The 12 Best Golf Balls For Seniors

The 12 Best Golf Balls For Seniors

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Any senior golfer, irrespective of their golfing skills, won’t perform as well with a hard golf ball. The aging body undergoes several changes, making older individuals face issues playing efficiently (and often pain-free) with a regular golf ball. So what’s the best golf ball for a senior?

Contents show

Soft golf balls are best suited for any senior golfer. The reduced swing speed reduces the ability to transfer the energy to the ball, which increases the chances of miss-hits, making a soft golf ball best suited for seniors.

This article covers the best golf balls for senior golf players. A senior’s age and playing ability play an important role when selecting the right golf ball. Follow it until the end for lots of information.

How Is A Soft Golf Ball The Best Suited For Seniors?

Below are some top-notch reasons for playing with a soft golf ball.

  1. Seniors who find it difficult to send a hard golf ball far away will enjoy playing with a soft ball. A soft golf ball is designed to bear slow swings while covering more distance, like a ping pong ball.
  2. Several soft compression balls are designed to achieve a higher launch, even with less power.
  3. Low compression balls are highly forgiving. Seniors tend to miss-hit, which will be forgiven.
  4. The aging bodies will be comfortable with the soft touch and feel.
  5. Seniors will find it easier to control a soft golf ball when playing, especially on the greens.
  6. Due to reduced control over the club in old age, the softer ball will stop sooner when rolled on the ground. It will help seniors to attain improved control over a soft golf ball compared to a harder one.

More Factors

In addition to the soft compression of the balls, consider these factors when choosing the right ball for a senior player.

  1. Balls with vibrant colors will be visible from far away. Seniors with weak vision will find it easier to spot the ball.
  2. Seniors should opt for a ball designed to perform well in short games. Many senior golfers prefer short games over long games. Assuming that seniors are veterans, a soft golf ball will let them perform interesting shots since only soft balls facilitate fancy shots in golf.

Best Golf Balls For Seniors

This section covers some highly recommended golf balls for seniors.

  1. Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls (Best for very aged players)

This ball comes in vibrant colors, making it easier to find the ball on a vast golf course. Seniors players will find it easier to cover more distance per shot. The soft touch won’t hurt their bodies. It’s relatively easier to control these balls, especially in greens.

It’s a two-piece soft compression ball that delivers an impressive performance in addition to its affordable price. You’ll find matte finish balls are well whose aerodynamics are designed to cover longer distances. Some color patterns (green, pink, matte green, yellow, and orange) are bright enough to appear glowing.

There are hexagonal dimples on these balls that aim to reduce drag and aid aerodynamics. The durable “trigonometry” cover makes the ball highly durable. You’ll be able to lift these balls higher more conveniently than other soft golf balls. The reason why it’s best for very aged players is because the ball gives reasonable control in the green is durable while retaining the softness, and can cover longer distances. All these attributes are much needed in a golf ball.

  1. Titleist Pro V1 (Best for slow swingers)

The key features include the ability to cover extended distance and good spin. These balls are expensive due to the brand popularity and use of Urethane to make the hard ball cover. Seniors will enjoy playing with this ball due to its ability to perform well, even at slow swing speeds. 

The reason is that the very low compression level is targeted to deliver the best results in slow swing speeds. Don’t expect durability because sometimes the ball cannot survive cleanly stuck wedges. Another reason for the increased price of these balls is the quality control.

  1. Srixon Soft Feel (Best affordable option)

Players with the habit of losing balls too frequently shall consider this ball as the best affordable option. Expect a fantastic all-around performance, including excellent aid to alignment. Hitting straight shots will be much easier.

It has an Ionomer cover that keeps the ball relatively softer than Urethane covers. Even senior golfers with slow swing speeds will find it easier to make a par. These balls have a compression level of 60 that responds perfectly to slow swings. The dimple patterns are designed to achieve a more extended coverage per shot. The balls are the best affordable option since they’re the cheapest products in the market while still promising  exceptional quality in their price range. Briefly, there’s no drawback in these balls other than reduced durability. The balls won’t survive a cart path impact.

  1. Titleist DT TruSoft (Best overall)

Players finding it harder to play with a low compression ball shall consider this product the softest golf ball that Titleist can offer. You’ll experience low spin in longer distances. The ball has consistency and will forgive miss-hits. The ball is soft enough to feel like a soft rubber ball.

