Are Premium Golf Balls Worth It? Price vs Performance? 2021 Balls Tested
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Testing Methodology: Each ball was struck 5 times with driver and PW with any particularly poor strikes re-taken. Average readings from Flightscope Mevo are shown below.
11
models tested
2
hours of testing
$55
average price
Introduction
With a dozen golf balls costing anywhere from $20-$75 maybe you’ve asked yourself is it worth paying the extra to get a premium ball like the Titleist Pro V1.
I’m going to run you through the reasons why you might want to use tour balls and also why they may not be right for you.
Let’s take a look at the reasons why you might want to fork out $4 (or more) per ball.
Pros of Premium Golf Balls
Feel
Feel is a subjective measure. I have played golf with people who claim they can’t tell the difference between different types of balls.
Personally, I find that a little hard to believe as a cheap two-piece ball feels massively different from a premium three, four or even five-piece ball.
Hitting wedge shots, chip shots and putting is much better, I find, with a better quality golf ball.
Compression
This is a measure of how hard it is to deform the ball at impact. It will form a major part of how the ball feels. The rule of thumb is that the slower your swing speed then the lower compression ball you need to select.
Premium quality balls tend to be higher compression since they are designed for better players. They will usually have a higher swing speed.
Distance
Premium balls are not necessarily going to be the very longest however they will offer the best compromise between distance and spin.
Since good players will generally not have an issue with distance anyway they don’t need a ball that maximizes this aspect of its performance.
Spin
Better golfers will be able to impart more spin with iron shots on a premium ball than they would with a cheaper ball. Especially those with higher swing speeds.
This will help greatly with their approach play and short game. They will be able to access more difficult hole locations than they might with a lower-quality ball.
Cons of Premium Golf Balls
Price
The biggest downside, for most people, with using premium golf balls is their price.
Titleist Pro V1s will sell for around $50 per dozen. Equivalent balls from other manufacturers will be around that price point.
If you’re the sort of player that is losing three or more balls per round then you could be racking up a hefty bill just to replace the balls you lost.
You don’t want to be feeling stressed about losing the ball when playing shots. If you are starting to worry about the cost of the balls you are losing then there are two solutions.
- you are going to have to improve your game significantly
- start using cheaper balls.
Conversely, even good players can run through a number of balls per round. This is more likely to be because at the first sign of damage they might replace that ball with a new one. This can also get pretty expensive if you’re placing a brand-new TP5 on the tee every few holes because you played a shot from a bunker.
Buying logo overrun golf balls can save you as much as 50% compared with the price of a new ball. That’s big saving if you are buying many dozens every year!
Durability
The design of expensive golf balls in comparison with their cheaper cousins means they are more likely to get damaged during a round of golf.
Premium balls featuring urethane covers will damage quicker from bunkers, cart paths or trees.
Spin – Depends On Your Swing
I know I’ve already listed this as a benefit of using an expensive golf ball. However, high-handicap golfers may find that using a ball with high-spin rates merely increases the amount of hook or slice they put on their ball. This puts them further into trouble. They may be better off balancing the advantages of stopping the ball quicker on the green against how often they find themselves in trouble.
Use the Srixon ball selector to check which of their balls is right for you.
Distance – Depends on Your Swing
If you are absolutely desperate for distance then a tour ball is unlikely to get you the yards you want.
For one thing, you probably don’t have the necessary swing speed to maximize your ball speed with a premium design ball.
You might be better off with a mid-priced ball that is designed primarily for distance.
It is also likely that you would need to make swing changes in order to get more ball speed rather than simply swapping the make and model of ball.
Does Color Affect Golf Ball Performance?
The simple answer is no. The color of a golf ball has no effect on its playing characteristics, only how humans see it.
For example, if you’re playing on frosty mornings you might choose to have a different colored ball such as yellow or orange. This will stand out much better against the frosty ground.
There have also been a couple of designs such as TruVis and Pix which attempt to make the ball stand out more when you are addressing it. TruVis has been around since 2009-2010 and was originally available on some Srixon balls.
If like me, your eyesight is not the best then you may find it easier to follow the flight of a colored ball. There is definitely less of a stigma attached to using colored balls these days than there was 20+ years ago.
