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Yes, golf gear for women is a thing. And it’s not just for the sake of monetizing gender identity. On the contrary, men and women tend to chalk up different statistics when it comes to golf performance. Manufacturers have taken note of these differences. Using the data to lay down the foundation for a wide selection of golf gear choices that work to amplify strengths and minimize weaknesses.
While most folks will focus on clubs, shoes, clothes, and all the obvious women-specific gear. Golf balls are actually the simplest and cheapest way to adapt the game to your unique performance without having to spend a fortune. The best golf balls for women are designed specifically to match the qualities of a lady golfer’s swing. Therefore you can level the playing field and perform just like (or better than) the guy’s.
Golf balls have come a long, long way from the solid beech wood balls of the past. With manufacturers releasing incredibly varied designs that incorporate different materials and layers. The golf balls of today have been fashioned to adapt to the many various kinds of golfers on the course.
The golf balls designed for women are intended to minimize their most common weaknesses while amplifying their strengths. Do keep in mind however that although there is a trend in lady golfers’ performance, it’s really not set in stone. Some women can clock in numbers outside of the gathered data. Meaning it’s really important to know yourself before clicking through to check out.
How fast can you let her rip? Swing speed will play an integral role in the selection of golf balls, and golf gear for that matter. Research have been conducted to uncover the trends of lady golfers’ swing speed. These numbers can help shed light on how fast your club head speed should be. On the average, women tend to swing slower than men which is typically attributed to the differences in upper body strength and build.
TYPE OF GOLFER | SWING SPEED |
|---|---|
Scratch Golfers | 90 mph |
10 Handicappers | 83 mph |
15 Handicappers | 79 mph |
It’s important to know your swing speed because there are balls out there that can help improve the velocity of your ball even if you swing a little slower. In the same vein, there are golf balls that can further dampen the speed of your ball, ultimately resulting to a reduced carry.
It’s one thing to deliver explosive power for long distance travel, and another thing to bring your golf ball to a target. You could swing with all the strength you have. If your golf ball veers off track, it will all be for nothing. Golf ball control is one of the more difficult challenges of the game. Entailing a strong grasp of ball physics and how your hit can shape or change the direction of your golf ball’s travel.
On average, women perform better with golf balls that incorporate features that reduce spin. Off the tee, low spin rate can neutralize damaging side spin that could result to a hook or a slice. This is one of the most common weaknesses of lady golfers during the drive. Of course, this also means reduced spin on the greenside. However that could also come in handy for players who have yet to master more complicated turf techniques.
Everyone tends to have different preferences when it comes to feel and feedback. But as a general consensus, golfers will typically prefer a soft feeling ball that doesn’t resonate with a loud clang upon impact. Harder golf balls tend to produce this sound, making them relatively unsatisfying to feel against the end of your club.
Then there’s the issue of feedback. While a soft ball might feel better in terms of impact, it won’t produce as much vibration to tell you whether or not you hit the ball properly. Feedback is one of the most important factors in learning the proper swing. Letting you pick out the right sound and feeling that tells you when you hit the ball the right way. Often, a more experienced golfer will be able to tell whether or not they committed a mishit way before they even watch the ball hit the turf.
Harder balls give louder, stronger feedback, but softer ones feel better against the club. Again, it’s all a matter of preference. But for the most part, finding the middle ground should be the ultimate goal.
Now that we know the most essential specifics of your swing and preference, it’s time to figure out what kind of ball will match your style and performance. Again, it’s not necessary for lady golfers to stick with these specifics. But the majority of women might find them to be ideal for their play.
Scan the market and you’ll find that the common trend is softer golf balls, and there’s good reason for it. It is much more pleasant against the club. A low-compression golf ball can feel especially satisfying to hit, especially if you’re swinging at full force. But even then, there are other, more practical reasons why a lady golfer might want to consider the low-compression ball.
