A lot of people think using a soft feel golf ball at low swing speed will improve performance, likewise for high compression balls and faster swing speeds. But is there really anything to it?
Join us as we test soft and hard feel golf balls at high and low swing speeds, with both a driver and a 6-Iron to see where the most – if any – gains in performance can be seen.
00:00 High vs Low Compression Golf Balls
00:26 Srixon Soft Feel vs Titleist Pro V1x
01:00 Testing with a 6 Iron
04:19 Testing with a Driver
07:00 Where Can the Most Difference be Seen with a Driver?
10:31 Where Can the Most Difference be Seen with a Mid-Iron?
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I am fast and play off scratch and let me tell you I really see a clear difference between Titleist -Prov1x LEFT DASH ball and high compression balls like taylormade tour response. Most of all the driver spins less and comes out hotter leading to more distance in my opinion. This test also showed low compression in high speed leads to more ball speed and 14 yards more 256y vs 270y carry distance. This is substantial, I don't understand why they did not mention that. Even one mile an our faster swing speed would not account for 14 yards. However same cannot be said for moderate swing speeds. Then a softer ball can give better launch angles and helpful spin, giving best performance since spin /launch can drop too low with high compression ball when swinging slow.
simply put, high speed = high compression (tested 14y more carry), slower speed = low compression (tested 13y more carry)
Interesting video! I don't know if it's a mental thing, but shaping higher compression balls for me is where the difference is. My normal v1x I feel like I can shape much more accurately than an avx, although I've not noticed any difference in distance or checkup in the short game. I can also locate and feel a bad strike much easier with a higher compression ball. I'm cruising with a driver at around 115 and 7 iron at 87.
This is a very interesting video and you're hitting the ball really nicely. The differences are much smaller than the world of retail would have you believe.
It looks like with driver you get more spin with the high compression ball at high speeds but lower spin with the same ball at medium speeds so there must be a crossover point somewhere between the two speeds where they perform very similarly…?
Well done for not getting your words completely muddled up in this video – the concept of comparing high compression balls, low swing speeds, low compression balls and high swing speeds produces many different permutations and would cause a meltdown in my cranium if I had to explain it all in front of a camera. š¦
I max out at 245-250 yards with a 87-90 mph swing speed! I am swinging fast and hard! I am quite strong also! I wish I cud get to an average of 100mph swing speed! I believe I am capable of 270-280 yards total! Guess I need lessons to try and figure out what I am doing perhaps wrong in my swing! Just need another 10 mph on the swing speed!
Hi Simon interesting test š¤, Iām an a senior 78year 8hcp use a ProV1x, rely on my short game to score, 77mph Driver swing speed, need a ball that will fly high with highish spin to get max distance with Driver, but just as important I need to be able to control the flight and shape of the shot ie, need it to generate spin for draw or fade, control flight and spin around the Greens, test all premium balls, balls recently tested which perform v.good Maxfly TourX & Callaway Chrome TourX,Thanks for your testing Dickey
my best rounds always with found balls….
Ok let's looks yardage. Highspeed 14yards carry with driver and 5 with 6iron is huge. On a par 4 that 21 extra yard with those two clubs. That's a club and half to 2 clubs less into a green.
I enjoyed this video very much. As a 64 year old man this is good data and confirms my choice in a Soft ball… Thank you for taking the time to produce this video…
You have a wide stance, a la Moe Norman, interesting
Data scientist here. You numbers are presented in a really confusing manner. Next time you show stats please put some labels on all tables so we what numbers we are looking at. And don't use confusing labels like 'low compression'. Just say 'soft' or 'hard'
What if u swing fast and lose ball fast ? Which ball is the cheapest š
why do you test with a 6 iron ?
So it seems then a slower swing speed with a higher compression ball is less negatively affected for distance than a higher swing speed with a low compression ball (especially) with driver?
The lesson behind the lesson here is the vast improvement over the past few decades in golf ball manufacturing. Can you find some real crap out there? Maybe but overall the $1.25 ball is going to be very close to the $2.50 ball. Personal preference and budget really rule the day. The advent and rise of DTC products have shown that balls without top players names attached can be really great balls that will perform with the best. Case in point, I was a Titleist player for many years but I've switched (after retirement) to Maxfli Tour. The Pro V1 and it's variations @ $57.00 USA per dozen ($4.75 per!!) versus the Maxfli product I've bought in bulk for $2.25 per ball is, for my game, presents no performance difference that I can discern. Well done video
I only play low compression balls when it's cold outside. Under 50 degrees.
Well done experiment, but youāre doing yourself and your audience a disservice by comparing results holding the compression rating constant instead of holding swing speed constant.
The question this experiment wants to answer is āshould I be playing a different compression rating golf ball?ā For a given club, it would better answer this question to compare high vs low compression for a playerās swing speed.
In this manner, you can directly communicate to the player what theyāre sacrificing or gaining by playing their current compression rating ball vs something else.
Otherwise, solid experiment and good results!
Ive been on monitors..swinging around 105-107 optimum smash,launch ,spin and getting 250 carry…while you have same numbers at 106mph getting 270 carry…I just don't get it
Thanks good work !
