Best Golf Balls for High Handicappers and Beginners

Here’s the most important takeaway from this review: the best golf balls for high handicappers and beginners are not the cheapest ones.

Yes, you may be more likely to lose golf balls, but if you play with the wrong ones (cheap or refurbished), you will lose strokes on the course.

The best golf balls for high handicappers and beginners help improve feel, distance, spin rates, and more.

Here are some of our favorite golf balls for high handicappers and beginners; we have tested all these on the course and broken them into categories. 

Best Overall: Vice Pro Air

If you haven’t heard of the Vice Pro Air it’s because it’s a brand new ball that was just released. Vice is no longer making their Vice Pro Soft. They added in this ball that has an impressive aerodynamic dimple pattern, less drag and a soft feel. 

Overall, the Vice Pro Air is a low-compression ball. You won’t need a super high swing speed to maximize distance. 

It’s also a three-piece ball with a urethane cover, so it has many of the characteristics of a premium ball.

We love this one for beginners because you can work on all aspects of your game from tee to green, and the Vice Pro Air will step up to the plate. 

• New technology with a fair price 
• All-around performance from tee to green 
• It is not the best choice for the fastest swing speed players 

Best for Distance: Srixon Distance Golf Ball

The Srixon Distance golf ball is built for extra yardage as long as you are an average swing speed or above player you’ll see a high penetrating ball flight and extra roll. 

There are good things and bad things about distance golf balls. The good news is that they offer lots of yardage. The bad news is that they are not usually great around the greens. The Srixon 

Distance golf ball has a durable cover, and it’s a very cost-effective option. 

If you struggle to make solid contact right now and want some extra yardage, this is a good one to try. 

One thing to be aware of is that greenside spin will not be the best. This ball is built for pure distance. 

• Durable and long lasting
• Very affordable and high selling distance golf ball 
• It won’t be the best choice if you want spin and feel around the greens 

Best for Feel: TaylorMade Soft Response

Typically, golfers looking for a better feel in a golf ball are ready to make some changes in their short game. If you are tired of feeling like you are hitting a rock around the greens, the Soft Response is a good one to try. 

In fact, this is TaylorMade’s softest golf ball, and it offers impressive short-game spin control and feel. 

Keep in mind that the softer feeling golf balls are often best for the lower handicap players who have a hard time with compression. You’ll notice that you may have a better feel and touch around the greens with the Soft Response, but it won’t spin like the TP5 or TP5x. 

• Soft feel around the greens 
• Still gets some good distance off the tee 
• Not all that high spinning around the greens (need the TP5 and TP5x for that) 

Best for Low Spin: Bridgestone e6

Low-spin golf balls like the Bridgestone e6 help reduce side spin. Beginners and high handicappers tend to put a lot of side spin on the golf ball simply because they don’t always deliver the face square. 

When we tested the Bridgestone e6 we were impressed how well it performed considering the price. It’s a straight ball off the tee but also offers reasonable spin around the greens. 

Stopping full swing iron shots on the green is not a problem. As you get closer those shorter chips out of hte rough don’t spin quite as well. Overall this is the Bridgestone ball we would tell any high handicapper or beginner to try. 

• Has decent greenside performance and feel 
• Straight ball flight 
• Easy to control 

Best Value: Callaway Supersoft

The Callaway Supersoft golf balls are low-priced but geared specifically to beginners and high handicappers. Again, this is a two-piece golf ball with a high launch and straight flight. 

The Supersoft has a soft feel, even though it’s a two piece golf ball and it’s great for players that are looking for distance. It also has a higher launch which helps the ball get up a little higher and land softer on the green. 

Overall, the Supersoft is not an amazing performer in any one category; it’s just a good golf ball for the money. 

• Fair value 
• Soft feel, even though it’s a two piece golf ball 
• High launching is good unless you create a lot of spin and already hit it too high 

Best Premium: Titleist Pro V1

The Titleist Pro V1 golf ball is the most expensive option on this list, but it is expensive for a reason. With the Pro V1, you’ll see impressive distance off the tee and some of the best greenside spin in the game. 

Now the big question is, is the performance of the Titleist Pro V1 worth it for the beginner or high handicapper? 

If price truly doesn’t matter to you, then go for it. If price matters, you can find some great performance with something like the Vice Pro Air for a lot less money. One thing to keep in mind is that a Titleist Pro V1 has slightly higher compression than other golf balls on this list, so distance on the irons may be tough for slower swing speeds. 

• Premium quality and feel
• Long distance off the tee and high greenside spin 
• One of the more expensive golf balls may or may not be worth it for you 

Final Thoughts 

Beginners and high handicappers should understand that while keeping budget in mind is important, you can absolutely play with the WRONG golf ball.

Try to avoid cheap bulk golf balls or refurbished golf balls. Look for something like the Vice Pro Air or the TaylorMade Soft Response that balances cost and performance well. 

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