Titleist Introduces New NXT Tour and NXT Extreme Golf Balls

Titleist, the king of all ball manufacturers, yesterday updated its NXT line of golf balls. While the Pro V1 and Pro V1x line may be the preferred ball among low-handicap golfers, the NXT line is the ball for the masses.

Previously, the NXT line featured two balls: the NXT and the NXT Tour. With the 2007 revisions, the NXT Tour has been updated and the plain-old NXT has been updated and re-christened the NXT Extreme.

The NXTs occupy the mid-range of golf balls at Titleist: the Pro V1 is a softer, higher-spinning, and more expensive line. The DT So/Lo is for slower swing speeds. The NXTs lean towards offering distance, with a firmer core than the DT and a harder cover than the Pro V1.

Let’s take a look at the changes made to each of the balls.

NXT Extreme

The new NXT Extreme is designed for golfers of all levels seeking “Extreme” distance. Titleist says the ball maintains some soft feel and greenside playability. With a soft compression rating, a high-CoR core, and a new higher-coverage dimple pattern with the Staggered Wave Parting Line featured earlier this year on the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x, the new NXT Extreme should deliver longer, more consistent distance with good feel for all types of shots.

The new NXT Extreme has:

• Improved higher coverage 392 icosahedral multi-dimple design and New Staggered Wave parting line for enhanced aerodynamics.
• Soft compression and high Coefficient of Restitution (COR) 1.550″ solid core provides high velocity for extreme distance and soft feel.
• Low spin, Surlyn cover contributes to low spin on all shots for long, straight distance.
• New A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marketing) sidestamp for better putting accuracy.
• New Extreme White cover color.

NXT Tour

The NXT Tour is designed for slightly better players looking for a good combination of feel and distance. The NXT Tour, unlike the NXT Extreme, is comprised of three layers. Many of the other changes carry over: a tweaked dimple pattern with the Staggered Wave Parting Line, the A.I.M. technology, etc.:

• New higher coverage, Tour-proven 392 dimple design and new Staggered Wave parting line for enhanced aerodynamics and longer distance.
• Advanced, 1.580″ core multi-layer construction contributes to superior distance and soft feel on all shots.
• Soft and thin Fusablend cover provides soft feel and exceptional control into and around the green.
• New, Tour-validated A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp for better putting accuracy.
• New Pro White cover color.

Specifications

Specification               NXT Extreme          NXT Tour
-------------               -----------          --------
Inner Core Material         Polybutadiene        Polybutadiene
Inner Core Type             Solid                Solid
Outer Core Material         ---                  Polybutadiene
Core Diameter               1.550"               1.580"
Cover Material              Surlyn               Fusablend
Cover Thickness             0.065"               0.058"
Dimple Shape                Spherical            Spherical
Dimple Pattern              Icosahedral          Icosahedral
Parting Line                Staggered Wave       Staggered Wave
Dimple Count                392                  392
Dimple Varieties            5                    5

Availability, Pricing, and Advertising

Titleist has set an MSRP of $40, though the street price for the new NXTs is around $25.99 for the NXT Extreme and $29.99 for the NXT Tour. The balls are available as of yesterday, July 23. Titleist is continuing to promote the new NXTs with actor John Cleese portraying Ian MacCallister and has launched a new website to promote the balls.