MEMBER REVIEWS: Titleist Tour Speed Golf Balls! See What Members Are Saying!

[knudson81]

 

We have members testing the new Titleist Tour Speed golf balls and reporting back here! Take a look at what these members are saying and please feel free to ask any questions you might have about these new golf balls! The testers are...

 

@postfold

@pseudoswede

@forrester_fire

@Hehateme

@storm319

@hondarob

@llewol007

@timmy8151

@seth514

@anythingfinite

@vernon

 

We also want to give a big THANK YOU to Titleist for putting on this testing event!

 

 

[postfold]

Thank you to Titleist and GolfWRX for the opportunity to test and review the new Tour Speed golf ball!  I received mine on Saturday and of course couldn't pass on the opportunity to put one in play yesterday.

 

Quick background:  50ish, 9 index, play 3x a week+ from April to November, weather permitting otherwise.  Short hitter, I've never had driver swing speed measured but it's slow, I'd guess 90 or so given that a decent drive is about 200 carry, 230 total.  Ball of choice for the last five years has been the Bridgestone e6 (2016 version), though I'm starting to run low and have been playing ProV1s with more frequency this season.  Important features for me are feel first, distance second.  I need to keep the ball in play off the tee and save shots around the green.

 

Anyway, the quick and dirty based on about a dozen holes:  NICE.  Played a regular ProV1 for the first two holes due to lack of warmup and to establish a baseline for the swing of the day.  Brought on the Tour Speed on #3 and promptly piped one dead center, five yards past my previous best on that hole this season.  Hmm.  Next hole is a par 3, off a hybrid the TS hit three feet short, took a hop and grabbed for an easy birdie.  On the sixth hole, was 20 yards past my season best.  I'll skip the others, but they were all good.  It was a good swing day, but the clearly TS outperformed the ProV1.  The trajectory was perfect - no ballooning, the ball just went.  Next time out I'll see how it compares to the e6.

 

I checked the Titleist website and used the ball selector tool before I went out, as expected it suggested the ProV1.  The manufacturer-touted benefits of the Tour Speed are lower spin in the long game, penetrating ball flight and great control around the green.  My initial observation is that the ball is clearly longer for me and definitively outperformed the ProV1 (but ... very very small sample size!).  I'll hold off on assessing around the green qualities until I get to try it on greens that weren't recently aerated and top dressed.

Edited October 12, 2020 by postfold

[molecularman]

49 minutes ago, postfold said:

 

 

 Important features for me are feel first, distance second.  I need to keep the ball in play off the tee and save shots around the green.

 

 

Thoughts on the feel vs.  Prov1?   Softer,  firmer,  about the same?         Thanks!

[hondarob]

First and foremost thank you Titleist and Golfwrx for giving me the opportunity to test what I believe will be another great product! I just received my dozen from Titleist yesterday and can’t wait to test the ball out on the course. 
 

The box colors used for these balls are great! The Blue, black and grey mesh well! I compared the TourSpeed with a ProV1 and right away there are noticeable but subtle difference. The cover reminds me of the old DT Solo balls and the alignment aid offers a different look. I’m not a huge fan of the alignment aid but it’s not a put off! 
 

I messed around with the ball on my putting mat at the house and here is what I can tell you:

The TourSpeed ball and the ProV1 feel almost identical to me. The TourSpeed may feel a little firmer but it’s hard to tell on a 5ft putt. I can’t wait to use these on the course and provide more feedback for everyone!

 

Robert

[hondarob]

7 minutes ago, molecularman said:

Thoughts on the feel vs.  Prov1?   Softer,  firmer,  about the same?         Thanks!

They feel very similar to the ProV1 from a putting standpoint. The TourSpeed may be a bit firmer but it’s very difficult to tell.

[anythingfinite]

Thank you to Titleist and GolfWRX for the opportunity to test and review the new Tour Speed golf ball!  I received mine on Saturday and played 18 with them today.

 

First, about me:  40 years old, 4.2 HDCP, 105avg driver speed.  I play 10-15x/mo, year round, weather permitting.  I have been playing Callaway CS/X for years.

 

Prior to getting on the course, I spent the weekend putting on my putting mat and comparing it to my current ball.  It is definitely firmer than Chrome Soft but softer than CSX, although just slightly.

