Equipment
Titleist AVX golf balls passed the test, are now available across the United States
Titleist’s AVX golf balls first came to retail as an experiment in three markets — Arizona, California and Florida — from October 2017 to January 2018. AVX (which stands for “Alternative to the V and X”) are three-piece golf balls made with urethane covers, and they’re made with a softer feel for more distance than the Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls.
After proving their worth to consumers, Titleist’s AVX golf balls are now available across the U.S. as of April 23, and they will sell for 47.99 per dozen (the same as Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls) in both white and optic yellow.
According to Michael Mahoney, the Vice President of Golf Ball Marketing for Titleist, the AVX is a member of the Pro V1 family. Here’s a basic understanding of the lineup:
- AVX: Softest, lowest trajectory, lowest spinning, less greenside spin and longest
- Pro V1x: Firmer than the Pro V1, highest spinning and highest trajectory
- Pro V1: Sits between the V1x and the AVX in terms of feel, spin and trajectory, and will appeal to most golfers
Different from the Pro V1 or Pro V1x, the AVX golf balls have a new GRN41 thermoset cast urethane cover to help the golf balls achieve the softer feel. Also, they have high speed, low compression cores, a new high-flex casing layer, and a new dimple design/pattern.
For in-depth tech info on the new AVX golf balls, how they performed in the test markets, and who should play the AVX golf balls, listen to our podcast below with Michael Mahoney, or click here to listen on iTunes.
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the AVX golf balls
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
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Details on Jason Day’s latest prototype Avoda iron setup
Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black...
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Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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Jeff
May 30, 2018 at 4:38 pm
sorry, AVX
Jeff
May 30, 2018 at 4:37 pm
So no one is playing the NVX on PGA Tour?
Ben Jones
May 7, 2018 at 6:56 pm
Give me the original Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear.
punny
May 5, 2018 at 11:30 pm
cool golf ball. Looks like all the tour guys are using it…….NOT!
CAROLINE
May 5, 2018 at 1:59 pm
Golf Digest I read today big article on Vice Golf BALLS…..HALF THE PRICE???? Never paid more then $49 a dozen for one dozen Prov’s..Vice Pro $34.95 if you want the same one dozen..is $34.95 half of $49?? ok buy 5 dozen I get them for $24.95? Never had to buy 5 dozen ProV’s to get the $49 price….
Nigel Kent
Apr 24, 2018 at 10:23 am
News hot off the wires ! T/Made are bringing out a new “S.G.F ” ball . The ” F” stands for “Floats on water” ! Don’t know yet what (or who) the initials “S.G.” stand for at this time .
Wiger Toods
Apr 24, 2018 at 5:19 am
So it’s the e5 at a higher price?
Really wish BS had stuck with a mid-price urethane…
Jamie
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:39 pm
Until 2017, the V1X was higher launch, lower spin than V1. Since 2017, it seems that V1 and V1X may have reversed.
Rich Douglas
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:05 pm
How is this ball materially different from the NXT Tour? It spins less than a ProV1 around the greens. It’s soft. Distance is the same. It’s priced below the ProV1, but it isn’t cheap.
Back to the Snell MTB.
Brian Forrester
Apr 24, 2018 at 10:04 am
I think you’re describing the Tour Soft (2 piece, surlyn cover), which is the equivalent of the NXT. The AVX is a 3-piece urethane ball and is priced the same as the ProV1 series.
youraway
Apr 23, 2018 at 9:00 pm
Played it, liked it for a short while, less green-side spin, and seems to lose distance after a couple rounds. Went back to my favorite, Bridgestone Tour RSX, two dozen for $70 promotional.
Jeff Stanley
Apr 23, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Why is golf equipment getting so expensive? Pretty soon average consumers won’t even be able to afford new equipment. Do Callaway, Ping, TM, Titleist, realize this or just not care? When I was in high school, which granted was 20 years ago, I bought a whole set (3-PW) of brand new Pings for $500. Now days that will buy me a driver and that’s it and you could buy a dozen Titleist tour balata balls new for half what these balls are going for. Way to go OEMs keep up the good work! Lol!
