Updated October 18, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The average golfer stays average by continuing to play with the same swing, the same equipment, and, unfortunately, the same golf ball.
Some golfers might think any golf ball works for their game, but in this age of technological advancements and customization, playing without knowledge can harm your scores.
So, for this review of the 10 best golf balls for the average golfer, I have spent time playing and evaluating dozens of golf balls and found the top models that can improve your scores, increase the distance of your drives, and tighten your short gameplay.
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Last updated on 2023-11-22. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Best Golf Balls for Average Golfers 2023
Titleist Pro V1
Best Overall Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 3-piece
- Cover: Soft Cast Urethane
- Dimple Pattern: Circular
Pros
- Offers exceptional distance for golfers with moderate swing speed
- Marvelous multi-piece golf ball with outstanding greenside control
- High-quality urethane cover provides low spin off the tee box
Cons
- Doesn’t spin as much as the ProV1x
The Titleist ProV1 is our choice for the best overall option on our list. The Titleist ball tops the list for a long list of very good reasons as it works magic around the greens and is wonderfully capable for mid handicappers looking to take their game to the next level.
Its latest version provides the average golfer with a redesigned solid core that increases distance. With the driver, the ball has outstanding low long game spin to help you keep the ball in the fairway, ready to attack the green.
Around the green, this Titleist ball and the Pro V1x really shines, especially if you are making strides with your short game and need an advanced golf ball to take it over the top.
On chip and pitch shots, the heralded product offers the soft golf ball that average golfers need to check up close to the hole.
Well deserving of its reputation, this Titleist ball and its brother, the Pro V1x, is a remarkable upgrade for the average golfer.
Titleist TruFeel
Best Soft Feel Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 2-piece
- Cover: Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: 376 Tetrahedral
Pros
- Wonderful distance control with high spin on the greens for pinpoint accuracy
- Terrific feel off the driver with minimal spin and long distance for tight shot dispersion
- Tour-level performing 2-piece golf ball for your game
Cons
- Doesn’t offer the distance of most 2-piece balls
Another brilliant addition to the stellar Titleist line of golf balls is the TruFeel. While we like to see average golfers make the jump to multi-or 3-piece golf balls, the TruFeel is just too good to pass up as a highly functional, very affordable 2-piece option.
With a low compression core, the TruFeel offers dynamic response off the tee. You won’t have to sacrifice distance with this soft golf ball, as it offers less spin with the driver for tighter shot dispersion on the fairway.
Along with the low driver spin, the TruFeel is an absolute beast near the greens with outstanding spin control.
From the rough or sand, this ball doesn’t lose spin, offering you premium control to settle your chip and pitch shots near the cup with far more consistency than any other 2-piece ball.
A great ball for the average golfer, you’ll find the Titleist TruFeel delivers wonderful performance at a low price point.
Titleist Velocity
Best 2-piece Distance Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 2-piece
- Cover: NaZ+ Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: 350 Octahedral
Pros
- Extremely long distance with less spin for better accuracy
- Great for average players looking for length from 3-piece golf ball
- Incredibly soft on the green with terrific response off putter face
Cons
- It isn’t as soft around the greens
The Velocity provides multi-piece construction for the price of a 2-piece golf ball. For average golfers, it provides a low compression core that supports slow swing speed without sacrificing distance.
The Velocity’s ball flight is moderate to high, great for the average player who needs more distance and carry from their next golf ball. It also has low driver spin, great for moderate swing speeds that need more accuracy to hit more fairways.
When looking at short game control, the Velocity is a stunner, offering the softness reserved for more advanced golf balls.
Although the Velocity is marketed as a distance ball, on the greens, you’ll be surprised by how soft the ball comes off the putter face.
For a mid handicap player, the Velocity offers an affordable price point along with improvements over standard 2-piece balls.
A solidly built ball for the average golfer, the Titleist Velocity is an absolute winner.
TaylorMade TP5x
Best Premium Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 5-piece
- Cover: Soft Cast Urethane
- Dimple Pattern: Symmetrical Circular
Pros
- Great for mid handicap players that want tour-level golf balls
- Moderate ball flight offers exceptionally long distance and lower spin off tee
- Exceptional multi-piece construction offers dynamic spin control
Cons
- Doesn’t spin as much as TP5
If you are in the market for a golf ball that tour players adore, then the TaylorMade TP5x, our choice for the best luxury option, is the right golf ball for your game.
