Updated June 5, 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.
Imagine if you could buy one set of the best golf balls and immediately reduce your handicap score.
Wouldn’t you feel more confident on the golf course and be able to improve your game much faster?
If the answer is yes, read on.
Luckily for you, we’ve spent the last few weeks going out on the golf course with high handicappers players and have made them test and try out 10 different golf balls.
17
sources researched
13,000
customer
reviews
13
products
tested
Featured Recommendations
Last updated on 2023-06-04. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Things to Consider When Choosing Golf Balls for High Handicappers
Distance
A new golf ball can provide exceptional distance to a high handicapper’s game. A solid two-piece golf ball offers a length advantage when compared to soft golf balls that worry more about spin and control.
Straighter shots
A golf ball with an advanced dimple system and low spin off the tee box can provide straighter shots. Typically, a golf ball that advertises a softer cover will also improve accuracy through its reduced distance.
Spin & feel
A soft golf ball will have a thinner cover that increases spin and improves feel over the harder two-piece golf balls that increase distance. A soft golf ball helps high handicappers find better greenside control as well.
Price
Since most high handicappers prefer playing cheaper golf balls until their game improves, manufacturers offer many low price brands. Each of these value golf balls provide either excellent length or high spin.
Durability
Two-piece golf balls typically have a thicker outer layer so that they remain durable over a longer period of time. Since value is the primary concern with high handicappers, keeping the ball in top condition is very important.
Budget
Since golf is an expensive sport, sticking to a pre-decided budget helps leave money for other necessities, like better golf clubs and lessons. A budget golf ball can provide terrific response and reliability, making it ideal for golfers who prefer value over performance.
Construction
Most two-piece golf balls have an outer layer and inner core, making their construction very simple, but very important to overall production. A multi-piece ball offers more spin, better control, but it’s cost may keep it out of the range of a high handicapper.
Golf balls cover
The cover of a golf ball can either be thin, allowing for more spin and feel, or thicker, for more durability. The cover’s quality is responsible for high spin entering the green, greenside control with short game shots, and low spin off the tee box when hitting the driver.
Dimples
A dimple system aides the flight of the ball by reducing the effects of the wind on the golf ball’s surface. The reason that dimples are so important is because it allows the golf ball to travel extended distances with accuracy.
Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers
Titleist Pro V1
Best Golf Ball For High Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
For high handicappers looking to improve their scores with minimal effort, deciding to play with the Titleist Pro V1 is the best choice a golfer can make.
As a result of the high-quality construction of the Pro V1 comes incredible performance in every aspect of the golfing game.
High handicappers will notice that their drives are straighter and longer, their entry shots stop with precision and their putts roll quicker and without the bounce that kills accuracy.
In breaking down why the Pro V1 is the best golf balls for high handicappers, let’s play an imaginary hole starting at the tee box.
The Pro V1 has been constructed to get the most from your drives with forgiveness that reduces side spin and keeps the golf balls on target.
A redesigned next generation 2.0 ZG Process Core keeps the backspin in check for improved drag and optimum ball flight.What the Process Core of the Pro V1 does for high handicappers is that it helps reduce the damage that most amateurs make with poor swings. By damage, we are referring to the sidespin that produces those score-killing slices that put the golf balls in trouble.
From the fairway, the Pro V1’s core is coupled with an incredibly soft cover that is made from an ultra-thin layer of urethane elastomer. The enhanced technology Titleist puts into revamping the Pro V1 each year gives the golf balls a consistent ball flight with unmatched control on entry into the green.
There is a reason that the Pro V1 is the most used and the best golf balls on the PGA Tour. Watching the golf balls roll back to the hole on iron shots dozens of times every Sunday is proof enough that the Pro V1 are golf balls that generates incredible spin.
The cover of the Pro V1 is imprinted with a unique 352-dimple design. The dimples give the golf balls a chance to fight the impact that the surrounding air has on the golf balls as it travels from the fairway to the green.
With the soft urethane cover, the dimples impart a barrier shield to the golf balls that not only cuts through the wind but also generates exceptional backspin off irons and wedges.
When on the green, no other golf ball provides the feel and roll of the Pro V1. When most high handicappers take a putt, they are using substandard golf balls that place their putts at significant risk for slipping offline due to the inferior materials used to make the golf ball.
