Titleist Tour Soft

[North Texas]

Come on Titleist - are you joking with that commercial? More spin than the B330S and TP5? Reeks of desperation for people to overspend.

 

That is a huge claim to make that could blow up in their face.

 

Might want to actually watch the commercial since they don't make that claim.

[lenman73]

^^^^this. Didn't they claim more feel or soft feel ? It wasn't spin they were claiming.

[storm319]

^^^^this. Didn't they claim more feel or soft feel ? It wasn't spin they were claiming.

 

Comparison claims were based on distance and feel. Fine print says distance test was based on 140 mph ball speed, 12 degrees launch, 2000 rpm spin and distance gains were between 2-5 yards depending on the competitor. Feel comparison was based on compression tests although it does not specify whether the it was core or overall compression.

 

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-fJHcO6M64[/media]

[North Butte]

So basically Titleist is making no specific comparison claims regarding spin vs other balls. Just the usual generic “great short game control”.

[huskerguy18]

Come on Titleist - are you joking with that commercial? More spin than the B330S and TP5? Reeks of desperation for people to overspend.

 

That is a huge claim to make that could blow up in their face.

 

Might want to actually watch the commercial since they don't make that claim.

"It’s not only the softest ball in the category. It’s better and longer than Chrome Soft, TP5 and Tour B RXS." Titleist VP of Golf Ball Marketing Michael Mahoney

 

http://www.golf.com/equipment/2018/01/22/titleist-tour-soft-velocity-golf-balls-2018-first-look

[crazygolfnut]

I like Titleist and have played their balls for years. After reading the description for the Tour Soft and the rest of their line up, I have no idea what the differences are between the different balls.

[mjforn]

I like Titleist and have played their balls for years. After reading the description for the Tour Soft and the rest of their line up, I have no idea what the differences are between the different balls.

 

21.99

26.99

34.99

47.99

 

 

:golfer:

[crazygolfnut]

I like Titleist and have played their balls for years. After reading the description for the Tour Soft and the rest of their line up, I have no idea what the differences are between the different balls.

 

21.99

26.99

34.99

47.99

 

 

:golfer:

 

Gotcha. That make sense.

[North Butte]

“Better” is totally content free and “longer” is, if I’m not mistaken, legally required for every ball advertisement ever aired...

[Joe V.]

If these are the test balls I got from Titleist back in the Fall they definitely have better approach shot spin than an NXT. I found them tough to control greenside when compared to Chrome Soft, B330, or ProV1.

[North Texas]

Come on Titleist - are you joking with that commercial? More spin than the B330S and TP5? Reeks of desperation for people to overspend.

 

That is a huge claim to make that could blow up in their face.

 

Might want to actually watch the commercial since they don't make that claim.

"It’s not only the softest ball in the category. It’s better and longer than Chrome Soft, TP5 and Tour B RXS." Titleist VP of Golf Ball Marketing Michael Mahoney

 

http://www.golf.com/...2018-first-look

 

As I said, they never claimed that it had more spin than the B330S and TP5.

[xxio]

Only Titleist can get away with putting Tour on a 2pc non urethane ball and sell it for $$.

[Scooterboy59]

"It’s not only the softest ball in the category. It’s better and longer than Chrome Soft, TP5 and Tour B RXS." Titleist VP of Golf Ball Marketing Michael Mahoney. This fellow has lost his mind. I would like to know how many tour players have switched to this ball. None.

[North Butte]

I know, right? A marketing guy for one company claiming their product is BETTER than their competitors product. What’s the world coming to when marketing guys make claims like that!!!

 

Next thing you know there will be Toyota salesmen running around telling everybody Camry is better than the Accord...

[xkilgorextroutx]

I know, right? A marketing guy for one company claiming their product is BETTER than their competitors product. What's the world coming to when marketing guys make claims like that!!!

 

Next thing you know there will be Toyota salesmen running around telling everybody Camry is better than the Accord...

 

In my opinion, when you're claiming your product is better than a competitors, and you're not doing a true side by side comparison, the consumers will see through it pretty quickly. That's what's going on here.

