Vice Golf Balls Review – Comparing Their Top 5 Balls

Vice has made quite a splash in the golf ball market over the last decade.

The thing that helps Vice stand out is they’ve truly created golf balls for all types of players. The Vice Pro Plus, Vice Pro, Vice Pro Soft, Vice Tour, and Vice Drive all have unique features.

I tested these five Vice golf balls on the golf course to give you a better idea of what to expect.

Comparing Features

Before I get into the performance of these golf balls on the course, let’s do a basic comparison of their features.

Construction

When we look at construction, there are two things to consider: the number of pieces and the cover material.

• Vice Pro Plus: 4 pieces, cast urethane
• Vice Pro: 3 pieces, cast urethane
• Vice Pro Soft: 3 pieces, cast urethane
• Vice Tour: 3 pieces, Surlyn
• Vice Drive: 2 pieces, Surlyn

Compression

Vice doesn’t advertise the compression of their golf balls. We had to go by feel and knowledge to give you an estimate of what the compression of these golf balls likely is.

• Vice Pro Plus: Around 95
• Vice Pro: 80-90
• Vice Pro Soft: 75–85
• Vice Tour: 90
• Vice Drive: 70-80

Dimple Pattern

The dimple pattern and number of dimples on each Vice ball can vary. Some are built to help golfers get higher ball flights, while others are going to create a more penetrating flight.

• Vice Pro Plus: 336 dimple design
• Vice Pro: 318 large dimple design
• Vice Pro Soft: 318 Large dimple design
• Vice Tour: 312 dimple design
• Vice Drive: 312 large dimple design

Color Options

In addition to the solid color options that you can get from Vice, keep an eye out on special releases like the Pro Drip line, where you can get unique patterns and designs on the golf ball.

The standard colors to expect are:

• Vice Pro Plus: White, Lime, Red
• Vice Pro: White, Neon Lime, Neon Red, Blue
• Vice Pro Soft: White, Lime Red, Living Coral, Soft Peach Parfait, Soft Blue Light
• Vice Tour: White
• Vice Drive: White

Comparing Performance

Now it’s time to get some more detailed information about how these golf balls compare to each other on the golf course. I looked at the distance, spin off the tee, spin on approach, spin around the greens, feel and sound, and the overall value.

I will say there are times when the performance of one golf ball matches the performance of the other. When I encountered this, I detail it below.

Distance

When your main goal is distance, you want to look for a golf ball that is a bit easier to compress and is known for lower spin. The Vice Drive is the only 2 piece golf ball in the lineup, and it was the best from a distance perspective.

The problem, of course, is that a distance golf ball like the 2 piece Vice Drive is known more for distance technology than it is for greenside feel and performance.

If you want something that has a mix of impressive distance with greenside feel and performance, then something like the Vice Pro or Vice Pro Plus could be a better choice.

The Vice Drive has the best overall distance, but if you have a really high swing speed, look at one of the higher swing speed players.

Winner: Vice Drive

 

Spin Off The Tee

When it comes to spin from the tee box, you will want a golf ball that has a lower spin. The lower spin helps improve overall distance and increases the roll that you get when the ball hits the ground.

In my opinion, none of the Vice golf balls had incredibly low spin. I’m a golfer who gets a lot of spin with my current driver, so I’m happy to get any forward movement when the ball hits the fairway.

The two golf balls that offered the lower spin rates were the Vice Tour and the Vice Pro Plus. It’s no surprise that these are the higher compression golf balls in the lineup. When you make contact with the ball, that little bit of extra resistance in the cover can help to lower the overall spin rates.

Winner: Vice Pro Plus

 

Spin on Approach

Spin on your approach shots will really give you that control you need with your iron shots into the green. Distance matters in the irons, but the accuracy and precision are much more important. To get the right amount of spin on the approach shots, you need to be able to compress the ball.

I found the Vice Tour to offer an incredible spin on the approach shots to the green.

