Golf Balls

How to Choose the Best Golf Balls For Your Game
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 balls for your particular game otherwise you may be sacrificing accuracy and consistency for a few extra yards.

How do you know which are the best balls for your ability and your strength? To make an informed decision, you need to understand what the different characteristics of the ball means.

In this article I will not bore you with technical details about the number of dimples on a golf ball, the materials that make up each layer of the ball, the diameter of a ball, or the weight. These details won't make any difference to you choosing the right golf ball, so I will stick to the most important specifications.

One-Piece 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.

2-Piece Golf Balls

Two-piece 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.

3-Piece Golf Balls

Consisting of a solid or liquid core surrounded by an outer core and enclosed in an outer cover, the three piece ball is preferred by more skillful golfers. Good players get the most out of these balls as they have more spin and a softer feel than the two piece balls. These characteristics make for a more controllable flight with more spin and control around the greens.

4-Piece Golf Balls

With golf ball technology advancing at a rapid rate, the latest improvement is the four-piece ball. They combine the characteristics of good distance, spin, and feel; they are generally marketed towards the more skilled golfer up to the PGA pro golfers. Each of the four layers helps the ball to perform to the maximum for distance, spin, and feel. You get great distance with the driver, plenty of spin with your middle irons, and enough control with your wedges and feel with your putter.

Low Spin Rated Golf Balls

The low spin rated 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 Rated Golf Balls

Most golfers are quite happy with the mid spin rated balls. They give you a good blend of distance and feel resulting in more consistency and a decent length off the tee. The softness factor can differ a lot from brand to brand so you have to try different ones to get the ball that feels comfortable for you.

High Spin Golf Balls

As these balls spin the most they create more backspin which keeps the ball in the air the longest and so has the biggest carry. Although they won't run far on the fairway, you get the benefit of great control around and on the greens as they have more feel.

Firm Feel Golf Balls

When you hit a firm-feel ball you will notice that they feel hard against the club face. Distance golf balls are generally firm feel; they give you the distance but lack the feel around the green. Mid to high handicappers normally go for these balls as they want more distance and are not worried to much by the lack of spin for their approach shots. They are also very hard-wearing and don't scratch or mark easily.

Mid Feel Balls

The mid feel ball are the preferred choice of the mid to low handicapper, as they combine the qualities of good distance, control, and feel.

Soft Feel Golf Balls

Professional golfers and low handicappers normally go for soft feel balls. These golfers have the ability to make these balls do what they like with them. They are particularly suited to the short-game where great feel and spin come into play. High handicappers normally stay away from soft feel balls as they will loose some distance and they also mark easily.

The Compression Of A Ball

A balls compression is related to the feel factor. Golf balls are rated by how much they compress, with Compression 0 deforming at 0.2 inches or above and compression 200 not deforming at all. Low compression golf balls are soft feel golf balls that are around compression 50 to 70; medium compression are 80 to 90; and high compression golf balls are hard feel golf balls that are around 100 and above. These rates are not that exact as different manufacturers use different rates.

To take advantage of the right compression for your golf swing to attain maximum distance a golfer with a slow swing speed should use compression 80; a golfer with a medium swing speed should use compression 100; and a golfer with a fast swing speed should use compression 110.

Finally with regards to compression, did you know that the weather can play a part in choosing the compression of your 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.

When the golf course is very wet you will need to choose a ball that has more carry and less spin to achieve maximum distance. On the other hand, when the course is baked hard by a prolonged dry spell, choose a ball that has a soft feel and higher spin rate for more control.

There is more on how to Choose the Right Golf Ball to suit your game at Mick Euan Tait's website where you will also find a Golf Ball Comparison Chart to help you.

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