What Golf Ball Should You Play?

As a good player golfers are often inclined to ask me what ball I play, as if there’s some secret to the choice! In truth, I tell them that any golfer of any standard can play any golf ball. As crazy as that sounds, it’s true. The most important thing is that you choose the best golf ball that you like and stick with it.

Using the same golf ball for the entire round (or indeed season) means that you get used to its feel and performance. You get consistency off the putter face, you know how hard to hit your lag putts, and you know how much it is likely to spin and stop on chip shots. You know (or you quickly learn) your distances with every club in the bag.

I’m always staggered at how many women use whatever ball they find in their bag, a random brand, a random model. When they lose it, a completely different ball gets picked out of the ball pocket to replace it. If you’re this player, you are really putting yourself at a disadvantage over the savvy woman who knows that sticking to a make and model of ball for the minimum of an entire round is beneficial.

Selecting a golf ball does come down to personal preference on feel and looks - colours, alignment lines, crazy patterns etc. but there is also an element of understanding the spin characteristics of the golf ball and what is right for you.

That’s where I would highly recommend a custom fit session. While these are primarily aimed at golfers wanting to change their hardware (irons, hybrids and woods) the information gleaned from a launch monitor will highlight the ideal spin for your clubs.

A custom fit will show what ball works best for your swing type - clubhead speed, launch requirements, feel and spin preference etc. We all have different needs. Perhaps you are a slow swinger who, first and foremost, needs a distance boost. Maybe you slice the ball and need something to help counteract the effects of cut spin? Or maybe your golf ball priorities lie in the short game department, you want to improve the spin control with a wedge.

Ultimately the golf ball has to be right for you. If you don’t have the time or the budget to get custom-fit but want to stick to the one-ball policy, then you can also choose one by trial and error. I suggest that you test a selection of different golf balls.

Buy a sleeve of three of each ball that you like the look of and take them to the putting green first, then chip them. Do you like the feel? Is the ball easy to aim? Does it give you plenty of spin and stop, checking up on your chip shots? Then play a few holes with it. Is the ball easy to spot from the tee? Do you notice any difference to your ball flight height? Does it go any further?

Now shall we address the elephant in the closet - so why are there golf balls stamped women’s? In my opinion, and it’s certainly that shared by leading golf ball manufacturer Titleist, there should be no such thing as a women’s golf ball. After all, there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all clothing, and golf balls are no different. Women are all unique individuals and as such our golf ball requirements should reflect this.

The reason women’s golf balls exist is to cater for a very general cross-spectrum. The average woman golfer swings slower than the average man (by about 20 percent according to Titleist TrackMan estimates).

Typically, the balls labelled women’s are lower-compression, softer feeling two-piece (core and cover) balls that launch higher and have less overall spin, so will fly straighter. But there is absolutely no reason why these golf balls are only suited to women, in fact I think that most women’s balls are a brilliant choice for seniors and juniors.

Equally women’s balls sold on their soft feel alone are technically doing you no real favours. In reality, although softer may feel better, unless it is combined with a sophisticated multilayer construction (including a urethane cover), it’s unlikely to help you around the greens with better spin.

Going back to Titleist, you’ll see that they do not produce a women’s golf ball. Instead, they offer many models to suit lots of different player types, male and female, old and young, with different budgets and different preferences.

I myself have been a long-time Titleist Pro VIx player, yet many women I play with don’t think they are good enough to use the much coveted Pro VI, which is not the case. It delivers brilliant tee-to-green performance for a wide spectrum of players. It just comes with a premium, high price tag.

Below is a check-list of things you should consider when choosing a golf ball.

Do You Know Your Swing Speed?

This is a critical factor. The slower you swing the more spin you need. A higher compression golf ball that leaves the face faster will give you more distance.

Looks

Traditional white or coloured? Alignment line? Plain or patterned? Visibility preference is important. Traditionalists don’t like to look at clutter when putting. A simple white golf ball with an aim line will suffice. How good is your eye sight? A coloured golf ball (like a high-vis yellow ball) can be easier to spot. There are also benefits to fancier balls with more complex alignment markings, or patterns that make them easier to identify in the rough or fairway alongside those of your playing partners.

Ball Flight Height

Many women struggle to get height on their iron shots. Take a typical 7-iron ball flight and imagine you have to hit over a two-story house and find a ball that will help increase that height. A multi-layer urethane cover ball will spin more, creating more lift and more height.

Compression

When you strike the golf ball it actually squashes/deforms/compresses. Although not visible to the naked eye, the compression determines how fast it leaves the face, how high, how it feels. Typically, women’s golf balls tend to have low compression ratings so that slower swinging players can achieve sufficient compression for optimal distance and launch.

Your Swing Speed

The average swing speed of a woman is about 20 mph lower than the average man. We are genetically not as strong so we need a different golf ball to cater for this lower clubhead speed.

Handicap/Ability

A beginner golfer that isn’t skilful enough yet to execute an array of shots around the green will get all she needs from a lower cost low-compression, two-piece ball. Don’t graduate to a more sophisticated design based on your swing speed, but rather your technique and ability.

In conclusion, there are a wide variety of golf balls on the market so take time to careful consider the factors above. There is a lot more to it than the packaging and marketing would have you believe. In my opinion the golf ball should be the least gender-specific piece of golf equipment we use.

Remember, the golf ball is the only piece of equipment you use on every single shot, so pick it wisely - it is crucial to your success!