Regular Golf Club

The golf ball is the one piece of equipment you are using on every shot. PGA Tour pros will play the same ball for years, even asking manufacturers to ship the past models that they like more than current models. Many amateur players will play whatever ball the find, are given, or whatever is on sale.

We posed the question to the folks in our Discord chat: When should you start caring about playing a “good” golf ball?

Ron, 4.8 Handicap – I would say you should start using a performance golf ball, or being consciously aware of what ball you’re playing once you start consistently losing less than a sleeve of balls per round. Yes, good players will have a day where they lose a few, but I’m talking a regular round at your normal public course that isn’t full of hazards. If you take golf even mildly seriously, this doesn’t mean to go play whatever Nitro, Bomb or other junk out there, but maybe until you reach that point, play a “budget” option from a name brand. I do think players should look into a better ball earlier than they think. But when a box of ProV1s or similar runs over $55 for a dozen of them, if you’re dropping $15+ in the woods/water/weeds every time out, unless you’re well off, you’re wasting money. But if you’re dead set on playing a ProV1 or similar, maybe seek out recycled ones, or DTC balls like Maxfli or Vice, where you can get a dozen for around $30 rather than the $55+ price tag in stores.

@Roscone, 15 Handicap – I’m at the point where I can see and feel the difference between a nice ball and a cheap one, but it’s not significant enough of a difference yet that I will pay for the good ones. I’ll happily play used Pro V1s I get from a guy that cleans and sells them, but I’d never consider buying them new. The key there, for me, is when you know you can shape your shot, but you feel shots failing to move the way you expect when using the cheap balls. Once I can reliably shape my shot, I may change my mind on that point, but that time is not now.

Ryan (“Hollywood” Ben Hogan), 24 Handicap – After playing whatever I could snag for awhile, I decided it was time to narrow that down just to remove a variable in my game. Consistency, not a great ball, but at least a good one. I like a ball that’s forgiving enough for someone with a handicap in the 20s that feels good to hit and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I eventually settled into the Callaway Supersoft for that reason. It’s typically less than $30 for a dozen, and they feel good coming off the club and hold up alright in wind. At this point, I don’t need anything more than that.

Eric, From Online, 19 handicap – Much like my phone friends Ryan & Roscone, I am the same – 19~ handicap who can still manage to play well around the greens so a 3-piece ball is usually what I try to play with. I have not purchased golf balls in well over 10 years because we lived on a public golf course and I have a huge collection of high end balls of every brand imaginable, so I truly have no brand loyalty. If push came to shove, I would say the ball I enjoy playing with the most and seems to fit my game / swing speed / softness around the greens is a Titleist AVX. Still would never drop 50~ bucks on a dozen of them new, however.

Keiser, 9.4 Handicap – If you are trying to play better/score better, I think playing the right ball is a good step forward. It does, in fact, matter. If you are just crushing beers and whacking balls, just play whatever. I’m a very high spin player, so I require a low spin ball. I prefer Titleist, and I don’t mind playing $1/more per ball. If I were to play with a higher spin ball like Pro V1x, I spin the ball off the planet. This includes drives, and approach with an iron. I don’t want my 7i to spin off the green.

Mike G in MD – When you can more or less feel comfortable you won’t hit it in the water. When you’re noticeably losing strokes with your short game.

Xthrubyx, 4 Handicap – I started playing a “good” golf ball when I was like an 11 handicap and decided I wanted to play a lot and get better. If you want to enjoy your round, play whatever the hell you want; if you’re looking to get better, golf ball consistency is a thing I think people overlook. That doesn’t mean it needs to be a GREAT golf ball, but it should be a decent one. There are thousands of articles about which ball fits you best. Start there and tinker. Not enough people tinker. Tinkering is what makes golf great. I personally play the higher end Vice balls, which I consider a “good” golf ball, and have played them for years.

GamecockColonel – Here’s the first step when someone is trying: “I have a designated water/hard tee shot ball” Because once you stop doing that, you kind of care about what you’re playing. Plus, to me, when you’re playing with new balls I feel like I’m caring more because no one wants to “lose a new/$$ ball.” My day to day remains the Maxfli Tour X. When I’m really playing in a tournament or a cash game or posting a number it’s going to be a pro v or TP5.

Bpofsu – I am the most casual of casual golfers, but with golf being so mental, I feel like I play better with a ball that I “like”. I am not good enough to really tell the difference between balls, so I feel like by choosing a better ball(not the best, but at least a name brand ball that comes well recommended), it helps the game in my head better than it actually helps my golfing.

@yachtr0cker.bsky.social – I think it’s never too soon to play a ball that fits your game. ‘Good’ is subjective and doesn’t mean expensive. If you need more distance or height or spin, there is a ball that helps out there and you should find one.

David Duval Burner, 12 Handicap – I’m somewhere around a 12 handicap and have never felt like I earned the right to care deeply about gear. My problems on the golf course are primarily psychological. No new club or ball will fix my mental weakness and emotional immaturity. Until I get a couple years deeper into therapy, I will stick with Something Better Than A Top-Flite. I’ve found that playing the same ball consistently helps me with feel around the greens more than flipping back and forth between different brands, even if those balls are technically better than the one I play consistently.

Walker, Scratch Handicap – I play the TP5x as a scratch player and my dad plays the Tour Response as approximately an 8-10 handicapper. This seems right to me? if you break 80 consistently I feel it’s paramount to have a High End Ball that fits your game as well as possible. outside of that, I still recommend fitting, but for a less expensive option like Vice/Maxfli/Wilson

Could I play the Maxfli tour ball and be fine? Yes. But it’s not as good of a fit for my specific style as the TP5x, and I’m insane about my golf game.