Best Golf Balls For High Handicappers: Quick Menu
1. The list in brief
2. Best for alignment
3. Best for control
4. Best soft feel
5. Best value
6. Best for distance
7. Best matte model
8. Best color choice
9. Best for durability
10. How we test
11. How to choose
12. FAQs
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 distance golf balls, along with others offering greater playability closer to the greens.
There are also balls on the market that seek to neutralize 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.
The Quick List
We have pulled together this quick list to roundup the best choices of golf balls for high handicappers. Click to view a more details review of each product, and we also have a price comparison tool to help you make the right purchase.
If you're looking for an all-round soft feel from your shots, some extra distance off the tee, and some handy extra alignment from the design, it's worth considering the ERC Softs from Callaway.
The Titleist TruFeels are a more affordable option from the leading ball brand, and we found these to be particularly good performers on full iron shots. They also have a soft sound and feel.
We love these TaylorMade Soft Response balls for their excellent feel from the putter face, and for their outstanding spin control on the short game. The choice of colors is also helpful.
Wilson Triad balls come with good distance in the long game, a consistent ball slight and also a soft feel when putting, making them the best value option on this list.
The high penetrating ball flight and hard-wearing nature of these Srixon Distance balls is a solid option for high handicappers. Also well-suited to players with a swing speed of 80+mph.
The dimpled design on the Bridgestone E12 balls encourages a straight flight and offers less sidespin, while the soft core promotes better spin around the greens, making it a solid choice for high handicappers.
Load the next 2 products
Titleist Velocity offers some outstanding distance and a nice firm feel, all in a good value package. Low spin helps gain distance.
Callaway Hex Soft is a great all-round performance ball, well-priced and feature a soft feel but very durable construction.
Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers
Why you can trust Golf Monthly Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best for alignment
The latest version of Callaway’s ERC Soft is packed with technology and features designed to make it Callaway’s longest soft-feeling ball. Was this the case and why is it on this list? Well one of our testers for this ball was an 18 handicapper and he thought it produced a higher launch and extra distance, with less spin being created as well.
In the short-game performance was good too. It shares the same hybrid cover featuring a Paraloid Impact Modifier as Callaway’s Supersoft model, which produced a noticeably soft feel and ample greenside spin on the majority of well-struck, short-game shots. Another design feature that will definitely help high handicap players be more consistent on the green is the distinctive Triple Track alignment aid. Having not used the tool before our tester was dubious but felt it really helped him concentrate more on lining up the ball properly, and it seemed to help with consistency of start line on the greens.
- Read our full Callaway ERC Soft ball review
Best for control
One of two Titleist models to make this guide on the best golf balls for high handicappers, the TruFeel incarnation continues the evolution of the softest ball in the Titleist range. Why would it suit high handicap players? Well thanks to new technologies like the TruFlex cover, and new, larger TruTouch core, the ball has been designed to provide a soft feel as well as distance. Too often high handicap golf balls seem to be rock hard and don't have softness and spin control play key parts in the design. From our testing we know this is not the case here.
Additionally, if you prefer a softer sound and feel then this ball is the one to go for as it certainly won’t hurt your ears on and around the greens. If you generate too much spin, then the lower spinning nature of it might help you gain some distance and straighten out some of your shots as well.
It is available in white, optic yellow and also a matte red design. If you want to check out the rest of the Titleist ball range, have a read of our best Titleist golf balls guide.
- Read our full Titleist TruFeel 2022 Golf Ball review
Best soft feel
TaylorMade says this is the softest ball it has ever produced and that was something we really noticed on the greens. It has a lovely feel of the face of the putter and this extends to the wedges as well with the spin numbers produced being only slightly behind the best golf balls on the market.
However, it is important to say here that with a low 50-compression, the Soft Response is undoubtedly aimed at players with mid or slow driver swing speeds. With faster speeds there was a drop off in distance but if your driver head speed is around the 90mph mark, you may well find the long game performance is good.
Overall this ball is a product that promises plenty of performance. Whilst faster swingers may see a drop off in distance at the top end of the bag, slower swingers will still be able to benefit from the superb short game performance without seeing the same drop off.
- Read our full TaylorMade Soft Response 2022 ball review
Best value
Wilson released the Triad golf ball at the beginning of 2022 and was designed for those golfers after the feel and control of a urethane model without having to pay the premium price of a Tour golf ball. Did it deliver?
Well from a high handicapper perspective, it produced good distance and we were very happy with the consistency of the ball flight as well. There was still an element of short game control and spin, despite the model being a touch below the premium models in the game. But this is not a massive issue because higher handicap players will still be able to maintain a degree of touch and feel when they are on and around the greens with this golf ball.
With plenty of distance and consistency in the long game and a good feel on the green, the Wilson Triad is definitely a golf ball to consider if you are a high handicapper who seriously wants to improve at the game.
- Read our full Wilson Triad Golf Ball review
Best for distance
A model that seems to sell very well everywhere, the Srixon Distance ball has a number of design features which many high handicap players will enjoy. First it has a softer compression compared to the previous iteration, which helps deliver distance through more velocity and higher launch. Our tester did see a good increase in distance and it also penetrated the air in windy conditions a little better than other models as well, resulting in more yardage. This is because of the reduced dimple count, with 108 fewer.
High handicap players will also enjoy the durable cover which is engineered for greater cut-proof durability. So these are good value as well. The trade off with this ball is the lack of significant feel when compared to more premium models, although we were pleased it did not feel like a rock, which has often been an issue with golf balls designed purely for distance.
