When it comes to an article about “top-ten golf balls on the market today”, which incidentally is our current topic, we must first define the terms. As in, what makes a top-notch golf ball, and here consistency comes into play, as well as the ability to hold greens, spin control and, very importantly, feel around the greens, which is essential when it comes to chipping and putting, to name just a few things.
The reason for today’s article is that playing the right kind of golf ball will help you make the most of your game, hence choosing the correct type will definitely make a big impact on your score. So here are a few thoughts, tips and tricks for choosing the best golf ball for our regular readers: to begin with the basics, the general rule of thumb states that you must use the exact-same type of golf ball when you practice or play competitively. This simple trick will help you improve your overall feel, which will translate into a more comprehensive and predictable short game.
Now, here’s what you should take into consideration when shopping for a top-tier golf ball: first, you’ll have to choose between a soft and a firm variant. For example, you may prefer a firmer feel (which spins less), or a softer one, which provides you with more control off the tee. Then, the cover material comes into play. If you’re looking for the best spin control, doubled down by amazing feel, there’s nothing better than urethane-covered golf balls. Okay, they may cost you a little more, but if you’re looking for the best gear, there’s no way around urethane. Obviously, you should experiment a little bit to see if an urethane-covered golf ball really makes a difference in your game; it’s like “test drive before you buy”, to use the automotive lingo.
Next, ask yourself what are you looking to improve, your long game or your short game? There are many brands out there, and they all bombard us with conflicting fitting messages. The point being: you must decide what you really need: better control and feel around the greens or extra yards (as in more distance) off the tee. Once you’ve figured these issues out, you’ll be able to make an educated guess about which golf ball would suit you best. And now let’s take a look at the best golf balls on the market today.
1. Titleist ProV1: The No. 1 Golf Ball for Good Reason
It’s obvious that our top ten list must recommend the Titleist Pro V1 (as well as the Pro V1x, which is basically the same golf ball with the exact same performance/technology, but featuring a lower ball flight) as the number one golf ball in 2019. The Pro V1 is a sacred monster in the industry, the stuff legends are made of, making for the best-selling golf ball of all times in pro-circles, and obviously, there are many reasons for that.
The current-generation Pro V1 and Pro V1x was redesigned quite significantly, with a focus on improving long game performance without making compromises in the short game. For some, this may sound like an impossible task, but Titleist managed to pull this one off with flying colors, and they even managed to retain that awesome feel we all know and love in ProV1 golf balls.
How did they do it, you asked? To begin with, the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls have a fourteen percent/eleven percent respectively thicker casing layer, the one right underneath the cover respectively; on top of that, the cover is crafted using a cast urethane elastomer, which is now seventeen percent thinner. Moreover, the 2.0 ZG Process cores in the 2019 generation have been reformulated. All of these technological improvements, which are more than skin-deep, resulted in long game spin for increased distance and improved ball speed; amazingly enough, both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x 2019 still boast their famous control around the green and their amazingly soft feel.
To recap, the Titleist Pro V1 has a more penetrating trajectory than the Pro V1x, yet flights slightly lower, while the latter spins more and is a tad firmer, especially when hit with the irons. Both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x are available in white and optic yellow.
2. TaylorMadeTP5 and TP5x Golf Balls
Next in line we have the TaylorMadeTP5 and TP5x golf balls, which are currently used by world’s top golfers. The new golf balls from TaylorMade arrive with a state of the art high flex material which is weaved into the 5 layer design. There’s also a brand spanking new Tri-Fast core (a patented technology), which is made using a larger-than-life inner core which is wrapped in increasingly rigid materials; this peculiar design delivers improved speed, but without having to compromise in regard to spin, i.e. there is absolutely no negative effect on spin. The difference between the two variants is that the TP5 launches lower on iron shots, has a softer feel and spins more compared to its TP5x sibling.
The Callaway Chrome Soft and the Chrome Soft X were released back in 2018, i.e. not a long time ago, and they still make for some of the finest golf balls of 2019, especially due to the patented Graphene Dual SoftFast Core. What is that, you asked? To put it simply, Graphene is a material which is stronger than diamond, and thus Callaway was able to create a thinner outer core, which made possible a bigger inner core. Yes, it sounds a little bit complicated, but this technological innovation allowed for a faster golf ball with less long-game spin, which translates into amazing distance.
As usual when it comes to high-end golf balls, both the Callaway Chrome Soft and the Chrome Soft X still retain that soft feel we all know and love, but the Soft X saw the biggest transformation of the bunch. Compared to the Chrome Soft, the X variant is a tad firmer and it’s aimed at golf players with swing speeds of 105 miles per hour and above. There’s also a Truvis model of the Callaway Chrome Soft and the Chrome Soft X , with the patterns specially designed to help golfers keep their eyes on the ball better while in flight.
Here comes another Titleist golf ball, the AVX respectively, which is also one of the best golf balls out there, delivering a soft feel on basically all shots along with consistent ball flight, as expected from “the leader of the pack”, and obviously we’re talking about Titleist, a sacred monster in the golf industry. To make it real simple, the new Titleist AVX is everything about high tech performance, being engineered for providing distance along with a soft feel due to its state of the art core and aerodynamic technology.
