
Firm Shaft More commonly known as the stiff shaft (S), this flex is favored by golfers who have a fairly fast swing and drive the ball 250 yards on a consistent basis. Golfers who play a firm or stiff shaft have club speeds between 90-105 mph.
What factors contribute to the feel of a golf ball?
There are multiple contributing factors that contribute to the feel of a golf ball, but the largest factor contributing to ball feel is ball compression. What is Compression? Compression is a measurement of the deformation of the golf ball under a static load.
Why buy the best golf ball?
The golf ball is the only piece of equipment you use on every shot, so it makes sense to use the best one for your game. With myriad golf balls on the market, aimed at the whole range of abilities and backed up by befuddling science, that all-important purchase decision can be a complex one.
Why do pro golfers hit the ball so far?
It’s a big reason why pros hit the ball so far. They may only be using about half of their maximum grip strength, but if an amateur golfer tried to match them, they’d need to grip the club as hard as they could because pros are so much stronger.
Do pro golfers use the same golf balls?
Many pro golfers use the same golf balls that the public can buy but some use versions of the same ball that have minor differences and are only available to the pros. These ‘special’ balls must still be listed on the USGA conforming golf ball list & carry a unique marking identifier such as a star.

Are soft or firm golf balls better?
In almost all cases, an average golfer will prefer a softer golf ball over a firmer ball. Softer balls normally have a lower compression rating which means it will take less club speed to properly compress the ball. This will result in straighter shots and a better feeling golf ball.
Do pro golfers use hard or soft balls?
We take a look. Why Do Pro Golfers Use Soft Golf Balls? In this day and age there is always talk about distance in the professional game. Given most courses are getting longer and longer, hitting the ball a long way has grown in importance with shorter players finding it harder and harder to keep up.
Do hard golf balls go further?
The harder the ball, the further it tends to go with less spin. Harder golf balls tend to be much cheaper than softer golf balls. If you lose balls regularly then harder golf balls could be ideal for you. Soft balls stick to the grooves of your irons and wedges and spin much more.
What is the difference between a soft golf ball and a hard golf ball?
The main difference between a soft and hardball is that the softer ball feels much better when you hit it. Back in the 20s, there were two types of golf balls, Balata and hard cover golf balls. The Balata balls were designed to promote spin, whereas the hard-cover balls were created to provide more distance.
Is Pro V1 hard or soft?
The Titleist Pro V1 is a three-piece solid-core golf ball provides total performance from tee to green with penetrating flight and very soft feel. The Pro V1x is a four-piece solid core golf ball provides total performance from tee to green with high trajectory and soft feel.
Do soft golf balls go further?
Although softer golf balls go further from the tee for lower swing speed players, the gap across the whole range of ball types is only around 5 yards, so it is more important to fit the ball to your irons and then fit your driver to your preferred ball to maximise distance.
Is Titleist Pro V1 a soft ball?
One key area in the success of the Titleist Pro V1 was its soft feel. Titleist says that the current generation of Pro V1's has the softest cover they have ever used.
Are you allowed to switch balls in golf?
You can always use a new ball when starting a hole. You can also substitute a different ball any time you are taking relief, including both free and penalty relief. Unless the one-ball Local Rule is in effect, the substituted ball could be any brand.
What is the best golf ball for an average player?
Here are the 7 best golf balls for average golfers:Srixon Soft Feel.Callaway Supersoft.Taylormade Noodle.Wilson Staff Fifty Elite.Bridgestone e12 Contact.Titleist TruFeel.Taylormade Soft Response.
What is the most forgiving golf ball?
Most Forgiving Golf Balls ReviewedBest Overall: Titleist Velocity.Best for Low Handicappers: TaylorMade TP5x.Most Forgiving Soft Feel Ball for High Handicappers: Callaway SuperSoft.Best Extra Spin: Titleist Pro V1.Best Soft Feel Ball for Mid Handicappers: Titleist TruFeel.More items...•
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 +.
Does it really matter what golf ball you use?
The quality of golf ball you use definitely matters and impacts on your game. Higher quality, more expensive golf balls generally have a urethane cover, leading to greater 'feel' and spin control. Premium balls will usually perform longer and hold greens more consistently, helping you shoot lower scores.
Why is it important to hit a golf ball more often?
Hitting it in play more often will give you a better chance to score .". What every brand agrees on, however, is golfers of all abilities will benefit from getting correctly fitted to a golf ball.
How does a golf ball feel?
FEEL. A golf ball's feel is influenced by its construction. Some balls feel soft off the clubface, others feel firm or hard. Balls with a solid rubber core often feel hard and tend to primarily be two-piece balls. These will typically be more durable and generate better distance.
