The 12 Best Golf Balls For Seniors (2021 Buyer’s Guide)

So bright it glows

The Callaway SuperSoft comes in numerous different color options, including Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink and Matte Green. There’s even a plain old white version for traditionalists.

My favorite color option is the Matte Green finish, a distinctive cover that really stands out against any background I could find. It was easy to spot in the rough and even in murky streams, making it nearly impossible to lose.

Aerodynamics

Callaway’s distinctive dimples are hexagonal, which they claim helps reduce drag and improve aerodynamics. Given how far this ball travels, I’d say they’re onto something. It’s noticeably longer than most other balls in its price range.

But it’s still soft enough to offer a good amount of feel and spin around the greens. Wedge shots hit and grabbed a bit before releasing to the hole. Since most seniors aren’t trying to “pull the string” and just want a modicum of control around the greens, the SuperSoft offers an attractive level of spin to go with its exceptional distance.

Durability

The proprietary “Trigonometry” cover is nearly as durable as a rock-hard Surlyn cover, but offers more softness and more compression than pure Surlyn balls. The result is a ball that won’t scuff up from regular use and may even survive a cart path impact or two.

At a price point under $25/dozen, the Callaway SuperSoft ticks all the boxes that senior golfers are looking for in a golf ball. As a result, it’s our top pick for 2021.

Urethane doesn’t come cheap or last long

The strength of the Titleist Pro V1, its urethane elastomer cover, is also the source of two of its weaknesses. While the performance of the cover is unquestionable, the price you pay for the performance is higher than with other golf balls.

First off, it’s literally priced higher than any other golf ball on this list, by a good margin. Second, it’s one of the least durable balls I tested. Any cart path impact resulted in a nasty scuff deep enough to impact playability. Even cleanly struck wedges occasionally scuffed the ball.

While the scuffs from wedges didn’t materially affect playability, I still found myself swapping out Pro V1s more often than most other balls tested.

With a high price and low durability, it’s hard to recommend the Pro V1 to seniors. If you’re willing to pay a premium for performance that’s just a little bit better than a ball half its price, you’ll love the performance.

But most golfers won’t notice the difference that the extra dollars provide. If anything, they’ll see a slight reduction in distance from the 2-piece Surlyn balls they’re used to and wonder why they paid extra for the Pro V1.

Quality Control

One other rarely considered aspect of Titleist golf balls is the fact that they have the most rigorous quality control in the industry. Golf fans in the New England area should pay a visit to Plant #3 in New Bedford, Massachusetts to see exactly how they’re made.

After I toured the facility, I was able to better understand why Titleist charges such a premium for their balls. Their manufacturing and quality control standards are head and shoulders above the others. While with most manufacturers you’ll come across the occasional dud ball that just won’t fly right, you just don’t see that from Titleist.

Jack of all trades

This ball is a classic “jack of all trades, master of none”: it rates well but not exceptional in pretty much every category. The Soft Feel lives up to its name with a good, soft feel that makes chipping and putting easy. Distance is very good, and the ball gets up in the air with a nice trajectory, which can be difficult as swing speeds start to wane.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded ball that doesn’t excel but also doesn’t have any notable shortcomings, the Srixon Soft Feel is a top choice. At the price of about $20/dozen, it’s a great choice for seniors.

Soft Feel

Titleist has really focused on making the DT TruSoft feel as soft as possible, and you can tell: compared to the Pro V1, this feels almost like hitting a rubber bouncy ball. The sound at impact is muted but for slow swing speeds, it compresses nicely and really leaps off the clubface.

Around the green and off the putter, there’s still that soft, muted feel and sound. Once you get used to it, it plays nicely. However, if you’re used to playing a urethane-covered ball and you’re switching to a ball more suited to a senior game, there will be an adjustment period to a super-low compression ball like this.

It seems to be best suited to swing speeds in the 75-85mph range, rewarding them with a penetrating trajectory and good roll-out. Faster swings may over-compress the ball and will put too much spin on it to be useful.

Two-Piece Construction

The soft compression of the DT TruSoft is a result of its 2-piece construction (a far cry from the old wound DTs of our youth), with a very soft core and a firm, thin, durable cover. This combination makes it a little tough to create spin on chip shots. However, the distance and accuracy gained on drives and approach shots will make up for the lack of short game spin for a lot of senior golfers who play more bump-and-run shots anyway.

This is a very good all-around performer from Titleist, and at a price point less than half of the Pro V1 it’s a strong contender in the senior golf ball market.