 

I played this morning and opened my round by bombing my first drive over the fairway bunker I typically aim at on the outside of the dogleg.  The ball went into the high fescue 275yds from the tee.  Thats 25 yds longer than I typically hit my first drive without a warm up.  The ball rocketed off the face and went forever.  I played a little knock down wedge from 70yds out of the rough that bounced once and checked.  Impressed.

 

Second hole, I picked my usual line and hit another rocket through the fairway.  274yds.  I then hit 3wood from the rough 244yds to just right of the green.  Okay, this ball goes.

 

My drives on 3, 4, and 5 were all 275+.  Irons and wedges are hitting and sticking.  Not sucking back...but holding easily.  Still impressed. 

 

Hole 7 is a long par 4, always into the wind.  The ball flew 240 and stopped where it landed.  I had 5 iron into the green and hit it well, where the ball checked.  Thats not uncommon for me bc I hit the ball (too) high.  When I picked up the ball, I noticed some fishscaling from iron shots.  This would be a theme throughout the rest of the round.  And I'm a sweeper/picker so that's troubling.

 

As would the long drives.  The ball just has a crazy strong flight, even into the wind.

 

On the 9th hole, I missed the green long onto the collar.  Had a tricky downhill chip with a nice tight lie.  Now, the ball didn't check like Chrome Soft, but it checked nicely and rolled up to 3 inches for a tap in par.

 

The back 9 was basically the same story.  It ended with a 293yd bomb on 18 that went through the fairway, followed by a flighted wedge from 90yds that stuck and sat down.

 

I was in the market for a ball with a lower price point than CS/X and this is probably going to be it.  I averaged 20yds longer off the tee, and 5-10yds longer on all my irons.  The only knock I have at all is the durability of the cover.  That was pretty shocking for a Titleist product.  Oh, I'm not a fan of the "enhanced alignment" aid either but I got used to it.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by anythingfinite

[TonytheTiger]

Now granted I am not one of the above mentioned testers, I do have experience testing over 100 different golf balls in tournament play, on the range with monitors, and in the elements. I have over 5,000 golf balls in storage right now and I recently came across the tour speed ball. I was curious as to how it paralleled the ProV1 as they are both 3 piece golf balls. So I took it upon myself to do a blind test. My buddies and I took 'em out to the course, blurred the logos and decals and ran a couple of tests. On the greens I brought a blind fold and wanted to see if I could tell the difference between the ProV and tour speed. I couldn't! The tour speed is amazing on and around the greens in terms of feel. The ProV1 trumps it in terms of softness and consistency but the tour speed beats any other golf ball in that category, beating the project A, tour response, callaway super soft and hex tour soft, etc... I will try and post huge golf ball review blogs on here because I literally think I may have every ball ever made now in my collection. Thanks for hearing me out. Give the tour speed a try and let me know what you think. Definitely not a bad alternative to the paramount ProV1 series.

[postfold]

3 hours ago, molecularman said:

Thoughts on the feel vs.  Prov1?   Softer,  firmer,  about the same?         Thanks!

 

I thought the feel was very similar.  

 

Also checked the ball I used to see how the cover held up (had to clean it up first lol), looks mostly pristine.  One very minor abrasion along a ridge line.

 

I like the alignment graphic, I'm used to a larger one coming from the old e6.

[forrester_fire]

Thanks for the chance to be a tester.  I received mine on Saturday...and thankfully at that.  I was going to either make a Costco run for my Sunday round or pull some beat-up balls out of the hitting net in my garage because I only had 3 balls left!

 

Needless to say, I was able to put the Tour Speed into play almost immediately.

 

About me:  41, 11.4 index, swing speed in the 105-110 neighborhood, and my gamer is the Kirkland 3-piece.  I've had some struggles this year, especially off the tee, but I got a tune-up a couple of weeks ago and have been hitting the ball much better since.  I'll post my thoughts on the Tour Speed, by club, with some real-world examples.

