Titleist is the most popular ball brand on tour. They’re also some of the most expensive. Not everyone wants (or needs) to spend a fortune on balls, which is where the Titleist Velocity comes into play.
Certain people want more spin around the greens. Others want lower spin off the tee. That said, the average player probably just wants to hit the ball long and straight.
That’s what the Velocity is built for, hence the name. To figure out whether it’s good or not, I used it for somewhere around 12 rounds of golf. We’ll get into what I liked about it, where it fell short, and who might want to use it.
You can see our favorite balls for average golfers HERE.
Titleist Velocity Specs
| Handicap | High |
| Layers | 2 |
| Feel | Firm |
| Swing Speed | < 95 MPH |
| Compression | 84 |
| Spin | Driver: Low Wedge: Low |
| Cover | Ionomer |
| Company Website | Titleist |
The Tech
The Velocity is one of Titleist’s entry-level balls. As you can probably guess, it’s a ball built for distance. It’s aimed at the higher handicap golfer who wants straightness and distance over anything else.
The 2 piece design and Ionomer cover will help the ball go straighter. The 84 compression rating will help you get a bit more distance.
What’s good about this ball is that it’ll suit a range of different swing speeds. It’s not going to feel squishy at higher speeds and it’s not going to feel as firm as others at slower speeds.
The Feel
Some people care a lot about how their ball feels. Others just care about performance. The way I look at it, as long as the ball doesn’t feel like a rock, I’ll use it if it performs well.
The thing to know about distance balls is that they’re going to be on the firmer side. Most of them have a Surlyn/Ionomer cover. Most of them have a compression rating above 75.
If you’re used to a very soft ball (Callaway Supersoft or Wilson Duo Soft), you’ll probably notice a big difference. You might also notice a big difference if you have a slower swing speed.
Off the driver, the Velocity feels solid and gives a firm “crack” coming off the club. I could tell right away that it wasn’t a low compression ball, but it was much better than an old Top Flite or Warbird. Compared to a Pro V1, I couldn’t really tell a difference.
Off the wedge, you can tell right away that it’s a distance ball. It’s going to be quite a bit firmer than a low compression Ionomer ball (especially on mishits). Compared to a Urethane ball, I didn’t feel like the ball gripped the face quite as well, which is why you get less spin.
Off the putter, the sound and feel was between a Pro V1 and a Callaway Supersoft. It wasn’t as “clicky” as a Pro V1, but it was louder than the Supersoft.
The one difference I noticed was that the Velocity came off the putter face hot. I suspect this is because of the firmer cover, so I ended up hitting a lot of putts past the hole.
The Quality
With a ball like this, I’m not sure how important quality will be. Since this ball is aimed at the higher handicap golfer, most of them will be lost before they need to be replaced.
In saying that, if we are able to hold onto the ball, I’d like to expect that it’ll last an entire round. Some balls get scratched and knicked a lot faster than others, especially some of the DTC brands.
What I’ve found with Titleist is that they usually have the most consistent balls. Consistent shape, weight, thickness, and cover quality.
The Velocity uses a firmer cover that’s more durable than one you’d find on a Pro V1. As long as you don’t hit a rock or the cart path, you’ll have no problems getting a full round out of a ball.
The Long Game
The benefit to this type of ball comes off the tee. For people who want to hit it long and straight, this is one of the best options.
The majority of high handicappers struggle with hooks and slices. Using a premium ball that spins more could make that even worse. This type of ball is designed to reduce spin, which will (hopefully) help you hit more fairways.
After using the Velocity for a number of rounds, these are the key features:
- Distance
- Straightness
- Height
For me, the Velocity was one of the longest balls I’ve hit. It’s not quite at the top, but it was normally 5-8 yards longer than my normal ball.
What I also like about it was the number of fairways I hit. Out of all the balls I’ve ever played, my two best rounds were with a “distance” ball and a Noodle Long and Soft.
You’d be amazed by how well you can shoot when you hit a few more fairways and greens in regulation.
The final thing I noticed was that it flew pretty high. If you’re someone who hits the ball too high, it might not be the best option. If you could use some extra height, it’s one worth checking out.
The Short Game
Every ball has its pros and cons, even the Velocity. We talked about how well it performed off the tee, but we also need to talk about where it falls behind.
Everyone wants to have their wedge shots hit the green, bounce once or twice, and then stop. If you really want that, a premium ball is what you should be looking at.
The Velocity is not that. However, this will be the case with all 2 piece balls. You can learn more about 2 and 3 piece balls HERE.
On full wedge shots, I could get the Velocity to stop within a few yards. The greens were a bit on the softer side, so they’d run out a bit more if they had been firm.
For most high handicappers, I think it’s good enough. Play the ball short of the pin and let the ball run out.
Where I really noticed the lack of spin was with shorter chip shots. I’m not able to spin my chip shots as well as I’d like, but it was quite a bit worse with the 2 piece ball.
It was pretty tough to get the ball to check on the green, so I had to adjust my shots and play a lot more bump and runs. In saying that, I think people should play more bump and runs and fewer flop shots.
The Verdict
After using the Velocity for 12 rounds of golf, I think it’s a great ball for a certain type of golfer. If I were to spend some time adjusting my short-game strategy, I think I could use this ball.
This is who the Velocity would be a good choice for:
- You’re a high handicap golfer (shoot above 90)
- You don’t mind a firmer feeling ball
- You want more distance and height
If that describes you, you might want to consider adding the Velocity to your bag. Most people don’t need to use a premium ball, so toss the ego aside and play what can help your game.
In saying all of that, the Velocity is a firm ball that doesn’t spin much around the green. If you really care about that, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Have you used the Velocity? If you have, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
Cheapest Place We Could Find: On Amazon
Other Balls To Consider
Even though the Velocity is a good ball, it’s not going to be the best choice for a lot of people. If you want some more help to figure out which ball to use, check out one of these articles:
