Ball Lab: VICE Pro Zero Golf Ball Review

MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the Vice Pro Zero. To learn more about our test process, click here.

About the VICE Pro Zero

The Vice Pro Zero is an anomaly in VICE’s urethane lineup. Unlike the Foremost-made Pro, Pro Plus, and Pro Soft, the Pro Zero is made in Vietnam by Feng Tay.

With that, it’s reasonable to expect a dip in quality from VICE’s other offerings and, quite frankly, the Pro Zero caught our attention because of apparent similarities to the less-than-stellar Spalding SD Tour (also produced by Feng Tay).

While we can’t be certain, it’s likely the Pro Zero was created to serve as a value-priced alternative (and COVID supply chain workaround) to what I suppose we should describe as VICE’s premium offerings.

VICE Pro Zero Construction

The VICE Pro Zero is a three-piece ball with a 344-dimple cover. It’s the same pattern used on the Spalding SD Tour though it’s perhaps notable that VICE describes the Pro Zero as having a “fused urethane” cover.

Everything we’ve tracked down suggests that’s little more than VICE-speak that attempts to make injection-molded TPU sound a bit more interesting. Notably, VICE’s Foremost-made balls all feature cast-urethane covers.

Compression

On our gauge, the VICE Pro Zero has an average compression of 95. That’s the same as the prior-generation Srixon Z-Star XV and the current Mizuno RB Tour X.

It’s also 14 points firmer than the Spalding SD Tour so while there are similarities in construction and core pigmentation, we can comfortably say they are not the same ball.

Not only does the VICE Pro Zero fall solidly in the firm range but it’s also the firmest VICE ball we’ve measured to date.

Compression Comparison Chart

We’ve had requests for a standalone compression comparison tool. As it turns out, that tool exists. We created it as part of our Golf Ball Compression FAQ page. At some point, we may merge the two charts but, for now, the plan is to include this chart in future Ball Labs.

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Diameter and Weight

All of the balls in our VICE Pro Zero conformed to the USGA rule governing weight.

Twenty-five percent of the balls in our VICE Pro Zero sample failed to meet our standard of roundness. That’s a disturbing result. It’s reason enough to put the Pro Zero on your list of balls to avoid.

Vice Pro Zero – Inspection

Centeredness and Concentricity

While we observed slight concentricity defects in several balls, only one was severe enough to warrant being flagged as bad.

While we most commonly find concentricity issues in the mantle later, with the Pro Zero, it was uneven cover thickness at fault.

Core Consistency

We found no notable color inconsistencies in the VICE Pro Zero cores.

Cover

No cover defects were identified.

VICE Pro Zero – Consistency

In this section, we detail the consistency of the VICE Pro Zero. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.

Weight Consistency

Weight consistency for the VICE Pro Zero fell within the average range. While by no means a flat line, weight distribution was similar across all three boxes tested.

Diameter Consistency

Despite a significant number of “not round” balls, diameter consistency was in the average range. As the chart above suggests, the VICE Pro Zero is a large golf ball. That’s unusual for urethane balls with Tour-level compression.

Compression Consistency

Compression consistency for the VICE Pro Zero was below average. Compression was similarly inconsistent across the three boxes tested.

Vice Pro Zero Golf Ball Quality Summary

To learn more about our test process, how we define “Bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.

The results of our Ball Lab quality check strongly suggest that the VICE Pro Zero is a golf ball to be avoided. Even at $32.99 (non-bulk pricing), there’s no real value given the inconsistency of the ball.

If you’re a fan of the VICE brand, we strongly recommend choosing one of the higher-quality, Foremost-made alternatives.

The Good

Average for diameter and weight consistency

The Bad

25% of the sample wasn’t round Below-average compression consistency

The Score

The True Price for the VICE Pro Zero is $45.68. That’s a 38-percent increase over the retail price of $32.99

At the time of testing, the Vice Pro Zero receives a Ball Lab score of 58. That’s 15 points below the current database average of 73.

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