Ball fitting is tricky. Mostly because a golf ball has to serve so many different purposes whether it being smashed by a driver, finessed with an iron or spun by a wedge. It’s why web-based and other ball-fitting endeavours – while absolutely better than no fitting at all – often fall a little short of the mark.

Titleist’s latest effort in this area seeks to rectify those shortcomings as much as possible. The TrackMan-compatible app combines individual golfer information with launch monitor data from 12 representative shots with a half-wedge, full-swing pitching wedge, 7-iron and driver with a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. The result of each shot is fed into a proprietary algorithm developed by data gathered from thousands of Titleist golf ball fittings – ranging from those of tour players and club professionals to dedicated amateurs – to deliver a Titleist golf ball recommendation.

“Our goal with the new fitting app is to make golf ball fitting more accessible and convenient,” said Jeremy Stone, senior vice-president of golf ball marketing and US sales for Titleist. “Every day, we see the benefits of golfers finding the right flight, spin and feel for their games, but we also know that selecting the correct model can be difficult without the necessary information or the right process. The Titleist Golf Ball Fitting App gives us the scale to meet more golfers on the fitting tee and provide them an accurate golf ball recommendation that is unique to them.”

Importantly, a fitting using the Titleist app can be done in as little as 15 minutes (we know as we went through it). The process begins by answering a series of questions regarding course conditions, playing style and golf ball preferences. The fitter conducting the session will ask the golfer about their current golf ball choice, handicap, typical green firmness, feel preference and preferred trajectory window among other questions.

After providing that information, golfers then hit three of each of the following shots: half-swing wedge, full-swing pitching wedge, 7-iron and driver. Shots that are not representative of the golfer’s typical playing style or usual mis-hits are discarded and re-hit. The process puts particular emphasis on the golfer’s scoring shots. The launch monitor data from the 12 shots is then combined with the information gathered at the beginning of the fitting and run through the app’s proprietary algorithm. The result is a personalised recommendation provided to the golfer between the following Titleist golf ball models: Pro V1, Pro V1x, Pro V1x Left Dash and AVX. It is important to note that price is not taken into consideration and only Titleist’s premium line of balls – which are designed to perform at a higher level than other Titleist balls – are recommended.

For more information along with other ball fitting options, go to titleist.com.au/fitting.