Quick Rank - Top 3
Best Overall: Callaway Supersoft
Best Premium Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Best Alternate Option: Vice Pro Plus
Choosing the right golf ball for your game can be a daunting task. Understanding how different golf balls affect your control, spin, and distance is critical to deciding.
In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 7 best golf ball options for each price range and skill level so you can pick the right one for you. Note - all prices listed are for a dozen golf balls.
The Best All Around Golf Ball ($24 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
If you are looking for an excellent golf ball that goes long and straight at an affordable price, I recommend the Callaway Supersoft.
Simply put, these are inexpensive golf balls that do everything you want. If you want to maximize distance off the tee, especially as a golfer with slower swing speeds, this is the right ball for you.
At the same time, golfers with high swing speed will enjoy seeing their maximum potential as well. The soft feel produces more spin, so balls fly higher when you want them to.
They are also highly durable, with a strong cover material for repeated use (assuming you keep it in play).
Best For: An Overall Solution
Price: $22-$26
Ranking: 9.4/10
Callaway has been a trusted brand by golfers of all skill ranges forever. They're one of those companies that consistently pump out quality products and have maintained quality as they have grown.
The Supersoft is an excellent example of this. Its SoftFast Core is a staple of the ball's quality and is a launcher beneath its soft shell.
The ball performs and feels great with the driver, irons, and wedges, and generally, it will allow you to take your mind off the ball and focus on your game no matter where your game is at.
Did I mention they come in all sorts of colors?
The Best Premium Golf Ball ($54 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
There's a reason people who don't even play golf have heard of the Titleist Pro V1. It's one of the most well-marketed and revolutionary golf balls in history.
These golf balls will have you achieving the highest ball speed you can, both off the tee and off the deck. They have a soft feel yet aren't necessarily the highest-spinning golf balls. This results in a more concentrated dispersion and substantial distance especially for golfers with high swing speed.
There's no feeling quite like a well-struck Pro V1. That said, such performance comes at a price. But when you're driving it 15 yards past your friends, can you put a price on that?
Best For: Distance, Premium Feel
Price: $52-$58
Ranking: 9.2/10
The Best Golf Ball for Maximizing Distance and Spin ($49 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
For TaylorMade lovers, this is the best ball for you. There's a reason it's the most commonly used Taylormade tour golf ball. This ball maximizes both distance and spin.
Do you want to bomb it off the tee? Check. Want to spin it back around the greens? Check.
In general, this is a soft ball that's great for producing that greenside spin but also giving you more distance. This is definitely a premium ball. Also... it looks pretty dang sweet.
Best For: Maximum Distance+Spin
Price: $48-$52
Ranking: 9.1/10
The Best Golf Ball for Beginners ($24 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
As a beginner golfer, you want a ball that (1) goes far with low swing speed, (2) has plenty of forgiveness, and (3) won't make you feel bad if you lose it. This is a golf ball designed to do all 3.
It has a slightly bigger core than some of the other Titlist offerings aimed to help launch the ball at impact. You'll notice more ball speed with both irons and driver and shouldn't expect an uncontrollable amount of spin from these.
And just because it's cheap does not mean it isn't quality. You're getting a ball from a company that's been around forever and has a history of trusted offerings. I'd recommend something like this over some of the other cheap offerings in the golf ball market.
Best For: Beginners, Slower Swing Speeds
Price: $22-$26
Ranking: 8.5/10
The Best Golf Ball for Independent Thinkers ($24 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
For those looking to break the mold of Big Golf and escape the grip of greedy corporations looking to control your every move, the Vice Pro Plus is the perfect option for you.
All jokes aside, if you are looking for an excellent alternative option to the popular tour ball choices, these balls should be in your inventory right now. Vice has done an outstanding job at making a name for themselves in a high barrier-to-entry market, and for good reason.
Their balls go far, have a soft feel, maintain durability round after round, and are surprisingly affordable. They have the best design for their limited edition models and are slowly but surely turning golfers everywhere into fans. Let's support them on their journey to make golf more fun.
Best For: Mix of Distance, Durability, and Fun
Price: $22-$26
Ranking: 8.1/10
The Best Golf Ball for Greenside Performance and Spin ($49 on Amazon)
Chris's Take
Not to be confused as an alternative to the Supersofts, the Callaway Chrome Soft is actually noticeably different. It has high spin, very soft feel from the urethane cover and four layers inside resulting in shot-shaping ease.
This is for a more skilled player looking to take advantage of everything a higher-performance golf ball has to offer. It's a tour ball that rivals other great high-compression ball options.
Best For: Spin and Greenside Results
Price: $47-$51
Ranking: 8.0/10
The Best Golf Ball for Durability ($34 on Amazon)
The Srixon Z Star is a golf ball that lasts. These are sure to last you round after round while still providing excellent distance and with impressive spin. This is perhaps what makes them so attractive.
They have a soft golf ball feel, rival the distance of other balls at similar price points, leaving their long-lasting nature almost as an afterthought. I highly recommend giving these a try for something consistent, versatile, and lasting at an affordable price.
Best For: Durability and Versatility
Price: $32-$37
Ranking: 8.0/10
What to Look For When Purchasing Golf Balls
To a new golfer, choosing the right ball may not be your immediate priority ahead of fixing your slice. This is understandable, but it's a common fault for new golfers looking for consistency. Golf is all about reducing variables, so wouldn't it make sense to choose a trusted ball that will at least give you a repeated pattern and stick with it? Yes, yes it would.
In general, golfers vary in swing speed, spin rates, strike consistency, ball flight patterns, and many other areas. In general, a soft feel golf ball will typically give an average golfer a nicer feel at impact due to inconsistent strikes. They go farther due to an ability to compress and squish deeper into themselves before launching off the golf club face.
At the same time, softer balls often result in more spin, which can help produce backspin and, thus, nice high ball flight. That said, this spin can often be the enemy of newer golfers who slice or hook, as it will accentuate the misdirection even further. However, there are also soft golf balls that don't necessarily provide as much spin. These are the best golf balls for average players.
For a more experienced golfer, premium balls with more spin will allow you to create more well-designed shot shapes, control the ball on the green, and generally own your golf game.
Best Golf Balls - Summary
Picking a good ball can be tricky with so many choices out there. This guide shows the top options at each end of the spectrum. The best golf balls are those that suit your game. Whether that's a soft ball, a low spin golf ball, or the best-looking golf ball, this list should leave you with a great choice no matter what.
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