Softer golf balls compress more when struck. That means that the inner layers squeeze together when you hit the surface of the ball, kind of like a spring. This pent up energy is then released on the upswing, helping your ball launch forward with more speed and thus distance. For this reason, low-compression golf balls are the go to for lady golfers who generally swing at less than 90 mph off the tee.
There are no regulations when it comes to how many layers of material a golf ball can have. In fact, the rules of golf only specify a weight and diameter in describing a legal golf ball, which should be 45.93 grams and 42.67 mm respectively. That said, the entire golf ball manufacturing industry has developed every kind of golf ball construction imaginable. Incorporating a variety of layers and materials to change the way their golf balls respond at impact.
The most ideal golf balls for women are typically those that use two to three different layers. This construction is best known for its low compression and its low spin performance. On the average, golf balls that use more layers than this will tend to produce more spin. Therefore making them harder to launch forward in a straight path. Keep in mind though that a low handicap lady golfer might find a high spin golf ball a better choice. It really doesn’t depend on your biology than it does on your unique performance and play style.
One thing that a lot of golfers tend to forget is the angle of launch. When you take a swing at a ball off the tee, it’s important to make sure that you’re hitting the ball so that it rises into the air. The higher the launch angle, the farther the carry you stand to produce. That’s because balls that fly higher have a greater distance to the turf. Hence giving it more time to reach its destination before it finally lands. If a ball flies too low to the ground, it should be travelling at insanely fast speeds to cover the intended distance before making contact with the greenside turf.
Lady golfers who struggle to get their ball airborne may benefit from a moderate amount of spin off the tee box. That’s because the more a ball spins, the higher it can launch. Do keep in mind though that spin can also be a problem if what you want is straight flight. To get the best of both worlds however, there are some golf balls that are intended to minimize spin while launching your ball higher off the tee.
A golf ball’s coefficient of restitution pertains to how strong a ball’s rebound will be as it’s struck. A higher the coefficient of restitution means that during impact, energy transfer losses are smaller. Ergo a golf ball with a higher COR doesn’t put any of your force to waste. Maximizing the strength of your swing by translating as much of its energy into forward propulsion.
This can come in handy for women golfers who don’t necessarily swing with as much force. Petite ladies in particular - because of the reduced upper body muscle bulk - will find that golf balls with higher COR can level the playing field. Therefore making it easier for them to perform at par with other golfers on the course. To achieve this high COR, there are a variety of construction requirements that golf balls must have. These may include the following:
You probably thought all of those little dips on a golf ball’s surface served just the purpose of aesthetic. Or maybe they were to make sure the ball didn’t stick to earth and mud. But there’s actually an aerodynamic function to those little divots. Way back when golf balls were made of stitched leather stuffed with feathers, golfers found that they flew higher, faster, and farther after they’d been beaten up a bit.
Since then, golf balls started being made with dimples. Their purpose is to reduce the effect of drag on the ball in flight. As your ball launches through the air, a small pocket or ‘vacuum’ forms at its rear end. This is called drag, and it’s the result of the merging wind resistance that pushes against the face of your ball. The larger the vacuum, the stronger the drag, the more your ball gets pulled back.
The purpose of the dimples is to minimize the effect of the drag. As wind travels on the surface of the ball from the front towards the back. The dimples create a topography that makes the wind meet much closer together at the tail. The result is a tighter vacuum that limits the force of drag on your ball’s flight and distance. There are no rules on the kind of dimples a golf ball should have. But we have found that larger dimples that are shallower tend to perform much better at creating an aerodynamic ball.
Have you ever tried tracking a golf ball flying two-hundred something yards away at full speed? It’s not really that easy. High visibility golf balls can be a wonderful choice for women who don’t want to keep spending on a brand new batch every time they visit the course. These are painted in bright, neon or high contrast colors. High visibility balls are intended to make it easier for you to watch where your ball is going and to find it when it lands.