 

Driver (2016 TM M1, Aldila Black 70S at 44.5"): 

• First used on hole 2, a very open 512 yard par 5 that slightly dog legs left.  The center or right-hand side of the fairway leaves the best angle in to a green protected left by a large bunker complex.  My tee shot was downwind with wind peaking at 9mph, I hit a small fade, and was left with 209 in on my second. 
• Hole 14 was dead into the wind.  It's a long par 4 and the tees were as far back as they position them.  I took an aggressive line down the right hand rough, which is the shortcut for this particular hole.  There are a cluster of bushes next to the tee box and, out of curiosity, I lasered them from where my drive came to rest and came up with 271.  The tee was about another 5 yards beyond the bushes, so I got ~275 into the wind our of that drive
• Hole 17 is par 5 that doglegs right at 90 degrees over a lake.  This is a risk/reward tee shot:  play conservatively down the fairway and it's a three shot hole or challenge the water (requiring a 240 - 265 yard carry depending on your line) to have a chance at getting home in two.  There was a right-to-left cross breeze, slightly into us.  Normally, I'd have take the safe route, but I wasn't scoring and I had been hitting driver very solidly, so I decided to take on the water.  I cleared it with room to spare and was left with 173 in.
• Thoughts:  The Tour Speed felt good off the driver.  It helped that I was finding the center of the clubface, but even less-than-perfect contact felt no different from my Kirkland.  I noticed the ball flight was higher, which I liked, and the ball performed quite well into the wind.  All in all, this ball really does fly off the driver.

Hybrids

• Hole 2 I was left with 209 in and hit 4 hybrid (Titleist 816 H1 22).  I striped it, with a bit of a draw, that landed pin high just off the left side of the green.  Unfortunately, it took a hard kick into the aforementioned bunker complex left.  This was the only hybrid I hit other than a pair of tee shots on short par 4s
• Thoughts:  Nothing to really add here.  The ball performed very similarly to my gamer, but I don't notice much difference between balls on hybrids

Long and Irons (Mizuno JPX-850 Forged, XP115 Stiff)

• I broke the shaft on my 4 iron last year hitting a punch shot from under a pine tree.  I almost never found myself with 4i in hand, and TrueTemper discontinued the XP115, so I replaced it with a hybrid.  That said, 5i is the only "long" iron in my bag, and I only had one occasion to hit it this round.  Par 3 16th, a lot of water right, 187 to the flag.  The flag was on the left side of the green and hit my tee shot pin high onto the fringe, with slippery downhill 8' putt left for birdie....I don't want to talk about it.  I've dunked so many balls in the lake on this particular hole, so staying dry always feels like a win.
• Thoughts:  I hit my irons high, so stopping on greens is rarely a problem for me.  I had a couple of 6, 7 and 9i tee/approach shots that found the green and stopped within a few feet of my pitch mark.  Distance seemed good.  Had a 184 yard 6i approach that landed pin high.  No surprises with the Tour Speed.

Wedges

• Thoughts:  This is where I expected the Tour Speed to struggle. I had a pretty lousy wedge day, but that was the painter and not the brush.  I had two really nice drives that were wasted on wedge approaches that I hit in the teeth.  Most of my misses around the green are left/right and I'm hitting out of the rough, so I don't normally pay much attention to spin.  However, I had one chip from the front collar with a LW that I really pinched and expected it to take one hop and skid to a stop...didn't happen.  Instead of stopping inside 5', it rolled out to about 15'.  This could have been the ball, it could have been the damp morning conditions, but I believe a urethane ball would have spun up.  The bunker shot I played on hole 2 after my second shot kicked off the side of the green also came out hot and skipped across the green.

 

Final Thoughts:  I only have one round with the Tour Speed and I generally like the ball.  It performs very well off the driver, hybrids, and middle/long irons.  I'll reserve judgement around the green until I've got a larger sample size, but I've never been especially fond of surlyn balls when it comes to the short game.  I will also say the cover is quite durable.  I caught a PW in the teeth and it ended up sipping across a cart path.  A urethane ball would have been thrashed, but there was only a small scuff on the Tour Speed.

 

So far, my biggest gripe about the Tour Speed, unrelated to the actual performance, is the price.  I play a links style course with lots of heather and water.  Being a mid-cap who hits the ball a decent distance and is known to go on streaks where I spray the ball off the tee, I can go through balls pretty quickly.  That's 90% of the reason I play the Kirkland ball...it performs pretty well (especially around the green) and the price can't be beat. 

 

I'll try to get some pictures posted soon.  This time of year is day-by-day where weather is concerned.  I've got tee times booked for the next two weeks, but they'll be "game time" decisions for the rest of the year.  I'll post updates as I get in more play.

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by forrester_fire

[Mr. Grumpy]

Great reviews! I am going to try a pack this weekend. 

[storm319]

Another big thank you to GolfWRX and Titleist for the opportunity to review.

