Linear thinkers love finding out historical past’s mysteries.
When skilled in actual time, life’s occasions often seem random and unrelated. They’re seemingly unconnected, arbitrary and inconsequential within the second. It’s solely via the lens of time that we are able to join these dots and create a “once-upon-a-time” story arc we linear varieties love a lot.
It’s how we make sense of issues.
Living proof: Nobody, and I imply nobody, might have identified it on the time however an offhand lunchroom remark in 1995 would, 5 years later, fully change the sport of golf in simply 90 days.
But that’s simply what occurred practically 30 years in the past at Titleist’s Ball Plant 2 in North Dartmouth, Mass. A bunch of R&D engineers had been having fun with their lunch when one among them held up a Pinnacle Gold golf ball and requested what turned out to be a billion-dollar query:
“What if we put a urethane cover on this thing?”
By the beginning of the brand new millennium, that harmless little bit of curiosity changed into the Professional V1.
Historical past’s Mysteries: The beginning of the Titleist Professional V1
Golf within the early Nineties wasn’t precisely hickory shafts and gutta perchas nevertheless it was lots totally different than it’s at this time. On the PGA Tour, you had golfers who regarded extra like Craig Stadler than Adam Scott, no launch screens and guys with swings like Payne Stewart’s.
However that recreation was evolving. Whereas Tiger was ending up highschool, energy gamers like Fred {Couples}, Davis Love III and, after all, John Daly had been hitting the ball a freaking mile. Gear was evolving as nicely. Forged golf equipment such because the PING Eye 2 and Tommy Armour 845s had been simpler to hit whereas the Callaway Massive Bertha and its all-titanium descendant, the Nice Massive Bertha, had been altering the sport off the tee.
Nevertheless, regardless of all these modifications, golfers had been nonetheless enjoying with what amounted to 70-year-old expertise: the wound balata golf ball.
In 1994, Titleist launched what proved to be a serious innovation: the Titleist Skilled, a wound ball with a brand new invention: a solid urethane cowl.
“The Professional was a pretty big deal,” Titleist Golf Ball Advertising VP Jeremy Stone tells MyGolfSpy. “The cast urethane cover added speed and improved durability over the balata ball.”
The Skilled rapidly changed the Titleist Tour Balata because the No. 1 ball in golf.
Golf balls, circa 1994
Let’s pause the narrative for a second to attach some historic dots. Earlier than the Skilled, you could possibly select between a balata-covered ball or an ionomer-covered ball. Higher gamers and Tour professionals most popular balatas as a result of they offered higher spin, management and really feel. Leisure golfers principally selected ionomer as a result of they had been noticeably longer, regardless that it felt such as you had been hitting a rock.
Moreover, ionomer-covered balls had been far more sturdy. In the event you hit a balata only a wee bit skinny, it will crack a smile and be unplayable.
Whereas balata balls featured a core (both rubber or a liquid middle) tightly wrapped with elastic, two-piece ionomer balls had a strong artificial rubber core. In 1994, the Titleist-made Pinnacle Gold and Spalding’s High-Flite had been high sellers, every holding roughly a 17 % market share.
For golfers, it was both spin, management and really feel or distance and sturdiness. They couldn’t have each.
That was about to alter.
Again to the lunchroom …
Titleist has simply changed the previous No. 1 ball in golf, the Tour Balata, with the brand new No. 1 ball in golf, the Skilled. You’d determine they’d be good for some time however you’d be improper.
“Even though we had this game-changing ball in the Professional, we were still going to push and see what else we can come up with,” says Titleist Golf Ball R&D VP Michael Madson. “That’s when any individual picked up a Pinnacle Gold and requested what would occur if we put a skinny urethane cowl on it.
“Then it was, ‘Let’s go find out.’”
Titleist already had loads of expertise with solid-core balls and it wasn’t seeking to exchange the Skilled. A Pinnacle Gold with a urethane cowl was intriguing, nevertheless, so Engineering set to work. The consequence was the Professional 2-Piece. Titleist appreciated what it noticed and deliberate to check market the ball in Texas.
Catastrophe, nevertheless, was looming.
“Robot data that showed it was a magnificent ball,” says Stone. “We test golf balls in a controlled environment. The failure was not allowing them to sit in a humid golf shop in Texas.”