But the Pro V1’s urethane cover is a dream to use on the green because it reduces the skidding that occurs with most two-piece golf balls.
Instead, the Pro V1 gets rolling forward more quickly off the putter’s face than many of the tour-quality and best golf balls on the market today. By doing that the golf balls roll true and stay online for more birdies and lower scores.
For some golfers, the Pro V1 is too soft, has too much backspin and flies far too high for their taste. While that opinion has some validity, the benefits of playing with the Pro V1 outweigh or dispel many of those accusations. It is just a terrific ball for golfers of any skill level, especially the high handicapper.
It may be a pricier, but for the amateur looking to make significant strides in their scores quickly, they will not find better golf balls than the Titleist Pro V1. It deserves to be one of the best golf balls for high handicappers in the market today.
Titleist AVX
Our Upgrade Choice
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
For the golfer who feels that the Titleist Pro V1 is too soft, flies too high and isn’t strong enough for their game, the company has answered those complaints with the new AVX golf balls.
The AVX is comparable to the Pro V1 in various areas but has several subtle differences that make the AVX appealing to the high handicapper.
The three-piece golf balls contains a soft urethane cover, a second casing layer under the cover that flexes for maximum transfer of energy to the high speed and a low compression core.
All of those listed components to the AVX can make a high handicapper’s head swim with confusion. But for those looking for the best golf balls for high handicappers that will lower their score, let’s break down why these AVX specifications will lead to improvement in all facets of the game.
First, let’s look at the core of the AVX.
The low compression core has been designed to help with cutting down shot height and boosting the distance of golf balls once it leaves the driver on the tee box. If there is a chief complaint about the Pro V1 for amateur golfers, it is that the golf balls fly far too high making it susceptible to wind and other weather elements.
The AVX is the antidote to those complaints. The core is crafted to keep the golf balls low with a piercing flight path that cuts through the wind for the longest distance possible from a three-piece golf ball. The low compression rating of the AVX core creates maximum flex at impact for a trampoline-like effect off the club face.
Once the golf balls are in the air, the multi-component thermoset cast urethane cover takes over.
So what does that all mean?
Well on the AVX, the cover is made from a soft urethane material that enhances the feel of the golf balls off the club face. Once the AVX leaves the club, the tetrahedral catenary dimple design imprinted in the urethane takes over to reduce drag and keep the golf balls low for your longest drive ever.
The urethane cover of the AVX also helps around the green with enhanced shot-stopping ability. Unlike two-piece balls, the AVX has improved the backspin of the ball when leaving the face of your favorite wedge.
As a result, the golf balls settle nicely on the green and in the intended area of the shot.
Let’s move onto the casing layer that covers the core but rests under the cover.
The casing layer on the AVX has been made by Titleist to help with the flex that occurs at impact. This extra layer boosts spin as well as assists with achieving long distance.
Most three-piece golf balls utilize this additional layer in a variety of ways, but few companies have taken advantage of the technology as Titleist with the AVX.
Perhaps the ATX isn’t the complete ball like its older brother, the Pro V1, but fans of the three-piece balls rave about its low ball flight as well as its reduced spin off the tee.
Regardless, for high handicappers who’s looking to take the next step from the two-piece ball, the AVX is a terrific option that will produce length in ways you’ve never seen.
Titleist DT TruSoft
Our Budget Pick
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on eBay.com
For golfers in the market for a durable and dependable two-piece golf ball then Titleist presents the DT TruSoft.
With a newly redesigned core, the DT TruSoft comes with slight technological enhancements that make this golf ball Titleist’s best version of the series to date.
It all starts with the center of the TruSoft golf ball.
With the ball being a two-piece that means that the cover and core are the only components of the golf ball.
For the TruSoft that means what is on the inside dictates what happens on the outside. As a result, the company has revamped and redesigned the TruCore at the heart of the golf ball.
The TruCore has been crafted to be low compression. What that means is that the center of the DT TruSoft is built primarily for low swing speeds that need help with their distance. This fits firmly in the camp of the high handicapper.
Low swing speeds typically equate to higher scores because the ball does not travel across the course as far as golfers who hit the ball with dramatically more swing speed.