 

This is the 3rd ball review I have been selected for in the past 5 years. Unfortunately I was only able to get two rounds with these before snow ended our golf season early. Before I get started on the actual ball, I just wanted to point out that this is by far the best looking packaging color scheme that I have ever seen. The one criticism I have here is that if you are planning to have an exposed cutout on the outer box, avoid the plastic film on the sleeve some that the consumer can actually touch the cover. 

 

 

Player Profile

Handicap: 11

Driver SS: high 90's

Ball Flight: generally medium-high ball flight, medium spin overall

Primary ball this season: 2013/2015 Srixon Z-Star (working through my Z-Star stash oldest to newest)

 

Off the Tee

I have no quantitative data to support this, but it seemed to be average in distance and dispersion off the tee. Compared to the my regular gamer (Z Star) it seemed to spin similarly with a slightly higher peak apex off the driver.

 

Long Irons

Long iron performance was very similar to most other multi-layer urethane balls. Feel was a bit unique for a urethane ball and felt more like a lower compression ionomer covered ball where the initial impact feels slightly clicky but with a almost mushy feeling after. This was more apparent with long irons than it was with short irons. 

 

Short Irons

Short iron spin fell a bit short of the average multi-layer urethane balls. It seemed to fall somewhere between a cast thermoset covered ball like the ProV1 and an ionomer covered ball from a spin perspective. I had several high peak, full wedge shots that ended up rolling out noticeably more than I am used to (below is a good example):

 

 

Around the Green

Going into this knowing that this was a lower compression TPU urethane covered ball, I was not expecting drop and stop performance around the green. I generally play most shots assuming some run out around the green as it tends to be easier to control vs throwing shorter, aggressive darts at the pin. On the few aggressive 30-40 yard punches that I took, the Tour Speed rolled out a bit more than I was expecting even for a TPU ball. Performance was very similar to the Srixon Q Star Tour only with a slightly firmer feel. 

 

Putting

Tour Speed seems to have a firmer cover and mantle which materializes in slightly clicky initial feedback which was a bit harder than the Z Star and similar to the Q Star Tour or the Bridgestone Tour B RX balls. The "aftertaste" feel is a bit mushy and I found myself struggling with distance control as a result. The side stamp is likely elicit a love it or hate it response, but I personally found the parallel arrows and primary arrow heads to be more of a distraction than an aid when lining up putts (I prefer a simpler stamp with text and arrows or extended line). 

 

Durability

Aside from a single aggressive full wedge which left a scuff on a single ball (see pic below), the cover held up pretty well to normal play. Once of the other balls looked basically new after about 5 holes once the grass stains were cleaned off. Definitely an improvement vs its prototype, the EXP-01.

 

 

Overall Feel

According to a competing site, the Tour Speed measures out to an overall compression of 78 on the ATTI scale firmly (no pun intended) placing it in the low compression urethane category with the Srixon Q Star Tour, Callaway Chrome Soft, and Bridgestone Tour B RXS. 

Not only was this Achusnet's first injection molded TPU covered model (I lump the EXP-01 in since it was the prototype), but it was also the first multi-layer ball with a mantle (all prior models with a mantle layer have had a cast thermoset urethane cover). All of Acushnet's injection molded cover models under the Titlest, Pinnacle, and Union Green brands are produced in Ball Plant 2 while their Titleist cast thermoset urethane models are produced in Ball Plant 3 (MA) or Ball Plant 4 (Thailand). 

 

 

Value

This ball is priced similarly vs most of the other low compression, 3-piece, urethane offerings from the big OEMs. The Srixon Q Star Tour is extremely similar in feel and performance is priced at $10 less per dozen, however given Titleist's track record for consistency as well as the unique alignment aid may be worth the additional cost per ball to some players. Bottom line, if you are looking for lower compression, multi-layer, urethane ball that spins and costs a bit less than the ProV1, this would not be a bad choice and likely a better fit than the AVX for most players. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by storm319

[anythingfinite]

Round 2 with the balls this morning.  The weather was about 15* cooler.  The ball still rocketed off the clubface and I was taking much more aggressive lines off the tee.  Had more opportunities to test out the short game spin of the ball.  It definitely does not have the greenside grab of a CS but its honestly not bad at all.  I didn't have any issues getting up and down that were caused by the ball.

