We’ve tested each of the golf balls from Vice to see what the pros and cons of them are. Our goal with this test is to figure out which ball is best suited for each type of golfer, whether that’s beginners, average players, or scratch golfers.
Here are the best Vice golf balls:
- Best Balanced Performance: Vice Pro
- Best For High Handicaps: Vice Tour
- Best For Distance: Vice Drive
- Best For High Swing Speeds: Vice Pro Plus
- Best For Soft Feel: Vice Pro Air
I’ve played Vice balls for well over 50 rounds of golf, so I have a pretty good idea where each of them stacks up. Overall, I really like them and still use them a lot. It’s just important to know the differences, so you end up playing the one that could benefit your game. Continue reading for a breakdown.
Best Balanced Performance: Vice Pro
- Layers: 3
- Cover: Urethane
- Compression: 90
- Feel: Mid
- Swing Speed: 95+ MPH
- Driver Spin: Low
- Wedge Spin: High
If you’re looking for a ball that has the best balance of feel, distance, and short-game spin, this will be the one to try first.
It’s designed to be similar to the Pro V1 (low spin off tee, high spin around green), so it’ll fit the widest range of low/mid handicap golfers.
Feel: This ball is between the Pro Air and Pro Plus. It’s pretty balanced and won’t feel too firm or soft. If you’ve used a Pro V1 before, they both feel very similar.
Performance: This ball will spin more than the Drive, Tour, and Pro Air, but it won’t spin as much as the Pro Plus. I didn’t hit it as far as the Drive and Tour, but compared to the Pro Air, it was about a club longer.
Would I Use: Yes. I’d use if I wanted short-game performance over forgiveness.
- Full Review: Vice Pro
- Where To Buy: Check Price On Amazon
Best For High Handicaps: Vice Tour
- Layers: 3
- Cover: Surlyn
- Compression: 95
- Feel: Firm
- Swing Speed: 90+ MPH
- Driver Spin: Low
- Wedge Spin: Mid
If you want a ball that’s long off the tee, has decent spin around the green, and isn’t going to break the bank, this is one worth checking out.
I wouldn’t call this a “tour” ball because it doesn’t use a Urethane cover. It’s not going to spin nearly as much as the Pro series, but for the average high handicapper, I think it’s the best option for length and straightness.
Feel: This ball has a compression rating of 95, which is on the higher side. When you combine that with a Surlyn cover, you’ll get a ball that’s very firm. The Tour, Drive, and Pro Plus are quite similar.
Performance: What I like about this ball is that it flies straighter than the Pro series balls and it has better short-game performance compared to the Drive.
Would I Use: Yes. I’d use if I wanted forgiveness over short-game performance.
- Full Review: Vice Tour
- Where To Buy: Check Price On Amazon
Best For Distance: Vice Drive
- Layers: 2
- Cover: Surlyn
- Compression: 95
- Feel: Firm
- Swing Speed: 90+ MPH
- Driver Spin: Low
- Wedge Spin: Low
If you’re looking for a ball that’s long and straight off the tee, this is probably your best bet. Out of all the Vice balls, I hit the most fairways and greens with it.
This could be a solid choice for the high handicapper who prefers distance over short-game spin. If you’d like slightly more spin around the greens, the Tour is probably the better choice.
Feel: This ball has a Surlyn cover and a compression rating of 95, so it’ll feel very firm. It’s almost identical to the Tour and Pro Plus, which are the firmest balls Vice offers.
Performance: With the name that this ball has, it’s clearly built for distance. It’s not going to spin much around the green and it’s going to feel very firm, but it’s also going to go far and straight. For me, it lead in both of those categories.
Would I Use: No. I’d use the Tour instead for the slightly better short-game performance.
- Full Review: Vice Drive
- Where To Buy: Check Price On Amazon
Best For High Swing Speeds: Vice Pro Plus
- Layers: 4
- Cover: Urethane
- Compression: 100
- Feel: Firm
- Swing Speed: 105+ MPH
- Driver Spin: Mid
- Wedge Spin: High
This is the highest compression and highest spinning ball Vice offers. It’s built for better players who have a swing speed above 105 MPH. It’s very similar to the Pro V1x.
