{"id":1415,"date":"2016-03-18T18:07:51","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T18:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.golfballs.com\/?p=1415"},"modified":"2025-02-17T10:36:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T16:36:30","slug":"tips-for-choosing-the-right-golf-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/tips-for-choosing-the-right-golf-ball\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Choosing the Right Golf Ball"},"content":{"rendered":" Choosing the Right Golf Ball\n

There\u2019s nothing quite like the golf ball<\/a> in the sports world. Tennis players all use the same ball. Bowling balls differ enough so that some will employ two or maybe three to master changing lane conditions. But golf balls? There are dozens upon dozens for golfers to choose from, with new models arriving on the market each year. What\u2019s a golfer to do? Here are some tips for choosing the right golf ball<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Golfer, Know Thyself<\/h3>\n

Just because Bubba Watson<\/a> has a favorite golf ball doesn\u2019t mean its right for you. Do you need more distance with your shots, or are you directionally-challenged? Seniors<\/a> and women<\/a> often have slower swing speeds<\/a>, so sometimes a distance-enhancing ball may help. Speed and length not a problem? If you\u2019re interested in shooting low scores you know that most strokes are saved from 100 yards in, and you\u2019ll want a golf ball<\/a> that provides more control around the green. Once you decide where you fall on the spectrum between distance and control, you can proceed.<\/p>\n

A Word about Golf Ball Construction<\/h2>\n

At least players don\u2019t have to worry about the size of the golf ball anymore. Since the 1980s, the ball has been standardized at 1.68-inches in diameter; so-called \u201cBritish balls\u201d were slightly smaller up to that time. But everything else has gotten a whole bunch more complicated since golf balls were constructed with boiled goose feathers stuffed into leather pouches.<\/p>\n

For the better part of 100 years, golf balls were put together with a core, surrounded by a wrapping of rubber bands, and covered with a dry sap from a tropical sapodilla tree known as balata. The balls responded well off the clubface, but cut easily from misplayed iron shots and went out of round. Better players favored these balls for the extra spin and control they provided.<\/p>\n

These balls were joined on the market in the 1970s by \u201c2-piece balls\u201d that boasted a solid core and a hard plastic cover called Surlyn, manufactured by the DuPont company. These balls, Top-Flite being the most famous, were resistant to the abuse of the average weekend player. These balls flew further which every golfer loved, but did not have the feel of balata balls around the green.<\/p>\n

Many of today\u2019s golf balls are all about \u201chigh-energy\u201d core technology. Some manufacturers use up to five layers to construct their golf balls. Covers are blends of polymers to deliver gradations of feel. Golf ball construction<\/a> is how manufacturers differentiate themselves in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

Spin Rates and Distance<\/h2>\n

Balls that are designed to travel furthest have low spin rates. Some longer distance options also come with the added bonus of being straighter, since many of the dimple patterns used to create the low spin rates also make a poor shot less likely to bend left or right. What\u2019s not to love?<\/p>\n

Well, some players like to be able to \u201cwork\u201d the ball<\/a> around a golf course and low-spin balls are harder to control around the green. In those instances, a soft-covered ball adds more spin to shots, allowing for more precise landings and a little more \u201cstick.\u201d \u00a0But while we all \u201cooh\u201d and \u201cah\u201d when an approach shot sucks back on a green, most players need a little boost to even get close to the green. How often do you leave chip shots and putts short of the hole? If the answer is \u201ca whole heck of a lot,\u201d then a low spin ball is probably your best choice for the short game as well as the long game.<\/p>\n

Compression Rates and Feel<\/h2>\n

Golf ball compression<\/a> is what happens at impact when the club head meets the ball and \u201ccompresses\u201d it into launch. Until very recently, golf balls were sold as 100-compression, 90-compression and 80-compression – a narrow range that was all but meaningless in practice. The thinking is that a hard swinger will benefit from a \u201charder\u201d 100-compression ball, and smoother swings –such as those produced by seniors and women — will let more out of a \u201csofter\u201d 80-compression ball.<\/p>\n

These days, manufacturers are dialing the compression of some models down, way down. Like under 50. So much so that the numbers have been replaced by designations of \u201chigh compression\u201d and \u201clow compression<\/a>.\u201d The quest is for feel. To see if these balls perform for you, cast aside your driver and hit some with your irons to see if you can tell the difference. Take note of the ball flight and distance. If the results are as long as your usual ball – or perhaps even better – your swing may be tailored to low compression golf balls.<\/p>\n

Do Dimples Matter?<\/h2>\n

Back in the 1970s a company called Polara brought out a golf ball with rows of different dimples<\/a> that was supposed to banish banana balls and ugly duck hooks from the game forever. You\u2019ve probably never heard of Polara – because the ball worked and the USGA banned<\/a> it for play. So, yes, dimples matter. The dimples shouldn\u2019t be your first concern but there\u2019s a reason companies still fiddle with dimple design. If there\u2019s an iota of extra distance and control to be squeezed out of a golf ball from its dimples, it\u2019s worth a try.<\/p>\n

To learn more about what kind of golf ball is right for you, check out our golf ball buyer\u2019s guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing quite like the golf ball in the sports world. Tennis players all use the same ball. Bowling balls differ enough so that some will employ two or maybe three to master changing...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,16],"tags":[544,529,543,418,415,420,537,414,530,534,536,535,532,538,542,541,531,540,539,533],"class_list":["post-1415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-golf","category-golf-products","tag-choosing-right-golf-ball","tag-choosing-the-right-golf-ball","tag-golf-ball-buyers-guide","tag-golf-ball-compression","tag-golf-ball-construction","tag-golf-ball-dimples","tag-golf-ball-spin-rates","tag-golf-balls","tag-golf-balls-for-seniors","tag-golf-balls-for-slow-swings","tag-golf-balls-for-spin-rates","tag-golf-balls-for-swing-speeds","tag-golf-balls-for-women","tag-low-compression-golf-balls","tag-pga-golf-ball-regulations","tag-pga-golf-ball-rules","tag-seniors-golf-balls","tag-usga-golf-ball-regulations","tag-usga-golf-ball-rules","tag-womens-golf-balls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1415"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4477,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415\/revisions\/4477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}