 

With that said, the cover durability is still an issue.  The picture below is a brand new ball after a single 5i off a tee on a par 3.  Again, I am not a steep digger at the ball, but more of a sweeper/picker.  

 

I did go out after the round and buy another dozen to see if I just got a bad batch. I hope the ball is more durable because it is absolutely changing my game, especially off of the tee.

 

[Hehateme]

Thank you to golfWRX and Titleist for the opportunity to test, I received the balls on Monday. I haven't had the opportunity to play a round yet but will post a thorough report when I do. I suspect next week.

 

As far as me and my game, 56 years old, Florida golfer, and I am currently playing to a 3.2, swing speed max with a driver is 108. Majority of 2020 I have been playing the new Bridgestone B tour ball and the Taylormade TP5X, but I am always looking for a ball that costs less and performs nearly as well. In the last year I have tried every ball on the market (seriously) and played 10+ rounds with a Callaway Warbird recently. Really liked that ball actually. 

 

If you guys have a certain certain ball you would like me to compare this Titleist to, please reply and let me know. I will play a round with the ball you want as well as the Tour Speed and post a report.

 

Patrick

Edited October 15, 2020 by Hehateme
add info

[postfold]

Got in my second round with the Tour Speed today ... actually the same ball.  I'm up to about 30 holes with it and it has held up well, though I haven't hit any trees or cart paths that I recall.  Two minor abrasions, but still completely playable.  

 

It wasn't a day for comparison testing, just a regular round after waiting out a frost delay.  Temperature never got out of the 40s and it got progressively windier.  Very impressed by how the Tour Speed performs in the wind, I can't think of anything I've played that's better.  No ballooning, no funny business.

[seth514]

I would like to thank GolfWRX and Titleist for being selected to test the Tour Speed as well, receiving them last Wednesday. It took a few days before I could get out to test them. As my driver is a bit erratic right now I chose to only do a short game test of them at first. About myself, currently a 12 handicap with about 93-95 driver swing speed. Lately I have been playing the Kirkland 3 piece, but also practice with Pro V1's too.

 

First impressions, I like the appearance. It has a slightly more glossy sheen to it than the Pro V1 and the Kirkland, and the font seems more bold (#4 ball). It looks pretty good to my eye. I don't really care for the alignment device, as I always sharpie my own regardless of the ball I use. 

 

All short shots were done consecutively, and somewhat rapidly to maintain some consistency. Basically, I'd hit the 3 same balls in succession without looking up to determine distance from pin. Then the next set of 3, and the last set of 3 in the same style. I did this so I wouldn't adjust in between individual swings with the same ball type. Beginning with:

 

15ft green-side pitch shots:

Really couldn't determine any difference other than maybe a tiny bit of firmness with the Tour Speed, almost same as ProV1. Kirkland maybe a tad softer.

 

25ft green-side pitches: 

Tour Speed seemed to roll out a little bit more, and possibly confirming the firmer feel. Kirkland again a bit softer. All very close.

 

35 yard Low trajectory shots:

This actually took a long time to get nine consecutive shots that felt similar. This was a very firm, small green that slopes away and downwind. So I thought it perfect to test on. I did notice the ProV1 seemed to carry a touch further for some reason, but felt much the same as the Tour Speed. The Tour Speed and Kirkland felt like I had to add a little speed to the swing for similar carry and they both still landed short. Kirkland feeling very soft compared to the other two.

 

35 yard High trajectory shots:

No video for these but the similar feel to the ProV1 was noticed on these shots, but a bit more runout comparably. Again, a softer Kirkland note. I was going to try similar testing from 45 yards but the wind sucked.

 

8 foot Putts:

All three balls are very similar in feel at this distance, maybe the Kirkland feeling a tad softer, but probably my imagination. I'm not that good.

 

15 foot Putts:

Same feel as above but had to adjust slightly with the Kirklands, giving them more pace. Maybe due to softer feel.

 

20 foot Putts:

This seemed to be a little more of a change in feel, with the Tour Speed a touch more firm than ProV1, and more so than Kirkland.

 

25 foot green-side Chips/Bump n Run:

Using my 50*, I felt the most consistent with this test. The Tour Speed felt slightly more firm and a little more rollout than the other two (5-6ft). But still, nothing wrong with that, just different. 

