If you are a senior golfer looking for the most appropriate golf ball for you, you will be glad you stopped here.
Some seniors can still swing as fast and far as when they were younger. Unfortunately, this is not the situation for the majority of seniors. Finding the right golf ball can step up your game once more if you are a senior struggling with reduced swing speed and distance.
There are different golf models made for different players. And with a keen search, you can find your perfect golf ball as a senior player.
Read on to find the golf balls most appropriate for you as a senior.
Keep in mind that your swing speed and distance may not be the same as your age mates’. A 70-year-old will most likely hit the ball 180-190 yards away. This has been the average in the recent past. However, with advancements in golf technology, especially the shaft technology and improved driver, an average 70-year-old can effortlessly drive the ball to 200 yards or even more.
What to Look for in Golf ball for Seniors
What golf balls are suitable for senior players? And what factors make them the ideal choice for seniors?
As you shop for your golf ball as a senior, you want something that will cater to old age’s shortcomings. You also want to get something that is more forgiving of the shortcomings you may have.
Here are factors to look out for.
Go for Softballs
As your swing speed and distance decline with age, you will want to go for soft balls over their rigid counterparts.
Softballs have a lower compression rating compared to hard balls. This is a strong point in favor of seniors’ reduced flexibility and muscle mass.
If you hit a softball, you will achieve considerable distance compared to a hard ball. In addition, softballs offer less side spin. This means you can still achieve your desired distance and swing even with mishits, slices, and hooks.
This is such an attractive strong point for golfers with a high handicap.
Go for Golf Balls that Launches Higher in the Air
As you age, you will discover that you are struggling to launch the ball higher in the air. This is why you must go for golf balls that move with a higher trajectory. If you go for balls designed to travel with a lower trajectory, you will only achieve shots that stick on the green near the flagstick. You will even struggle to hit the green and roll off it.
Choose a Golf ball that enhances your Short Game.
Performing well in the short game becomes more difficult for seniors every passing decade. The secret to hacking this is shooting low scores. To get around this, seniors should buy golf balls that offer a low spin on and around the greens. Also, go for a ball that offers a soft feel on putts, pitches, and chips.
Invest Wisely in Your Golf balls
If you believe in “you get what you pay for,” price may not be the first thing to look for while searching for the best golf balls for seniors. However, the price remains one of the important factors everyone looks at when making decisions.
Regarding pricing, we do not have a one-size-fits-all for all seniors. Some people are ready to cough some good money to get the perfect golf balls. Let’s face it; most cheap golf balls are tailored for beginners. And as a senior, you will find out that most cheap balls do not offer adequate control over short games.
If you want to play safe by choosing golf balls appropriate for seniors, you are better off going for balls with mid-range pricing. And we have a whole range of golf balls reviewed for you.
Go for Golf balls with high visibility.
Most seniors have reduced eyesight. They struggle to see and find golf balls. The situation is even much more complicated when it is early in the morning or late in the day. If you have reduced eyesight, you may want to go for brightly colored golf balls. It is even easier to spot it with a matte finishing.
be the same as your age mates’. A 70-year-old will most likely hit the ball 180-190 yards away. This has been the average in the recent past. However, with advancements in golf technology, especially the shaft technology and improved driver, an average 70-year-old can effortlessly drive the ball to 200 yards or even more.
Should Senior Golfers Use Low or High Spin Golf Balls?
This depends. What works for one senior golfer may not work for the next. When selecting the amount of spin, you have to correspond it to your shot shape. Many senior golfers would have an easier time with low to mid-spinning golf balls. You need to know that both these balls have their pros and cons. However, they are tailored to suit a specific type of player.
A lower spinning golf ball will work perfectly if you tend to hook or slice the ball. This is because low spinning golf balls reduce the amount of sidespin you acquire from shots. They also help keep the shots straighter.
Note: You will likely not achieve much distance with a low-spinning golf ball. However, on the brighter side, they will roll out more. Also, you will be playing from more fairways.
