There's just nothing like the smell of a freshly opened sleeve of balls.

What do we need from a golf ball to drop your scores?

• Squeeze as much distance as we can out of the ball with your swing
• Durable cover so the ball doesn't get scratched
• Good price so you can lose a few and not feel bad

I've tested hundreds of balls and the ones below fulfill all the criteria to pull you into the mid handicap zone. I don't believe you need to be highly skilled to use any ball you want, but the psychology of the golf ball is important. I want you to feel relaxed and have fun, never dreading an expensive lost ball.

To find the best golf balls for high handicappers I spent hours hitting hundreds of shots testing these balls on the course and in a Trackman studio with high handicapper friends and family.

Srixon Distance golf balls are my top recommendation for all high handicappers because they go very far and the cover is so durable, I've seen friends play the ball for 4 rounds in a row before retiring the ball. The price is very budget friendly so you don't feel bad if you lose a few, which you will!

My experiences with the Srixon Distance:

• My high handicapper friends hit the driver 10-15 yards longer with the Srixon Distance
• Low spin means that the ball flies straighter with less sideways movement
• They last a long time even if you hit them into trees and on cart paths
• Very long roll out on tee shots as well as on the green so you must account for the lack of spin
• Around the greens, my high handicap friends plan for a lot of roll out to the hole and they don't attempt flop shots
• The feeling of the ball is actually not that hard and feels good on a putter with an insert

Naturally, because the Srixon Distance is a well-priced distance ball, the compromise is on the spin rate of the ball for chip shots and partial shots inside 75 yards. The ball does bounce and roll further so you can expect longer shots but less feel and spin around the green.

I recommend the Srixon Distance as your first new ball as a high handicap because you'll notice a distance improvement and you'll learn to judge roll out using them. You'll also begin losing less balls as you gain in confidence, and then you can move onto more premium options. 

The Bridgestone e6 has been updated from prior versions and now has a standard dimple pattern. It's an excellent ball to hit straighter shots with less movement left and right. 

My experiences with the Bridgestone e6:

• I have an 18 handicap friend who has brought his handicap down from 29 with the e6
• His shot shape has reduced a lot thanks to lessons and switching to the e6
• The main focus on the ball is forgiveness on longer shots so green side spin is more like a Srixon Soft Feel
• Putting is easy with the alignment stamp on the side of the ball
• Feel of the e6 on putts is just perfect - a lot of balls in this category feel very marshmallowy - not this one. 
• The new e6 feels much softer on the club face throughout the bag than the prior model

If your driver swing speed is higher than 95 mph, I would not suggest the Bridgestone e6 because you will hit more shots sideways. For slower swing than 95 mph swing speed, I notice slices and draws are much smaller.

I recommend the e6 if you struggle with big slices and want to have a softer feeling golf ball. The e6 will reduce your big shot shape and improve your feel around the greens on chips and putts.

Volvik Vivid are the best high visibility high handicap golf balls because they are so bright, you can track them in the air easily, and find them in the rough easier than any other ball on the market. Less lost balls is good.

My experience with Volvik Vivids:

• I played the Volvik Vivid when I got back into golf after a long hiatus and they are fun to play
• The Vivids seem to stay in the air a second longer than other golf balls despite a slightly lower flight
• Luminous colors are so easy to see that you don't stress about where your ball is going
• The cover of the ball is quite firm and a matte color, but also 'sticky' which makes the ball spin just a little more than normal
• 75 compression golf ball which suits any golfer with a driver swing speed from 70 to 100 mph

The Volvik Vivids have a consistent roll when my high handicap friends chip the ball. You'll need to accoutn for a moderately higher initial spin as the ball hits the green but once the ball starts rolling, it's very consistent.

There are many colors to choose from - I recommend the luminous green, orange and yellow. Avoid the blue and red as they are impossible to see especially with remote color blindness. 

See my full reviews of all Volvik golf balls

Kirkland Signature golf balls are jokingly the premium high handicap golf ball. The fact that you can get such high quality golf balls at such a low price is astounding. These are the best urethane golf balls for high handicappers to try for the first time.

I was introduced to Signatures by a friend in the USA, Danny. My experience with Danny and Kirkland Signature:

• Danny is a 19 handicapper and plays Kirkland Signatures because he doesn't mind losing them
• The price is so good, that he stocks up on 10 dozen every year
• Danny gets similar distance with the Kirkland as he does with any other golf ball
• His chipping and pitching is much better with the Kirkland Signature because of the spin from a urethane cover
• Pitches stop quickly instead of bouncing hard across the green
• Bunker shots stop much softer on the greens

Urethane covers are much softer and spin much more than the general surlyn or ionomer cover you find on most of the high handicapper golf balls. Urethane is the material used on Tour quality premium golf balls and Kirkland outsource their balls to major factories who produce the top OEM golf balls.

Kirkland Signatures are 3 piece 'almost' Tour quality golf balls that anyone can afford. You won't mind losing a few in the round and you'll get significant performance improvement around the greens. Distance off the tee may suffer a little but when you want more feel and a urethane cover, you may need to sacrifice a few yards. 

I'm a fan of Vice balls. I've played most of their models but I'm seriously impressed with the Drive. It's their "budget" option but it outperforms most balls which are priced higher. Vice's direct to consumer model means you can get insane discounts when buying in bulk and they also offer really cool customization options to make the balls your own. 

In terms of performance, the two-piece construction of the Vice Drive features a high quality Surlyn cover and spring like core. This means you get high levels of durability and intense distance off the tee. I really like this ball when playing in the wind, as it is a naturally lower-spinning model. I used it when playing in 3 to 4 clubs winds in Scotland and the ball was penetrating through the air. 

Refurbished golf balls

While I think lake balls, balls from the woods and refurbished balls are great for beginners and high handicappers, you really should avoid refurbished golf balls. The truth is refurbished balls are just lake balls with a sand blasting on the outer cover to make them look really new.

The advertising photos always display the balls with some water on them to look nice and fresh. I would avoid refurbished balls entirely bceause often they are fakes, with a new coat of paint on them and a new company's logo printed on it!

As a high handicapper the game can really be simplified down to a few shots that you need to succeed and have fun.

Matching your ball to your equipment so you can use both to their full effect is important. Once you do that, you can plan your golf shots easily.

With a firmer golf ball, you need to plan golf shots in these ways:

• Tee shot - preferably with the driver or 5 wood so it will fly further and roll out a lot
• Approach shot - you must plan to roll the ball onto the green where possible. The firm golf balls for high handicappers do not stop so easily on the greens so it's best to bounce the ball short of the green and let it bounce on.
• Bump and run - When you chip with a firm ball, it will land on the green and roll out a long distance. You must calculate how far the ball will roll, and make sure to chip it toward the hole and account for that long roll out.
• Putter with an insert - steel putters make the ball feel very very hard. You are best served playing a putter with an insert in the face. An example is the TaylorMade Spider and Odyssey White Hot. The insert makes the firmer ball feel softer and that is great for putting feel.

Take a look at my guide to breaking 90 and see how to think your way around the golf course better. Find a set of good irons for high handicappers to hit the new golf ball with maximum effect.

Srixon and Callaway really are the best golf balls for high handicappers because they provide forgiving, well-priced balls with excellent performance for your skill level. 

You can experiment with used golf balls to find the ones you play best with and then purchase the new version of your favorite. Once you find a ball that you like, it's best to stick with it for a while to get used to how it performs. 

Plenty of rangefinder companies offer affordable price-points while still featuring the same high-end materials and strong construction as their pricier counterparts.

For our best budget golf rangefinder guide, we’ve selected rangefinders based on factors like quality construction, accuracy of the readings, speed of use and of course, the price.

Looking for more information about the top rangefinders sold today? Our guide to thebest rangefinders in golf of 2024 includes a handful of budget-friendly options. The 9 cheap rangefinders features in this guide are the best available and I know because I bought all of them.

The best budget laser golf rangefinder is the Voice Caddie L6. 

The Voice Caddie L6 rangefinder is my rangefinder of choice and it is the best golf rangefinder for the money hands down.

There are many reasons I like this rangefinder but the number one reason is it reads distances faster than most rangefinders and from further away than any rangefinder on earth.

Voice Caddie have gone through iteration after iteration and the L6 improves on the prior L5 model in speed and optics. This is their most precise model so far. I have never been able to shoot distances from over 250 yards with Bushnells. The Voice Caddie is one of only two models I am able to get a flag from 300 yards away.