Because it turned out, the Professional 2-Piece was a greater sponge than a golf ball. It absorbed all that humidity and have become, for lack of a greater time period, waterlogged. That made the ball sluggish to the purpose of being unplayable.
“It was a genuine marketplace failure,” admits Stone. “But without that failure, we wouldn’t enjoy today because it taught us things you wouldn’t uncover otherwise.”
The Titleist Professional 2-Piece turns into the Titleist Professional V1
Ever surprise why the Professional V1 is known as the Professional V1?
“Pro” stands for Skilled. That was Titleist’s No. 1 ball on the time, and like every good firm, Titleist was constructing off that ball’s identify recognition.
“1” is for the primary model of the ball.
The “V”? That’s the place issues get attention-grabbing.
After the Texas failure, Titleist realized it wanted one other layer to maintain moisture out of the core so it developed a Surlyn mantle to stop absorption. They referred to as it a “veneer” layer.
The “V” in Professional V1 stands for veneer.
“We have a hell of a lot of failures on our patent wall,” says Madson. “You may start with an idea and write a patent and it might wind up being total crap. But there may be one piece of chemistry in there that opens up pathways to innovation. We’re looking at building new ideas so we let the creative minds in R&D just run rampant.”
Titleist R&D ran rampantly for 5 years whereas creating the primary Professional V1 era. Within the interim, Mark O’Meara used the solid-core High-Flite Strata to win the 1998 Masters and Open Championship. Two years later, Tiger blitzkrieged the U.S. Open area at Pebble Seaside with the NIKE Tour Accuracy. Titleist noticed what was happening however knew what it had. It was simply on the lookout for the ultimate items of the puzzle.
The “100 Man March”
By the summer time of 2000, the Professional V1 was virtually prepared for prime time. That final puzzle piece was Tour testing and validation. Beginning in June, Titleist Tour reps labored driving ranges and walked follow rounds with greater than 100 PGA Tour professionals, on the lookout for suggestions. The defining second got here at Ocean Forest Golf Membership in Georgia, courtesy of Davis Love III.
“Mac Fritz (Titleist VP of Tour Promotion) took a dozen ‘white box’ prototypes to test with Davis,” says Stone. “He had one directive: Come back with all 12. Don’t lose any of them.”
They arrange testing on one gap with a marsh bisecting the golf green some 340 yards away. That marsh was out of play for Love and his gamer, the Titleist Skilled. Love was hitting into the wind and Fritz was standing 300 yards down the golf green. Professionals had been touchdown close to Fritz’s ft, nicely wanting the marsh.
In accordance with Stone, that’s when Fritz had Love tee up a Professional V1 prototype with easy directions: Let ‘er rip.
“The ball sailed over Mac’s head and right into the marsh. They spent 45 minutes wading through the marsh trying to find that ball. Mac had to head home with his tail between his legs and only 11 prototypes.”
Legend has it that Love and his son Dru felt so unhealthy they returned the following day and spent hours scouring the marsh for that ball. It stands because the very first Professional V1 ever misplaced and is probably going nonetheless in that marsh at this time.
“That was validation for Davis,” says Stone. “That marsh hadn’t been in play for him before. Now, all of a sudden, it was.”
What occurs in Vegas doesn’t at all times keep in Vegas
Right now the USGA updates its conforming listing electronically. In 2000, nevertheless, OEMs would await a brand new listing to be printed earlier than new merchandise may very well be performed on Tour. Titleist was able to unleash the Professional V1 however the brand new USGA listing wasn’t printed till early October, simply earlier than the Invensys Basic in Las Vegas.
Fritz introduced 60 dozen Professional V1s to the match, anticipating 20, possibly 25 Titleist gamers to place them into play. Forty-seven did. It was the one greatest shift in gear utilization in PGA Tour historical past.
“Players are creatures of habit,” says Madson. “Even if they see performance they know deep down is better for them, they’re going to take their time before switching. For that many players to switch so quickly just showed how much better the Pro V1 was.”
One of many gamers who switched was a struggling veteran from Rhode Island, Billy Andrade.
Andrade was a hundred and sixtieth on the cash listing and had already despatched in his test for Qualifying Faculty. Seems he needn’t have bothered. Andrade tore up TPC Summerlin for his fourth and closing PGA Tour win, a win for the Titleist Professional V1 in its first occasion.
