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Somewhere in the misty crags of time in the remote reaches of Scotland, the beautiful game of golf was cobbled into existence. While the original players relied on hand-carved wooden balls or precisely-sewn leather balls, today’s advanced golf balls use cutting-edge aerodynamic technology and patented polymer materials to allow golf balls to sail straight and true through the air for further distances.
While many golfers invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in a quality set of clubs, they often neglect the importance of using a reliable and well-made ball when playing on the course or practicing swings on the driving range.
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Introduction: A Buyer’s Guide To The Best Golf Balls
Contents
Although the appeal of golf caught on like wildfire right from the beginning, making the balls proved to be a difficult proposition. Balls were made from wood, but they had to be hand carved each time and were subject to wear and tear. Other golf balls were sewn leather pouches with a variety of items used as fillers, including bird feathers. Finally, as industrial manufacturing processes improved in the late 1800s, ball manufacturers began using a composite rubber core with a latex dimpled exterior to improve the ball’s ability to respond off the club head and to sail through the air without curving or turning.
While the number and pattern of dimples on the ball’s exterior may look identical, each manufacturer uses a specially-engineered design to improve airflow dynamics and spin off the club head.
Since golf became an international sporting sensation more than a century ago, the rules have coalesced very comfortably around the accepted specifications for golf balls used in competitive play. Today, any manufacturer throwing up a quick factory around the globe can quickly crank out a golf ball that meets the size, weight and composition standards for match play. But only a quality golf ball provides reliable results and perfect balance and dimple design for maximum aerodynamic performance. Expert golfers agree that the key to improving golf skills is regular practice, which includes using a top line of quality golf balls that are well-engineered to provide reliable results with every swing.
What are the Different Types?
Almost all of today’s modern golf balls are manufactured using a special process that takes advanced synthetic materials and layers them to form the core. The ball is then encased in another advanced material that is stamped or etched with hundreds of precisely-engineered dimples that help control the path of flight when the ball comes off the head of the club. The number of layers used in the core, as well as the type of special materials used, determines exactly how flexible or rigid the ball will be.
A quality golf ball must delicately walk the line between being a compact, dense target that will be struck by the golf club and being flexible enough to withstand rapid changes in velocity and direction.
The Advantages of Using the Best Golf Ball
While some very determined beginner golfers are comfortable with combing through courses for used or discarded balls, most golfers prefer to have their own top-quality unused balls when playing or practicing. One of golf’s primary attractions is that it can be played in a social setting, and few golfers will find it pleasant to have to rely on friends, colleagues and prospective business partners to supply all the balls.
Regular practice is key to improving fundamental skills in the game of golf, and owning your own set of top-quality golf balls allows you to focus on technique instead of worrying if a sub-standard ball is to blame for your latest slice into the rough. Quality manufacturers make precisely-engineered golf balls that are all exactly identical, allowing golfers to learn the response, reaction and performance of a particular model of golf ball.
Which Brands Should You Consider Using?
Top Flite Bomb
This supremely well-designed ball from one of the legendary names in golf is designed to fly true and straight to achieve maximum distance on long shots. Manufactured to the same size, standard and weight as golf balls used in official USGA tournaments, a multi-layered high-resiliency core gives improved spring off of the club head, powering the Top Flite Bomb to greater distances.
TaylorMade P5x
A special dimple pattern allows the TaylorMade Lethal to easily penetrate through the air while a sophisticated five-layer core gives balls optimum spin coming off of the club head.
Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls
These outstanding balls from one of the premiere names in the golf world are updated every year to take advantage of the latest breakthroughs in aerodynamic technology. The Titleist Pro V1x uses a brand-new patented elastomer cover to deliver maximum spin control and enhanced tactile feel. Custom-engineered to improve a golfer’s short game, the Titleist Pro V1x delivers outstanding scoring control.
Choosing the Best Golf Ball
Distance & Aerodynamics
A well-made golf ball will fly straight and true, using a well-engineered design to avoid hooking or slicing as the ball travels through the air. A properly balanced golf ball can provider golfers tremendous benefits in improved distances on longer shots.
Core Composition
While many urban legends exist as to the composition of the core of a golf ball, today’s manufacturers use advanced multi-stage layers to maintain the perfect balance between flexibility and rigidity.
Dimple Pattern
All top-quality golf balls weigh about the same. What makes some golf balls superior is their ability to fly straight through the air, accomplished by taking advantage of the aerodynamic principles of precisely arranged dimples on the surface of the ball.
Cover Material
The secret ingredient to a quality golf ball is the material used for the cover, responsible for sustaining a reliable dimple pattern while promoting optimum aerodynamics.
Distance & Aerodynamics
The Top Flite Bomb
TopFlite’s advanced multi-layer high-resiliency core gives the Bomb Distance greater resiliency when coming off of the club head, transferring more of the energy into the ball, with the happy result of achieving longer distances. The patented cover material and precisely-engineered dimple design allow the Top Flite Bomb to sail through the air straight and true.
The TaylorMade P5x
The surface of the TaylorMade p5x is imprinted with a special matrix of low-drag dimples that allow the ball to sail further than any other ball ever made by the company. The highly-resistent urethane cover helps gives the TaylorMade p5x perfect spin off the club head.
The Titleist Pro V1x
The engineers at Titleist designed this ball precisely to give maximum spin and distance control for difficult bunker and short-range iron shots. The cutting-edge technology in the thermoset cover of the Titleist Pro V1x delivers unparalleled aerodynamic stability.
Core Composition
The Top Flite Bomb
The engineers at Top Flight made slight adjustments to their secret multi-layer core to slightly increase internal springiness, propelling the ball to travel further on longer shots.
