Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers

To choose the right golf balls, it’s essential to understand their key features and how they can enhance your game. Selecting the best golf balls for high handicappers is not straightforward, as each player has unique preferences and playing styles.

A high handicap golfer typically has a handicap of 20 or above, often shooting in the high 90s or more per round. Within this group, players can vary significantly in their swing speeds and what they need from a golf ball.

For instance, some high handicap players have fast swings, while others have slower swings. Many prefer golf balls with a soft feel, but some prioritize distance over feel. Although distance off the tee is crucial for many, players also look for balls that provide good greenside control.

Many high-handicap golfers struggle with consistency, particularly when teeing off, leading to frequent lost balls. This can be quite costly if you’re using premium, high-end golf balls. The golf balls we’re recommending are budget-friendly, so losing them won’t hurt your wallet as much
We have some excellent choices for high handicap golfers. Take a look.

Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls for Men & Women

Our first choice is a very well-known manufacturer called Srixon. The Srixon Soft Feel golf balls solve the problem that high handicappers have, which is that their swing is often too slow. These golf balls have low compression. With their firmer outer layers that add resiliency, we found that they rebound quicker off the face after impact for more ball speed and greater distance.

Srixon Soft Feel Features:

• The cover is made of thin ionomer
• Has a two-piece construction
• Available in 7 colors
• Marked with 338 dimples in various sizes
• Has a low compression of 60
• Trajectory Mid-High
• Driver Spin Low
• Greenside Spin Mid

Srixon offers both Soft Feel, and Soft Feel Lady golf balls, ideal for high handicap golfers with moderate swing speeds seeking a soft feel, good distance, and reliable spin control.

Srixon Soft Feel golf balls have an ionomer cover which makes them tough and forgiving, but it is also soft, and when you hit them off a tee, they produce a good sound. We found that they provide more greenside spin and a softer feel on all pitches, chips and putts.

Srixon Soft Feel Lady golf balls are engineered with a slightly softer core than the standard Soft Feel for women golfers with slower swing speeds, providing a very soft feel, optimized distance, and good control.
These balls also have 338 round dimples in different sizes and side stamps that are good for alignment.

Vice Drive

Vice have five different Vice Golf Pro balls to consider: the Vice Golf Pro, Vice Golf Pro Plus, Vice Pro Golf Air, Vice Golf Tour and Vice Golf Drive. The Vice Pro Golf Air and Vice Golf Drive are better for golfers with lower to medium swing speeds, providing exceptional distance while retaining control.

But we feel that the best ball that Vice offers for high handicapper golfers is the Vice Drive, a distance-optimized ball. We consider it the budget-friendly version of the Vice Pro Air. We mention price points, because high handicappers tend to lose more golf balls during a round of golf than the average golfer. 

Golf ball compression ratings range between a score of 30 and 120. The softest being 30, and the hardest being 120. With a compression rating of 80, which is optimized for high efficiency at low to medium swing speeds, the ball will help your shots go farther off the tee. The Vice Drive provides a medium to firm feedback. The Vice Drive has slightly more roll on the green compared to some other Vice models such as the Vice Pro Air.

The ball has an engineered Soft Energy Speed Core (ESC). Its heavier weight and higher compression maximizes distance off the tee. Golfers with lower to medium swing speeds will get the most benefits from this ball. Although, according to Vice, the Vice Drive is a great option for high handicap players at any swing speed who want maximum distance ball

The Vice Drive is a 2-piece ball with a 312 dimple pattern structure which improves the ball’s aerodynamic performance during flight. Its 2-layer design has a Surlyn cover which has been made slightly harder to improve energy transfer. We really like this ball when playing in the wind because of its lower spin. Lower spin combined with higher ball speeds = increased distance.

In addition, Vice helps golfers take strokes off their game with an alignment aid right printed on the ball. See the ball with the black alignment aid line printed on the ball in the above image. We suggest you use it as a guide when visualizing your aim on the tee or lining up a putt.