How Does My Choice Of Ball Affect Ball Flight?
Most models of golf balls will tell you they are high, mid or low trajectory. You need to take that with a pinch of salt because that will usually be relative to other balls in the range. Of course, you can use it as a guide if you are trying to alter your ball flight a little.
Do Expensive Golf Balls Make A Difference To Your Game?
The real question of whether expensive golf balls are worth it really depends on your game. If you are a high handicapper who doesn’t strike the ball consistently then you aren’t likely to see much benefit from spending $4 on a golf ball. If you lose a few balls per round then it could start to get very expensive very quickly too!
The best thing to do is test some premium balls yourself. Practice and play with some high-quality balls to see if your game improves compared to your current ball choice. It’s all about finding the right golf ball for you and your game.
When you hit the ball how does it feel off the club face? Do you like the feel of a hard or soft ball?
Are you a bit of a brand snub? You wouldn’t want to be seen at your golf club playing with a cheap ball now, would you?
Premium Balls on the Cheap
Is it possible to lower the cost of premium golf balls?
Yes in several ways.
When manufacturers introduce an updated version of their ball the older version still in stock at stores is often reduced by 10 to 20%.
However, golf balls probably don’t get replaced as often as clubs with some manufacturers producing new sets of irons every few months it seems.
The second option that I’ve used on more than one occasion is logo overrun balls. Most major ball manufacturers will offer some form of customization option where you could add a company logo. With larger orders, they may print some extra to allow for errors.
You may be able to pick up balls such as this for 25% to 50% off the normal price!
Refinished and lake balls. A huge industry is involved in recycling golf balls found on the course or in water hazards. These will often retail for around half the price of the new ball. Of course, you may find the quality is not quite up to a brand new one. However, realistically, unless you are an elite golfer are you going to notice?
Are Premium Golf Balls Worth It? Price vs Performance?: Conclusion
Ultimately it is a personal decision whether to use premium golf balls.
You may feel that your game isn’t sufficiently developed to justify using premium balls or they may just be too expensive.
Whatever you decide my advice would be to find a ball that you like. Then stick to playing with that ball so you can build confidence in its playing characteristics.
Premium Golf Ball Comparison Chart
Here are some of my results using a Flightscope Mevo and a number of different premium golf balls.
Please note that I realize my driver spin is higher than it ought to be and I’m trying to address it!
| Brand/Model | Driver Spin | Driver Carry | PW Spin | PW Carry | Feel |
| Titleist Pro V1 | 5300 | 188 | 5900 | 84 | Good |
| Titleist Pro V1x | 5800 | 183 | 6250 | 83 | Too Hard |
| Srixon Z-Star | 6250 | 192 | 5000 | 83 | Good |
| Srixon Z-Star XV | 5700 | 190 | 5800 | 80 | Too Hard |
| Taylormade TP5 | 6000 | 187 | 7000 | 78 | Good |
| Taylormade TP5x | 4900 | 188 | 6000 | 75 | Too Hard |
| Bridgestone Tour B RX | 5900 | 185 | 5250 | 84 | Good |
| BridgestoneTour B RXS | 5060 | 191 | 6100 | 90 | Too Hard |
| Callaway Chromesoft | 5600 | 193 | 6000 | 78 | Good |
| Callaway Chromesoft X | 5600 | 180 | 6200 | 78 | Too Hard |
| Srixon AD333 (for comparison) | 5850 | 186 | 7800 | 83 | Too Hard |
As you can see there isn’t a great deal of difference between the different balls with regard to my driver carry distance which I realize is pretty pathetic, especially for a five-handicapper! The wildly varying spin is down mainly to the inconsistencies in my swing I would suggest, rather than any design features of the ball.
For example, I got much more spin on the Pro V1x than on the Pro V1 when in reality you expect to be the other way around! Here is a comparison of the Pro V1 and the Srixon Z-Star.
The feel is more of a subjective assessment based on playing the ball for a few rounds. I am mainly referring to how it feels on short-game shots and putting since none of the balls are so hard that they felt like rocks with the driver! I have basically listed which balls I would be happier to play with as good while the ones I felt were a little too firm for my taste I have listed as too hard. This is not to say that I couldn’t play reasonable golf with them but I just prefer the other balls.