 

Conclusions:

The Tour Speed seems to work just as well as the ProV1 and Kirkland 3pc. It has a similar feel overall as the ProV1 around the greens, but both are different than the Kirkland, to me. I haven't yet tested for durability which is where the Kirkland always struggles. I intend to test again on a par 3 exec course, where almost every tee shot is a wedge. That being said, as far as value and performance is concerned, I'll probably be sticking with the Kirklands. Hopefully this review gives a little more insight for those curious. I don't think I can do any better 😄. Cheers!

 

Edited October 18, 2020 by seth514

[Hehateme]

Okay, not my "official" report but DAMN what a fine golf ball. I don't find it any longer than any other ball I have been playing, but I really enjoyed my round yesterday. Hit 15 greens on the way to shooting a smooth 66 with this ball in winds gusting to 25mph. Ball is easy to flight, easy to control, has just the right amount of spin both on full shots and pitch shots. It doesn't make that click sound like your typical mid range ball makes. As a matter of fact, I would say it feels softer off the face than it does hard, atypical for a "distance" ball. I will post some pictures later today. Suffice to say that I liked it.

[forrester_fire]

I got in my second round today with the Tour Speed and not much has changed since my first review.  I didn't have a great day with the driver, so I can't say whether the distance I saw the first round with the Tour Speed was an aberration, but I did hit a lot of greens today.  I still wasn't able to reliably get the ball to check around the green, though.  I have practically brand-new 56 and 60 wedges, too.

 

I really like the ball, I just don't like it for $40 a dozen.  I'd rather pay an extra $5-8 for ProV/Tour B/TP5, but I'll stick with the Snell/Maxfli Tour/Kirkland urethane balls, personally.

Edited October 19, 2020 by forrester_fire

[hondarob]

****UPDATE****

 

I played 9 holes with the ball a few days ago and here is what I learned.

 

For me the ball performed its best on iron shots.  The ball landed and didn't spin back a ton and it didn't release more than I wanted on the greens.  Around the greens the ball seemed to roll out quite a bit more than the ProV1 that I usually play.  This makes me change my approach to chipping and pitching as I am used to the reaction from the ball I normally play.  Honestly I did not care for how the ball played off of my driver.  Could just be me not hitting the ball well but it felt like the ball would just die mid flight and it was definitely shorter than when I hit my ProV1.  I can confirm that the ball does feel just like a ProV1 when putting!  I play ProV1's and the TourSpeed ball is just a bit firmer overall.  

 

The worse part of this golf ball is the cover.  As others have mentioned, the cover seems to not like grooves.  I played the same ball for 9 holes and kept the ball in the short grass for the most part.  I didn't put the ball in any areas that would scuff the cover and yet it looks like the ball caught the cart path.  This for me is a problem!  I am sure that many of you feel the same as I do when it comes to buying premium golf balls.  If I am spending this kind of money I expect to get the most out of that golf ball.  I should be able to play it more than 9 holes before it goes in the shag bag.  

 

All in all the ball is really good!  If you are looking for an alternate to the Callaway ERC Soft or Q-Star Tour then give this ball a shot.  I will try and post some video of the ball in its natural environment this upcoming weekend for everyone to see just how the ball acts.     

Edited October 19, 2020 by hondarob

[elwhippy]

From the first review posted a few weeks back to today the cover issue is a constant. Who signed off a ball at that price point with such poor durability? 

[Hehateme]

I didn't find the cover durability to be an issue. I played the same ball for 17 holes and unfortunately I hit the ball I used all day in the lake on 18 and had to play a new ball. So, no pictures of that used all day ball. To that point I really didn't see any cover issues other than one of my errant drives that bounced off of a cart path and got scarred up

Edited October 19, 2020 by Hehateme

[Hehateme]

4 different shots into greens. Gap wedge, 9 iron into the wind, 7 iron 190 yard down wind and a 8 iron with a little hurting wind

 

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by Hehateme

[llewol007]

Thanks again to Golfwrx and Titliest for giving me the chance to test out their new offering. 

 

Backround. 43, 4 kids, mainly play once a week and if Im lucky sneak in an extra one. My Index is right at 2.1 but scores as of now have been between 73 and 77. I love to tinker and compare stuff for myself versus what I read on Golf digest top list as well as 3rd party testing. Good input by other players but I always believe golf balls are like drinking wine. You have to find one you will drink and enjoy regardless of price. Now on to the testing. So I wanted to conduct a test versus golf balls that I have put into the rotation. The TP5X, the Vice pro plus, and the Snell MTBX I wanted to exclude the TP5X due to pricing since the reason why Titliest wanted to offer the Tour Speed golf balls were to get into the sub $40 dollar a dozen market, but since I have sleeve of the TP5X's, I threw it in there.