This ball is made of two-piece construction, where the core is kept very soft along with a thin cover that altogether makes the ball soft. Moreover, the ball is engineered to provide a spin on chip shots. The price of these balls is affordable hence, making them the best overall.

  1. Titleist Tour Soft Golf Ball (Recommended for single-digit handicap players)

Notable features include fantastic control in the greens, soft touch, and good performance. The ball is suited for single-digit handicap players meaning that newbies will find it challenging to deliver a good shot with these balls. These balls aren’t much forgiving and will have a reduced launch height. Seniors with a higher handicap should avoid playing with these balls.

Miss hits will hurt the distance, launching the ball to the unwanted path. Players shouldn’t expect longer distances per shot. These balls are not suited for golfers with slow swing speeds. Seniors looking for a spin in the ball will find these balls best suited for them.

  1. Callaway Superhot (Highly recommended)

The significant benefits of using this ball are that you’ll get a very long flight and an improved roll on the ground. These are three-piece construction balls that give a very soft feel. The cover is made of Ionomer, and the core is kept very soft, making the ball forgiving to miss-hits. 

The Ionomer cover helps control the price. These balls will give more spins in the green. Seniors will get more roll on the ground, allowing them to cover more distance quickly. Players can enjoy short games with these balls as the ball won’t require much energy to roll on the ground.

More Recommendations

If you can’t find the best ball based on your needs, here are few more recommendations.

  1. TaylorMade Distance Plus

These balls are a budget-friendly option primarily preferred to players looking to achieve increased distance. Senior straight hitter golfers who seek low spin should opt for these balls. You’ll experience more roll on the ground, but controlling the ball efficiently in the greens can be challenging. The appearance is immaculate and appealing.

Distance Plus version is highly durable that’s made of soft core in conjunction with firm cover, making the ball long-lasting. The ball is durable enough to withstand tree impacts and cart path bounces.

  1. Wilson Smart Core

These are average yet decent balls that seniors can prefer. The notable features are durability and soft compression at a reasonable price. This ball is designed to give an intelligent core that’s highly forgiving to miss-hits, adapts to swing speeds, and performs well in low swing speeds. The outer cover is made of an Ionomer. 

Moreover, the ball is ideal for short games. The cheaper materials used to manufacture the balls make them highly affordable. Seniors can easily cover a greater distance with fewer efforts, where straight hitters will find it even easier to cover longer distances.

  1. Titleist Velocity Golf Balls

Seniors who don’t necessarily look for extra soft golf balls should prefer these balls. They’ll provide increased distance, higher launch, and flight heights, and feel rock hard. Expect higher durability from these balls. The required swing speed to play with this ball is slightly more than the average swing speed (90 mph or more). However, slow swingers will still be able to enjoy the game.

Titleist claims these balls perform well on the greens. Unfortunately, these balls are costlier than other balls discussed in this article.

  1. Bridgestone e6

It’s a soft compression ball that’s perfect for seniors with lacking visual ability. These balls are expected to give an all-rounder performance. They can fly straight forward while providing a soft feel. This product is a good combination of distance, speed, durability, and softness. However, the appearance isn’t much appealing. Some golfers will find the alignment aid on the ball useless, leading them to set up their line over the alignment aid. 

  1. Callaway Golf Chrome Soft Truvis

The specialty of these balls is the alignment aids marked on the ball, as many seniors find them helpful while aiming. You’ll experience a good feel around the greens. The ideal players for this ball include medium and high-speed swingers. 

These balls’ appearance is similar to a soccer ball designed specifically for deep perception to make it appear bigger, aiding the alignment hence improving the golfer’s confidence.

  1. TaylorMade RBZ Soft

The only reason for playing with this ball is the alignment aids on the ball. Players shouldn’t expect durability and a long coverable distance from this ball. Therefore, it’s best suited for short games, becoming ideal for very aged players with slow swing speeds.

It is a three-layer construction ball made of soft Ethane cover, RBZ core, and speed mantle. The RBZ core is meant to achieve speed, while the speed mantle helps iron shots to gain spin and distance. These balls are easy to control in the greens.

Choosing The Right Golf Ball For Seniors

This section covers the criteria for selecting the best golf ball for a given senior golfer.

Distance

Always prefer a ball that can cover maximum distance. Old golfers experience a reduced swing speed, making it challenging to transfer much energy to the ball. Hence, soft compression balls that can circulate the energy throughout themselves are highly recommended to gain more distance. To gain more distance, some senior golfers use senior tees and flexible shafts in addition to soft compression golf balls.

