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how much does compression affect golf ball play

by Clair Bogan Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Compression impacts control and distance. Low compression (in the 70-80 compression range) golf balls give you longer distance. High compression (with a 90+ compression score) balls give less distance but a lot of control.

For golfers with swing speeds above 100 MPH, higher compression balls will generate more distance. For golfers with slower swing speeds, having a low compression ball will add height and straighten out your shots, which as a result, should give you some extra distance.

Full Answer

What golf ball has the highest compression?

With GolfBallTest.org scores of 117 and 115, the TaylorMade TP Black is among the highest-compression golf balls on the market. The three-piece ball is particularly firm in the middle layer but soft at the core to generate plenty of short-game spin.

What compression golf ball should I be using?

  • These are standard golf balls with average cores
  • The in-between core, not a soft feel but not hard, fits a large group of golfers
  • Medium compression golf balls help maximize distance for average swing speeds
  • Medium compression golf balls that you will see a lot on the course include the Bridgestone e6 and the Titleist Velocity

How to improve your compression on the golf ball?

Types of Low Compression Golf Balls

  • Urethane. A Urethane Low Compression Ball is usually the most expensive type of low compression ball on the market.
  • Two-Piece. A Two-Piece Low Compression Golf Ball is the most common low compression ball on the market. ...
  • Three-Piece. ...

What does golf ball compression really mean?

  • Low-compression golf balls have a softer core
  • Easier to compress, thus they maximize distance
  • Preserves loss of ball speed on mis-hits
  • The most suitable for slower swing speeds

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Is higher or lower compression better for golf balls?

As a general rule, low compression golf balls will go the same distance or further for golfers with swing speeds below 100 MPH. Once swing speeds exceed 100 MPH, higher compression balls will generate more distance.

What effect does compression have on golf balls?

The lower the compression rating, the softer the golf ball. When a golf ball is struck, it compresses a certain amount. After the golf ball compresses, it will have a spring-like effect off of the clubface. Faster swing speed, stronger players can compress the ball much more than a slower swinging player.

What is a good compression for a golf ball?

The golf ball compression rating describes how hard or soft the ball is. In general, brands rate golf ball compression between 30 and 120. The softest is 30, while 120 is the hardest. To be more understood: the lower the compression, the softer the ball, and the higher the compression rating, the harder the ball.

Do 60 compression golf balls go further?

It certainly does when finding the right ball that helps you get the most out of your game. Only the rating number has lost its value in today's game. Breaking down the difference between a 60 compression and a 70 compression golf ball doesn't make much of a difference to the everyday golfer.

What compression is Titleist Pro V1?

87-90The most popular ball on tour is the Pro V1, which has a compression rating of 87-90. The Pro V1x is also popular, which has a compression rating of 97-100. Most balls are somewhere in this range.

What compression is Titleist Tour soft?

Titleist Tour Soft At 65 compression, it will deliver good results even on mis-hits. The Tour Soft has the largest core of any Titleist ball on the market and provides smooth spin and additional distance.

What compression is Titleist Velocity?

2022 VELOCITY PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGY NEW higher compression 1.550” LSX CORE generates faster speed on full swing shots to deliver maximum distance.

What compression is Callaway supersoft?

around 38As is implied in the name, the Callaway 2021 Supersoft golf balls have a very low compression rating of around 38. This allows golfers with slow swing speeds to compress the ball sufficiently for optimal energy transfer.

What golf ball should I use with a 85 mph swing speed?

Anything between 55 and 70 will be the best golf ball for your swing speed. 85-95 mph swing speed is fast enough to put a decent move on the ball so medium compression golf balls are some of the best golf balls for 85 mph swing speeds.

What golf ball should I use with a 80 mph swing speed?

If your average driver swing speed is below 83 mph, it is viewed on the slower spectrum. Therefore, anything below this speed should use a low compression golf ball. As a result, the best golf ball for 80 mph swing speed in 2022 is the TaylorMade Distance +.

What golf ball should I use with a 95 mph swing speed?

Here is our top pick Golf Ball if your swing Speed is 90-95 MPHRankNameBuy NOWNo.1Callaway Golf Superhot Bold Matte Golf BallsClick HERENo.2Bridgestone E6 Speed Golf BallsClick HERENo.3TaylorMade TP5 Prior Generation Golf BallsClick HERENo.4Nitro Long Distance Peak Performance Golf BallsClick HERE1 more row•May 13, 2022

What compression are Kirkland golf balls?

