Last month we discussed which Titleist or Pinnacle golf ball to use based on your swing and abilities. What if you prefer to play a different ball than a Titleist or Pinnacle golf ball? Some golf ball manufacturers such as Callaway and Bridgestone have a tool on their website that can be used to determine which ball to use. But you can also do it yourself.
You will need to know your swing speed, the golf ball spin rating, the compression that you prefer, and the cost you are willing to pay.
As discussed in January, your swing speed can be easily determined by dividing your driver carry distance by 2.3. For example if the driver carry distance is 200 yards then your swing speed is 87 mph. A high swing speed is about 120-130 mph, a medium swing speed is about 70-95 mph, and a low swing speed is less than about 70 mph.
The spin rating for all golf balls that meet the criteria of legal golf balls is published every month in the List of Conforming Golf Balls. To find your golf ball’s spin rating, go to the internet and type https://www.usga.org/ConformingGolfBall/gball_list.pdf. This gives you a list of all golf balls that conform to the USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews rules.
To find your golf ball in the list, look in column one which contains an alphabetical list of all conforming golf balls, first by the manufacturer’s name on the pole of the golf ball, and then by the model name as indicated by the marking on the seam of the golf ball. Column two contains the color of the golf ball cover. Column three contains information about the construction of the golf ball. For example, a golf ball construction of 3P-2c indicates that the golf ball is a three piece ball with two covers. Column four is the spin rating which is a two letter designation (L = low, M = medium, H = high) that describes the spin performance of the ball. A spin rating of L-M indicates that the ball has low spin when hit with a driver and a medium spin when struck with a short iron. A player who has difficulty controlling unintentional side spin (hooks and slices) should use a ball that has L-L or L-M spin rating. Column five is the number of dimples, column six is the country, and column seven is the manufacturer.
Information about the golf ball compression is not included on the List of Conforming Golf Balls. The golf ball compression is often only determined by the pink color of the golf ball cover or by the pink color of the play number and/or the label on the seam of the golf ball. When a golf ball manufacturer uses the word ‘soft’ on the ball, then this may also indicate a lower compression golf ball. A player with a slow swing speed may choose to use a low compression golf ball.
The cost of a golf ball is another important factor in choosing a golf ball for a person with a limited budget. Check the manufacturer’s website for MSRP information or ask your golf pro for this information. In general a two piece golf ball—one core and one cover, is less expensive than a multipiece ball e.g. three cores and one cover, or two cores and two covers, etc.