Premium golf balls are worth it for me. They fly farther and I enjoy walking in the woods.

I had a Callaway ball that lasted me over 5 rounds. We developed a relationship, memories - tears of joy and anguish. I'll never forget the day I lost it. It was like losing a friend. Balls have come and gone since but nothing could replace my Callaway and I've been trying to fill the void ever since.

For me the key is consistency. Whether it’s a $2 ball or a $4 dollar ball, you should always be using the same ball. High handicappers tend to play whatever they find in the woods or pond and you can get wildly different results.

The Kirkland balls are the perfect option for high hc players. Cheap enough where you don't hate yourself for losing a few, but excellent quality.

Expensive golf balls are worth it when you aren't losing a full box every round. 🤣

“Vice are as good as ProV1’s”…..says the man in the Vice t-shirt 😂😂

I used lots of golf balls over the years. Found the vice pro plus for my slower swing speed & it flies 10 to 20 metres further for me than the others but in warmer weather above 20° C. It's soft cover around the greens works for me as well. I use the neon lime as well as I can see it fly through the air with my old eyes as well as see it more easily in rough. Win. Win.

I’m a terrible golfer but when I play with a premium ball I score lower. I’m totally convinced it’s mental and not a physical quality of the ball. That being said, golf is such a mental sport so maybe there’s some value in the mentality alone

I grew up with Top Flight XL and XL 2000s, switched to a Titleist Professional and now play a Prov1x.........they MATTER

Premium balls are great for premium players. There is zero reason why a high handicap golfer should use a premium god ball.

I play Vice and Encore balls. I think it's important to play urethane covered balls, but the difference between a Vice Pro and ProV1 isn't enough to make a ProV worth the extra cost for me.

I’ve been playing Wilson Triad golf balls. Love the feel of them.

The newer Maxfli Tour line of golf balls are a fantastic value. You can get four dozen for just over $100. I've shot my best rounds with them and love the responsiveness/feel.

This is why as I learned how to play over the last 3 years, I always bought used balls online. That way I can use good balls, but pay less for them. I could get a dozen 4A Calloway Chromesoft for about $25/dozen. Half price. I've since started to finish full rounds without losing a ball to OB, I've lost a few to pace of play (I could find them if I had a few minutes to look). I started to buy new balls, but I really like the Srixon Q-Star divide. I've learned I like a softer feel ball with high visiblity.

I love that guy is wearing a Vice shirt as well 😂

Srixon split balls for me. Love the two colours flying through the air.

Callaway Chrome Soft fan here. I can't explain it other than the feel off the clubface suits me and after I switched my chipping and putting got a lot better, scores have definitely improved.

I am 4 handicap. I shot a 71 back in February using a ProV1x that was a little beat up that I had found on the road heading up to the club. I had 6 birdies and an eagle that day. I have routinely shot many, many rounds in the 70's using shit balls I found in the woods. Your swing, club selection, short game, and putting matter FAR more than the clubs you're swinging and the ball you're hitting.

Maxfli Tour/S/X is the best ball out there. Pro V1 quality for $20 a dozen.

Starting out I was buying expensive balls because in my mind expensive ball meant they were better, This is not the case though. I switched to Straightfli's because they were cheaper and had me working more on consistent striking. Now I am using the TaylorMade Tour Response and love them. I tend to shoot High 80's to low 90's. Majority of golfers will never truly experience the benefit that a top of the line ball offers.

I have a mixed shag bag of practice balls, they all react differently on the chipping green. Maxfli makes the best balls for the money in my opinion. I buy them in the four dozen pack and they are around $2 per ball for a ball that performs nearly as well as a ProV1. I don't mind losing them and have shot in the 70's with them multiple times.

My journey with Titleist started with the Tour balata. For me it’s about confidence and just knowing how it will react

I don’t know if it really matters which ball until a player is close to single digit hcp, however…playing the same ball all the time for consistency definitely matters. Doesn’t have to be the best ball in the market, but pick one and stick with it until you know why you’d change it.

I am an 8 handicap and I play the Bridgestone tour b xs. you can get them at Walmart for 40 dollars and they perform just as well as pro v1 but are 20 dollars cheaper. I can't say enough good things about that ball. I've also played with the vice pro plus which is the same price point as the Bridgestone, and they are very good golf balls as well. I like the neon green balls they have, they are definitely different but I actually enjoyed the look and feel of them.