How does a golf ball with dimples work?
Backspin imparted on the ball by the club generates lift but the dimples optimize the lift force. Some manufacturers claim dimple design can also help reduce sidespin to keep shots straighter.
How many dimples are in a golf ball?
Most golf balls have 250-500 dimples, with an average depth of about 0.010 inch. A depth change of 0.0001 inch can produce a radical difference in the ball's trajectory and the overall distance it can fly. "If the core is the engine of a golf ball, the dimples are the wings," says Nick Nardacci, Titleist 's senior manager ...
What is the measure of how much a ball compresses or squashes against the clubface when struck?
Compression is a measure of how much the ball compresses or squashes against the clubface when struck. The amount of deformation affects the energy transfer from the club to the ball. The more a ball is compress ed, the further it will travel as it rebounds off the club.
What is a solid core golf ball?
A solid core is then enclosed in the ball's cover. The firmer feel of a two-piece golf ball can provide more distance, but often at the expense of control and feel. Three piece: A solid rubber core is surrounded by a layer of enhanced liquid rubber, all encased in a softer, synthetic plastic cover. This allows better golfers to impart more spin ...
Why do golf balls have dimples?
Golf balls have dimples to reduce drag and create lift. The dimples create a thin turbulent layer of air that clings to the ball's surface and travels further around the back of the ball, decreasing the wake and therefore the drag.
What is the golf ball?
The golf ball is the only piece of equipment that all golfers, pros and amateurs, men and women, high handicap and low handicap all use for every shot without fail. Making sure you choose the right one for your game is therefore clearly important and given their focus on achieving whatever marginal gains they can wherever they can it makes sense ...
What golf ball do the pros use?
What Bridgestone Golf Ball Do the Pros Use? Moving onto the use of Bridgestone golf balls amongst the best 100 players on the PGA Tour it is perhaps surprising that the ball favoured by arguably the greatest golfer of all time – Tiger Woods – is only used by four of his colleagues. Adam Rehberg, Bridgestone’s golf ball fitting manager remarked in ...
What is compression in golf?
Put simply the ‘compression’ of a golf ball happens when it gets squashed against the club face when you hit it.
Who is the golfer on Bridgestone?
Perhaps not so surprising however is the inclusion of another golfer – Bryson DeChambeau – on the Bridgestone golf ball playing roster as he continues to aim to re-invent the game of golf in other ways with his novel approaches to fitness and the golf swing.
Who is Bridgestone's golf ball fitting manager?
Adam Rehberg, Bridgestone’s golf ball fitting manager remarked in 2020 that the sound of the golf ball was so important to Tiger that he would “turn a ball away just for the fact that it didn’t sound like he wanted it to.”.
Does Phil Mickelson use Callaway?
Another great of the game, Phil Mickelson has been a loyal Callaway stable member for a long time now and continues to use Callaway Chrome Soft X ball. Although Mickelson currently sits well outside the top 100 on the PGA list unfortunately the Callaway Chrome Soft X ball is still the second most played golf ball behind ...
How to Become a Golf Player
Millions of people play golf. So why not join them and learn how to enjoy this great game? The best advice is to learn the basics, then practice regularly. It will be a lot of fun and you'll find that you are learning new skills that will help you in every other aspect of your life as well.
Why People Like Golf, and How to Make Your Game More Attractive
If golf isn’t your strong suit, then you’re probably wondering why people love the game — and how to make it more appealing. Here are some of the most common reasons why people play golf.
You Will Love Playing Golf, It's A Game That Transforms You As A Person
Since you too want to belong to the golfing community and reap the rewards while having a blast on the golf course, make sure you pick up those clubs today!
What is soft feel?
Feel and Compression. Just to bring everyone up to speed here; soft feel is primarily the result of low compression. Compression is a measure of how much a ball deforms under load. The harder the ball, the less it deforms. Most of you won’t care about that but somebody was going to ask.
Do golf balls feel soft?
The first is that lower-compression balls feel softer. That should be obvious. If you want soft feel, you want a low-compression golf ball. The other one is perhaps a little weird. It turns out there’s a strong correlation between legitimately soft feel and price.
Can you credit a soft ball?
Depending on your affinity for soft golf balls, you can credit or blame preference-driven golfers whose penchant for whacking marshmallows inadvertently created the fresh hell that is the nebulous world of soft balls. (Middle-finger emoji.)
What percentage of golfers prefer a softer ball?
70+ % of golfers prefer a softer feeling ball compared to a harder feeling ball. This percentage is constant regardless of the handicap of the golfer. There are multiple contributing factors that contribute to the feel of a golf ball, but the largest factor contributing to ball feel is ball compression.
What is the inner layer of a golf ball?
