Best Golf Balls for Beginners

Why the right golf ball matters to beginners

If your golf journey is just beginning, you have probably questioned which type of golf ball is best for you. With hundreds of options, picking the right golf ball can be confusing and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Carl’s Golfland is here to help guide you through the process of buying the best golf balls for beginner golfers.

If you don’t know the intricacies and technology within a golf ball, it would be easy to think that any golf ball will do. But that’s just not the case. Each model is different and designed to bring different performance attributes to the table.

Playing the wrong golf ball, especially as a beginner, can end up hurting you and making it more difficult than it needs to be. Everything from the materials used to make the ball, the compression of the ball and what it’s intended purpose is can impact how you play and what happens when you hit the ball.

What makes a golf ball a good fit for beginners?

Typically, we see slower swing speeds with new golfers, because they aren’t as adept to the intricacies of the golf swing. That doesn’t mean that a beginner can’t swing fast, but typically they would fall in the slower swing category.

In addition to the swing speed, beginners tend to have mis-hits, creating too much spin on the golf ball and hitting off the center of the face, which is where the sweet spot is.

Golf brands create golf balls specifically for those types of golfers to try to make things easier. A low compression golf ball can help with lower swing speeds to deliver distance and forgiveness.

Compression is essentially how much the ball is deforming when the club face strikes the ball. A golfer with a slower swing speed will get more help deforming the ball with a low compression ball and delivering more speed.

We would consider a slower swing speed with driver under the 85-mph range, where someone should consider a low compression golf ball. Typically, new golfers should look for a golf ball that is low in compression, has a softer feel, offers straighter flight, forgiveness and distance off of the tee.

Luckily for beginners, these types of balls tend to be less expensive than the Tour models for faster swing speeds.

A beginner golfer can play with whichever golf ball they choose, but opting for the softer feel ball over the Tour ball will offer its benefits. The Tour balls will bring more greenside spin and some advanced technologies, but the softer balls will be more durable, offer more consistency in ball flight and help make the game easier for someone who is just starting in the game.

The low spin around the greens can be difficult for some golfers, however you have to weigh the benefits over the negatives for your game.

What does low-spin mean for golf balls?

As mentioned previously, beginner golfers tend to create more unnecessary spin on the golf ball than a more seasoned or better golfer would. That is true particularly for sidespin, if the golfer creates spin on the ball that will create a right or left miss.

If the clubface is left open at impact, it can create sidespin that would cause a slice. If the clubface is closed at impact, it could create sidespin that would cause a hook. That all depends on the club path and how it’s delivered, but a low-compression, two-piece golf ball can help reduce that spin.

In addition, the gear effect will also cause unwanted side spin. If you hit the ball on the toe of the golf club, it will cause a hook spin, and if you hit the ball on the heel of the golf club, it will cause slice spin.

The alternative to sidespin is a golfer hitting the ball and creating too much backspin, causing the ball to balloon in the air. If the ball goes too high, you can lose out on distance and roll out.

If you can decrease the amount of sidespin from the ball, you are going to have a more forgiving ball. That means fewer shots out of bounds and more confidence for the new golfer.

Best Types of Golf Balls for Beginners

Typically, what we would see as better golf balls for beginners will be a two-piece ball that is made from either surlyn or ionomer. A two-piece construction will come with a solid core and a cover and will typically be more durable than a three-piece or multi-layer golf ball.

A two-piece ball will also help with distance and lower driver spin, again to help decrease side spin.

There are also distance specific golf balls manufactured by golf brands that can help a beginner golfer obtain more distance out of their tee shots. Getting more yardage and getting closer to the hole will always help a newer golfer.

Beginners will usually have a better fit with a distance ball, a soft-feel ball and a golf ball that helps reduce sidespin. The Tour level balls have more spin and are made from different materials that could make it more difficult for beginners to keep straight and in-bounds.

How to Choose the Right Beginner Golf Ball

No two golfers are alike, so what makes for a good golf ball for one person might not be a great option for another.

You need to evaluate your weakness in your game and what you want to get out of your golf ball. If you’re looking for distance, the distance specific golf balls will make the most sense for you.

If you want few slices or hooks, then look for a golf ball that says it’s low-spin. If you have a slower swing speed or like a softer feeling golf ball, choose a lower compression ball. In addition to the attributes, find the right golf ball fits within your budget.

There are plenty of options that are budget friendly and given how many golf balls beginner golfers can lose early on, it might make sense to spend less initially.

It’s important to get fitted for the right golf ball or ask the right questions at Carl’s Golfland to get into the right model golf ball for you. Our customer service and sales team are very knowledgeable and can help recommend golf balls based on your ability and needs.

Golf Ball Models for Beginners

Even equipped with this knowledge, it can still be difficult to wade through all of the options for golf balls that might work for a beginner.

Again, this is all individually based and will always depend on your swing and how you present the golf club at impact. Some of these options might not fit you, but traditionally, these are balls that a beginner would look for.

Callaway has its Supersoft, which blends maximum distance and soft feel. Srixon’s Soft Feel is another soft ball option that has distance and also tries to adapt its dimples to obtain an optimal flight while increasing greenside spin.

Titleist’s Tour Soft ball has a reduced core size and a new cover to reduce spin in the long game and maintain soft feel on each shot. Titleist made some upgrades to this ball to create a more consistent flight and maximize yardage.

Srixon’s Q-Star Ultispeed is designed for incredible distance and faster ball speeds. The 338-dimple pattern reduces drag to help the ball penetrate through the air and helps create more distance. It’s a three-piece ionomer golf ball that has soft feel and high flight.

Bridgestone’s e12 Speed ball is designed for increased distance for higher-spin players and has longer, piercing flight.

Callaway’s Warbird Distance+ is made for maximum speed and distance with easy compression. Pinnacle Distance is built for similar results and has a proprietary high-energy core for maximum distance.

Wilson’s Triad golf ball is described as a high MOI (forgiving) ball that maximizes ball speed while reducing long-game spin for distance and accuracy. It’s at a cost friendly price and delivers on performance.

Beginner FAQs

Q: Are expensive golf balls better for beginners?

A: Not necessarily. As we outlined above, every golf swing is different and every golfer needs something different than the next. If you’re a beginner golfer, a more expensive golf ball could end up being more difficult to keep straight and hit at the trajectory you’re looking for. A beginner golfer will benefit more from durability, distance and forgiveness rather than the more expensive option that offers high greenside spin and feel.

Q: Should beginners use low-spin golf balls?

A: Nothing is ever definitive in golf as a beginner could have a high or low swing speed that would help dictate what they would need. However, if a new golfer struggles with slices or hooks, it would behoove them to look for a forgiving golf ball that helps reduce long game spin and sidespin.

Q: What is the easiest golf ball to hit?

A: It’s tough to say what the easiest ball to hit would be, but opting for a golf ball designed for distance and forgiveness will typically give beginner golfers the best results.

Q: Do golf balls really matter for beginners?

A: Yes, the type of golf ball that you use does matter. The right golf ball can make the game easier to play, but it will never beat out proper swing mechanics and learning the golf swing the right way. Having the right equipment is one of the more important factors and getting fitted for the right equipment, including golf balls, is something that we at Carl’s Golfland fully believe in.

Carl’s Golfland has the resources to help you pick the right golf ball and a wide variety of options to get you into the right product. Check out our wide selection of golf balls at CarlsGolfland.com and order your new golf balls today.