The AVX is a premium golf ball by all metrics, and if you want to get a piece of the action, you’ll have to pay a premium price, but truth be told, this baby can take a Pro V1in a head to head contest and stand its ground. The Titleist AVX is designed to deliver all round tee to green performance, and it does that flawlessly via a lower launch angle and spin, not to mention the fact that it boasts an incredibly soft feel. To achieve improved distance and higher speeds, Titleist crafted their AVX golf ball with a low compression core, helped by the 352 tetrahedral catenary designed dimples (spherically tiled) for a consistent/optimal flight path due to excellent aerodynamics.
If you’re looking for an outstanding golf ball for beginners, the TaylorMade Project S should rank high on your shopping list. The Project S is a drivers’ ball by all means, being an excellent choice for beginner/intermediate handicap golfers, and it’s available in white, yellow and orange, offering amazing value for money and reasonable feel. You’ll definitely appreciate the Project S’ soft feel around the greens as well as its low spin off the driver, not to mention its sheer speed and distance.
To achieve a softer feel, the TaylorMade Project S comes with a dual distance core, which allows for a low-compression core for softer feel, while keeping alive speed and rebound, i.e. the Project S is the best of both worlds. The outer core of the ball is crafted using a softer yet very tough polymer which further adds to the Project S’ velocity and feel. On the outside, you’ll appreciate the excellent aerodynamics due to the patented high-lift 342LDP dimple pattern, working in tandem with the ionomere cover, which increases distance by mitigating drag issues. Overall, the TaylorMade Project S is an excellent golf ball for beginners, making for the sensible budget-option, i.e. you won’t cry if you lose a couple of these babies in lakes or in the trees during your round.
The Srixon Z-Star and the Z-Star XV made history for the company as the world's first golf balls to feature SeRM (also known as macromolecule material Slide Ring) in their cover. Tech talk aside, the SeRM thing makes for a golf ball which is amazingly resilient in all regards, ranging from damage/impact resistance to shape restoration, not to mention vibration absorption. Needless to say, the Srixon Z-Star golf balls are some of the most technologically advanced on the market, and due to the SeRM material, they deliver more distance as well as improved spin, a feature which makes these babies particularly awesome around the greens.
In the Z-Star XV, the new technology is used to benefit short game spin, without compromising distance off the tee. Both versions are available in white and yellow colors, and if you’re looking for a high performance golf ball which is also as tough as coffin nails, the Srixon Z-Star has your name on it.
The Vice Pro Soft is a high performance golf ball, aimed at better players, which incidentally is one of the best out there when it comes to increased visibility. The Vice Pro Soft is available in white, red and lime colors, delivers amazing value for a pro-golf ball and it’s designed for optimal flight trajectory on all shots, as well as for delivering amazing distance. The Pro Soft is definitely focused on serious amateurs with medium to fast swing speeds, being a premium golf ball from Vice which is sold at a significantly lower price tag compared to its direct competitors (similar spec).
According to Vice, the Pro Soft golf ball is the first in the world to offer a matte cast urethane cover, and that’s due to a special technological process that incorporates silicate particles in the lacquer. The matte finished cover serves a practical purpose, besides looking cool, i.e. it provides an anti-glare effect, which is great on sunny days, along with excellent visibility on the ground and in the sky.
The Bridgestone Tour B X is the ball of choice for golf legends like Bryson DeChambeau or Tiger Woods (seriously), and that’s due to the sheer performance of the ball provided by its patented SlipRes technology. What does it mean, you asked? Well, the Tour B X comes with a softer cover, which works wonders in regard to improving feel while delivering less side spin, an amazing combo which is due to the ball’s state of the art gradation core compression technology.
This tech innovation also delivers improved speed and less spin off the driver, which is as good as it gets. In case you’re looking for the “best of the best”, Bridgestone created a special edition of the Tour B X, the Tour BXS – TW respectively, with the TW standing for Tiger Woods. These golf balls are built as per Tiger Woods’ competition balls’ identical specs, and they arrive with his name imprinted on the cover.
The Volvik S4 golf ball plays in the “oldie but Goldie” category; in case you’ve ever wondered what’s up with that pink ball Bubba Watson seems obsessed with, well ladies and gents, that’s a Volvik S4. Why is he playing with a pink ball? We don’t really know, but color aside, the V4 is a premium golf ball, which incidentally suits Bubba like a glove due to its incredible softness; moreover, the Volvik S4 was designed for Tour pros and generally speaking, fast swinging golfers. In the same time, this baby delivers amazing control (tour level rather) around greens, which makes it a formidable piece of golf gear, if it ever was one.
Since we’re talking about a premium product, the V4 comes with a state of the art urethane cover, for perfect spin rates on greenside shots. Also, the core is optimized for improved distance off the tee. If pink is not your favorite color, rest aside, as you have two additional choices: white and green, if that’s your cup of tea.
Last but not least, we have the Wilson Staff Duo Spin, which is the enhanced brother of the Duo. If you’re looking for one of the softest multi-layer golf balls out there, it doesn’t get much better than this one. Mind you, the Staff Duo Spin boasts a 35 compression, which makes it literally the softest multilayer ball in golf; what makes it different from the regular Duo is that Wilson put into the equation improved greenside spin, hence you’ll get more control and action when it comes to scoring shots. Truth be told, the Duo Spin is way more versatile than the vanilla Duo, and given its price tag, you’ll get a lot of bang for the proverbial buck, i.e. the Wilson Staff Duo Spin delivers high performance as well as amazing value for money, especially if you’re looking to improve your short game.
