Visual technology on golf balls has been growing in popularity over the past couple of years, spearheaded by Callaway with its Triple Track designs and TaylorMade soon following suit with its Tour Response Stripe. While Titleist has previously offered golfers the chance to have extra alignment aids on Pro V1 balls through an online custom order process, those who play the AVX or Tour Soft balls will now have the chance to benefit from the brand's new AIM 360 alignment aid straight from the shelves.
Both golf balls offer a soft feel but drastically different ball flights. The AVX golf ball is designed for higher swing-speed players who want a lower flight and less spin, whereas the Tour Soft ball will provide much more spin and an easy launch from the tee.
In true Titleist fashion, this new alignment feature is about providing a performance benefit in the cleanest-looking way possible among some of the best Titleist golf balls on the market. The new AIM 360 technology (Alignment Integrated Marking) sees a series of three lines run around the circumference of the ball. The AVX ($50/£42 per dozen) has a green line through the middle of two black lines while the Tour Soft ($40/£34 per dozen) has a blue line, following each ball's retail packaging color scheme.
While some golfers will use the side stamp on golf balls as an alignment tool or even draw a line on using a permanent marker, AIM 360 boasts a much more prominent look and, of course, doesn’t wear off or smudge after a few shots. Golf is all about consistency, and these balls will give golfers a better chance at aiming correctly more often. Not only will this symmetrical alignment system benefit those who struggle to align their putter, but it can also be used as a guide when teeing balls up for either setting up square to the target or influencing the club path direction - in a way that is perfectly legal under the Rules of Golf.
“AVX and Tour Soft AIM 360 models are great additions to the lineup because they give more golfers the opportunity to play an advanced alignment design,” said Frederick Waddell, Titleist’s Director of Golf Ball Product Management. “It expands our AIM offerings to AVX and Tour Soft golfers, and the 360-degree marking on the golf ball gives players a very different look than Enhanced Alignment. It’s designed for players who prefer a larger alignment feature than our other golf balls with AIM Technology.”
Sometimes, less is more on the golf course, and even if you think these golf balls could become a little distracting when playing with a scorecard in your hand, just purchasing a sleeve and using them on the practice green as a training tool could give you adequate feedback on your putting stroke.
If the line wobbles as you strike your putt, you have some work to do, but if you see the lines roll smoothly, then you know your stroke is in a good place. A test was conducted within the Titleist R&D team and concluded that golfers using AIM 360 products saw an increase in alignment precision of up to 35 percent compared to the regular Pro V1 side stamp - not something to be sniffed at.
“The R&D test results were extremely validating in showing that these products offer a distinct performance advantage in precision alignment; they’re not just decorations,” Waddell added.
It remains to be seen whether Titleist will go on to offer this alignment feature throughout the Pro V1 franchise but if the AVX and Tour Soft with AIM 360 fly off of the shelves, golfers may not have to wait too long for the same technology to be offered in both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