The TP5x offers unmatched sophistication that works both around the greens and for those players needing additional distance from their golf balls.
Off the tee box, it is a weapon to behold. One of the longest golf balls you’ll find on the market for an average player, the multi-piece construction delivers incredible length.
From inside 150 yards, the TP5x is a stunner delivering high spin for average golfers with high swing speeds.
One of the most admired golf balls for mid handicap players, the TaylorMade TP5x is a must-have if you are looking to shorten your learning curve on the golf course and reach that next level.
Bridgestone Golf e12 Soft
Best Value Golf Ball for Average Golfer
Specifications
- Type: 3-piece
- Cover: Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: Hexagonal
Pros
- Firm outer layer provides instant response and exciting feel
- Great value soft option for average players wanting 2-piece golf balls
- Built to support long distance players by offering high spin around the green
Cons
- Doesn’t provide the firm feel of a distance golf ball
Another outstanding golf ball that works on several levels is the Bridgestone e12. It has two impressive components: a solid distance-driving core and a soft outer layer that works well around the greens.
The outer layer utilizes the company’s Delta Dimple system that minimizes drag on high speed shots for better accuracy and enhanced length.
When it comes time to put the ball into the cup, the softness of the cover shines offering a terrific feel with the putter and control with the wedge.
A soft outer layer with an advanced dimple pattern gives your short game a huge boost when you have the wedge in your hand. From inside 150 yards, the e12’s inner core offers great assistance to golfers struggling to maintain high swing speeds.
The Active Acceleration Mantle core provides an excitingly innovative step forward for Bridgestone in increasing ball speed for average golfers.
Another highlight worth noting is the quality of the urethane cover and how it helps both the short and long game.
For the average golfer, the Bridgestone Golf e12 Soft golf ball is an excellent addition to help make the next step in your golfing journey.
Srixon Soft Feel
Best Value Soft Feel Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 2-piece
- Cover: Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: Symmetrical Circular
Pros
- Few golf balls increase feel like the Srixon Soft Feel golf balls
- Low compression FastLayer Core offers long distance with high short game spin
- 338 Speed Dimple Pattern along urethane cover reduces drag for greater ball speed
Cons
- Doesn’t provide the workability of a multi-piece soft golf ball
A long-time favorite golf ball company of professional golfers, Srixon makes several outstanding golf balls for average golfers, including our next choice, the Soft Feel.
This golf ball is another dual-component ball that offers superior performance for far less money than you’ll spend on your next round.
Although it is marketed as a soft golf ball, the Soft Feel does reduce the golf course with its 338 Speed Dimple system. The dimples reduce drag, extend ball speed, and increase length on every shot.
We really loved the soft, thin cover of this Srixon ball. Inside 50 yards, the spin generated was jaw-dropping, making it an excellent option if you are in the market for an affordable ball that will dance on the greens when you have a wedge in your hand.
A low compression golf ball that delivers the goods, the Srixon Soft Feel is a delightful set of golf balls for average players.
Wilson Staff Fifty Elite
Best Low Compression Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 2-piece
- Cover: Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: Symmetrical Circular
Pros
- Around the green, the ball’s high spin provides accurate chip and pitch shots
- High-quality golf balls with soft feel but low spin off
- Redesigned outer layer offers shallow dimples for extended distance
Cons
- Rather firm feel boosts distance but loses feel
The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite is a dynamically innovative golf ball from the company.
The Fifty Elite offers a terrific performance balance between the aggressive core and responsive cover and threads the thin line between providing distance and feel for the golfer.
Off the tee box, it utilizes the aerodynamic cover with a 302 dimple design that does an admirable job of penetrating the air for extended, lower spin length.
From the fairway, the softer cover gives these golf balls a jolt to create a high spin that helps the ball land softly on the green.
Even when holding the putter, you’ll find these two component golf balls to be soft off the face with an excellent forward roll that won’t bounce or skid off your intended line.
Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls
Best High Spin Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 2-piece
- Cover: Surlyn
- Dimple Pattern: 346 Quadrilateral Dipyramid
Pros
- Longer distance with ultimate softness
- Responsive feel around the greens with high spin
- Low, piercing ball flight off the tee box
Cons
- Lacks spin around the greens
The Titleist Tour Soft offers tour-level construction with dynamic softness that works wonders around the green. Without sacrificing distance, it provides an energetic core that generates high spin and an improved feel over comparable soft golf balls.