“The ball was 20 yards longer than the Tour Prestige I was playing at the time,” says Andrade. “I chalked some of that up to altitude but the distance and overall performance was like nothing I had ever played.”
Phil Mickelson, additionally enjoying a Professional V1, completed second to Andrade. Lower than a month later, he would outduel Tiger on the Tour Championship in Atlanta. In a profession stuffed with fuse-lighting moments, Mickelson’s post-tournament feedback could have been the largest:
“I honestly believe that if you’re not playing this golf ball, then you are at a distinct disadvantage to the entire field.”
Quantity One with a bullet
Titleist initially deliberate to launch the ProV1 to retail in March 2001. Andrade and Mickelson pressured that plan to alter and the Professional V1 was launched to Solar Belt retailers in mid-December. Issues obtained crazier in January. Brad Faxon gained the Sony Open in Hawaii with the Professional V1, tying the 72-hole scoring report. Mark Calcavecchia set the 36-, 54- and 72-hole scoring data with the Professional V1 the next week on the Phoenix Open. One week later, Love fired the bottom closing spherical ever for a winner at Pebble Seaside.
By the point the West Coast swing was over, the highest eight cash winners had been enjoying the Professional V1.
“We had to accelerate product,” explains Stone. “It’s not like we mothballed our wound-ball lines. Our expectation was for a far lower adoption of the Pro V1 and we expected people to play wound balls through the year because that’s what our typical transition looked like.”
Typical, nevertheless, flew out the window in Vegas.
It’s inconceivable to overstate the pace and totality of the Professional V1 takeover. In mid-March, solely 90 days after its retail launch, the ProV1 rocketed to primary in golf ball gross sales.
It hasn’t moved from that perch since.
By the 2001 Masters, 42 of the 45 Titleist gamers within the area switched to the Professional V1. In June, Retief Goosen gained the U.S. Open with a Professional V1 and Karrie Webb gamed the Professional V1 to win the Ladies’s U.S. Open by eight strokes, the most important margin of victory in over twenty years.
“The Pro V1 responded to the changing nature of the game,” says Titleist Golf Ball President Mary Lou Bohn. “The arrival of the power game necessitated golf balls that delivered low spin in the long game while maintaining spin, feel and control of the premium liquid-center, wound-technology balls.”
USA Right now and an existential disaster
Within the three months from mid-December of 2000 to mid-March of 2001, the Professional V1 went from nothing to No. 1. Nobody at Titleist had that on their bingo card which meant management had some tough selections to make.
“We just couldn’t make enough,” says Stone. “I don’t think any Tour player would have dreamt of hitting a ball as long off the tee as the Pinnacle but with the Professional’s performance around the green. That wouldn’t have been in the realm of possibility.”
The patron frenzy went thermonuclear in March when USA Right now printed a front-page story on how the Professional V1 turned golf upside-down. There have been even unfounded rumors that Titleist was artificially suppressing provide to spice up demand.
That spring, Titleist confronted an existential disaster: Absolutely embrace the brand new Professional V1 and out of date 70 years of wound ball manufacturing or hedge its bets, let the market settle and transition slowly.
“The philosophical question at the time was, ‘Are we the wound-ball construction leader or are we the golf ball technology leader?’” says Stone. “That’s 70 years of legacy we’d be walking away from. You better believe there were people here who thought that might not be the smartest choice.”
In the end, Titleist determined its legacy wasn’t wound golf balls, it was higher golf balls.
“Our brand literally exists because, in 1930, golf ball makers hadn’t figured out how to make a golf ball consistently,” Stone says. “Phil Young figured out how to do that. He felt his job was to make a better golf ball if he could. It wasn’t because it was wound; it’s because it was better.”
“We’re working around the clock …”
Retooling to satisfy demand was no straightforward process. It was like making an attempt to alter tires on a automotive going 90 miles an hour. As you’d count on, Titleist had a tough time maintaining.
“Wally (Uhlein, Acushnet CEO at the time) wrote a letter published in the golf magazines saying, ‘Hey, we’re trying our best to keep up with production,’” says Stone. “We had been working across the clock however we simply couldn’t make sufficient.