Rich Douglas
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:07 pm
Tell those kids to get off your lawn, too.
Prices reflect what the market will bear. For a less expensive ball that performs better than this one, try Snell, Vice, or any number of other brands.
Jack
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:49 pm
Or mg c4
Tigergor
Apr 24, 2018 at 9:18 am
I think you might find that golf clubs are cheaper, relatively speaking, in relation to earnings than they were 20ish years ago. I remember an article about this not too long ago.
The problem is consumerism and people believing that they need new clubs every season.
Hogan Fan
May 1, 2018 at 6:19 am
Exactly.
UH
Apr 24, 2018 at 11:17 am
Have you not noticed that the iPhone X costs $1000.
Golf clubs are at normal prices.
Look at gas prices. Normal.
Groceries and food – ridiculous. But related to the costs of everything else. This is where we are in the market, currently. Oh yeah, and look at the Stocks.
Jim
Apr 23, 2018 at 4:25 pm
AVX is Titleist’s Chrome Soft at a premium price. It’s a good ball, but not at $47 a dozen. Wait six months and they will be competitively priced, or they won’t sell many.
chris
Apr 24, 2018 at 7:25 am
I work in Florida at a CC and we sell the AVX more than any other ball.
Brian Forrester
Apr 24, 2018 at 10:07 am
A fool and his money are soon parted.
ButchT
May 5, 2018 at 10:09 am
Exactly how does a fool and his money get together in the first place?
Darryl
Jun 7, 2018 at 7:26 am
Inherits it, usually
peter collins
Apr 23, 2018 at 3:15 pm
You went to market getting one thing Wrong….the PRICE.
Shady Sean
Apr 23, 2018 at 3:11 pm
I choose not to subsidize tour player marketing by paying for overpriced golf equipment or attire.
Tony
Apr 23, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Total joke to price these balls like that. I’ll stick with Bridgestone E6 soft at 2 dozen for $50 thank you
~j~
Apr 23, 2018 at 2:11 pm
Shank.
Oh wait, already clicked that.
steve
Apr 23, 2018 at 2:02 pm
A 3-piece ball for $48? Titleist has lost their minds. You can get the same ball for $13 less per dozen. They believe that putting the word “Titleist” makes it worth $13 a dozen…
Titelist has lost its luster anyway. There’s a huge golf ball bubble about to burst….and Titleist is gonna feel the most pain. Absolutely outrageous price.
doug
Apr 23, 2018 at 4:45 pm
Copy that Steve. Usually play the Chrome Soft (and the simple, cheap but delightful SuperSoft in wetter conditions), but tried the new Titleist ‘Tour Soft’ to see what that was all about.
Seriously disappointed by that unit; not as good as the NXT Soft at all.
My word to sum up Titleist balls is ‘coarse’. They may work for the guys and gals who punish them for a living, but for the average Joe…too hard, too harsh, and way too expensive
Jeff Phelps
Apr 23, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Ripped off Callaway dimple pattern!
Jack Nash
Apr 23, 2018 at 1:58 pm
Dimples are still round but outside framing is angular. I can see what you mean though.
Jack Nash
Apr 23, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Basically this whole exercise is for Titleist intro of a high priced Yella Ball. I’ll stick with Chrome Soft Yella thankya
dat
Apr 23, 2018 at 1:41 pm
I’ll keep buying used ProVs which “amateur pros” hit in the woods on their first use.
Jeff Stanley
Apr 23, 2018 at 7:32 pm
That’s what I do as well. Just go on eBay and get 100 used for the price of 12 new. Golf equipment in general is getting way too expensive for the average consumer IMO.
James T
May 6, 2018 at 7:50 pm
That’s a good deal if you can stand all the weird and different logos that ruin the look and tidiness of the ball.
Skip
Apr 23, 2018 at 1:38 pm
I play the Pro V1 and have for years but I never buy new golf balls. Am I the only one that buys barely used 5A rated used balls online?
I can get Pro V1’s for around $22/dozen that have been played for maybe 2 or 3 holes.
