There are news reports that the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball is on the verge of being banned.

But if you are one of the many who hold the Titleist Pro V1’s dear, don’t panic. Reports of their demise appear premature.

It all revolves around a long running dispute with Callaway over alleged infringement of technology patents.

A report published on the Sydney Morning Herald website today (and similar in The Age) states:

“THE golf ball used by many of the world’s best professional players and millions of amateurs is on the verge of being banned.

The Titleist Pro V1 ball, used by the likes of Australians Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, will disappear in its current form from next year after Callaway, a fierce rival of Titleist in the top-end golf market, won a lawsuit in the United States.

 The original case went Callaway’s way in December 2007; yesterday, the District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, rejected an appeal by Acushnet, manufacturer of Titleist products, and granted a “permanent injunction” stopping the manufacture of the balls.

Callaway claimed that Titleist infringed its patent on the technology used in production of its HX brand balls when it began making Pro V1.”

However Titleist, in the form of the parent organisation the Acushnet Company, has released the following public statement, which in part says the court “ruling will not have any impact on our ability to supply our customers with Pro V1 golf balls.”

Fairhaven, MA. — Acushnet Company, the golf business of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), announced that it will file an appeal of today’s ruling in a U.S. District Court in Delaware granting Callaway Golf’s request for an injunction in the long-running dispute with respect to four Callaway patents and Acushnet’s Titleist Pro V1 golf balls.  The company also announced that it does not expect the ruling to have a material adverse impact on its results.
 
“We strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling and will file an appeal and seek relief from the injunction,” said Joe Nauman, executive vice president, corporate and legal of Acushnet.  “However, it’s important to recognize that this ruling will not have any impact on our ability to supply our customers with Pro V1 golf balls because of the following actions which we have undertaken.  In September 2008, we converted production of the existing Pro V1 models so that they are outside of the patents in question; and we have also developed and will be introducing new and improved Titleist Pro V1 products in the first quarter of 2009 that are also outside the scope of the patents in question.    
 
“Our Pro V1 golf balls are the product of technology developed and accumulated by the Acushnet Company over the past 20 years,” Nauman continued.  “Acushnet is the industry leader in developing golf ball technology and has over 650 active golf ball patents – more than any other manufacturer.  Over 65 of these patents are related to the Pro V1 family.
 
“We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously and we fully expect to prevail in having all claims of all four patents at issue determined to be invalid in the appeal process,” Nauman added.  “Our confidence is underpinned by the fact that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued final office actions which have determined these patents to be invalid.”

UPDATE 19/11/2008

With concerns about the fate of Titleist Pro V1 balls still circulating, Titleist has posted the following FAQ list. They would seem to confirm that whatever the outcome of any court decisions,  Titleist Pro Vi balls will still be available on the shelves (and certianly for play in Australia). Titleist says it is always making modifications to the balls and has already done so in this case.

TITLEIST PRO V1 LITIGATION FACT SHEET

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Titleist says it went to lots of trouble to test its new DT Carry and DT Roll golf balls with “average golfers”.

The company claims the new balls are the most targeted and “average player validated” Titleist DT products in the microbrand’s 30 plus year history. 

It must have been an exhaustive search by Titleist just to find enough “average players” to test the balls on. Where I play regularly nearly everyone is a champion (apart from a couple of hackers nobody likes to mention). In a recent media release the company unfortunately didn’t supply any photos of the “average players” so we could determine how right they got it. I know exactly what “average players” look like.

Nevertheless, Titleist says the new range enhances the performance for DT loyalists, average and recreational golfers, as well as competitive golf ball users, by providing two distinct approaches to distance - longer distance through greater carry and longer distance through greater roll - based on the average golfer’s varied and diverse launch characteristics.

“The positioning of the New DT Carry and DT Roll was derived from some of our most extensive product validation, target golfer feedback and consumer insights to date,” said George Sine, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing and Strategic Planning.  “A common thread throughout the research was that average and recreational golfers wanted the products to speak to their needs, with distance optimisation serving as the most apparent, while still providing exceptional feel for greenside control and accuracy.”

Wow to that.

ASG likes the existing Titleist So Lo balls, and even more the much more expensive Titleist Pro VI balls when we happen to find a good one and we live in hope that one day a nice company like Titleist will give us some. We’d be sure to mention it.

We’re so fond of Titleist golf balls we’ll publish most of the details of their recent press release below. This is one more decision for “average golfers” to make: more roll or more carry?