Players who are familiar with Vice golf balls know that color and customization options are plentiful on their various models. The Vice Drive is more modest in its color offering with only 4 solid color options:

• White
• Yellow
• Pink
• Blue

The prices are reasonable, especially when buying in bulk. The bottom line is that we found the balls to be strong performers.

Volvik Vivid

The Volivk Vivid certainly lives up to its name. If you love vivid colored golf balls these might become your favorites. Volvik created them to help improve visibility not only in the ball’s flight, but also when the ball is on the ground.

The Volivk Vivid is a 3 piece ball with 322 dimples, however the patented matt finish tends to obscure them, although you can certainly feel them. The matt finish is suppose to reduce glare and thus help improve your ball striking.  some golfers have noted that the matte-finish seems to take a bit more grip on the green than other surlyn covered balls.

The ball is engineered for the player with a 70 to 90 mph driver swing speed. We feel that the the mid to high trajectory and spin should appeal to most golfers. We found the ball to be a little firmer than what Volvik claims. But a 85 compression is considered medium.

As with many of these golf balls, Volvik has an alignment tracking system on the ball with a little arrow on the side of the ball that helps you line up to the target off the tee and on the greens.

Volivk Vivid Golf Ball Features

We can’t quite imagine playing golf with a black ball, but it certainly would be a conversation starter.

For a mid-range golf ball, the Volivk Vivid golf ball is great value especially for high handicappers swinging below 90 mph.

Callaway ERC Soft and ERC Soft Reva Golf Balls

For 2023 Callaway introduced the ERC Soft REVA, a ball designed for woman with the same features as the standard ERC Soft golf ball. This is Callaway’s longest golf ball with a soft feel and greenside control.

We really appreciate the new range of new technologies. As well as being long and soft, we found it is high launching and impressively durable.

Features:

• A hybrid cover with a Grip Urethane Coating
• Made with a HyperElastic SoftFast Core
• Has a low compression of 60
• Triple Track Dagger lines for easier aliginment
• Has a three-piece construction
• Has 12 balls in one pack

They are soft with a three-piece construction. The cover is made of polybutadiene (polybutadiene urethane acrylate oligome) a hybrid synthetic rubber material that combines soft urethane and hard ionomer. This makes it absorb force much better and is the reason for the combination of distance and greenside control along with its durability. We found that the ball’s cover produces a noticeably soft feel and ample greenside spin on the majority of our well-struck, short-game shots.

The surface of each ball has more than 300 dimples in the shape of a hexagon which enables the ball to fly straight. This helps with distance.

Both the Callaway ERC Soft and the Callaway ERC Soft REVA balls have a side stamp with three lines as opposed to the one line that most competitors offer. This is a great asset for high handicappers.

Important Aspects of a Golf Ball

The modern golf ball may consists of three main components: the core, the mantle, and the cover. Two-layer golf balls do not have a mantle layer. They consist of only a core and a cover. Three or more layer golf balls will have a mantle layer(s).

Core

The core of a golf ball is crucial as it stores the energy that is released upon impact with the club. The core is usually made of a solid or liquid material designed to provide distance and durability. Modern golf ball manufacturers now use synthetic rubbers combined with polymers, with polybutadiene being the current favorite. This choice is driven by the quest for optimal elasticity, allowing the ball to quickly regain its shape after being compressed by the clubhead.

The specific composition of the core can significantly influence a golf ball’s performance, to the extent that manufacturers can develop entire product lines based solely on variations in core materials.

In recent years, the market has seen the rise of low compression golf balls, such as the Callaway SuperSoft and Srixon Soft Feel. These balls aim for a “soft feel” by maximizing the core’s size, and they are typically constructed with a two-piece design.

Mantle

Situated between the core and the cover, the mantle is typically composed of a pliable, synthetic rubber. This layer plays a crucial role in influencing the ball’s spin, distance, and compression. For instance, a mantle designed for high spin enhances control and maneuverability around the greens, whereas a low-spin mantle boosts distance. Mantle layers are typically found in three or more layer golf balls, where they serve to enhance performance characteristics like spin, distance, and control.