The new red display is different from the L5 and it is my favorite part of the rangefinder. It's so easy to see the numbers even in the bright of day or the early mornings with low light.

I prefer the way you can switch slope feature on and off with the L6. I just press the M button and it toggles on and off. I don't like decimal points when a rangefinder displays the number, and the L6 has decimal points only on slope mode. The decimal disappears on normal mode.  

My experience with the Voice Caddy L6

I have tested the L6 against every rangefinder I use regularly including Bushnell, the industry standards.

• Every distance I measure with the Voice Caddie L6 is identical to the Bushnell.
• The Bushnells cannot pick up distances to pins from over 240 yards but the L6 can, and it does it within 1 or 2 attempts.
• The bullseye and crosshairs of the L6 are among the best I've seen in any rangefinder to pick up small targets.
• I picked up the distances extremely quickly - as quick as a Bushnell without a doubt.
• It's easy to carry the rangefinder in your pocket because it's compact enough.

Because I have used so many rangefinders, accurate numbers didn't surprise me but I was surprised how accurate AND FAST the rangefinder is. I didn't struggle to hit the target and rarely had to shoot a distance more than once. The vibration when you hit the target is pleasant without feeling like an earthquake is hitting you either. I like this model and it is my gamer. 

The Voice Caddie L6 is compact and the build quality is top notch. There's a 30 day full refund guarantee if you don't like it. That's a winner. For $200, you will not find a better rangefinder in the world. 

The Coolshot 20 GII is a very simple to use point-and-shoot no frills rangefinder.

There is no slope function in this particular budget model, but Nikon have a Coolshot GII with slope function available.

Pro Bo Chalisa Lim on my Youtube channel uses this rangefinder and she is on the Thai LPGA. Here's what she says about the rangefinder.

"As a lady pro golfer, it's nice to have a small rangefinder for the size of my hands while playing practice rounds. The cheap price that fit in my budget of the Nikon Coolshot 20 rangefinder is the main reason I bought it. I like to put the rangefinder in my pocket when I wear shorts on the course and the Nikon is small enough to do that. Picking up targets inside 220 yards is easy."

Because it is so light and small, you need steady hands.

The reason you don't want the Nikon shaking around is that the crosshairs in the viewfinder struggle to pick up targets from over 160 yards with a lot of movement. The CR2 battery will last for about a year.

The Shot Scope PRO L2 Golf range finder is a medium-sized rangefinder with the external feeling of a very high-end model.

I used the Shotscope L2 Pro on a month-long trip to Scotland. My experience with it over 25 rounds of golf:

• Scanning mode where I held down the button was incredibly valuable to find distances as you move the view around the course
• The vibration when the rangefinder locks onto your target was one of the most reliable of the category
• In the windy conditions and with a lot of movement, the Pro L2 was able to pick up flags from inside 220 yards away.
• Slope function is reliable and gives consistent and accurate readings
• The case that you get with a Shotscope is excellent for travelling across the globe and my Pro L2 survived many flights
• Shotscopes styling is much better than the majority of budget rangefinder models

I got myself the grey model but there are more color options. i really like the blue trim. The fact that this rangefinder is so well made, and has slope functions, I cannot believe how low the price is.

The magnet on the side of the rangefinder is exceptionally strong. You could adhere the rangefinder to your wedges or the golf cart with no issue.

Overall, I would recommend the Shotscope L2 Pro to anyone upgrading from an off-brand rangefinder or anyone buying their first rangefinder. You will not go wrong. 

There are a couple of issues at this end of the market but nothing to do with the performance of the measurements.

The first gripe is that the protective case is terrible so purchase a different one after you receive the rangefinder. Before even using the rangefinder for the first time, the latch to close the pouch fell off.

One other weird one is the blue LED light that comes on right near your eye when you put slope mode on. I don't understand the logic of putting that aimed at your eye but I guess it shows your partners that you are using slope if you're in a tournament where it is not allowed.

HOTO is a precision tool company that specializes in Xiaomi style, minimalist-design products. The HOTO rangefinder is a no frills, well constructed rangefinder that I would recommend to anyone who doesn't want to change batteries because you charge it with USB cables.

I own a HOTO and used it in this video for 9 holes:

Which budget golf rangefinders you should avoid

DO NOT purchase Milessey or TecTecTec products because we have used 3 models of each and every model has had one of the following problems:

1. Low visibility in the viewfinder with poor lighting in the optics.
2. Bullseye is too feint to see on the screen.
3. Inaccurate readings compared to reliable rangefinders, often 10 yards incorrect.
4. Switching off and not switching on erratically.

At this price point, you have the option of a golf GPS watch and some other golf distance measuring devices. There are pros and cons to both. I suggest the rangefinder if you want to know the carry distance to many spots on a hole while I suggest a GPS watch if all you want to know is the distance to the front, back and middle of the greens. 

Happy golfing and remember, a rangefinder is definitely worth the investment. 

There's no need to go for the very expensive rangefinders when any of the above best budget golf rangefinders will do. 

Avoid getting caught up in the Fear Of Missing Out wondering if you should get the fancy or the budget models.

At the end of the day, you need a rangefinder for one simple purpose and that is to provide a distance from where you stand, the the flag. 

We own and have used every single rangefinder in this review. We excluded 15 unacceptable rangefinders as part of our quality control. 

Whether you like a bit of show biz glamor and want everyone to look at your balls or you just can't see your balls so well anymore, you're in the right place. No, this isn't the urologists office!

But I have become a bit of a multi-color golf ball fiend. It wasn't always like that though - I mean we're supposed to be pros here, right? And watching golf on TV, besides Bubba Watson playing a pink ball for a while, we never see the pros playing high visibility golf balls.

But my search for the best color golf balls was an easy one and I am a convert. You'll see on my Youtube channel I use all color golf balls. From the Volvik Vivids at a corporate day to the soccer ball print Callaways, I've played a ton of them and they perform the same as the white balls!

Volvik Vivid balls come in REALLY bright colors and are a favorite with guys looking for more visibility because it's impossible to miss them in the air. If you have deep rough at your course, you'll be able to track this beauty effortlessly and lose far less balls. And when I say really bright, I mean that you might think they'll glow in the dark.

The cover has a matte finish which adds to the uniqueness of the ball. Playing partners wondered if it was a practice ball or a rubber ball. It's a perfectly conforming three-piece ball and made of the identical material as other golf balls, just without the high gloss finish on it. 

Yes. They're straight with a middle of the range medium feel off the club & high ball flight.

A lot of guys will pick this ball up for a laugh, as I did through a corporate golf day. But the laughing stops once you hit it. The weirdest (but best) thing I noticed with them is when I hit a shot, at the point I expect the ball to start descending back to the ground, the ball just keeps going that extra few yards in the air. 

I played these balls in a corporate day and I've used them often since then because they're long and straight and turn heads every time you break one out. I've hit my longest drives with this ball and it's no surprise Volvik is the sponsor for the long drive championships. I recently actually won a scramble using these balls while my partner used NXT Tour, my other new favorite golf ball.

The Chrome Soft got a bad rep with the My Golf Spy testing, but they've addressed that and put the important part of the 'best golf ball for high visibility'. Visibility is just a big bonus. This four-piece ball has taken the world by storm. 

They come in bright yellow but also the Truvis design which is pretty much a soccer ball print all over the ball and the one I preferred for a very long time.

Callaway's Chrome Soft is a Tour level premium ball that competes toe to toe with the heavyweights like Titleist. The benefits to the average golfer are due to low compression and a urethane cover giving you excellent distance off the tee with soft feel and a lot of spin green side. 

All swing speeds will benefit from this golf ball and it stands up to high-end tour models chip for chip, pitch for pitch and putt for putt. Approaches into greens fly high and land and stick with strong spin.

Three-piece golf balls are usually urethane covered, but Bridgestone has made a 3-piece surlyn covered ball. 

They added the third layer because they wanted to generate more ball speed after the success of the e6. Bridgestone needed to focus less on the softness of the ball and focus on finding the speed from this additional layer in the core. 

With the matte finish and 3 pieces, this surlyn ball will spin more than your average 2 piece ball, but of course not as much as a urethane covered ball. 

The yellow Z Star XV golf ball is very bright and will be easy to see. Even the Pure White color balls are easier to spot than other white golf ball brands. 