The center of the TruSoft and its low compression core work much like when a person jumps on a trampoline.
As the jumper goes down into the spring-loaded mat, the springs expand and then boost the jumper upward as the energy transfers from the springs to the jumper’s body when the springs contract. The same principles apply to when a golf club hits the DT TruSoft.
The softness of the ball compresses against the club face and then releases to send the ball forward. For the TruSoft that means maximum distance based upon swing speed. That compression improves driving distances for most high handicappers but also comes with a price as well.
For beginning golfers looking for more complexity from their golf ball like with the Pro V1, then the DT TruSoft will disappoint. This golf ball is a sledgehammer off the tee with less feel than most multi-layered balls, but for the price, it is hard to expect more from this level of golf ball.
But with the name of the golf balls promising softness around the greens, let’s look at how the DT TruSoft does generate spin. First, we go back to the core and the low compression.
The spring off the clubface does create backspin due to the friction between the dimpled cover of the TruSoft and the grooves of the club face.
In addition to the TruCore, what helps give the DT TruSoft exceptional spin for a two-piece ball is the TruCover technology.
With proprietary materials used, the cover of the TruSoft helps the ball stick to the green from mid-range distances from the fairway. Around the green, the TruSoft struggles a bit with stopping like a multi-layered ball, but it still lands softer than most two-piece balls.
Where the TruSoft turns heads is with the affordable price. For a high-quality two-piece golf ball, the TruSoft is priced beyond reasonable for a box of a dozen.
If you are looking for a more subtle and dynamic golf ball, you might be disappointed, but if you are one of the high handicappers looking to maximize your distance and save some change for those green fees, then the Titleist DT TruSoft is one of the best golf balls for high handicappers to take for a test drive.
Callaway SuperHot
Our 2nd Budget Pick
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
Golf balls are manufactured in a variety of ways. Most of the best golf balls for high handicappers are created with multiple layers surrounding a core. Two-piece golf balls only have the cover and a composite core. These golf balls are usually priced affordably and marketed to amateurs looking for added distance.
Three-piece and multiple-layered golf balls add a new dimension in distance and increased spin. They are made with higher quality materials to reduce drag when the ball is cutting through wind as well as softer urethane covers to increase the friction between the grooves on the club for enhanced backspin.
The SuperHot golf balls from Callaway pushes the boundaries of what a three-piece ball can be. Retailing for the price of a two-piece ball, the SuperHot delivers incredible feel and softness around the greens but is a distance-seeking monster off the tee box.
What sets the SuperHot apart from other three-piece golf balls is the large, high-energy core.Callaway has coupled the SuperHot’s low compression core with a newly designed hexagonal dimpled cover to boost distance for the high handicapper. Perfect for swings that top out at 80-85 mph, the SuperHot responds positively when contact is made with the driver’s sweet spot.
Looking beyond the core, another fantastic feature of the SuperHot is the previously mentioned hexagonal dimple system that lays over the soft cover of the golf ball. The unique design of the SuperHot’s cover minimizes the drag on the golf ball as it travels through the air. A reduction of drag means less sidespin and longer ball flight.
Golfers who love the SuperHot highlight its consistency due to the technological advancements created by Callaway in making the best golf ball. Although the straighter and longer drives shine among the features of the SuperHot, the ball works wonders from the fairway as well.
The soft cover allows for easy shot-stopping control on the greens, so professionals and amateurs alike can take advantage of the SuperHot and shoot for the cup on shorter pitch and chip shots.
The three-piece construction of the SuperHot also shows its merits around the greens. Unlike a cheaper two-piece ball, the multi-layered SuperHot has an additional layer underneath the cover that aids with spin for deft touch when facing tough shots from the sand or through thicker rough.
On the green, the multi-layered ball does improve feel on mid-to-long range putts. That said, golfers looking to cut a corner with their wallet by expecting the SuperHot will play similarly to the exceptional Chrome Soft golf ball that Callaway produces might be disappointed. Rounding out the features on the SuperHot is an alignment guide that aids with putts from any distance.
