Given how important distance is in golf, why do professionals use soft golf balls? We take a look.
Why Do Pro Golfers Use Soft Golf Balls?
In this day and age there is always talk about distance in the professional game. Given most courses are getting longer and longer, hitting the ball a long way has grown in importance with shorter players finding it harder and harder to keep up. Just take a look at the world’s top 10 and they all average more than 300 yards. In fact most of the top-50 probably do!
So bearing this in mind why do they not use hard balls to get more distance?
Well at the top of the game distance is important but there are other considerations to take into account such as short-game, feel, spin and several others.
Short-game control is very important to tour players. Modern tour balls have special inner layers that are able to keep driver and iron spin low without affecting short-game performance, where the cover does the work.
Rory averages well over 300 yards and yet doesn’t compromise on feel around the greens (Getty Images)
While ‘distance’ balls might go a few yards further, the ability to stop the ball quickly on chip shots is also integral to their ability to score, which is why they choose a ball with a softer urethane cover.
A lot of the top players are long enough that they do not need the extra distance that a distance ball would give them. The modern tour balls allow them to hit the ball far enough without compromising on control around the greens.
In essence, tour balls offer the best of both world’s and that is not likely to change soon given how popular the premium balls from Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway and other companies are.
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