Expert Review: Titleist AVX Golf Ball

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Any time a new product hits the market for real there is a good chance it has already gone through extensive testing in select markets to determine its potential viability for success. That’s a lot of fancy words for, “do players like it or not”? Before releasing the all new AVX golf ball, Titleist subjected it to months of testing in a few major golfing markets (Arizona, California and Florida), as well as compiled data from robotic swings in their labs.

Titleist markets the AVX as “a premium performance golf ball for golfers who prioritize distance and extremely soft feel with a piercing, low ball flight.” Utilizing breakthrough core design, cover material and dimple construction Titleist calls the AVX their lowest flying, lowest spinning and softest feeling high-performance ball in their line.

Overall, the feedback Titleist received was exceedingly positive and strong enough for them to move forward with the AVX golf ball in all markets! During the testing phase I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the Titleist AVX golf ball and give it some in-depth, hands-on testing over the off-season.

AVX Golf Ball Construction

Before getting into the Titleist AVX’s performance on the course, let’s look at its construction. The AVX has a proprietary GRN41 thermoset cast urethane elastomer cover, which differs slightly from traditional urethane covers found on other premium balls. Lower spin and flight than the Pro V1/x comes from the high speed, low compression core technology and high flex casing layer. Traditionally, lower compression balls lose speed, but the AVX addresses this with the flexible casing layer. It is designed to retain ball speeds, even with a lower compression than the Pro V1/x.

Titleist AVX Golf Ball and Core Section
The Titleist AVX golf ball and core cross-section.

To further increase control, the AVX has the same number of tetrahedral dimples (352) as the Pro V1, but with a catenary construction. What this means is that the dimples of the AVX are shallower and wider, with more vertical walls on each dimple than a Pro V1/x’s dimples. Look for this to positively affect your play, especially in windy conditions, and to increase distance on mid to long iron shots.

Quickly recapping, what are the advantages of a lower spinning, lower launching, urethane cover premium ball? Less spin equals fewer misses left or right and less ballooning. Another benefit to this urethane cover is the additional durability from the thermoset casting process which also allows Titleist to offer this premium ball in a high-optic yellow version.

AVX Golf Ball Testing

After my discussions with a product specialist and my own research, I was excited to give the Titleist AVX a go and see how it played on the course. Straight away I’ve got to say, I think Titleist has found something in this ball. The AVX has the feel of a tour-level ball, but also its design does its job to help keep your game under control and the ball in play.

When I took a Titleist AVX golf ball out of the sleeve for the first time I instantly began inspecting what I could see, the cover. How does its cover compare to the covers of a Pro V1/x or other manufacturers premium offerings? Does the cover feel like it will grip the grooves or slide up the face? What do the dimples look like? Do I feel like this is a premium ball and a ball that I could confidently put into play?

Visually, the shape of the dimples stood out most. Initially, I thought the ball looked very similar to a Bridgestone e6, but a closer, side by side examination of those balls shows that the AVX dimples clearly still have a spherical shape while the e6 dimples appear more honeycomb shaped.

In direct comparison to the other Tour-level Titleist balls, the AVX cover feels a little less tacky than a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, but not plasticky or slick like an ionomer cover ball. I could also easily feel the difference between the two cover materials when looking at the AVX and e6 balls. The AVX had a softer, almost rubbery feel to the urethane cover compared to the firmer and harder plastic feel of the e6 cover.

On The Course

Playing through the winter in the Pacific Northwest means re-setting club distances and yardage gaps, but with the AVX I found that I had not lost any distance with my irons, even in sub-40-degree weather. What this tells me is that on approach the AVX is longer than a Pro V1x (the ball I play the most) by about almost a full club. I recently confirmed this hunch in a round where the temperatures were in the low-70s.