Compression. The compression of the Kirkland three-piece golf ball is about 90. A 90 compression golf ball is built more for the mid to high swing speed player. Golfers with a slower swing speed will have a difficult time compressing the ball.

What Factors Are Responsible for Compression In A Golf Ball?

In terms of the latter, a faster swing speed means more compression because of the presence of greater force i.e. energy transfer during impact.

Why is lower compression important in golf?

The sole function of lower compression is to make the golf ball go much farther once the energy through the clubface is transferred to the ball. The compression of a golf ball handles the heavy, solid impact and high speed of your club to pave the way for flexibility, so the ball is allowed to recoil properly without breaking apart.

What Really Happens At the Moment of Impact – When Does Golf Ball Compress?

You can’t squeeze a golf ball even if you wanted to. And if you think stepping on it would do the trick, go ahead and try it and you won’t take too long to realize that it’s just not possible.

How Should You Choose the Right Golf Ball Based On All This?

It’s as simple as picking the right compression rating based on your swing speed…

What Compression Rating Works for You?

The chart above should help you find YOUR compression rating. But to explain that point of view more generally, let me say that a slower swing speed almost always benefits the most from low compression while high compression is the most suitable for high-speed players.

What Impact Does Compression Have On Your Game?

Compressing the golf ball more means increasing your distance potential because then the ball ‘jumps’ or ‘springs’ off the clubface. Fast-speed golfers can do this very effortlessly of course but golfers with a slower swing speed cannot. The latter, more often than not, struggles with generating a higher swing speed to create more compression i.e. greater distance.

What is a low compression golf ball?

Firstly, a low compression rating is 80 or below. Secondly, low-compression golf balls travel farther simply because they’re easier to compress, thus also soft. So they rebound or spring off the clubface. Thus, golfers struggling with distance choose low compression, such as these longest golf balls.

Why do golfers use low compression golf balls?

Simply because they want golfers to use equipment best suited for their swing speed, handicap, and other such skills . The whole idea here is to allow golfers with a slower swing speed to also gain extra distance, which is something that becomes not only possible but also effortless with low-compression golf balls.

What does compression mean in golf?

But that’s only when you don’t know what compression really means. In simple language, it’s the level of compression the ball undergoes when in contact with the clubface during impact.

What if your swing speed is between 85 and 105 mph?

Now, what if your swing speed is between 85 mph and 105 mph? It means scoring some extra yards with a low compression golf ball is not such a bad idea. But then you start to worry about producing too much spin at the same time, which jeopardizes control. And that is why these types of golfers demand mid-level compression.

Do golfers understand weather?

Not many golfers understand that weather conditions also play a part. Here’s how.

Does Titleist have compression?

Then there are other brands that give absolutely no importance to compression. Titleist, for example, believes that the level of compression is much the same in the case of both amateur and Tour golfers. The brand, instead, focuses more on accuracy, responsiveness, trajectory, feel, and backspin.

Do golf balls compress?

Faster swing speeds demand high-compression golf balls. Because, that way, the ball compresses less, thus giving you greater control for greater accuracy.

What is Golf Ball Compression?

Compression is when the impact on a golf ball causes a momentary change in the shape of the ball. The shape changes when energy moves from your club to the ball, which is called “compression transfer.”

What does low compression of 80-90 mean?

Low compressions of 80-90 mean that the shape of the ball deforms quite a lot on impact, so you have less control over the ball but will get noticeably further distance.

What does compression mean in golf?

Compression refers to how much the ball flexes or “smushes” against the club face at impact. When you see a slow-motion shot of a driver hitting a golf ball, it actually bends the ball. When it expands again, it’s launched off the club face.

Why is it important to get a low compression ball?

If you play in colder weather , getting a low compression ball will help the most. At colder temperatures, the ball firms up and makes it hard. The harder it is, the more difficult a time you have trying to get it to flex.

What Is Compression?

The first thing to do before choosing the proper compression is to understand exactly what compression means. This word gets thrown around a lot, but most golfers don’t understand its purpose.

What does high compression mean?

The measurement of compression is how much the ball flexes. High compression means it does not flex as much , and low compression means it flexes a lot.

How to find the right golf ball for you?

Just like choosing clubs, the best way to find the right ball for you will be to test a few of them out. Use a high compression ball for a whole round, then use a low compression ball for the next. Taking a ball on the course is an accurate measure to see if it suits you or not.

How does weather affect your ball?

