Best Golf Ball For Putting
When it comes to golf, a lot of consideration is given to which golf ball to use.
Should you use a softer low compression ball for more feel around the green and on approaches?
Maybe a firmer tour-level ball would be better with greater spin for workability.
Would you be better off with a ball that flies higher or lower to counteract your ball flight tendencies?
While these are all very important points, they ignore one essential aspect of the game. What about a golf ball’s performance ON the green? Which ball is best for putting? Is there a golf ball that you could use in practice or play to help your game?
Even in a sport as technology-based and widely written about as golf, these are under addressed questions. This article helps to fill in some of those gaps and provides a list of golf balls that can be used to help in practice, on the course and looks at a few training aids sure to benefit your putting!
Premium Golf Balls
Premium golf balls, also known as tour-quality golf balls, are the kind you expect to see the world’s best golfers using. They are usually among the firmest balls you can buy in terms of their compression rating, offering higher launch, better feel for faster swing speeds and more “grab” around the greens due to their thin urethane covers.
If you are looking for balls to help your putting off the shelf then there are two obvious candidates that are unlikely to hurt the rest of your game either.
Callaway Chrome Soft Triple Track
The Callaway Chrome Soft Triple Track balls have a distinctive look that makes them ideal for improving your putting game. Callaway’s patented Vernier Hyper Acuity provides improved alignment compared to a regular side stamp alignment aid. Their design of two thin blue lines on either side of a thicker red line makes it easy to line up putts with the intended target. They also give instant feedback on how your ball is rolling. A pure putt will see the ball roll end over end and a pulled or pushed the putt causes the lines to waver.
Srixon Z-Star Divide
At first glance, the Srixon Z-Star Divide might appear a little out-there. With its high contrast, dual-colour scheme, it stands out amongst other premium golf balls. The two colours allow for 360-degree alignment on putts while providing unmatched feedback on the purity of stroke.
Another benefit comes on approach shots and around the green. The colours highlight the spin being imparted on the ball, once more giving feedback on quality of strike.
Affordable Golf Balls
There are a few important points to note about affordable golf balls. They are generally harder, more durable and offer reduced performance around the greens when compared to premium golf balls. They have the advantage of being much cheaper though with many of these models available for about half the price of premium models.
Taylormade Tour Response Stripe
A truly unique looking ball, the Taylormade Tour Response Stripe is ideal for any golfer looking to improve their putting. Using 360-degree ClearPath Alignment TechnologyTM complete with a lime yellow stripe, the ball is designed to help “aim putts better, faster and more consistently, all while providing immediate feedback on the quality of your roll”.
The soft feeling ball has been designed for the faster swinger. A cast urethane cover increases green-side spin while the Tour Flight Dimple Pattern promotes maximum carry distance.
It’s construction is similar to most tour balls with three-layers in total and a thin urethane cover.
Callaway ERC Soft Triple Track
The Callaway ERC Soft Triple Track utilises the same three line design and Vernier Hyper Acuity technology as the Callaway Chrome Soft Triple Track making it ideal for alignment, and stroke feedback.
Callaway is named for its founder, Ely Reeves Callaway Jr. This ball has a whole range of benefits. A forgiving ball with a straight flight, it retains a soft feel thanks to its PARALOIDTM technology while giving supreme distance off the tee.
It offers tremendous feedback when putting and is great at helping you line up correctly.
Budget Golf Balls
People tend to associate “budget” with “lack of quality”, but this is simply not the case when it comes to golf balls. In recent years, many new companies have entered the market offering premium golf balls at a budget price.
Kirkland Signature Performance
Costco raised more than a few eyebrows in 2016 when they first released their budget golf ball. The expectation was that the Kirkland Signature Performance would be little more than a low-cost, low-quality ball. In reality, the Signature Performance received rave reviews and performed incredibly well compared to its price.
A three-piece ball with a urethane cover the updated version offers soft feel, excellent durability and great control around the greens. While it only has a standard “Tour Performance” logo stamped on the side, it is an extremely consistent ball with a premium feel. And given its budget price tag, its lack of natural alignment aids can be supplemented by using other alignment tools such as the ones listed below.
Putting Alignment Tools
Having a golf ball with an alignment aid on it is great but sometimes your favorite ball doesn’t have one. There are several different styles around on eBay and Amazon.
Golf Ball Liner Alignment Tool
Despite Callaway using the Triple Track system, there is a simpler solution. Make the lines yourself! The Golf Ball Liner Alignment Tool from Sumind allows golfers to do just that. And if you’re using a budget ball such as the above Kirkland Signature Performance, using such a tool would prove to be a shrewd and cost-effective move.
As well as using a ball with an alignment aid you could also look at other equipment to help your putting.
Eyeline Golf Masters Putting Alignment Mirror
One of the very best alignment tools on the market is the Eyeline Golf Masters Putting Alignment Mirror. Used by some of the world’s top golfers, it helps to address issues of poor alignment and improve putting. The reflective mirror aids eye alignment over the ball while the red and black lines create the correct path for the putter to travel in. The small holes at the front of the mirror form small “gates” where tees can be placed, ensuring the clubface is square and on the correct path through impact.
Indoor Golf Putting Mat
Every avid golfer keen on improving their putting game should have an Indoor Golf Putting Mat. Golf Bays offer an 8-foot mat as well as an alignment mirror, cup and three putting gates. This allows any golfer to practice their putting whenever they want, no matter what the weather. Although a putting mat will never replace a real green, it is a fantastic way to build up consistency of stroke.
Best Golf Ball For Putting: Conclusion
If you are looking to improve your putting, then consider using a golf ball with an alignment aid already marked on it. These balls will help you to line up your putts and give instant feedback on your stroke.
In addition, the use of a putting mat or mirror will help to sharpen your game.
Hole more putts = lower scores = happier golfer!
Get practicing!
Frequently Answered Questions [FAQ]
Can you use a different ball when practicing putting?
Common sense suggests that it is best to use the same ball when practicing putting as the one you are going to use in tournament play. But that’s not a hard and fast rule.
For instance, if you found the Srixon Z-Star Divide colour scheme distracting in tournament play, you could always use it in practice to ensure you are achieving a consistency of roll before switching to your preferred ball in tournament play. It does help, however, if the practice ball has a similar feel to the tournament ball.
Using two different balls when practicing can have its benefits. If you alternate between a ball with a clear alignment mark and a ball without one, you can test if your putting is really improving.
Are soft balls better for putting?
This really comes down to personal preference. Soft balls offer a softer, more controlled feel to putting while hard balls tend to be a bit more “clicky” and may jump off the putter face.
It is generally agreed that it is easier to build a more consistent strike with softer balls.
Does the golf ball matter for putting?
Like any part of golf, the golf ball matters. It is best to choose a ball you like and stick with it so you know how it will react whenever you play.
There’s no one ball that is superior when it comes to putting, though obviously anything with an alignment aid has its own benefits.
