The ideal golf ball is one that matches your style of play and your swing.
Today’s golf balls have been the subject of rigorous testing and advanced engineering. Even the cheapest balls have benefited from the knowledge gained in developing high-performance golf balls.
Different balls just feel different - some feel right from the start, others take practice. Different ball densities or spins are due to the type of cover material and the density of the material inside the golf ball itself. You want to match every facet of the golf ball with your levels of skill and your swing tendencies.
First, you want to choose the right compression golf ball. Compression is a measurement of how tightly wound the ball. The compression comes into play especially when it depends on your swing speed. If you have a slower swing speed, for instance, you’ll want a lower compression. The faster your speed, the higher the compression you’ll want.
Overall, the compression ratings are broken down into three groupings.
- There’s the 80 and under compression balls. These tend to be the softest, so they produce what is essentially a sling shot effect when you hit them. They fly farther, but they are harder to control. For their distance alone, though, these balls tend to be gobbled up by women, senior, and junior players.
- The next compression rating is 90. Because they are middle of the road - soft enough to provide distance even on a slower swing, but hard enough to provide better control - these golf balls work for most male players in a golf ball comparison. They are also great choices for more advanced female players.
- The last compression rating is 100. Because these are the hardest balls, they require fast swing speeds for top performance. This factor, and their high level of control, make them perfect fits for low handicap and scratch players.
The cheapest golf balls are designed for average golfers and use less expensive but somewhat more durable covers and offer lower compression ratings. Folks want distance and that’s what the cheaper balls offer.
Do your own golf ball comparison. Take a few of each compression out to a driving range and test them for yourself to see which works best for you. Pay special attention to the distance each achieves and how much control you have over the final destination.
Golf balls may be small in size but they are critical to how well you play the game.


May 21st, 2006 at 8:00 pm
What is the compression of a Pro V1 and Pro V1x? Also what are the Noodles and Laddies etc?
Thanks
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Sorry, I’m not really sure what the compression rating is for these balls. You might want to check the manufacturer’s website: http://www.titleist.com/
July 6th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
Most sites represent that compression does NOT affect distance but affects “feel”. Most represent that an 80 compression ball will go exactly as far as a “100″ compression ball and that the “myth” that there is a correlation between compression and distance has been disproven. You apparently disagree with this newer interpretation. Are you aware of the counter point of view and are there data which allow resolution to the issue?
July 7th, 2006 at 11:59 am
I’m not really a golf ball engineer and I don’t have the data you would like to see. I just added another post on Golf Ball Ratings where I suggest taking a look at the May 2006 Consumer Reports study of golf balls. It’s online and worth a look. I notice the report compared balls for distance, spin, and feel - but not compression rating. I find it interesting that golf ball manufacturers offer so little information on their sites about compression ratings. Perhaps it’s not so important afterall — or maybe it’s a carefully guarded trade secret. Go figure…