During that round I flew the back of multiple greens by a full club on the front 9 while playing the AVX and pulling my normal number at various yardages. After the fourth or fifth flown green I adjusted my yardages by about a club less and begun to consistently find my target. I don’t want to say it feels like the ball jumps off the face like a ball coming off of the face of a super game improvement club because the feel of the ball is wonderful and every bit a premium 3-piece urethane ball, but the added distance gains are for real.

On shots that hit the green from 150-200 yards I had no problem producing enough spin to hold greens, usually coming to stop a few feet from its impact mark, but I also planned for some forward release with my longer irons if the greens were a bit firmer.

That trend held consistent and continued around the greens. As expected, the ball did not check up quite as much as a Pro V1/x, and I found myself playing more bump and run shots because I knew I was producing less spin on the short stroke, touch shots. However, if I needed to take a ball vertical and land it softly, I still had no issue doing so and the ball would not run out very far.

titleist-avx-golf-ball-optic-yellow-white

Titleist AVX Golf Balls are available in Optic Yellow and White.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

The Titleist AVX golf ball is as advertised, a Tour-inspired ball, with an emphasis on distance and soft feel. A more controllable premium ball with a urethane cover should appeal to a wide range of players, especially players who are looking for the major benefits of a tour-level ball without all the risk associated with a premium, multi-piece ball.

If you’re a long hitter or do not produce a ton of spin to begin with you may want to stick with the Pro V1/x models, but if you’re looking for an added distance or a little help keeping your spin rate or trajectory down, give the AVX a try and get the distance or flight you’ve been searching for from a premium ball.

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Keith Schneider

Web Content Manager at GolfDiscount.com
Keith SchneiderAge: 34 Handicap: 4.9 Introduction to golf: Age 14 Playing years: 20 Rounds per year: 75+ Hole in Ones: 1WITB Driver: Titleist TS2 10.5° Project X HZRDUS Smoke 65 6.5 3 Wood: Cobra King F9 Fairway Wood 3-Wood Project X HZRDUS Smoke 75 6.5 2-Iron: Mizuno MP-18 MMC Fli-Hi KBS Tour C Taper Lite Stiff 1° weak 1.5° upright Irons: Mizuno MP-68 (4-PW) +1/2" Dynamic Gold X100 2° upright Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM7 51° 8° bounce Dynamic Gold S400 F Grind Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge Works 55° 14° bounce Dynamic Gold S400 F Grind Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge Works 60° 6° bounce Dynamic Gold S400 K Grind Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 35" Balls: Titleist ProV1x, TaylorMade Tour Preferred X or Callaway Chrome Soft X
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56 Comments

  1. Gil Bloomer on

    Honestly, I just don’t know if this would be a good fit for me or not but, I won’t know until I compare it to my Bridgestone RX. Just being honest here.

    • Hi Gill,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

  2. Currently playing with a Bridgestone. Looking for a ball to get me a little more distance without flying the green.

    • Hi Ricardo,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

      • Ron Weatherwax on

        I currently play the Callaway Chrome Soft, but I dont have the control that i would like to have, would the AVX be a good fit for me?

        • Hi Ron,

          Control issues are often the result of many factors. Swing characteristics such as angle of attack and club path through impact, as well as improper lie angle and ball selection can all contribute to loss of control. A Tour-level ball is designed to give players the utmost in workability and feel, which is accomplished in part by high spin rates.

          Golf balls with higher spin rates can and will exaggerate side spin on shots struck where the club face is not square at impact. Playing this style of ball can definitely lead to errant shots, especially when struggling with one’s control.

          You may find a little bit more control from the catenary dimple construction of the AVX than the Chrome Soft X, but slightly less control than the Chrome Soft. Our tester found that with the AVX his misses left and right were not quite as far offline as some other tour-level balls, but it still had plenty of movement when he wanted to shape a shot. When it comes down to it, the AVX, like the two Callaway balls, is still a Tour-level ball and will play like one.

          Manufacturers have been dedicating a lot of resources to their full lineup of balls and have produced some really great options across the board, not just in their Tour-level offerings. The best bet would be to look for a ball that has low driver spin, but still produces good greenside control.

