Moving away from the ProV

[bcflyguy1]

33 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

guess I have to just go try em both out.

This is the only place you're going to find the actual truth data.

Manufacturers making recommendations for balls based on swing speed is blunt almost to the point of being counter-productive. It's better than no guidance at all, but barely. 

[MattM97]

Two balls that are very ProV1 like in performance in my eyes and testing are: 

 

PXG Xtreme Tour (current gen not last).

Wilson Staff Model (current gen not last). 

 

Both of these ball for me performed a lot like the ProV1, the durability on them is great and they often have a "Buy (x) get 1 free" kinda deal so drops the price of them. There are others from DTC brands obviously like Vice, OnCore, etc that will have their ProV1 version like everyone else. But I would strongly suggest the above 2 to try out. 

[wantacigar]

On 4/8/2025 at 11:54 AM, akronswitness said:

Have been playing the ProV for the past 2 years, but can no longer justify the cost of them. Some of the things I like about them specifically are:

• Compression. To me, they hit a perfect sweet spot in terms of feel. Hard enough to give you good response off the face, but still have a decent softer feel to them. Perfect middle ground IMO
• Flight. As somebody who hits the ball high, I love the fact that these have more of a lower penetrating flight. 
• Spin. Obviously. Need to hold greens. 

 

Is there a ball out there people have tried that sort of checks these same boxes in a similar fashion? Ive heard great things about the Vice Pro, the Srixon Z Star, among others. Has anybody else switched away from the ProV and found a close-enough option?

 

 

Just adding to the Vice Pro and the Maxfli Tour bandwagon.  I switched 2 years ago.  The Vice Pro is a TAD softer and likely a little more spin than the Maxfli Tour but both are phenomenal balls.  I likely have about 5-6 dozen Maxfli Tour and about 4-5 dozen Vice Pro.  I look into my bag at the first tee and just "Hmm, what do I want to play today"  LOL

[akronswitness]

19 hours ago, wantacigar said:

Just adding to the Vice Pro and the Maxfli Tour bandwagon.  I switched 2 years ago.  The Vice Pro is a TAD softer and likely a little more spin than the Maxfli Tour but both are phenomenal balls.  I likely have about 5-6 dozen Maxfli Tour and about 4-5 dozen Vice Pro.  I look into my bag at the first tee and just "Hmm, what do I want to play today"  LOL

 

I used to play Vice when they were online only and for the life of me Im not really sure why I even moved away from them. I went from:

 

On Sale Balls (wanted consistency)--> Vice Tour (they were cool and cheap) --> Chrome Soft LS (wanted more greenside spin) --> ProV1 (now Im poor) --> Z-Star/Vice Pro/Maxfli Tour?

 

 

Edited April 10 by akronswitness

[Hot Rod 71]

Maxfli Tour and Vice Pro are both inexpensive versions of a ProV1, IMO. I would give a slight edge to the Maxfli as it has been more durable for me than the Vice Pro - YMMV. 
 

I’ve played both extensively, and have some playing time this year with the 2025 ProV1.
 

Im my past experiences with the Z-Star, it spun more off the driver than the ProV1 and was shorter by 10 yards off the driver, on average. It was similar to the ProV1 in all other aspects. The XV was noticeably firmer than the ProV1X to me, but it was much better off the tee than the Z-Star.

[ryanmn4]

My ss is in the 100-105 range and I typically play the left dash just for driver spin purposes, but my "other" ball is the Bridgestone Tour B RX.  Matt Kuchar's dad's ball for those that remember the old commercials.  It likes to stay in the air, stops fine, good around the greens, and the older versions are just as good and can be found for a steal.  I've never liked the B X, XS, or RXS but that RX works for me.  That said, reading through this, I'll go grab a sleeve of the Maxfli ball and the Srixon Diamond.

[J_Tizzle]

Unless you're losing a ton of balls, I'd recommend sticking with the Pro V and loading up when they do the buy 3 get 4 for the same price.  They are the golden standard for a reason.