I think using the same ball every time you play is probably more important than using the best of the best golf balls. I started exclusively using Kirkland balls when I was around a 15 handicap and I’m now down to an 8. Using the same ball has increased my consistency with approach distance and short game so much

Vice Pros are $30 for 24 balls at Sam’s Club. Absolute no brainer.

I will provide a beginner perspective. I’ve been playing two years, only casually so I’ve not ever shot under 98. But I do want to play a ball consistently, for consistency sake. I kept asking for the cheapest box at our local clubhouses until I found one in that pricepoint that I felt I liked, and then I’ve stuck with it. It’s the srixon soft feel. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite but it’s worked well for me, and it’s cheap, and until I’m good enough to justify buying more expensive balls that I can wear out rather than lose I’m going to stick with the soft feel

So this is a fun one. There isn't a true handicap per say for when you can start to think that equipment is holding you back. Guys can be ripping courses up with clubs and balls from 30 years ago. What it does come down to when thinking about equipment is when you can feel that strike is consistent enough and/or you can see differences in performance, mainly how the ball reacts when hitting onto the fairway and or greens. One ball may carry a little further but doesn't stop on the green, while a different ball doesn't even make the green on carry alone. Finding a ball that fits your game isn't that hard, as most brands make balls that can be very forgiving in the market. Not many people are going to be getting the full benefit of having a ball like a Pro V1 or a TP5 or a Chrome Tour style ball, but they still use it as it is the premium ball. I think once you can see a consistent strike pattern with short clubs, you can reasonably start to think about golf equipment and how it can elevate your game.

I feel what matters most when picking the right ball is your swing speed, average golfers like most of us wont really benefit from playing a prov1 or any other premium ball, you're actually more likely to lose distance. Just find a ball that matches your game and stick to it. I enjoy using callaway supersofts or titleist velocities, good quality and about $20-25 a dozen

I’m a tp5. I love how smooth that ball feels off my club face. Especially my irons. I feel like prov1 are a bit on the hard side. They sometimes feel like I’m hitting a stone.

My go-to well built relatively inexpensive ball is the Kirkland balls. I also scored a bunch of Srixon Z Star's for a solid price that I really enjoy and have mostly held on to.

5 handicap and my weak part is driving. If I’m in a bad spot with driving I’ll use old cheap balls and they basically go just as far as the prov1s when I’m playing good. Only difference I notice is irons and around the greens softer balls just feel so much better and stop faster. Also mizuno rb tour this year is a very underrated ball. It feels brilliant.

I definitely feel the difference around the green in the cover, and have a rotating selection of premium balls some new, some found. Recently though I got tired of feeling guilty when I lost a nice ball, and was tired of playing used ones so I bought a box of cut reds just for fun. The best way I can put it is that they are definitely more suited for a bump & run style of golf than a nicer ball, but they putt surprisingly well for how much they explode off the face with an iron. I’ve had some very enjoyable rounds using them, and now only feel shameful instead of shameful guilt when I lose one.

Maxfli are the best underrated ball

Love my Callaway Warbirds. Under $20 a dozen.

I love the Srixon q-star as a 19.5 handicap. 29 euro's for a dozen that is a 3 piece urethane cover, I can't fault it, it will be my go to ball now. I loved the Bridgestone and wanted the vice balls. Can't justify the TP5 or Pro V, as the cost is too expensive. Played around with the Seed's also and cheaper balls. It finally seems I have settled on my golf ball now. Srixon q-star all the way in Yellow. Had the divide also, but I feel the yellows are better, plus I had my best round ever shooting an 83 for a 20 or so handicap I am well pleased.

Dunno why-but I like Taylormade, Callaway, and Titleist in that order..softer balls, usually get the medium range super soft, tour soft, or speedsoft balls.

For me personally I've tried all variation of golf balls but the best three golf balls are Titleist ProV1, Bridgestone RXS, then without a question is the TaylorMade TP5X, but everybody has their choice to make of with golf ball to use

My sweet spot is Calloway Superfast. $25 for 15 balls. Play well and don’t break the bank. I like the matte yellow as well.