          Our tester recommends you give the Titleist Tour Soft (if you are partial to Titleist) a try. If you are open to all manufacturers, he recommends the TaylorMade Project (a), Callaway Supersoft, and Srixon Q-Star Tour golf balls. He has played rounds with all these balls and found them to have nice playability, durability, distance, feel, and most importantly control.

    • Ron Ratliffe on

      I also play Bridgestone and would like to make a comparison, one of my mates that plays in groups with me plays the AVX and I have noticed his ball flight is lower than mine we play right on the Atlantic coast, always in pretty stiff winds thanks RR

    • Hi Nelson,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

  3. Played this ball while on a trip in Myrtle last December and loved it (split a dozen with a buddy while at the PGA store).Good grab/ball control around the greens and see no loss of distance off the tee. I’ve played a Callaway Warbird and the Pro V1 and Velocity, but the AVX is what I’ll stick to.

    • Hi Wes,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

    • Hi Kurtisj,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

  4. Todd Williams on

    I tend to use a mixture of Velocity, Duo, B-330 RX. AVX sounds like it could be a mixture of them all.

    • Hi Todd,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

  5. Been using ProV1 for a few years now. Very happy with results, but who doesn’t like more distance? I would love to try your new AVX, see what has to offer.

    • Hi Thomas,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

  6. Richard Egan on

    I have played these balls and my experience is very similar to yours. Overall an excellent golf ball. A bit pricey but worth it based on results. Distance gains are nice and you would expect for a distance ball to lose some green side control but it acts great.

    • Hi Richard,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d like to send you a sample of AVX balls for you to try out. Please contact me so we can set this up.

    • Hi Larry,
      Thanks for your comment. We’d love to send you a sample of AVX golf balls. Please contact me so we can set things up.

    • The chrome soft x has more control around the greens, similar to a pro v1x. The AVX will play longer. I had the chance to play AVX this past weekend and really liked their soft feel, control and spin around the greens was still solid!

  7. Joel LaCourse on

    Had a buddy give me 1 ball to try. I am 7 handicap. Loved it! Got more spin than my Bridgestone Rx on my wedges. Needed to get used to grabbing. But literally got a club longer on everything over an 8 iron. Putted like my Pro V1 in feel. Looking forward to trying a full round. Played 10holes, ball still looked fairly new.

  8. I was definitely longer with my irons but I needed to adjust for more release on the green. Definitely playing more bump and runs around the green. Overall, a great alternative.

  9. Zack Buechner on

    Very intrigued by your review! The fact that you flew that many greens really shows your distance gains with the AVX! Thanks for sharing, would love to give these a go!

  10. Hi! I have been a Srixon user, but this ball sounds like exactly what I need. Would love to get a sample! Thanks for the consideration. Have a great week.

  11. I found an AVX on the course that I wish I had a little more time with (buddy took it from the cart and kmmediately shanked into water. For the 4 or 5 I had with it it felt great, good spin with wedges, and felt awesome off my putter.

  12. I went from last year’s Zstar to the Snell MTB and now I’m playing the TP5x. I would really like to see how the AVX stacks up against the TP5x

  13. Scott Bruneel on

    I use Srixon and Callaway mostly, but have been curious to stack these up against them both since they came out. But just haven’t got any. I would love to give these a go and see if they keep spin and trajectory down for me.

  14. I really enjoyed playing AVX during my last round. I definitely felt the ball flew further than the Bridgestone e6 that I’ve been playing recently. I tried out the optic yellow color, was skeptical at first but not having to check which of the 4 balls in the fairway was yours was pretty nice. Spin around the greens was less than a Pro V1 but all around a good ball for someone who wants a little more distance and straighter shots.

  15. I love Titleist golf balls. But the ProV1 always seems a bit too hard for me. I would love to try out the AVX.

  16. Solid review, could see this ball helping with launch as I’m not seeing the trajectory I used to as my SS slows. The ProV1 doesn’t give me the results it used to.