Srixon produced an awesome premium level ball that performs as good as the top manufacturers' premium balls and makes it one of the best bright color golf balls. With a compression of 102, and a Spin Skin cover, this ball performs as a premium ball should. If you swing less than 90 mph, you'll want to check out the Srixon Q-Star though. 

I use these golf balls on my channel a lot. I love the yellow ones but out in Asia, I even find orange ones. They are long and they stop on the greens exactly as any premium golf ball. I love the Srixon Z Star XV.

The SuperSoft Multicolor pack comes with four sleeves of balls each one a different color. Much easier on your wallet than premium balls on this list, they pack mega bang for your buck.

The SuperSoft is not a very soft ball but will help most golfers increase their distances off the tee and from the fairway. It's a two-piece ball with a very low compression of 35!

For the slower swinging golfers, this ball is going to reduce spin on the tee shots and long approaches while giving you a delicate feel around the greens.

The SuperSoft is one of the most popular balls you'll find. The lower compression and trionomer cover produces less spin on your longer shots giving you more chance to hit the fairways and greens. That always makes golf more fun. If you're a mid to high handicapper, this is a perfect golf ball for you.

JMac from my Youtube channel LOVES Wilson DUO golf balls. He always looks for them in pro shops when they have the colorful ones.

These have a urethane cover so they spin and yet have the low compression for that low spin distance off the tee. There's nothing wrong with these golf balls at all and if you are used to playing balls like Srixon Soft Feels and want to start playing some urethane covered balls, these are the best to dip your toe into the premium ball pond.

Which color ball is the easiest to track?

This is quite a subjective question, but the general consensus between my friends and I seems to be in this order:

Easiest golf ball color to find in rough

If you're struggling to find a standard white golf ball in the rough, then I would recommend switching to a yellow or orange ball. It also helps to play with a high visibility ball when you're in a foursome as you know which ball is yours right away, no checking with your playing partners. Find ball, pick shot, hit ball, move on. Easy life.  

What's the difference between color balls and white golf balls?

The only difference between a high visibility golf ball and a white ball of the same model is the color of the cover. The rest of the construction of the same model of golf ball is identical. 

Do pro golfers use color or high visibility golf balls? 

Bubba Watson used to use a pink golf ball made by Volvik and some specially made for him by Titleist. On the senior PGA Tour, you'll find some of the golfers use yellow balls for visibility. Pros practice so much with white balls, and have played so many rounds and hit so many balls on the range that are white. They can't change their conditioning just for the round. 

They can actually use any color golf ball they like, be it yellow or pink or whatever. Unlike with us amateurs, the pro must start the round and finish the round with the same color golf ball. They cannot change from white to pink to yellow between holes. Mainly you will find older golfers on the Senior PGA Tour using color golf balls, but very few, if any on the PGA Tour. 

Do color balls and white balls cost the same? 

The balls in the same range or model name in a manufacturers line are identical but they just change the color of the cover. The cover will have the same properties and the ball will perform the same. There is no increase or decrease in price. If there is a line of colors that do not sell though, there may be some discounts and bargains to be had when they try clear them out. 

Is it easy to change to a color golf ball?

If you are used to playing white golf balls, the difference can be quite big for your game. I mean this in a way that the ball looks radically different to your eye and brain. This can affect the way you hit the ball in the first few rounds.

I recommend hitting your new chosen color around the practice green a lot so you can get used to looking at something different. Once you're used to it, then you can mentally adjust to any color. For many though, they give up on the idea before they give it a real chance just because of the drastically different look at address. It takes time, but once you get through the mental process, you can play any golf ball. 

Can high visibility and bright color midgolf balls improve my score?

Yes and no. The color of the ball won't make a difference to the way you hit the ball so physically no. But psychologically, the fun aspect and the ability to see your ball more easily through the air does give you a small confidence boost. 

When you know you're going to find your golf ball because you saw exactly where it landed and can walk directly to that spot, you feel confident to grip it and rip it. The lack of confidence inhibits your swing. So maybe the extra confidence could help? Let us know.

If you keep losing them and want to retrieve others from the water you must get a ball retriever to recover some of your profit.

I have eye sight that can be described as "not great" and wear prescription lens sunglasses. You will find in every one of my Youtube videos, I am earing sunnies. 

There's a very good reason I wear BROWN tinted sunglasses. The polarized are fancy and do the anti glare thing, but brown lenses bump up the contrast significantly especially on the greens I play which are very grainy. The grain can be seen in relation to the sun with reflections off the grass so you can read greens better.

For distance, it brightens up the ball vs the back drop you're hitting against. I only wear brown lens sunglasses for more visibility of the ball in flight and I always will.

I've found blue golf balls are terrible for the flight of the ball - probably to do with the sky color but I never see them land either. Green is often assumed to be the worst but it is in fact one of the best colors for seeing the ball in flight and they are usually very bright so you see them landing too.

You'll be fine with most colors but white and red seem to perform the worst for color blind golfers. I am a little color blind and I find the red golf balls are the worst I have found for good visibility for that.

When I use lower prescription as a way to reduce my current one, I prefer to use really bright yellow and green golf balls. Visually impaired golfers might enjoy very very bright yellow and green golf balls because of the high contrast between the sky and the ground compared to the ball. They show up really well against al sorts of backdrops when they land. If you have trouble with your eyes, white golf balls are some of the worst because they get lost in the glare, the clouds and any time there is a light color background.

The Volvik Vivids definitely take the cake for the best visibility and funkiest bright color availability as well as for big distance. But overall, disregarding the color aspect alone, the best overall ball would definitely be the Srixon Z Star XV.

It's time to decide, do you want distance, spin or feel? Or a combination of all? We can get all three in one, but at a very premium price. I have hit every golf ball you can imagine and I've found that depending on your ability, you must pick a priority or two. That is how you find the best golf ball for 85 to 95 mph swing speed. 

Do you know your priority? If not, I will help you get there.

At a swing speed of 85 mph to 90 mph, you will fit into most golf balls. But the overall best ball for average swing speeds like this is the Kirkland Signature for feel and performance. The other option is the Taylormade Tour Response. These balls both factor in all three priorities. 

The Tour Response is the upgrade to the Project (a) which to be fair, is a brilliant ball on its own. 

The compression is slightly lower at 40 but the multilayer core coupled with the thin urethane skin makes this a lovely ball for distance and bite. 

In fact, you can see in one of my videos here, I hit a 285 yard carry drive with a Project (a) to land on the green on hole 4. The Tour response is merely a repackaged Project (a) so if you prefer a bit more friendly on the budget golf ball...check out the Project (a) too! 

It's a testament to the quality of this line of golf balls; I played this ball as far back as 2006 and when I was looking for a new ball recently, I was advised to try the Srixon Soft Feel while playing off a 13 handicap. This was the gateway drug that got me looking at all these balls.

It's a two-piece construction in it's 11th version but Srixon have reduced the compression to 60. That's more moderate than the ultra low trend at the moment and great for us. The implication is that the distance from the tee with more moderate compression is more impressive than with the compressions below 50 at our average swing speeds.

Srixon have also reduced the thickness of the cover and increased the softness. This added softness is the biggest contributing factor to spin around the greens and the Soft Feel delivers with one of the better two-piece balls for holding greens. It's not going to be zipping back, let's not over-exaggerate, but they'll be streaks ahead of the HARD lake balls you've been hitting.

I play a lot of rounds with the Soft Feel and a couple sleeves are always in my bag probably because of sentimental reasons but it's a really fun ball and so well priced - I think what made it so special to me is that it was the first ball I tried. And it got my mind out of thinking about losing $4 balls and into thinking about smacking $1.50 balls smoothly.

There are two models in the Q Star range with the Q Star being for more distance and made of 2 pieces (a core and a surlyn cover) while the Q Star Tour is a bit softer for more feel with a urethane ball and I urge you to have a look at it - easily one of my favorite golf balls. Both offer comparable distance. The main difference is in the feeling of the ball, where if you prefer a softer feel ball, the Q Star Tour is good for you. If you prefer a firmer feel, choose the Q Star.

I like the Q Star as the best golf ball for 85+ mph swing speed if you're looking for straight distance. Expect longer and straighter long iron & wood shots with it. The ball definitely goes long but what's interesting is how it wants to go straight without the sideways slice or hook.

Most golfers find the feeling off the face firm and they compare it to a rock but purely in terms of accuracy and distance this golf ball will suit the majority of weekend golfers who are looking to add more fun to their game with longer straighter drives. Who doesn't want a long ball in the fairway?

