Premium quality golf balls are often overlooked by the average golfer due to their higher price point. Ideally, we all wish we could play with a Pro V1 or TP5x every time we hit the course. Frankly, $45 boxes of golf balls are not viable for many people.
Over the last few years, my golf mates have talked about Vice, a golf ball brand that sells premium quality products at a mid-range price. Eventually, my curiosity caved, and I ordered a few boxes. Naturally, this meant I would need to conduct a Vice golf balls review.
Vice has had an unbelievable rise in popularity among golfers out there; that said, it’s not easy knowing which one to go for. We’ve covered each of the Vice golf balls on the market, so you have an idea of which one is right for you. Check out our full Vice review below!
Vice Golf Balls Review At A Glance
While Vice has gained a ton of popularity due to their great price point, they have stayed pretty direct with their approach to the amateur golfer. They don’t sponsor any players on tour, and you won’t find them in your neighborhood golf shop.
If you want to buy a box of Vice balls, you will need to buy it directly from their website, or a place like Amazon. Vice manufacture five different golf balls, the Pro Plus, Pro Soft, Pro, Tour, and Drive.
With 5 golf balls on the market, Vice has quite a few options based on play style and swing speed. Read on to see which one suits your game best.
Vice Pro Plus Golf Balls Review
MSRP: $34.99 per dozen
Construction: 4 Piece
Key Performance Traits: Higher Ball Speed, Lower Drive Spin, Long.
The Vice Pro Plus was made for players with faster swinging speeds, who can hit a 250 yard carry with a driver in hand.
The 4-piece composition of the Vice Pro Plus golf balls performed comparably to the Pro V1x. There is no doubt this ball was built for distance. However, its ability to grip into greens and sit quickly is an impressive feat.
Performance
To give you the best insight into the different Vice golf balls, I decided to conduct a test. All I needed was my 9.5-degree driver, 7-iron, wedge, and launch monitor.
Tee Shots
The Pro Plus performed admirably off the tee, giving me an average carry distance of 275-yards, and an additional 20 yards of run. Interestingly, when I tested the Pro V1x, I managed 284 yards carry and a total distance of 305 yards.
My backspin with a driver averaged 2400 rpm, which is 600 rpm more than I averaged with the Pro V1x. That would explain my 20 yards less distance compared to the Titleist ball. When it came to ball speed, it was on par with the Pro V1x at 158 mph.
Off the tee, I experienced moderately low backspin and ball flight. While it may not have gone as far as the Pro V1x, I was still very happy with the results.
Mid Irons
After I smoked as many balls as I could with the big guy, it was time to test the Vice Pro Plus with my 7-iron. My ball speed averaged out at 121 mph, which is only 1-mph less than I get with the Pro v1x. My carry was 165 yards, and my total distance, 171 yards.
The average backspin rpm with a Pro Plus was 7700 rpm. That is 600 rpm more than I get with the Pro V1x. Which may account for the less run this ball gave me.
Wedges
We know that these balls do have distance in them, but how do they fair around the greens? I tested a 56-degree wedge on the Vice Pro Plus’ to find out.
My average ball speed was 84.2 mph, 1-mph less than the Pro V1x. That gave me 98 yards of carry and 99 yards in total. The backspin I got with a wedge was phenomenal, an average of 11200 rpm.
The Pro Plus is fitted with a thin, soft urethane cover, providing a soft landing on the greens. Vice employed stick to the green technology (S2TG), which enhances the ball’s ability to sit quickly on short iron shots.
Maximized High Energy Speed Core
The speed core in the Pro Plus amplifies the ball speed making it suitable for faster swinging golfers. Those of you who swing a driver beyond 110 mph will be rewarded with increased distance off the tee.
Since my driver swing speed is below 105 mph, I did not do this ball complete justice.
Keep In Line (KIP) Putt Line
The KIP Putt line helps us to line up better. It helps us amateurs to make sure we start our putts on the intended line.
Feel
The Vice Pro Plus has overall pretty excellent feel. It is not super soft, nor is it rock hard. It felt good, from tee to green. You can even feel the ball driving into your grooves on iron and wedge shots.