Three examples of cores, covers and mantles.

Cover

The cover is the construction around the core of the golf ball. Most notably, this is what makes up the dimples on a golf ball. You will find that there is a lot of variety in golf ball dimple patterns from model to model, as well as from manufacturer to manufacturer. The way a golf ball performs is directly related to its dimple size and pattern. However, it is more important to understand whether a ball offers little spin or a lot of spin rather than knowing how many dimples it has. The dimples on a golf ball increase distance by controlling/optimizing lift and decreasing drag. Deep dimples result in a lower ball flight, while shallow dimples produce a higher ball flight. 

Most low compression golf balls are paired with high trajectory dimple patterns. The idea is to offset the loss of spin with a higher flight and softer landing angles.

Golf ball covers are made of different types of plastics, rubbers, and hybrids. Many of the golf balls for high handicap players are 2 layered and made with Surlyn, a resin that is a popular choice for golf balls. The Callaway ERC Soft golf ball, a three layer golf ball with a mantle, is made with polybutadiene, a hybrid synthetic rubber material that combines soft urethane and hard ionomer.

Two layer Surlyn balls have a soft feel and gives beginners and average-high handicappers better control. It also adds distance to each shot and provides durability for the cover. Mixing Surlyn with other materials is also a good way to harden the resin.

Spin

When we say spin, we are talking about backspin, which is created after the club hits the golf ball. When you get the right backspin, you will send the ball further and control it once it hits the green. 

Surlyn / ionomer covered golf balls found on most of balls aimed at mid to high handicappers spins less than urethane cover which are soft and used on multi layer golf balls to increase spin and softness of the ball. Urethane is a very soft material and most often found on premium balls to increase spin. Urethane covered golf balls tend to be aimed at golfers with more skill since they can better utilize the nuanced properties of the ball. Typically, a player’s swing speed should match the spin of their golf ball. Before purchasing check out the ball’s spin to see if it is considered low, mid, or high. If a high handicapper uses a high spin ball with a urethane cover, they are more likely to increase the potential for more hooks and slices in their game. For high handicappers with a low swing speed, look for a ball with low spin. Although a lower driver spin can mean straighter flight, a low iron spin can make it more difficult to hold greens.

Compression

The compression of a golf ball is the amount of deformation it undergoes after being hit by a club. The compression is often expressed as a number between 25 to 110. The lower the number, the softer the ball. The higher the number, the harder the ball. However, there is no universal test for compression. It seems that every golf ball maker uses a different standard for their compression tests.  Compression tests are so specific to each company we feel that they really cannot be compared across the board. So although we do mention a golf ball’s compression rating, perhaps a better way of approaching a golf ball’s compression is to refer to golf balls as low, medium, or high compression.

For high handicappers we suggest that you look for golf balls with a low compression rating. This keeps them soft, and the little bit of compression helps them create distance. On the other hand, golfers with low to mid handicaps could consider balls with a higher compression which not only will feel firmer, but also give them more control on the greens.

Ultimately, there are no absolutes regarding the perfect compression for your swing speed. While most golfers with faster swing speeds should generally avoid using lower compression balls (because these balls can reduce their shot speed), some players with high swing speeds might still benefit from them. Why? Because the lower spin properties of these balls can help compensate for the loss in speed, potentially leading to longer and more controlled shots.

It is better to try out a number of different balls to find a golf ball that feels the best for your game, and not just pick a ball based on a compression rating number.

Taking Care of your Balls

Maintaining clean and well-stored golf balls can significantly impact your game.

Best Practices for Cleaning Golf Balls

By following these best practices for cleaning and storage, you can ensure that your golf balls remain in optimal condition, providing better performance and durability on the course.

Golf balls can get dirty quickly, affecting their performance and durability. Cleaning and storing your golf balls properly can help maintain their quality and improve your game.

How to clean golf balls effectively and store them correctly.

To clean golf balls, you will need a bucket or basin, warm water, mild dish soap, a soft brush (toothbrush or soft-bristle brush), and a towel.