DT Carry:  Longer Distance Through Greater Carry
The New DT Carry golf ball combines new, large and soft core technology with a new, high lift 252 dimple design, delivering greater carry distance through a higher ball flight for golfers with low launch.
- Large 1.595″ low density, soft polybutadiene core for longer distance.
- Large dimple, 252 icosahedron design aerodynamics in four different sizes for higher ball flight and greater carry.
- Soft, Surlyn cover for increased spin and greenside control.
- New, staggered wave parting line.
- New, A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp.

 - Cut-proof guarantee.

DT Roll:  Longer Distance Through Greater Roll
The New DT Roll golf ball combines new, soft and resilient core technology with a lower trajectory 392 dimple design, delivering longer distance via penetrating ball flight and greater roll.
- High velocity, 1.565″ polybutadiene core for longer distance.
- Low trajectory, 392 icosahedron dimple design aerodynamics in five different sizes for lower ball flight and increased roll.
- New, staggered wave parting line.
- New, A.I.M. sidestamp.
- Soft, Surlyn cover with cut-proof guarantee.

“History of the DT Golf Ball:  The equity of and established loyalty to the Titleist DT microbrand is unprecedented in the golf ball category and is rivalled only by its flagship Pro V1 and aspirational NXT microbrands. 

Since its inception in 1974 as the longest wound Surlyn golf ball which was supported by “just like the Pro’s favourite ball only tougher” positioning, the Titleist DT has stood for quality and consistency for over 30 years.  Throughout its existence, the DT acronym has evolved from the Durable Titleist to the Distance Titleist, all the while remaining constant in delivering long distance, optimum performance and cut-proof durability for its designated target audience.  More than three decades later and with over 1 billion DT golf balls sold worldwide, Titleist launches the next generation of the “red box” legacy in the tandem form of New DT Carry and New DT Roll.

“Respecting the needs and opportunities for average golfers, we involved the target audience throughout the New DT Carry and DT Roll development process from the initial concept stage through the product validation stage,” added Sine.  “Presently, no golf ball brand has afforded attention to - nor committed the necessary research and consumer input - to determine what is best for the games of the moderate to slow swing speed golfer.”

Titleist consulted over 3,000 Titleist DT loyalists and/or average and recreational golfers before finalising what ultimately became DT Carry and DT Roll golf balls.   

“The New DT Carry and DT Roll are golf balls created by the average for the average golfer,” said Sine.  “From product to naming and packaging to advertising, the average golfer will relate to and appreciate the New DT Carry and DT Roll products as they reflect their input, recommendations and cited requirements as to how we could add more distance and performance to their games.”
 
Research and Concept Validation:  Three major player tests were conducted toward determining the direction for the next generation DT golf ball models.  An overwhelming majority of these golfers, those who typically hit their drives in the 200-yard range, said they could, in fact, discern a distinct difference between the two options.  However, there was a clear split as to the best way they could achieve the distance and performance utopia they were seeking, with half citing a preference for the higher ball flight of the DT Carry and half for the lower ball flight of the DT Roll.

“The DT Carry and DT Roll two-model strategy addresses a sizeable opportunity for average golfers to optimise their distance and playability,” added Sine.  “Most importantly and impressively, consumers embraced the benefits and value of having two distinct product options available.  The ultimate credibility of our strategy was realised when several consumers cited that they genuinely felt that Titleist was the first brand to make such a dedicated effort on their behalf.”

Features and Benefits:  Many golfers within the moderate to lower swing speed segment desire and require a shot shape, trajectory or visible point of difference toward achieving maximum distance.  The objective for the Titleist DT Carry is to provide a higher flying DT product option suited for those that prefer or require more carry to achieve more distance.  The objective for DT Roll is to provide a DT product option with a lower trajectory and more piercing ball flight suited for moderate to lower swing speed golfers that prefer or require more roll to achieve added distance.  An additional benefit of the distinct performance attributes of the carry biased or roll biased offerings is the flexibility for golfers who encounter different course conditions during their travels to various golf courses.

Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President, Golf Ball Research and Development, Acushnet Company, explained the technology behind the new products: “The cores of the DT Carry and DT Roll are vastly different and contribute to the distinctly different flight characteristics of each.  The low density core of the DT Carry lowers the effect of gravity, and in combination with a softer Surlyn cover, contributes to the increased lift.  Conversely, the high velocity core of the DT Roll lowers the launch and contributes to its penetrating ball flight and increased roll.”