If you’re a brand new golfer, you likely go through a lot of balls.
It’s tempting to tee up whatever ball you found in the trees or hit the bargain bin in the pro shop, but the ball you play actually has a lot to do with whether or not you find success on the course.
Picking the wrong ball for your swing speed, ability level, and goals can actually be detrimental to your game, especially if you’re just starting out.
Many beginners have come to us with this issue, so with the help of a few new golfers, we tested 20 of the best golf balls for beginners to determine the best ball for players who are just starting out.
Below you will find the best-performing balls of our test, along with options that work for any type of player.
Our in-depth report following our favorite choices includes some helpful tips for beginners when selecting golf balls, and tips on lowering scores in general.
Time to find the right ball for you, let’s dive in.
Golfible Picks:
Editor’s Choice: Titleist Velocity (click to see)
Best Golf Balls For The Money: TaylorMade Project (click to see)
Best Golf Balls For Slow Swing Speeds: Callaway Supersoft (click to see)
Best For Visibility: Vice Pro Plus (click to see on eBay)
Best For Consistent Ball Flight: Pinnacle Soft (click to see)
Best For Short Game: Srixon AD333 (click to see)
Best Golf balls For Beginners table Comparison
| Golf Ball Name | Titleist Velocity | TaylorMade Project | Callaway Supersoft | Vice Pro Plus | Pinnacle Soft | Srixon AD333 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | 9.3/10 Editor’s Choice | 9.1/10 Best Golf Balls For The Money | 9.4/10 Best Golf Balls For Slow Swing Speeds | 8.9/10 Best For Visibility | 9.0/10 Best For Consistent Ball Flight | 9.2/10 Best For Short Game |
| Pricing | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section | Jump To Pricing Section |
| Ball Construction | 2-Piece | 2-Piece | 2-Piece | 4-Piece | 2-Piece | 2-Piece |
| Ball Color | Matte Orange/Matte Blue/Matte Green/White | Matte Orange/Matte Red/Matte Yellow/White | White/Matte Yellow/Matte Orange/Matte Green/Matte Pink/Matte Red | White/Lime/Red | White | White |
| Cover Material | Ionomer | Ionomer | Ionomer | Urethane | Ionomer | Ionomer |
| Dimples | 350 | 342 | 332 | 336 | 332 | 338 |
| Compression Rating | Medium (80) | Low (60) | Low (40) | High (93) | Low (40) | Medium (72) |
| Read Review | Jump To Titleist Velocity Review | Jump To TaylorMade Project Review | Jump To Callaway Supersoft Review | Jump To Vice Pro Plus Review | Jump To Pinnacle Soft Review | Jump To Srixon AD333 Review |
Titleist Velocity
Editor’s Choice
Rating: 9.3 /10
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uK Suppliers
Pros
- Good launch angle and ball flight
- Shallow angle of descent
- Excellent roll after landing adding to distance
- Soft feel
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than some other ‘’beginners’ balls’’
Titleist first entered the golf market as purely golf ball manufacturers and have always been committed to research and development. They remain the brand leaders in golf balls and produce a range of balls for golfers of all abilities. The Velocity balances quality with price to offer golfers feel, distance and value.
As a beginner, you may be prone to losing a ball or two during a round, but it is worth persevering with the Velocity which will definitely help you to improve your game. Titleist recognize that a medium soft ball provides beginners with all they need from their golf ball. Its 328 dimples help with both trajectory and angle of descent so that you can expect it to land on the green and stay there if your club choice is correct, and your strike is good and accurate.
The Velocity has a soft core and a cover made to generate low spin, particularly important when hitting your driver, while also providing good distance, hopefully down the fairway.
TaylorMade Project
Best Golf Balls For The Money
Rating: 9.1 /10
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Pros
- Soft large dual-distance core
- Core reduces spin and assists speed
- Reduced drag promotes distance
Cons
- Not ideal for really slow swing speeds
This budget-friendly golf ball has 342 dimples to help trajectory and is designed specifically for beginners and those with high handicaps. It provides distance by reducing spin and drag as well as feel for those frustrated by the short game.