One interesting wrinkle that Callaway has introduced recently with the SuperHot is a by offering a variety of colors other than white for the amateur to purchase. The SuperHot also comes in the colors of matte yellow, red, and bright orange. Many believe that golfers can locate the golf ball better in thicker vegetation with the loud skin color of the alternate SuperHot models.
The SuperHot golf ball isn’t as sophisticated as the elite tier multi-layered golf balls such as the Callaway Chrome Soft and the Titleist ProV1, but it does deliver a terrific experience from tee to green for an affordable price. For the high handicapper, this is one of the best golf balls to improve their game with little effort.
Callaway SuperSoft Golf Balls
Best Greenside Response Golf Ball
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
One of Callaway’s most popular golf balls is the SuperSoft. Made for improving spin and greenside control, the ball is a standout that will certainly help high handicappers.
The ball features Callaway’s patented HEX aerodynamic dimple system to reduce drag for straighter flight with more accuracy. From the tee box, the wind resistance helps keep drives on the fairway.
Also worth noting is the low compression core that keeps ball speed elevated while providing forgiveness.
The outer layer is one of the softest on the market, great if you need more stopping power around the green. When putting, the SuperSoft excels at keeping lag putts close to the cup.
Another value priced golf ball that’s fun to play, the SuperSoft is also available in six colors.
Titleist Velocity Golf Balls
Best Distance Golf Ball
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Titleist’s Velocity golf ball is a dynamic advancement from the company for golfers who want to extend their length off the tee box. The Velocity golf ball features wonderful length, low piercing flight, and unreal shot-stopping ability once you get to the green.
Available in several colors, the Velocity offers dynamic playability for high handicappers that need more launch and carry from their golf ball.
From the fairway, the Velocity provides tall launch with high spin for those consistent soft landings that inexperienced golfers need from their game.
Around the green, the Velocity also shines by providing more spin on chip and pitch shots. With the putter, the ball doesn’t suffer like most distance balls. The Velocity actually adds touch and feel for high handicappers.
Great for distance, but very solid inside 100 yards, the Titleist Velocity is our choice for the best distance golf ball.
TaylorMade TP5 Golf Balls
Best Premium Golf Ball
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
For high handicappers that don’t mind spending a few extra bucks on their golf balls, the TaylorMade TP5 is our choice for best premium golf ball. The multi-layer ball offers first-rate feel, spin, and distance.
The TP5 reaches top speed on full swings, especially when you have the driver in hand. The low piercing flight with additional distance is a boon for high handicappers that can afford the TP5 in their budget.
The engine behind the TP5 is the Tri-Fast Core. This three-layer core offers progressive compression, maximum energy transfer, and full speed on max swing speed shots.
The advanced outer layer offers high levels of generated spin with premium groove interaction, great for around the green.
Well-built for golfers of all levels, the TaylorMade TP5 is a wonderful premium option for high handicappers.
Titleist Tour Soft Golf Balls
Best Advanced High Spin Golf Ball
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
For golfers looking for an advanced golf ball that increases spin and feel, the Tour Soft delivers the goods. Made with the same craftsmanship that you’ll find on the company’s ProV1, the Tour Soft offers tour-level performance with better spin and more feel.
Off the tee, the Tour Soft maintains a low penetrating flight with low spin for better accuracy. From the fairway, the ball shines with high spin and a tall trajectory for softer landings.
With a wedge, the Tour Soft offers premium greenside control. The feel and spin work in unison to offer more precise pitch and chip shots to reduce length of putts.
Our choice for the best spin golf ball, the Titleist Tour Soft exceeds expectations with unbelievable length for a soft golf ball.
Titleist TruFeel Golf Balls
Best Greenside Control Golf Ball
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
The Titleist TruFeel is our choice for the best greenside control golf ball due to its low compression core and TruFlex cover that delivers high spin. Made with an aerodynamic cover, the TruFeel also maximizes distance while not losing an ounce of feel or response.
The ball’s best feature is its exceptional greenside control. On putts, chips, and pitch shots, the ball offers incredible feel with deft touch. The high spin also helps to settle flop shots and those tricky shots from the rough and sand.
For junior golfers or those players who love to just have fun on the links, the TruFeel also comes in multiple colors including neon orange and green.
The TruFeel is an excellent choice for high handicappers because it also presents a tremendous value with its low price point. It’s a great alternative to the Bridgestone e6.
