemer | Compression: 89

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TITLEIST PRO V1
Price: £49.99 per dozen | BUY NOW
Construction: Three piece | Cover: Urethane | Compression: Not disclosed (believed to be around 87)

RELATED: Which Titleist ball is right for me?

How we carried out the test

We put the Srixon Distance and Titleist Pro V1 in the hands of our test pro. He hit shots with his own driver, 7-iron and pitching wedge in a controlled indoor environment to create our test data on a Foresight GCQuad launch monitor.

Any major misses were erased before analysing the data set. Remember, any differences between the two models will be accentuated at our test pro’s higher swing speed.

What Titleist say about the Pro V1 golf ball…

“The Pro V1 offers total performance. Expect longer distance, very low long-game spin, a penetrating ball flight along with drop-and-stop greenside control and an overall soft feel.”

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What Srixon say about the Distance golf ball…    

“The name says everything you need to know, the Srixon Distance goes far. Whether off the tee, from the fairway, hitting woods or irons, the Distance helps all shots carry further to put you in a position to score better.”

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Srixon Distance vs Titleist Pro V1: Short-game verdict

Our test started with wedge shots and our pro immediately noticed how the Srixon Distance golf ball felt incredibly soft. This is a value-focused distance ball, yet the clacky feel of a traditional distance ball just wasn’t there.

It means you can expect a more pleasant and responsive impact sound/feel (especially in winter), which really caught us by surprise. It’s worth noting the Srixon launched and peaked out a little lower than the Pro V1 with a wedge (0.9º and three yards), and shots descended onto the green at a slightly shallower angle (2º), which means shots will roll out a little further.

In pure data terms, though, the model gave up just 4.5% backspin to the Titleist Pro V1, which considering the £39.50-a-dozen price difference is truly outstanding.

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Srixon Distance vs Titleist Pro V1: Long-game verdict

Srixon say the Distance will rinse every yard out of your game, and our data completely confirms that it delivers; our pro’s 7-iron and driver carry distances were virtually identical with both balls. Just be aware that the Srixon’s distance comes from a little less backspin, lower ball flight and shallower landing angle, which will play a role in a golfer’s shot-stopping capacity and control, especially on very firm greens.  

Srixon Distance vs Titleist Pro V1: Overall test verdict

With similar performance numbers, along with a decent soft feel, and cash being so tight right now, would we spend our own money on the Srixon Distance golf ball? Putting our performance hat on rather than letting brand loyalty or ego play a role in the decision, we definitely would.

We’d caveat that by saying that if at any time shot-stopping capacity felt compromised (which will never be an issue in the UK during winter), then, of course, we’d revert to playing a higher spinning urethane ball optimised for club golfer swing speeds. Until then…

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Srixon Distance vs Titleist Pro V1: Launch monitor data

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