Let's set the scene for you. You walk into a store to pick up a dozen golf balls for your upcoming round or league. You walk into the golf ball aisle and see shelf upon shelf of golf balls from Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, TaylorMade, Srixon, Wilson and more. Where do you start? Do you go with the same ball you've been playing for years? Do you go with the ball your buddy recommended? Do you choose something at random and hope that you hit it straight?
We're here to help! Austad's Master Club Fitting team put together this helpful guide to help you determine which ball is right for your game:
Here's a quick breakdown of golf ball types:
TOUR X GOLF BALLS
- Design: Urethane cover / Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Fast swingers who want the firmest compression, yet still demand workability and spin for short game
- Golf Ball Options: Bridgestone Tour BX, Callaway ChromeSoft X, Mizuno RB Tour X, Srixon Z-Star XV, TaylorMade TP5x, Titleist Pro V1x, Wilson Staff Model Raw
TOUR GOLF BALLS
- Design: Urethane cover / Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Fast swingers who prefer a softer feel in a golf ball (similar to Tour X, but with less compression)
- Golf Ball Options: Bridgestone Tour B RX, Bridgestone Tour B RXS, Bridgestone Tour B XS, Callaway ChromeSoft, Mizuno RB Tour, Srixon Z-Star, TaylorMade TP5, Titleist Pro V1, Titleist AVX, Wilson Staff Model
TOUR VALUE GOLF BALLS
- Design: Urethane cover / Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Fast swingers who want tour level materials, construction and design, but with a softer feel and lower price
- Golf Ball Options: Bridgestone E12 Soft, Bridgestone E12 Speed, Callaway ERC Soft, Srixon Q-Star Tour, TaylorMade Tour Response, Titleist Tour Soft, Titleist Tour Speed
STRAIGHT DISTANCE GOLF BALLS
- Design: Ionomer cover / 2-Piece or Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Golfers who don't want to pay for tour-level golf balls, but desire a firm feel and lower spin
- Golf Ball Options: Mizuno 566V, Titleist Velocity Matte, Titleist Velocity
PURE DISTANCE GOLF BALLS
- Design: Ionomer cover / 2-Piece or Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Golfers with modest swing speeds who want a soft to medium compression golf ball. Delivers maximum yardage for modest swing speeds
- Golf Ball Options: Pinnacle Rush, Wilson Chaos, Srixon Marathon
SOFT DISTANCE GOLF BALLS
- Design: Ionomer cover / 2-Piece or Multilayer construction
- Who it's for: Softest compression for more modest swing speeds offering distance and feel at a lower price
- Golf Ball Options: Bridgestone E6, Callaway Supersoft, Mizuno RB 566, Noodle Long and Soft, Srixon Soft Feel, TaylorMade Tour Soft, Titleist TruFeel, Wilson Duo Soft
If you need a recommendation, stop by any Austad's Golf Store or book a golf ball fitting and we'll help you find the right golf ball to fit your game. You can shop our full golf ball selection and pick up exactly what you need here.