“We were trying to figure out how to retool and reinvest in the necessary capacity which is how Ball Plant 3 came to be. Ball Plant 1 was where we made our wound balls. We couldn’t just tear it down and renovate it. We needed a whole new facility.”
The actual fact Tour gamers had been leaping to the Professional V1 in droves made the transition simpler. Professional V1 manufacturing ramped up whereas Tour Balata, Tour Status and Skilled manufacturing ramped down. By July, the final Tour Balata was performed on Tour. By November, the final Skilled was performed on Tour.
How monumental was the 2001 sea change? Golfweek Journal reported in December that 2001 was the primary yr that nobody – not one single golfer – gained on the PGA Tour utilizing a wound ball. Nobody on the LPGA, Seniors, European, Canadian, Purchase.com or Japan Golf excursions gained utilizing a wound ball, both.
Sooner or later in 2002, Titleist made its final wound ball. The Professional V1 takeover was full.
“One of our mantras is that if it’s better for the golfer, we’ll figure it out eventually,” says Madson.
A rose by every other identify
Since historical past is nearly at all times unintentional, it’s necessary to notice that Titleist had no intention of calling the Professional V1 the Professional V1. That was merely the prototype identify. They deliberate on developing with a greater identify earlier than launch.
Throughout the “100 Man March”, Tour gamers turned accustomed to the Professional V1 identify. Titleist additionally referred to as it Professional V1 in the course of the lengthy USGA conforming course of so by the point Vegas rolled round, the identify simply caught. All that early Tour success solely solidified the identify in everybody’s thoughts.
In 2003, there was discuss of calling the brand new mannequin the Professional V2. Nevertheless, Advertising 101 says when you’ve got a game-changing, top-selling golf ball, don’t mess with what you name it.
The addition of the Professional V1x was a smaller game-changer in its personal proper.
“The Pro V1 was the best ball for pros and it proved to be the best ball for amateurs,” says Stone. “But the Pro V1x allowed for unique flight, spin and feel characteristics to be designed into a ball with a purpose. It really created ball fitting.”
2000 versus at this time
Whereas speaking with Stone and Madson, one query stored bugging me.
“If I played a 2001 Pro V1 and the new Pro V1 (due in January) together, how different would they be?”
The solutions got here quick and livid.
“You’re going to have a steeper spin slope,” mentioned Madson. “We’re always trying to drive spin down with the driver to get more distance off the tee while keeping spin up with irons and wedges.”
Moreover, enhancements in core gradients, cowl chemistry, aerodynamic packages, even paint, whereas incremental, add up over 1 / 4 of a century.
“It’s hard to see differences from one generation to the next,” Madson explains. “But over time, when you keep at it, you end up with big performance changes over the generations. It’ll be faster and the better dimple pattern means it’ll fly farther. It’s also going to be more durable. It’ll stay whiter longer and the ink is going to look better.”
Historical past’s Mysteries: The Titleist Professional V1 legacy
So why did historical past select the Professional V1 to alter the sport and never the NIKE Tour Accuracy and even the High-Flite Strata? In any case, NIKE had Tiger Woods, an unprecedented U.S. Open blowout and a six-month head begin. The Strata had a two-year head begin.
“It’s one thing to have a great product,” says Stone. “It’s another thing to be committed and have a route to the market.”
Titleist had the top-selling golf ball earlier than the Professional V1 confirmed up and it had been tops on Tour for many years. It additionally had a stronger professional store and golf retail presence than NIKE. NIKE had Tiger however was nonetheless a relative newcomer to golf gear and had no actual observe report. Spalding bought numerous golf balls however, as we’ve documented earlier than, was having its personal troubles on the time.
“There’s a certain credibility that comes from being the market leader in an industry introducing a product, as opposed to someone else,” says Stone.
The Professional V1 represented an inflection level that was many years within the making. Energy was taking up the professional recreation and ball makers might see it coming. That’s why that engineer within the lunchroom requested the everlasting query: What if?
Titleist was uniquely positioned. It had the R&D juice, the manufacturing capabilities, the advertising power and the distribution channel to show that product right into a game-changing second in golf historical past.
The put up Historical past’s Mysteries: How the Titleist ProV1 Modified Golf Eternally in Simply 90 Days appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