Start by filling a bucket or basin with warm water and adding a few drops of mild dish soap.

Place the golf balls in the solution and let them soak for 30 minutes to loosen dirt and grime.

Use a soft brush to scrub each ball gently, paying attention to dimples and grooves where dirt can accumulate.

void using hard brushes or abrasive materials as they can damage the ball’s surface.

Rinse the golf balls under clean water to remove any soap residue and dry them thoroughly with a towel to prevent water spots and mold growth.

For tougher stains or dirt, you might need stronger cleaning methods.

You will need white vinegar or diluted bleach, baking soda, and a soft cloth.

Mix one part white vinegar or a small amount of bleach with three parts water and soak the golf balls in this solution for 30 minutes.

After soaking, scrub the balls with a soft brush and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

For stubborn stains, make a paste using baking soda and water. Apply the paste to the stains, let it sit for 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse.

Using a golf ball cleaner is also an option.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fill the cleaner with the appropriate cleaning solution. Place the golf balls in the cleaner and let it run for the recommended time. Once cleaned, rinse the golf balls with clean water and dry them with a towel.

Storage Tips for Golf Balls

Proper storage of golf balls can help maintain their performance and extend their lifespan. Golf balls should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Excessive heat can cause the balls to expand and lose their shape, while cold temperatures can make them brittle.

Store your golf balls in a container to keep them organized and protected.

Avoid using sealed plastic bags, as they can trap moisture, leading to mold and deterioration. Instead, opt for a breathable container like a mesh bag or a box with ventilation holes.

Make sure your golf balls are completely dry before storing them.

Prolonged exposure to moisture can damage the ball’s core and cover, affecting its performance.

If you have a large number of golf balls, rotate them regularly to ensure even usage. This helps prevent some balls from deteriorating due to prolonged storage while others are used frequently.

It doesn’t matter what kind of club you have. If the ball isn’t in good condition, it will impact your performance.

FAQs

What is a high handicapper in golf?

A high handicapper is typically a golfer with a handicap of 18 or higher. This means they are expected to shoot 18 or more strokes above par on a standard 18-hole golf course. High handicappers are often beginners or recreational players who are still developing their skills and consistency.

What type of golf ball is best for high handicappers?

Golf balls with a low to mid compression rating are generally best for high handicappers. These balls are designed to be softer, making them easier to compress at slower swing speeds. They also often feature a larger core and thinner cover, which can help with distance and forgiveness. Examples include t Callaway Supersoft, and Srixon Soft Feel.

How does a golf ball’s construction affect a high handicapper’s game?

The construction of a golf ball, including the number of layers, core composition, and cover material, can significantly impact a high handicapper’s game. Two-piece golf balls are typically recommended for high handicappers because they offer maximum distance and durability. The large core helps with distance, while the thin cover provides a softer feel and more control.

Do high handicappers need to consider the spin rate of a golf ball?

Yes, high handicappers should consider the spin rate when choosing a golf ball. Lower spin golf balls can help reduce slices and hooks, leading to straighter shots and more control. This is particularly beneficial for high handicappers who may struggle with consistency and accuracy. Lower spin balls can also help maximize distance off the tee.

What are the Challenges of Lower Spin Golf Balls Greenside?

Less Stopping Power: Lower spin balls do not generate as much backspin, making it harder to stop the ball quickly on the green. This can lead to more roll-out, which requires better distance control.

Reduced Control: High handicappers might find it challenging to execute delicate shots with lower spin balls, as they don’t provide as much grip on the green.

Feel: Lower spin balls often have a firmer feel, which might not be preferred by all golfers. Some players might find it harder to gauge the softness and responsiveness needed for precise greenside play.

Should high handicappers use the same golf balls as professional golfers?

High handicappers generally should not use the same golf balls as professional golfers. Professional golfers typically use multi-layer, high-compression balls designed for maximum control, spin, and performance at high swing speeds. These balls can be difficult for high handicappers to control and may not provide the distance or forgiveness they need. Instead, high handicappers should opt for golf balls specifically designed for their skill level and swing speed to improve their overall game.