Titleist AVX Golf Balls
Golf Balls

Titleist AVX Golf Balls

Support our Mission. We independently test each product we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

Titleist AVX Golf Balls

 The Titleist AVX golf ball is a bit of an enigma.

Based on its material make-up, it doesn’t fit with the three-piece, TPU-covered Titleist Tour Speed or two-piece Titleist Tour Soft. Yet, without any obvious connection to the Pro V1 franchise (say, like calling it Pro AVX or something), it exists in golf ball purgatory. It’s not a value-priced option aimed at the golfer who wants to play Titleist without paying a premium. However, it lacks perhaps the most identifiable moniker in the golf ball industry—Pro V1. For those of you who enjoy pop-culture references, the AVX is like working on Dutton’s Yellowstone ranch but without the “Y” brand.

So, that roughly covers what Titleist AVX isn’t. But what about what Titleist AVX is?

Back It Up

Hero image of the Titleist AVX Golf ball.

Titleist introduced AVX golf ball in 2018 primarily as an alternative to the bellwether Pro V1 and Pro V1x offerings. The intent was to give golfers softer overall feel with less spin and a lower trajectory. Point of reference: Titleist Pro V1 is billed as mid-launch/mid-spin while Pro V1x is high-launch/high-spin, relatively speaking.

Admittedly, it’s a niche performance design that probably won’t ideally fit most of you reading this article. However, much like Pro V1x Left Dash, Titleist AVX caters to a specific, albeit smaller, group of golfers best suited by a particular combination of flight, spin and feel. Speaking of which …

Titleist AVX Flight, Spin and Feel

Titleist AVX golf ball

You’ll hear Titleist reference its three hallmark ball fitting criteria quite often. These aren’t unique to Titleist but it does give us a clean and tidy structure to help understand the differences between models. Additionally, it’s worth noting that flight, spin and feel are all dependent variables in the golf manufacturing equation. Meaning that when you change one aspect (spin), it’s going to alter either flight or feel or both. And therein lies the crux of the golf ball manufacturing conundrum.

Golf ball design is a series of opportunity costs, much like allocating finite resources such as time or money. If you have $5 and decide to spend it on a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, you can’t spend that same $5 on something else. OK. Back to golf balls. A softer core material produces lower spin off the driver which is beneficial for most golfers. However—and stop me if you’ve heard this before—a softer core is also slower when it comes to generating ball speed. As a result, engineers must fudge around with dimple patterns, mantle layers and cover thickness to alter spin and trajectory to generate sufficient distance.

Contrary to what some might want consumers to believe, it’s ill-advised to suggest that a single ball has the necessary performance attributes for every golfer. We’re all just too damned different. “One size fits all” might work for that $2 Walmart poncho, but that’s about it.

RANKED: Best Performing Golf Balls ????

Looking for which golf balls performed best?

Titleist AVX Third Generation

“With new AVX, we focused on what AVX golfers are asking for: improving upon the already incredible distance and feel that golfers love while enhancing greenside spin,” says Frederick Waddell, Director of Golf Ball Product Management.

Translation: Golfers want more distance off the tee but without any loss in greenside spin. In fact, while you’re at it, a bit more short-game spin would be nice as well.

Yeah, and I want cauliflower rice that tastes like filet mignon. The asking for something part is easy.

“We achieved this by softening the urethane cover to achieve greater short game performance while adding a new core formulation for speed, and new aerodynamics for flight stability and more distance,” according to Waddell.

Again, the salient point is that every component of a golf ball is connected and has a direct impact on performance.

Titleist AVX Core

Titleist AVX golf ball core

The revamped core is designed to generate high speed with less spin in the long irons. Wait. What?

But you just said that a soft core, such as that found in low-compression balls like AVX, is inherently slow. It is. And in this case, based on initial measurements on our gauge, the new Titleist AVX golf ball is three to four points softer than the current version. But to help mitigate this reality, Titleist developed a graduated core where the center remains soft and the outermost portions are incrementally stiffer. If you’re thinking about Snickerdoodle cookies, you’re on the right track. Next, a high-flex casing layer surrounds the core. The purpose of this layer is more speed and less spin from long irons and hybrids.

Titleist AVX Cover

Titleist AVX Golf ball on a compression gauge.