I would say that this ball is a combination between a Titleist Tru Feel and Velocity - firm and long but surprises you when you chip by actually gripping on the club's grooves and on the greens.

The matte finish of the ball takes some getting used to but it gives it a distinct softer feel. That matte finish with the vivid colors these balls come in, make them practically impossible to lose while watching them in the air. The extra confidence of knowing I'll see and find my shot is the number one reason I recommend this ball - I just swing freer and easier at the ball.

Off the putter face the Vivid feels medium to hard with just the right amount of 'click' to tell you if you hit it well or not. 

The first time I tried them was when I was given a sleeve of the Vivids at registration for a Hooters competition. They were bright Vivid orange. I'd heard how bright they were but wow, when you see them in person, they're BRIGHT!

I understood quickly why these are used in the World Long Drive championships - I noticed a few extra yards off the tee. But what is unique is just how easily you can track the ball for its entire flight. This makes it easy to see where my ball ends up if not in the fairway which is great for my confidence.

Bump and run chipping is excellent - it feels a bit hard off the club face but the matte finish cover feels like it's quite tacky and actually grips on the blades of grass on the green. For a firm ball, the Volvik Vivid doesn't roll out much on the chips so I could be more aggressive. It's not a golf ball for flop shots though.

If nothing else, it's a great conversation piece! People never get tired of seeing my bright little balls. Check out the full Volvik golf ball guide here.

I can admit I had never thought to try Mizuno golf balls. I have played their irons extensively but until I had these recommended to me, I had never hit a Mizuno ball. It turns out I was wrong to doubt that a company with as much golfing pedigree as Mizuno could produce an inferior product. 

Joe, who lives in the UK and contributes to this site has played these too and he has found them to be very good in cold and wet weather conditions. The 588 dimple pattern and low compression construction cause the ball to fly higher which is ideal for mid handicappers with slower swing speeds. 

Around the greens, this ball feels really, really soft. It doesn't spin as much as some of the premium balls, but I could get it so sit down on some pretty firm summer greens. Off the putter face there is a satisfying "click" which provides good feedback for your stroke. 

Joe swings it faster than recommended for this ball but didn't find it penalized him with the driver in hand. The ball still launches high and he found that it actually gave him a bit more control and he was confident finding fairways with this ball. 

Mizuno make high quality golf products and this ball is no different. After 18 wet and cold holes of golf, the cover of the ball still looked clean and bright. The ionomer shell didn't scuff up after bunker shots and the logo and alignments line were clear to see. 

These are a sleeper pick and definitely worth trying. The price is excellent too.   

The best golf balls for this range of swing speeds have medium compression (hardness). Golfers with slower swing speed are obsessed with ultra low compression balls, and this isn't our best bet at 85-95 mph. Anything between 55 and 70 will be the best golf ball for your swing speed.

When we talk about 85 mph or 90 mph swing speeds, we're referring to the speed of the head of the driver when swinging toward the ball.

Tour pros are averaging about 110 to 125 mph! Isn't that crazy?

So at that swing speed, they're able to take advantage of the extra tech put into those Tour balls. While these balls might not hurt your game if you're consistent, the extra spin you get with them can be to your detriment with off line shots going further....off line!

Should 85 to 90 mph swing speeds use hard or soft balls?

It's all about your priorities.

The latest trend in golf ball technology is an obsession with lowering the compression (hardness) as far as it can go. Wilson even makes a ball with a 29 compression. Tour balls are around 90 to 100. There are benefits to the low compression balls especially if your swing is slower but in general the best golf ball for 85 mph swing speed and up to 90 mph swing speed is going to be something in between hard and soft. 

A swing speed in your range can compress the ball enough to extract maximum distance and spin from a medium compression golf ball. But when looking at medium compression golf balls, it's the cover of the ball that makes the big difference between being "hard" & "soft" feel and performance.

Which balls won't get cut up and scuffed?

Urethane covers are less durable and will get scuffed from hard wedge shots and hitting trees, paths and concrete. Surlyn (also known as ionomer, trionomer etc) don't scuff nearly as much and I've played with guys who've used the same surlyn covered ball for 3 rounds in a row.

Does swing speed matter when selecting a golf ball? 

It is very important to choose a golf ball that matches your swing speed. Golfers with slower swings compress the ball less than a faster swing speed golfer can. 

Usually a slower swing speed means less distance but can vary depending on how WELL you strike the ball. A lower compression ball can help you to compress it easier and generate more distance with lower spin.

Is low spin off the tee important? 

Low spin off the tee helps moderate speed swingers to get more distance because your drives will roll a bit further after landing, as opposed to just dropping and stopping. 

If you are a player who slices the ball, this means you're generating a lot of side spin so a lower spin golf ball will reduce the impact of that sidespin on your shot shape. 

Around the greens, you want some more spin though, to constantly land and roll the ball to the hole. It's a balancing act between distance and spin depending on your priorities. 

Difference between premium balls and distance golf balls

A premium golf ball is expensive because it's made of premium materials and the prices range upward of $30. The value or distance ball is made of lesser technology because it has a different player in mind. Prices are much lower on a distance golf ball because of this. 

You get two camps of golfers. There are golfers who only play premium lines of golf balls. Then you get other golfers who will play anything. 

The big difference between the two types of balls are the number of layers and the cover material. The multilayer 3, 4 and 5 layer golf balls with urethane covers are your premium golf balls designed for pro's and elite players. The 2-3 layer balls with surlyn covers are the cheaper value balls that are designed for the average player. 

A urethane cover in the premium balls means the ball scuffs easily because the urethane is very soft. The surlyn is a much harder material and is more durable.

Real life example

Let's look at a two piece Srixon Soft Feel golf ball versus the five piece TP5. Price difference is large. The TP5 gives you the golfer, all the tech and necessities that the pro's need. Do you have the skills to fully use the expensive balls and do you lose many in a round?  The Srixon Soft Feel gives you a more resilient cover but you do not have a product filled with tech needed to execute pro shots. 

Unless you're a very good golfer, with a low handicap and multiple layers of skills, you won't notice much difference in performance between the two styles of golf balls. 

Extra spin will need a urethane cover while a Surlyn cover found on most two piece balls are going to give you extra distance. The best advice I can give you for golf balls is to take two or three different kinds out on the course and test them on your drives, on the par 3 tees and with your pitching and chipping. Find one you like and stick with it. Easy life!

At 85 mph to 90 mph swing speed, there is an endless supply of great golf balls and I highlighted a few for you here. Check out breaking 90 every time you play and if you're looking to pair a ball up with a driver for more distance, check out my guide on the best drivers for 90 mph swings.

The right ball at mid handicap level can bring your scores down fast. More distance and better spin control is what we crave.

Let's get you what you need to start breaking 90 and 80 regularly. 

I love testing golf balls. I play different models every round if I can! Different colors, different materials, different number of layers - I love them all. 

I'll share the benefits and performance of mid handicapper golf balls including which ones I recommend for your specific priority. My experience comes from hundreds of shots testing the best golf balls for mid handicappers on-course.

Srixon Soft Feels are my #1 recommendation for mid handicappers who want their first new ball experience.

My experience with the Soft Feels:

This is the first golf ball I ever played new out of the box, when I dropped to a 10 handicap. I played these balls all the way down to a 3 handicap.

It's a two-piece construction in its 13th version and Srixon has reduced the compression to 60. That's more moderate than the ultra low compression trend at the moment and great for us. Srixon wrap the 60 compression core with a durable surlyn cover which is firm. A softer under layer and a firmer outer layer means improved distance.

Srixon have reduced the thickness of the cover and are one of the best mid handicap balls for holding the greens, with soft feeling off the club face around the greens. Your ball will stop 2-3 yards after the pitch mark.

Recommendation: Play them, you will not regret it.

I played a lot of rounds with the Soft Feel after I felt worthy of new golf balls - I think what made it so special to me is that it was the first ball I tried and the first new ball smell I ever experienced. Playing these balls prevented me from being scared of losing $4 balls and more toward thinking about smacking $1.50 balls smoothly.

There is nothing to dislike about Kirkland Signatures. You can pick them up for an excellent price, and play a golf ball that performs like a Tour ball with a high quality urethane cover. 

I know because I bought 24 of these in the USA and played with them at Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, everywhere. 

My Experience with the ball:

The Kirkland Signatures are balls that fly far, and do hold greens because of their soft, high-spin urethane cover. They spin but not in a way that makes the ball rip so far back that you can't control it. It stops right near your pitch mark.

