Although some golf companies will focus their efforts on the lower handicap player, most are looking to help the amateur player.
If you are an average golfer that enjoys playing golf several times a week yet has no intention of turning professional, this is the article for you.
As A PGA Professional, I can tell you that the golf ball that you play does matter. For amateur players to think that any golf ball will work for their game is a mistake.
Understanding the features of a great amateur golf ball can absolutely shave a few strokes off your game. Let’s look at some of the best golf balls on the market for amateur golfers.
Our Best Golf Balls for Amateurs in 2024
- Titleist Velocity Golf Balls (Best Golf Balls For Amateurs)
- Vice Golf Tour White 2020 Golf Balls (Runner Up 1)
- Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls (Runner Up 2)
- TaylorMade Noodle Long & Soft Golf Balls (Best Value Best Golf Balls for Amateurs)
- Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls (Best Amateur Golf Balls for Feel)
- Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls (Best for Lower Handicapper)
- Srixon Ladies Soft Feel Golf Balls (Best for Women Amateurs)
Best Golf Balls For Amateurs: Titleist Velocity Golf Balls
PROS
- Built for long distance
- Surlyn cover
- Good for hitting higher shots
CONS
- Only a two piece golf ball
It may come as no surprise that Titleist sits at the top of this list of the best golf ball for amateurs. The Titleist Velocity golf balls are built for long distances and lots of feel and control.
Titleist makes a wide range of golf balls that will work for all handicaps. However, the Velocity golf balls seem to be the best fit for the average amateur player.
With a name like Velocity, you can rest assured that the Titleist Velocity golf balls share plenty of ball speed with their users. The extra ball speed also helps golfers to get much higher ball flight as well.
If you want to hit the ball a long way and have it stop on a green, the Velocity is a great choice.
Another great feature of the Velocity is that they are a mid to low compression golf ball. With this mid range compression, golfers of varying swing speed and skill level can benefit from what the Velocity has to offer.
Runner Up 1: Vice Golf Tour White Golf Balls
PROS
- 3 Piece Surlyn ball
- Long distance
- Built for a wide range of swing speeds
CONS
- Some say the feel is slightly hard
It can be challenging to find a three piece golf ball for a very low price. Three piece golf balls offer a good mix of forgiveness and feel that many amateur golfers can benefit from.
The Vice golf balls may not be as well known as other golf balls on the market; however, they have plenty of great benefits to offer.
The Vice Golf Tour White are made with lots of durability and is cut resistant. The amateur player is much more likely to cut a golf ball with a poor swing.
This is understandable and expected; however, a good golf ball will help to make sure it doesn’t mean you need a few golf balls per round.
The thing we love most about the Vice Golf Tour is that you get lots of control around the green. If you like to try and stop a ball with your wedges.
The Vice Tour also comes with an alignment line to make sure that you have a way to line up your putts. Some golfers are using these alignment lines on their drives as well; it certainly is worth considering.
Runner Up 2: Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls
PROS
- Longer off the tee
- Soft feel
- Very low compression
- It comes in several colors
CONS
- A bit hard to spin on approach shots to the green
If you have spent enough time playing the game of golf, chances are you have come across a Callaway Supersoft golf ball at some point.
The Callaway Supersoft are two piece golf balls with very low compression. The great thing about these Supersfoft is that they have lots of distance but plenty of soft feel as well.
Anytime I have ever played with a two piece golf ball, I often like the distance and the feel off the tee; however, I struggle to get what I need from it around the greens. Many golfers probably have the same feeling, regardless of handicap level.
However, with the Callaway Supersoft the Trigonometry Cover formulation helps the ball feel soft around the greens. You will end up with a soft feel while still getting the best distance that a golf ball has to offer off the tee.
The Supersoft also features the HEX aerodynamics pattern that reduces drag and gives players much better ball flight on their shots.
If you want something that is affordable but plays like a tour level ball, the Callaway Supersoft is an excellent option.
Read our Callaway Supersoft review.
TaylorMade Noodle Long & Soft Golf Balls
PROS
- Durable and soft
- Good feel around the green
- Low spin on drives
CONS
- Not much spin on short game shots
Some amateur golfers will think that the best golf balls are those that are the most expensive.
This is not entirely true. Although some of the amateur golf balls that are priced higher have some significant performance benefits, they will not always be the best match for your game.
The TaylorMade Noodle Long and Soft Golf Balls offer high level performance for a very fair price.
The Noodle golf balls have been on the market for many years, and they are geared towards the mid to high handicapper that needs more distance and a softer feel.
The concept with the Noodle is that the soft iothane cover gives golfers the feel they need while the high energy core gives the distance.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the ball flight and distance you can get from these amateur golf balls. The dimple pattern is even created to help players get some reduced drag on their longer shots as well.
You will have a hard time finding a higher performing golf ball for an amateur golfer at a price point lower than this.
Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls
Best for Feel
PROS
- Impressive dimple design
- Mid compression balls
- Four piece construction
- Low driver spin
CONS
- Priced higher than other golf balls for amateurs
One important characteristic of the best golf ball for an amateur is going to be feel. Feel is important to make sure that a player can learn how to score and work the ball.
