Titleist calling for feedback from the public with its new Experimental 'EXP-01' golf balls

On Tuesday, Titleist is releasing new EXP-01 golf balls as part of its new Titleist EXP Project, which will allow retail consumers to try an all-new golf ball and provide their feedback directly to the company as part of its R&D (Research and Development) process. A one-time limited run of EXP-01 golf balls will be available in retail shops for $39.99 per dozen in the United States and Canada on Oct. 1, and the golf balls will be sold on titleist.com “until supplies last,” according to the company.

During its extensive research and development process, Titleist’s R&D team -- comprised of more than 75 experts in various fields ranging from chemical engineers to aerodynamics physicists – develops different golf ball concepts in the hopes to improve golfers’ games in one way or the other. Some concepts get left on the cutting room floor, some make it to retail, and some prototypes make it out onto the PGA TOUR as Custom Performance Options.

This new EXP-01 golf ball from Titleist is still in the early stages of the R&D process, according to the company, but Titleist is making the golf ball available to the public for feedback.

“The EXP Project invites golfers into the early stages of our R&D process, and allows us to broadly test experimental materials, constructions and processes that could be integrated into any segment of our golf ball line,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President of Titleist Golf Ball Marketing, in a press release. “EXP-01 is truly an exploratory product and there’s no better way to evaluate our progress than getting it into the hands of dedicated golfers.”

As for the design itself, the multilayer EXP-01 golf balls, with 346 dimples, have prototype urethane covers that Titleist says enhances short game spin. They also have high-speed core constructions and a “specialized casing layer” that’s designed for low spin on long game shots in order to produce “great distance and tight dispersion.”

On the inside cover of the EXP-01 packaging, there’s a piece of paper that encourages consumers to provide feedback – both positive and negative -- on the new golf ball through an online survey.