Weather plays a huge role in how your ball reacts. Not just for compression but for other factors as well that could be a whole other article on its own. Weather affects your compression choice on a broader scale. It all depends on where you play the most.

Why does a golf ball not travel as far?

Dimples are the main factor contributing to speed. A basic explanation is that a smooth golf ball will not travel as far because it creates more drag. A low compression ball will have its dimples closer together to try and max out the amount of distance you can get.

What is the difference between a low compression golf ball and a high compression golf ball?

A low compression ball will feel ‘soft’ at impact, while a high compression ball will feel much ‘harder.’. In days gone by, golf ball compression ratings would be offered as a number, such as 70 or 90, but today they are typically listed as either ‘low’, ‘mid’, or ‘high’.

What happens if you choose a ball with high compression?

via GIPHY If you choose a ball that has a high compression and you don’t possess the power to use it effectively, you will likely notice a sudden drop in distance, especially off of your driver.

What affects golf ball choice?

Weather Matters. One element outside of your control that can affect your golf ball choice is the weather. More specifically, it is the temperature that you are going to want to monitor prior to your rounds of golf. When playing in cold weather, you may want to switch to a softer compression ball, as cold weather will make it difficult ...

Why do golfers pick a tour level ball?

In other words, they pick a Tour-level ball just because they wish they could play like the golfers on TV. Obviously, this is the wrong way to pick your compression. Instead, play the ball that is going to suit your swing today, and move up into a higher compression as your swing improves over time.

What is the most important element of golf ball design?

One of the most important elements of golf ball design to understand is compression. Compression is essentially the amount of force required ...

Why is a golf ball important?

The golf ball is a crucial piece of equipment in your quest for lower scores. While every golfer knows that plenty of skill and practice are required to play well, having the right equipment in your bag is necessary as well.

Is compression good for golf balls?

There is no one compression rating that makes for the ‘best’ golf ball. Rather, it’s all about matching up the right compression with your swing. Generally speaking, players with lower swing speeds are going to want to use low compression balls, while those with powerful swings should opt for a high compression option.

How Does Golf Ball Compression Impact Distance And Accuracy?

Golf ball compression is vital when it comes to distance, too soft or too hard and you will lose yardage. If you swing too soft for the golf ball you use, then the ball will barely compress and won’t go as far as it should. You can see an example of this in the image below.

How Does Ball Compression Impact Feel?

Golf ball compression is essentially a measure of how elastic a golf ball is at impact. The lower the compression is, the more elastic the ball is and so it would be reasonable to think that would mean it would feel softer. Is it really that simple though?

How Can I Calculate My Swing Speed?

The best and most accurate way to do this is to get yourself onto a launch monitor that can measure this. These instruments are designed to accurately gauge many aspects of what your club and ball are doing during the swing.

How Does It Impact Spin?

A compression that is too high won’t optimally interact with the grooves of your clubs and that will reduce the spin imparted on the ball.

How Do I Choose The Right Ball? Should I Get A Ball Fitting?

As I write this, I have a ball fitting planned for this afternoon, yes it is very much something you should do. An expert can help you choose the best ball for your game based on how hard you hit and what benefits you would like your ball to bring to you.

Why do you want a golf ball?

If you swing the club in a smooth way and have a slower swing speed, then you will want your golf ball to help you with distance more. This is where lower compression works nicely, the ball is flexible and so can return as much energy as possible which translates to distance.

What is the difference between low compression and high compression?

A high swing speed golfer will benefit more from high compression as they will gain accuracy .

Why is it bad to use a firmer ball?

On the flip side, using a firmer ball when you don’t have the swing speed to properly compress the core can have an adverse effect on launch characteristics, spin and control. “If you’re playing a ball that’s too firm for your swing speed, ball velocity goes down and backspin goes up off the tee, he said. ADVERTISEMENT.

How long does a ball fitting last?

Depending on how deep you want to go, a typical ball fitting can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours (the amount of time Tour winner Rocco Mediate spent testing balls recently with Bridgestone ).

What is the most likely club fitting?

If you’re an avid golfer, chances are good you’ve gone through a club fitting of some sort in the last decade. The most likely is a driver or iron fitting, although you should go ahead and do wedges and putter as well (you can get a high-quality club fitting from our partner True Spec Golf ).

Is a softer ball better for a slow swinger?

While it can vary from player to player, Mellow noted there are a number of benefits that can be found from using a softer compression ball if you’re a slow swinger. “If you go to a softer ball that’s more appropriate for your swing speed, the velocity should increase and the spin goes down,” he said.

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