Certainly, to get a great feel from amateur golf balls, the ball usually has to be more than two pieces. The Callaway Chrome Soft is a four piece golf ball that offers several layers of impressive performance.
Inside the Chrome Soft, you will find a graphene infused Dual SoftFast Core. This is to help players increase distance and get higher launch as well.
The great thing about this core is that the surrounding layers also help to reduce spin off the tee and increased spin around the greens.
The cover of the Chrome Soft is an ionomer blend that helps golfers with varying swing speeds get a great mix of durability and feel as well. The dimple pattern on the Chrome Soft reduces drag and helps golfers get much higher overall distances.
Another great benefit that has been a real advancement in golf ball technology is the introduction of colored golf balls. The Chrome Soft is one of the best ball choices out there if you are looking to play something other than white.
For optimal spin control, incredible feel on your chip shots, and good distance, the Chrome Soft is the way to go.
Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls
Best for Lower Handicapper
PROS
- High spin around the green
- Soft feel on the green
- Still considered distance balls
- Durable urethane cover
CONS
- Higher price point
Just because you are an amateur golfer does not mean that you can’t be a lower handicapper. The lower your handicap, the more complex of a golf ball design you will need for your game.
Lower handicap golfers need low spin balls off the tee and high spin balls from around the greens.
The Titleist ProV1 has been known for being some of the best golf balls on the market for quite some time. The great thing about the Titleist ProV1 is that they are good enough for the pros and good enough for amateur golfers as well.
This is a distance golf ball, but it also has the spin that players need for greenside control.
If you are a player that feels as though it is difficult to stop a ball on a green, the Titleist Pro V1 could help to change that. With the rubber core and two other layers, you get multiple layers of impressive performance with the ProV1.
Srixon Ladies Soft Feel Golf Balls
Best For Women Amateurs
PROS
- Soft feel
- Good greenside spin
- Good distance
CONS
- Still two piece balls
One of the unfortunate things about golf ball marketing when it comes to women is that very often, the look of the ball is more highly considered than the performance.
The internal make up of the golf balls for women is quite a bit more important than the outer color. Women should make sure that they are choosing golf balls that are built for their swing speed and have the proper features to improve their game.
One of the best golf balls on the market for women is the Srixon Ladies Soft Feel. The Soft feel are amateur golf balls with a lower compression rating.
Regardless of your skill level, the 338 speed dimple pattern can help you get some more speed and good distance from the tee.
The cover on the Srixon Soft Feel is thin, but it has plenty of durability. A thin golf ball is good for women golfers as it helps them to get some extra distance.
Most important, the lower compression core is an important performance benefit that women golfers need.
What To Look For When Buying Golf Balls for Amateurs?
There are dozens of great choices for amateur golfers when it comes to choosing a perfect golf ball. The decision can be hard, and you will very likely have some trial and error before you stumble upon the perfect golf ball.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best golf ball for your game.
What Is The Best Golf Ball For Amateurs Who Slice?
If you are a player who slices the ball, you are not alone. The slice is the most common miss in golf, and it is quite easy to slice a golf ball. Luckily there are some golf balls on the market that will help to improve your slice.
The most important thing to look for in an anti slice golf ball is a low spin off the tee. As we know, the reason a slice happens is that a side spin was applied to the ball and caused it to travel in the wrong direction.
If you find a low compression ball with very low driver spin, you will significantly reduce your slice.
How Does Dimple Design Affect Golf Balls for Amateurs?
When you pick up a golf ball and look at the dimple pattern and design, you will see that it varies from one manufacturer to another.
The dimple design is going to have a great effect on the drag and the ball flight of the ball. Certain dimple patterns do a better job of getting the ball higher in the air or keeping it on its original ball flight track.
If you notice, the Callaway Golf Balls all have the HEX dimple pattern. Other golf ball manufacturers choose to go with the dimple in dimple patterns or more complex shapes. It will take some time to find the best match for your game.
Should High Handicappers Buy Good Golf Balls?
A very common question that I have been asked as a golf professional is whether or not a higher priced golf ball is worth it. Higher handicappers are prone to losing golf balls, and this is partly why paying for a better ball seems rather pointless.
The problem with the mentality that higher handicappers should use poor quality golf balls is that they may never get the chance to improve their game.
At some point, a high handicapper will want to transition to a mid handicapper or even a low handicap player. For this to happen, the golfer is going to need to have feel, distance, and forgiveness as well.
Higher handicap golfers should consider paying a few dollars for more something that has a softer feel and introduces the importance of the chipping and putting. Without these benefits, it is challenging to score.
Conclusion
Amateur golfers are those that have a wide range of swing speeds and handicaps. Almost all amateur golfers’ common interest is that they want to lower their scores and have more fun playing golf.
Choosing the right golf ball can certainly help to make this happen. The Titleist Velocity golf balls are some of the best on the market for a golfer to choose from.
With the Velocity, you get lots of impressive distance but also feel in the short game. We are impressed with the quality and durability of this ball and the fact that you can use it round after round.
Although the Velocity may be priced a few dollars higher than other balls on the market, it is certainly worth giving a try.