While ball manufacturers often differentiate between driver and iron/wedge spin, the reality is that, if a ball spins of a driver, it’s going to spin off irons and full (and even partial) wedge shots, too.įor this year’s test, we switched from a 7-iron to an 8-iron and moved our wedge distance to 55 yards. If It Spins Off The Driver, It Spins Off The Wedge If you’re looking for more spin on approach shots, it won’t.ģ. If you’re looking for a bit straighter flight with the driver or to cut spin out of your iron game, soft can work. It’s telling that at all three speeds off both driver and irons and with the wedge, the lowest spinning balls were low-compression offerings. While there is not an absolute correlation between compression and spin, the same design principles that make a ball soft invariably lead to a ball that’s lower spinning. With this in mind, it’s certainly possible that a soft ball could be right for you but also consider that … 2. Soft is still slow but, under those conditions, it’s the comparably softer covers and mantles of high compression balls that explain the speed differences. Notably, as speed declines, particularly with iron shots, low-compression balls can be a touch faster than firmer ones. Among mid to high swing players, those who fall in the high spin category (ballpark 2,800 rpm or more with a driver), lower spin can compensate for the speed lost to lower compression. For slower players (sub-85 mph), the speed differences are so small that there’s a case to be made for not worrying about it. Golf Ball Models TestedĪs we found during our 2019 Golf Ball Test, there is an absolute correlation between compression and ball speed but there are conditions under which softer balls can keep up with firmer balls. A Foresight GCQuad was run in parallel for comparison purposes and to confirm target lines. To capture the full flight of the golf ball, including the impact of dimples/golf ball aerodynamics on the full flight of the ball, the published data was collected using a Trackman launch monitor. PXG 0311P GEN4 irons and a 56-degree 0311T Sugar Daddy wedge were also used. Driver – Low: PXG 0811X GEN4 10.5° with regular shaft.Driver – Mid: PXG 0811X GEN4 9° with stiff shaft.Driver – Fast: PXG 0811X GEN4 9° with X-stiff shaft.Here’s a breakdown of the clubs used for the test: In each scenario, the goal was to replicate as best as we could the launch conditions for golfers within the target range. To try to quantify greenside spin, we conducted a wedge test to a distance of approximately 55 yards. We tested at three driver speeds and their 8-iron equivalents: MyGolfSpy designed the test with the help of ball industry experts but the operation of the robot was left to PXG’s highly qualified test engineer. We tested 37 premium balls models (35 of the most popular urethane offerings, refurbished golf balls and Pinnacle range balls).įor this test, we again used a Golf Labs robot. In total, the robot hit just under 4,500 shots. Testing took place over five days and included nearly 60 hours of test time. The 2021 MyGolfSpy ball test was conducted at Scottsdale National Golf Club. range on the ProCheck.Sorry, your browser doesn't support this embedded media Bill will get his longest distance playing balls measuring the FRM. range on the ProCheck.®īill is a long ball hitter - 260 yard drives with a 110 MPH swing speed that translates to 6 compression bars - FRM. Tom will get his longest distance playing balls measuring the SFT. Tom determines that his swing speed is 80 mph because his drives usually carry 170 yards that translates to 3 compression bars -Soft. This concept is well understood in the golfing world. Too much flattening or too little reduces the energy transfer. Matching swing speed with ball compression causes the ball to have the optimum degree of flattening at impact to create a trampoline-like energy transfer. Golfers with slower swing speeds (60-70 mph) should play softer golf balls, and those with fast swing speeds (100-110 mph) should play firmer golf balls.
It is well understood that a golfer will achieve the maximum energy transfer and the most driving distance if the hardness (compression) of the ball is matched to the swing speed of the club. Playing the wrong ball can reduce distance by 10-20%
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