A logical question that golfers will ask is “do I get an advantage from using a Tour ball as compared to a cheaper golf ball?”
For some they just want a Tour ball, others are banking on extra help for that one shot that needs Tour level stopping power. For most, however, the quest is to find the sweet spot between cost and performance.
The Titleist Tour Soft may well be that ball.
WHAT WE LIKE
+ Soft feel putting
+ Soft feel on full shots
+ ‘T’ logo helps with alignment
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
× Bright white is not our preference
× Greenside spin and control versus Pro V1
× ‘Less spin’ is noticeable on firm greens
Technology
What Remains?
The Tour Soft is a two piece ball (cover and core) built to provide a nice combination of distance, soft feel, and greenside spin.
What’s new
In order to keep this simple, the plan remains the same but the solution has been tweaked. The core is now larger and softer. The 4CE Surlyn blend cover (a combination of 4 materials), is now thinner to encourage more spin around the greens.
It is in fact marginally firmer than the 2018 design but you’d never know it thanks to the soft core.
Looks
We describe the Tour Soft as having a bright white look, as opposed to the duller, creamier look of a Urethane cover (Pro V1 family).
One thing we loved about it was the bug ‘T’ on the side, to help with alignment on tee or green. The simple things…
Feel
Starting at the tee, the feel is soft on full shots without feeling like it’s made of rubber; reassuringly soft.
The soft feel continues through to approach shots and putts; in fact Kippa preferred the feel of putting with this to the AVX.
Performance
From our testing, the only shots where you’ll notice significant difference between the Tour Soft and a ball like Pro V1 or even AVX are those hit from 100 yards and in. Unless the greens are soft and very receptive there is a clear gap which is why better players, or those who love that scoring shot performance, will err away from the Tour Soft.
For the majority, it delivers in spades. It’s durable, delivers a great combination of distance and feel, and is consistent across the board.
conclusion
So why would I play this over a Tour ball? It’s the value equation. The majority of players will only notice the big difference around the greens, and once you adjust to that you can deal with it.
Does it deliver across the board the way a Tour ball does? No. Does it deliver a huge amount for the price. Absolutely. Ø
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