Compression, cover material and choosing the right ball for your swing speed.
Golf ball choice affects every part of your game, from driver distance to greenside spin, and it's one of the cheapest equipment decisions you'll make — but many golfers pick based on brand prestige or what's on sale rather than what matches their swing.
Compression and swing speed
Compression describes how much the ball deforms at impact. Lower-compression balls (roughly 60–80) feel softer and are easier to compress for slower swing speeds (under about 90 mph driver swing speed), helping those golfers achieve better energy transfer and more distance. Higher-compression balls (90+) are built for faster swing speeds that can compress a firmer ball properly; a slow swing speed golfer playing a high-compression ball often loses distance because they can't compress it enough to get full energy return.
Cover material: the real tradeoff
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Surlyn/ionomer covers are more durable and produce lower spin, which usually means straighter, more predictable flight but less greenside spin and stopping power. These are common in "distance" balls aimed at higher handicappers who value durability and lower spin (less curve on mishits) over short-game spin control.
Urethane covers are softer, generate more greenside spin for stopping power on approach and chip shots, and generally feel softer off the putter and wedges — but cost more and wear/scuff more easily. These are standard on "tour" balls used by better ball strikers who can control spin rather than fight it.
A practical way to choose
If your handicap is above roughly 15 and mishits (slices, hooks, thin/fat contact) are a bigger issue than precise wedge spin, a two-piece, lower-compression, ionomer-cover "distance" ball is usually the right call — it will fly straighter on mishits and cost less to lose in the woods or water. If you're a lower-handicap golfer who controls trajectory and wants more stopping power on approach shots, a urethane-covered ball matched to your swing speed's compression range is worth the extra cost. See our best golf balls for beginners and best golf balls for distance guides for specific starting points.