Lee
Apr 23, 2018 at 12:20 pm
It’s the Tour Prestige a Japanese market ball with price to match. Price performance wise the Srixon QStar/AD333 Tour has it beaten hands down but you pays your money and you takes your choice.
Jp
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:50 am
KSigs! Hope there is no lawsuit against 3piece ksigs!
Bruce
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:25 am
Just what golfers need: another overpriced ball. I’ll stick with the Ksig- 3 layer or 4 layer, and Cut Golf 3 and 4 layer . Great feel at less than half the price.
See my posting on the Ksig 3 layer in forums for more discussion on the 3 layer.
Larry
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:36 am
Cut 3 piece very much like the Kirkland 3 piece, cut 4 piece (my ball) not as good as original Kirkland 4 piece but close enough at $20 a dozen and I still have 5 dozen on hand….
Jeff Martin
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:16 am
Is the compression rating a secret?
DougE
Apr 23, 2018 at 11:09 am
Been playing the AVX since November. Love the ball off the tee and with iron shots. Even more than my Pro V1s, which I have played for many years exclusively. Wish I could play Pro Vs around the greens and AVX from tee to green. Pro V definitely checks more for me on chips and pitchips, but the AVX checks well too. Just not quite as quick to stop. But far better/faster than an NXT. I would put it in the neighborhood of a Snell or Vice tour ball, based on the occasional times I have found one of them and tried it out. I will continue to play both the AVX and Pro V1, deciding before the round based on certain variables, like the speed of the greens, distance of the tees we’re playing, and how much wind there is, among other things. FYI, I have found the AVX to be awesome in wind. I loved the high-optic yellow in the washed-out winter landscape here in Maryland. I’ll probably go back to the white version of the AVX once everything is nice and green again.
Guess now that the AVX is on the market, I will have to start marking my ball now. For the last 6 months, I never found a single one anywhere on the course. That’s gonna change.
Diana Krall
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:58 am
It’s a good ball and completely not worth the price, but what ball is?
Q Star tours, Snell, Kirkland (when you can get them), Vice … all excellent at half to t2/3 the price.
Mike
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:48 am
So, who is this ball for “seekers”? I’m seeking a reason to buy this ball with this BS messaging!
HDTVMAN
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:45 am
Titleist employs an excellent high-priced marketing company to sell you balls that are NO DIFFERENT than other company’s top-line balls at a cheaper price. Sure more pro golfers use Titleist on tour, more than Callaway, but these golfers are being paid hundreds of thousands to play them. Pay me more and I’ll play your ball and clubs, right Sergio?
Fred
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:38 am
Let’s see… same piceas Pro V’s.
In Canada right now they PV’s are “on sale” $3 off…with taxmakres it 72 bucks a doz. Six bucks a ball. No thanks.
I’ll stick with my Q Star Tours that still are 40 bucks a doz here, are a bit softer than PV’s and probably are so close to the AVX in performance for 99 percent of golfers they would be a saw-off.
Doug
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:28 am
higher spinning was the ProV1 until 2017
Stuart Keen
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:22 am
These are awesome golf balls .. I bought a couple of dozen when I went to Florida before Christmas .. I just hope they’ll come to the UK soon!!!
ik_ben_groot
Apr 23, 2018 at 9:16 am
Does it bother anyone else when Titleist says V or X? THEY’RE ALL V’S!
Brian Forrester
Apr 23, 2018 at 9:10 am
$48 per dozen? I’ll stick with Ksigs, Snells, Vice, and MG.
Roy McAvoy
Apr 23, 2018 at 9:07 am
Since when is the V1X higher spinning and higher launching?
Doug
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:20 am
since 2017
alexdub
Apr 23, 2018 at 10:24 am
Since 2003
Dave
Apr 23, 2018 at 2:43 pm
Roy McaVoy. Yes that has been everyone misconception. Ive read this multiple times on titleist launch promos…of irons and wedges the X launches a bit higher and spins a bit more….off the driver i am unsure to be honest..every time i mention this to people they always say im crazy just assuming the x is lower launching and lower spin….
Bill
Apr 23, 2018 at 8:42 pm
I thought the same thing
Way
Apr 23, 2018 at 3:34 pm
Since TM kicked them to the curb