The cast-urethane cover is a proprietary formulation developed by Titleist R&D which is slightly thinner than the cover used on the previous-generation AVX. More importantly, the thinner cover sits over the harder casing layer. And “soft over hard” is what generates spin in a golf ball. Read that last bit again. It’s why two-piece balls (hard core/hard cover) can’t offer “Tour-like” greenside control. As such, increasing short-game spin requires either a softer/thinner cover, harder mantle/casing layer, or both.

You might also hear some reference to Titleist’s design goal around making the “spin slope” steeper. Basically, think of your typical X-Y coordinate plane where the X-axis shows driver spin and the Y-axis shows wedge spin. A steeper slope profile occurs by increasing the difference between the two (less driver spin and more wedge spin).

Titleist AVX Aerodynamics

Stamping on the Titleist AVX Golf ball.

Aerodynamic dimple patterns require that you understand the concept of total trajectory. Fortunately, that’s simple. When you watch a golfer hit a shot standing directly behind him or her, the ball goes up, moves right or left, reaches a peak height and then descends. The side-on view tells a more complete story. From that vantage point, it’s easier to assess the entire trajectory of the shot. For example, understanding that your 7-iron has a peak height of 105 feet is an important piece of data. But how far into the total flight does the ball reach its peak height? And how does that impact descent angle and therefore stopping power?  That’s the difference between antiquated thinking that fixates exclusively on launch and spin and understanding the value of total trajectory.

The new 348 tetrahedral catenary pattern is designed exclusively for the low-flight window of AVX. With that, Titleist asserts that the new pattern with seven dimple sizes is longer and more consistent than the previous one. For the record, we’re still waiting for a company to come out with a new product that’s explicitly shorter and less consistent. TBD on that.

Last year, Titleist released updated Pro V1/V1x models featuring spherically tiled, tetrahedral dimple patterns. It was the first new dimple count on Titleist’s flagship balls since 2011. The 348-dimple pattern on the new AVX also came out of that exploratory process. I point that out primarily to reiterate that, in terms of component quality and design, AVX is some version of a Pro V1 by any other description.

Is Titleist AVX Golf Ball For You?

A gaggle of Titleist AVX Golf balls

Across Titleist’s Tour-level ball line-up, which includes AVX and anything with “Pro V” in the name, the 80/20 ratio roughly applies. That is, approximately 80 percent of golfers will fit into either Pro V1 or Pro V1x. The remaining 20 percent who fight excessive spin end up with either Pro V1x Left Dash or AVX. So, as it stands currently, AVX is the Pro V1 alternative for the golfer who needs less launch and spin than Pro V1.

But some of you are wondering about Pro V1 Left Dot. Besides the fact that it’s sold out (unless you want to drop $250 for a dozen on an auction site), Pro V1 Left Dot and AVX aren’t the same. Similar? Yes. Same? Nope.

In terms of launch and spin profiles, Left Dot fits between Pro V1 and AVX.

Moreover, Pro V1 Left Dot is played on the PGA TOUR every week. AVX is not. This is because Pro V1 Left Dot is firmer with a bit more spin than AVX. The additional spin helps golfers who want a lower flight window but require the additional spin around the greens. Should Pro V1 Left Dot make an appearance in the retail market at some point in late 2022 or 2023—and I’m not promising it will—that would give Titleist five Tour-level balls in its lineup. Then the primary question becomes whether the performance separation between the five models is sufficient to warrant keeping them all around.  We shall see.

Pricing and Availability

Titleist AVX golf ball is available in white and high optic yellow.

Retail price is $49.99 MAP and will be available at retail beginning Feb. 4.

For more information, visit titleist.com

Titleist AVX Golf Balls FAQs

For You

For You

We Tried It
Oct 3, 2024
This Rangefinder is Unique!
FootJoy Pro/SLX BOA golf shoes FootJoy Pro/SLX BOA golf shoes
News
Oct 3, 2024
4 Tips to Extend the Lifespan of Your Golf Shoes
Uncategorized
Oct 3, 2024
Best Funny Golf Gifts
Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris is a self-diagnosed equipment and golf junkie with a penchant for top-shelf ice cream. When he's not coaching the local high school team, he's probably on the range or trying to keep up with his wife and seven beautiful daughters. Chris is based out of Fort Collins, CO and his neighbors believe long brown boxes are simply part of his porch decor. "Isn't it funny? The truth just sounds different."

