Want to know which ProV1 is which

jim8flog

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Titleist have a timeline of the Prov1 on their website.

https://www.titleist.co.uk/teamtitl...l-which-year-your-titleist-golf-ball-is-from?

It was reminder to me as to how far Titleist were behind in bringing this type of ball to the market compared to other manufacturers.

The Top-Flite Strata golf ball, introduced in the mid-1990's, however, did the unimaginable. It merged a high-spinning, soft-feeling Tour Balata type of ball, with the low-spinning, long-flying, and durable Pinnacle or distance ball into a whole new class of product. This remarkable three-piece ball, was, indeed, two balls in one: It was a long-flying/low-spinning distance ball off the tee, and a high-spinning control ball off the irons. Remarkably enough, Strata's ball design team accomplished this two–for-one feat rather simply. They just added a soft polyurethane cover on what was virtually a Top-Flite distance ball, and then added a thin middle or mantle layer that encased the ball's already large and solid rubber core.
 
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The obvious answer is why do I need to know which year of manufacture I'm using? I'm a handicap golfer, everytime I hit the ball it's different.
 

jim8flog

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Worth remembering that this was a stolen patent and Bridgestone were paid off for it. Allegedly

It is probably one of the reasons ProV1s cost so much compared to other similar balls. The settlement was an amount per ball sold after the agreed date according to what I read.
 

Parsaregood

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I did wonder if they succeeded in getting a settlement for 'Strata' patent infringement.

Rumour was it was why Callaway bought Spalding in the first place.
No idea, just know Bridgestone and callaway got a small fee for every ball sold. Not sure if they still do but they did for quite a long time
 

harpo_72

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I remember it coming out, the strata ... it was very expensive. I used to play 100 compression titleist balatas but quite liked rexstar ss as well, not sure when the professional 90 showed up though as I played that as well .. I was playing good golf from 96-98.
Then my golf stopped and I was off the grid for a while. When I returned the pro v1 was in the system. My Japanese colleagues were telling me about it. When I played with it I was longer than I was previously and it was impressive... but I preferred the Callaway HX tours they were just consistent every where probably a little shorter but off the irons the spin was awesome. I did find a titleist ball that I shot level par around Aylesbury in one of my storage boxes .. I had written on it where and when (need to check what it was !) I should have done that more often ? recording the good stuff that is!
just found it date on ball was 29/06/2005 rd of 70, 2005 pro v1 392
 
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Foxholer

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That is correct, callaway had a stake in every ball sold also ?

Er...Let's get this right! Callaway acquired Topflite, sued Titleist and won, but then lost - after Titleist made some changes to the ball, perhaps to work around Callaway's suit. While it might have 'had a stake', it never, to my knowledge, got any money from Titleist! Callaway's patents, or at least their suit in relation to the ProV1, were apparently ruled invalid!

As fo the Bridgestone issue, I believe that covered a manufacturing patent Bridgestone held - and covered a range of balls, not just the ProV1! I believe Acushnet (Titleists owner) eventually agreed to pay a licensing fee to Bridgestone for use of that process, so the dispute was resolved.
 

Foxholer

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Worth remembering that this was a stolen patent and Bridgestone were paid off for it. Allegedly
I don't believe there is such a thing! Ownership may be 'mis-represented', but not 'stolen' at least as far as I know!
Ownwership of patents is, or at least should be, quite easily determined!
 

Parsaregood

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Er...Let's get this right! Callaway acquired Topflite, sued Titleist and won, but then lost - after Titleist made some changes to the ball, perhaps to work around Callaway's suit. While it might have 'had a stake', it never, to my knowledge, got any money from Titleist! Callaway's patents, or at least their suit in relation to the ProV1, were apparently ruled invalid!

As fo the Bridgestone issue, I believe that covered a manufacturing patent Bridgestone held - and covered a range of balls, not just the ProV1! I believe Acushnet (Titleists owner) eventually agreed to pay a licensing fee to Bridgestone for use of that process, so the dispute was resolved.
I'm just relaying information I was told by the chairman of the PGA, you may know more than him I suppose but then again he's been in the golf business a long time
 

Foxholer

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I'm just relaying information I was told by the chairman of the PGA, you may know more than him I suppose but then again he's been in the golf business a long time
So you didn't bother to check 'facts'? Did you ask him where he got his info from?
I've read quite a bit of 'background' stories about this - including, a long time ago, from the Topflite guy that made the oiginal breakthrough!
Try checking out for yourself, rather than simply believing what you have been told - and thsat includes by me! It's frightening how much disinformation PGA Pros were 'supplied with' by vested interests!
 

Parsaregood

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So you didn't bother to check 'facts'? Did you ask him where he got his info from?
I've read quite a bit of 'background' stories about this - including, a long time ago, from the Topflite guy that made the oiginal breakthrough!
Try checking out for yourself, rather than simply believing what you have been told - and thsat includes by me! It's frightening how much disinformation PGA Pros were 'supplied with' by vested interests!
Well given his status within the game, the fact he's run his own golf business for 35 years and deals with all golf companies, frankly I'll take him at his word thanks
 

jmcp

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As I read through this post, I remembered that I brought some strata balls home from a work visit to the states a long time ago and they are still in the original cellophane wrapper along with a dozen top-flite 2000 balls, I stopped playing golf for approx 14 years hence why these were sitting up the loft unopened along with some Titleist dt 90 although I did use some of those last season.

cheers, John220F3DFF-D956-4454-B923-8F019FEC5739.jpeg
 

jim8flog

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As I read through this post, I remembered that I brought some strata balls home from a work visit to the states a long time ago and they are still in the original cellophane wrapper along with a dozen top-flite 2000 balls, I stopped playing golf for approx 14 years hence why these were sitting up the loft unopened along with some Titleist dt 90 although I did use some of those last season.

cheers, JohnView attachment 29927


The DT 90s are now so old that you would probably find that the windings have disintegrated and the ball will quickly lose shape and or performance. Either of those in the picture would still be very usable and both are good balls. I used to used the XL2000 Exceptional spin when playing on my own or in friendly games to save to on cost.
 
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