Things to think about and evaluate when selecting ball, deprnds on uour own circumstances.Winter ball vs summer ball. Fast greens vs slow greens. Wind links course vs park course.

Been using the maxfli tour x. Great ball great value

I definitely do notice a difference. I used to work in golf retail and we'd get to test balls ahead of release. I got to try the Chrome Soft when it first came out, several years ago. I played around with em for a year or whatever. Then I got to try them on the 2nd generation, again before release. The Rep asked all of us what feedback we had from the 1st iteration of the ball. I said that I had noticed short irons and wedges sometimes would fly like 10 yards too far. I'm about a 2 handicap at this point. The rep said a lot of the pros had that same feedback, and they'd fixed it on this 2nd gen. Boy they absolutely did fix it. I have no idea how they did that. But I noticed a change. I play Pro V1 now and even changing to 1X or sometimes I play a Bridgestone ball, there is a difference.

I like any premium ball I find. ProV1, Chromesoft, TP5’s. They all feel good and I don’t fret when I lose one.

I play vice tour and they are spot on feel great don't scuff up easy and are reasonable for price

Was told by the guy I get lessons off, the difference can be in spin, that chip shot that could otherwise roll through the green may just grab a bit more and stop, saving you potentially another chip + 2 putt rather than just the 2 putt

Thanks uncle Rick.. I'll keep on pounding my Kirklands into the woods 🙏

After years of teaching and testing, certainly it depends on your game strategy and swing speed. That's where golf balls compression can matter. For example, a Pro V1 with a compression of around 100, typically for experienced golfers or with high swing speeds vs. a Callaway Supersoft with a compression of around 47 for a slower swing speed. Virtually everything in golf has a variable, so practicing and using the same golf ball that works for you can be helpful for your score. Over time you'll notice a difference in 'feel' with short irons and distance off the tee with driver. But for most average/occasional players, trying to find a ball that is perfect for distance, feel and putting is like trying to find a large SUV with great gas mileage. If you can take a lesson and get an efficient swing, the golf ball choice will be easier😀

I could never control Pro V1 off the drive, always lose them in the woods slicing right. Vice Pro Air or Tour are amazing with less spin off the driver, they always go straight for me.

Absolutely LOVED the Nike 20XI-X. Use the TP5x now. Not sure why, always thought they were a better value option than the PV1 maybe

Titleist golf balls are f-ing ROCKS!!! Callaway makes the best FEELING golf balls in the market today and they have balls for every player in nearly every price range.

I always play kirklands and i played one round with prov1x and had the best round of my life, it seemed to fade much less and went around 10 yards further off the tee. Worth it.

I'm a high handicapper. I use Wilson Ultras. They feel really good, but they are also cheap enough that I'm not worried about losing a few balls here and there.

I use a Srixon Q Star. They seem to fly straighter than any other golf ball I have used. They don't go as far, but not by much. They feel great around the green. Best part, they are $25 a dozen.

I am a 77 year old 4 handicap, and I play premium “found” balls. Mostly from a pond.

I love playing my Wilson staff especially when they go on sale. Mainly the Wilson duo is such a cheap and great ball back when I started that I just stuck with the brand

After trying a few different brands I have settled on the srixon ad333 pice wise it's good and they fly well off the tee and are fairly soft around the greens 👌

Vice balls are premium quality, perform as well as a ProV1 and cost half!

My only problem with the ProV1 is that although I really like it, and prefer to have it, if I’ve run out of them, and reach in my bag and pull out (blank), psychologically I feel like I have a problem. That’s just me, and I’m not a scratch golfer (6-7). It automatically puts doubt in my mind. Sometimes I can still go and have a great round equal to anything with pro v,….but I admit doubt creeps into my mind.

Srixon "soft feel" balls are fantastic for the majority of golfers i think. Used them all the way from 26-11 handicap. Tried every other ball during those 10 years with little to no difference. Getting to single hcp and wanting to flight a ball or spin it around the greens warrants a change though i think. Finding the Srixon Z star XV brilliant right now

Have played them all. ProV1 is the most consistent. Can trust it's gonna go where I expect it to. Helps that I do not lose them very often.

