Golf Balls

There are so many types of golf balls on the market these days that selecting the correct one for your swing can be a daunting task. Some of the newest golf balls have a solid core and one cover while others have several layers wrapped around the core so your choice is basically between a two-piece ball and a multi-layered ball.

Here are some considerations to help you choose.

1. Cover: A two-piece ball with a softened cover is best for players who have a hard time penetrating to the core i.e. golfers with slow swing speeds and steep swings. These golfers [e.g. some women, juniors and non-flexible seniors] may find that the two-piece ball gives them maximum distance. High velocity players do well with the Multi-layer balls.

2. How well you play. If you have a double digit handicap, a multi-layer ball won't hamper your game but may not increase your performance either. Basically, the better you play, the more you'll benefit from a multi-layer ball.

3. Cost. Two-piece balls are much less expensive, about half the price of multi-layers.

4. Feel around the greens. Multi-layer balls provide different spin properties on soft shots around the greens. A two-piece doesn't spin as much.

5. Distance off the driver. Multi-layer premium balls have thin mantle layers just under the cover which provide various launch properties – including the angle the ball leaves the driver and its spin rate. You can find the ideal launch stats for you game by testing various balls using a launch monitor.

6. Layers: Players with high swing speeds [95 plus] should try a multi-layered ball. The concept is simple; the more layers, the better the ball responds off both your irons and woods, but the more force necessary to penetrate to core.

7. Compressions: Compression is a measure of how much the ball resists being crushed on the face of your club. If its hard to compress, you'd better have a high swing speed [95+] otherwise the ball will feel like a rock when you hit it. On the other hand, if your swing speed is too high a low compression ball will feel like a marshmallow.

Compression is all about feel and not about distance (i.e., a higher compression ball doesn't go farther). How can you tell what it is? Some golf balls have compression [70 to 110] marked on ball while others list it on the packages - some don't even use the term. In any case, let feel be your guide.

Each major company has a number of premium balls in their line that differ in design and playability so, to keep this review manageable, we have limited our analysis to the one ball from each company that warrants the designation "Best of the Best". Once you choose a brand, use the guidelines in the introduction to customize your selection.

What you pay for in the premium market is a ball that performs well in all aspects of the game - off the tee, from the fairway and around the greens. And when you finally find your best buy, I recommend you go for it no matter what the cost. Please remember: a good ball is magic and if you want magic, you've got to pay for it!