It’s in the name: Tour Soft

The first thing you’ll notice about the Titleist Tour Soft is buttery soft and smooth. This is very apparent around the green, as crisp chips will have a noticeable check prior to releasing. It increases your options for how to play shots around the green, but senior golfers should note that it still takes a fairly high swing speed and crisp contact to generate that type of spin and take advantage of a ball like this.

This is a ball that’s meant for single-digit handicappers, so seniors who are experienced golfers will likely gravitate to it. Seniors who are desperate for length or who have just taken up the sport in their retirement will likely find a ball like this detracting from their performance instead of enhancing it, as the increased spin will tend to send mis-hit shots offline.

The Tour Soft is also not the longest ball for slower swing speeds. Other, firmer balls will travel further and provide more roll unless you have a medium-to-high swing speed.

Titleist reputation

Titleist is well-known in the golf world for their elite golf balls and rigorous quality control, and the Tour Soft carries that torch well. However, the balls with Tour in the name aren’t always the best for amateur or senior players. As ball fitting becomes more and more common, it’s a good idea to go and get fitted instead of simply buying a ball based on the brand name reputation.

However, it’s hard to go wrong with Titleists. The Tour Soft is a top performer for good players looking for spin and control around the greens. If you want to play Titleists but are more interested in distance and straight shots, check out the Velocity or DT TruSoft.

3-piece and soft ionomer

The main feature of the SuperHot ball that differentiates it from the very similar-looking SuperSoft is the ionomer cover. Softer than traditional Surlyn but harder than the more expensive urethane, this ionomer is a super-thin polymer that’s closely related to Surlyn but a bit softer than the Surlyn that other brands use.

This plus the 3-piece construction delivers a ball that spins more on approach and greenside shots. It’s also one of the better-feeling balls when putting, as it seems to skid less and get to rolling more quickly.

The aerodynamic Hex dimple pattern is identical to the SuperSoft, so the distance gains you’ll see are very similar. Due to the 3-piece construction, it’s a little softer and may even fly farther than the SuperSoft.

Soft means scuffs

The softer cover does scuff up more than the SuperSoft, which means if you do hit a rock or a cart path, you’re likely going to need to replace the ball. However, it’s more durable than a urethane ball like the Pro V1, so you won’t see damage from regular golf shots and should still be able to use it for a full round or more.

However, at a price point around $3/ball, it’s at the higher end of the spectrum for senior balls. Because of this, despite very good performance, it doesn’t represent the best bang for the buck.

Firm and fast

TaylorMade’s Distance Plus is a very low-spin ball, so there’s not a lot of workability here. It’s a firm, fast ball that provides a low, penetrating ball flight.

For straight hitters who are looking to get distance by hitting bullets with a lot of roll, this is right up your alley.

But be aware that there’s not a lot of feel to these balls, especially around the green. That firm, fast feel extends to putting and chipping, so these will work best for bump-and-run chips. Flop shots, high trajectories and spinning shots simply won’t work with the Distance Plus balls, as the cover and core are both too firm to generate backspin.

Looks and value

The TaylorMade Distance Plus is a very clean looking ball with two good alignment options.

For those who like a longer line, you can use the TaylorMade logo above the number. There’s also a nice compact alignment line on the side that says “Distance +” with arrows flanking the words. It’s much better than their cluttered and unhelpful TP5 line, and a look I wish they’d return to with their other golf balls.

At a price point of just under a dollar a ball, these durable little guys represent a great value. In addition to offering great distance, the firm cover is very long-lasting.

It’ll stand up to cart path bounces, thin shots and tree impacts and live to fight another round. In an age when some balls cost nearly $4 apiece and are rendered unusable after one thin shot, the TaylorMade Distance Plus is a refreshing change.

On top of that, the extra distance they provide may help you fly over more water hazards instead of landing in them. It’s a win-win.

Smart Core

Wilson’s using all the right words for this ball, touting its durable Ionomer cover and “Smart Core” that “adapts to swing speed” to spin less on fast swings and more on shorter shots.

However, this is more marketing than actual fact: while there’s not much spin on long shots, as advertised, there’s not much spin on short shots either. While Wilson’s aims are admirable, it’s a simple matter of the materials used for manufacturing a ball that sells for around $15 for two dozen. The cheaper materials just won’t spin as much on short shots.

However, they’re by no means bad balls. They feel soft and deliver good distance. Senior golfers who hit the ball fairly straight but just need as much yardage as possible will find a lot to like here. They don’t spin much, but a low swing speed player is more likely to run the ball up to the green and these will do just that.