 

With that said, I used the Vice balls and they're nice and probably immaterially different with the exception of durability.  The durability of the Vice left a lot to be desired. I'd tear up 1-2 a round easy with just wedge shots.

Edited April 10 by J_Tizzle

[wantacigar]

10 minutes ago, J_Tizzle said:

Unless you're losing a ton of balls, I'd recommend sticking with the Pro V and loading up when they do the buy 3 get 4 for the same price.  They are the golden standard for a reason.

 

With that said, I used the Vice balls and they're nice and probably immaterially different with the exception of durability.  The durability of the Vice left a lot to be desired. I'd tear up 1-2 a round easy with just wedge shots.

From the 2020 to 2022 version have improved the durability 100%  I played on Sunday with one Vice Pro (2022 version) and not a scuff on it.  NO tree or cart paths but quite a few chips and bunkers.  Can easily go another 18

 

1 hour ago, akronswitness said:

 

I used to play Vice when they were online only and for the life of me Im not really sure why I even moved away from them. I went from:

 

On Sale Balls (wanted consistency)--> Vice Tour (they were cool and cheap) --> Chrome Soft LS (wanted more greenside spin) --> ProV1 (now Im poor) --> Z-Star/Vice Pro/Maxfli Tour?

 

 

 

Reasons I became poor between 1994 and 2014:

A. You now have kids

B. You must now have kids in sports

C. All of the Above.

For years I played with found, used, gifted, cheap balls.  I now have a problem......I can't stop buying balls LOL.  Have close to 12 dozen between the Maxfli and Vice Pro.  I don't lose balls like I used to.

[J_Tizzle]

43 minutes ago, wantacigar said:

From the 2020 to 2022 version have improved the durability 100%  I played on Sunday with one Vice Pro (2022 version) and not a scuff on it.  NO tree or cart paths but quite a few chips and bunkers.  Can easily go another 18

 

 

Reasons I became poor between 1994 and 2014:

A. You now have kids

B. You must now have kids in sports

C. All of the Above.

For years I played with found, used, gifted, cheap balls.  I now have a problem......I can't stop buying balls LOL.  Have close to 12 dozen between the Maxfli and Vice Pro.  I don't lose balls like I used to.

 

Thats fair, I did order the yellow/green (Ryobi colored) balls and they scuffed up something crazy.  Not sure how the white balls perform.  The difference is that the Vice colored balls are a coating on them, while the yellow Pro V balls the color is in the cover itself, so that could very well be the difference.  I mostly bought them to use as fall/spring balls but did enjoy them, plus got a HIO with one, so its forever memorialized on my shelf.  

 

However, I won like $400 in pro shop credit at a tournament, so I just used that to buy all the yellow Pro V1s they had in stock, so I should be set for a while.  

[bellview17]

Maxfli Tour

[LUMA]

Iv'e moved into ProV1X recently and the ball seems to be a better fit for me. I absolutely love how the higher spin ball  reacts into the green on approach shots and its feels great off the putter.

 

Vice Pro Plus is my go to for general rounds. If it's a competitive round or a more "important round", I'll pull the ProV1X out for the day.

[Kacy]

Z star diamond fits 2 of your 3 categories. Feel is similar to pro v1, higher green side spin than a pro v1, but it is definitely higher trajectory. To me the diamond performs like a prov1x but feels like a prov1. I switched to the XV for the same reason, time it right and you can get 6 dozen for $175. The performance on the course is so minimal it’s worth the discount to me.

Edited April 15 by Kacy

[alittleoverpar]

The Srixon Z-Star is a great option.  It tends to spin a bit more that a Pro V1 for me.

 

If you can find them still, look for a Spalding SD Tour.  I've been slowly going through my stockpile of them.  To me they are virtually identical to the Pro V1 in performance and feel.  In fact, I would bet the $10 that I have in my wallet that most golfers couldn't tell the difference if the balls were not marked. 😁

 

Edited April 15 by alittleoverpar

[Notsohotshot]

On 4/8/2025 at 11:54 AM, akronswitness said:

Have been playing the ProV for the past 2 years, but can no longer justify the cost of them. Some of the things I like about them specifically are:

• Compression. To me, they hit a perfect sweet spot in terms of feel. Hard enough to give you good response off the face, but still have a decent softer feel to them. Perfect middle ground IMO
• Flight. As somebody who hits the ball high, I love the fact that these have more of a lower penetrating flight. 
• Spin. Obviously. Need to hold greens. 