Off the tee box, the Tour Soft golf ball produces low spin with a piercing flight, taking advantage of its aerodynamic cover to increase length.
For the short game, the Tour Soft Golf Balls give amateurs better distance control with shot-stopping power.
Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls
Best Golf Ball for Average Golfer on a Budget
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Specifications
- Type: 3-piece
- Cover: Ionomer
- Dimple Pattern: Hexagonal Aerodynamic
Pros
- Low Compression minimizes spin off the tee box
- Multiple colors available including orange and lime
- Very accurate from fairway with high spin
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much short game feel
The Callaway Supersoft, easily one of the best soft golf balls ever created, delivers distance, accuracy, and exceptional control.
From the tee box, the Supersoft gives golfers low spin with penetrating flight to extend the length of your drive. Around the green, it offers outstanding spin and touch, great for shaving strokes from your final score.
Available in several fun colors, the Supersoft provides very low compression for slow swingers that need more control from their golf ball.
Srixon Q-Star Tour Golf Balls
Best Distance 3-piece Golf Ball for Average Golfer
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Specifications
- Type: 3-piece
- Cover: Urethane
- Dimple Pattern: Symmetrical Circular
Pros
- FastLayer Core increases distance and provides high spin
- Alignment aid on side of ball helps with accurate putting
- 338 Speed Dimple Pattern offers aerodynamic ball flight
Cons
- For multi-piece ball could offer more spin around the greens
Srixon, one of the most underrated golf equipment manufacturers on the market, has produced another winner with the Q-Star Tour 3 Golf Ball. Featuring a FastLayer Core and Spin Skin outer layer, the Q-Star offers complete performance from tee to green.
Along with its helpful alignment aid along the side of the ball, the Tour 3 also features an aerodynamic cover that reduces drag and increases length.
A great mid-range golf ball, the Q-Star Tour 3 is an absolute game changer for weekend warriors.
Buying Guide: Choosing the Best Golf Balls
Construction
Most average golfers want something specific from their new golf balls. For beginners and high handicappers, two-piece golf balls that consist of an outer layer and an inner core are perfectly fine for learning the game.
But for golfers that want to take their game to the next level, multi-piece golf balls are the only way to improve.
These golf balls offer greater spin around the putting surface and less when you are using the driver. Their construction allows golfers to discover the depths of their talents.
Accuracy
What golfers of any skill set desire from their ball is a tight shot dispersion. By routinely keeping the drives in a tight circular area on the fairway, or even just in the rough, you increase accuracy and the quality of the second shots.
By hitting from the fairway more often, you greatly enhance the opportunity of putting for birdie or par. The more those moderate putts happen with the chance to leave the hole without a bogey or worse, the more your score will improve over time.
Affordability
Since their are luxury and value options on our list, let’s talk about the affordability of these golf balls for golfers with an average skill set. If you have the money to spend on better balls, then by all means, do so because your game will thank you for it.
More affordable balls don’t necessarily sacrifice performance, but they do come with more caveats that may only provide one specific benefit, such as softness or more distance.
Durability
The durability of a ball has several factors at play including luck, the accuracy of the golfer, and the type of golf course they regularly play. Softer covers do tend to cut more easily, but they are preferred by professionals and amateurs for their superior performance.
Even for cheaper dual-component balls, the outer cover must maintain durability to extend the life of the golf ball.
Since these golf balls have a thicker cover to maintain longer durability, the golfer can expect reduced performance when compared to their multi-component counterparts.
Even with this in mind, these more affordable, minimal feature golf balls serve a purpose for the average golfer.
Distance
The distance of any of the golf balls on our list is important to understand before purchasing for average golfers.
Regardless of how many layers the golf ball has, manufacturers have done a magnificent job of creating golf balls that can increase the length of drives and secondary shots into the green.
When considering the quality of the core, the cover, and the ball’s dimple pattern, you should understand how each component plays a part in how far the ball will actually carry.
Dimple Pattern
The dimple pattern on golf balls helps push the surrounding air away from the ball reducing the drag that wind has on the ball. By reducing the punishment of the air around the ball, it can fly longer and straighter.
