Equipment: Picking the right ball: Editors' Blog: Golf Digest

Equipment: Picking the right ball

Monday, August 9, 2010 Comments

You'll get a look at a lot of golf ball commercials this week during the PGA Championship. But what about your game? We have reviewed the new offerings in the 2010 Golf Ball Hot List. We still get questions, almost always about fitting a ball to an average amateur's game. The latest:

What is it with golf balls? They all claim to be longer, softer, better feel, etc. At one time they were just hard or soft. How does somebody like me with a slow swing and low trajectory pick a ball? Also, why change so often?

Lloyd Brown, Jacksonville, FL

Stina Sternberg, a Golf Digest senior editor and one of the Hot List judges, replies:

I agree that the messages on the various ball packages tend to sound the same and tht trying to find the right ball can be utterly confusing. But it's not all marketing mumbo-jumbo. There's a lot of beneficial technology in golf balls these days. A lot of golf balls out there really do go longer while feeling soft and spinning pretty well. Still, in order to activate all the layers in the products that can perform like four different balls in one [balls such as Titleist ProV1/V1x, Nike One Tour/tourD, TaylorMade Penta, Bridgestone B330, the Srixon Z-Star and Callaway i(s)/i(z], you need a fast clubhead speed. And while these balls can still work for slower swingers (especially around the greens, where even a slow swing can get spin out of a urethan-covered ball) forking over the $40-plus they cost per dozen is really a waste of money. I'd recommend that you forego that category and look at the second-tier balls instead (priced $25 5o $35). These balls are typically made with two- or three-piece construction, but still have soft cores and a soft covers. In order for a slow swinger to get more distance out of a shot, you need a ball with a core that's soft enough for you to compress, and a dimple pattern that promotes lift (because height equals distance for slower swingers). If I were you, I'd try out any of the balls recommended in this category on the 2010 Golf Ball Hot List. If your swing speed is below 80 miles per hour and your trajectory really low, you might also want to consider some of the balls designed for women, since they have the softest cores and really promote a high ball flight. Here are some examples. Don't worry about bruising your ego; playing with these would is one of the trendiest things a male golfer can do these days.

--Bob Carney