Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Every Friday during PGA Tour weeks (and occasionally when news merits), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh walks you through the most significant club news on Tour, including updates, adjustments, and new releases.
Titleist’s flagship golf ball has received an update, and initial feedback from professionals is beginning to emerge.
In line with its biennial refresh schedule, Titleist unveiled the 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls on the PGA Tour this week at the Baycurrent Classic.
While Titleist has not disclosed specifics about what changed from the prior generation, several players have dropped hints about the new balls’ performance.
Three weeks prior, the balls appeared on the USGA conforming list at the PGA Tour’s Biltmore Championship in North Carolina, where four players—including T3 finisher and 54‑hole leader Neal Shipley—tested them in competition.
This week in Japan, twelve players used the new Pro V1, with on‑site representatives demonstrating the ball for the first time. The 2027 models accounted for more usage than any other brand among the 72‑player field. One prominent adopter was Jordan Spieth, who confirmed early in the week that he would be switching to the 2027 Pro V1.
Et tu, Jordan?
Jordan Spieth confirmed he’s likely going to be playing the new 2027 Titleist Pro V1 this week.
Spieth started playing the V earlier this year after messing around with Pro V1x Left Dash from the Cadillac Championship until the US Open
Before that, he… pic.twitter.com/zm16E0Vygr
— Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) October 6, 2026
Spieth provides an interesting case study for what the new golf balls might deliver. The three‑time major champion had relied on the higher‑compression, higher‑spin Pro V1x throughout his career until a rare mid‑season switch in late April to the Pro V1x Left Dash, a move motivated by rising iron spin rates.
“I’ve always played the highest‑spinning ball because I believed I needed it in the long irons,” Spieth said at the Cadillac Championship. “Now, with this ball and my natural swing plus a bit of added speed, my spin rates are fine—if not a little low—so it’s actually pleasant to be able to reduce them a touch.”
That experiment continued until the U.S. Open, when Spieth switched to the standard Pro V1. As usual in the Titleist family, the 2025 Pro V1 is softer than the X or Left Dash versions, yet its spin rate falls between the two.
Spieth isn’t the only player turning to the new 2027 Pro V1 to tame excess spin. Shipley, who previously played the low‑spin Pro V1x Double Dot, has recorded back‑to‑back top‑10 finishes since moving to the ’27 V.
Since Titleist has not released specifics, readers can draw their own conclusions. Shipley is idle this week, while Spieth sits mid‑field after following an opening 72 with a five‑under 66 on Friday.
Sahith Theegala shared more detailed impressions of the new golf ball in a video posted to Titleist’s social media channels on Thursday.
He told Titleist representatives that the difference shows up on short‑game shots from 20 to 40 yards—not a basic chip but an intermediate pitch—where the ball launches a little lower with a touch more spin. “I can rely on my short game,” he said. “When I’m able to extract a little extra performance from a club I already trust, it feels rewarding, especially when the gain comes purely from the equipment rather than a swing change.”
Doug Ghim, who switched to the Pro V1x a week ago in Utah and recorded his season‑best runner‑up finish, noted that the new ball delivered noticeably more consistent spin during his tests.
He told representatives that the spin window felt narrower. “Between the highest‑spinning and lowest‑spinning balls in each club’s test group, the results clustered more closely,” Ghim said. “Visually, the ball curved less, and with a crosswind present that day, it was an ideal condition to evaluate stability. Overall, I noticed the ball held its line better in the wind.”
Other players using the 2027 models this week included Brian Harman (X), Zach Bouchou (V), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (X), Tom Hoge (V), Maverick McNealy (V), Denny McCarthy (V), John Parry (X), Yusaku Hosono (X) and Ren Yonezawa (X).
Titleist also shared on‑site videos of Max Homa and Ryan Gerard testing the balls at Yokohama Country Club, suggesting that additional Tour players may soon make the switch, which could shape storylines for the remainder of the PGA Tour fall season.