It will be a big difference for you if you move from a surlyn ball to the urethane of the Kirklands. I found that I GAINED yardage with the Kirklands and the balls sit down where they pitch. That's at a pretty high swing speed, so you may experience slightly less 'rip' with these balls.

Even hitting the ball with wedges that have a rough face, these balls hold up very well compared to more 'premium' urethane balls. You can go a full 18 holes with this ball and just keep using it for another 9-18 holes.

This is a great golf ball for mid handicappers because it's high quality, urethane covered but it's at a price that won't upset you if you lose a few. 

That cannot be overstated. The feeling of freedom when you don't fear losing a golf ball is huge and the Kirkland Signatures give you that freedom. When you don't care about losing balls, ironically, you lose less. The Kirklands are the gateway to that feeling. 

That's what makes the Kirklands so special. I played a 73 and a 71 at Pebble Beach and used Kirkland. You can enjoy that freedom too. Check out the video on my channel. 

The Callaway SuperSoft has an ultra-low 35 compression core. That means tha it's believed to produce low spin on the drives and a very soft feel on the shorter shots.

Callaway's improved version of the SuperSoft is a two-piece ball with a very soft Trionomer cover for that extra soft feel and spin when chipping and putting. Off the tee, the ball will carry long distances with longer roll-out for the majority of swing speeds.

My experience with the ball:

I played this ball for a few rounds after I won 12 of them in a competition, and I can confirm the feeling is incredibly soft off the face of the wedge and putter. The ball feels a little marshmallowy off the face of my insert putter but I tried it with a steel putter and I noticed a firmer feeling which felt really solid. The ball spun quite nicely around the greens too.

The durability was excellent only succumbing to a scuff from a shot I landed on a cart path. Easily one of the most popular golf balls out there for mid handicappers and I can see why. 

The best part of the DUO Soft range is they are low compression at 38, but also available in very bright color, matte finishes. We like the matte finish because it adds to the feel of a grippier, spinnier urethane golf ball but with a durable surlyn cover.

My experience with the ball

I played these balls with JMac from the channel who absolutely loves them. I recommended he use the Wilson DUO Softs for his journey from a 19 handicap down to an 8 handicap. 

We found that with his driver swing speed, the ball would shape less off target. He hit straighter shots and he could hit his hybrid and fairway wood nice and high for the first time. The bright colors make it easy to track and find the ball as well.

They're well-priced and JMac improved with his wedge game and chipping so he needed a new golf ball. I had him playing the Srixon Soft Feels for the longest time, but it was time to level-up the ball game.

I'd be doing you a major disservice if I didn't suggest the Q Star Tour as one of the best golf balls for mid handicappers. If you're into premium-level three-piece balls, you won't find much better value than Srixon Q-Star Tour at this price range.

My experience with the ball

Joe, who contributes to this site, has sworn by this ball for years. He too, played the Srixon Soft Feel for years too.

I encouraged Joe to use the Q Star Tour to get from an 18 handicap down to a 12. His swing speed is moderate at 90 mph with the driver but he was not stopping the ball on the greens which cost him a lot of shots.. He really likes the consistent flight he gets with the Q Star Tour off the driver and the responsive feel off his steel-faced putter. He also plays in cold, wet conditions in the UK, and this ball is extremely durable. 

The cover is urethane which means Tour-level spin green side and on approaches. If you're a solid mid handicapper who is shooting in the 80s majority of the time, this ball could give you the edge to finally break 80, especially with your short game consistency.

The low 65-70 compression core reduces the spin on long tee shots on moderate swing speeds, but will definitely hold the greens on approaches. You may need to fly your chips a but longer because the ball will spin more on your short shots.

Quite simply, forget spending crazy money for premium golf balls. The Q-Star Tour is mayor of Value Town.

The Tour Response is the best ball for competitive mid handicappers who want to win more competitions. To put it simply, this is a golf ball for the 7 to 15 handicapper who wants more spin and control over their shots to break that 80 barrier. 

We like to call this a tamed down Tour-level ball. The construction is not as advanced on the interior but the outer cover is made of urethane and it makes a big difference in spin. Combined with a low compression core, the Tour Response is built for control: keeping the ball in play, stopping the ball on the green and give you next-level feel with your wedges and putter.

The difference between a surlyn and a urethane covered ball is something you need to experience to believe. Your chips and pitches just stop with no bounding on past the pin, leaving those awful 20 footers for par.

My experience with the ball

I have played Tour Response golf balls and they are excellent even with my faster swing speed. The ball spins a lot on approaches, especially with wedges in hand. I actually prefer a much firmer ball because I find this ball spins too much for me on the approaches with wedges. At a lower swing speed, the ball will stop right at the pitch mark.

Off the putter face, the Tour Response is nice and soft like all urethane balls and feels as good as any. I would recommend the Tour Response to 7 to 15 handicappers swinging less than 105 mph with their driver. If you swing faster, try a ball with compression of 80-100. 

Steve on my channel LOVES these balls. The ERC Soft Triple Track works especially well with the new Triple Track putters because the putter lines align perfectly with the ball lines on your putts.

Callaway make this ERC Soft as a 3-piece ball with a blended cover so it's not purely urethane but a blend including surlyn. That means the cover is very tough and withstands a lot of abuse while being slightly spinnier than plain ionomer/surlyn covers. The main features of the golf ball are the distance and the alignment aid.

Steve has stopped using urethane balls lately to save on costs and actually found this ball goes further than the urethane balls he was using while also stopping in time on the greens. His swing is slowing as he gets older so the ERC Soft ball has helped maintain his distance as much as possible.

The alignment aid was the first thing that got Steve excited about this ball though. He uses the Triple Track putter and since he started using the ball with it, he makes so many putts inside 7 feet.

It really is one of those amazing things you stumble upon. The ball performs very well as a Srixon Soft Feel or a Kirkland Signature might, but the thing that puts it over the edge for putting alone, is the alignment aid. 

A three-piece golf ball covered in urethane for extra spin and performance. The High Energy Speed Core creates a higher ball speed and more carry off the tee for the slower swing speed.

But it's more for the guys who are slightly more advanced, so toward the lower end of the handicap spectrum nearing single digits. This will be the ball that takes you over the edge and with the spectacular colors, you get high visibility too.

My experience with the ball

The matte cover is my favorite - they just 'feel" stickier! The softer, urethane cover really grabs on wedge shots, even out of the rough. These are similar to the Volvik Vivid ST (which I LOVE) and that familiarity helped me trust the flight and feel off all clubs. Try them out and if you like them, Vice often do great bulk deals.  

I played the Vice Pro golf balls during my trip of Scotland and they were fantastic in the wind. My favorite Vice Pro are the colorful golf balls because in Scotland, no one was confused whose ball it was because mine was the only luminous green one on the course!

What to consider for balls at mid handicap level

If you're confused or stuck between two or three balls, why not try all of them during a round?

That way you can play different shots throughout the round comparing driving distance, green side play, approaches and putting.

I always discourage using Pro V1 golf balls for mid handicappers. The technology is set up for advanced players with very fast swings and the ability to control their spin rates as well as the direction they hit the ball so they don't lose many. It really hurts losing $4 golf balls all day and the worse you feel about it, the more you lose!

If you use a mid handicapper, mid range ball you'll get full value for money and reduce the dread of hitting a ball over water to a par 3! You'll save some money and lower your scores! 

We want booming distance off the tee without trying to swing too hard. There is a fine balance between your swing speed and the ball you use. When you try a few on the course, really try to understand if your priority is distance or spin,or a combination of both. Do you need to keep the ball in play more? Or do you need to be further up the fairway?

Mid handicap is where the manufacturers produce and sell the most golf balls at reasonable prices which makes your life super simple. You have 2 choices: soft urethane balls that spin, or firm surlyn balls that fly further with less spin.

Now, if you still prefer a Pro V1 or another premium ball, that's a perfectly fine choice. It feels good to play what the pros do. 

From 15 to 20 handicap, you're right at the top range of the mid handicapper segment. I would say your average score is between 90 and 100. For the 15 to 20 handicap golfer, I suggest the surlyn covered golf balls. They're usually two-piece and focus on distance. 

At this stage of your golf journey, your handicap and skills are suggesting that you need to keep the ball in play. The last thing that you need is a lot of extra spin, slicing the ball further away from the target. A low spin golf ball will work well and any of the balls on this list that I have mentioned will be the best balls for 15 to 20 handicappers. The best one being the Srixon Soft Feel.