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel

Chris Nickel





    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

      Grant

      1 year ago

      Imagination is one of the hallmarks of the game it was a good 👍 read thanks and keep your sense of humor its refreshing!

      Reply

      Tim Gath

      1 year ago

      Lighten up fellas. It’s not a PHD thesis, but a simple ball review. I found it humorous and the review informative. Still not the ball for me but information is always a good thing.

      Reply

      Kevin Stanley

      2 years ago

      Hey Chris, the article was great. Hugely informative. I’ve been going back and forth between AVX and Pro V1 for the last couple of years. Honestly there are pros and cons to each as you’ve pointed out. I’ll keep trying them both, need to get the latest AVX for the start of the season in Michigan. One last thought, I love the personal references! Keep ‘em up! That’s what writers do! Gives us a chance to get to know you more, which is why we come to mygolfspy.com.

      Reply

      Greg

      3 years ago

      Chris, in this article you didnt complete your thought on where the AVX sits in comparison to Pro V1 left dash. Sure, it is softer but what about spin and launch characteristics? Appreciate your comments.

      Reply

      Owen

      3 years ago

      I played the AVX most of last season. I started with the Chrome Soft which I also really like but then switched when I noticed I was getting more distance and control out of the AVX on windy days (which we have plenty of in the UK and Europe).

      I have to say – half of the reason I liked both these and the chrome soft was the feel for short game play so I was surprised to see a comment above about them feeling like stones… For me its the opposite, they don’t spin as much as a ProV – but ample for my game. I’m not so interested in seeing my wedges come back 10ft – I just want the ball to land and stop pretty quickly and for the impact to feel right.

      Reply

      Lamont G

      3 years ago

      I just switched to the AVX and I’m living it. I’m longer off the tee with driver and hitting more greens. I love the feel coming off the putter face.

      Reply

      Richard Murray

      1 year ago

      I agree just switched to AVX. Writer did not mention the lower compression of the AVX whicj i find beneficial fot my old man swing

      Reply

      Don

      3 years ago

      I’m a golf Marshall and active player. I find a lot more golf balls than I lose, which gives me a chance to test a large variety of golf balls. How/where can I find golf ball information to determine what year model a golf ball belongs to?

      Reply

      Jerome

      3 years ago

      We have a course here that fires any marshall hunting balls, because they are not doing their jobs.

      Reply

      Peter Trivanovich

      2 years ago

      Most marshals make minimum wage and work for the playing privileges. Certainly, you want them doing their job, but hawking a few balls doesn’t really interfere as they are driving around the course. So….In my humble opinion, that would put that course in the “douchebag’ category.

      Mel

      1 year ago

      I marshaled 1 year at my course. Probably found 10,000 balls riding the cart paths, which run next to the tree lines. Nothing in the world wrong with hopping out of ur cart and walking 20 ft for a ball when u see it laying there. I was the only one riding the course. The others were lazy and sat at the clubhouse or on 1 hole. So, unless that’s all ur doing is hunting balls, nothing wrong with coming home with a bag full everytime as long as it’s not the only reason ur out there.

      Dick A

      3 years ago

      So, in my search for the best distance ball for a slow senior swing, which is better: the Pro V1 or the AVX? Then there is the new Wilson billed as the perfect old man ball (my interpretation). So which ball(s) do you all consider the best for low swing speed players. That would save a lot of time and money in the long run and be a real help in deciding on the balls to play this season. Thanks.

      Reply

      Jon

      3 years ago

      My thoughts… if you are losing distance (due to spinning too much) with irons, in particular 4-7 get AVX – Driver I see them much the same (for me – everyone different) – but AVX much better in bringing iron spin down

      Reply

      JR Thomas

      3 years ago

      The AVX is my go-to ball, I’m looking forward to trying the new one. I am a high ball hitter, primarily because of a shallow descent angle and neutral club face presentation, rather than super high spin rate. The AVX gives me a better, more piercing ball flight. I have no problem stopping the ball from either full or part swing shots, perhaps because I have always relied on descent angle more than spin rate for stop. As has been said, it’s great to have choices and it’s all about fit….????

      Reply

      Brian K

      3 years ago

      I am a fan of the AVX and almost made the permanent switch over a few times this passed season. The low launch is what appeals most to me as I tend to hit the ball very high already. If they really did give the new model some better feel and spin around the greens, it could be my new ball.