Durability

Opt for a durable ball because most seniors live on a fixed income in their old age. Using a durable ball helps reduce the cost incurred on golf balls. However, some manufacturers give up on durability to manufacture a soft compression ball. Urethane cover balls are soft and durable. Durable golf balls won’t damage so quickly, reducing the game’s chances of being ruined in between due to a broken ball.

Feel and Spin

Many seniors don’t like balls that feel hard when hitting with a club. A stiff feel becomes uncomfortable and can cause wrist injury as well. Moreover, some balls feel like they’ll fly far away upon hitting, while some feel like they won’t stop rolling on the ground. Spinning balls are harder to hit straightforward. Seniors can become frustrated; hence it’s recommended to opt for a low spin ball. Go for balls with more dimples as they aid the aerodynamics, reduce the drag, and on some occasions, are much forgiving to miss-hits.

Visuals

Most seniors have poor vision; therefore, they opt for a ball with vibrant colors. Any golf balls that can be spotted from far away or are visible even in the rough patches are highly preferred by seniors. Moreover, seniors whose eyesight is weak will find it easier to hit the ball.

Some balls have logos and designs that can distract the players. Avoid using such balls. Moreover, several manufacturers put alignment aid that senior golfers much need.

Value For Price

Compare the ball’s performance against the value. Always buy balls that are the best value for money. It’s natural for players to lose balls in the water hazard, out of the boundary, or on a tree. It’ll be frustrating if an expensive ball is lost. Instead of going for the cheapest balls in the market, go for those that give value for their price.

Low Compression Golf Balls

Any low compression ball will have a soft core ideally made of rubber that has wound threads. Finally, the hard cover (usually made of Ionomer, Urethane, or other cheaper materials) is put over the ball. If the threads are wound tightly, the ball becomes a hard compression ball and vice versa.

A soft compression or low compression ball is like a ping pong ball that features extras bounce. Merely hitting with weak hands will drive the ball far away. It allows seniors to put in little effort to hit the ball. Compression level has specific ratings that help understand how soft or hard a ball is. For example, a very delicate ball can have a compression level of 60. Hard Urethane balls usually have a compression level of 90 or 80.

Many manufacturers are working on giving strength and durability to soft compression balls. A soft compression ball might not perform well in freezing weather because the molecules of the ball will shrink, making the ball harder. Therefore, it’s suggested to opt for a softer ball in case of a very low temperature.

The aerodynamics of a soft ball differs from a harder ball. Most softer balls are designed to achieve a longer hand time, allowing them to cover more distance in the air. Moreover, the number of dimples affects aerodynamics. Any soft golf ball can have 338 to 500 dimples. Each manufacturer has its preferred number of dimples based on the aerodynamics engineering involved in their manufacturing process. 

One quality of a low compression ball is that the energy is distributed almost equally throughout the ball, irrespective of where the club hits the ball. It allows the ball to move more straightforwardly instead of moving in a random direction (in case of a miss-hit). It is called the “forgiving” nature of a soft golf ball.

Slow Swing Speeds

The speed at which the club swings through hands when hitting the ball is termed “swing speed.” A physically fit player will have a higher swing speed of more than 95mph. As the body ages, the ability to swing the club faster reduces. Some balls are designed in such a way that they’ll still manage to cover more distance even at slow swing speeds.

The swing speed determines how far the ball will go. Assuming that the club hits the ball precisely in the center, the distance covered by an object (golf ball in this case) = product of speed and time. 

Faster swing speed means less swing time and increased ball speed.

You can differentiate soft compression golf balls based on the swing speed of a player. For instance, some balls are meant for slow swingers, medium to high swingers, and fast swingers. It’s often assumed that the softer the ball, the better it performs even at slow swing speeds.

Golf Balls For Long Distance Hitters

Some balls are designed to achieve longer hang time, which is best suited for players who’re looking forward to hitting long distances per shot. These balls are not recommended for short games.

Ability To Withstand Wind

It’ll be harder to hit a straight shot in a windy condition. Luckily, some soft golf balls can withstand light to moderate wind. However, the playing conditions won’t be the same as on a clear day. Hitting a ball with a slow swing speed will change the ball’s direction on a windy day, though. Moreover, try to keep the height lower to drive the ball efficiently when hitting.

Buyers Guide

This section covers Amazon prices of various recommendations discussed above.