If you need balls for 20 handicap or higher though, I would look at getting second hand balls.

What if I have a high swing speed and mid handicap?

If you have a higher driver swing speed but you're a mid handicap golfer, you can play the same balls in this list. But I would suggest getting control of the swing first and then looking at upgrading your ball. Until then, play second hand balls, because the harder you swing, the more balls you lose. 

I'd make sure you get a driver optimized to you as a mid handicapper, then match the ball to your new setup. 

A lot of guides lump high handicappers and beginners into the same putting ability. That's not fair. You clearly possess some skill from your accumulated experience.

Your experience on the greens means you know where your putting game lacks precision. You only need to improve two areas: distance control and starting the ball on the correct line.

You will make more putts with a putter suited to you which aligns easily, feels balanced, and gives you great feedback through your hands. You can ooze confidence on the greens just like a seasoned pro.

Let's drop your handicap with one of the best putters for high handicappers.

The two-ball putter has been around for 20 years. Nothing has changed with the design of the alignment and that's because it works. They tried the three-ball but that was overkill. 

Odyssey are always making more durable, more responsive inserts into the face of the putter. The insert produces less bouncing and skipping after the contact on the greens. It lasts an eternity whereas their previous inserts used to wear out after a lot of use.

The contrast between the black and white two balls is what makes this putter so easy to align. Pick your line, aline the putter to it and go. But they went one step further and have now printed red and blue tracks to make it even easier. This is not just a gimmick. People have been drawing these lines on themselves. BIG MISTAKE! 

Taking into account the angle of the back of the putter, and the center line on the back vs the front, everyone screws it up when they draw it themselves. Callaway and Odyssey did it for us now, so you can trust that it's actually straight.

My brother in law is a 22 handicapper and after i gave him one of the older models of this putter, he instantly threw his old blade away. He loved that blade by the way. But this one is just so easy to align and get a decent roll, especially on slower greens. 

I find the rear of the putter doesn't feel like it sits flat on the ground which is what has stopped me buying one of these putters. It's purely a feel thing, but remember, go with what YOUR eye likes. 

This is Cleveland's best range of putters so far. I own 3 putters from this range. They are all unique yet have common features. They're all very high quality, well weighted and have milled steel faces. 

Milled steel faces mean the ball comes off steel of the Cleveland with a totally different feel to an insert putter. Inserts make for a very soft feel as if you're hitting something with a marshmallow or pool noodle. Okay it's not that extreme but it gets the point across, because when you hit it with a steel putter, you notice a much firmer 'hit'. This is all about your preference in terms of "feel".

This is preference you should work out for yourself by hitting a few with inserts and a few with steel or metal faces from your friends' bags or in the shop. I prefer the milled face on the Clevelands because it feels like I have more consistent roll on the ball. The insert can sometimes disguise poor strikes. 

The Huntington putters come in a wide range of head shapes. You get mallets, fang-style, blade and there are also center shafted models. My top tip for picking a putter is to go with what you like the look of. That's 80% of the battle won and it's very easy to find one model in the Huntington Beach range to suit your eye,  I am sure. 

The gooseneck shaft on this putter and long extended back and square shape makes it a close contender against the Odyssey Stroke Lab putters, looks-wise. But it also performs well with a solid weight and face that allow for pure strikes and even rolls of the ball.

In fact, it was in my top 3 putters when purchasing a new one recently. I went with a Cleveland myself, but Wilson was a close runner-up. I was as surprised as you may be. 

For this price, there is not much wrong with this putter. The alignment aids on the putter back contrast white against black. This contrast is what makes alignment easier in any golf club. The look and feel of this putter is not budget at all.

The black finish is very high end and the steel milled face performs as well as many mid-range putters out there for $200 more expensive. You can be sure with this putter, you will not be disappointed. 

My best golfing buddy, Didi uses this putter and I've seen countless  high handicappers dropping their scores into the mid handicap range using the White Hot Pro 2.0 Rossie.

It's a mallet but it's very compact with alignment aids on the back - three lines on the top line and 2 lines on the back, giving two different alignmnt aids for added accuracy. 

But the most attractive part of this putter is the insert. They make newer ones which don't wear out as much but these older ones are the ones the professionals go to the Tour van for. They actually take their modern putter from Odyssey and tell them to replace the new insert with these old white inserts. 

Of course, the pro's practice all day so the insert wears out in the sweet spot for them. They have to replace them alot. But that tells you about the quality of the insert and for such a low price, this is top bang for buck. There are a few head shapes in this model and is a great introduction to high-end manufacturer putters.

The Spider has become one of the most successful putters on tour and most popular at the local club too. It's easy to align, very stable on the stroke and helps get the ball started with a gentle stroke instead of a slap like with a blade style putter.

If you tend to push the ball to the right, this is a great putter. This putter also has an insert with some lines recessed into it for a more even roll that is consistent and stops the ball back spinning and skidding. It's an incredibly stale putter and will produce the same roll time and time again if your stroke complies with you.

You can always go for the latest update to this model with the mini, but if you're looking for a great, classic, guaranteed to function putter, this is a no brainer instead of dishing out double the dosh for similar results. 

I first encountered this putter playing with a high handicapper subscriber from my YouTube channel. I gave him some short game assistance after the round, and got to try his Ping Fetch. I know PING makes amazing putters, but this one was far and away the best one I have tried in recent years.

It does have a face insert that has a texture on the surface similar to a milled steel putter. The feel off this insert is less marshmallow, more soft steel feel.

The head does not feel as heavy as most of the mallet putters out there. The big hole in the middle which was present on older models is not hidden under a sleek black top with channeled alignment aids. I found this putter so easy to keep square because of the contrasting colors on the head. The matte black on the top frames the ball well and the sweeping head shape is confidence inspiring.

The hole is the bottom of this PING putter allows the missing weight to be distributed elsewhere and it makes for a freer, easier swing of the putter, with less of a "Thor's Hammer" blow on the ball. A lot of weighty mallet putters can be hard to control for distance on faster greens but the PING Fetch acts with the feel of a blade.

The sound is far softer and the feel is much improved over other mallet models in this category. Bonus feature: The hole in the middle is perfect for placing over the ball and picking up like a boss.

One single rule: You must LOVE looking down at your putter, feel confident with it and believe you will make putts with it.

The best putters for high handicappers are mallet or mid mallet style because the mallet style has big visual alignment aids to line your putter up to where you want to hit it. 

Mallets have weight distributed around the head so that you can take a smaller stroke without needing to "whack" the ball like you do with a blade. A short backswing, with an even tempo swing transfers more energy into the ball with a mallet. 

A mallet putter also offers a much larger sweet spot so when you mis-hit your putts, they will still finished near the hole. If you mis-hit a blade putter, the ball never reaches the hole.

The construction of a mallet putter lends itself to creating a higher MOI. MOI stands for “Moment of Inertia,” and symbolizes the measurement of putter head’s resistance to twisting on off-center putts. The higher the Moment of Inertia, the more stable the putter. Mallets and mid mallets remain the most stable putters.

How to putt to drop your high handicap

Do you spend the majority of your time pounding balls at the driving range, hoping for that perfect strike? 

Do you devour all the swing mechanic advice you can find?

I know I did, but nothing got me quick wins like learning to putt.

While I believe a reliable driver will prove the biggest asset in your game, the next quickest win comes from one or two-putting every single green.

Think about it. Let's say you hit the driver well and finished on or around the green after your next shot. I know a lot of high handicappers like yourself, and 3 putts can happen 6 or 7 times per round.

Imagine if you two putt every green and drain every 3 footer you leave yourself.

Here's how:

Two hours per week is all it takes

Step 1: Distance Control tee peg drill

Take your putter and 5 - 10 balls. Putt to a tee peg in the ground 20-30 feet away. You must get the ball in line or beyond the tee every putt. You cannot leave the green until you leave every single ball within 2 feet of the tee peg.

I do not recommend hitting 20-30 foot putts to holes because doing that, you practice missing. We want to practice positive actions so we work on distance control with the tee peg drill.

Step 2: Making 1 foot putts drill

Take the 5 to 10 balls and practice making 1 foot putts. 

Yes I am serious. One single foot.

It sounds crazy but when you practice 1 foot putts, you practice seeing the ball start on the line you chose. You also see and hear the ball going in the hole. We are now practicing MAKING putts, not MISSING putts. 

Make 50 or 100 one-foot putts in a row and only then may you go home. 

