Flying High and Far

Return to Best Ball Homepage

Golf Labs robot-tested 54 balls for total distance (carry plus roll) off a driver. We preset the robot to swing an industry-leading club at the following conditions: 90 mph swing speed, 137 mph ball speed, 13.75-degree launch angle, 2,900 rpm. See how your favorite ball stacks up, by company.

Some firms have more than one brand and we've listed them together. Results are based on these specific setup conditions and can differ based on other setups.

NIKE COMMENT

"The One Platinum is designed for Tiger or someone similar to him," says Rock Ishii, Nike's product development director, golf balls. He adds, "It's for the guy who wants total performance in terms of feel, spin around the green and ultimate shot-shaping control, and who isn't worried about distance. The ball is best for fast swingers with a shallow attack angle [like Tiger]. Those with slower head speeds won't achieve the same efficiency because they won't compress the ball as well."

Our Takeaway

It's difficult to say that one ball is the absolute "longest ball" off the tee. In our test, 35 balls are within 8-yards(carry and roll) of one another.

The top 10 balls are separated by 3.7 yards, while the top 20 have a 5.4-yard difference. In some cases, "distance 2-piece" balls travel a few yards farther off the driver than "Tour" balls. Contrary to popular opinion, though, "distance" balls are not always longer. The difference between the longest and shortest ball, in 11 of 12 brands tested, is 8 yards or less. (Nike's One Platinum is the shortest off the driver, and has the highest spin rate with a sand wedge and driver).

Given how similar ball performance off the driver is, even some everyday players should start thinking about greenside performance more than how long a ball might be off the tee.

The extra five or seven yards you get probably aren't as important as the opportunity to save strokes with your short game. It's simple: pricier balls typically provide more spin and greenside control.