Best Golf Balls 2024: Buyer's guide and things you need to know
GolfMagic tests out all the best golf balls on the market to find out which ones you should choose in 2024.
In the market to play one of the best golf balls that will suit your game? Well, you have arrived at the right place.
With so many brands releasing a broad range of different golf ball models, choosing the right set of dimples to sync up with your game can be a confusing task.
But that's where we come in.
The GolfMagic editorial team has sought out the best golf balls from all of the biggest brands this season and put them to the test.
From Titleist's iconic Pro V1 to TaylorMade's new TP5, we have tested over 40 golf balls to find out which ones perform best in a series of different categories.
Put through their paces both on the course at Mannings Heath Golf and Wine Estate and in the studio with a GC Quad at Custom Golf Works, we've tested each golf ball in a broad variety of conditions to ensure our process is fair and without bias.
Find out more about how we test equipment here
BEST GOLF BALLS 2024
Whether you want to use the same ball as Scottie Scheffler or Nelly Korda, we've tested them all to give you all the info you need to make your next purchase.
From Tour level performance to the best balls for beginners, there is something for everyone on our list.
Okay without further ado let's get stuck into our test, starting with what we consider to be the best overall golf ball on the market.
Let's get into it.
Best Golf Balls for Low Handicap Golfers
Titleist Pro V1
- Construction: 3-piece
- Colours: White, Yellow
- Pros: Unbeatable all-round performance, nice soft feel, fantastic green-side spin
- Cons: Low-spin players would be better suited to the Pro V1x
The Titleist Pro V1 remains a top contender in the golf ball market, offering exceptional all-around performance. Both the Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the most-played balls on Tour, thanks to their impressive design.
A high-gradient core boosts ball speed and reduces spin on long irons, while the soft cast urethane cover provides excellent control on approaches and greenside shots. Overall, the Pro V1 is perfect for golfers seeking elite distance, spin, and workability with a soft feel.
Favoured by Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa, the Pro V1 is pricey, but well worth the investment.
Callaway Chrome Tour X
- Construction: 4-piece
- Colours: White & Yellow
- Pros: The longest ball we've tested in 2024, super low spin off the tee, excellent short game control and feel
- Cons: Slightly firmer than the Chrome Tour
The best competitor to the Pro V1x we've seen in quite some time, the Chrome Tour X from Callaway is red hot. During testing we found it to be on average half a mile per hour faster than the Pro V1x.
Ideal for players with swing speeds over 105mph, the Chrome Tour X delivers blistering ball speeds, low long game spin, with soft feel and excellent short game spin rates, or as we like to call it the perfect golf ball for 300 yard bombers.
Used by the king spin himself, Min Woo Lee, the Chrome Tour X is arguably the most impressive new ball we've seen in 2024.
TaylorMade TP5
- Construction: 5-piece
- Colours: White & Yellow
- Pros: One of the best feeling balls we tested, really impressive ball speed with driver, easy to manipulate ball flight
- Cons: TP5 X is a better choice for players needing a higher launch
The TP5 and TP5s balls from TaylorMade are the only 5-piece balls on the market and the brand’s premium offering. Trusted by Collin Morikawa, the TP5 delivers top-tier performance, with impressive distance and workability.
Its unique 5-piece construction maximises ball speed without compromising spin or feel. The Tri-Fast core enhances carry and reduces drag, while the Dual-Spin cover provides a soft feel and durability.
In testing, the TP5 excelled, making it an outstanding choice for golfers seeking top performance from tee to green. Slightly cheaper than its competitors, it checked every box in the GolfMagic test.
Best Golf Balls for Mid Handicap Golfers
Srixon Z-Star
- Construction: 3-piece
- Colours: White & Yellow
- Pros: Offers lovely soft feel, while still delivering plenty of distance
- Cons: Not the most durable cover
Offering an ideal balance of spin, feel and spin, the Z-Star is an perfect fit for medium to high swing speed players who prioritise greenside control and soft feel.
Benefiting from Srixon's Spin Skin+ cover which digs deeper into the grooves, the Z-Star offers bags of greenside spin and excellent feel on more delicate shots.
One of the straighter balls we've tested the z-Star is particularly stable in the wind and produces a very neutral ball flight which we found very workable.
Although not as long as balls like the Titleist AVX, the Z-Star delivers best in class feel and control.
Titleist AVX
- Construction: 3-piece
- Colours: White, Yellow
- Pros: Premium feel, low long game spin, excellent distance
- Cons: More greenside control to be had with the Pro V1
The Titleist AVX quickly became a favourite during testing, offering everything you'd expect from a premium golf ball.