I found an orange Vice Pro Plus… fit my eye and I played really well with it. I looked for it for like 10 minutes once I hit it through the green and into the back woods… I’ve found probably a dozen of them on the course, albeit, not the orange version… they feel great and I’ll play them more often. I still have like 6 dozen ProV1’s that are still in the box

It’s mostly confidence but even knowing that I 100% hit a pro v1x better. Playing a scramble today even and I hit two drives same hole caz we were wasting time with it slow and I hit the pro v1x about 20 yards further than a mid range Calloway with both being solid swings. When I’m swinging well I just have more confidence in it and just know it will go further. I 100% think it’s mental but golf is mostly mental.

My feeling on this, is to buy a decent golf ball and use the same golf ball. By decent, I mean a middle of the line golf ball; supersofts, tour response, etc. Keep it consistent to keep golf ball variability out of it. I find the Maxfli Tour series to be the best bang for the buck for me.

I played Chrome Soft X for a number of years, then moved to the Vice Pro Plus for about 3-4 years & thought that it was every bit as good as a Pro V1 minus a bit of durability & a tiny bit of spin around the green. But then I went back to Pro V1 this year. Yeah, it’s still the best ball imo. I won’t be switching back off the Titleist for a while.

I used to be a Pro V1 fan boy. About 6 years ago I tried a Vice Pro, thought it was okay then tried the Vice Pro Plus.... and haven't went back to the Pro V1 since. I actually don't like the feel of Pro v1's or Pro v1x now when I occasionally try them. It is a personal preference thing, but I think you are right when you say the older 30 plus generations are mentally wedded to Pro V's whereas the younger generation are growing up in a world where there are multiple options, all of which are very good. We used to gravitate towards a Pro V, almost like a right of passage, now, that is not the case. A lot of the biggest names in the game don't play Pro V's, so the pull towards them is waining.

Honestly you need to do a good sale to get people to try it. They recently released the new 2024 TP5 so the 2021 is only $30 in my area and now I only use those and am hooked

To Rick’s point - it comes down to the caliber of player. I think back to when I started to now (1.2 hcp). Back in the day (20 or so years ago), I didn’t really care what I hit, but as I progressed, the ball became a more and more important piece of equipment in the bag. Now, I consider it the single most important piece of equipment and will toss a $4 Z-star diamond into the practice bin as soon as it has even the tiniest nick on the surface.

I think when you start developing feel, yes, but also when you get some more consistency in your game. E.g. you start developing certain tendencies eg ball flight (high / low), spin (both backspin & sidespin) and want a ball that fits that. Same with Greenside shots - when your technique becomes a bit more consistent, by playing the same ball (premium or not), you'll start to get more consistent spin, check, rollout, flight etc. Finally I think the main thing is how often you lose balls. If you lose a 3 balls a round and pay £4 per ball, then you have to be happy that you're spending an extra £12 every time you play golf. Once you start losing fewer and fewer balls, it starts becoming less costly to invest in better balls.

High teens handicap, start consistently using the golf ball you prefer, once down to mid/low teens premium balls will start making a difference as you start to gain control in your short game

I like the Srixon divide because of the look. It’s like 35 usd for 12. Easier to find too. I also play what I find. It really doesn’t matter when you can’t reliably hit the center of the face.

I usually shoot in the 90s and don't play very often anymore. I'm not fussy about what ball I use, but I do like to use a new ball at the start of each round, so something that is cheap and doesn't feel like a rock is what works for me. Noodle or something low to mid-priced from Costco are what I usually buy. I've played premium balls like the Pro V1 and I honestly can't much difference. I probably care more about superstition then feel. If I have a really bad round with a specific ball I might give the rest of that box to the wife and switch brands or conversely if I have a really good round I might stick with the same brand for a year or buy an extra box.

Being a PGA Professional I have tried them all from Pro V1, Srixon Z Star, Vice and even Snell, but being playing the Mizuno RB Tour for the last two years. It all depends on skill level and feel.

I find being a 20 handicap golfer I go for TP5 yellow. It gives me more confidence to find it in the trees

You will notice the difference in performance on Tour Level Golf balls on the short game. You will see the difference on the extra spin they offer if you make your pitches and chips crisp and clean.