If you currently struggle with a 7 iron shot running through the green, the Vice Tour seems to really help there. The surlyn cover may also play into the Vice Tour’s ability to grab the green and stop on these longer approach shots.

Spin around the greens, however, is not the best from the Vice Tour.

Winner: Vice Tour

 

Spin Around The Greens

Spin around the greens is going to give you that control to score, stop the ball, and encourage a lower overall score. I think one of the features I’m most critical of when analyzing and testing golf balls is this area.

If a golf ball can’t spin well around the greens, it’s one of the first signs of being a less than premium golf ball.

If you’ve heard of Vice competing with and trying to provide better value than Titleist, spin around the greens is where they will really need to prove themselves.

With their cast urethane cover, the 4 piece Vice Pro Plus and the 3 piece Vice Pro had the best spin around the greens.

I would recommend the Vice Pro for golfers with average swing speed who still want to try and be precise on their shorter shots to the green. The Vice Pro Plus is great for higher swing speed players who generate plenty of speed.

These golf balls each feature a cast urethane cover, making them a really good choice if you are in the process of developing better feel and accuracy in your short game.

Winner: Vice Pro and Vice Pro Plus

 

Feel and Sound

Overall, I like the feel of all of the Vice golf balls.

I will say this – the Vice Drive does feel like the cheapest ball in the lineup. It just has more of a value-type feel because of the cover material and lower overall compression.

The Vice Tour has a loud, almost clicky sound to it when you play it.

The best in the lineup for feel is the Vice Pro Soft. The feel is soft, but it has a unique way in which it comes off the clubface, and I didn’t lose distance with the Vice Pro Soft.

It’s not the longest golf ball in the lineup (just by a few yards). However, when you really compress the Vice Pro Soft, the feel that comes off the clubface is just really impressive and rewarding.

I like being rewarded for golf shots hit in the center of the face. Can you relate?

Winner: Vice Pro Soft

 

Value

Value is a key component of the Vice line. The entire company is built around the concept that purchasing directly from the manufacturer can save you quite a bit of money.

The entire line offers good value, and if you buy these in bulk, the value is even better.

If you’re on a budget and want a decent golf ball for the price, the Vice Drive is the way to go.

However, I find the Vice Pro Soft to be the best overall value. It truly performs almost exactly like a premium golf ball, but it’s offered at a significantly reduced price. If you’re a better player who’s looking for top performance without breaking the bank, you will find this to be the better choice.

Winner (Cheapest): Vice Drive

Winner (Best Performer Compared to Price): Vice Pro Soft

Final Verdict: Deciding Which Ball is Right for You

Now that you have a better understanding of what each of these golf balls can do, here are my final picks for which one of these golf balls is the best for your golf game.

Vice Pro Plus: Best for Lower Handicapper with High Swing Speeds

If you are a lower handicap player that demands performance from both the tee and the greens, the Vice Pro Plus is the way to go. Although I can’t tell you that this is a perfect replacement for the Titleist Pro V1x, it’s got a lot of the same characteristics.

Vice Pro: Best For Mid to Low Handicapper with Average Swing Speeds

The Vice Pro is probably the best all-around golf ball from Vice. There are a large majority of golfers out there that can benefit from the 3 piece performance and cast urethane cover. Expect a great feel, plenty of distance, and enough spin to make you competitive.

Vice Pro Soft: Best For Slower Swing Speed Players Looking for Feel

The Vice Pro Soft is easier to compress, offers plenty of soft feel around the green, and won’t cost you much distance off the tee.

Vice Tour: Best For Golfer On A Budget That Still Wants Some Spin on Approach Shots

The Vice Tour was my least favorite of the lineup. I will tell you that it’s a good value, and it does hold up quite well after a few rounds. The spin into the green on approach shots is great, but the overall feel and greenside performance aren’t the best.

Vice Drive: Best For Distance and Price

The Vice Drive is a long-distance golf ball offered at a really fair price. Keep this one around if you are newer to the game, looking for great distance, and want a really fairly priced option for your golf game.