FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Sept. 8, 2025) – The next generation of Titleist’s Pro V1x Left Dash golf ball has officially landed on the PGA TOUR, with Left Dash players at this week’s Procore Championship getting their first opportunity to put the new model to the test.
The tour debut of Pro V1x Left Dash (designated by –Pro V1x on its sidestamp) marks an essential step in Titleist’s product development process: final validation from the game’s most discerning players. Every new Titleist golf ball and golf club has to outperform its prior generation and deliver upon consensus feedback gathered by the Titleist team during the R&D process.
The journey of NEW Pro V1x Left Dash from iterative prototyping to competition-ready product offers a clear example of this uncompromising process.
“We set out to create a better Left Dash four years ago, and there were points over that stretch where we got really close to the finish line before changing course,” said Frederick Waddell, Director of Titleist Golf Ball Product Management. “We are where we are today because of the collaboration between our R&D teams and tour players. We had prototypes that offered improved performance in some respects but, according to Left Dash players, ultimately strayed too far from Dash’s original DNA. If a product isn’t delivering what players are asking for, then we go back to the drawing board. And that’s what we did.”
CUSTOM PERFORMANCE OPTION (CPO): THE ORIGINS OF –PRO V1x
Titleist R&D is constantly soliciting feedback from the world’s best players on the performance of their golf ball and their evolving needs. This process will often result in the development of new prototypes, some of which are designed to finely tune very specific flight, spin and feel characteristics.
These Custom Performance Options (CPOs) – such as Pro V1x Left Dash, which was first introduced as a CPO on the PGA TOUR in early 2018 – play an important role in the discovery of new technological advancements that are frequently incorporated into next generation Pro V1 and Pro V1x models. CPOs also provide key learnings in the continued development of more robust custom performance options for all golfers and their unique launch conditions.
The development of Left Dash responded to the increasing trend of players looking to maximize distance off the tee while still maintaining the requisite control and stopping power into and around the greens to compete at an elite level. Pro V1x Left Dash delivered exceptionally fast ball speeds along with a higher ball flight, similar to Pro V1x, but with dramatically lower spin in the long game. It also offered the firmest feel off the club face across Titleist’s golf ball lineup.
“Left Dash’s north star was to prioritize speed and low spin for distance while producing tour-validated short game control, meaning it still had to have more than enough control to be played on the game’s most demanding setups,” Waddell said. “At its core, Pro V1x Left Dash was designed for players looking to hit it far by taking advantage of a high-launching, low-spinning golf ball in the long game.”
After rigorous testing at both the professional and collegiate level, including with then-collegiate standout Viktor Hovland, Pro V1x Left Dash was confirmed as a valuable option that held up to the demands of the game’s best.
Since its introduction, Left Dash has been trusted to win at some of the game’s biggest stages.
Last year, the 2024 U.S. Open champion used Pro V1x Left Dash to outperform the world’s best on Pinehurst No. 2’s exacting major conditions and win his second major title. Pinehurst No. 2 also saw a Left Dash victory at the 2019 U.S. Amateur.
–PRO V1x: FROM TOUR TO DEDICATED GOLFERS EVERYWHERE
After finding immediate success at the elite level, Pro V1x Left Dash was soon added to Titleist golf ball fitting events to evaluate its performance among dedicated golfers. As the new model started to earn its way into players’ bags and become a more regular fitting recommendation, Left Dash was brought to retail for the first time in October of 2019.
Today, Pro V1x Left Dash occupies a key position in Titleist’s in-line offerings, providing golfers with a distinct flight, spin and feel profile compared to Pro V1 and Pro V1x. Left Dash is the first-choice recommendation in roughly 6-8% of golf ball fittings through Titleist’s fitting app, proving its value to a specific group of players with particular launch conditions and performance needs.
“Having Left Dash in our lineup is a big advantage because it allows us to fine tune performance for players,” Waddell said. “Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the most popular balls out on Tour for a reason – they fit the majority of golfers. That’s also the case in the retail market, but there are golfers with a subset of specialized needs, like high flight and low spin. And Left Dash is a tremendous option for those players to have.”
Stay tuned to Titleist’s social channels for updates on NEW –Pro V1x and its introduction across the worldwide professional tours.