Do these 2 drills for a few minutes on a real practice green and you will become a top-notch putter.

Odyssey continues to dominate in the putter realm and without any hesitation, you can't go wrong with the Rossie 2.0 if you're on a budget and if you want to splurge, there are tons of brands out there like Odyssey, Scotty Cameron and EVNROLL. 

The abovementioned putters are the ones that got me excited because they present top quality putting without destroying your bank account. You will find you can use these putters for a very very long time, but if you want to, you can upgrade into the future.  

You can slash a lot of shots from your game if you eliminate three-putts - and four-putts! 

Yes, you must learn how to hit the ball the correct distance and you must know how to hit the ball on the path you chose.

But your putter can drastically improve your chances of doing both those things. You might be playing a random putter someone gave you. That putter does not suit you and I can guarantee it.

I'm a 1 handicap now, but when I first began playing this game, I jumped around from cheap putter to junk putter a lot. 

You lucky scoundrel! If I could go back, I would definitely read this article on the best putters for beginners to save me so much time and money. I could just pick one off the list here and leap frog my progress by years!

Without a doubt, the Odyssey White Hot putter insert is simply the best on the market. Odyssey is #1 on the PGA Tour and #1 in golf. There are pretenders to the crown but the true king of putter face inserts is Jon Snow...I mean Odyssey.

Whether you like the blade, the mallet or the oversized heads, each model in this range gives you the same White Hot insert and trusted Odyssey putting technology. And with that you get consistent lag distance control, soft feeling club face and superb alignment on the rear of the club.

The consistency of the strike with Odyssey putters is only matched by other large brands that cost you three or four times the price. I've used every Odyssey iteration since this line and can safely say for this price, I'd use this putter if I were a new golfer.

Cleveland golf have made a superb set of putters in this range. I personally own THREE, yes 3 putters from this range. They are all unique yet have common features. They're all very high quality, well weighted and have milled steel faces.

In contrast to the Odyssey putters above with the insert, the ball comes off the steel face of the Cleveland with a totally different feel. Inserts make for a very soft feel like you're hitting something with a marshmallow or pool noodle. Okay it's not that extreme but it gets the point across, because when you hit it with a steel putter, you notice a much firmer 'hit'.

This is preference you should work out for yourself by hitting a few with inserts and a few with steel or metal faces. I prefer the milled face on the Clevelands because it feels like I have more consistent roll on the ball. The insert can sometimes disguise poor strikes. 

The Huntington putters come in a wide range of head shapes. You get mallet putters, fang-style, blade and there are also center shafted models. My top tip for picking a putter is to go with what you like the look of. That's 80% of the battle won and it's very easy to find one model in the Huntington Beach range to suit your eye,  I am sure. 

With putting, we often find the most difficult part is starting the ball on the right line. Now, it's not that difficult to do, but what is difficult is to know when we adjust the putter face just before we hit the ball.

With an extended back, the two-ball, triple track alignment system is perfect to keep everything going where you want it. These are great mallet putters for those who struggle with aligning their eyes, the putter face and their mind to their target. 

Cleveland make very forgiving putters and the Front Line range is a step above their Huntington Beach range. The black color makes a very nice contrast to the green color of the greens. 

The contrast in the colors makes it especially easy to line the face up to the line you want to hit the golf ball down. The rear of the Iso model has squares cut out of it with a thin solid line extending to the back, maybe it incredibly easy to align your eyes, which is important for confidence, to the line you expect the ball to take.

The Tungsten in the putter moves the center of gravity to a place that allows consistent energy transfer from the club to the ball so your stroke and hit on the golf ball is always the same, producing a pure roll and more chance of getting the ball close to the hole or in the hole.

This type of alignment aid on the back of the putter is especially helpful for short putts where confidence in your alignment is key. You can stand behind it, knowing that the putter is aligned correctly. These are the strokes you can eliminate very quickly and shatter your scoring barriers.

PING is and has been the most famous name in putters. Their blade putters have always been sensational in feel and consistency. If you're a blade putter fan, literally anything in the PING range will suit you.

Keep in mind though that this style of putter is best suited to players who have a slight arc in their stroke. It's quite difficult to stroke these blades straight back and through, which is easier to do with mallet style putters, especially center shafted ones. 

They have expanded into all sorts of shapes and sizes and they are all in fact exception. The balance, the craftsmanship and the feel of the PING blade is much like Mizuno in irons. Nothing feels like a Mizuno they say. That's similar to a PING blade putter. 

A PING putter is not merely something to plug the hole. If you invest in one of these for your game, you won't replace. A putter is a very personal thing and once you find the one that suits you, hold onto it. Once people try PING putters, they very very rarely move onto another brand. Choose wisely.

The PGA suggest "What you want to do is get into a correct address position. When you tilt from your hips, you want your eyes over the ball, hands under your shoulders, elbows bent but touching your rib cage, and hips over your heels. The putter needs to fit this set-up. If you grip a "standard" length putter and find you're gripping down the shaft, you will need a shorter putter. If you grip beyond the end of the putter, you will need a longer putter. Now with the correct length putter in your hands, the shaft would be in line with your forearms. I have found that most golfers play with too long of a putter."

Up until recently you could use a putter that was much longer than standard length and anchor it on your body for more stability. The two designs were broom handle and belly putters and while they're still permitted, you're not allowed to let them touch anything other than your arms and hands. I don't recommend these putters for beginners.

The broom handle was normally anchored to your chest with one hand and swung with the other hand and the belly putter was stuck into your abdomen with both hands on the grip swinging the putter like normal. 

Under rule 14-b enforced in 2016, all anchoring of putters to your body was banned. Pros who relied on this method of putting lost their advantage while celebrating the New Year as midnight struck on 1 January 2016. 

I went with B-Dog from my YouTube channel to find new irons. He wanted Srixon so we tried the ZX4. They launched high when he hit them and the wide soles helped him to get under the ball. This will help from the deep rough. The heavy perimeter weighting meant B-Dog could swing it and trust the club to get the ball in the air and going far. 

The topline is a bit thick and that's to hide the wide body - from the 7 iron, I noticed the big booty in the back of the club. For B-Dog, that was the deal breaker. He wanted a more traditional iron so he settled on the ZX5 or ZX7 but they are not as forgiving as the ZX4. The ZX4 also have a large offset like all Game Improvement irons and the club head length is so long that the ball goes where we wanted it. The large face makes the golf ball feel small and unmissable.

One thing to keep in mind is the lofts are very strong and that is why we noticed a distance gain. The way they create these new clubs is mind blowing. Despite the cranked down loft, the ball launches as a 7 iron would anyway but goes as long as your prior 5 or 6 iron. Definitely forgiving and long.

There are many offerings like this in the market now, but Cobra have made one of the better looking versions. The big-bottomed Cobra T Rail iron are some of the easiest irons to hit. They rival the Cleveland HB Turbos in ease-of-use.

The rails on the sole of the club have been used for a while in the Cobra hybrids and fairway woods. Turf interaction is actually affected quite a lot by the rails. The club doesn't dig and the two rails help keep the face from twisting, gliding through the turf and grass super easily. It's not a joke when I tell you that the T rails assist in chunked shots to keep the club from digging, instead skidding into the ball for more success. 

Clubfaces on the irons look like standard irons but the hollow back helps to transform the irons into much easier to hit hybrids. The intimidation of a thin iron is significantly reduced when you look down at the Cobra T rails. 

There's consistent shaping in the set of T-Rail irons too so you set looks cohesive, but the clubs sound different as you work through them.  The pitching wedge makes more of a metal ping sound, but the 7 and 8 iron sound much more like a fairway wood or hybrid.  From 6 iron down it sounds like a fairway wood.  

These irons are aimed at beginners, people who struggle to get the golf ball airborne and players who may have lost some swing speed and distance. It can be really frustrating and demoralizing losing distance and height. Cobra promises you the easiest golf of your life. 

A friend in Bangkok, Tiha, got a set which starts with the 4 iron shaped exactly like a hybrid and as the set progresses toward pitching wedge, the hybrid back of the club gets smaller until you can't see it on the pitching wedge. The thick sole created by the hybrid design of the irons makes them easy to hit out of any lie and I found Tiha could hit her shorter clubs longer than usual.

She is normally GREAT with her long clubs and these hybrids suited her but she always fell short on shorter irons like 9 iron and 8 iron. I think these are the easiest to hit irons on the market. Tiha like thats the hybrid back of the irons is black to calm down the appearance because she is used to normal irons and with the black, it's less distracting.

