Vice is a relatively new company that offers direct-to-consumer golf balls. The Pro Soft is their softer “tour-caliber” ball that’s similar to a Pro V1, with a softer feel.
We’ve tested and reviewed 20+ different balls over the past year, some being a lot better for each type of golfer. I’ve tested the Pro Soft over 9 rounds and will be talking about how it performed and who it might be right for.
In This Review
Product Details | Intro | Feel | Quality | Short Game | Long Game | | Bottom Line | Alternatives
Vice Pro Soft Product Details
| MSRP | $38.99 |
| Handicap | Mid/Low |
| Layers | 3 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Swing Speed | Under 95 MPH |
| Compression | ~70 |
| Spin | Driver: Low Wedge: High |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Colors | White, Yellow, Red, Pink, Blue, Drip |
| Company Website | Vice Golf |
The Intro
Nobody likes spending $5-6 per ball, especially if you’re going to lose a few each round. That’s why the direct-to-consumer model has become popular, where the company skips the stores and sells directly to the people.
That’s where Vice comes into play. You can buy a box of these for $32 when you buy 5+ of them, which is a really good deal. As long as it performs somewhat closely to what is advertised.
They have a range of balls that are suited for different golfers. They currently have three tour-level balls, the Vice Pro, the Pro Plus, and the Pro Soft.
The main difference between the Pro Soft and the other two is, well I’m sure it’s obvious, it’s going to be softer. This is generally better suited for people with a slower swing speed, somewhere below 95 MPH.
If we’re able to buy premium balls for half the price then there’s really no point in spending a fortune. Let’s dive into the test to see if Vice can actually deliver a solid ball for a solid price.
You can see how the Pro Soft compares to the other Vice balls HERE.
The Feel
The Pro Soft is a 3 piece ball with a compression rating somewhere around 70. Just for reference, a Pro V1 (and Vice Pro) have a compression rating of around 86-87.
Out of all the Vice balls, it’s going to have the softest feel, along with the Drive (review HERE). On the green, it’s a bit softer than the Pro, but you won’t notice a huge difference.
The biggest difference comes in wedge and full-length shots. Compared to the Pro and Pro Zero, this ball feels a bit more sluggish. It doesn’t impact the performance, it just feels noticeably softer.
If I had to pick another ball that feels similar, I’d probably say the Callaway Chrome Soft. If you’re curious about using a softer or firmer ball, you can read our guide HERE.
The Quality
The main issue that a lot of cheaper balls have is that the cover isn’t as durable as the premium balls. If you’re able to keep the same ball throughout your round, it might get pretty scuffed up by the end.
When Vice first launched, this was the main knock I had. Even after a few holes, the ball started marking up. The good news is that it’s something they’ve been improving.
After doing this test and finishing the round, the ball I was using did have a few marks on it. It’s not something that’ll impact the performance, but it’s definitely not as good as the Titleist covers.
The Short Game
One of the main things that separates tour-level balls from budget ones is how much spin the ball has around the green. Better players want more spin because it helps control distances.
Since this is one of the “pro” balls, you’d expect it to have decent spin around the green. To see if it lives up to the name, we’ll put it through our short-game test.
We’ll take 10 shots with a sand wedge and see how much the ball rolls out or spins back. A negative number means the ball landed and spun back. A positive means it landed and rolled away. Here are the results:
| Shot # | Distance |
|---|---|
| 1 | -1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 5 |
| 7 | 4 |
| 8 | 2 |
| 9 | 6 |
| 10 | 2 |
| Average | 3 Yards |
After hitting 10 shots that landed on the green, the average ball landed and rolled out 3 yards. I don’t normally spin my wedge shots too much, so this is a pretty good number and is similar to their premium balls.
I’ve also tested the other “pro” balls from Vice, both of which had slightly better spin rates. It really wasn’t by much though, so you probably wouldn’t notice much.
- RELATED: How Spin Impacts Your Golf Ball
The Long Game
When it comes to hitting off the tee, most people want to hit the ball far and land in the fairway. Easier said than done, I know.
This is the most important thing to look for, in my opinion. The average player struggles enough on the course. We shouldn’t make it even tougher by playing our 2nd shots from the rough.
So, we’ll take 10 shots again and see how many balls landed in the fairway. We’ll also record the distances to see how the Pro Soft stacks up to the rest. Here are the results:
| Shot # | Distance |
|---|---|
| 1 | 238 |
| 2 | 245 |
| 3 | 244 |
| 4 | 256 |
| 5 | 253 |
| 6 | 247 |
| 7 | 243 |
| 8 | 248 |
| 9 | 252 |
| 10 | 249 |
| Average | 248 Yards 5/10 Fairways Hit |
I was able to hit 5 out of 10 fairways with an average distance of 248 yards. Both the distance and accuracy were middle of the pack compared to other balls.
That said, this ball is geared towards golfers with a slower swing speed than me. I noticed that my shots didn’t go as straight as the other balls.
If your speed is below 90 MPH and you’re looking for a premium ball, this could give you the most distance. This is the reason why Vice offers different models.
If you want to see how you stack up to other golfers, you can read our guide on the average club distances here.
The Bottom Line
After taking everything into account, the Pro Soft could be a good option for you if your swing speed is below 90 MPH or you prefer using a softer ball.
For me, the distance off the tee and spin around the greens weren’t as good as some of the other Vice balls. It wasn’t by much, maybe 4-5 yards off the tee.
That said, those other balls are more geared towards my swing. If your speeds are slower, you might get better results with this ball compared to the others.
If you have any questions or want to share your experience with the Pro Soft, make sure to leave a comment below.
Where To Buy
Check the current price here on Amazon
Other Balls To Consider
If you’re looking for a new ball to add to your bag, let us help you find one. We have two different options for you to pick from. The first is by reading one of our “best of” guides below:
The second is to get a personalized recommendation from us. If you’re interested, go to the comments section below and answer a few simple questions. We’ll give you a couple of options.
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