A shallow dimple pattern is great for distance balls because the air is moved more quickly from the surface of the ball. Also, the number of dimples the golf ball has does not really matter because all modern golf balls have over 300 along their surface.
Compression
For slower swings, low compression golf balls help by providing distance without the necessary swing speed. These golf balls have a springy inner core that leaps off the face of the club for maximum distance with moderate spin.
Simply put, a lower compression golf ball is great for an average player because it assists their game even if their swing isn’t as fast as it once was long ago.
Recommended: How to Buy Golf Balls (Buying Guide)
Questions & Answers
What are the best golf balls for the average golfer?
Average golfers love soft golf balls like the Srixon Soft Feel.
Available at a very affordable price, the Srixon are among the best dual-component golf balls with a high-spin core and soft, but durable outer cover.
These golf balls provide exceptional feel and response on the putting surface without the skidding and hopping that plagues 1-piece golf balls that you’ll find on a driving range.
What are the best golf balls for a mid handicapper?
For a mid handicapper, the TaylorMade TP5x is an absolute stunner.
Among the best golf balls that the market has to offer, the TP5x provides increased swing speed, low driver spin, and exceptional distance.
This golf ball is played by some of the PGA Tour’s best, including Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy. All of these pros love the playability of the ball with exceptional shot shape and customized shot height.
Do golf balls make a difference for average golfers?
Yes, new golf balls can make a tremendous difference for average golfers.
Not only can a better ball provide more spin and distance, but the dimple system can also reduce drag for longer flight and carry. Since average golfers tend to have slower swings, new golf balls can be beneficial for maintaining a solid baseline for much longer.
Even if you choose a soft feel ball as your next ball, the additional spin will provide more short game control. This additional accuracy from inside 100 yards can shorten birdie and par putts and help lower scores.
What is the best overall golf ball?
The best golf balls are the Titleist Pro V1.
Built with stunning creativity, the Titleist ball provides unbelievable shot shaping capabilities along with extended distance, high spin from inside 100 yards, and wonderful feel and response with the putter.
What makes the Titleist ball so popular among professional golfers is how adaptable the ball is with each shot.
Regardless of what you need the ball to do, it is capable and always on the ready. In the end, the golfer’s skill level determines what the Titleist ball will do on each shot.
When should I upgrade my ball?
The best time to upgrade a golf ball is when you begin to see diminishing returns with your game.
For example, let’s say the last ten times you’ve played, you feel that your shot quality is vastly improving but your score is staying in a similar range.
Once this happens, you’ll need to be honest about your game and where it stands because that will dictate what type of ball you need to pursue. Most average golfers need to think bigger with their golf ball to take the next step in their golfing journey.
What is the average golf handicap?
The average golf handicap is around 18. This handicap is considered to be a mid-range handicap and these golfers are referred to as mid handicappers.
Golfers with any handicap lower than ten are considered low handicappers. Golfers who regularly score over 95 are considered high handicappers.
To be considered an average golfer with an average handicap, the player needs to regularly score anywhere from 80-90 on a regular occasion.
Average handicap golfers rarely three-putt and hit the golf ball with their driver over 250 yards. These players also play multi-piece balls due to the soft feel and sophistication provided by the design.
Recommended: What does Handicap Mean in Golf?
What’s the average swing speed?
The average swing speed with the golf driver is around 90 mph for an average distance of 215 yards.
Clubhead speed is directly related to the handicap of a golfer. Players with average swing speeds have a handicap that rests around 18. Professional golfers and advanced amateurs hit the ball over 275 yards routinely with a swing speed of over 105 mph on average.
The peak age for clubhead speed is around 30 years old for both male and female. Golfers in this age range averaged over 100 mph with their driver speed.
Conclusion
My choice for the best golf balls for the average golfer, the Titleist Pro V1, reduces spin off the tee box for soaring distance with tight dispersion. Around the greens, the Pro V1 provides an unmatched softness that keeps the ball close to the pin on pitch and chip shots.
If you struggle with a slice or hook, I found the Pro V1 minimized the penalty of those two swing flaws by reducing overall side spin for better accuracy.
I absolutely love the performance of this Titleist golf ball from tee to green, making it my favorite recommended product to help average golfers make the jump to the next handicap level.
And in case you’re curious, here are the best illegal golf balls.