As with many things in golf there are just so many great golf balls for sale it is quite difficult to decide on selecting a golf ball one will suit you the best. Golf Balls have a massive price difference between the entry level models and the top performing branded balls.
Let’s take a look at what is available at the moment.
There are also some unique and novel balls that you can buy which make great gifts for Christmas or special occasions.
Which Golf Ball Should I be Using?
This is perhaps one of the hardest questions to ask as different balls have unique feels and therefore quite often it comes down to a personal choice. One thing we can be certain of beginners will not be able to tell a huge difference from one ball to the next so if you are new to the game a middle of the range quality golf ball will be fine.
For better players I would have to admit that currently Titleist are number one. You can verify this by taking a quick look at the PGA Tour Statistics, most of the top players are using the Titleist Pro V1 and the Titleist Pro v1 X, you can check all the specifications on these balls here Golfballs.com which offer the largest selection of new, custom logo & personalized golf balls on the planet!
The Titleist balls are quite expensive and I suppose that is for a reason, they have been manufacturing golf balls since 1935. This gives them the experience to know exactly what works and what doesn’t. I wanted to find out how many balls they make every year and I came across another site which said they shipped over 28 million dozen in the last year, that is mind blowing! (Not Verified Though!) This goes to show you how big the Golf Ball market really is!
There are plenty more popular Golf Balls used on tour at the moment, Srixon Z-Star, Callaway Tour and the Taylormade Penta. The Nike One has proven to be a very good product and they have a full range to suit every level of player ability. Lets have a deeper look at the Taylormade Penta TP.
This is the first 5 layer ball ever manufactured, you can how the ball is constructed from the image. According to Taylormade each layer helps with a specific shot characteristic. So far customer reviews have been very favorable and I can see this ball gaining popularity. To explain the function and benefits of the 5 cores read below.
- Feel: Urethane cover for softer feel and a higher spin-rate on essential wedge shots within the 100-yard “scoring zones”
- Spin: Outer mantle delivers optimum spin from short-irons to prevent the ball quickly on the green without sacrificing distance
- Control: Middle mantle increases accuracy with mid-irons and prevents up-shooting, ballooning and falling short of your target
- Launch: Inner mantle creates soft feel, high-launch, and low spin off the long-irons for amazing distance
- Distance: Core provides faster ball speed, high-launch and low spin off the driver for maximum carry and extremely long distance
If you want to test some of these out then check out the special at Golfballs.com Buy 2 Dozen Taylormade Penta and get 1 Dozen Free!
I currently use the Taylormade Penta balls and have been very happy with them so far. It just seems to have a refreshing feel, maybe it is in my head! I do find it interesting though how much technology and design is packed in to a standard Golf Ball. How much is beneficial and how much is marketing, without the sophisticated testing equipment the big guys have access to, I guess we will never know!
Golf Ball Fitting
Quite a few companies have introduced Golf Ball Fitting. Whether it is by following an interactive process online or using a BLM (Ball launch Monitor) where a specialist can help you determine the best ball for your game. This generally works by capturing your shot data with the help of radar ball tracking technology and using high speed photography. The sensors capture your launch angle, spin rate, distance and ball speed off the club to fit out the best golf ball for you. This is certainly the way to work out which ball is best if you have access to a facility that has this technology near to you.
So, which golf ball do I choose?
If you are a lower Handicap golfer then either the ProV1 or Penta are the top two balls on the market at the moment and get my vote. Higher handicaps can choose from the large variety of mid range balls around that are normally about the same in specification and price. Perhaps a good all round ball is the Top Flight Gamer V2 for mid range golfers.
Personalize your Golf Ball
Golfballs.com have a great service where they personalize your golf ball by printing your initials or name around the side of the ball. This makes a great gift and is worth checking out! They also do novelty balls where you can have any image or photo printed directly on the ball.
Conclusion
It is nearly impossible to tell with any sort of accuracy which model you should buy, it very much depends on your capability as a golfer and your budget. Buying an expensive ball is unlikely to make you a much better player. My recommendation is to try to get to a facility which has a BLM as this will give you the best chance of selecting a golf ball which has the closest match to your game.
What do you think is the best Golf Ball? Leave your opinion below.