There are lots of various colors out there that make it much easier to track your ball in play. But aside from their functional benefit. High visibility golf balls can also look far more exciting and personalized than your average everyday white painted balls. From bright neon pinks, to reds, yellows, and everything in between, these golf balls will also typically have the option for customization. Which, let’s admit, tickles the fancy of most golfers.
Designed with spin reducing technology. The Wilson Golf Tour Velocity golf balls are intended to fly high and far with razor sharp precision. Its high energy core lies just within its thin outer covering. Serving the purpose of energy preservation for a heightened coefficient of restitution. The result is fast launch that’s at just the right angle to get your ball airborne for extended yards of carry.
Soft against your club. The Wilson Golf Tour Velocity Golf Balls are intended to maximize the power of your swing with its highly reactive low compression core. And with its spin reducing technology, these golf balls promise to fly straight forward. This will minimize the risk of slices and hooks that some women might have trouble with.
The TaylorMade Kalea Golf Balls are designed to fly high off the tee, getting your shot airborne with minimal effort from your end. This helps to launch your ball over longer carry. Augmenting your distance so you can play at par with everyone else on the course. Its high energy react core compresses like a high power spring. Preserving your energy upon impact and shooting the ball forward for explosive flight on the upswing.
Designed in a truly enticing pastel purple paint. The Kalea golf balls’ aesthetic isn’t just for the heck of it. This UV resistant matte cover minimizes the impact of sun fading on your ball, maintaining that brand new look and feel over the course of a longer period of usage. Plus, because the color does contrast quite nicely with the usual golf course terrain. The cover also improves visibility especially during daylight conditions.
Dubbed the softest ladies golf balls on the market. The Bridgestone Lady Precept Golf Balls tout a premium, pillow soft feel upon impact for ultra comfortable play and feedback. The two-piece construction uses a soft, thin outer covering in combination with a low compression core that both work together to optimize energy transfer from your club to the inside.
Using low-spin technology. The Bridgestone Lady Precept balls promise to minimize the risk of slices and hooks for a straight flight path off of the tee. And to help exaggerate distance, these golf balls incorporate 330 seamless dimples that work to improve aerodynamics for minimized drag.
Coming with an ultra-low compression of just 35. The Top-Flite Flawless Pearlescent White Golf Balls combine a soft ionomer cover with a low compression core to provide maximum reactive power to the force of your swing. Engineered for high launch and low spin. These golf balls aim for straight flight that gives you greater confidence off of the tee.
Offering intensely soft and comfortable feel. The Top-Flite Flawless Golf Balls use a 332 dimple pattern that helps to reduce the backward pull of air dynamics as your ball flies through the air. But what really sets them apart is their impressive greenside control. It provides players manageable performance that can make it a lot easier to navigate the turf on the approach.
Another hot pick from Bridgestone. The E6 Lady Golf Balls was engineered specifically for consistency. For the ladies out there that struggle to achieve the same results with each swing. The naturally forgiving golf ball makes it possible to produce more similar results with each hit. Distant, straight, and fast flight are just some of the possibilities with the E6’s intuitive construction.
Incorporating an ultra-soft low compression core. The E6 also has the upper hand in that it doesn’t produce that unpleasant clang against your club. When struck at full swing, this golf ball flies far and fast over a long carry distance thanks not only to its soft and reactive construction. It is also due to its intuitive cover pattern that works to reduce drag all around.
There’s a lot of reasons why a woman might want to buy lady-specific golf gear. By taking into account the abundance of statistics and research data that’s been conducted on male vs female performance. Manufacturers have come up with a range of gear that adapts specifically to the common lady golfer’s play.
The best golf balls for women don’t only help improve distance and reduce the risk for mishits. They level the playing field. By augmenting your performance, these golf balls can help you play as good as (or better than) the boys. Giving you an edge on the course for a truly competitive experience. If you’re out in search of the best of the best, we’ve found the Wilson Golf Tour Velocity golf balls to be particularly noteworthy. Bringing everything that makes a solid women’s golf ball to the table.
