The new kid on the Titleist 2016 golf ball block is the DT TruSoft, which replaces the popular DT SoLo.
The SoLo was loved by many, so the same colour scheme is retained for the box, but the name has been changed to emphasise the soft nature of the ball given the penchant for the word 'soft' in the market today.
However it is more than just a name change as Titleist say the compression of the TruSoft is lower than the SoLo thanks to a new core and cover formulation.
The aim of this is to reduce spin on longer shots and create more spin on the shorter shots. Compared to the Titleist Velocity, their other ball in this price category, you can see from my stats on SkyTrak that this was the case.
The driver performance, admittedly from a slightly slower average swing speed, saw a 100rpm decline in ball spin.
At around 4 yards per mph, then adding the 3mph difference in club speed would almost equalise the distance so the overall performance will be about the same.
With the wedge there was more of a contrast as the softer TruSoft spun much more thanks to that softer cover. The Velocity is firmer and more of a distance ball so it will spin less and fly higher in order to land steeper so that it stops.
To be fair my swing speed with a driver is probably too high for either of these balls as there was big performance differences compared to a Titleist Pro V1.
However, if you are in the sub-90mph driver swing speed category then this is when these balls become an option. Soft golf balls as a category are almost the buzz word at the moment and, as I found out when I met Matt Hogge of Titleist, there are many reasons why.
First of all, softness is not about spin or distance, but about feel and the TruSoft will give you lots of that. It is probably the softest feeling Titleist ball around the green and similar to the more expensive NXT Tour S. For some it may not give enough sound feedback when putting and that may depend on the type of putter you are using.
As always, the best thing to do is take a few out on the chipping and putting green and see if the feel works for you. Then take them out on the course and see if the distance is acceptable and that is your best way of deciding. If it feels too soft then the Velocity would probably be the ball to consider.
Like the NXT Tour S it comes in white and yellow so for some that will be another key selling point. Aside from that, the other main reason for choosing the DT TruSoft is the price. The two piece design helps this and the very good durability of the 376 dimple ionomer cover offers a ball that is good value as well as a good all round performer.