So you’re just beginning to get into the beautiful game of golf. You’ve purchased or received a set of golf clubs. You’ve got a golf bag to put them in. You’ve got a new pair of golf shoes, some apparel, some tees, hats, and gloves. Now all you need to round out your game are golf balls to play with and you don’t know which ones to buy.
When golf beginners are looking for the best golf ball for them, they usually are overwhelmed by the many options and variety. Do I need a soft ball? A hard ball? How much spin do I need to create? What do all of these buzzwords mean? Or if you’ve had a few rounds under your belt with some friends and realized that you’ve lost about a dozen balls in each round you’ve played so far, you may be looking for a cheaper alternative. The good news is that your journey as a golfer is underway and we want to share the best golf balls for beginners.
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What Factors Beginners Should Consider When Choosing a Golf Ball
When picking out a golf ball as a beginner, you need to consider a few different factors depending on your personal situation. The factors you need to consider when choosing your new default ball are
- Spin Reduction
- Distance
- Feel
- Price
Spin Reduction:
As your game develops, spin will actually become a good thing. If done correctly and used properly, spin can help your drives go further by creating top spin. It can also make your wedges and irons “check up”. If you’ve ever seen a professional zip the ball backwards after it hits the green on an approach shot, it is because they are putting tremendous backspin on the ball. However, when you’re just starting out or are an average weekend golfer, spin is usually a bad thing, particularly off the tee box.
Most beginners struggle keeping the ball straight, with the most common error being a slice off the tee. Your drive starts straight and then seems to accelerate away from you (off to the right if you’re a righty and to the left if you’re a lefty). This is a result of the club face cutting across the ball or being left open at contact creating extra sideways or backwards spin which is resulting in missed fairways and costing you a lot of yardage off the tee.
For more information on picking a ball that helps with a slice, check out our article on the Best Golf Balls for a Slice
Distance:
We get it. You’re new to the game. Your friends have been playing for years. It isn’t always the greatest feeling when your friends are hitting the ball 40 yards further than you off of the tee. Don’t sweat. It likely isn’t a result of your lack of strength or power but most likely is your swing mechanics. As your swing becomes more consistent, you’ll be amazed by how quickly you gain yardage from where you started. Picking the right golf ball can help with distance too. Because golf balls are made from all types of materials, the differences can be fairly significant. Some golf balls are more compressed than others which will impact how much the ball launches off the club face.
For more information on picking a ball that focuses on distance, check out our article on the Best Golf Balls for Distance.
Feel:
If you’re a beginner, the difference between a “great” golf ball and a “good” golf ball will likely be very hard to tell. Those small nuances at the top of the food chain are usually only felt by the best of the best. But even an average golfer can tell if a ball feels soft or hard. Sometimes you notice it by the feel of it in your hands. Other times you can hear if a ball is hard (if you’ve ever hit an old Top Flite you’ll know what we’re referring to!) Picking a ball that feels right while also checking off the other variables on our list is crucial.
More often than not, when we’re discussing “feel”, it is correlated with low compression. A golf ball’s compression rating essentially means how much the golf ball deforms or compresses at impact. The lower the compression rating, the more it compresses at impact. This allows for a “softer” feel. Golfers with average to below-average swing speeds should use low compression balls to help with distance and feel. The higher the ball’s compression rating is, the faster you need to swing to get the ball to compress. This is why elite golfers can play with high compression rating golf balls and average golfers are advised to use golf balls with lower compression.
For more on this topic, visit our full List of Golf Balls by Compression Rating
Price:
The last one might be the most important of the bunch depending on your situation. Even if money isn’t a problem, I wouldn’t encourage anyone to spend a bunch of money on fancy golf balls if they’re just going to end up in the woods or water after a few swings. On the flipside, there’s trying to save too much money on golf balls and you end up hitting something that seems resemblant of a small rock. It won’t help your game and you’ll likely only get more frustrated. Striking that balance between quality and affordability is key.
Our Recommendations for the Best Golf Balls for Beginners:
Wilson Staff Fifty Elite
- Compression Rating: 50 (Low)
- Hard / Soft: Soft
- Colors Available: White, Yellow, Green, and Orange
What we love: The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite is the perfect balance of all the attributes we think are important when looking for a golf ball as a beginner. The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite has a compression rating of 50 making it a softer ball which is great for a beginner when your swing speed may not be as fast and you could use some added distance. Coming in below $15 a dozen, the price is almost impossible to beat and you won’t feel guilty if you lose one. You probably won’t lose one though because these balls come in a variety of colors including white, yellow, green, orange, and red. This golf ball features unique flat bottomed, shallow dimples that are supposed to create a more stable ball flight. What stands out to us with this ball is the feel you get. Typically for a golf ball at this price range, you’re sacrificing some feel and this ball feels incredible off the face of your club.
Srixon Soft Feel
- Compression Rating: 71 (Low to Mid)
- Hard / Soft: Soft
- Colors Available: White, Yellow, Green
Srixon’s soft feel golf ball is one of the best golf balls for beginners looking for a little help off the tee. This ball was designed by Srixon to have slightly compression than normal off of the tee at a price that isn’t too hard to swallow. Srixon claims that the dimple design of this ball helps mitigate side spin which is great for golfers who are struggling with a slice off the tee. Srixon’s Soft Feel is designed with a slightly thinner outer layer of the ball which helps improve the feel as well. For those that like a colored golf ball, they are also available in yellow.
Titleist DT TruSoft
- Compression Rating: 60 (Low)
- Hard / Soft: Soft
- Colors Available: White, Yellow
The Titleist DT Trusoft was designed with the average golfer in mind. It’s the softest feeling Titleist that was designed to provide superior distance for players. Its TruFlex cover was designed to minimize spin on longer shots which should help you keep it straight off the tee. Still below $20 a dozen, these are a solid entry choice for new golfers.
Pinnacle Soft Feel
- Compression Rating: Mid 40s (Low)
- Hard / Soft: Soft
- Colors Available: White
While most golf brands sell golf balls by the dozen, Pinnacle is known for their 15 packs of golf balls. That extra sleeve can come in handy if you’re having a long day on a course with a lot of water or hazards! While Pinnacle isn’t as highly regarded of a brand name, they specialize in making affordable golf balls for the average player. The Pinnacle Soft Feel was awarded a Silver Rating on Golf Digest’s 2018 Hot List for hits performance and value.
Wilson Staff Zip
- Compression Rating: Unknown (But Very Low)
- Hard / Soft: Soft
- Colors Available: White
Another great ball from Wilson. The Wilson Staff Zip’s are known for their low compression, extremely soft ionomer blend which is supposed to reduce spin off the tee. If you’re slicing or losing yardage from backspin, these should help mitigate those negative repercussions. Offering tremendous value at only $20 for 2 dozen golf balls, these are a great value play for beginners.
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