After your golf clubs, the next most important item of golf equipment is the golf ball. Choosing a golf ball that works for you is no easy task if you don’t know what type of golf ball you need. Here is a summary of the types of golf ball and what each one is designed to do.
Distance Golf Balls
Distance balls are designed for increased distance and with more accuracy. Traditionally, distance balls are of a two piece construction, mid spin, and firm feel (or high compression like 100 or 110 compression.) The drawbacks to distance balls are that they will be harder to stop or spin on the green. Mid to high handicappers should favor a distance ball with a compression of 100 for average swing speeds or 110 for players with fast swing speeds.
Spin Golf Balls
Spin golf balls are designed for maximum spin rates and are generally of the three piece variety. These balls are easier to shape your shots with, like drawing or fading around obstacles and hazards. They produce more backspin when hit with short irons which gives you more spin around the greens. The increased backspin also affects the tee shots and long irons – keeping the ball airborne longer, but they don’t roll as much when they land on the fairway.
Control Golf Balls
Traditionally, control golf balls have a soft feel which is useful for the short game as you get good spin combined with feel, but they lacked distance. Nowadays, there are control balls that are also distance balls as they are designed to stop quickly on the green and they have increased accuracy. These balls are now made with four piece construction and designed to deliver maximum distance, accuracy, and with enough spin and feel to control the ball with your short game.
Golf Balls for Slow Swing Speeds
Sometimes these balls are known as senior or ladies golf balls. They increase driving distance for players that can’t generate much swing speed and therefore they would normally lack distance. Normally these balls are compression 80.
Golf Balls For Putting
Each golf ball will react differently on the green and will travel different distances when hit with the same force. Normally, the harder the ball, the further it will roll. This is why you should always putt with the same type of golf ball because you will learn to judge the speed that you need to hit the ball every time. No golf ball is flawlessly balanced so they won’t roll entirely true; that is why your golf balls for putting should be of the highest quality as they will roll more true than a cheap golf ball.
Summary
With this information, choosing a golf ball for your level of play should be clearer. If you are a mid to high handicapper you are better of with a two piece golf ball, mid spin, firm feel golf ball like the Nike Juice 312 – Golf Ball
which costs less than $20 the dozen. Another option is the Top-Flite D2
series of golf balls; you can get the D2’s in feel, distance, and accuracy versions and all cost around $15 the dozen.
For good mid priced golf balls, around $30 the dozen, the Titleist NXT Tour Golf Balls
or the Taylor Made TP Red
3 piece golf balls are a good bet for the mid handicapper. It offers the perfect combination of distance, accuracy, and soft feel.
Now, for those that can afford $45 the dozen golf balls, then go for the four piece golf balls. These golf balls are optimized for golfers with higher swing speeds and will reward them with longer, consistent distances of the tee. Softness and feel are not what these golf balls are about, but the latest versions of the Titleist 2009 Pro V1x Golf Balls
, Nike One Platinum
, and the Callaway Golf Tour ix Golf Balls
are getting better around the greens.
Finally, you should use the same golf balls for practice as you do when you play a casual round of golf or a competition. That is why choosing a golf ball that is not only right for your game, but that you can afford to replace when they become overused, is so important.
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