Durability
Overall I was happy with the durability of the Pro Plus. They held their shape well during a round. Even when the ball landed in the sand, it held firm.
I used the Pro Plus’ to practice my pitching wedge shots and noticed that they were pretty beat up. However, you won’t only be hitting wedge shots in your round, and therefore it won’t be a problem for you.
Who Should Play The Vice Pro Plus
The Vice Pro Plus is best suited to golfers with fast swing speeds, who exceed 110 mph with a driver in hand. It’s likely that a lower or mid handicap golfer will get more out of this ball.
Verdict on the Vice Pro Plus
I was happy with the overall performance of the Vice Pro Plus. My distance off the tee was decent at 295 yards, and the ball stopped quickly on the green.
If my swing speed was 5 to 10 mph quicker, I think my distance may have been comparable to the Pro V1x. Overall, there is little doubt that this is a premium golf ball and is worth considering it next time around.
Vice Pro Soft Golf Balls Review
MSRP: $26.99 per dozen
Construction: 3 Piece
Compression: 35
Key Performance Traits: Increased Ball Speed, Long distance, Excellent Spin.
The 318 dimple Vice Pro Soft provides a stable ball flight, distance, and spin on the greens. It has a low compression core of 35, which is in place to promote increased ball speed and offer a soft feel off the face.
The Pro Soft is an all-around golf ball performing from the tee box to the green. According to Vice, they designed it for players who swing a driver less than 95 mph.
Performance
As we did with the Pro Plus, let’s look at how the Pro Soft performed in our comparison test.
Tee Shots
Off the tee, I generated an average of 157 mph ball speed. As a result, my carry was 270 yards, and my total distance, 280 yards. My ball speed was 2-mph faster than what I achieved with the Pro V1.
The average backspin rpm was 2400. The results were similar to my performance with the Pro V1 and Titleist Velocity. The surlyn ionomer inner mantle helps reduce spin on drives and long iron shots and increases ball flight. As a result, you enjoy more carry and longer distance.
While you don’t get the run of the Vice Pro Plus or Pro V1x, it still delivers sufficient distance on long iron and tee shots.
Mid Irons
When it came to the 7-iron test, my average carry was 160 yards, and the ball ran for a further 2-yards on the ground. My backspin rpm clocked in at 1000 below what I got with the Vice Pro Plus, but the ball gripped into the green quicker.
The ball feels incredible on the clubface and provides you with a stable flight.
Wedges
The feel of this ball on the clubface is excellent. You can feel the grooves of your wedge connecting with it. My average wedge strikes resulted in 10600 rpm, which was lower than the Pro Plus. However, it stopped dead on every occasion.
On average, the ball carried 98 yards with a 56-degree wedge and stopped dead on the green.
Maximized High Energy Speed Core
The Vice Pro Soft also includes a high energy speedcore designed for faster ball speeds.
Feel
Vice crafted the Pro Soft using a cast urethane cover, giving the ball a soft feel on the outside. The urethane cover grips the clubface on the ball, resulting in a soft landing and spin around the green.
Durability
I was satisfied with the durability of the Pro Soft and found no major disfigurements on the ball.
Who Should Play The Vice Pro Soft
The Vice Pro Soft is best suited to golfers with swing speeds below 95 mph. It is also suitable if the course you are playing has tight greens and requires soft landings.
Verdict on the Vice Pro Soft
The Vice Pro Soft has an impeccable feel and handles itself well from tee to green. I found the results to be similar to my performance with the Pro V1. But, these balls are almost $20 less for a dozen.
Vice Pro Golf Balls Review
MSRP: $34.99 per dozen
Construction: 3 Piece
Key Performance Traits: Increased Ball Speed, Minimized Driver Spin, Stable Ball Flight.
You will see below from the results, that the Vice Pro was the ball I performed the best with during the Vice golf balls review test. The 3-piece ball has a cast urethane cover, a surlyn ionomer inner core, and a high energy speed core.
As we have seen from the other balls in the Vice Pro range, they are designed for increased distance.