The TaylorMade P5x
While many manufacturers use two, three or perhaps even four different internal layers, the TaylorMade p5x comes with five layers of an advanced material to generate perfect spin control off the head of the club.
The Titleist Pro V1x
This ball features a specially designed multi-layer core design to give balls a firm rigidity that combines with the special cover to deliver a softer feel as they vector off the club head.
Dimple Pattern
The Top Flite Bomb
The Top Flite Bomb is precisely manufactured to have an even and symmetrical dimple pattern on the surface. TopFlight uses a patented process to create convex dimples with a higher surface area to dramatically increase aerodynamic stability.
The TaylorMade P5x
The manufacturer’s trademark dimple pattern has been improved in the TaylorMade p5x, with a seamless low-drag process that allows the TaylorMade p5x to sail further without slicing or hooking.
The Titleist Pro V1x
A trademark design gives the Titleist Pro V1x precisely-engineered dimples that improve the stability of the spin and flight through the air of the ball. A precise mathematical formula ensures that the Titleist Pro V1x vectors accurately off of the head of the club.
Cover Material
The Top Flite Bomb Distance
The Top Flite Bomb is encased in an advanced Ionomer cover to minimize spin and maximize the speed of the ball coming off of the club head. The durable, advanced Ionomer material is designed to resist cutting, tearing and slicing from even high-speed impacts with the club head.
The TaylorMade P5x
The last process of manufacturing the TaylorMade p5x is to encase the ball in a blindingly white cast urethane cover that gives these balls unparalleled feel and symmetrical spin.
The Titleist Pro V1x
Every year, the engineers at Titleist devise a new special cover for the Pro V1x to give it that extra edge in tactile feedback and smooth spin as the ball comes off the club head. The patented thermoset elastomer cover on the Titleist Pro V1x gives every golfer the chance to land perfect short shots from any terrain.
Conclusion: Our Final Reviews Are In
The Top Flite Bomb – Best Cheap
The name Top Flight is ubiquitous in the golf world for a good reason, as this legendary maker of golf accessories and products is renowned for their high quality. The advanced Top Flite Bomb line of golf balls have a high surface area dimple pattern that improves aerodynamic stability. An advanced composite core adds vital resiliency to maximize distance on longer shots. Encased in a snow white cut-proof Ionomer cover, the Top Flite Bomb is the perfect ball to add distance to any golfer’s game.
Pros:
TopFlight has been a top name in the golfing business for decades, and the Top Flite Bomb is no exception, as this ball is excellently engineered to go further with every shot. With a well-designed dimple pattern designed to let the ball sail true and straight, even amateur golfers will see their game improve with the Top Flite Bomb.
Cons:
Clearly this ball is designed for longer distance shots. Although it is within USGA regulations to use the Top Bomb for closer range shots and putts on the green, it is not recommended.
The TaylorMade P5x – Great Value Buy
The advanced engineering of the core of the TaylorMade P5x allows it to sail accurately through the air to give every golfer a chance to demonstrate their talent and skills. With a stay-white advanced cover and low-drag dimple matrix, the TaylorMade P5x has excellent aerodynamic stability and spin control, allowing golfers to place shots exactly on target. A unique engineering design gives the TaylorMade P5x the ability to benefit from progressive velocity depending on the golfer’s swing speed.
Pros:
Ball sails far and true every time, giving golfers the chance to focus on their technique. Sophisticated multi-layer core gives the ball perfect stability and even spin off of the club head. Low-drag dimples let the TaylorMade P5x cut through the air with ease. Cover material is perfectly allows golfers to truly feel the golf ball connect when struck by the club head.
Cons:
Although the TaylorMade P5x balls do not to scuff, crack or chip, they cannot withstand indefinite use.
The Titleist Pro V1x – Best Golf Balls Overall
Around the world, professional and experienced amateur golfers know that Titleist has rightly earned their reputation as a leader in the world of golf. Every year, the engineers devise a new and improved advanced elastomer cover to give the Titleist Pro V1x perfect spin and soft control for critical short-range shots. A precise matrix of dimples and an advanced multi-layer core give golfers a lovely soft feel as they see dramatic improvements in their short game.
Pros:
This ball gives that perfect soft chunk as you fire in short chip shots from sand bunkers to land on the green. The advanced urethane elastomer cover gives the Titleist Pro V1x a unique feel that you can detect the first time it makes contact with the club head. The brand-new advanced patented cover puts this step ahead of competitors who update their designs less frequently.
Cons:
As you’d expect, a premium ball like the Titleist Pro V1x commands a premium price, and may be outside the budget of some golfers.
In Conclusion
All golfers know that they key to improving performance in the game is to use well-made clubs. But many amateur golfers forget that equally important is using a quality golf ball to ensure that every shot sails accurately. Advanced designs in cover material and dimple distribution allow premium golf balls to execute perfect spin control and aerodynamic handling for both long and short distance shots. Multi-layer composite cores gives today’s advanced golf balls the ability to transfer more energy from the golf head, propelling the ball more easily and further through the air.
Although many quality models of golf balls exist today on the market, the Titleist Pro V1x uses an advanced patented elastomer cover and dimple matrix design to give golfers unparalleled control over short range shots. The flexible but firm uretheane elaster cover improves the soft feel of the ball when coming off the club head, allowing golfers to place and land perfect chip shots and other short-range shots to get onto the green. By updating their cover technology every year, Titleist ensures that the ProV1X takes advantage of the latest breakthroughs in aerodynamic technologies to ensure that golfers can land short-range shots with maximum precision.