A great bargain

The price tag of these is as low as you’re likely to find for a name-brand golf ball that actually offers acceptable performance. They come in a package of two dozen balls for less than the price of a dozen of most of the other balls reviewed here. It’s quite a bargain from Wilson.

Ubiquitous

The Titleist Velocity is the ball I find most frequently on the golf course. Its middle-of-the-road price point and Titleist’s reputation seem to hit the sweet spot for a lot of players who don’t want to spring for the Pro V1 but still are looking for good performance. However, the DT TruSoft is the Titleist golf ball I’d suggest for most seniors, as it provides a much softer, better feel with only minimal distance loss.

Short Game

Kudos to Titleist for their marketing on this ball, which advertises that the Velocity is “playable” around the green. Most companies would make bigger claims than that, but Titleist knows that the Velocity is a pretty hard ball that is fairly tough to control greenside. To call it “playable” is essentially conceding that it’s not going to do you many favors in the short game department.

The Bottom Line

I’d hesitate to recommend the Velocity for most players, as its performance doesn’t match other balls in its price range. However, there are a few situations that it might come in useful: if your home course has slow greens and taller-than-average fairway grass, the distance gains will help. And if you’re playing on winter greens, you may find that the lack of spin doesn’t hurt much.

Overall, though, there are better balls for seniors.

The good

Many golfers are investigating Bridgestone balls after Tiger Woods won the 2019 Masters with one, and for good reason: they’ve been making some of the best balls out there for a while now. Their best ball for senior golfers is the e6 Soft. It has a soft but durable cover and a low-compression core that offers a nice ball flight and a good amount of ball speed.

The cover feel is very nice around the greens, comparable to the Callaway SuperSoft and the Titleist DT TruSoft.

The ugly

But the e6 Soft comes up short in the visuals department. The large, blocky B logo is useless for alignment, and the odd placement of the ball number is, if anything, distracting. Even worse is the “alignment aid” on the side of the ball. Whereas the best balls offer something that approximates a straight line, the e6 Soft has a slightly off-kilter alignment aid that may have you leaving your putter face open.

If you decide to use the e6 Soft and you tend to putt with a line, you’ll definitely need to draw a thick Sharpie line over the alignment aid. This is a step that shouldn’t be necessary, as manufacturers should know by now to provide a useful alignment aid.

Unfortunately, this thoughtless design takes a ball that could’ve been a frontrunner because of its very good performance and relegates it to a “very good, but” category.

Now, if you don’t use any alignment line when putting or driving, you’ll find a lot to like here. But I find most players benefit from a good alignment system both on the tee and the putting green, and the e6 Soft comes up just a bit short.

What is Truvis and what does it do?

Callaway Truvis balls feature symmetrical pentagons that make it look somewhat like a soccer ball. These are designed to enhance your depth perception to make the ball look bigger, help with alignment, and increase golfers’ confidence. They’re also pretty cool around the green as you can see exactly how the ball is spinning on chips and putts.

They’ve been remarkably popular since their introduction (Tom Watson even used it in his last Masters tournament), but they’re definitely a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. Adventurous golfers have probably tried them out by now, while less adventurous players may wait until they find a lost Truvis ball on the course to give it a try. Of course, one of the advantages of the Truvis is that they stand out in the rough, so it’s unlikely that you’ll come across one!

So how’s the ball?

The Chrome Soft is the ball Callaway’s tour players use, so is it good for seniors? I can recommend it only for seniors who still hit the ball fairly high and long and are looking for backspin and stopping power on the green. For slower swing speeds, there’s not enough speed to compress the ball nor to generate enough spin to make it worth playing the expensive urethane balls.

It does feel excellent on chips and putts, spinning enough to grab the green and then release towards the hole on pitches. And putting with Truvis Chrome Soft balls is pretty fun, as you can really see the roll well.

But the Chrome Softs are one of the most expensive balls tested, and seniors will likely find both better performance and better prices elsewhere.

Durability is an issue

The cover of the RBZ Soft is a hybrid of urethane that TaylorMade just calls Ethane, and it’s supposed to be durable. However, a purely struck wedge shot was enough to scratch these up, as were fairway bunker shots. A cart path impact cut a deep gouge. They’re just not as durable as they should be.

All-around

Overall, the ball just failed to excel in any category. While it sounds good, it doesn’t fly as far or offer the greenside control that other balls deliver. The visuals are excellent, with a very helpful alignment aid (Bridgestone could take some notes from the TaylorMade design team), but other balls in the price range are longer and more durable, and feel better around the greens.

If you find an RBZ Soft golf ball on the course, it’s adequate to play a few holes with. But if you’re looking for a golf ball to purchase and stick to, there are better options out there.