What Are Soft Golf Balls?


Soft golf balls have become popular in recent years among golfers looking for more touch around the greens.

Most major golf ball manufacturers have created soft golf balls that do not sacrifice distance in the name of spin and control. Instead, these creative golf balls are tailored to help golfers with high swing speeds gain more precision on their entry shots into the green.

Whether you are an average golfer or among a large playing group of senior golfers, our soft golf ball list can provide exceptional spin properties and might even provide you with a few extra yards off the tee.

soft golf balls


What You Will Learn In This Post

CHAPTER 1

How Each Club Plays With Soft Golf Balls


Driver

For golfers that are worried that their ball speed will be affected by a softer ball, I can assure you that theory is a myth. If you hold a high swing speed, these urethane covered golf balls deliver length along with low spin as well as their exceptional feel and response.

Even for golfers with slower swing speeds, the difference between these softer golf balls and a firmer ball when using the driver remains borderline unnoticeable.

If you prefer to play with a firm ball over a soft feel ball, chances are high that you are sacrificing spin and touch around the greens. So while you are maximizing distance, you are probably failing to get the ball into the cup with minimal strokes on the scorecard.

Iron Play

When it comes to irons and soft cover golf balls, I would like to talk a little about compression.

Low compression golf balls spin more than your average higher compression ball. When a ball feels softer and spins more, regardless of your swing speed, you must judge its performance based on its launch angle.

If you are hitting the ball too high, especially those golfers with faster swing speeds will find that soft balls will dramatically fall short of their intended target. That’s not the ball’s fault, that’s your fault for hitting it far too high.

But regardless of the compression number your ball holds, even if you are playing mid-compression golf balls or a high-compression ball, playing golf the right way means you playing with the right ball for your game.

Also, just because you have a slow swing speed does not mean softer balls will limit your distance, especially on entry shots into the green.

Short Game

Around the greens, these delicate golf balls absolutely shine. With premium soft cores, the spin rate of these balls helps when you are looking to stop your shots from minimal distances.

One of the quickest ways to stop a golf ball around the putting surface is by imparting higher rates of spin. Today’s golf ball companies produce high-quality lower compression balls that provide the control you need for your short game by revving up the spin rates.

Whether you prefer a high, soft pitch shot or like the bump and run, the response of these high spin rate golf balls remains the same with either style of shot, both in the end produce exquisite results that help you save par.

Advanced golfers love to play a softer golf ball further in their stance when hitting a short shot to generate even more spin.

Putting

Here’s where the urethane cover plays such a huge role in creating softness with the putter.

When the golf ball feels soft at impact, think any premium ball or even the old-school balata balls that were all the rage a while back, you can better gauge the distance control you need with the putt.

Hard golf balls send mixed messages when we hit them with a finesse club. Whether we are putting or chipping, firmer golf balls don’t provide the response we need to better judge the power behind our swing.

High-grade urethane covers really pay off when you are looking to improve your putting. With a soft core, a low compression ball can absorb the impact to minimize skidding and hopping, helping you produce a dependable roll that finds the cup with more regularity.

CHAPTER 2

Why Golfers Should Play Soft Golf Balls


The more golf balls you play, the more you’ll understand that every golf ball on the market delivers specific results related to your skill set.

Average golfers will find that premium balls, such as the Bridgestone Tour B or Srixon Z-Star, for example, provide more distance over a two-or-three-piece golf ball.

Premium golf balls deliver better performance, that’s no secret. But if you are searching for more spin around the greens and more short game consistency, a higher-end soft balls, those softer golf balls typically played by professional golfers, can be just the trick to unlocking your game.

High handicappers can utilize softer golf balls to work on their short game. When I’m with a new student, I love changing their golf ball to one with a soft feel, so they can gather a better sense of what the ball feels like when chipping and putting.

As always, testing balls remains the best way to discover the right golf ball for your game.

CHAPTER 3

Best Soft Golf Balls Available


Of course, everyone points to the Titleist Pro V1 when they talk about the greatest golf ball on the planet, but the best soft golf ball is the Callaway Chrome Soft.

Not only does the Chrome Soft have an incredible soft response, but with the driver in hand, you’ll notice that the ball delivers low spin helping you craft straighter shots.

When I play the Chrome Soft, what I love about the golf ball, other than how they put the word “soft” right in the name, is how it does exactly what I want it to do on the golf course.

Regardless of whether I’m on the fairway or in the deep rough, the Chrome Soft provides consistency along with its softer feel.

Like most golfers that play this Callaway ball, I’m absolutely smitten with the ball’s performance, and it is easily my favorite softer ball.