Titleist DT TruSoft

The popularity of these balls keeps them out of stock most of the time. Still, these 1 pound balls are available in one dozen packs. The ball has a simple appearance, leaving no chance of distraction when focusing. The soft core is made of rubber and is best suited for short games.

Buy these balls directly on Amazon from here. These are all Amazon recommended balls.

Callaway Golf Supersoft

As discussed previously, these softer golf balls are available in a variety of colors, each differing in prices when bought from Amazon. Color options include matte green, matte orange, matte pink, matte red, white, and yellow. If the color choice doesn’t matter, we suggest going with the matte pink. All the balls feature a new Trionomer cover, that is claimed to be extra soft, give amazing feel, and perform incredibly at the greens

If you want increased accuracy, go for these balls. Vibrant colors such as yellow and pink are best suited for seniors and women.

TaylorMade Noodle Long and Soft

Each ball in the 15-ball pack weighs 1.5 pounds. The balls can be bought in a bunch of 15 and 24 balls, where buying a larger pack will be cheaper.These relatively cheap balls are best for seniors who don’t want to invest much in golf balls. High handicappers and newbies should prefer these balls are well.

These balls have an ultra-soft 34 compression core and 342 dimples. They can cut through the air and attain a longer flight time.

Wilson Staff Fifty Elite Golf Balls

The name fifty elite indicates the compression level 50. These balls are available in a pack of 12. Due to low driver spin, you’ll experience an increased spin in the greens. The cover is responsive, meaning it’ll forgive most miss-hits. It has a vibrant red-orange color allowing players to spot the ball from far away. These balls will experience a long carry in the air and will stop quickly after hitting the ground.

More Accessories

Apart from golf balls specially designed for seniors, there are a few more golfing accessories that’ll help seniors achieve a better score in the game. This section covers them.

Victorem Golf Mat

These durable turfs are designed to make the launch convenient. Players who have poor accuracy, those who encounter miss-hits, or those players who tend to hit the club to the ground should use these turfs.

Accidentally hitting the club to the turf won’t damage anything. This way, you can enjoy golfing even if you lack accuracy. The turfs are in the form of foldable mats with three different types of grass. Each mat section is fairway, rough, and tee.

You can use tees with these mats. The package comes with a bonus set of 50 wooden tees, and players can buy the set on Amazon.

YATTA Golf Telos Premium Tees

The tees are expected to improve shooting scores and provide consistency during the hit. These tees are made of iron and wood and available in three colors- Ice blue, fire red, and sunny yellow. The specialty of these tees is that you can adjust them accordingly to achieve the best height based on your swing speed and style.

Every color variant is easy to set up and features an impact-modified polymer. There’s a disc installed on the tee that helps it stay on the ground after hitting. As a result, you’ll be less likely to lose tees during the game. This disc is used to adjust the tee height from the ground. Rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise. They’re legal to be used in the tournament because they’re 3.25 inches long.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the key differences between a soft and hard golf ball?

Soft golf balls are easier to use. Hard balls need improved accuracy, faster swing speeds, and more intense hits to drive the ball far away. Most handicapped players or poor performers prefer soft balls. Scratch players or good players who play in tour games always play with a hard ball to aid the competition.

Hitting a hard golf ball feels like hitting a rock. Moreover, hard balls need more durable materials, resulting in increased prices.

How can you make a ball cover more distance?

To drive the ball far away, make sure the ball spins less. The spin causes the ball to change its direction, leading to a loss in kinetic energy. This energy loss snatches the ball’s ability to cover more distance in the air.

You’ll find several soft golf balls aimed to reduce spin. Moreover, faster swing speeds sometimes increase the spin as well. Prefer two-piece construction balls as they’ll give a combination of distance and soft feel. Most three-piece construction soft balls give more spin than distance, making it challenging for seniors to enjoy the game.

What’s meant by spin in a golf ball?

A spinning golf ball will fly like a balloon rather than going straight. Instead of moving far away on the Y and Z-axis, it’ll also move in the Y-axis. Higher spin can also cause the ball to move in random directions on random sides.

Conclusion

By the end of this article, you learned various characteristics of a soft golf ball and what to look for when purchasing one for a senior. You also learned about some top picks along with their notable features. Please remember that golf balls have a long life span even if kept unused. If you’re a moderate player who plays occasionally, there’s no point in buying an expensive ball. 

Sources

https://activeaging.com/blog/best-golf-balls-for-seniors