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Back in the day, the only way for a golfer to get better at the game would be to practice, practice, practice. But with such intensive research going into the development of golf gear, high handicappers now have access to all sorts of golfing essentials that can augment their performance. So if you want to improve your game without having to spend hours and hours practicing, then it might be intuitive to buy the right gear.
The best golf balls for high handicappers are designed in such a way that minimizes the risk of all sorts of mishits. While traveling long distances to reduce the number of shots you’d have to make between the tee and the putting green. This way, even a golfer with a 10 handicap or greater can perform impressively on the course by using a dynamic and forgiving ball that adapts to dampen weaknesses and amplify strengths.
The used golf ball market has boomed in recent years to offer golfers cheaper alternatives to brand new balls. Also this is to address the growing issues relating to environmental preservation. These used balls are collected from golf courses and then sorted and lumped together based on a variety of factors. This includes brand, cover quality, and color, among others.
In some cases, used golf balls can also be refurbished. This process entails blasting off the outermost cover and then repainting the balls so they look brand new. While they’ll definitely appear more presentable than the used balls that have simply been washed and sorted, there are a vast number of players who question the quality of the refurbished cover and the illusion of quality that it provides.
All that said, should a high handicapper buy used golf balls? That really depends. While used golf balls can be practical and affordable for practice play, there are certain qualities that beginners should look for in a golf ball to make sure it’s going to be beneficial for their game. And because used golf balls are often lumped together in loose categories, it could be tough to find a set that includes all the same ball with all the same specifications.
Simply put, a high handicapper may benefit from a used golf ball for swing practice and driving. But for on the course performance and dedicated practice play, it would be wise to just buy a set of brand new balls and invest in a golf ball retriever.
The golf balls of old were made of imperfectly rounded beech wood, and thus we can deduce that they probably didn’t perform too great. Later on, they were changed to leather balls that were stuffed with bird feathers. These provided more suitable performance on the course by softening the feel against the club and launching higher and farther during the drive.
Needless to say, the golf balls of modern times have come a long way from the rudimentary balls golfers used to play with. And today, the vast selection of golf balls provides varied construction and performance that caters to every kind of golfer on the course.
LAYER COUNT | CONSTRUCTION | PERFORMANCE |
|---|---|---|
2-piece | A thin solid layer covers a single core material | Developed for low spin rate, especially during full swing for straighter flight and reduced risk of hooks & slices |
3-piece | Consists of a thin, usually soft outer layer, a mantle and a core. Most tour-grade golf balls use 3-piece construction | Designed to produce high spin rates on the greenside. 3-piece golf balls with softer internal layers may also behave like 2-piece balls off the tee |
4-piece | Another common choice for tour-quality golf ball designs, these balls incorporate a thin outer layer, two mantle layers of varying densities and a solid or liquid core | Most advanced performance intended to give golfers more control of the trajectory of the ball. Opens up opportunity for more complicated techniques like shaping, draws and fades |
5-piece | Features similar construction to the 4-piece ball with another added mantle of varying density and material | Offers greater spin separation than all of the other balls on the chart. Provides more opportunities for specific ball techniques that might be beneficial to more advanced players |
The best golf balls for the average golfer would have to fall within the 2 or 3-piece category. Offering ease of control and substantial distance, these balls might not be ideal for some of the more advanced tricks and techniques. But they can correct common mishits that high handicappers are known to commit, like slices and hooks.
Nearly effortless to use, 2 and 3-piece golf balls can give you the necessary overview of golf ball physics. They’re simplified and they can help you produce substantial distance off the tee even if you’ve yet to master high swing speed and power.
Every golf ball is made different, and all of these distinct properties adapts their performance to match the style and skill of the player at the end of the club. For high handicappers, there are some pretty specific key features that a golf ball should have in order to help a player achieve better results on the course. These include:
In a sense, you could say a low compression golf ball is wound looser on the inside. The purpose of the design would be to make the ball more reactive to force. This is by compressing the internal material more readily even if the force acting on it isn’t too strong or fast. This makes it ideal for high handicappers who might not be able to swing with the kind of speed or strength that advanced players are capable of.
Spin isn’t inherently a bad thing. In fact, with the right kind of control, spin can be an indispensable tool for maneuvering challenges around the course. But because high handicappers might not have the skill to fully leverage the benefits of spin, a low spin golf ball can guarantee straighter paths that do away with the risk of mishits like slices and hooks.
As your ball flies through the air, the wind resistance that pushes on its front creates a vacuum over its rear end. This is called drag, and it works against your ball to pull it back as it moves forward. Drag can significantly reduce the distance that your golf ball travels, so an aerodynamic design that reduces the power of drag can also help bring your ball farther.
Achieving aerodynamic design depends on the dimple patterns on your golf ball’s face. Presently, there are no guidelines that police the kind of dimples that a legal golf ball should have. But according to experts, balls that have shallower, larger dimples tend to be more capable of minimizing the size of the vacuum that drags the ball backwards.
Lots of beginner golfers tend to think that higher prices mean better performance. And while that might be true to some extent, it’s equally important to consider the chances of being able to retrieve a ball on a course. Water bunkers, hazards, and thick rough can make it impossible to reach a ball even with an extended golf ball retriever.
And of course, there’s the risk of really just losing sight of your ball all together. Even the best mid price golf balls can become a worthy investment for a high handicapper, especially if you can’t guarantee whether or not you’d be able to manage their trajectory to make them easier to retrieve.
Ever tried tracking a ball with your naked eye as it travels several hundred yards away against a confusing backdrop of varying textures and colors? Exactly. The beginner golfer’s eye might not be as keen as a pro’s, and thus it becomes easier to lose sight of a ball. Unless you were interested in having to repurchase a new batch of balls every so often. High visibility golf balls can make it easier to spot your ball from a distance.