Just shows if you not have a lot of speed you donāt need to play golf
Hi. Excellent video. Could I ask could you confirm what you mean in numbers by moderate speed and high speed for the driver? Could you also clarify what do you mean by soft compression and high compression as in numbers please?
Excellent video. I think it all boils down to the ball being consistent and the players ideal feel… as a moderate speed golfer but liking a urethane ball for control into greens I've tried all the versions of Pro V1. Now a question I have is say a higher speed golfer the "feel" at impact of a driver with a Pro v1X that compression , would it be similar to a player with a more moderate speed playing a Pro v1 or a AVX? This is where I get lost… I have tried numerous balls and due to swing mechanics etc generally pick a lower spin ball (AVX) and for me … I like the feel of "compressing the ball" off the tee (feels I can really hit this ball) and it flies longer and straighter for me… I've gone back and forth so many times on golf balls… BUT in the hottest months of summer will switch from AVX to Pro V1 (not x) in the heat of summer as the AVX feels far too soft… Tricky one to decide. Big thing for me being a 8 handicap, I am firm on my selection of a urethane ball because many have said it performs better into greens (I have no problem with spin on irons) but also the feel off the putter has to be there….. Interesting video. Thank You
This is exactly the kind of information I've been looking for. Too many ball comparisons are for lower handicappers with faster swing speeds! THIS is helpful! Thank you!
There is no standard compression value across ball manufacturers. Compression values may differ enormously between each manufacturer. One manufacturer's soft compression may be another manufacturer's mid compression so they cannot be meaningfully compared. You might stand a chance if you compared balls from the same manufacturer, but I think its otherwise a pointless exercise.
Iāll save you 13:09 of your lifeā¦ if youāre watching this video, youāre not a good enough golfer to get anything out of changing between a low or high compression golf ball. Youāre welcome.
I'm glad there's not much difference because I'm confused. I would think the soft ball is the high compression ball because you can compress it more and the low compression ball is the hard ball.
Not really apples to apples. There would definetly be a difference from your 85 mph swing and an actual 85 mph player. IĀ“m pretty sure that if you took a player with 85 mph swin speed they would produce a lot more driver spin. I know I do, and I play Bridgestone Tour B XS, because itĀ“s the ball that gives me the longest driver distance… āŗ Also, you are using a low compression ball with a surlin cover, if you had used for instance Bridgestone Tour B RXS you would get more spin with low speed driver
Do everyone a huge favor and perform these test using Iron Byron not a human. I wish more testing video's were made using Iron Byron.
Buy bent grass seed
Me personally I'd rather have a softer feel ball and give up some yardage for me anyway
Low compression feels better..
Let's talk driver. I'm 71. at ed watts monitor, i am 105-106 consistently. Their numbers show a huge difference between a pro v 1 x and several other balls. Srixon was one we tested. I hit the pro v 1 12-15 yards longer every time. Thats a full iron. the only ball that was equal to the pro v 1 x with my swing speed was the calloway tour x. it's the same ball for me. that's the difference between a 100 compression ball vs several 85-90 compression balls. On the course i see the same thing. the lower compression balls are marshmallows. That's testing on a monitor and on the course. I've done it several times, same results. with my driver. But, i hit a lower compression ball a little farther with short iron approach shots. Slower swing speed, lower compression is longer. Real results, for my swing. I you hit the ball hard, the higher compression is absolutely longer off the tee.
you need more than one person doing this test. a male and female from each age group. about the same height and weight. possibly in the same health conditions. test 15 minutes after a round of golf. walking and riding. we aren't going to see a vast differences in somrone 40 years old.
62 years old,7 handicap,playing callaway warbird balls,keeping on the fairway and hitting GIRs and not 3 putting,not found 3 or 4 piece balls lower my score
Think the key and big difference between high and low compression for most slow swingers is forgiveness. When you pure almost every shot, Iād agree that differences are marginal ā¦ try miss hitting balls at slower speeds, and I believe you will see much different results.
Callaway Supwr Soft matte goes sky high off the irons compared to the left dash I normally playā¦but itās a marshmallow to put with.
if thats the case why doesn't rory use slazenger balls?
Iāve got to use Titleist Pro V1x āRCTā balls because thatās what my FlightScope launch monitor wants. Driver speed ~85, 7 iron ~73. The wife and I used the Wilson Duo last golf season and liked how soft it is. Iāll practice hitting to a green from the fairway with the Pro V1x and the Wilson Duo with an aluminum dot. The Pro V1x will lose distance far more on off center hits. The Duo has a higher flight, although itās somewhat lower spin off a 7 iron. Chippingā¦the Duo is like a super ballš³
Bridgestone XS and the Srixon Soft Feel seem to work best for my game, tried probably like 90% of balls on the market. I swing driver at around 114mph (can go a bit faster or slower) and I find the spin on the irons and wedges to be just fine with those two balls. When it's very hot and in summer I'll find myself playing with Z-stars or ProV's sometimes as well, winter a big no go for me with higher compression balls