Are High Spinning balls ideal for Senior Golfers?
You will have a great experience with high-spinning golf balls if you are a good golfer. It is ideal for golfers who can only maintain the ball reasonably straight. If you slice and hook, high spinning balls will be a nightmare for you. You, therefore, want to reconsider them if you are not as experienced.
On the brighter side, you can easily control high spinning golf balls, and they can stop on the green quickly. With them, you can also control the height of your shot without straining.
What Compression Golf Ball is Ideal for a Senior Golfer?
Low compression golf balls are most appropriate for senior golfers. With age, you will most likely spend more time on the fairway, which will typically translate to lower scores. Also, a low compression golf ball will give you straighter shots and more distance, which you probably lack as a senior golfer.
If you occasionally hook and slice the ball, your most appropriate golf ball will be one with more stopping power on the green, which is a mid-spinning one. With a spinning ball, you will still enjoy some of the benefits of a low spinning one; more and straighter roll. Careful, though; your hooks and slices could worsen with mind-spinning balls.
Are Lower Compression Golf balls Ideal for seniors?
A lower compression ball will work well for you if you are an average player or someone with a slower swing speed. This is because it will take less force to compress the golf ball. This also means that you will use less force to generate longer distances.
However, on the flip side, lower compression balls do not give you much control, especially for shot shape and trajectory.
High Compression Golf balls
You will need much force to compress a high compression ball. Remember, with age comes reduced muscle mass, which also translates to reduced strength. Therefore, you won’t achieve much distance if you have a slower swing speed using a high compression ball. However, this could be a perfect match for you if you have a higher speed.
A slower swing speed and a high compression ball will likely result in a hook and slice.
What Ball Construction Should Seniors Use?
Most senior golfers are very easily using a 2 or 3-piece golf ball. A 2 or 3 piece will give you much distance. They are also good at keeping the ball in play. You can go with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5-piece golf balls. All these constructions come with different features. However, you must know that more layers come at an additional price.
We recommend 2 or 3 as their price will be in mid-range. Also, they are more versatile than the other options.
What are Golf balls more forgiving?
As your swing speed and distance reduce, you will want to benefit from more accommodation in your golf game. As a senior golfer, you should understand that your golf equipment plays a huge role in “forgiving” you. And, your golf ball will always play a massive role in the scores you achieve.
If you are looking to enjoy this kind of benefit, ensure your golf ball has the following features:
- High-quality compression core for straighter shots,
- Advanced dimple design,
- Multi-piece construction,
- High-quality cover to minimize drag and increase drive length,
- Softball around the green for increased responsiveness,
- Hybrid cover to accelerate the speed and maximize green control,
- Offers high-impact core.
As you shop online, you also want to check reviews and see how good the balls were for other seniors. You want to have something friendly and more accommodating to previous users.
People Also Ask
- What is the average swing speed for a 75-year-old golfer?
As you age, your body changes. Anyone over 60 will likely have a swing speed of less than 80 MPH. You can put in more work to get this higher. However, anything above 70 MPH is considered an excellent swing speed for 75.
- How far should a 70-year-old hit a golf ball?
Keep in mind that your swing speed and distance may not be the same as your age mates’. A 70-year-old will most likely hit the ball 180-190 yards away. This has been the average in the recent past. However, with advancements in golf technology, especially the shaft technology and improved driver, an average 70-year-old can effortlessly drive the ball to 200 yards or even more.
I had no idea that a softer ball goes further than a hard ball. My husband is an avid golfer, and I wonder if he even knows this as he has been complaining that he can’t hit as far as he used to.
When I next buy his balls, I will also look for a high compression center just to see if he feels a difference when he hits, as sometimes he does go really crocket. Thank you for the most informative article.
Hi, Michel Maling, and thank you.
Thank you for your kind words.
Probably you would like to see this article. It is in more detail about the difference between soft and hard balls.
Great to hear about your benefit of the article too.
Don’t hesitate to contact me to help you with anything else or if you have any questions.