Ideal for mid handicap players, the AVX delivers low spin in the long game while still providing high spin and a soft feel on shorter shots, thanks to its 3-piece construction and urethane cover.
Its reformulated core and high-flex casing produce high ball speed and low spin, making it a distance powerhouse for players with high swing speeds.
Coming in slightly cheaper than the Pro V1, the AVX also offers excellent value.
Bridgestone Tour B RX
- Construction: 3-piece
- Colours: White, Yellow
- Pros: Delivers excellent all around performance, very stable in the wind, lovely and soft
- Cons: Not ideally suited to high swing speed players
Ideal for golfers with a driver swing speed between 100-105 mph, the Bridgestone Tour B RX is a solid performer across the board.
Stable in the air, soft on the greens and a very strong performer when it comes to spin rates, the Tour B RX is in our eyes one of the most underrated balls on the market.
Creating a penetrating ball flight, the B RX is similar in terms of launch to the AVX, making it a great choice for golfers who regularly play in high wind conditions.
For golfers who want additional spin in the short game, we would recommend the B RXS.
Best Golf Balls for High Handicap Golfers
Srixon AD333
- Construction: 2-piece
- Colours: White & Yellow
- Pros: One of the best balls for under £30, Fantastic distance with the driver and long irons, SpinSkin provides excellent stopping power on greens
- Cons: Better-sounding balls on the market
Perhaps the perfect golf ball for the high handicap golfer, the Srixon AD333 deserves a place in every aspiring golfer's bag. With nine generations behind it, the AD333's longevity speaks to its solid performance.
Incorporating technology from Srixon’s premium balls, the AD333 offers value and performance for a wide range of golfers. Its reformulated FastLayer Core provides excellent forgiveness, while the SpinSkin+ delivers great feel and stopping power around the greens.
At just £22.99, the AD333 is one of the best-value golf balls available, making it a reliable choice for beginners starting their golf journey.
TaylorMade Tour Response Stripe
- Construction: 3-piece
- Colours: Red, Orange, Blue, Yellow
- Pros: 360 ClearPath Alignment gives instant putt feedback, piercing ball flight, ample greenside spin
- Cons: Some golfers may prefer a more subtle alignment aid
The Tour Response Stripe is one of the best mid-priced balls, offering much of the tech found in the TP5 at a lower cost. With a 70-compression core and urethane cover, it provides a soft feel off the putter and excellent spin on short approaches and chips.
Off the tee, it delivers solid distance for moderate swing speeds, and even with faster swings, performance remains consistent.
The bold coloured stripe may not suit everyone’s style, but it serves as an excellent alignment aid both on the green and off the tee.
Callaway Supersoft
- Construction: 2-piece
- Colours: White, Yellow, Red, Orange, Green & Pink
- Pros: Excellent value for money, an ideal ball for beginners, soft feel around the greens
- Cons: Slightly off-putting dimple pattern
The Callaway Supersoft is a popular, value-packed golf ball known for its long, straight flight and super soft feel.
Its 2-piece design features a HyperElastic SoftFast Core that boosts ball speed while maintaining a soft touch. The hybrid cover and hex aerodynamic dimple pattern offer great feedback on wedge shots, along with a nice feel and sound when putting.
While we weren’t fans of the shallow dimple pattern, the black-backed Supersoft logo serves as a great alignment aid.
Overall, the Supersoft is a fantastic choice for beginners, offering performance and ease of play at an affordable price.
Things you need to consider when buying new golf balls
Price
Price is vital to consider when purchasing any piece of golf equipment, and golf balls are no different. With a dozen balls ranging from £12 to £50, it's difficult to know how much to spend to suit your needs.
As a rule of thumb, the greater the cost the greater performance, but that's not to say those beginner golfers should immediately go out and buy a dozen Titleist Pro V1s to help them before their first round of golf.
For golfers who tend to lose a few balls per round, buying the most expensive model on the market can leave you with a rather large bill at the end of the season. With a wide selection of mid-priced balls that produce excellent performance, we recommend looking at something similar to the Srixon AD333, which will leave a slightly smaller hole in your pocket when you come to pay.
Alternatively, low-handicap players lucky enough to consistently keep the same ball for a whole round would be well advised to choose a premium price ball that will offer all of the performance benefits you would desire from an elite-level model. The TaylorMade TP5 or Titleist ProV1 are both excellent choices trusted by the best golfers in the world.