What exactly should a high handicapper be interested in achieving with the right kind of golf ball? To answer that, it would be important to consider the typical weaknesses of a high handicapper. In casting light on these usual shortcomings, it becomes easier to figure out what the golf ball of choice should be able to improve.
Statistics have found that the higher a golfer’s handicap, the shorter their driver distance becomes. We've found that while a player with a handicap of 6 or less would average a driving distance of around 236 yards, those with a handicap of 21 or higher would average just 188 yards - almost 50 yards less.
Recognizing this weakness highlights the importance of a golf ball that can produce more distance even if you don’t necessarily hit it with the highest swing speed or strength. Low compression designs are built exactly for that purpose, acting like a spring by compressing dramatically upon impact and then launching forward with better speed and power, and thus distance.
As a beginner, you might find it tough to really fine-tune your swing to launch a ball where you want it to go. And then of course factors like side spin join in on the mix and make it almost impossible to fully control your ball’s trajectory. For this reason, most high handicappers tend to benefit best from golf balls that have the lowest spin rate off the tee and anywhere else on the green.
A low spin golf ball will launch relatively straight and far, minimizing the potential for errors like slices and hooks which are all too common for beginner’s striking from the tee box. Of course, that also means you might have to sacrifice spin on the greenside which could be helpful in getting out of bunkers. But the logic is that as long as you can keep your ball on the move throughout the fairway with relative control of its trajectory, then you might also be in a better position to avoid bunkers all together.
Some golf balls can feel pretty dense and firm, releasing a terrible clang upon impact. Not only are these balls loud, but they also feel horrible during full swing shots. For a beginner, the unpleasant noise and feedback can be disenchanting. This may even be the cause for a player’s poor performance.
Aside from being low compression, golf balls can feel softer against a club when they use softer materials. Surlyn covers are known to be particularly pleasant to hit, generating a delicate pop sound that can really make the entire experience a lot more satisfying. Thin cover construction can also help improve feel, especially if the outermost layer is followed by a softer mantle material.
The Callaway Supersoft golf balls are some of the lowest compression balls you’ll find. With a compression rating of 38, or zero on the PGA Compression Scale, these two-piece balls feel like clouds against your club. Offering excellent feel and control, the ultra low-compression, low-spin golf balls are designed to help you achieve fast, straight, and consistent flight off the tee.
Around the green, these balls showcase a vital function that many beginners will often overlook - shot-stopping spin. The design’s greenside performance permits just enough spin to get out bunkers, but also works for impressive drop-and-stop ability that keeps the ball grounded on the turf once it makes landing after the approach.
With a compression rating of 50, the Bridgestone Golf E12 golf balls can feel especially soft during full swings, producing a satisfying sound off of the tee. But even with their impressive feel, these golf balls are manufactured for distance, using an Active Acceleration Mantle that improves thrust and speed for higher initial ball velocity the moment you strike it with your club.
Covered in the Bridgestone brand’s Delta Dimple pattern, the E12 golf balls work to minimize drag by smoothening out the wind patterns that graze over its surface. Together with its ability to neutralize side spin off the tee, these golf balls can help you launch your ball farther and faster over a straighter course of travel.
The TaylorMade Tour Response Golf Balls are the brand’s attempt at creating a ball design that can adapt to all the various levels of experience that golfers on a course might have. With a compression rating of 40, these can be the best golf balls for 20 handicappers while still serving their purpose in the hands of a pro. That’s mainly because of the fact that they incorporate anatomy that helps them achieve impressive greenside spin to help players get out of bunkers and hazards.
But even then, these balls aim to minimize spin on long range shots. With pillowy soft feel off of the tee box, the TaylorMade Tour Response Golf Balls use a combination of elastic materials that make them compress aggressively when hit to conserve momentum and release that pent up power during the launch.
The two-piece Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls were specifically designed for players with swing speeds of just over 70 mph, making them the best golf balls for an 18 handicapper or over. Also falling within the low-compression end of the spectrum, these balls tout a slightly higher rating at 72 but still produce especially satisfying feel when launched from the tee.
Speaking of which, these balls are also capable of incredibly long distances, generating a naturally higher launch angle to curb the struggle of players who have a hard time getting their ball airborne. Covered in 344 of what the brand calls Speed Dimples, the Srixon Soft Feel Golf Ball flies higher, faster, and farther by reducing the drag that trails behind it during travel.
Not to be outdone by the competition, one of the biggest names in the golf ball market has also released their own version of a low compression ball. The Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls tout a 65 compression rating that strikes with a nice balance of feedback and feel. Off the tee box, these golf balls feel incredibly soft, leaving a nice, satisfying resonance vibrating through your club shaft.
Intended to bridge the gap between a high handicapper and an advanced golfer, the dynamic performance that the Titleist Tour Soft Golf Ball brings makes it the perfect choice if you’re looking for something that can grow with you. While it works to minimize sidespin off the tee to help max out your distance, these balls also handle well in the hands of a player who knows how to hit a ball to produce the kind of spin needed for greenside short-game.
There’s a lot to gain out of making sure you’re using the right gear whenever you play. In fact, there might not actually be a lot of high handicappers if golfers were just a little more careful with their choice of gear. The best golf balls for high handicappers can be an inexpensive solution against striking too many hits above par.
Based on our research, the Callaway Supersoft can be the perfect companion for a high handicapper who’s only just beginning to learn the ropes. Soft, easy to control, and naturally forgiving, these golf balls can make a pro out of any novice golfer.
