It’s the spring of an odd-numbered year and that means Titleist is due to unveil new Pro V1 balls. The company is getting an early jump at this week’s Procore Championship on the PGA Tour with the debut of the next generation Pro V1x Left Dash.
Tour competition is the final step in the company’s product development and validation process.
RELATED: Exploring the town of New Bedford in Massachusetts, birthplace of Titleist and the Pro V1
“We set out to create a better Left Dash four years ago, and there were points over that stretch when we got really close to the finish line before changing course,” said Frederick Waddell, director of golf ball product management for Titleist. “We are where we are today because of the collaboration between our R&D teams and tour players. We had prototypes that offered improved performance in some respects but, according to Left Dash players, ultimately strayed too far from Dash’s original DNA. If a product isn’t delivering what players are asking for, then we go back to the drawing board. And that’s what we did.”
First introduced on the PGA Tour in early 2018, the development of Left Dash responded to the increasing trend of players looking to maximise distance off the tee while still maintaining control and stopping power into and around the greens. Pro V1x Left Dash delivered fast ball speeds along with a higher ball flight, similar to the Pro V1x, but with significantly lower spin in the long game. It also offered the firmest feel off the club face across Titleist’s golf ball line-up.
RELATED: These 3 non-urethane golf balls provide urethane-esque spin, according to robot testing
“Left Dash’s north star was to prioritise speed and low spin for distance while producing tour-validated short-game control, meaning it still had to have more than enough control to be played on the game’s most demanding setups,” Waddell said. “At its core, Pro V1x Left Dash was designed for players looking to hit it far by taking advantage of a high-launching, low-spinning golf ball in the long game.”
Since its introduction, Left Dash has been used to win at some of the game’s biggest stages, including Bryson DeChambeau at the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No.2.
Those using the new version can only hope to have such success.