 

Again, in my opinion, the soft, 2 piece ball category has becoming pretty saturated over the past few years with balls at a very good price point. I can't see anyone besides Titleist uber-fans paying $15 more per dozen for a ball who's true comparable is the W/S Duo.

[huskerguy18]

I know, right? A marketing guy for one company claiming their product is BETTER than their competitors product. Whats the world coming to when marketing guys make claims like that!!!

 

Next thing you know there will be Toyota salesmen running around telling everybody Camry is better than the Accord...

Well Callaway staffers and my golf spy seem to think those claims are straight up misleading. But what do they know compared to you?

[North Butte]

No way! Callaway STAFFERS think the Callaway ball is better than Titleist???

 

Well there’s a surprise and no doubt.

 

BTW I have zero interest in playing Tour Soft or any other Surlyn ball at any price

[xkilgorextroutx]

No way! Callaway STAFFERS think the Callaway ball is better than Titleist???

 

Well there’s a surprise and no doubt.

 

BTW I have zero interest in playing Tour Soft or any other Surlyn ball at any price

 

Well of course they think it's a better ball. Because it is. And Titleist isn't doing an honest comparison, and they're calling it out, rightfully so.

 

If I compare a Prius to a BMW X5 and say "The Prius has better gas mileage, therefore it's the better car" it's not an honest comparison. Two completely different vehicles aimed at different segments, just like the Tour Soft and the Chrome Soft.

[tbowles411]

No way! Callaway STAFFERS think the Callaway ball is better than Titleist???

 

Well there’s a surprise and no doubt.

 

BTW I have zero interest in playing Tour Soft or any other Surlyn ball at any price

Logic. Funny. :)

 

Marketing is a funny thing.

 

To be honest at the PGA Show the ball everyone was talking about was this one. They must have handed out a couple hundred 6-ball boxes of these. As the ad says, they were very deliberate in who and what they were targeting. Essentially, the gravitas of "Our second-tier ball is better than your flagship." That's ballsy. I love it. Essentially they're saying, "Come and get us." Are pros switching, hell no. This ball isn't marketed to them and it's laughable to think so. This is to take on the $40 a box market for $5 less. If I can nip the ball onto a green and stop it, that's all I need. If I can fly it to the green and get it to rest within a couple feet of it's pitch mark, perfect. And I did it for $5 less a box. And in yellow. And if it's softer as they say, even better.

[caniac6]

I once had a Titleist rep describe the NXT Tour as the poor man's ProV. I guess they have now made the rich man's Pinnacle.

[Joe V.]

All this makes you wonder how they are going to position/market the AVX. Two "new" balls positioned in the same generally area below the ProV is going to confuse the average golfer who doesn't know ionomer from urethane

[North Butte]

All this makes you wonder how they are going to position/market the AVX. Two "new" balls positioned in the same generally area below the ProV is going to confuse the average golfer who doesn't know ionomer from urethane

 

I would be gobsmacked if Titleist position the AVX "below" the ProV1 if you mean in price. During the test market they pitched it at the same price point as an alternative. Basically three top-price-tier options: ProV1, ProV1x, AVX. Try them all and see which one you like, that kind of thing.

 

SInce they apparently feel they can sell a Surlyn ball for $35/dozen (yikes!) they'd have no incentive to offer a urethane ball at the same price point. Why spend cast urethane multipiece money making balls when you can churn out cheapies instead?

 

My reading of the situation is the Tour Soft is what the NXT Tour has always been. Just a new iteration with slightly different marketing bumpf but same price, same target buyer. Their decision to sell or not sell AVX will be on its own merits as a expensive ball that some people like better than ProV1/ProV1x.

[spartanglfr]

Titleist can use all of their typical adjectives they use for their balls--premium, exceptional, commanding, superior--but until there are some numbers posted with which the TS can be compared to other balls, the speculation is just that....speculation about how the ball will perform. Right now, all I know for sure is that Titleist is selling a 2 piece Surlyn ball for $35 which to me seems ridiculous. Bridgestone used to make a 2 piece urethane covered ball (E5) for under $30 that didnt perform as well for me as other tour level balls that were cheaper after they were replaced by new generation models, so I didnt play the E5. But Bridgestone isn't Titleist and doesnt have their "brand" or marketing prowess.