- Read our full Srixon Distance ball review
Best matte model
Bridgestone replaced its e12 Soft and e12 Speed balls with one new model – the Bridgestone e12 Contact. The key to performance is the 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, which is said to improve ball speed and provide more grip around the green. But how did the ball test for us?
Well the feel at impact was reasonably soft, especially for a ball that is marketed for its distance gains. Off the tee, it proved itself as long and launched fairly high promoting better carry distance. The e12 did seem to stay on the face fractionally longer and it was genuinely soft and responsive when chipping and pitching. For a mid-range mid-price ball, there was a good level of feel as well.
- Read our full Bridgestone e12 Contact Ball Review
Best color choice
The Titleist Velocity 2022 golf ball celebrates its 10th birthday with the latest version continuing its claim to be the longest ball in the Titleist range. Of course, every high handicap golfer could do with more distance and the Velocity is all about that. Titleist made the core of the ball a little firmer which is to help generate more speed on shots. Additionally the brand introduced a new octahedral pattern with 350 dimples for a high flight with a little more consistency. Its cover also got a makeover for feel so this ball is not a one trick pony.
In our testing, when compared with the older Velocity the ball did fly higher and carried 5 yards further with the driver whilst the performance with a seven-iron was very similar. The spin was very low which was great for distance but again, there is a tradeoff in terms of feel because there is less spin on approaches and less control on chips around the green. It is not totally non-existent, but if you are a high handicap player who really values feel, then perhaps look at others on this list, but if you purely want more distance, the Velocity is definitely a model to consider.
- Read our full Titleist Velocity 2022 Golf Ball Review
Best for durability
As we have discussed a good golf ball for a high handicapper has to do a lot of things well and another example of this is the Hex Soft from Callaway. The all-round performance is good in the long and short-game areas of golf, whilst the ball itself is extremely durable as well. Our tester managed to get two and a half rounds out of one golf ball and it was very resistant to cuts and general wear and tear.
When it came to short game shots this ball undoubtedly feels soft - and that will appeal to a lot of golfers, whilst the distance on offer was at least competitive with more expensive models. Importantly you can also find these golf balls at a good price too, further adding to the overall value on offer.
- Read our full Callaway Hex Soft Golf Ball Review
How we test golf balls
Our testing procedure for golf balls, as well as all other golf gear, revolves around several key commitments;
If we say we’ve reviewed a product, that means we’ve used it out on the golf course and hit it on a launch monitor where applicable. Manufacturers can’t pay for a good review – we tell it how we see it. And finally we will always endeavor to use the latest and best equipment to assess performance.
In terms of specifics for golf balls, we use several members of the Golf Monthly team, who play at a variety of levels, to put golf balls to the test out on the golf course.
The entire team are regular golfers and therefore balls are used over a number of rounds because that is how you can test for things like distance, feel, durability, spin and so on. We then seek to be as honest and insightful as possible in reviews and guides to help you be more informed.
How to choose golf balls
If you are a high handicap player and want to find the best golf ball for you, what are some of the things you need to consider? Well this section is here to help...
Distance or feel?
The area of the game that higher handicap players usually need the most help is in getting the ball in the air and in terms of distance. Therefore many models above have simple constructions which are designed to create a high launch, stay in the air longer, and feel a bit harder at impact. Models like the Srixon Distance, and Volvik Vivid for example.
However there are also players who struggle in terms of feel so we have also included some models above in this regard too, such as the Titleist Velocity or Callaway ERC Soft. Whichever part of the game you most struggle with, there is a ball to help.
Spin
Linking with the above point many models above are going to spin less too which will help destructive shots become less so. For example the Bridgestone E12 Contact helps reduce sidespin which means it won't curve as much after a slice strike. That could mean fewer lost balls, and you are further down the golf hole.
Durability
Golf balls also have to be durable too especially for higher handicap players. They tend to get into more trouble in terms of sand, bushes, trees and so on, and therefore a good golf ball will be resistant to cuts and scrapes here. Many of the models above have firmer covers to help in this regard.
Color
No longer do you have to plump for a white golf ball because now you can go for greens, reds, yellows, or if you want the Volvik Vivid, just about any color you can think of. If you struggle to see the white golf ball in the air or when it lands, why not try a different color?
Budget
Finally be aware of how much you can or want to spend on golf balls. If you want the cheapest dozen possible with a degree of performance then a couple of models will suit you above, whereas if you want to spend a little more then we have got you covered there too.
FAQs
Which golf ball is best for high handicappers?
There are lots of models that can lay claim to this title as the best golf ball for high handicappers. It is worth noting though that many high handicap players want something different from their golf balls. For example, some want as much distance as possible, and some want more of a soft feel so the best golf balls for these players will differ.
What is a high handicap in golf?
Officially a high handicap is anything above 18 when using the handicap index as a reference.
What is a 3-piece golf ball?
A three-piece golf ball refers to the three laters of the ball - usually the core, mantle and the cover. Usually these balls offer a a softer feel and slightly more spin when compared to two-piece balls. As such they offer a touch more control whereas two-piece models can offer more distance.
What is a 2-piece golf ball?
A two-piece golf ball refers to the two layers of the golf ball, which are the core and then the cover. These balls are designed to spin less than multi-layer balls and as a result stay in the air longer for more distance. The compromise is they offer less spin and control on other shots, especially around the green.
If you want more golf ball buying advice, check out our guides on the best golf balls for slow swing speeds and best golf balls for seniors.
