9 Best Golf Balls
best golf balls
Besides having a quality set of golf clubs and comfortable golf shoes, a good golf ball can make the difference between a great day on the course with a low score and a day full of bogeys and lost balls. Your best choice largely depends on what kind of player you are and your skill level.
For example, a novice golfer can use any golf ball because they’re still learning the ins and outs of the game. However, a more experienced golfer may want a ball with a soft feel that gives them superior control or a ball that gives them a higher spin for precision shots.
Other factors also affect a ball’s performance, such as its number of layers, its cover and the quality and arrangement of the dimples on the surface. We’ll delve into these factors later, but for reference, our top pick, the Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls, features a high-gradient core and a soft cast cover that work in tandem to provide consistent flight, high spin and increased stopping power.
Best golf balls
Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls
These golf balls are pricey, but they’re excellent for experienced golfers who want a high, consistent flight and more spin. Players with a low-spin profile can get more distance on their shots with these balls thanks to their spherically tiled 348-tetrahedral dimple design and high-gradient dual core. Also, the soft cast urethane cover works with the high-flex casing layer to generate more stopping power.
Callaway 2023 Supersoft Golf Balls
Callaway is a top golf brand, but you can snag these balls at a relatively low price, and golfers love them for their consistency. They’re a terrific bargain pick, and the super-soft feel makes them suitable for any player looking to increase distance and produce straighter shots with more spin.
The hyperelastic core helps players execute shots with greater speed, especially off the driver, and when using irons, the soft feel gives players more control and precision.
Vice Pro Soft Golf Balls
These golf balls are a bit pricey, making them more suitable for experienced players, but we love them for their durability and elite performance. They’re advanced-engineered as the world’s first matte-finished cast urethane balls and are guaranteed to give players an improved feel over the ball and increased control of backspin.
They have a durable 336-dimple design, and the high-energy speed core is excellent for players who want to generate more distance and speed off the tee.
Bridgestone 2023 e6 Golf Balls
Although Bridgestone isn’t as recognizable as Titleist or Callaway, many top pro golfers, including iconic players Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau, endorse it. Any player looking to get more distance behind their shots, whether off the tee or on the fairway, will love the soft feel of these golf balls, as they give players an improved feel for greater precision and control. They have a large core for faster compression and a soft cover for increased spin.
Titleist 2023 Pro V1 Golf Balls
These balls are among the most expensive, but they deliver elite performance and are a favorite among veteran golfers. They have a high-gradient core and a high-flex casing layer for lowering long-game spin, which helps generate greater distance on any shot.
The soft cast cover delivers superior greenside spin, and the spherically tiled 388-tetrahedral dimple design allows golfers to get a more consistent flight on their shots off the tee. Additionally, you’ll experience a soft touch for increased precision on your chips and putting.
Callaway Golf 2022 Chrome Soft Golf Balls
You don’t necessarily need to buy the current year’s golf balls to get a good batch of balls. These 2022 balls are an excellent pick for those who want balls that offer more forgiveness and increase the distance of any shot. They’re designed to give golfers improved flight, and New Precision technology helps deliver consistent ball speeds.
The hyperelastic core facilitates spin and gives players a better feel when hitting the ball. They’re available in white and yellow.
What to know before buying golf balls
Golf ball specifications
A golf ball must conform to specifications established by the sport’s two prominent governing organizations: the United States Golf Association and a group of companies known as the R&A. These rules have existed for decades, and every reputable golf ball manufacturer follows them precisely.
Occasionally, you may find a trick or novelty golf ball smaller than the allowed size. We recommend against using them regularly, as your golf game will not improve from using equipment that doesn’t conform to the regulations.
- Size: A golf ball must have a diameter of at least 1.68 inches.
- Weight: A golf ball must weigh 1.62 ounces or less.
- Shape: A golf ball must have a spherical shape.
- Dimples: A golf ball’s dimples must be symmetrically arranged.
- Color: There are no regulations about the color of a golf ball. Although most are white, some are yellow, green, orange and other colors.
