This week’s column is one I have been thinking about writing since I first launched the series back in January. As someone who has not had a ton of experience actually hitting golf balls, I have often wondered, “Is there really a need for so many different types of balls?” Let’s explore this further…
Again, not being the most well-versed person in this particular topic, I decided to go online to give myself a crash course in golf ball science. I found a couple of pretty informative articles that helped to illustrate several things to me, including how golf balls are constructed, when a player should consider investing more money in higher-end balls, features specific to certain brands, and more.
The first article, simply titled “What Are The Different Types of Golf Balls,” was written by Justin Wilcox and can be found on the website mygolfessentials.com. One of the first things that the article does is explain the difference between two, three, four and five-piece golf balls. According to the article, two-piece balls are most common and feature a solid inner core with a hard outer cover. These balls are more simplistic, and more affordable, making them ideal for beginners. Three-piece balls feature a liquid or rubber core, a layer of rubber, and a cover made of more advanced materials. These are good options for players in the intermediate range, who are starting to develop the ability to manipulate their shots.
Moving on, four-piece balls have four layers, with each layer playing an important role. The article states that the core of these balls is for distance, the “main cover” is for lower spin off the driver, the “middle core” is for increased spin off of an iron, and the “external cover” is for feel and control. We’re starting to get over my head at this point, so let’s end with the five-piece ball. Those have a total of five layers, making them the most complex in terms of design, construction and use. They are also the most expensive, so these are really designed with the needs of pro-level players in mind.
The article goes on to explore all of the different attributes related to golf balls – distance, spin and feel – and it even breaks down the top features found in certain brands, including Srixon, Titleist Pro V1 and Maxfli. With an informative FAQ section at the end, I definitely recommend anyone wondering about golf balls to give this article a look.
A second article, titled “Do Golf Balls Really Make a Difference: What Every Golfer Should Know,” was written by Rolan Swanner and appears on the website workhorsetour.com. I liked this article, because, in addition to also providing an overview of two-piece, three-piece and multi-layer balls, it also gets into the nitty gritty of compression ratings (how a ball performs based on swing speed), and it offers some useful quotes from golf experts as it pertains to golf ball selection.
Swanner’s article features a useful FAQ section as well, so check this one out too.
Finally, there is no shortage of golf-related content on YouTube, but I will suggest checking out one video in particular when it comes to the topic that we are discussing today. Search for the channel called Up Close Golf and find the video titled “Do Premium Golf Balls Make a Difference? Cheap vs. Expensive Golf Balls!”
I liked this video for several reasons. First, it crams a lot of useful info into about four-and-a-half minutes. Second, it does a great job of identifying which types of balls you might want to look into buying depending on your current experience level. Third, the creator actually cuts a couple of golf balls in half toward the end of the video so that we can see what they look like inside. Pretty cool!
Hopefully this column, and the online resources mentioned, will help you to make a more informed decision when it comes to which balls you want to use the next time you hit the course. If you are well-versed in golf ball selection, please feel free to e-mail me with any thoughts, observations, tips and/or advice you might have on this subject. I may use what you say in a future column. Those comments can be sent via e-mail to tsherman@corbinnewsjournal.com.
Announcement: Corbin High School boys golf Head Coach Joe Roberts has announced via the team’s Facebook page that a Tri-County Country Club members reunion is being planned for the evening of Sept. 8 at David’s Steakhouse in Corbin. I would like to speak to a few of the folks who show up as part of a retrospective that I am planning for a future Par for the Course column. If you would like more info, please feel free to contact me.
