5 Golf Ball Myths Debunked!

As with most things in the golf equipment world, there’s an abundance of myths surrounding the golf ball. That’s a problem because bad info can cause golfers to make bad decisions about the golf balls they choose to play.

Today, we put some of those myths to bed.

I need the right golf ball compression for my swing speed

This is perhaps the most pervasive myth in the golf ball world which is why it’s starting to feel like the dead horse I just can’t stop beating.

I place the blame squarely on Matt Kuchar’s dad and the ridiculous Google algorithms that relentlessly continue to misinform golfers about this critical part of golf ball fitting.

Let me say it yet again.

There is no right golf ball compression for your swing speed. You need a golf ball that’s going to deliver optimal performance for your swing and while you swing speed is part of that discussion, there’s a lot more to it.

The reality is that while many slower swing speed players think they need a soft golf ball (and many more just like the feel), a healthy number of them would be better served by playing a firmer, higher-spinning ball.

It’s true that many high swing speed players should avoid lower-compression balls but, even then, there are exceptions to the rule.

Generally speaking, unless there’s a non-negotiable feel (or price) preference, it’s rare that I recommend a golf ball softer than 80 compression which is at the very low end of what’s played on Tour.

Soft balls spin more than firm ones

I’m not positive where this one came from but my best guess is that some golfers believe that ,as golf balls get softer, it’s easier for the clubface to grip and create friction and spin.

That’s kind of true but what gets lost in that thinking is that the softest covers are found on firmer Tour balls.

Golf ball spin is the result of hardness differences between layers. More specifically, spin increases when a soft layer is placed over a hard one, like when a soft urethane cover is placed over a firm ionomer mantle layer.

With soft golf balls, the inner layers need to be soft so there’s typically not a firm layer for the cover to pinch against and generate spin. This is especially true in two-piece constructions where a firm ionomer layer covers a soft core material.

Said another way: Soft doesn’t spin.

The Titleist Pro V1 spins more than the Pro V1x

Chalk this one up to golfers having long memories. For a good part of their existence, the Pro V1 was the higher-spinning of Titleist’s flagship golf balls, so maybe Titleist is to blame for the confusion.

So what changed?

With the launch of the 2017 golf balls, Titleist flipped the script … well, half of it, anyway. Titleist kept the higher flight of the Pro V1x, but pushed spin rates beyond the Pro V1. Eight years later and there’s still some confusion.

Keep in mind that both balls offer low spin off the driver and plenty around the green, too. With that, where you should notice the most difference is off the irons.

The more dimples, the better the ball

Thankfully, this one doesn’t come up a lot but there are some golfers who believe that the more dimples a golf ball has, the better it will perform.

To be sure, dimple patterns are critical to golf ball performance but there’s no magic number. While dimple count plays a role, there’s a whole lot more to it. Things like dimple size, depth and edge radii all contribute to performance.

Ultimately, what matters is that the aerodynamic package (the dimples) work with other design aspects of the golf ball to consistently deliver an optimized trajectory to the golfer.

So, while most golf ball covers have between 300 and 400 dimples, the actual number is nothing much to worry about.

I’m not good enough to tell the difference between golf balls

What I always tell golfers is that even if you’re not good enough to see differences from one shot to the next, you can certainly appreciate them.

Whether or not you notice, a tree falling in the forest still makes a sound. The same is true for golf ball performance and quality differences.

I’ve tested thousands of golf balls both with golf robots and in our Ball Lab and I can assure you the differences are real and that means whether you notice from one shot to the next, they impact your game.

Look, I get it. We’re not pros so discerning performance and quality implications from one swing to the next is nearly impossible. Even at the Tour level, the professionals are looking for a golf ball to fly through certain windows.

They’re not necessarily astute enough to know when a five-yard miss is because of a golf ball. The difference is that while you may not realize the ball is the reason you just hit your driver OB (sometimes it is the ball), the best golfers in the world will.

If you’re just out to bang balls and have a good time, it doesn’t much matter, but if shooting your best score is important to you, then you really should be playing a quality golf ball that meets your performance needs.