 

Again, I dont care if folks want to pay $35 for a 2 piece Surlyn ball. But unless Titleist has magically transformed a 2 piece ball into a tour level performer, Ill gladly pass on it and pay less for a ball that plays better for me. I'll pay as much attention to the TS as I did to the NXTs, which is none. Just my opinion. And, if the sleeve of test balls i got a couple of months ago from Titleist is the TS, I'm not impressed and I thought the TruSoft was as good.

[Joe V.]

Titleist can use all of their typical adjectives they use for their balls--premium, exceptional, superior--but until there are some numbers posted with which the TS can be compared to other balls, the speculation is just that....speculation about how the ball will perform. Right now, all I know for sure is that Titleist is selling a 2 piece Surlyn ball for $35 which to me seems ridiculous. Srixon used to make a 2 piece urethane covered ball (E5) for under $30 that didnt perform as well for me as other tour level balls that were cheaper after they were replaced by new generation models, so I didnt play the E5. But Srixon isnt Titleist and doesnt have their "brand" or marketing prowess.

 

Again, I dont care if folks want to pay $35 for a 2 piece Surlyn ball. But unless Titleist has magically transformed a 2 piece ball into a tour level performer, Ill gladly pass on it and pay less for a ball that plays better for me. I'll pay as much attention to the TS as I did to the NXTs, which is none. Just my opinion. And, if the sleeve of test balls i got a couple of months ago from Titleist is the TS, I'm not impressed and I thought the TruSoft was as good.

 

One minor point, the E5 was Bridgestone and not Srixon. And yes, the E5 was a lousy ball.

[gvogel]

I once had a Titleist rep describe the NXT Tour as the poor man's ProV. I guess they have now made the rich man's Pinnacle.

 

Beautiful. The Pinnacle Soft may be my new ball.

[hwturner17]

Is anyone going to actually try this ball? There's a lot of back and forth in this thread, but I couldn't find a single user review yet

[Sean2]

What I don't understand is that Titleist is always claiming that anyone can play either ProV and that their games will benefit. If that is the case, why manufacture any other ball besides the ProV? By manufacturing other golf balls it's like they are saying that the claims they make about the ProV aren't true.

[iutodd]

Is anyone going to actually try this ball? There's a lot of back and forth in this thread, but I couldn't find a single user review yet

 

I was going to try it and then I realized - what would I compare it to? I mainly played the Q-star Tour last year and was planning on comparing that ball to the Snell MTB Red/Black this year. Why would I spend more money on a 2-layer Surlyn cover ball when I've got two/three great Urethane options to try that cost less? Like...what is my motivation for trying the Tour Soft?

 

I honestly can't think of any reason to buy this ball - much like the NXT Tour before it. And yes I've used that ball before - but that was before products like the two I mentioned above came to market. Now that they exist Titleist looks even worse and more arrogant IMO - like their response to reportedly losing market share and all of these new competitors is this ball? C'mon.

 

If I want a soft surlyn Titleist I'll just buy the $22 DT Trusoft...

[North Butte]

What I don't understand is that Titleist is always claiming that anyone can play either ProV and that their games will benefit. If that is the case, why manufacture any other ball besides the ProV? By manufacturing other golf balls it's like they are saying that the claims they make about the ProV aren't true.

 

Titleist has clearly thrown in the towel and will now be churning multiple conflicting product lines released as quickly as possible in order to compete the rest of the industry. Pity.

[iutodd]

What I don't understand is that Titleist is always claiming that anyone can play either ProV and that their games will benefit. If that is the case, why manufacture any other ball besides the ProV? By manufacturing other golf balls it's like they are saying that the claims they make about the ProV aren't true.

 

I think Titleist is scared of killing their golden goose by releasing anything with similar technology at a lower price point. Instead they are just limiting their market potential to those who can afford the Pro V and/or don't know of any other options...I can afford the Pro V but will never buy it...

 

Titleist has the name brand power to command more money - but the Tour Soft is just arrogant and almost offensive. I hope it tanks and they actually come to the table with a serious contender.