How To Choose The Best Golf Balls For Your Game

By Mick Euan Tait in Golf on June 5th, 2008

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by Mick Euan Tait

Make no mistake; playing golf with the wrong type of golf balls will negatively affect your game. You should play the best golf balls for your particular game otherwise you may be sacrificing accuracy and consistency for a few extra yards.

Is there a way to decide which is the best golf ball for your level of golf and your golf club swing speed? There is a way; you first need to comprehend the function of of each type of golf ball.

For the purpose of this article I will not get into details about the diameter of a golf ball, how much does a golf ball weigh, the number of dimples on a golf ball, or the specific materials that go into making a golf ball. Instead I will go over the important factors that will help you in choosing a golf ball that is right for you.

One Piece Golf Balls

One-piece balls have no separate core and covering -they are just made from one solid material. You will find these balls on some driving ranges and they can be used by the beginner who doesn’t want to loose expensive balls all the time. Although they don’t have much distance, they are hard-wearing and low-cost.

The Two Piece Golf Ball

Two-piece golf balls have just a solid core and a tough outer covering which makes them very resilient. They are very popular with the casual golfer because of their maximum distance. They get the distance from the fact that they are a firm feel ball with a low spin rate - this causes them to roll along the fairway when they land. The downside is their lack of control because of the firmness of the ball.

The Three Piece Golf Ball

Three-piece balls have a solid or sometimes liquid inner core followed by a secondary core and then covered by an outer cover. Skillful golfers generally use these balls as they can control the extra spin and soft feel of them around the green. They are controllable for teeing off and so more accurate and the spin rate and feel factor makes them a good ball for short irons and chipping.

The Four Piece Golf Ball

The latest advancement in golf ball technology is the 4-piece golf ball which is a good combination of a distance ball with spin and feel. These balls are more suited to the mid to low handicapper all the way to the professional golfer. They are designed for maximum distance of the tee, give you good spin off your mid-irons, and good control and feel around and on the greens; their biggest disadvantage being their high price.

Low Spin Balls

The low spin rated golf balls don’t carry as far of the tee but they will roll far after landing on the fairway. These balls are good for high handicap golfers that need to straighten out their golf shots; the low spin also applies to the side spin, so they are less liable to slice or hook.

Mid Spin Balls

The mid spin golf ball is the one suited for the majority of golfers. They offer a combination of distance and feel giving most golfers good distance and control. Sometimes the softness differs from brand to brand so you have to get used to the level of control.

High Spin Golf Balls

These golf balls create the most backspin which in turn maintains the ball in the air longer for a longer carry distance. They won’t roll far once on the fairway because of the backspin but they are great for control with the short irons and have good feel on the green.

Firm-Feel Golf Balls

Firm-feel balls will feel hard when you strike the ball with the club-face. The majority of distance golf balls are firm which is fine for distance but not good for feel around or on the greens. You will find that most high or mid handicap golfers will choose these balls because of the extra distance which they are willing to trade for the loss of control onto the green. Apart from the distance, these balls are the longest lasting and are difficult to scuff up or mark.

Mid Feel Golf Balls

The most popular golf ball for the mid handicapper is the mid feel golf ball, as they combine the ability to produce good distance and control.

Soft Feel Golf Balls

Soft feel balls are used most often by the pros and by more skillful players. These players appreciate the ability to control the spin onto the greens and the extra feel on the greens. They are obviously very well matched for use with your short irons when you need to control the spin. Less skillful golfers loose distance with these balls and will easily mark or scuff them.

Golf Ball Compression

The feel factor relates directly to the compression rate. Most golf balls are rated by the amount that they compress; a compression of 0 deforms by 0.2 inches or more and a compression of 200 does not compress at all. Soft feel balls are low compression golf balls that have a compression rating of around 50 to 70; whereas hard feel golf balls are high compression that are rated at around 100 or 110. Manufacturers can use different systems to rate their balls so they can differ from brand to brand.

As a general rule of thumb, if you have a fast swing speed you should use compression 110; golfers with an average swing speed should use compression 100, and a slow swing speed golfer a compression of 80.

Finally with regards to compression, did you know that the weather can play a part in choosing the compression of your golf balls? Low compression balls are best for colder weather because the ball doesn’t compress as much when it is cold; therefore high compression balls are better for hotter weather.

You should also take into account the condition of the golf course; with sun scorched, hard fairways, you will need a soft feel golf ball that spins more so that you can control it when it hits the fairway or green. If the course is sodden, you will need a golf ball that carries further and that has less spin so that you have more possibility of greater distance.

About the Author:

Find more info on choosing a golf ball to suit your game at the website of Mick Euan Tait where you will also find information on the best golf balls.