  17. I am very intrigued by the AVX balls based on your review. Would love to be able to compare them to my gamer balls – Bridgestone B330-RX and Snell MTB Black – but have not been able to find them locally.

  18. I play the Chrome Soft mainly but also have played the Srixon’s. I have heard great reviews and comments about this ball and would love to give a yellow one a try.

  19. Certainly intrigued by the AVX after reading your review. Would love to be able to try them to put them up against my ususal gamers (Bridgestone B330-RX and Snell MTB Black) to see how they compare. Have not been able to find the AVX balls locally in my small town.

  20. Peter Morenz on

    I’ve been dying to give these a try. I have so many Pro V1s at home that it’s been difficult to justify buying them.

  21. tried the yellow AVX for the first time and it is the ball I have been looking for. soft feel, nice distance and great around the greens. 5 HC player.

  22. Steve Shipley on

    This ball looks interesting! Usually play Srixon Q-Star Tour but have been playing Z-Stars lately. How does AVX compare?

    • Keith Schneider on

      Steve –

      Like the Q-Star Tour and Z-Star, the AVX is a 3-piece ball with a urethane cover. The major difference you will notice between the Srixon balls and the AVX is trajectory. The AVX has a lower trajectory than either Srixon ball. This is most noticeable on long iron shots (though I noticed a bit of extra carry across the board), which can equate to longer distances for players with moderate swing speeds. The AVX is the alternative to V or X and a true Tour-level ball. Both the Z-Star and the AVX are great premium ball options.

  23. It’s hard to find the AVX ball around here in upstate NY, I currently play a Bridgestone brx330, and am very pleased with it distance and feel wise. But it lacks the spin I need.

  24. I was fortunate to be able to test the new V1/x 2019 versions today with a Titleist fitter. Been playing x for 2 years, but learned my spin rate is too high so need to swap over to v1 instead. Titleist rep ( super nice lady, Beth) told me to try AVX too as this may be even better, although there were no samples of these available. Regardless, it just shows the importance of getting fit with the ball as much as the clubs. Very interesting process. Thanks Titleist!

  25. I play the tour soft and really love the distance and feel with all my clubs from driver to putter, but not sure if its quite what I need around the greens, I need to try the avx , played prov 1x for a long time but they feel to hard i like a softer feeling ball, i will have to give the avx a go .

  26. I actually found an AVX during my first Boston round. So I cleaned it up and played the next few holes with it and found it quite accurate and a bit longer. Sorry to say, it embedded in a very wet fairway (good news-bad news) and was gone for eternity. Normally a Calloway Chrome Soft player but perhaps a ball worth considering.

  27. Stan Morgan on

    I used to play the original e6 ball, until they changed the design. Based of this article. I am hopeful this ball will be a good replacement. I will have to try these balls out. Thank you for the comments.

  28. Michael Martin on

    Played the AVX yesterday. I’m a 14 handicap. My swing speed is about 90. My drives were 20 yards longer and considerably more accurate. My shorter irons went higher and 5-10 yards longer. Chipping and putting for me had great feel. Maybe I was just having a very good day, but I feel confident this ball will improve my game. And yes, it’s worth the extra money. Very pleased I bought a dozen.

  29. I have been playing the Pro V1X for a few years. I love the distance off the tee but my ball flight is extremely high. I hope to try these soon and see if they work for me

  30. Trying to find the right ball for me. I have a slower swing speed and have learned I like the softer golf balls. I would like to try this ball soon. I have heard good things about this ball and I’m just doing some research.

    • Keith Schneider on

      Thanks for reaching out Steve. The AVX is slightly lower compression than the Pro V. Other options to look at are the Callaway Chrome Soft and Wilson Staff DUO Professional. Both of these balls are slightly softer, but still having a urethane cover for top performance.

  31. i love playing pro v1 but not a big fan putting with them, looking for a softer ball and maybe the AVX is that ball. who knows.

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