The Pro V1 receives more than 90 quality control checks during the manufacturing process , and the dual-core Pro V1x more than 120 .
NEW SPIN ON INDOOR TECH
In October 2021 , Titleist launched a golf ball that can help your practice game or indoor fittings . Pro V1 and Pro V1x Radar Capture Technology ( RCT ) look , feel and perform like their namesake balls , but create more precise data in an indoor environment . A radar reflective ink is printed on the casing layer of the golf ball in a specific pattern , which allows TrackMan Golf monitors to capture spin data more precisely . “ That ’ s particularly important indoors , because there ’ s a limited flight window — the ball only goes about 10 feet before it hits the screen ,” states Stone . “ More precise data helps the algorithm tell you more accurately what that golf ball is going to do throughout the rest of its flight .” says . “ Maybe you ’ ve made every hole 18 yards shorter , but if the ball ’ s coming in low and fast with a shallow landing angle , you won ’ t hold greens and therefore won ’ t score better . So , what we ’ re looking for is a happy medium .”
With the driver , the goal is a ball flight with a slightly aggressive landing angle to get some roll . On the irons , good total height and a steeper landing angle will help a player hold the green . And with wedges , an appropriate amount of spin and controllable ball flight are the keys . It ’ s a balancing act that depends on the golfer ’ s needs , the conditions that they generally play in and their swing tendencies .
Allan ’ s final tip : Once you ’ ve chosen a given golf ball , stay consistent with it . “ If you ’ re not using the same golf ball from round to round and hole to hole , how can you accurately gauge your play ?” he states . “ You can ’ t get upset for missing the green with an approach shot or chipping 20 feet past the hole if your golf balls ’ performance characteristics are not the same . By remaining consistent with your ball choice , you give yourself the best opportunity to be successful and shoot lower scores .”
A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AT TITLEIST BALL PLANT 3 Viewing the process from raw materials to finished golf ball might make you feel a bit guilty the next time you hook one into the drink . At Titleist ’ s Ball Plant 3 in New Bedford , Massachusetts , everything starts in the threestory mixing mill , where raw materials , powdered agents and polybutadiene ( a highenergy synthetic rubber ) get combined and heated before getting flattened into a sheet by chilled rollers .
After the material has cooled , it gets extruded into cylinders and cut into socalled core preps , which are loaded into the mold press . Under precise pressures and temperatures , the core preps transform from a dough-like consistency into a hard , finished core . Once the cores have cooled , a high-speed casing layer is added using thermoplastic ionomers , which not only protect the core from moisture , but can be tweaked to adjust performance .
For the covers , which in the case of Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x , means casting with golf ball mold cavities using urethane elastomer that undergoes a chemical reaction to solidify . Buffing machinery removes any excess material to ensure a uniform , symmetrical surface , and then the balls head for cleaning in a vibrating vat of ceramic stones , detergent and water . After painting on an automated carousel , the ball ’ s factory journey is almost complete — pad printing operations applies the Titleist script , ball number and side script , along with a final clear coat of paint .
Along the way , the highest of high tech is deployed to ensure precision and consistency . “ We take advantage of machine learning and artificial intelligence to get high degrees of data ,” says Stone . “ We also achieve efficiency by marrying up the workforce that operates within each of those facilities with the different robotic opportunities that are available in the manufacturing space .”
The Pro V1 receives more than 90 quality control checks during the manufacturing process , and the dual-core Pro V1x more than 120 . “ At every stage gate in the production process , a component is taken out and tested and measured multiple times , whether it ’ s raw materials going into the mixing device , the initial core mixture or the cast urethane for the covers ,” Stone explains . “ We know that if everything is within specification , the finished golf ball is going to be better . And then every one of these golf balls goes through the white-glove treatment , getting a cosmetic check from one of our technicians to make sure that we have the right golf ball going out the door .”
50 SEA ISLAND LIFE | FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23