Our guide to the best balls for high handicappers covers a wide range of options whether distance, accuracy, feel or price are the main requirements
Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers
The general assumption is that high handicappers don’t swing it as fast or hit it as far as lower handicappers. Often that is true, but we will all have played with high handicappers who hit it miles, with their power perhaps betrayed by wayward hitting or poorer greenside skills.
This makes coming up with a list of the best golf balls for higher handicappers a slightly trickier task than it perhaps appears at first glance. It means, for example, that any such list can’t consist exclusively of balls primarily designed to go further.
But for many high handicappers, that is, indeed, one of the most pressing requirements, so our list does feature a number of the best golf balls for distance, along with others offering greater playability closer to the greens.
There are also balls on the market that seek to neutralise the damaging effects of sidespin to a degree by spinning less. The slice is the most common high handicapper’s affliction, so anything that might stop the ball heading quite so far right would be great for many.
It could see them in play a little more often and slightly further up the hole too, as slice spin is the avowed enemy of distance!
Inconsistency is another hallmark of many higher handicappers’ games. That brings us to our final, and perhaps most important, consideration for many. Price!
If you’re still losing a lot of balls, you’ll be wanting to keep the cost down, much though you may hanker after the best premium golf balls.
For this reason, our guide to the best golf balls for high handicappers features models that reside some distance from the very pinnacle of the golf ball price spectrum.
Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers
Titleist TruFeel golf ball
+ The least expensive option from golf’s premier ball brand
+ Performs particularly well on full iron shots
– Not the spiniest ball around the greens
The latest TruFeel incarnation promises improved driver distance compared to its predecessor.
Titleist has achieved this by reformulating the core to include more of the speed-generating materials within. As a result, driver ball speeds are up, while also keeping spin low to maximise distance.
The cover’s aerodynamic properties have also been improved to further assist with long-game distance. Beginners eager to play golf’s premier ball brand now have an improved Titleist all-rounder at their disposal at an affordable price.
Available in white, optic yellow and matte red.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $22.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £22.99
Callaway 2021 ERC Soft Triple Track golf ball
+ The longest soft-feeling golf ball in Callaway’s current range
+ More efficient energy transfer promotes added ball speed and wedge spin
– Alignment markings won’t suit those who prefer a less fussy look
The latest version of Callaway’s ERC Soft is packed with new technology and features designed to make it Callaway’s longest soft-feeling ball.
Its multi-material construction creates a more efficient energy transfer between layers for extra ball speed as well as more wedge spin around the green. The High Speed Mantle layer then works with both core and cover to further enhance both.
It shares the same hybrid cover featuring a Paraloid Impact Modifier as Callaway’s Supersoft model.
The distinctive Triple Track red and blue markings remain as a proven alignment aid, especially for those also armed with one of Odyssey’s Triple Track putters.
Available in white or yellow.
Bridgestone e12 Contact golf ball
+ New Contact dimples allow more contact at impact for better energy transfer
+ Slightly lower spin than previous e12 models helps reduce sidespin
– It’s all about straightness so won’t be as workable as some balls
For 2021, Bridgestone has replaced its e12 Soft and e12 Speed balls with one new model – the Bridgestone e12 Contact.
The key to performance is a new and distinctive Contact Force dimple, which features a visible raised area in the centre.
This raised area allows for 38% more contact between clubface and ball at impact than traditional dimples, improving core activation for more efficient energy transfer.
The end result is improved ball speed, distance and accuracy with every club, plus a little more grip and spin around the green thanks to the increased levels of contact.
Available in white, matte green, matte red, and matte yellow.
Titleist Velocity golf ball
+ The cover on the latest Velocity model promises improved feel
+ There are colour options to suit all tastes
– A little more expensive than many distance golf balls
The latest Titleist Velocity model features a larger, higher-speed LSX core. This boosts ball speed on all full shots while keeping spin down for optimum distance.
The new cover has been designed to ensure that nothing is sacrificed on the distance front, while introducing a greater element of feel for improved greenside playability.
The aerodynamics of the Velocity’s dimple design promote a high-flying iron trajectory for greater stopping power.
Available in white or matte pink, green and orange.
US Buy Now at World Wide Golf Shops for $27.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £25.99
TaylorMade Soft Response golf ball
+ A very good performer in the wind
+ Shallower U-shaped dimples decrease drag and increase lift for longer carries
– Not quite as much spin control as the sister Tour Response model
The Soft Response, along with the Tour Response model, is one of two TaylorMade balls sitting beneath the premium TP5 product.
