The usual way is to buy a sleeve and compare. Titleist reaches out to enthusiasts in the off year cycle to try a ball marked prototype, compare it to your primary ball, and respond with your observations. Other than the Pro-Vs are on the opposite year of the Surlyn balls, we don't know for sure if we're testing the next version of our ball or a different one. Every Titleist ball is now softer feel than the previous generation. They won't replace a Pro-v's performance, but will suit someone's game.