Construction
Golf balls come in a variety of different constructions ranging from the standard 2-piece made up of a core and a cover, to a more intricate 5-piece construction that features a series of different layers. Each different type of construction has its own unique set of characteristics, which will be vital to consider when deciding which ball is best for your game.
2-piece
Primarily designed for beginner golfers, 2-piece golf balls are designed for distance and durability. Typically firm and hard-wearing, they lack the control and feel of a multi-layer construction but tend to come in at a much more affordable price point.
Pros
- Distance: A large firm core is designed to optimise energy transfer for maximum carry distance, while typically firm, 2-piece balls will also achieve excellent roll-out on fairways.
- Durability: A thicker outer cover is hard-wearing against mis-hits and rough terrain.
- Affordability: Less expensive to manufacture than a multi-layer ball, 2-piece balls are cheaper to purchase, making them ideal for beginners.
Cons
- Less Spin: With fewer layers to interact with one another 2-piece balls generate less spin than multi-layer balls making them less workable and at times harder to control through the air and on the green.
- Less Feel: Due to their firm nature, 2-piece balls tend to lack the soft feel and responsiveness on short chips and putts.
Multi-Layer
Multi-layer balls offer a broader range of characteristics thanks to a series of layers that interact with each other to create spin, feel and distance. The preferred choice for professionals and more experienced golfers, a multi-layer ball offers more control and workability, at a higher price.
Pros
- Workability: The combination of different layers enables better players to execute various shots more effectively, multiple layers are designed to optimise different aspects of ball flight and spin rates.
- Feel: A softer core contributes to a more responsive feel upon impact, providing beneficial feedback for touch and control around the greens.
- Precision: Multi-layer balls provide better control and feel compared to two-piece balls. The layers in the ball work together to create spin and trajectory control, with various layers working together
Cons
- Price: As a result of a more complex manufacturing process with more expensive materials, multi-layer constructions are more expensive than 2-piece balls, with some retailing at close to £50.
- Durability: Due to the increased number of layers, the outer coating of a multi-layer ball tends to be slightly thinner than a 2-piece construction. This thinner outer layer is also usually made from urethane which is a softer, more responsive material. As a result, multi-layer constructions tend to be less durable and more prone to scuffing or scratches.
Spin
Perhaps the most important factor to consider when purchasing golf balls is their spin characteristics. Different swing speeds will generate different levels of spin, so finding a ball to match your speed will produce optimal performance, while the wrong ball could drastically affect both accuracy and distance.
High spinning balls
A high-spinning golf ball is characterised by a soft cover, multi-layer construction, and a dimple pattern that promotes enhanced aerodynamics.
The soft cover material allows the clubface grooves to grip the ball, creating more friction and spin upon impact. The multi-layer design, typically consisting of a soft core and intermediate layer, enhances the ball's ability to compress and generate spin, particularly on iron and wedge shots.
The dimple pattern improves the ball's lift and stability, maintaining spin during flight. High-spinning golf balls offer better greenside control and stopping power, thanks to their ability to generate significant backspin. They also provide a softer feel and increased shot feedback upon impact.
Often best suited to players with low to moderate swing speeds, a higher-spinning ball's performance may begin to drop off for players who generate a lot of speed at impact.
Low spinning balls
Low-spinning golf balls are designed to minimise spin for maximum distance and a flatter trajectory. While they may sacrifice some greenside control and stopping power, they excel in providing long carries and roll-outs off the tee. Golfers with faster swing speeds or those looking to optimise distance are often better suited to a lower-spinning ball.
Like most golf equipment, there are no definitive rules as to which ball is best suited for your game. While low and high-spinning balls offer their own specific set of characteristics, we would always advise testing a variety of different options to see which one fits you best.
Compression
Compression refers to the degree of hardness or softness of a ball's core. Each ball is given a rating that indicates how much the ball compresses at impact, with balls ranging from a compression score of 40 to upwards of 100. A golf ball with a higher compression rating is considered to be harder, while a ball with a lower compression rating is softer.
Compression affects the transfer of energy from the clubhead to the ball during the swing. A higher compression ball like the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS requires more force to compress, resulting in less deformation and a greater transfer of energy. This typically leads to a higher ball speed and potentially longer distance, making high-compression balls suitable for players with faster swing speeds.
On the other hand, lower compression balls like the Callaway Super Soft are easier to compress, especially for players with slower swing speeds. They tend to provide a softer feel and more control, as they deform more upon impact, allowing for better greenside spin and accuracy. These balls are better suited for beginners, seniors, or those with lower swing speeds.
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Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
