Last Updated – May 2, 2023
There is no simple one-size-fits-all to find the best golf balls for distance. It really depends on your individual swing speed! I have a full breakdown with each of the top rated distance golf balls in every swing speed category.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on distance golf balls over the last couple of years. Why? Because I am a sucker for hitting the long ball. I know I know, “drive for show, putt for dough”. But its still fun to win the long drive competition at your local scramble event!
Plus, hitting the golf ball far has proven to have positive compounding effects on your score on the golf course. Let’s help you find the right golf ball!
Best Overall
Titleist Tour Speed
Great distance no matter what your swing speed is! Price is very reasonable and soft feel.
Best Feel
TaylorMade Tour Response
The Tour Response offers exceptional feel and great distance at every swing speed.
Most Distance
Titleist ProV1x –
The ProV1x- golf balls will get you the most distance. Firm ball with high trajectory.
First Let’s Calculate Your Swing Speed
Alright, so you really need to know your swing speed to pick the best distance golf balls. Let’s do a quick calculation to figure out which category you’re in.
Now, simply choose your category below!
You can also find the full swing speed and distance calculator here.
Best Golf Balls for Distance – High Swing Speed
The best distance golf balls for players with a high swing speed are the ProV1x Left Dash, Titleist Tour Speed, and the Bridgestone Tour B RX.
Personally, I would go with the Tour Speed here. It performs really well and the price difference is huge! You don’t have to spend $50+ to get premium golf balls!
Titleist ProV1x Left Dash
These golf balls were built for players looking for extra distance with its high trajectory and low spin off the driver.
It is a firm ball and has been difficult to keep in stock by Titleist. Once it got out that this was the best distance golf ball on the market, as confirmed by independent studies, they have been selling out.
Titleist first manufactured the ProV1X Left Dash as a “Custom Performance Option” (CPO) for the PGA Tour. CPO models are usually designed for players with very distinct needs or preferences. The Left Dash is Titleist’s lowest spinning ProV1 model.
Quick Facts
Firm cast urethane cover. 328 tetrahedral dimple design. Performed best overall in distance for golfers with high and low swing speeds. 4-piece construction. They typically retail for around $55.
PROS
- Best distance of any golf ball on the market
- Offers great greenside spin
CONS
- Price
- Firm ball, which many golfers do not care for
Titleist Tour Speed
This golf ball was built for speed and offers exceptional distance for players of any swing speed.
I have personally used this ball quite a bit and usually keep a few in my bag for when I’m trying to get a little extra distance off the tee. I have also recommended this ball to a couple of my “Senior” friends and they immediately saw an extra 10 yards of distance off the tee.
Titleist first introduced the Tour Speed in 2020. Titleist has a long history of making exceptional golf balls, and the Tour Speed is amazing. It was the first Titleist high performance, multi-layer ball with their proprietary performance urethane cover.
The result is extremely fast ball speed that carries, but also offers incredible greenside spin due to its cover.
Quick Facts
346 quadrilateral dipyramid dimple design. 3-piece construction with a proprietary Titleist Urethane cover. The Titleist Tour Speed typically retails for around $40.
PROS
- Great Distance, no matter what your swing speed
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Price
CONS
- Pricing can fluctuate due to supply issues
Bridgestone Tour B RX
This golf ball was built for speed and is marketed to players with a swing speed of 105 or less. But it still performs really well for players with higher swing speeds.
I have personally used this ball and it felt great! I hit it straight, good distance, and felt good around the greens. It is on the higher end in price, so that is certainly a factor to consider.
Bridgestone is well know for revolutionizing the industry with their golf ball fitting program. They were one of the first, going back to 2006, to introduce multiple types of golf balls custom built for different types of golfers.
The Tour B RX is the ball used by LPGA Pro, Lexi Thompson.
Quick Facts
Proprietary reactiv iQ seamless smart cover that reacts to force at impact. Dual dimple technology to reduce drag and create a more efficient trajectory. The Bridgestone Tour B RX typically retails for around $50.
PROS
- Great distance
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Trusted by Tour Pros
CONS
- Pricing is on the higher end
Best Golf Balls for Distance – Mid Swing Speed
The best distance golf balls for players with a mid swing speed are the Maxfli Tour CG, TaylorMade Tour Response, and the Bridgestone Tour B XS.
Personally, I would go with the Tour Speed in this category. It felt great, and it’s at a lower price point than the Bridgestone and the Tour CG.
Maxfli Tour CG
The Tour CG golf ball was manufactured with price in mind, but you need to pick them up from Dicks Sporting Goods.
It is a firm ball and has a higher compression rating, but I would not let that scare you. Independent tests at a mid-swing speed range show this ball performs great!
Maxfli has been around the golf space for over 100 years! Yes, they have been producing golf balls since the 1920’s. Crazy! Anyway, in 2001 they had a big hit with the Noodle, and were ultimately purchased by TaylorMade in 2002.
That relationship only lasted 6 years before Maxfli was acquired again by current owner Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Quick Facts
3-Piece construction. Urethane cover. 318 dimple design. The Maxfli Tour CG typically retails for approximately $40.
PROS
- Best distance of any golf ball with a mid swing speed
- Golf Digest Hot List Silver 2022
CONS
- Price
- Limited buying options
TaylorMade Tour Response
The Tour Response golf ball was built for players looking for extra speed and distance off the tee!
I have personally used this ball quite a bit, I won a dozen at a scramble and they felt great! They are low spin balls and have a very nice soft feel to them.
TaylorMade hit the golf ball manufacturing scene in 1999, they were one of the first major challengers to the original ProV1. By 2006, they had a couple of PGA Tour Pro’s win using their balls.
TaylorMade released the Tour Response in 2022, taking lessons learned from their top of the line model, TP5. The Tour Response has the same dimple pattern, urethane cover, and mantle layer. The Tour Response has a lower compression rating than the TP5, which makes it ideal for mid-swing speed golfers!
Quick Facts
Cast urethane cover. The same Tour Flight Dimple pattern found on the TP5/TP5x. 3-piece construction. The Tour response typically retails for around $40.
PROS
- Great Distance, no matter what your swing speed
- Great feel
CONS
- They can be difficult to shape
Bridgestone Tour B XS
The Tour B XS performs really well in distance for every swing speed category. It has a soft feel and maximizes spin around the green.
I have personally tried this golf ball and thought it offered great feel. It was great on distance as well, but the price is on the higher end.
Bridgestone golf is perhaps most well known in the golf community because of their long-standing relationship with Tiger Woods. The Bridgestone Tour B XS golf balls are the same ones Tiger uses on the PGA Tour!
Tiger himself played an active role in the R&D process as these golf balls were being engineered and tested.
Bridgestone is well know for revolutionizing the industry with their golf ball fitting program. They were one of the first, going back to 2006, to introduce multiple types of golf balls custom built for different types of golfers.
Quick Facts
Proprietary reactiv iQ seamless smart cover that reacts to force at impact. Dual dimple technology to reduce drag and create a more efficient trajectory. The Bridgestone Tour B XS typically retails for around $50.
PROS
- Great distance
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Trusted by Tour Pros
CONS
- Pricing is on the higher end
Best Golf Balls for Distance – Low Swing Speed
The best distance golf balls for players with slow swing speeds are the ProV1x Left Dash, Titleist AVX, and the Vice Pro Plus.
Personally, I would go with the Titleist AVX here. The price difference is huge! A ball that fell just short of the top 3 in this category is the Tour Speed! If you are looking for maximum distance – who isn’t – but don’t want to pay a premium to get it, you won’t miss out too much going with the middle of the pack here.
-ProV1x Left Dash
This golf ball was built for players looking for extra distance with its high trajectory and low spin off the driver.
It is a firm ball and has been difficult to keep in stock by Titleist. Once it got out that this was the best distance ball on the market, as confirmed by independent studies, they have been selling out.
Titleist first manufactured the ProV1X Left Dash as a “Custom Performance Option” (CPO) for the PGA Tour. CPO models are usually designed for players with very distinct needs or preferences. The Left Dash is Titleist’s lowest spinning ProV1 model.
Quick Facts
Firm cast urethane cover. 328 tetrahedral dimple design. Performed best overall in distance for golfers with high and low swing speeds. 4-piece construction. They typically retail for around $55.
PROS
- Best distance of any golf ball on the market
- Offers great greenside spin
CONS
- Price
- Firm ball, which many golfers do not care for
Titleist AVX
This golf ball was built for longer distance with very low long game spin.
The AVX performs really well for slow swing players, but will not get you as much distance if you are closer to a mid or higher swing speed. It has a soft feel and offers good greenside spin.
Titleist is one of the biggest names in golf, they completely revolutionized the golf ball space with the release of the ProV1 in late 2,000. Titleist first released the AVX in 2018 as an alternative to the ProV1 with it’s lower trajectory and lower spin characteristics.
Related – AVX Golf Balls Review
Quick Facts
The Titleist AVX golf ball is made with 3 piece construction and a single-cast urethane elastomer cover. They are rated by the USGA as low spin with a driver and low spin with short irons. They have a 348 spherically-tiled dimple design and a very soft feel.
You can get the Titleist AVX golf balls in yellow or white.
They are currently rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon from over 600 reviews. It’s no surprise many golfers like this premium golf ball, but you’ll definitely pay for that! They typically retail for around $55.
PROS
- Increased Distance With Irons
- Very soft feel
- Low Spin off the Tee
- Good Greenside Spin
CONS
- Price is a bit high
- Lower trajectory causes a bit less distance off the tee
- Higher swing speed players should avoid
Vice Pro Plus
This golf ball was built for golfers with swing speeds over 110 MPH, but it performs really well for players with low swing speeds too!
Vice is a direct-to-consumer manufacturer and I have used every one of their golf balls. They are very high quality and at very reasonable prices. Vice Golf keeps their prices low by staying away from tour sponsorships and big name advertising.
They were founded in 2012 and their golf balls are designed and engineered in Germany. I did a complete review of vice Golf balls here.
The Pro Plus is a firm ball.
Quick Facts
4-Piece construction. Extra thin cast urethane cover. Direct to consumer manufacturer offering tour performance at a lower price. The Vice Pro Plus typically retails for approximately $35.
PROS
- Great distance
- Price (bulk discount available)
CONS
- Firm ball
Considerations When Buying Golf Balls
Distance, Feel, and greenside spin are usually the most important factors to most golfers. How do you know which balls offer maximum distance AND meet your criteria for feel and spin? Distance balls are one thing, but it’s important to look at all of the factors.
Whether you’re looking for distance balls, low spin golf balls, soft, firm, we’ve got you covered. Find one that fits your preferences AND performs based on your game.
Types of Golf Balls
Golf balls have come a long way over the last couple of decades. Pretty much every golf ball manufacturer on the planet is producing multiple types of golf balls to meet the needs of, well, us, the golfer and consumer.
Two-piece golf balls are the most “basic”, but that doesn’t mean low quality. It just means they have a solid core and a single cover. Typically, two-piece golf balls will get good distance and have low spin off the tee. But, the downside to two-piece golf balls is the lack of greenside control. Due to their low spin characteristics, they just don’t get much spin with your wedges and irons.
Three-piece golf balls are typical of your “premium golf ball”. Yes, premium typically means expensive! Three-piece golf balls will give you the best of both worlds, you can get good distance off the tee AND good greenside spin due to the extra layer manufacturers have built into the ball.
When choosing the “type of golf ball” to select, all of your preferences should be considered. Click here to learn more about golf ball construction.
Price
Obviously, price is another important factor. What if I said you could pay half for a dozen golf balls, but still get great distance on the golf course? Well, it’s true!
Nearly every category has a ball that is 2nd or 3rd on the list, but much less expensive than the #1 golf ball. And the difference in distance is really really small. Look at the Titleist Tour Speed for example, it nearly made the list in every category. It is a great ball for distance and would be one I’d recommend for anyone!
Choosing a golf ball solely on how far it will go is not ideal, at least in my opinion. And don’t let “distance balls” marketing fool you. Most distance golf balls don’t always deliver on their promises. That’s why I am a fan of taking a data-driven approach when selecting golf balls.
Let’s say you like a soft feel golf ball. Would you be willing to give that up for about 1.5 yards more distance? Probably not. That’s why I have provided the top 3 distance golf balls in each category.
If you are a mid-handicapper, you may find my review on golf balls for mid handicap players helpful.
Independent Testing
The wonderful folks over at MyGolfSpy do a ton of testing and I have been combing through their research. They used a robot to hit hundreds of golf balls from various manufacturers. The results give us a pile of data and point us to distance balls to try ourselves.
Why sort by swing speed? It’s becoming more common for manufacturers to specifically recommend balls based on swing speed. Vice and Bridgestone are doing this, to name a couple. But, if you are looking for maximum distance, matching a balls performance to your swing speed is critical.
The testing performed by MyGolfSpy shows us that balls perform drastically different based on how hard they are hit.
Oh, and by the way – If you think an illegal ball is going to be better than any of the balls on this list, think again! Many independent researchers have done a comparison and the vast majority of the time, illegal balls just don’t stack up. They are gimmicks, don’t waste your money!
How They Test
What does this testing entail? A robot, set a very specific swing speeds, hits hundreds of balls. Golf balls from different manufacturers all while recording specific distances from each shot.
In addition to distance, data is captured on ball speed, trajectory, spin, peak height. The list goes on and on. This is done at a few different speed categories. The end result – tons and tons of data.
Personally, I love it. But I also realize there are many folks who really don’t want to comb through all of it. That’s why I have built some tools that will help you find the best golf ball for your game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best golf ball to hit for distance?
It depends on your individual swing speed. The Titleist ProV1x Left Dash is the best distance golf ball for low and high speeds. The Maxfli Tour CG takes the crown at the mid speed category. We provide a swing speed calculator and a golf ball selector tool to help you find the right distance balls for your game.
Do hard or soft golf balls go further?
Firm balls tend to go further, but that is not always the case. The actual difference on the course however is negligible.
How do I know what golf ball is best for me?
Considering personal preferences such as feel, distance, spin, and trajectory – Then balancing those preferences with price is really the best way to know which ball is best for you. We have made it easy by pulling all of this data into an easy-to-use free tool to help you decide!
Which golf ball is best for my swing speed?
Use our swing speed calculator or our golf ball selector tool to find the best performing ball for your individual preferences. Our database allows you to basically get a free ball fitting!
How much does altitude affect your distance?
You can find the expected percentage gain in distance by multiplying the increased height in feet by .00116. So, if you are traveling to an area that is 5,000 feet higher than your current elevation, you can expect an increase in golf ball distance of 5.8%. Here are more details on the affects of altitude.
Final Thoughts
There are some really high quality golf balls out there. Although the ones above are sorted based on distance alone, the difference in each category really isn’t too far off.
For example, looking at the high speed category, the difference between the top 3 is only about 2.5 yards of distance.
BUT – If you are a golfer with a high swing speed and you go with the Maxfli Tour CG (which tops the Mid swing speed category), you are going to lose about 8 yards.
Conversely, if you are a mid swing speed player and choose the Pro V1x Left Dash (which tops the High swing speed category) over the Maxfli Tour CG, you are going to lose about 9 yards of distance.
Spin is an important factor to gain distance off the tee. Here we outline the lowest spinning balls on the market.
Personally, I play a Vice Pro and probably lose about 5 yards off the tee. I am okay with that because I still get close to 300 yards, they cost significantly less when buying in bulk, and they feel great to me.
Bottom line, the Vice Pro meets all of my “preferences”, which is really important. It’s also why I highly recommend trying our golf ball selector tool!
Conclusion
Best Overall – Titleist Tour Speed
The best golf ball for distance, by far, is the Titleist Tour Speed. It gets amazing distance no matter what your swing speed is, and costs significantly less than its bigger brother in the ProV1x-.
Good luck on the golf course!