Not totally surprising as the ‘x’ versions are designed for players with much faster swing speeds than I have. As I said elsewhere in this article you really need to try and pick balls that are designed for your clubhead speed and then pick a ball that you prefer based primarily on how happy you are with it when pitching, chipping and putting.
Here’s my comparison of the TaylorMade TP5x and Titleist Pro V1x also check out this Callaway Chrome Soft vs Titleist Pro V1 article.
I found the pitching wedge results interesting too. I’ve never been one to generate a lot of spin and these numbers back that up. A really good ball striker might be looking for 10,000 rpm on pitching wedge swings.
For me, the biggest takeaway from this exercise was to highlight just how bad my swing is. Am I going to be able to make the necessary changes to my swing to improve my numbers and also make them more consistent?
Check out these different options if you currently use the Titleist Pro V1x.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
What is the best golf ball for an average player?
That really depends on how you are defining ‘average’. Are we talking about average handicap or average swing speed?
Probably the simplest way to pick a golf ball to suit your game is to look at your swing speed and pick a ball that is recommended for that speed. For example, most tour performance balls such as the Titleist Pro V1 and Taylormade TP5 will be designed to work best for swings in excess of 105 mph.
An average handicapper is unlikely to have that high a swing speed. They would be better off picking a ball that is designed for their type of swing.
All the manufacturers would love it if you went out and bought their most expensive ball. The reality is for most golfers that the ball will make little to no difference to your score. With one caveat, I would always try to play with the same make and model of ball once you have decided which one you prefer.
Should I use soft or hard golf balls?
This really comes down to what feels best to you. In particular when chipping or putting. Try some different makes and models and see which you like best around the greens. The general rule of thumb to follow would be the speed of the swing would determine the best compression ball for you to use.
The slower your swing the lower the compression should be. For faster swingers, a higher compression ball is usually more appropriate.
Is a golf ball hollow or solid?
Modern golf balls are all made in a similar manner with a solid core. They will have a varying number of layers depending on the performance the manufacturer is trying to achieve (and the price!).
The earliest golf balls were made of leather stuffed with feathers. For many years the interior of a golf ball was made of rubber thread wrapped around a rubber core.
To find out more read the full article.
Is there a GPS golf ball?
Rather than buying new balls all the time wouldn’t it be great if you could find your ball every single time?
Maybe GPS is the answer. Well, yes and no. Read this if you want to find out more about GPS golf balls.
What is the most expensive golf ball?
Assuming we are excluding rare antique balls then among the big brands “normal” balls the Titleist Pro V1 is the most expensive. There are a number of niche balls that will cause even more pain in your wallet though.
The Honma D1 is currently selling for around $70/dozen. The Dixon Fire will set you back $75/dozen but at least your eco-credentials will be sound!
If you fancy trying some older discontinued balls then TaylorMade Inergel can be picked up on eBay for $25 for a sleeve of 3!
Unusual or limited releases can command high prices too such as the Nike One Black which will probably set you back around $100/dozen if you can find some.
How much is one golf ball worth?
Unless we are talking about a rare or antique ball then a single new golf ball is worth up to about $4.
How much are used golf balls worth?
Used golf balls can be worth anything from a few cents up to around $2 or $3 each depending on the condition of the ball and the make and model.
A pristine Titleist Pro V1 might fetch as much as $3 while a battered old TopFlite might be worth $0.10.
Which golf balls are worth the most money?
Golf balls that will fetch the most money are either rare, antique or have some historical significance.
Balls from the earliest days of golf like featheries and gutties can fetch significant sums particularly if they were made by someone famous like Allan Robertson.
A ball used by a famous player like Tiger Woods to win a major would also be a highly prized collector’s item.
What is the longest premium golf ball?
Testing by MyGolfSpy found that the Pro V1x Left Dash was the longest golf ball.
Why are golf balls so expensive?
Golf balls are expensive for several reasons including:
– cost of materials
– research and development
– endorsements and marketing
– because that is a price that people are prepared to pay
Related:
Bridgestone golf ball selector