Golf ball mantle layer: The inner layer of the 3-piece ball is designed to contribute both to the velocity of the golf ball and the spin of the golf ball. The material used for this inner layer needs to provide as much velocity as possible while also contributing to the low compression of the overall ball.
What type of polyurethane is used for golf balls?
There are two types if polyurethane that can be used as covers for golf balls: cast polyurethane and thermoplastic polyurethane .Either type of urethane can be used, but cast urethane is preferred as it provides better abrasion/scuff resistance and better cut resistance than thermoplastic polyurethane.
What is the limiting factor of a golf ball cover?
The limiting factor is that if the cover material is too stiff, the impact of the club will result in excess flex of the cover and result in brittle failure of the cover.
What percentage of the ball volume should be in a golf ball core?
The core is the primary contributing factor to producing a low compression ball and the volume of the core should ideally be at least 80-82% of the total ball volume. Maximizing the level of reactive materials in the golf ball core is necessary to maximize the velocity of the core.
Is a low compression ball good for spin?
There are players who prefer a higher spin rate and still prefer the feel of a low compression ball. It is possible, through use of a 3-piece construction, to develop a ball that has low compression/soft feel and achieves a higher level of spin for the players who desire this added performance.
Is a smaller center needed for a golf ball?
To achieve this, a smaller center with a very low compression (significantly softer than the 2-piece core) is required. As the center is not a significant contributor to the velocity of the golf ball it is not necessary to maximize the density of the core.
Why do golf clubs bend?
Because golf shafts bend during a swing based on how fast your club speed is, the faster your swing, the stiffer the flex you need. Since you need to make sure the club face is square with the ball at impact, finding the right flex is critical to consistently hitting the ball well.
What is the speed of a golf shaft?
Golfers who play regular shafts have club speeds between 80-95 mph.
What is the difference between a senior shaft and a ladies shaft?
The senior shaft is a little softer than a regular flex, and male golfers switch to this shaft as they age . Golfers who hit the ball between 200-225 off the tee should choose a senior shaft. The ladies shaft is for golfers who drive 200 yards or less .
What is stiff shaft?
More commonly known as the stiff shaft (S), this flex is favored by golfers who have a fairly fast swing and drive the ball 250 yards on a consistent basis. Golfers who play a firm or stiff shaft have club speeds between 90-105 mph.
What does it mean when a golf ball has a high spin rate?
When a ball offers a high spin rate, that doesn’t just mean it will offer a lot of backspin – it is going to spin significantly in all directions.
What happens if you spin a ball?
On the other hand, if you have too much spin, the ball will climb high into the air and fall down short of its potential. What you are looking for is a middle ground – enough spin to hold the ball in the air, but not so much that the shot balloons.
What is a diminished touch in golf?
Diminished touch in the short game. You need to consider more than just your full shots when picking a golf ball. The way the ball performs in the short game matters tremendously , as you need to be comfortable with the ball when putting and chipping.
Why is it important to hit a high flight in golf?
Also, a high flight will help you get over obstacles like trees which may be in your way. You don’t want to hit all of your golf shots as high as possible, but it is a nice skill to have in your bag. With a low spin ball, however, it is going to be awfully difficult to hit a high shot.
What are the challenges of golf?
Loss of stopping power. One of the biggest challenges you face as a golfer is bringing the ball to a stop in a timely manner. It is hard enough to just get the ball up to the target, but at that point, the job is only half-done.
Why is high flight important?
Also, a high flight will help you get over obstacles like trees which may be in your way.
Can a high spin golf ball hurt you?
In this way, a high spin golf ball can actively damage your performance on the course. Sure , a high spin ball can be a useful weapon when employed by a skilled player, but the average golfer doesn’t have the technique necessary to control such a device.
Why do pros hit the ball so far?
It’s a big reason why pros hit the ball so far. They may only be using about half of their maximum grip strength, but if an amateur golfer tried to match them, they’d need to grip the club as hard as they could because pros are so much stronger.
What exercises help you gain distance?
Kettlebells, weights , pull ups; anything that requires you to grip and lift something. I wish I could make it sound more complicated than that, but it’s not. Lift heavy stuff and you’ll improve your grip strength. Improve your grip strength and you’ll gain distance.
Is Sam Snead's "Grip it soft" true?
Grip it soft, like a little bird you don’t want to fly away. It’s a famous Sam Snead-ism that isn’t entirely true. It’s not that pros are lying, of course. It’s that they’re describing something they’re feeling, not what’s actually happening.
Is grip strength important?
All of this is a way of saying, simply, that grip strength is important. You should probably be gripping the club firmer than you are already, and be actively trying to improve your grip strength in the meantime.