Soft Response is significantly less expensive than Tour Response – it is included in our best value golf balls guide – and has been designed with moderate swing speeds in mind. It offers all-round performance with a softer feel, courtesy of a soft but durable ionomer cover.
The ball’s Extended Flight Dimple pattern encourages decreased drag and increased lift to keep the ball up in the air longer at lower spin rates.
TaylorMade Soft Response Ball Review
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $24.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £22.99
Srixon AD333 golf ball
+ One of the best low to mid-price balls for many years now
+ The low-spin core makes it particularly effective in the wind
– Not the softest-feeling cover, especially off the putter face
Srixon’s AD333 was first launched in 2003 and is now into its ninth generation. It has long been a great option for those who want as much all-round performance as a lower budget allows.
Given how long it has been around, it is unquestionably one of the best Srixon golf balls and the new generation continues that.
A new FastLayer Core maximises speed and keeps spin low by being softer in the centre and then progressively firmer towards its edges.
Closer to the green, Srixon’s Spin Skin technology and Slide Ring Material (SeRM) increase friction at impact to maximise short-game spin. Available in white and optic yellow.
With the combination of performance and value, we also think the AD333 is one of the best golf balls for beginners too.
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £19.99
Honma A1 golf ball
+ A very attractively priced option from a premium golf brand
+ The A1’s super-soft core is designed to reduce sidespin and therefore slice spin
– The ball may feel a little too soft off the clubface for some
Japanese brand, Honma, sits at the super-premium end of the club market. But its new A1 provides an excellent low-cost ball option for high handicappers.
The ball has been designed to reduce sidespin to potentially neutralise the severity of slices a little. It achieves this via a super-soft core that is lighter and around 20% softer than in Honma’s D1 ball.
Available in white, yellow or orange plus a multicolour pack option including pink.
Volvik Vivid golf ball
+ Promotes a high-launch, low-spin driver flight which will help many high handicappers
+ Some may find that the vibrant colour options enhance visibility
– The matte finish may not be to all tastes
The Volvik Vivid promises more distance off the tee at low to mid swing speeds. Its Nano Bi high-energy, resilient core generates a low-spin, high-launch combo.
Volvik says that the glare-resistant matte finish can minimise distractions and therefore improve concentration.
Choosing wisely from the vivid colour options could help you follow the ball better through the air and lead to fewer lost balls.
US Buy Now at World Wide Golf Shops for $32.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £24.99
Mizuno RB 566 golf ball
+ Extra hang time helps keep the ball airborne for longer
+ RB566 is particularly effective at mid to low swing speeds in warm conditions
– The highly durable cover is not one of the very softest
The large, high-energy core, unique 566-dimple cover and soft-compression design hold the keys to the Mizuno RB 566’s excellent distance credentials and prolonged ball flight.
The core generates a straighter, more stable ball flight. The 566 micro-dimple design then delays the rate of the ball’s descent to help you eke out more yards
Available in white, yellow or orange.
US Buy Now at World Wide Golf Shops for $21.99
UK Buy Now at Amazon for £19.99
Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers From 2020
Callaway ERC Soft Triple Track golf ball
+ The Triple Track Technology markings really help with alignment
+ Offers Callaway’s ultimate blend of distance and softness
– Alignment markings won’t suit those who a less fussy look at address
The ERC Soft Triple Track ball features Callaway’s largest ever Graphene-infused Dual SoftFast Core, with the larger inner core maximising compression energy at impact. This keeps driver spin down and helps generate a high launch for more yards.
A new multi-material cover cleverly allows both faster ball speeds on full shots and an extremely soft feel around the greens.
The blue and red Triple Track Technology markings offer maximum visual alignment assistance, which many high handicappers will find really useful
US Buy Now at World Wide Golf Shops for $344.99
UK Buy Now at Amazon for £33.07
Bridgestone e6 golf ball
+ Low-compression core is designed to promote high ball speeds
+ The e6 is now easier to compress at moderate swing speeds
– Not the softest-feeling ball for delicate greenside work
Bridgestone’s e6 is a golf ball that has been engineered to provide the best of both worlds to those with moderate swings speeds – the extra distance that they crave but with plenty of feel too.
It achieves these twin goals via a reformulated two-piece construction that makes the ball easier to compress. This means those with more modest swing speeds can reap maximum performance benefits more easily.
We also included it in our best golf balls for seniors piece as well because of this distance performance.
US Buy Now at Rock Bottom Golf for $19.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £22.99
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