 

Is there a ball out there people have tried that sort of checks these same boxes in a similar fashion? Ive heard great things about the Vice Pro, the Srixon Z Star, among others. Has anybody else switched away from the ProV and found a close-enough option?

 

 

We are the same person when it comes to choice of golf ball and why.

 

I'll be honest, and I don't know if this statement would get me banned from this forum, but I just buy recycled Pro V1's. AAAA or AAAAA quality

I love love love the Pro V1 but can't justify cost of brand new ones, so that's my workaround. 

['Noles2013]

On 4/8/2025 at 5:37 PM, akronswitness said:

 

Is the diamond their direct comp for the Pro V? Ive never hit a Srixon so Im not familer with the comps between the XV, Diamond and regular Z Star.

Brooks Koepka plays the Diamond and previously played the ProV1X before signing with Cleveland/Srixon so take that for what it’s worth.  

[klbcec]

Agree with those suggesting Maxfli Tour.  Pretty close in compression.  Great feel and lower flight (relatively).  I find it performs most similar to Pro V.

[GDB67]

Current gen PXG tour extreme are nice. 3 for $100 is a special usually. Can also buy them on Amazon 

Maxfli tour line is also hot right now. All  three are great. 
🍻

[gumpy]

Like others here, I’m a huge proponent of Vice. The issue is to get a good deal on them you need to buy 6 dozen at a time. If I were you I’d buy 3 pros and 3 boxes of the pro plus and give them a good test. They are very very good and for me short iron and wedge play virtually identical spin wise to the pro vs with the pro plus being closer to the v1x. 

 

So there is a leap of faith aspect to this as you can’t just go try a sleeve but they are excellent and much cheaper. 

[wantacigar]

On 4/25/2025 at 5:38 PM, gumpy said:

Like others here, I’m a huge proponent of Vice. The issue is to get a good deal on them you need to buy 6 dozen at a time. If I were you I’d buy 3 pros and 3 boxes of the pro plus and give them a good test. They are very very good and for me short iron and wedge play virtually identical spin wise to the pro vs with the pro plus being closer to the v1x. 

 

So there is a leap of faith aspect to this as you can’t just go try a sleeve but they are excellent and much cheaper. 

I am also a huge proponent of the Vice and love my Vice Pro.  However, due to having to drop $180 for the 6 dozen deal I switched to the Maxfli Tour.  They are made in the same factory as the Vice, are VERY close in performance.  The one thing I would say is that the two prior Maxfli Tour versions were a bit more "clicky" or firm but the 2025 version has been "softened" up a little and the feel is right there with the Vice Pro.  I didn't mind the "firmer" feel, even though the compression were nearly the same.  

You could buy the Maxfli Tour as one dozen but they often have the 4 doz. for $110 or $120 and it's fairly common to get a $20 off of $100 or 20% off.  I just bought 4 doz. for $90.  That will keep me going for most of the year if not all year.

[j.a.]

ProV1 got ridiculously expensive over here, then I got a few boxes of Vice Pro and problem solved. Same performance, lower price plus great deals from time to time.

[LinkLow]

I found the Z Star Diamond pretty close to the Pro V1 with the one exception that it does flight a little higher, especially into the wind.

 

Other than that, it goes the exact same yardage and feels pretty dang close to the V1 off the face, maybe just a hair softer.

[RIPIT18]

Give the Mizuno Pro S a shot!!!

[hammergolf]

15 hours ago, RIPIT18 said:

Give the Mizuno Pro S a shot!!!

What he said! 

[rsballer10]

I just buy 5A rated used golf balls from online vendors. They look brand new to my eye and are 50% cheaper.