      Reply

      Brian K

      3 years ago

      Past*

      Reply

      Erik

      3 years ago

      Great article, Chris. it would be sad if the article read like some generic copy from any generic golf website.

      Plus, now I’m hungry for ice cream. That raspberry truffle filling in the AVX is tempting…

      Reply

      Mike

      3 years ago

      The AVX didn’t work out for me previously. I also felt that the cover got scuffed incredibly easily.

      Reply

      Kevin

      3 years ago

      I don’t know how much they changed it, but I found the original AVX to be all but unusable around the greens. I would have rather chipped with an old Rock-Flite. It definitely didn’t act like it had a urethane cover.

      Reply

      BodeenJCS

      3 years ago

      Yep … my experience with this ball is the same not to mention the dead sound when putting … turned me off . I play Prov1 and Prov1x depending on conditions and the AVX ball in my testing is not really any longer , in fact I have hit my longest with the Prov1 non x . Hitting into a stiff wind , the AVX is the better ball for a few more yards but not worth what you give up around the green … Just my opinion folks

      Reply

      Chris Nickel

      3 years ago

      Entirely fair and everyone has his or her own experience. That said, if you find the best performance with V1x, I wouldn’t expect AVX to be a good ball for you at all. Ultimately, it’s best for the player who really needs to cut spin throughout the bag.

      John J

      3 years ago

      Sounds like a head on crash with the 2022 Chrome Soft? Both are lower compression and it sounds like the new Chrome Soft has been formulated for more distance… and it already had the green side spin. Decisions, decisions.. can’t wait to see the comparisons.

      Reply

      Chris Nickel

      3 years ago

      Hmmmm…am I perhaps smelling a MyGolfSpy Lab opportunity?

      Reply

      Bob

      3 years ago

      Chris – in the Aug 2019 ball test – my reading of the stats indicated that AVX was the best overall distance ball in slow swing speed category looking at both driver and 8 iron. If so, that is a huge selling point for AVX. Am I misreading?
      Will be very interested to see where the 2022 AVX shakes out on the numbers.

      Alex

      3 years ago

      Is the cover supposed to be more durable? Is it more or less durable than the other ProVs? If you read reader reviews, a yellow ProV1 survives a nuclear war.

      Reply

      Andrew Allan

      3 years ago

      AVX is the reason why Left Dot ProV1 won’t become a part of the line up. They release left dot, it would kill off AVX

      Reply

      Chris Nickel

      3 years ago

      That’s the question many people are asking – My counter to that would be if Titleist can offer five balls with clearly different performance profiles, why not?

      Again, this assumes sufficient capacity and resources, but the more you push golfers to get fit, doesn’t it make sense to have additional discrete models?

      Reply

      David Lewis

      3 years ago

      Chris, thoughts on Tour Speed versus AVX. Tour Speed seemed to be a surprise performer in Ball Test. Thanks.

      Reply

      Chris Nickel

      3 years ago

      No doubt that Tour Speed surprised us a bit in testing. That said, the primary difference between the two is cover material. Tour Speed is injection molded TPU and AVX is cast urethane.

      Tony goes into more detail in this article if you have a couple minutes…http://mygolfspy.com/titleist-tour-speed-golf-ball-2020/

      Reply

      Tim

      3 years ago

      Love ya Chris but this may be the worst write up ever…..it seems you are very hungry…..ben and jerrys? snickerdoodles? come on bro…….and what does this obscure reference mean? “Dutton’s Yellowstone ranch but without the “Y” brand”…. The technical stuff was great but all this stuff took away from the write up. IMO the revamp of the AVX is making room in the lineup for the Left DOT to be released.

      Reply

      Matt Blankenship

      3 years ago

      I have to agree. The information is good but the obscure references are distracting and confusing. I’m all for an interesting read but this was too much of a stretch. Just my humble opinion.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply

    required
    required
    required (your email address will not be published)

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    We Tried It
    Oct 3, 2024
    This Rangefinder is Unique!
    FootJoy Pro/SLX BOA golf shoes FootJoy Pro/SLX BOA golf shoes
    News
    Oct 3, 2024
    4 Tips to Extend the Lifespan of Your Golf Shoes
    Uncategorized
    Oct 3, 2024
    Best Funny Golf Gifts