Which Golf Ball Is Best for You?

Golf is a game with a fairly steep learning curve. It typically takes a beginner between 4 and 6 months of consistent practice before they actually start enjoying themselves on the course.

Not only is it extraordinarily difficult to perfect an effective golf swing, but it can also be extremely overwhelming when it comes to choosing the proper equipment. 

For instance, how do you determine which type of golf ball is best for you? There's a lot that goes into it, and we're going to discuss it all below. Here's how to choose the best golf ball for your golf lessons in St. Augustine. 

Assess Your Experience Level

First and foremost, you should assess your experience level. Generally speaking, this will determine what level of distance, control, and spin you require in a golf ball. 

See, beginner golfers are generally going to have trouble with distance and control. And because they're not yet skilled enough to consistently knock balls within feet of the hole, they don't really require much in the way of spin capabilities. Therefore, beginner golfers should typically seek golf balls that prioritize distance and control over spin. 

Once you're past the beginner stage, you should consider switching to a ball with increased spin. You're going to need to be able to stop the ball on short notice when hitting chips, pitches, and approach shots. This additional spin enables you to do this. 

Understand Golf Ball Construction Types

Generally speaking, modern golf balls are constructed in one of five ways. These include 1-piece golf balls, 2-piece golf balls, 3-piece golf balls, 4-piece golf balls, and 5-piece golf balls. We'll discuss the specifics of each below. 

1-piece Golf Balls

These are golf balls at their most basic. These balls consist of only one material and therefore have very few functional qualities. They're primarily used at driving ranges, as they're cheap to manufacture and good enough for practice purposes. 

There's no reason to use a 1-piece golf ball on an actual course. Even as a beginner, you should be using something more sophisticated. 

2-piece Golf Balls

2-piece golf balls consist of a rubber or synthetic rubber core, along with a urethane or Surlyn shell. These balls provide great distance. However, they're lacking in terms of control and spin capabilities. 

These are decent balls for beginners to use, as beginners often struggle with getting sufficient distance out of their shots. Not to mention, these balls can be bought on the cheap, so you won't get hurt too badly if you hit them into the water or woods. 

3-piece Golf Balls

3-piece golf balls possess rubber or synthetic rubber cores, an additional rubber layer around that core, and a Surlyn or urethane shell. These balls are made for control, though they do provide decent distance as well. 

These are a solid bet for beginners, as most beginners have trouble with accuracy. Some intermediate golfers might even enjoy using 3-piece golf balls. 

4-piece Golf Balls

4-piece golf balls are like 3-piece golf balls but with an additional layer underneath the rubber layer. It should also be noted that they almost always possess urethane shells. 

These balls provide more power and spin than 3-piece balls; however, they're also less powerful than 2-piece balls. They don't possess as much control as either 2-piece or 3-piece balls. For this reason, they're best reserved for seasoned golfers. 

5-piece Golf Balls

5-piece golf balls add one more layer as a means of providing the golf ball with a range of different functional capabilities. Some of these provide increased spin. Others provide increased control or distance. 

These are for the most skilled of golfers. Beginner golfers will generally struggle when playing with these balls. 

Learn About Compression Rating

Another thing you should consider when choosing a golf ball is the compression rating. This refers to how much a golf ball squeezes when impacted by a golf club. 

The more that a ball compresses, the further it will travel. That said, you have to possess adequate swing speed in order to reap the benefits of this. 

If you can drive a ball over 250 yards in the air, you would benefit from a ball with a compression rating of over 100. If you can't do this, you should choose a ball with a compression rating between 80 and 90. 

The lower the compression, the more control you'll have. This is particularly important for beginners who are struggling with accuracy. 

Test Out Different Balls

In truth, you can't use simple statistical metrics to decide on which golf ball is best for you. If you really want to find a golf ball that you jibe with, you're going to need to just play with a bunch of different options.

You might think that you have a good enough golf ball already. However, if you never play with other balls, how can you really be sure? Only by physically hitting different balls can you truly determine which ones best suit you. 

There are all sorts of golf ball brands out there, from Titleist to TaylorMade to Callaway and much more. Each of these brands uses its own technologies and might offer something just a little different than its competitors. Of course, each brand offers an array of different golf balls as well. 

If you're a beginner, you're not going to be competing in tournaments. You should be using this time to experiment with various equipment so that you can establish what does and doesn't work for you. In essence, hit the course on a regular basis and try different balls each time. 

Looking for Golf Lessons in St. Augustine?

Now that we've discussed how to choose a golf ball, you might be looking for golf lessons. If so, and if you need golf lessons in St. Augustine, the Palencia Club has you covered. 

We provide lessons for golfers of all experience levels. Regardless of your age, we have a lesson or class that will accommodate you. Check out our selection of golf lessons now!