Buying Guide
Titleist Pro V1 vs Pro V1x: Which Should You Buy Used?
6 min read
The Pro V1 and Pro V1x sit side by side on our shelves at almost the same price, and it's the single most common question we get asked: what's actually different between them, and which one should you buy? The honest answer is that the difference is real and it does matter to your game — it's just not the difference most people assume.
It's not about quality — both are Titleist's top tier
A lot of golfers assume the "x" means better, the way it might on a phone or a car. It doesn't. Both balls sit at the very top of Titleist's range and cost the same new. The difference is entirely about how each one is built and who it suits, not which one is "superior."
The core difference: compression and flight
The Pro V1 uses a single, larger core built for a slightly lower, more penetrating ball flight with a soft feel around the greens. The Pro V1x uses a dual-core construction that produces a higher flight, slightly more distance off the tee for most swing speeds, and a firmer feel on impact.
In practical terms on the course:
- Pro V1 — lower, more piercing flight; softer feel; slightly more spin around the greens for players who like to shape shots and feel the ball come off the putter.
- Pro V1x — higher flight with a bit more carry; firmer feel; a touch more forgiving on shots struck slightly off-centre.
Neither difference is huge — both are still tour-level balls built to the same exacting standard — but if you've ever hit a round with each and couldn't quite say why one felt better, this is usually why.
Which one actually suits your game?
There's no universal right answer, but a few patterns hold up consistently:
- If you have a smoother, slower swing and want more feel on chips and putts, the Pro V1 is usually the better match.
- If you have a faster swing or tend to hit shots slightly thin, the Pro V1x's higher flight and firmer core often forgive more.
- If you're honestly not sure, that's normal — plenty of good players switch between the two across a season and can't tell the difference in their scorecard either way.
If you want a more structured answer based on your actual game rather than a guess, our Ball Selector quiz factors swing speed and priorities into its recommendation.
Why the choice matters more when buying used
New, both balls cost the same, so the choice is purely about performance preference. Buying used doesn't change that — but it does mean you're choosing a ball you'll actually want to keep playing rather than one you're stuck with because of price. Since both sit in a similar price bracket in our Titleist range, there's no reason to compromise on the model that suits your swing just to save a few dollars.
Every ball we sell — Pro V1 or Pro V1x — goes through the same wash, inspection, and grading process regardless of model, so the only thing you need to decide is which flight and feel actually fits your game. See exactly how that grading works on our Grading Guide.