A Guide to Golf Balls
There are lots of different types and manufacturers of golf balls, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Finding the right type of ball for your style of play is important, and different types of balls are designed to suit certain types of players. There are even different grades for balls, and novelty balls for pranking a fellow player during an informal game. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the various types of balls available, and some general information on how to tell different types of balls apart from each other.
Golf balls tend to be designed around several things. Firstly, there are two general types of ball – recreational and advanced. Recreational balls are designed with the average golfer in mind, for low swing speeds and generally poorer aim. They are composed of two layers, the cover and the core, and the cover of these balls is firmer than their core. They also tend to be significantly cheaper than advanced balls. Advanced balls are composed of three or more layers, with a cover that is softer than the core. These balls tend to have more spin when hit, and provide a higher loft on shots from irons and wedges.
There are several grades of golf balls, from AAAAA being the highest to AA being the lowest. AAAAA balls are in perfect or nearly perfect condition, and provide the best quality in terms of flight and accuracy. AA balls are those that have been played for perhaps an entire round, and are battered enough to the point where they should only be used for casual play or driving ranges and other practice. Obviously, playing with higher quality golf balls is important to many players that want to stay on top of their game. Playing with a ball that provides a higher level of durability is a good way to get the most money out of your ball, and be sure that it doesn’t degrade much over the course of a single game.
There are even novelty balls that are good for a laugh during an informal game, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example, the breakaway ball shatters upon impact, breaking apart into several small pieces. Sponge golf balls have a much higher amount of spin than a normal ball, and will float oddly in the air and sometimes even do a loop the loop.
