Anatomy of a Golf ball – Compression

People talk about Golf balls being low compression or high compression, soft or hard, but what does compression mean, and why does it even matter?

TLDR

Golf ball compression is the amount your ball squeezes and bounces back when it is hit. Low compression golf balls feel softer and are generally better for slower swinging golfers, and high compression balls feel harder and are better for people with faster swings.

What is compression?

When you are talking about Golf balls, compression is the amount a Golf ball squeezes and bounces back when it is hit. I was going to add the Oxford Dictionary definition of compression, but I didn’t really understand what the good people at Oxford are trying to say, so for the purposes of this blog we’ll just to stick to the squeeze and bounce idea.

So how does it work?

As your Golf club makes contact with your ball, the ball first begins to deform out of shape from the force of being hit, then it tries to change back to its happy place and become a nice round ball again. The faster the ball regains its shape, the higher the compression and the harder the ball will feel, the slower it regains its shape, the softer it will feel. It’s similar to the difference between kicking a beach ball and kicking a rock.

Golf ball compression is given a rating number between 0 and 200 with most Golf balls being rated between 30 for the softest balls, to 120 for the hardest. The rating is based on how much the Golf ball deforms on impact. A rating of 0 means it deforms 5mm on impact, and a rating of 200 means you’ve missed the ball and hit a rock again.

Why does compression matter?

There are 2 main reasons why compression matters on the course, distance and feel.

Distance: When you find the right match between your swing speed and the right Golf ball compression, the timing of the ball squeezing and bouncing off the club face gives your shot an extra boost without any extra effort.

Feel: This is very subjective and has other factors like the type of ball cover and how many pieces the ball is made up of (yes, that is a teaser for more blogs to come, admit it, you’re excited). In general, a lower compression ball will be easier to control distance with around the green (both chipping and putting) and feel softer. A high compression ball will bounce off the face, be faster when putting and chipping with and feel harder. This is part of the reason that most balls have a compression rating between 30 and 105, any harder than this and putting and chipping become too difficult.

What compression should my balls have?

To find the right ball for your game you first need to understand your swing speed, there are two easy ways to do this.

The first, most expensive but most accurate way, is to use a Launch Monitor. If you have ever been fitted for Golf clubs or been to a newer driving range, you would have seen the computers that tell you how far you hit the ball. Next time you are on one of these using your Driver, check the 'Club Head Speed' number, these will usually be measured in mph. If your club head speed is less than 85mph your swing would be considered slow/controlled, 85 – 100mph your swing speed is considered average, and over 100mph your swing speed is fast/high.

The second way is to guess (you generally have a good idea!), if you blast the ball out past everyone you play with your swing speed is probably fast/high, if you hold your own and don’t outdrive everyone, but can get a driver out around 200m – 250m your swing speed is probably average, and if you are still learning, or are better known for your control than your distance off the tee, your swing speed is probably slow/controlled.

How do I find the ball with the right compression?

Once you know your swing speed, you can use the table below to find the right compression ball for your swing:

 At Dormie Golf we have a compression rating listed on every ball we stock, and with a range of balls with compression ratings from a super low 35 for the Maxfli Softfli, up to the high compression Top Flite Bomb Long Drive, we have a ball for every swing.