Every golfer needs them, not every golfer understands them. So what are premium golf balls, anyway? And are they worth it for beginners?
I won’t sugarcoat it, buying golf balls is confusing. Especially for a beginner.
You walk into a store and there are endless palettes of perfect rectangular boxes stacked as if they were made for royalty. Each is packaged in a perfect glossy print that promises the tiny pearls inside to fly farther and straighter than the package on either side.
So what’s the difference? Is it really worth it to buy the $50 premium golf balls when the $25 ones look unmistakably identical?
For that, let’s take a look at what a “premium” golf ball actually is.
What is a Premium Golf Ball?
The simplest explanation I can give is that it’s a golf ball played on the PGA Tour.
The more complicated version is it’s a golf ball with multiple layers and a urethane cover. The layers are designed to increase spin, and urethane covers create a soft lining over an otherwise firm core which helps increase ball speed on longer shots while maintaining short game touch.
Titleist has the most recognizable premium lineup, but they’re definitely not the only name in the game. Every premium golf ball is tailored to a slightly different type of player so their is surely one that will fit your game. The hard question is finding the one that’s right for you and deciding if it’s worth the extra cost.
Characteristics of Premium Golf Balls?
Five things stand out as characteristics of premium golf balls. Of course, they have higher prices, but there’s plenty of merit for it. “You get what you pay for,” is a cliche that exists for a reason, but what exactly are you getting from premium golf balls?
Increased Spin
Almost every premium golf ball will have more spin. Being made for professionals means these balls need spin because they need to be able to stop on firm and fast surfaces.
Unfortunately, this also means balls will spin more if you slice or hook a shot, but they can control that better than us mortals.
This does mean you need to be able to control your shots, or at least know your shot shape well enough to adjust to the added spin. However, it also means you’ll benefit from the added spin around the greens and you’ll have extra stopping power compared to lesser grade golf balls.
Firmer
Premium golf balls are made for tour players. What do tour players need more than anything else in the current state of golf? Distance.
What’s the easiest way to increase distance? Play a firmer golf ball.
It is no coincidence that the firmest golf ball on the market (Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash) is also the one with the highest ball speed of the club.
Not every premium golf ball will be quite as firm as the rest, though. There is a wide variety of compression ratings for premium golf balls starting in the low-80s and going as high as the low-100s with higher ratings being firmer.
For a point of reference, the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash measures as one of the firmest balls with a compression rating between 100 and 105, the beloved Titleist Pro V1 comes in between 85 and 90, and the amateur renowned Callaway Supersoft measures in the 40s.
If you have ever hit a Supersoft, you know exactly how buttery soft it feels and how that could convince anyone to start playing them. However, it’s also an indicator that it’s not a premium golf ball. It might be the perfect ball for what you’re looking for, I’m just saying you won’t see it out there in a PGA Tour event.
One last thing on golf ball firmness. You should never choose a golf ball based on feel. Feel is great, but it’s overrated.
Urethane Cover
Did someone say something about feel?
For all the touting I just gave about tour balls being firmer, there is one piece of premium golf balls that is soft. Their covers. Virtually every premium golf ball is made with a urethane cover.
The primary reason for this is during the manufacturing process. Urethane is easier to heat and reheat to get the desired shape and thickness. The added control in the manufacturing process is also aided by increased durability which inevitably costs more to make.
We see this increased price on the back end as a consumer, but it does mean we are playing a more durable golf ball that will lend to more consistent results.
The softer feel of urethane also leads to an increase in spin on shorter shots. Chips and pitches mean you’re not swinging as hard and therefore putting less force into compressing the ball. For those reasons, urethane helps give you the extra oomph to spin the ball and stop it where you need it.
Multiple Layers
Every golf ball has multiple layers. But premium golf balls have at least three with the Taylormade TP5 and TP5x having 5.
Core: The job of the core is to generally control the firmness of the ball. It is the largest piece of any golf ball and will control most of your ability to compress the ball. Manufacturers have gotten very good with core technology and can now make a “graduated” core which gradually changes the density while still being one solid piece. This allows them to control the golf ball characteristics more. With that said, the Pro V1x is a rare breed that still uses a dual-core design and I’d say it still works pretty well for Titleist.