Performance
The Vice Pro is the last ball that we tested in the pro range. Let us see how it faired.
Tee Shots
Out of all the balls in the Vice Pro range, this is the one that I hit the furthest. My carry average carry was 285 yards, with my total distance reaching 305 yards.
My backspin was slightly less than the Pro Soft with 2300 rpm. That is about the return I want with spin off the tee. The inner surlyn ionomer core, partnered with the high energy speed core, performs well in reducing spin on longer shots.
Mid-Irons
The trend of lower spin continues into the mid irons. My backspin with a 7-iron in hand averaged 5500 rpm, which is lower than I want. Ideally, with a 7-iron, I look for about 7000 rpm of backspin to get the ball to bite quicker on the greens.
I mostly use a Pro V1, which averages 160 yards of carry and distance. It stops quickly around the greens. With the Vice Pro, I was averaging 5 yards of run once the ball landed.
That’s the main downside of this ball, but then again, its purpose is to minimize spin on longer shots.
Wedges
With 10200 rpm of average backspin, it performs as you would expect your ball to, on the green. I did get a little bit of run, but no more than 1 yard on average. My 56-degree wedge shots carried 99 yards and ended at the 100-yard mark.
Cast Urethane Cover
The V3-piece Vice Pro golf ball is covered with a soft, durable urethane polymer. Urethane offers you a soft feel and helps to enhance your short game spin.
Surlyn Inner Core
Surlyn polymers are used to construct the inner core of the 3-piece Vice Pro golf ball. The purpose of the material is to minimize your spin on drives and longer iron shots while providing increased ball flight stability.
Feel
Vice decreased the compression of this ball, which gives you a soft feel upon impact.
Durability
At $34.99, I cannot praise the ball’s durability enough. I have played a few more rounds with the Vice Pro and have found that they last for the better part of 18 holes.
Who Should Play With The Vice Pro
Without a shadow of a doubt, these balls suit players with swing speeds between 95 mph and 110 mph. Since I fit into this category, I can vouch that it offers golfers like you and me maximum performance from tee to green.
It gives you distance off the tee and sits quickly on wedge shots. However, I would not recommend this ball if your home course has tight greens. It is challenging to stop this ball swiftly with a mid to long iron. That may disadvantage you.
Verdict On The Vice Pro
As a golfer with an average driver swing speed of 105 mph, this ball is well suited to my game. If that describes your swing, I would suggest testing the Vice Pro’s out.
Vice Tour Golf Balls Review
MSRP: $21.99 per dozen
Construction: 3 Piece
Key Performance Traits: More Carry, Low Driver Spin, More Distance.
As the name suggests, this is Vice’s version of a tour ball. As is the norm with tour balls, they are only sold in white. These surlyn covered golf balls are the second most affordable balls in the Vice stable.
The 3-piece construction comprises a soft energy speed core and a DuPont surlyn mantle and cover. Finally, it is fitted with 392 dimples that provide a higher, more aerodynamic ball flight.
Performance
The Vice Tour was the last ball I was able to test, and I will explain why below. Using the same tools that were employed to test the other balls, let us see what this ball has to offer.
Tee Shots
My ball speed with a driver in hand was lower than I am used to, clocking 150 mph. My backspin rpm was similar to the results with the other balls at 2400.
The ball flight of the Vice Tour was substantially higher than the others. And I achieved the least carry and distance of the entire test. My carry averaged 250 yards, while my total distance reached 265 yards.
Mid-Iron Shots
Again my ball speed was below that of the others we tested. I only generated 112 mph, whereas I am usually in the 120 mpg vicinity with a 7-iron. Backspin rpm was as low as with the Vice Pro, only giving me 5600 rpm.
In terms of carry, the results were comparable to other balls, and I averaged 157 yards. I found the Vice Tour to stop quicker with mid-irons than the Vice Pro. The average total distance on 7-iron strikes was 160 yards.
Wedge Shots
Weirdly, my backspin rpm with a wedge was super low, averaging 8400 rpm. You would think that would mean no bite on the greens, but this ball surprised me. On average, my wedge shots carried 100 yards, and the total distance was 100 yards.