 

Initial look, just looks shinier than others. Good look with the thicker alignment strip which is nice but not a deal maker for me since I dont use one when I putt. Very Similar to the ProV's if you were just looking at the number side. Same Urethane exterior which is nice. 

 

Practice Green. So I managed to do a putting comparison between them all rolling some lag putts as well as some 4 footers. Not much stands out between the Tourspeed and the TP5. The Vice pro sounds a little clickier while the Snell sounds more muted and felt heavier off the putter face(main reason I dont play the snell) in comparison to the Titliest ball. The Tour speed is suppose to have a softer cover which promotes more spin but a harder cover to have added distance. Distance on each putt did not vary much. The difference with players using this ball will be the type of putter and insert the player will have. I have a milled grind Cleveland and it felt smooth of the face. The tour speed itself sounds good off the putter. Not clicky or cheap sounding. Reaction and result did not stand out in comparison to the rest of the field. On to the short game area.

 

Chipping/Pitching- I spent some good time in the short game area as I always do since I for one believe this is where most players can pick up at least 5 strokes on their game. I am one for wanting a ball that is both pleasing when it comes to sound and of course the spin and roll out I get. The Tour speed is very nice around the green. Very solid action when it comes to chipping for me. Im using the Cleveland RTG zip core. Not too much bite with a very repeatable roll out. Very similar to my Vice Pro plus which too me has a harder cover. The spin from this short range wasnt a factor in my opinion. Something shouts out to me using the Tourspeed. Something screams NXT Tour when it first came out. The TP5 had a better sound but not too far off. The Snell felt heavier out of the group very similar to the Bridgestone ball that Tiger uses. Pitching it around the green, the spin was better in my opinion than the Vice Pro as well as the TP5X. Maybe a softer design is the main reason. Comparable in action this time to the Snell MTBX. Nice action but not uncontrollable. 

 

On Course-Off the tee the Tour Speed shines but not outshines. This ball reminds me of the distance I get with the Vice Pro plus. A little shorter than the TP5X and longer than the MTBX. Very nice distance as I felt it shoot off the face. The Sound is very similar to the TP5X. Good roll out and distance in my opinion. Very solid and comparable to what I was getting with a Prov V which I tend to favor over the ProvV1X (just me). I didnt pick up too much distance to make me say WOW like Ive read on other reviews. Still a good option off the tee.

 

Into the green- Here I took the golf balls to 155 and 125 yards and proceeded to hit some 8 irons and Wedges in. I like the feel of the ball of my Mizuno's. Very solid sounding. The action on the green is very good. Not too much spin or action. This ball is very similar to the TP5X in my opinion as well as the Snell ball. Has more action then the Vice Pro but not overwhelming enough to make me not like it. The Tourspeed ball is very good ball hitting into greens. The mid to longer irons, again, the Tourspeed I believe delivered on what they wanted. Good sound, solid feel (not cheap feeling) and the right amount of spin I will looking for. As i got into higher flyers in (75 yards) the Tour speed was very competitive with the TP5X in my opinion. Again more spin than the Vice and along the same lines as both the TP5X and the Snell. 

 

Recap- Very interesting offering from Titliest but I can see where they are needing something to fill the gap between the Prov and AVX line and maybe the Truefeel (DT line) The Tourspeed screams to me NXT Tour when it was available. Maybe they just didnt like the color of the Box the NXT came in so they changed the name and color scheme. Overall, it is a good ball but will probably get lost in their other offerings. The Tour Speed is a great distance ball, very decent amount of spin, and good off the flat stick. 

 

 

Thanks again for the opportunity to give my impression on the Titliest TourSpeed.  Hope I get more chances to breakdown products from a players perspective. 

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by llewol007

[vernon]

Like the others, I greatly appreciate being selected as a tester and received notification that the balls had been delivered.  Unfortunately, I'm a couple hundred miles away from home on vacation and won't be returning until Saturday.

 

Even worse than that we're supposed to get three inches of snow Sunday thru Tuesday with temperatures in the 20's so I might be a little tardy with my review from a playing standpoint!