The extra layer will give you a bit more spin with your wedges and longer irons. This could be beneficial if you want a bit more height with your longer irons.
Feel: Since the compression rating is 100, it’s going to feel very firm. The Urethane cover gives a softer feel off the putter, but if you don’t have a fast enough swing (like me), you’ll probably find it too firm.
Performance: This ball was the highest spinning, by far. This is good for distance control around the green, and is good for controlling the shape of your shots. For me, it was the least forgiving ball, so it hit the fewest fairways and greens.
Would I Use: No. My swing speed isn’t fast enough to reap the benefits.
- Full Review: Vice Pro Plus
- Where To Buy: Check Price On Amazon
Best For Soft Feel: Vice Pro Air
- Layers: 3
- Cover: Urethane
- Compression: 75
- Feel: Soft
- Swing Speed: Under 95 MPH
- Driver Spin: Low
- Wedge Spin: High
If you’re a low-mid handicap golfer and want a ball that’s a bit softer, this will be the one for you. It’s the softest ball Vice offers, by far, and it performs well around the greens.
Feel: This ball has a Urethane cover and a compression rating of 75, so it’s going to have a much softer feel than all the other Vice balls. It’s more noticeable around the greens, but overall, the feel is my favorite.
Performance: This ball spins more than the Drive and Tour. It spins less than the Pro and Pro Plus. Overall, I really liked how many fairways I hit and how it performed around the greens. My main issue was the distance, a lot of shots being a club shorten than normal.
Would I Use: No. I didn’t get as much distance compared to other balls.
- Full Review: Vice Pro Air
- Where To Buy: Check Price On Amazon
How To Choose Golf Balls
To find the best option, we’re going to talk about the key differences between the balls. You can then use that info to decide what ball could be the best option for you.
Feel & Cover
The way the ball feels when you hit it will depend on two things: compression and type of cover. High compression balls will feel firmer than low compression balls. Balls with a Urethane cover will feel softer than ones with an Ionomer or Surlyn cover. Learn more HERE.
With the Vice lineup, the “Pro” balls have a Urethane cover while the Tour and Drive have a Surlyn cover (yeah, I don’t know why it’s called “Tour” either). This means that the Drive and Tour will feel firmer, especially on the green.
When it comes to compression ratings, here is how the balls stack up:
- Pro Plus: 100
- Pro: 90
- Pro Air: 75
- Tour: 95
- Drive: 95
The Pro Air will feel the softest, by far. The Pro Plus, Tour, and Drive will feel very firm. Most people will lean towards the Pro and Pro Air, but it really depends on what you need from your ball.
Layers & Spin
A golf ball is made up of multiple layers, anywhere from 2-5. Having different layers will change the performance, mostly how much spin the ball has.
A 3 piece ball will spin more than a 2 piece ball. A 4 piece ball will spin more than a 3 piece ball. 5 piece balls are less common (mainly from Taylormade), but can benefit some people, especially with the longer clubs.
Here is how the Vice balls stack up:
- Pro Plus: 4 layers
- Pro: 3 layers
- Pro Air: 3 layers
- Tour: 3 layers
- Drive: 2 layers
Since the Pro Plus has 4 layers, it’ll spin the most off the tee and around the greens. The Drive has 2 layers, so it’ll spin the least.
The Pro, Pro Air, and Tour all have 3 layers. Since the Pro and Pro Air use a Urethane cover, they’ll spin more than the Tour.
Final Thoughts
Vice makes some solid balls that fit a wide range of golfers. The choice really comes down to your skill level and what you need your ball to do.
I wouldn’t get these balls with the expectation of perfection. They aren’t going to hold up as well as a premium Titleist ball, but considering the price, they’re a really good deal.
If you have any questions or want to share your experience with a particular Vice ball, make sure to leave a comment below. If you want some alternative options, check out one of the articles below:
