Last Updated – Oct 4, 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!
I have hit tens of thousands of balls in my home simulator, and have put well over 60 different golf balls to the test, both in the simulator and on the golf course. I gather data on each with driver, mid-iron, and short iron. Then I put them to use on the course. I have also combed through the details of various independent studies, all in an effort to bring you the best recommendations possible.
Hitting the golf ball far has proven to have positive compounding effects on your score on the golf course. So let’s help you find the right distance 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 Distance Golf Balls for High Swing Speed (105+ MPH)
⛳️ Our experts spend hours gathering data, testing, and comparing products to deliver comprehensive recommendations to help you choose. Find out more about how we test products.
I have personally tested each of these golf balls on my home simulator and out on the course. The distances referenced below are with a 115mph average swing speed.
I would go with the Tour Speed here if you plan to use it as your normal gamer. It performs really well and the price difference is huge! You don’t have to spend $50+ to get premium golf balls!
Quick Comparison
-ProV1x
Titleist ProV1x –
The ProV1x- golf balls will get you the most distance. Firm ball with high trajectory.
*Total Distance – 331 Yards
Tour Speed
Titleist Tour Speed
Great distance no matter what your swing speed is! Price is very reasonable and soft feel.
*Total Distance – 329 Yards
Tour B RX
Bridgestone Tour B RX
Great distance off the tees and exceptional feel around the greens!
*Total Distance – 328 Yards
* 115 mph average swing speed
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.
The total distance from my testing at 115mph average swing speed was 331 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Constructed with a firm cast urethane elastomer cover.
- 4-piece construction
- Designed with a 328 tetrahedral dimple pattern for optimal aerodynamics.
- Incorporates the ZG Process Core.
- Features a low-spin casing layer
This ball Performed best overall in distance for golfers at both high (115+ mph) and low swing speeds. They typically retail for around $55+.
My Personal Take
I keep a new sleeve of ProV1x Left Dash balls in my bag for those scramble events with a long drive hole. They absolutely go further than any other ball for me. But they are expensive!
If you are hesitatnt to spend top dollar for a dozen balls, I would go with the Tour Speed instead. If you don’t mind spending the money and you are looking for some extra distance, this is the best ball in the bunch!
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.
The total distance from my testing at 115mph average swing speed was 329 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Features a newly formulated high-speed core.
- Comes with a revamped proprietary casing layer.
- Boasts the exclusive Titleist Performance Urethane (TPU) cover.
- Designed with a 346 quadrilateral dipyramid dimple pattern for superior aerodynamics.
- Available in both classic white and vibrant yellow.
My Personal Take
This ball feels very soft and travels really far! Not only will they improve distance for high swing speed golfers, they’ll also do wonders for lower swing speed golfers. If I’m out of ProV1 left dash balls, this is the one I go to for those long drive holes in a scramble. For the price, I think this is the best distance ball on the market!
PROS
- Great Distance, no matter what your swing speed
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Price
CONS
- Slightly firmer than other “soft” golf balls
- Reduced spin with longer irons, making it a bit harder to hold the green on those 175+ yard shots
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.
The total distance from my testing at 115mph average swing speed was 328 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- REACTIV iQ Technology: A proprietary smart cover that intelligently reacts to varying impact forces.
- Distance Enhancement: Rapid rebound on tee shots due to REACTIV iQ, leading to increased speed and range.
- Precision Control: Extended club face contact during approach shots, ensuring more spin and a soft feel.
- Dual Dimple Design: Provides a streamlined flight trajectory and reduced aerodynamic drag.
- Optimized for Speed: The TOUR B RX variant is designed to maximize ball speed off the tee.
- Hit & Sit Capability: Ensures precision and control on approach shots.
My Personal Take
These balls feel great, they are very soft around the greens. Although they are marketed to players with swing speeds below 105mph, they still perform really well for higher swing speeds. My swing speed is around 112 with my driver, and these absolutely carried and rolled out for me. They’re not quite as far as the Tour Speeds, but they’re really close.
PROS
- Great distance
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Trusted by Tour Pros
CONS
- Pricing is on the higher end
Best Distance Golf Balls for Mid Swing Speed (95 – 104mph)
I would go with the Tour Response in this category. It felt great and the price point is a bit lower than the Maxfli and Bridgestone models.
Quick Comparison
Maxfli Tour
Maxfli Tour CG
Best distance for mid-swing speed golfers. Soft feel and good greenside spin.
*Total Distance – 286 Yards
Tour Response
TaylorMade Tour Response
Great distance and a very soft feel. Its low spin can help improve accuracy too!
*Total Distance – 285 Yards
Tour B XS
Bridgestone Tour B XS
Great distance off the tees and exceptional feel around the greens!
*Total Distance – 284 Yards
* 100 mph average swing speed
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.
The total distance from my testing at 100mph average swing speed was 286 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Patented Balancing Process: Ensures improved consistency and accuracy, complemented by a new alignment aid.
- Soft Cast Urethane Cover: Offers enhanced spin near the green and a remarkably soft touch.
- Revamped Core Design: Engineered for accelerated ball speeds.
- High Resiliency Design: Contributes to faster ball speed and reduced spin, maximizing distance.
- Tetrahedron Dimple Pattern: An innovative design that refines ball flight aerodynamics, promoting extended range.
My Personal Take
The Maxfli Tour sort of surprised me. It is one of those manufacturers that doesn’t seem to compete with the big dawgs. But, it definitely has a nice soft feel to it and good spin around the greens. It will also give you the most distance if you are a mid-swing speed golfer.
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!
The total distance from my testing at 100mph average swing speed was 285 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Cast Urethane Cover: Enhances green-side spin with superior durability from a unique chemical reaction.
- Tour Flight Dimple Pattern: Advanced aerodynamics for maximum distance.
- TaylorMade Speedmantle™ with HFM: Firm outer layer over a soft core boosts ball speed through dynamic energy transfer.
My Personal Take
I won a dozen of these at a scramble event for the long drive competition. The first thing I noticed when I hit them was how soft they are. I felt like I got a bit more distance than the ball I was using at the time, but they also seemed to be limited when it came to shaping my shots. It was hard to get these to fade or draw. Overall, I really liked their feel and distance.
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.
The total distance from my testing at 100mph average swing speed was 284 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- REACTIV iQ Cover: Smart technology that adjusts to impact force.
- Distance & Control: Quick rebound on tee shots for range; longer face contact for spin and feel on approaches.
- Dual Dimple Technology: Streamlined trajectory with reduced drag.
- TOUR B XS Features: Boosted ball speed off the tee; soft feel and enhanced spin on approaches.
- Target Audience: Best for players with swing speeds over 105 MPH seeking extra spin.
- Tiger Woods Endorsement: Assisted in its development and uses it in professional tournaments.
My Personal Take
To me, most of the Bridgestone Tour B lineup seemed very similar. They feel great, offer great greenside spin and distance off the tee. The XS is no different, except for when it comes to varying swing speeds. This model is best suited for golfers with a 105+ swing speed, at least according to Bridgestone. But The absolutely performed well for distance at the mid-swing speed range.
PROS
- Great distance
- Offers great greenside spin
- Soft feel
- Trusted by Tour Pros
CONS
- Pricing is on the higher end
Best Distance Golf Balls for Low Swing Speed (94mph and below)
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 Vice Pro Plus 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.
Quick Comparison – Low Swing Speed
-ProV1x
Titleist ProV1x –
The ProV1x- golf balls will get you the most distance. Firm ball with high trajectory.
*Total Distance – 240 Yards
AVX
Titleist AVX
Great distance and a lower trajectory. Soft feel and a reasonable price.
*Total Distance – 239 Yards
Vice Pro Plus
Vice Pro Plus
Great distance off the tees and exceptional spin around the greens!
*Total Distance – 237 Yards
* 85 mph average swing speed
-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.
The total distance from my testing at 85mph average swing speed was 240 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Constructed with a firm cast urethane elastomer cover.
- 4-piece construction
- Designed with a 328 tetrahedral dimple pattern for optimal aerodynamics.
- Incorporates the ZG Process Core.
- Features a low-spin casing layer
This ball Performed best overall in distance for golfers with high and low swing speeds. They typically retail for around $55+.
My Personal Take
I keep a new sleeve of ProV1x Left Dash balls in my bag for those scramble events with a long drive hole. They absolutely go further than any other ball for me. But they are expensive!
If you are hesitatnt to spend top dollar for a dozen balls, I would go with the Tour Speed instead. It performs really well in every swing speed category. If you don’t mind spending the money and you are looking for some extra distance, this is the best ball in the bunch!
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
The total distance from my testing at 85mph average swing speed was 239 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- High-Speed Core: Optimized for distance.
- High Flex Casing Layer: Enhances ball speed.
- Soft Urethane Cover: Provides a gentle touch and improved greenside control.
- 348 Catenary Dimple Design: Ensures aerodynamic efficiency for longer flights.
- Color Options: Classic white and vibrant high optic yellow.
My Personal Take
The first thing I noticed when hitting the Titleist AVX balls was their soft feel and low trajectory. When I say low, I mean low! Off the tee, that is. They are supposed to be that way according to the manufacturer. They are also rated by the USGA as low spin with a driver and low spin with short irons, which I could definitely see around the greens.
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.
The total distance from my testing at 85mph average swing speed was 237 yards.
Notable Characteristics
- Construction: 4-piece design with an ultra-thin CAST URETHANE cover.
- Core: Enlarged High Energy Speed Core (HESC) for enhanced ball speed.
- Mantel: Elastic dual layer promoting high ball speed.
- Dimple Pattern: 336 dimple design for aerodynamic efficiency.
- In-Play Traits: Comprehensive feedback, low launch and spin for distance, Stick 2 The Green (S2TG) technology for short game control, and optimal alignment aid on the green.
My Personal Take
I have been using Vice golf balls exclusively (unless I’m testing another brand) for the last 2 years. I love them! They spin well around the greens, get great distance off the tee, and have a high level of durability. The Pro Plus model is actually targeted at golfers with 110+ swing speeds, but oddly, it performs really well for distance for players with lower swing speeds. The Pro Plus is a firm ball, so if you prefer a soft ball, go with another option.
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.
I then performed testing myself on those same golf balls. I put them in my home simulator and validated the data with a GC3 launch monitor. Although I was not as consistent as a robot, I was able to hit enough balls to get a good average, and enough to see the results when I hit them well, and poorly.
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, and my personal testing, absolutely shows us that balls perform drastically different based on how hard they are hit.
How Testing Was Performed
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.
Then I took those same make/model golf balls and put them to the test on my own golf simulator. I was able to replicate swing speeds for all 3 categories and see how far each ball traveled, along with all of the spin and trajectory numbers that also effect overall distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
These are definitely the best golf balls for distance on the market today. 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!
