Are Titleist Pro V1 RCT balls worth the cost?

Titleist Pro V1 balls are one of the best golf balls available, but what about the Titleist Pro V1 RCT balls designed for indoor simulators? Do they truly make a difference for radar-based launch monitors? We tested them.

Pro V1 balls from Titleist are already regarded as one of the best golf balls on the market, and in 2021 the company released a new version called the RCT, which stands for Radar Capture Technology.

What is the Titleist Pro V1 RCT golf ball?

Titleist’s RCT ball is built slightly different to “optimize it for indoor spin capture.” The RCT ball eliminates the need for individual reflective stickers (which can affect accurate readings if the sticker is damaged or misplaced), instead using reflective strips in the outer shell of the ball to more accurately measure readings in indoor simulators.

Why use the Titleist RCT ball indoors?

The accuracy of spin numbers can affect other data that your launch monitor and/or golf simulator software puts out, so getting the most accurate spin numbers is important.

Titleist's website says the "following launch monitor devices have been validated with RCT in an indoor environment":

• TrackMan 4
• Garmin Approach R10

• Full Swing KIT
• FlightScope X3
• FlightScope Mevo+

We tested it on two of the radar-based launch monitors we have at Carl’s Place: the FlightScope Mevo+ and Garmin Approach R10.

But first, we cut open both a regular Pro V1 and the RCT version to check out the difference, which were just some reflective strips that were placed in the outer shell of the ball. Otherwise the core and the rest of the ball seemed to be the exact same. (We know a lot of you are cringing at the fact that we wasted two Pro V1 balls, but we had to see it for ourselves!)

Titleist RCT Golf Balls Review - A Carl’s Place Test

In our Pro V1 RCT review, we first, we set up our Mevo+ unit exactly how it is supposed to be set up per the owner’s manual and documented the data (carry distance and back spin) using a regular Pro V1 and an RCT ball. Meanwhile, we had a high-end overhead launch monitor, the Uneekor EYE XO, running as well so we could compare the data from the Mevo+ to the EYE XO on the same shots.

We then repeated the same test with the Garmin R10.

Quick sneak peek: the Pro V1 RCT balls on the Mevo+ were nearly 8% more accurate than a regular Pro V1 ball without metallic dot sticker, and about the same accuracy as a regular Pro V1 ball with the metallic dot stickers.

Mevo+: Data Comparison Using Pro V1 vs. RCT Balls

Using the normal Pro V1 ball with the metallic dot stickers that come with the unit, the Mevo+ was consistently showing carry distance at about 11 yards less than the EYE XO. The back spin numbers were within 250 revolutions per minute on average, with only a couple shots that were significantly different.

Here is the data we captured with the Mevo+ and regular Pro V1 ball and metallic dot stickers.

Accuracy Test of Mevo+ with Regular Pro V1 ball and Metallic Dot Stickers

Out of curiosity, we also did test the Mevo+ with a regular Pro V1 and no metallic sticker, and the back spin numbers definitely worsened (carry numbers were about the same).

Accuracy Test of Mevo+ with Regular Pro V1 ball without Metallic Dot Stickers

With the RCT ball, the Mevo+ was again reading less in carry distance, but the spin numbers ended up being much closer.

Accuracy Test of Mevo+ with Pro V1 RCT Ball

Based on our test, the regular Pro V1 with the metallic dot stickers proved to perform the best with the Pro V1 RCT ball not far behind. See the data below.

Summary Data of Pro V1 vs. RCT Balls Using Mevo+

Garmin R10: Data Comparison Using Pro V1 vs. RCT Balls

In our original test using RCT balls, the Garmin R10 struggled to even read the ball. We found out that it needed a firmware update, and Garmin recently provided that update, so we ran the test again.

Long story short, the RCT ball did prove to help the Garmin R10 provide more accurate numbers. 

Overall, in our first test with just the regular Pro V1, we had similar differences in numbers to the Mevo+. Here’s the data (from the first test):

Take 1: Pre-Firmware Update
Accuracy Test of Garmin R10 with Pro V1 RCT Balls

In a second test at a different time with updated firmware, we tested the Garmin R10 and RCT balls. Here were the results:

Take 2: with Up-To-Date Firmware
Accuracy Test of Garmin R10 with Pro V1 RCT Balls

As you can see, the averages with the RCT ball were much closer than the averages with the regular Pro V1. 

Our updated Garmin R10 test with RCT balls can be viewed as part of our Garmin R10 vs. SkyTrak video.

Are the Pro V1 RCT golf balls worth it?

Pro V1 RCT balls are one of the most expensive golf balls on the market - but for good reason.

As you can see, the RCT ball did prove to provide better data on both the Mevo+ and Garmin R10. Yes, they are pricey, but likely worth the investment. At least in a golf sim you won't have to worry about losing your top-of-the-line balls.

Want better data without the splurge? If you’re willing to tinker with the metallic dot stickers that come with the Mevo+, make sure they’re placed right and don’t fall off, the stickers seem to provide a similar experience as the reflective strip in the RCT ball does. If you don’t want to worry about the stickers falling off, then you’ll likely want to pay the extra money for RCT balls.

Just a reminder: everybody has a different golf simulator setup, and radar launch monitors might perform differently in different setups. This was our test, and someone else’s test might end with different results. If you have done a similar test with the Mevo+ or Garmin R10 (or other radar based launch monitors like the Trackman), feel free to let us know! We’re curious to see how yours turned out!

Below is our original test of the RCT golf ball with Mevo+ and Garmin R10 before Garmin released the firmware update.