It seems that the increased height I got with this ball enabled it to hold up in the breeze and sit nicely on the dancefloor.
DuPont Surlyn Cover
Surlyn is a type of ionomer polymer generally used to produce distance balls that do not offer enhanced spin around the greens. The Vice Tour offers distance and low spin on long shots, and soft landings on approach shots and chips.
DuPont Surlyn Mantle
The ionomer mantle of the Vice Tour provides increased ball speed and low spin on long strikes.
Feel
In my experience, ionomer covered golf balls always had a hard feel. However, the Vice Tour is different. The 3-piece composition provides a medium soft ball that feels good off the club face.
Durability
Durability was an area of concern, as I find that urethane covers tend to be more durable than ionomers.
Based on the price of these golf balls, I did not have high hopes. But, after playing a round of 18 with this ball, scuff marks only began appearing after the 11th hole. Still, it was in good enough shape to continue striking.
Who Should Play With The Vice Tour
While I have heard many golf fundis recommend the Vice Tour to all swing speeds, mid to high handicap golfers may benefit the most.
The increased launch angle would be handy for players struggling to get the ball airborne.
Verdict On The Vice Tour
If you want increased height on your shots, this is worth trialing out. For me, the increased height reduced my distance off the tee. I was, however, satisfied with how my approach and chip shots stopped on the green.
Vice Drive Golf Balls Review
MSRP: $14.99 per dozen
Construction: 2 Piece
Key Performance Traits: Increased Distance, Stable Ball Flight.
The Vice Drive is the final ball in the German producers stable. The 2-piece ball is made to give you more distance off the tee. Unfortunately, when I was ordering balls to conduct this test, the drives were sold out.
As a result, I won’t be able to share the results of the ball’s performance. But, I can tell you more about it.
DuPont Surlyn Covers
Like we saw with the Vice Tour, the cover of the Vice Drive is surlyn ionomer material. The 312 dimples on the ball provide a stable ball flight and increase carry and total distance.
Low Compression Energy Speed Core
The inner part of this 2-piece golf ball is a low compression energy speed core. Vice designed this core to lower your spin off the tee and on long iron shots, giving you more carry and distance.
Who Should Play With The Vice Drive
When Vice designed this ball, they had medium to higher handicap golfers in mind. It is easy to hit a golf ball that helps you with your ball flight, carry, and distance.
Since it is Vice’s most affordable range of balls, it won’t burn a hole in your wallet if you lose a few every round.
Verdict On The Vice Drive
From the looks of it, this is a ball for casual golfers and high handicappers. They are affordable and worth testing out.
FAQs About Vice Golf Balls
Are Vice Golf Balls as Good as Pro V1s?
Yes, there is no doubt that Vice golf balls are as good as Pro V1’s. As we saw from the test, The Vice Pro Soft gave me similar results to what I achieved with the Pro V1. Is the performance identical? No. But the results were close enough where you’d feel this ball has everything you need from it.
Are Vice Golf Balls Legal?
Yes, Vice golf balls are legal. Their golf balls are R&A, and USGA approved. Golfers are often skeptical of purchasing Vice balls as they have likely not seen the brand in their local golf store or pro shop.
Vice does not sell through middlemen retailers. They go straight to the consumer, saving you money and increasing their margins. It is a symbiotic, winning relationship.
Which Vice Golf Ball is the Best?
That is a personal question, as it depends on your game and the ball that works best for you. However, for me, the best Vice golf ball is the Vice Pro.
It gives me distance off the tee and sits well on wedge shots. And, they are super affordable.
Conclusion on Vice Golf Balls Review
After conducting this Vice golf balls review, I feel that the German brand is underrated. The balls in the pro range performed on a par with premium balls like the Pro V1, Pro V1x, and TP5x.
I would recommend at least trying a few Vice balls. They are affordable and perform splendidly. If you are still unsure about which Vice ball is best for you, go on and try their Ball Recommender tool to point you in the right direction.
Thanks for reading, and make sure to check out more of our reviews!