Srixon AD333
Best Two-Piece Option
Srixon’s AD333 offers dynamic spin and extended distance, an explosive package rarely seen in a two-piece golf ball. The ball features a 338-dimple pattern that reduces drag and increases lift, great when hitting shots from the fairway.
The ball also features a Spin Skin that helps with softness and touch. Great for high handicappers and beginning golfers, the AD333 delivers high spin around the greens, ideal for improving your short game and lowering scores.
Bridgestone e6
Best Soft Feel Option
From Bridgestone comes the e6, an impressive soft golf ball that does not minimize distance. Created for adding length to your game without sacrificing spin, the e6 offers a low compression option for slower swingers that need to maintain their yardage while adding softness.
Around the greens, the e6 shines with jaw-dropping control. For mid handicappers, the e6 provides a low-cost two-piece golf ball with the sophistication of an advanced multi-layer option.
TaylorMade Soft Response
Best Distance Option for High Handicappers
The TaylorMade’s Soft Response golf ball offers a unique dimple system that reduces drag, and maximizes distance with expanded coverage on the face at impact. The seamless 322 dimple pattern provides accurate ball flight, especially helpful when considering the low compression ball features a three-piece design.
The extra layer helps golfers on shots inside 100 yards with wedges. High handicappers will find that the Soft Response offers the touch of a tour-level golf ball at a value price point.
Volvik Vivid
Best High Launch Option
Available in a host of vibrant colors, the Volvik Vivid offers a fun and exciting way to tackle the links. The ball’s matte finish provides clean contact with low driver spin, high launch with extended carry, and extended distance.
A premium three-piece golf ball, the Vivid’s colorful outer layer improves visibility during flight and when trying to locate the ball on the ground. Great for golfers of all skill levels, the Volvik Vivid delivers exceptional performance with impressive style.
Questions and Answers
How are golf balls for high handicappers different from regular balls?
Golf balls that high handicappers might play with more frequently offer lower price options and less sophistication when compared to higher priced multi-layer golf balls. Two-piece golf balls, primarily chosen by beginners and high handicappers, can offer a soft feel or longer distance to improve their overall game.
How does the rate of spin impact your shots?
There are two areas on the golf course where spin impacts shots. The first is from the fairway or around the green. In those areas, golfers need higher backspin rates to stop the ball closer to the cup. On the tee box, it is a different story altogether. Golfers want lower spin to allow the ball to fly straighter without slicing or hooking the golf ball.
Do covers affect the golf ball’s performance?
Yes, the cover of the golf ball affects its overall performance. The ball’s outer layer helps the golfer with feel and response if it is softer. Especially during putting and chipping, greater feel can provide better control. For harder outer covers, golfers can experience more distance and better durability.
Does the spin rate of the golf ball impact shots?
The outer cover is responsible for spin, which could dramatically impact the performance of the golf ball. A higher spin rate on entry shots into the green, create more backspin once the ball hits the green. Higher spin stops the ball relatively quickly on pitch and chip shots, as well. Off the tee box, a high spin rate can create taller ball height with the driver.
What do dimples do?
Dimples allow the golf ball to fly farther and be less affected by the wind. A golf ball’s dimple system makes the ball fly straighter by reducing the drag of wind against the surface of the outer layer. Each manufacturer boasts of a patented dimple system, but in reality, all dimple systems work very well at its intended purpose.
Wrapping Up: Best Golf Ball for High Handicappers
Whatever it is that influences your decision when it comes to getting the best golf balls for high handicappers, try to be well informed.
More important than the one or two strokes it could save you per round, is the potential game improvement it could help you with.
When it comes down to it, that is what we’re here for…
”Always one step further to help you improve your game”
Once you have found one of the best golf balls for high handicappers that you really like, stockpile them!! Buy 10 or 12 dozen and hide them away somewhere. It seems that when you find a ball that you like, they get discontinued…Wilson Staff Titanium, Strata MD, Nike RZN Black just to mention a few.
I hope that this article provided a different insight that is of some value to you and will help you find the best golf ball for high handicappers. If so, please share this with your friends and supply a comment for us.
Tip! Here’s how to keep golf balls clean for your next game.