Its core limits compression and the outer is made of a polymer, slightly soft but nevertheless resilient.
Callaway Supersoft
Best Golf Balls For Slow Swing Speeds
Rating: 9.4 /10
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Pros
- 2-piece yet soft and durable
- Designed for low spin, and hence distance
- Good feel for your short game
Cons
- Not as long as some of its competitors
This durable 2-piece ball provides good feel without compromising on distance and accuracy. Low spin properties mean that beginners can be confident of good flight and distance.
You will get plenty of golf from a single Supersoft as long as you keep it in play even though it has a soft cover. An additional feature is it is available in a range of colors to help any search in the rough.
vice Pro Plus
Best Golf Balls For Visibility
Rating: 8.9 /10
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 Amazon.com
|
$32.99
2 new from $32.99
|
View Deal |
 eBay
|
$20.99
out of stock
|
View Deal |
uK Suppliers
Pros
- Urethane cover helping distance and control
- Feel and spin in your short game
- Real value
Cons
- Better for mid-handicap golfers and better with medium to fast swing speeds
This 4-piece golf ball offers top quality at a relatively low price due to its only being available online. It has a 336-dimple urethane cover, commonly used in premium balls, promoting low flight and good distance.
The cover is durable yet thinner than the competition. You can expect a good feel and plenty of chance to spin the ball with short irons.
Pinnacle Soft
Best For Consistent Ball Flight
Rating: 9.0 /10
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Pros
- Consistently good ball flight
- Durable
- Good value
Cons
- Limited feel around the green
This low compression, soft golf ball has 332 dimples and is designed for golfers seeking consistent ball flight.
It is the core of the Pinnacle that is central to its success in giving good distance to golfers with a slow swing speed which often equates to those starting out in the game. Its durability means each ball lasts, as long as you don’t lose it in long rough or water.
Srixon AD333
Best Golf Balls For Short Game
Rating: 9.2 /10
uSA Suppliers (Also deliver to Canada)
|
Amazon.com
|
$41.40 | View Deal |
|
eBay
|
$34.29
out of stock
|
View Deal |
uK Suppliers
Pros
- Cover provides added friction for good flight and distance
- Excellent feel and control in the sort game
- Great ball for windy days
Cons
- Cover not as durable as some equivalent balls
The Srixon Core is designed recognizing the importance of spin, flight and feel for a high handicap golfer. With 324 dimples, the AD333 offers low spin with good feel. The result provides good flight as well as distance.
The ball’s mid softness design should also help in the control of your short game.
Differing Components to Consider When Buying Your Golf Balls
Your golf ball is an important component within your golf game. You still need to have the skill and technique to master the game because that little round white (on most cases) ball can only do what you ask it to do. Today you have plenty of choices when it comes to your golf ball so it’s worth understanding more about the ball, its design and the properties it can bring to bear on your game.
What does a beginner need from their golf ball?
It is an obvious statement but a ball that is specifically designed for high handicappers. As they get better, their choices may well changes but initially, beginners should pick a ball that is sympathetic to their ability. That equates to something that is durable bearing in mind the likelihood of impure contacts.
When I started to play, I wanted a ball that offered me distance at a time when I was just developing my game and trying to create a repetitive swing. What I did not want was a ball that was prone to spin more than I wanted.
Manufacturers use two primary cover materials, Surlyn which is firm and promotes distance while Polyurethane is slightly softer, thereby providing more spin and control. It follows that if you are intent on durability and distance, you should look at Surlyn covered balls.
Golf ball dimples
Originally, golf balls were smooth, but experience showed that a damaged ball generally travelled further. Clearly, air flow around the ball was changed and ultimately through the study of aerodynamics, manufacturers sought the best way to ensure a uniform design using dimples could take advantage. They help create positive turbulence around the ball in flight.