Intermediate layers: You can think of these as your spin layers. When you hit full shots, especially with lofted clubs, you can imagine these layers being able to move independently from one another and sliding across each other to help create spin. All premium golf balls have at least one of these intermediate layers, but some have as many as three and they are extremely thin. Like millimeter thin.
Cover: This is the urethane cover I mentioned above. Every ball needs an outer layer that will come in contact with the club face. So far, urethane is the best we’ve got and it aids in creating short-game spin while also elevating the durability of premium golf balls.
Durability and Consistency
When you buy a box of golf balls, you would hope all dozen are the exact same. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
There is an element of, “you get what you pay for,” when it comes to golf balls. Lucky for you, premium golf balls are made with premium materials. I.e. urethane covers.
Part of this is to assure that is ball plays as similarly as the next one on the assembly line. This also leads to durability enhancements as well. While many of us will lose a golf ball before it ever gets too warn to play, it’s also nice to know you can hit a tree, or a cart path, and not scuff your golf ball.
“Thank you urethane.”
Are Premium Golf Balls Worth The Price?
In a word, yes. But it might be more complicated than that.
There’s a reason premium golf balls cost more and the added cost has a direct correlation to performance and durability.
HOWEVER!
We’re all amateurs… Golf is our outlet, not our living.
Will premium golf balls give you a better chance to shoot lower scores? Yes.
Will they cost you more money? Yes.
Will you lose said golf balls at some point? Yes.
If your goal is to enjoy a weekend round amongst buddies and beers with no regard for your score, premium balls are not for you. Go buy a dozen Titleist Velocity balls and call it a day.
If you are a golf sicko, guilty as charged, premium balls are what can help give you bragging rights over your closest friends. I won’t sit here and tell you that’s worth the extra cost… but it is.
Best Premium Golf Balls
The best premium golf golf ball is the ball that’s best for you and your game. I highly suggest you test them out yourself and see which one fits your game best, but here are some suggestions on where to start.
The Pro V1 is a ball I would recommend for anyone venturing into the premium golf ball category. It has been the gold standard for all-around golf balls for two decades and keeps improving. It won’t be the longest, it won’t spin the most, but it will give you enough of everything without sacrificing one feature in favor of another.
Seems silly to recommend two balls from the same brand, but Titleist is not your normal golf ball brand. Nor is the Pro V1x a normal golf ball. It is the spinner, higher-flying version of its Pro V1 sibling. So for those who struggle to get the ball in the air or desire more spin around the greens, give the Pro V1x a try.
Better yet, test the Pro V1 and Pro V1x against each other to see how each could benefit you.
Bridgestone doesn’t get enough attention for how good their golf balls are and the Tour B X is no exception. It’s on the firmer side of premium balls which will give you some extra ball speed off the tee and increase your distance. It combines this with an exceptional spin game to help with more control on those pesky pitch and chip shots.
And if for no other reason, Tiger plays it.
They’ve done it. Callaway has finally made a golf ball to stand toe-to-toe with the Pro V1. Golf ball development has been on a roller coaster the last decade or so, but this seems to be the generation that they’ve been building up for. Callaway has firmly positioned themselves behind Titleist in the golf ball race and the Chrome Tour is their unofficial shot at the king. And if you ask me, Titleist should be paying attention.
Want premium without the price? The Maxfli Tour is your answer. Positioned firmly in the Direct-to-Consumer marketplace you won’t find a better all-around golf ball option for the price. Currently sitting at just $39.99, they are poised to be the David to everyone’s Goliath in the golf ball market.
Premium Golf Balls: Final Thoughts
Are premium golf balls worth it?
Ehhh, it depends. Premium golf balls will undoubtedly give you better, more consistent performance. However, they come at a much higher price point than other golf ball options. In other words, if you are just learning the game, or scoring is not your number one priority, you may be better off with other options.
If you want to dabble in the “best of both worlds” category, I would definitely recommend the Direct-to-Consumer options like the Maxfli Tour or Vice Pro. Both, as well as others, give you performance that competes with the big brands while saving your wallet.
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