Finding the right golf ball can be a challenge. Real ball-fitting experiences are few and far between and for fans of DTC brands like Vice, finding in-person fittings is even more challenging. As a workaround, Vice offers a fitting tool but, honestly, it’s overly reliant on swing speed inputs. It’s not my favorite.
Ballnamic is a great alternative but if you’ve got your heart set on the best Vice golf ball, there’s no guarantee it’s going to be in your result set.
So, with those hurdles in mind, we’ve put together a simple guide to explain the differences between the Vice golf balls and to help you find the best one for your game.
Before we get to that, let me first strongly suggest that you ignore Vice’s (and everybody else’s) swing speed-based golf ball recommendations.
I’ve said it countless times: there is no right ball based on your swing speed. Flight and spin (not compression) are the two most important things to consider with golf ball fitting. There’s absolutely no reason (other than a strong feel preference) why slower swing speed golfers should avoid higher-compression balls. In fact, many slow swingers will benefit from the added spin offered by firmer golf balls.
What to know about Vice balls
Based in Germany, Vice’s (cast) urethane offerings are produced by Foremost in Taiwan. Of non-OEM-owned facilities, Foremost has consistently produced the highest-quality offerings.
The current Vice lineup consists of five models (three urethane and two ionomer).
With that, like most other ball lineups, we can draw a clean line between Vice’s performance-driven options and its preference-driven ones.
Given the wide variety of color options across the Vice lineup, my first recommendation is to consider only Vice Tour or Vice Drive if your budget demands it.
Strictly from a performance perspective, Vice has more complete offerings that aren’t absurdly priced.
With that said, here’s a quick overview of the company’s ionomer offerings.
Vice Tour
The Vice Tour is a three-piece offering. I suppose it’s reasonable to say the extra layer elevates the Vice Tour into the premium ionomer category alongside the likes of Callaway ERC Soft and Titleist Tour Soft.
The extra layers should give you a bit more greenside spin but it’s not going to match what you’ll get from urethane.
Vice lists the compression at 95 (between Vice Pro and Vice Pro Plus) so most won’t find the Tour to be particularly soft compared to similar offerings.
Priced at $27.99 per dozen ($21.99 when you buy six or more), Vice Tour is a relative bargain for its category, especially if you’re buying in bulk.
Vice Drive
The Drive is Vice’s two-piece value ball and, again, it’s for golfers for whom price is a significant part of the buying conversation.
Like the Tour, Vice lists Drive’s compression as 95, making it exceptionally firm for a two-piece ball. While that suggests more distance than most, it also means firm feel so we couldn’t reasonably classify the Drive as soft either.
The Vice Drive is priced at $19.99 per dozen ($14.99 when you buy in bulk).
Premium golf balls
Vice offers three models with premium construction (three or more layers, urethane cover). They range from 75 to 100 compression and cover a diverse range of speed, flight and spin characteristics with some differences in feel as well.
Vice Pro Plus
Vice puts the compression of the Pro Plus at 100 making it the firmest ball in the Vice golf ball lineup. All things being equal, that should make it the fastest as well although it’s important to note that flight and spin characteristics will contribute to the overall distance equation.
While it will be the longest Vice ball for many, we can’t guarantee it.
The Pro Plus is the only Vice ball to offer four-piece construction (dual mantle) so in addition to more spin separation between clubs, it’s also generally the highest-spinning ball in the Vice lineup.
If your game would benefit from more spin (including greenside), the Pro Plus is where you should start your search within the Vice lineup. The Pro Plus should fly higher than the Pro but lower than the Pro Air.
While there are few accurate 1-to-1 comps in the golf ball world, you can expect the Pro Plus to fly a bit lower than the Pro V1x with a bit lower spin.
If you’re looking for a higher-flying option with above-average spin and are willing to tolerate firmer feel, the Pro Plus is an excellent option.
The Vice Pro Plus sells for $39.99 ($32.99 when you purchase six or more).
Vice Pro
While there is some nuance, broadly speaking, the Vice Pro is the one in the middle (of the Vice lineup) and, with that, it’s the one you should start with when you don’t know where to start.
The Vice Pro is a three-piece ball with a stated compression of 90, putting it in the same general range as the Titleist Pro V1.
From a spin perspective, it sits between the low-spinning Pro Air and the higher-spinning Pro Plus. The overall trajectory should prove to be the flattest/lowest in the Vice lineup but we’d still classify it as a mid-flight offering.
For comparison, off the driver, the Vice Pro should fly a bit higher than a Pro V1 with a bit more spin. Off irons and wedges, flight and spin characteristics between the balls are similar.
If you’re looking for flight and spin characteristics that fall safely within the average range and like the feel of the Pro V1 (and others in the 90-compression range), the Pro is a good starting point within the Vice lineup.
The Vice Pro sells for $39.99 ($32.99 when you purchase six or more).
Vice Pro Air
The Pro Air is a replacement for Pro Soft. While “Soft” is gone from the name, there are undeniable similarities between models.
With a stated compression of 75, the Pro Air is the softest of Vice’s three premium offerings. That puts it in a category with other soft urethane offerings.
If you’re looking for the softest feel you can get from a urethane ball, Pro Air is it (at least within the Vice lineup).
That said, the Pro Air isn’t nearly as soft as the softest ionomer options (Supersoft, DUO) but it’s also appreciably softer than the most popular balls on Tour.
With that in mind, it’s important to note that faster players (100 mph and up) risk over-compressing the Vice Pro Air and losing distance because of it. The exception is faster players who fight excessive spin who may benefit from the lower spin properties of the Pro Air.
As with most other soft urethane offerings, the design seeks to offset the speed penalty associated with lower compression with higher flight and lower spin.
Because of the lower spin, you might consider the Pro Air if you’re looking for a little bit straighter ball flight.
If you need more stopping power into greens or are looking to maximize greenside spin, Pro Air isn’t ideal. If you’re looking for higher flight and/or distance through spin reduction and don’t mind giving up a little spin around the green, Pro Air should prove a good choice – particularly if you have a preference for softer feel.
The Vice Pro Air sells for $39.99 ($32.99 when you purchase six or more).
Who should avoid Vice golf balls
The Vice golf ball lineup offers above-average quality and, with three urethane models in the mix, it’s generally well-rounded. There’s a Vice Golf ball to fit most golfers.
Having said that, there are a couple of holes in the lineup which means there will be golfers who are better served by looking outside the Vice lineup.
They include:
Golfers seeking high speed, high flight and low spin.
While the Pro Air offers two of the three, for higher speed golfers who benefit from balls like Pro V1x Left Dash and the Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond, there isn’t anything in the Vice lineup that’s going to compete.
Golfers looking for a lower-flying, lower-spinning option (the AVX crowd).
While the Pro Air qualifies as lower-spinning, the higher flight won’t work for some golfers. Some may need to look outside the Vice lineup (though I’d suggest trying a dozen of the Vice Pro to see how it goes).
All of the Vice Golf balls listed above are available now.
For more information or to order yours, visit Vicegolf.com (but again, ignore the swing speed recommendations).
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