If you can afford premium balls most players will see an improvement in their scores. The cheap balls will generally go the same distance but they feel a lot firmer. They will not spin anywhere near the premium ball however. If you hit a ball into a green side bunker the cheap crap ball will come out of the bunker the same but will likely bounce off the green into either another bunker on the other side of the green or off the green. The premium ball will, if hit the same check up, because of the spin and stay on the green. For me it's about how much you want to score well. Prov1, Tp5, Z star, Chrome Tour, Soft it's only preference. Kirkland, Vice are similar but I lose something by using them and I don't like that.

I used to play vice tour because the green side spin is great but the spine off the driver was too much. The ProV1, TP5, and other high end brands that are $40+ per dozen are too expensive. I’ve fallen in love with the Maxfli Tour X from Dick’s. The 48 pack with a Black Friday type sale is a price that can’t be beaten. And the Tour X is an unbelievable quality. The cover may be thicker than other tour balls but you’ll only notice it on the putter. I won’t be changing balls for a long time

cheap hard balls are better for slicers. A pro v will slice hard while a hard one won't get as much spin. I would like to play a top flight 2000 on drive and pro v after that. lol

I picked up some decent second hand PRO V's and TP5's from a guy that lives next to a golf course. As a 15hcp, I may lose a ball or two per round so I never really considered buying expensive balls. But, since using them, I am playing some of my best golf of my life. I don't know if I'm just hitting the ball better, or the balls are making the difference, but I don't think I can go back to the cheap balls.

28 handicap after playing for 2 full years (started off shooting in the 120’s). Higher than average swing speed (113 avg driver swing speed). And I play TM tour responses with the stripe as often as I can. For whatever reason I can now identify a feeling I like with that ball. Did it translate to any noticeable difference in my game not at all. But some type of preference was developed albeit a slightly expensive one.

I ended up buying a pallet of Pro V1's when a golf course went out of business and was auctioning off everything in the pro shop. 25 cents a ball brand new in boxes that had never been opened. Some have the old course logo on them but the woods, water, and whatever else they get lost in doesn't mind. I'll die before I run out of golf balls. Before that it was whatever was on sale.

For me, it was when I switched and saw backspin/balls stopping on the green. My swing had not changed, but balls were no longer flying off the green. I understand some balls are easier to work left or right, but my game is not at that level. If it’ll stop on the green, I’ll play it. Don’t need more expense than that.

I bought a box of prov1's over a year ago. I've played more than 40 rounds since then. Still not opened it. It just ruins my day when I pull out a brand new, expensive ball and lose it first swing. Not that I even do that all that often. I'll play with whatever I pick up, that's half decent. I'm an 8.2hcp and still find it hard to notice much difference between balls. I definitely prefer the eurethane cover. But thats pretty much where my discerning starts and finishes.

I like Noodle. They're cheap, but I can hit relatively well with them. And I don't tend to cry when I launch one into the water.

I bought 10 dozen reclaimed proV1s for $1 each on Ebay. They look great and I lose them just as fast as brand new ones. I can't tell the difference.

Swing speed and compression matters also. If you are swinging slow at a tour level ball you're gonna get punished due to not compressing it correctly. Also if you don't hit a tour ball ball flush it'll lose massive distance. I use a Wilson Zip as it's a very forgiving ball wherever you hit it on the club.

That is honestly why I love the Costco (Kirkland) ball. I feel like it has the best performance per value.

I have a good slogan that i heard that i now live by, "Vice is nice!"

Personally I fully recommend the Callaway Hex Soft, doesn't break the bank, but feel and play so well

There a really good video on KZfaq where they use a swing machine and test a bunch of balls at three different speeds. There were some really good results from some cheap balls at the low speed, so i bought a couple boxes, and really do think i noticed a small positive difference. I'm totally happy at $20/dozen

Luckily I get to play premium golf balls for free. At my course we have plenty of 30 handicaps who hit them in the woods all the time. A few minutes in there and I can find 10-15 pro v1s, TP5s or chromesofts

I have recently started using the Legato 3 piece golf balls. It's not as firm as I'd like with say a pro v1x (my favorite ball), but at their price point, it's a pretty good ball. They get good distance and spin for me. And, I don't feel as bad when I lose it in the sticks.

I will say, I’ve found that chrome supersofts fit my current play style the best. I used to just grab the “premium balls” but it wasn’t working for me.