There are regulations regarding a golf ball in terms of size and weight primarily. Each manufacturer has to submit a new design to the R&A and USGA for approval. Any ball that is not approved cannot be used in competition. Balls are available with anything between 300 and 500 dimples and their depth on the ball will also affect its trajectory. Manufacturers give rigorous testing to ascertain the flight that can be expected by a golfer, and market the ball accordingly.
Dimples come in different sizes and designs as well as being of different depths. The smaller the surface area of the ball which excludes the dimples, the more the ball can resist the elements such as wind and rain. Dimple design also affects trajectory and spin.
Golf ball spin rate
Spin produces elevation as the dimples create a low-pressure area and air underneath that area pushes the ball up. The more spin the ball produces, the higher it will go. The question when you are deciding what balls to buy is whether you are seeking high flight.
In terms of spin, you can impart back spin on a ball which you will regularly see from top professionals who sometime fly the ball over the flag to then bring it back closer to the flag. If that same shot is hit with forward spin, the ball will kick on, so the aim is to hit the ball short of the target to then roll forward.
It is far easier to create spin with short irons whose high lofts create a naturally higher ball flight when you make a downward strike. That is in contrast to your longer irons which are designed to impart minimum spin with the ball rolling on after landing. Automatically, that means distance control is not so easy.
The spin rate is created at impact and it influences both elevation and distance. In windy conditions, all golfers look to minimize elevation into the elements.
Golf ball compression
Beginners are only going to be confused by the subject of compression. They are far more likely to look at what the ball offers according to its manufacturer and see whether it performs accordingly. In general terms, if you have a relatively slow swing speed, you should look for a ball that is low compression.
You can never see compression with the naked eye, and you may even wonder how a solid golf ball can be compressed. If you think of a tennis ball, it is easy to understand that it will be compressed on striking simply because it is soft. Just take it as read that a golf ball ‘’performs’’ in exactly the same way.
The question is how much does it matter? It is no longer something that manufacturers market as a figure that can be compared with another ball.
The general’’ low compression’’ description seems to do these days. The factors increasing compression are swing speed and the density of the ball’s core; the harder the core, the less the compression.
You will find low, medium and high compression golf balls in the market and selecting one that matches your swing speed. It is rare that beginners should choose anything other than a low compression ball because of their swing speed. Such balls are designed to spring off the club and achieve more distance than a high compression ball which skillful golfers use to achieve more control.
Illegal golf balls
If playing in competition is of no interest to you, you may decide on an illegal ball which promises greater distance. It is questionable whether that is worthwhile. Illegal balls are those not approved by the R&A and USGA.
The document produced by these Bodies runs to 35 pages. Do you really want to read all of that simply for a ball? Probably not! Suffice to say there are more than 1,000 approved balls in today’s marketplace.
Conclusion
When you start out in golf, you may head to the range and simply hit range balls, but once on the course, you need a golf ball that will respond to a good contact and be sympathetic to a less perfect strike. Titleist remains the biggest name in golf balls which is the ultimate reason why the Titleist Velocity is our recommendation, and when you improve you can move up through the Company’s range.
FAQ
Do golf balls make a difference for beginners?
Golf balls do not make a huge difference for beginners. Beginners should focus more on learning a consistent swing that will enable them to make solid contact with the ball. As the player progresses and starts shooting into the 80s it is a good idea to have a higher spinning ball.
Should beginner golfers use soft or hard balls?
When beginners are learning how to play the game they should use soft balls. Soft balls are often 2-pieces and promote distance as well as a decent amount of spin on the green.
How do you know what golf ball to use?
Knowing what golf ball to use depends on your swing speed. For a golfer with a swing speed of over 100 MPH they should reach for a high compression ball. For a golfer with an average swing speed of 80-100 mph, use a medium compression ball.
What number golf ball should a beginner use?
A beginner should use a 2 or 3-piece golf ball with a low compression. These balls reduce spin and promote distance and rollout. Various high-end to low-end brands such as Titleist or Noodle make these balls and sell them at a variety of price points.