 

Nonetheless, many thanks to Golfwrx and to Titleist and I'm anxious for a chance to put these in play and report back.

[Michaele]

Great reviews. I appreciate reading what mostly very low handicap golfers have to say about a ball not designed for them. This ball should be reviewed by golfers with a handicap that the ball is designed for.

 

The ball is designed for golfers with swing speeds of 90 or less. As I read the reviews I see that almost everyone who states their handicap is a single digit player. I see people who are 2s, 3s, 4s, etc reviewing this ball. I don't find that very helpful to the 10 and over crowd. They need to know how golfers in the same grouping find the ball.

 

I don't think it is much different than if you had a bunch of golfer withs handicaps of 20 or more  reviewing Callaway Apex irons or scratch golfers reviewing super game improvement irons.

 

The comment sections here are dominated by low handicappers ad the vast majority if golfers do not fit into that category. 

 

I am likely to get roasted for saying this stuff out loud, but that's the way it is. If you don't go with the flow you get roasted.

 

 

[Hehateme]

Michaele- no roasting from me, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. I do take exception to some of your comments though. First, throw a 20+ handicap into this trial and what "specific shot" feedback is he going to be able to give you? A 20+ isn't a consistent enough ball striker to be able to give specific feedback on ball performance. Kind of confirmed with your comments regarding Apex irons. Having single digit handicaps review the ball translates directly to the 10+ handicaps game. Secondly, where did you see that the ball is designed for swing speeds under 90?  Lastly, Forester_fire and Seth514 are both 10+ handicaps and gave pretty thorough reviews. I think Knudson came up with a great mix of talents, ages etc to test these.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Hehateme

[noodle3872]

On 10/21/2020 at 2:07 PM, Michaele said:

Great reviews. I appreciate reading what mostly very low handicap golfers have to say about a ball not designed for them. This ball should be reviewed by golfers with a handicap that the ball is designed for.

 

The ball is designed for golfers with swing speeds of 90 or less. As I read the reviews I see that almost everyone who states their handicap is a single digit player. I see people who are 2s, 3s, 4s, etc reviewing this ball. I don't find that very helpful to the 10 and over crowd. They need to know how golfers in the same grouping find the ball.

 

I don't think it is much different than if you had a bunch of golfer withs handicaps of 20 or more  reviewing Callaway Apex irons or scratch golfers reviewing super game improvement irons.

 

The comment sections here are dominated by low handicappers ad the vast majority if golfers do not fit into that category. 

 

I am likely to get roasted for saying this stuff out loud, but that's the way it is. If you don't go with the flow you get roasted.

 

 

Funny how Titleist does not believe in assigning a swing speed or handicap to their balls yet so many golfers still do.  
 

 

 

 

[Mr. Grumpy]

I picked up a dozen and have experienced the same durability issues others have. Bummer, especially at $39..

Edited October 23, 2020 by Mr. Grumpy

[postfold]

After another round yesterday, I'm sold.  This ball is perfect for me.

 

Paired with someone I've played with enough to know his game.  He's usually a little longer than I am off the tee.  Not yesterday, I was clearly longer.  Repeatedly.  The handful of extra yards I'm getting on every drive is helpful.

 

I like the feel as well.  The performance off the irons and wedges is consistent.  It's not the highest spinning, grippiest ball, but that's not my game.  Feel and consistency matter.   

 

If I remember I'll clean up the ball later and see how it looks after nearly 3 full rounds with it.  It'll probably go in the leaf ball colleciton but I don't remember seeing any issues other than the minor abrasions noted after the last round.

Edited October 25, 2020 by postfold

[Hehateme]

18 holes with the same ball. Absolutely no durability issues, no cover issues at all. I would post pictures but you would all deny that the ball has actually been played. I will throw in that I always clean my clubs and never hit a ball with sand/dirt still on the face.

[disco111]

On 10/22/2020 at 10:09 PM, noodle3872 said:

Funny how Titleist does not believe in assigning a swing speed or handicap to their balls yet so many golfers still do.  
 

 

 

 

Yeah, your correct that Titleist does not indicate a swing speed within their determination on what ball is best suited when you use their web site. The problem is that swing speed is the biggest factor in determining distance and spin rate. Titleist is just pushing balls into the market place (granted so are other OEM's) and hoping that golfers will respond to the name and accept the high price tag.