Vice Pro Plus vs Pro V1: Compression and Which Is Worth It

Quick answer

Side-by-side comparison

The comparison that actually makes sense

Golfers compare the Vice Pro Plus to the Pro V1 because “Pro V1” is the reference point for every premium ball. The Pro Plus has firm compression (~97) and 4-piece construction, and Vice says it generates the highest backspin in its lineup. That profile matches the Pro V1x, which Titleist sells to players who “need or want higher flight and spin.”

So if you play the Pro V1 and want the same ball for less, the answer depends on your swing speed. At 85–95 mph, the Pro Plus feels firmer than the Pro V1 and spins more than you need off the tee. At 95 mph and above, compare it to the Pro V1x. That’s the matchup where the $16 matters.

Construction and cover

Both balls have cast urethane covers, the soft cover material that grips wedge grooves. In the 2026 robot test described below, the two were 95 rpm apart on a full sand wedge from a dry lie.

The layers under the cover are where they split. The Pro V1 is a 3-piece ball: a core, one casing layer and the cover. The Vice Pro Plus is a 4-piece ball with two mantle layers. Vice lists a Surlyn inner mantle to hold down driver spin and a softer ionomer outer mantle under the urethane.

On the course that shows up as more iron spin from the Pro Plus. With a 7-iron at the test’s middle swing speed, it spun 6,610 rpm against the Pro V1’s 6,141, and it spun more at the fast and slow speeds too. More spin stops the ball faster and costs a few yards of carry.

Driver performance

MyGolfSpy’s 2026 robot test ran 48 balls at driver speeds of 116, 102 and 86 mph. Ball speed barely separated these three:

• 116 mph: Vice Pro Plus 169.0 mph, Pro V1 169.5, Pro V1x 169.9
• 102 mph: Vice Pro Plus 149.2 mph, Pro V1 149.8, Pro V1x 149.8
• 86 mph: Vice Pro Plus 125.1 mph, Pro V1 125.4, Pro V1x 125.4

Spin and height separated them. The Pro Plus spun more than the Pro V1 at every driver speed (2,508 rpm against 2,379 at 116 mph) and flew higher. At 116 mph that worked: it finished about 2.5 yards longer than the Pro V1 in total distance.

At 86 mph it didn’t. The Pro Plus had the highest driver spin of all 48 balls (3,367 rpm) and one of the two highest peak heights, and it finished about 7 yards behind the Pro V1 in total distance (225.8 yards against 232.9). The Pro V1 was the longest ball in the test at that speed.

Across the six driver and 7-iron conditions, the Pro Plus finished first or second for spin in four of them. If your tee shots already balloon, that’s a reason to pick the Pro V1 or the standard Vice Pro, which flew lower than most balls at every driver speed in the same test.

Greenside performance

Both covers are cast urethane, and the same test put them close together from a dry lie. On a full sand wedge, the Pro Plus spun 10,727 rpm and the Pro V1 spun 10,632. On a 35-yard pitch, the Pro Plus spun 5,531 rpm and the Pro V1 spun 5,443.

Two practical differences:

1. Feel: Titleist says the Pro V1 has a softer feel than the Pro V1x, and Vice describes the Pro Plus as “a firmer four-piece golf ball.” You’ll hear and feel that most on putts and chips. Which one you like is personal preference.

2. Wet conditions: This is the Pro V1’s clearest win. On the wet full-wedge shot, the Pro V1 held 10,381 rpm, third-best of the 48 balls. The Pro Plus dropped to 9,344 rpm, about 1,400 rpm below its dry number. If you play a lot of dewy morning rounds, that gap is worth paying for.

The $16 per dozen question

The Vice Pro Plus is $41.99/dozen at vicegolf.com. The Pro V1 is $57.99/dozen. If you go through a dozen a month across a 6-month season, that’s $252 on Vice against $348 on Pro V1, a $96 difference. Buy all six dozen at once and Vice’s price drops to $36.99/dozen ($221.94 total), which widens the gap to about $126.

For golfers swinging 95 mph or faster, the robot data doesn’t show $96 of performance between them, apart from wet wedge shots. Low-handicap players who prefer the Pro V1’s softer feel inside 50 yards, or who want its lower driver spin, have a fair reason to pay more. Golfers shooting in the 80s and 90s with enough speed for a firm ball get a tour-grade urethane ball for $16 less.

Who should play Vice Pro Plus vs Pro V1

Choose Vice Pro Plus if:

• Your swing speed is 95 mph or above
• You want a firm, high-spin 4-piece ball in the Pro V1x mold at $16 less per dozen
• You want more iron and wedge spin and will give up a few yards of iron carry for it
• You’re comfortable buying online from vicegolf.com (PGA TOUR Superstore also carries it)

Choose Pro V1 if:

• Your swing speed is 85–95 mph (better compression match)
• You want less driver spin and a flatter flight
• You prefer the Pro V1’s softer feel on pitches and chips
• You play often in wet morning conditions, where it held far more wedge spin in testing
• You want to buy at your course’s pro shop

Consider Vice Pro (not Pro Plus) if:

• You want Vice pricing at 85–95 mph swing speed. The standard Vice Pro (3-piece, ~89 compression) is the closer match to the standard Pro V1

How to decide without guessing

Start with swing speed, then weigh how much spin and what feel you want. The BallCaddie fitting quiz walks through both in about 90 seconds and scores Vice Pro Plus, Pro V1, Pro V1x, and the rest of our 72-ball catalog against your profile, with no affiliate pressure to push the pricier option.

Related reads:

• Best value golf ball in 2026 — where Vice Pro Plus ranks across the full value spectrum
• Pro V1 vs TP5: Which Tour Ball Should You Play? — comparing Pro V1 to the other major premium alternative
• Golf ball compression chart — where both balls land on a calibrated scale

Key takeaways

• Vice Pro Plus is a 4-piece, firm-compression ball, and its closest Titleist match is the Pro V1x
• $42 vs $58 per dozen: ball speed in the 2026 robot test was within 1 mph of the Pro V1 at all three driver speeds
• Best for swing speeds of 95 mph and above. Below that, the standard Vice Pro or Pro V1 is a better fit
• Both balls use cast urethane covers, and they were within 100 rpm of each other on dry wedge shots
• The Pro V1 held its wedge spin in the wet (10,381 rpm against 9,344) and spins less off the driver
• Vice Pro Plus is sold mostly online: vicegolf.com, plus PGA TOUR Superstore

Sources

• MyGolfSpy, 2026 Golf Ball Test
• Vice Golf, Vice Pro Plus product page
• Titleist, Pro V1 product page