I feel like ive noticed the difference more with putting, specifically the feel off the face of the putter

When I was a Kid I practiced Chipping and Putting for many hours every day I've hit several 10,000s of chips and putts back in the day. Not only could I feel the difference I could tell you what brand they were and whether they were new or used or ready for the bin. that was over 45-50 years ago. I started playing again last year after not playing for over 30 years. I can tell you what balls I like for chipping and putting ( and it isn't ProV1s) not so much the brand and model but the feel I like. Also as I'm now much older ProV1 is too hard ( high compression) for my club speed. I was using cheaper "SuperSoft" 2 piece balls as the feel was about right, but the spin was crap. I'm Currently using a variety 3 piece balls that feel soft. Here's the thing They are all pickups I go to the local club ( which has wealthy members that basically aren't that good) and pick up around 150 balls over 3 holes each week using a UV torch at night. They are 75% premium balls TP5 or ProV1 or Chrome Soft. the rest are T.MTour response Titleist Tour Soft or AVXs or Callaway Super soft or the Srixon equivalent. As I pick up 1000s I can select the ones with no damage and everything else is a practice ball. The important thing isn't so much what ball or brand rather that it's the same ball that you are sticking too. As a player you want consistency so that you know how far you are going to hit the thing with each club. And whilst people ( mainly Snobs) will say "You'll loose distance with used balls and pickups are crap" I say well so what you're wrong anyway! The pickups I have, I know where they come from and roughly how long they've been there for( less than a week) I also know that a lot of them haven't even been hit twice but If you insist hit 7 iron and I'll hit 5 or 6 iron as long as it goes the distance I expect then it's good. And if it feels good around and on the green I'm beating you on the short game anyway! Unless you are playing Golf for prizes then no balls don't matter as long as you know what the ball will do when you hit it.

Its trying out many balls, I used to think it was the Callaway Warbirds... then I thought I'll try Srixon balls and a few Titleist balls here and there, but never liked them. I stopped playing for a year... and what happened to return to the game, is I started doing research. DO your research into your swing speed and the compression of the ball versus swing speed. I did it. I picked up Titleist Tour Soft. Belted it every time and straight, played some of the best golf I had over 3 rounds, then I said ok, let me try another ball. I tried another ball no one near my best. Maybe its placebo, maybe it is the ball, but a lot about playing good golf is confidence and trust in your swing, equipment and yourself.

for me, i played taylormade Distance+ until recently when my strike improved and i actually started cutting them up really quickly

I personally think it's about your ability to strike the ball and keep it in play. Handicap is probably the closest metric to use for this, but it's not entirely accurate. You can have triple digit handicappers that hardly lose balls because they top / duff it, or they don't have an errant sideways curve to their shots. The opposite can also be true where you have a mid handicapper that loses 5 balls a round but can make up for it by getting up and down a lot. So as a rule of thumb, if you're a scatter shot player losing a dozen or more a round, just go buy the $20 bucket of 50 - 100 used balls. You'll gain zero benefit from playing anything better than that at this time. As you get better and get that scatter shot under control, move into the cheaper entry market balls like Kirkland / Maxfly / Noodle and the like. Once you break triple digits consistently and can still keep the number of lost balls a round down to no more than 3, move up a notch again into the direct to consumer premium offerings like Snell / Vice and the like. When you get into low 90s and break into the 80s consistently, now you can go full premium without worry as it will start helping your game more. It's one of the crappiest feelings to lose three (or more) $5 golf balls on back to back to back holes, it will mess up your round mentally.

I've been playing Legato golf balls for a couple months now, and do not miss the ProV1.

I am an odd ball, I like Volvik Vivid, i hit them farther than any other ball on the market. I have a 115ish club head speed so i try to get after it on the drives. I usually play Volvik, Chrome Soft, Vice Pro Drips, TP5 or AVX. I have been playing golf for 7 years now and i can go 2 rounds using the same ball, so i dont mind spending a little money on a premium golf ball that feels good for me to hit.

I recently bought some snells. Dean Snell was one of the creators of the TP5 and Pro V. He sell direct to consumer so the price point is low. But the ball for my swing speed is a soft ball (100mph or less). With that said the money I saved played those balls I lost because the cover scuffed easily. I pay more for supersofts but they last longer. So cheaper isn't always better.