 

I will not use DTC golf balls, because what I've found is the 'suitable replacements' aren't that much cheaper to be worth it. IMO, the Vice/Cut/Kirkland balls all had issues in the wind, that the premium balls just don't have. The maxfli balls are probably great, but at this point you can't beat 5A quality used premium balls for $30/dz.

[Foreda Golf]

You could go Z-Star or Bridgestone Tour B. Did some testing on the Wilson Staff Model and it performed pretty well. Honestly, the Maxfli ball is pretty solid too. Just won on tour

[akronswitness]

On 5/8/2025 at 6:36 AM, j.a. said:

ProV1 got ridiculously expensive over here, then I got a few boxes of Vice Pro and problem solved. Same performance, lower price plus great deals from time to time.

 

Coming back to this; I tried the Z-Star out but was losing so much distance on drives that it was a deal breaker. Went back to using Vice Pro's which I've had some experience with before and man, they are great for what I'm looking for. Even played an entire 18 holes with the same ball yesterday and though on its last leg, it survived 😂

 

They have great feedback, yet are still soft(er). Spin on the greens and maintain great distance off the tee. The one noticeable trait the ProV1 does better is having that lower flight. The Vice Pros still have some higher trajectory on them at least for my swing, which isn't a huge issue.

 

But like you said, for $29/dozen compared to $55/dozen for the ProV1.....its a very very very hard ball to beat in terms of being the entire package.

 

 

Edited June 16 by akronswitness

[hammergolf]

18 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Coming back to this; I tried the Z-Star out but was losing so much distance on drives that it was a deal breaker. Went back to using Vice Pro's which I've had some experience with before and man, they are great for what I'm looking for. Even played an entire 18 holes with the same ball yesterday and though on its last leg, it survived 😂

 

They have great feedback, yet are still soft(er). Spin on the greens and maintain great distance off the tee. The one noticeable trait the ProV1 does better is having that lower flight. The Vice Pros still have some higher trajectory on them at least for my swing, which isn't a huge issue.

 

But like you said, for $29/dozen compared to $55/dozen for the ProV1.....its a very very very hard ball to beat in terms of being the entire package.

 

 

A few I would recommend if you prefer softer feel and lower flight:

Mizuno Pro S

I think this is the sleeper ball in the market right now. It flat out performs and in my experience and research outperforms many.

 

Callaway Chrome Tour

Great ball that’s long with low trajectory, and soft feel

 

Bridgestone Tour B XS

Great all around ball with tons of spin off the irons and in the short game that also has a more penetrating flight.

 

However, that being said the Vice Pro is a really good golf ball. Between it and the Maxfli Tour are exceptional and when you bring price into the equation they are tough to beat.

[rgk5]

On 4/9/2025 at 2:39 PM, MattM97 said:

Two balls that are very ProV1 like in performance in my eyes and testing are: 

 

PXG Xtreme Tour (current gen not last).

Wilson Staff Model (current gen not last). 

 

Both of these ball for me performed a lot like the ProV1, the durability on them is great and they often have a "Buy (x) get 1 free" kinda deal so drops the price of them. There are others from DTC brands obviously like Vice, OnCore, etc that will have their ProV1 version like everyone else. But I would strongly suggest the above 2 to try out. 

I concur on the PXG balls as both are excellent.

[MattM97]

44 minutes ago, rgk5 said:

I concur on the PXG balls as both are excellent.

 

I bought a bunch of the Xtreme during the sale at GT without realizing the Srixon sale was coming up. Safe to say i have plenty of balls between PXG, Srixon and TM. 

[Pnwpingi210]

5 hours ago, hammergolf said:

I’m not offended at all. Just don’t understand why you feel the need to bash a guy when and attack him for just simply asking for advice about other balls that were less expensive. I don’t even know the OP but why be a Richard to him for merely asking a question???? 

I agree with your sentiment early.  There are lots of reason a person may not want to play 40-60 dollars per dozen balls.  Sure losing balls may be one of them, but it’s certainly not the only reason