Golf ball types
Nearly every golf ball looks the same on the outside, but significant differences may exist on the inside. The design of and materials in a ball’s interior play a considerable role in determining the flight characteristics.
Golf balls manufactured today consist of one to five layers of material.
One layer: This is a simple, cheap golf ball with a solid material mass. You’ll often see this type on a putt-putt course. They might also show up at a driving range. A one-layer golf ball doesn’t offer the distance or control of a multi-layer ball.
Two layers: A two-layer golf ball has a cover with a solid core of material inside. These balls can go reasonably far, but players may have more difficulty controlling the flight path.
Three layers: This type of golf ball consists of a rubber core, a thin layer of soft or liquid rubber, and a cover made of a soft, plastic-like material. Players can control the ball flight better with this type, but it doesn’t tend to travel quite as far as a two-layer ball.
Four layers: This golf ball has a rubber core, two soft middle layers, and a thinner outer layer than a three-layer ball. The two middle layers contribute to the ball’s effective spin. Advanced players like the mix of distance and control they get with a four-layer ball.
Five layers: This type of golf ball is the newest on the market and is optimized for distance and spin. However, some golfers do not feel there is much difference between these and their four-layer counterparts.
Golf ball cost
Plan to pay $1 to $5 per ball. You can actually buy used golf balls, and you can also buy X-Out golf balls that are flawed in some way and therefore sold at a lower price. The most expensive balls are four- and five-layer options.
New balls are often sold by the dozen. You may be able to buy a sleeve of three if you want to try a particular brand or model without buying too many. You’ll pay more per ball when buying a sleeve than if you were to purchase a dozen.
X-out golf balls
These are balls that a manufacturer has chosen not to sell under its brand name, literally printing an X across the brand name on the ball. X-out balls have an imperfection resulting from the manufacturing process. It could be as simple as a misprint of the brand name or a malformed dimple.
New X-out balls are cheap, usually about 40 cents to $1 per ball. They sometimes come in a large bag and are suitable for beginners and casual play.
Value-level golf balls
Occasional and beginning players will be fine with value-level balls. These don’t give you much feel when making shots, but most beginners don’t have that type of skill, anyway. These golf balls cost between $10 and $25 per dozen.
Premium-level golf balls
Players who are just beginning to learn how to spin the ball and are seeking more shot
control will want to try premium golf balls. Some of these balls have specific strengths, like tour-level balls. Others are good all-around golf balls. You’ll spend $20 to $40 per dozen for premium-level balls.
Tour-level golf balls
Tour-level balls are designed for advanced players and provide the highest level of spin and shot control. Some are designed specifically for distance. Others are designed for feel. Inexperienced players don’t have the skills to take advantage of tour-level balls. Expect to pay $35 to $60 per dozen for these.
FAQ
Q. What do golfers mean when they refer to the “feel” of a golf ball?
A. Advanced golfers prefer to feel like they can control the ball flight off the clubface and tend to look for golf balls with that quality. It usually involves being able to spin the ball for approach shots properly.
Q. What does compression mean?
A. It refers to the amount of compression the ball has when hit off the clubface. A ball that compresses more easily offers a better feel than a stiff ball that doesn’t feel like it compresses. Most advanced golfers feel they have better control over the flight of a ball if it compresses more. Manufacturers give golf balls a compression rating from less than 65 to over 100.
Q. Why do golf balls have dimples?
A. The small indentations, or dimples, on the surface of the golf ball play a significant role in its performance. The dimples cause turbulence in the air around the ball, creating lift and reducing drag. Thus, a dimpled golf ball travels farther and straighter than a golf ball with a smooth surface would. The dimples give the golfer more control over the flight of the ball. Dimples first appeared on golf balls in the early 1900s.
Q. Should I be concerned about playing with a nicked or scuffed golf ball?
A. A nicked ball won’t fly as far, and a nick could cause the golf ball to veer offline during a putt on the green. With a scuffed ball, a more skilled golfer may notice a decreased ability to control it precisely, but it probably wouldn’t affect a recreational golfer’s game much. However, rather than discarding nicked or scuffed balls, consider using them on holes with water hazards.