Do yourself a favor and try these clubs. You might find they're the most forgiving irons you've ever hit.

The Callaway Rogue ST irons look good, like old-school-Ping-iron good. They don't look like Max Game Improvement irons at all but they are. You'll find Callaway to be some of the most forgiving irons around with their deep cavity back and permeter weighting.

If you need some help getting it in the air and keeping it in the air for longer, the Rogue ST Max irons have been designed to solve that problem. They've made the faces thinner around the edges with thicker areas near the sweet spot to maximize center strikes and rectify the off center hits. Like most Callaway game improvement irons, that do feel a bit chunky but you have to swing them at a ball a few times to understand they just plain work.

With stronger lofts on the irons, they need to raise the center of gravity to get that ball flying higher. Be warned that you may see an increase in distance, but it may just be down to stronger lofts, like with most modern irons. Do not fear though, because the ST Max provide a high ball flight with a steeper drop for more stopping power.

The basic idea is to find the easiest clubs to hit and cavity backs are the right choice.

How forgiving irons can improve your enjoyment

Why forgiving irons are the easiest irons to hit

Two things: shafts and club head design create the most forgiving irons.

Cavity Back irons - this is what we are looking for and the most forgiving irons ever have all been cavity back. 

How cavity back gives extra forgiveness

Perimeter Weighting

Cavity back irons usually have perimeter weighting, where the manufacturers hollow out the back of a muscle back iron and put that spare metal around the border of the back of the club.

The cavity back iron with perimeter weighting has a massive sweet spot for forgiveness.

Wider Sole

The wider sole lowers the clubs center of gravity which means more weight can get under and behind the golf ball on your shots. This produces an arching high ball flight even on mishits.

The extra beef on the sole will improve shots where you hit the ground before the ball too. That extra weight will “bounce” off the ground instead of digging into the earth like a thin sole would.

Additionally, newer golfers and high handicappers hit more balls in the rough and a wider sole will move through long or thick grass easily, allowing for good contact with the ball. The most forgiving irons out there will get you out of every lie: rough, sand, hard-pan and yes the fairways!

Offset Hosel

According to club designer Tom Wishon, “Offset is a design in clubheads in which the neck or hosel of the head is positioned in front of the face of the clubhead, so that the clubface appears to be set back a little from the neck of the club.”

“The more offset, the farther the head's center of gravity is back from the shaft. And the farther the CG is back from the shaft, the higher the trajectory will be for any given loft on the face. More offset can help increase the height of the shot for golfers who have a difficult time getting the ball well up in the air.”

The most forgiving irons on the market are going to have offset hosels. The low handicappers playing blades or muscle backs have such skill to square the club face at impact, they don't need the offset. The offset encourages a draw and reduces workability of the club to hit fades. Highly skilled players want to hit the ball both ways.

What's the most forgiving golf iron brand?

Srixon, Ping, Callaway, Cleveland and XXIO make some of the most forgiving and high quality irons on the market, while also offering high quality shaft options to pair with the iron. If you invest in a set from any of these brands, you'll be happy for a long time with the forgiveness and results you achieve.

What's the difference between a game improvement iron and a players iron?

You actually have 3 styles of irons nowadays all with differing levels of forgiveness:

1. Super Game Improvement irons
2. Game Improvement irons
3. Players irons

The Super Game Improvement irons might come with a closed back instead of a cavity back. They will have a rear end that protrudes out when you set the club to the ball. Mostly high handicappers and beginners will play the Super Game Improvement irons.

The Game Improvement irons are the best golf clubs for most high handicappers. These irons have cavity backs and sometimes closed backs but without the big protruding rear. These clubs help to get the ball airborne with low center of gravity and MOI. You can play these irons all the way down to single figure golf. 

The Players irons are not forgiving. Generally people who play other bat and ball sports, over time will be able to find the centre of the club and can move onto players irons. As a beginner or high handicapper, please avoid these clubs.

What is the most forgiving forged iron?

Srixon makes the best forged irons that are forgiving in the Z585 or ZX4 or ZX5 ranges. 

A  great fairway wood can revolutionize your game. It did for me when I started playing golf. 

I started this game with a 3 wood, but changed to a 5 wood after my friends dad told me it's easier and more fun to hit. He was right. No more topping the 3 wood, or slicing it into the water. That fairway wood laid the foundation for my love of golf.

Nowadays, you can get fairway woods that are so easy to hit, it would put my 5 wood from 1995 to shame!

Important to remember: the best fairway woods for high handicappers and beginners have high loft (more than 17°) which makes them fly higher and LONGER than lower lofted woods. The other thing is that you should buy the best equipment you can afford. Look for second hand versions if you like, but avoid the VERY cheap stuff you see online. 

The Titleist TSR2 fairway wood has the lowest center of gravity of any woods from Titleist because they removed the channel cut in the front of the club to make a fairway wood that is easy to hit high in the sky. That's why the TSR2 is my number one recommendation for high handicappers.

My experience with the TSR2:

The look of the TSR2 is traditional and clean. The club stands out from the competition instantly.

Titleist fairway woods are never loud and always make a subdued metallic pop that comes as quickly as it goes. The new low center of gravity on the fairway woods makes a center strike feel soft and light. When I mis-hit the ball, the club resisted twisting in my hands and the ball flew on target, with minimal distance loss. 

I was mostly impressed with the 16.5 degree and 18 degree TSR2. That's the correct loft for beginners and high handicappers. It was so easy to hit the ball into the air from any lie, fluffy or where there was minimal grass.

While there are so many low spin clubs, the TSR2 is a medium spin fairway wood. It was easy to keep the ball in play even on the worst strikes.

 I recommend the 16.5°, 18° and 21° Titleist TSR2 as the top pick for high handicappers  and beginners.

I game the 21 degree Ping G430 Max in my bag. I highly recommend either the 18 or 21 degree in the G430 range.

The low profile club face looks more like a hybrid than a driver which makes it incredibly easy to hit off the turf. The Ping G430 Max is easy to hit down with or sweep the ball off the turf.  

Off the face, the sound of the clubface is high-pitched and everyone around will know you're hitting a Ping. I enjoyed hitting the 18 degree from every lie on the golf course. It's easy to both elevate over trees or punch under branches. The 21 degree is one of the easiest fairway woods I have ever hit.

The higher lofts  and forgiving faces on these clubs allow me get the ball into play off the tee consistently with a baby draw. It's easy to hit on or near the greens from all lies and distances. The most impressive part is the soft landing when the ball comes down to earth. You can hit the Ping G430 Max all over the club face and get a towering shot that lands softly. 

Ping is known for consistency and ease of use. The G430 Max is in my bag because even as a low handicap, it simplifies my game so much. 

The Ping G430 Max comes in 15, 18 and 21 degree lofts but I would recommend only the 18 and 21 degree for high handicappers and beginners.

The Stealth is the prior model to the Stealth 2. I have tested both but don't believe you need to go for the latest TaylorMade Stealth 2 because the Stealth works perfectly. You may even find it cheap second hand.  

I felt confident with the ball teed up, and off the deck with the Stealth. Thin shots are not punished and I didn't hit many big slices.

The Stealth's looks are a very understated black color, with a V Steel sole that I find glides through the ground so easily. 

Recommendation: It's a very simple fairway wood to be honest. There are no special frills other than it is and always will be easy to hit. The ball flies off the face nice and high. Mainly, you can pick these up for a bargain as a high handicapper or beginner and that makes a difference. Cheap clubs with GREAT technology. 

I really believe you will get as much enjoyment out of this club as the newer model. 

Cleveland are the kings of game improvement clubs but very sneaky popular. There's not much fanfare out there, but a lot of golfers at club level jam Cleveland woods and irons. Their fairway woods have always been easy to hit and the Launcher XL Halo is a dream. 

The Launcher XL Halo 3 wood with 15 degrees is easy to launch but the 5 wood is where the game gets easy for the high handicappers. Cleveland have made a fairway wood that looks great and performs really easy because they moved attention away from developing the face.

They created variable stiffness and flexible areas of the sole and the crown to help focus more energy moving into the ball at impact with a bouncy face. 

The rails on the bottom of the club are reminiscent of the Cobra T rails and help prevent the fat shots. The club prefers to bounce through the turf gliding over a fat shot so the club still contacts the ball instead of digging in.

The face and hosel are created to be draw-biased to help eliminate that pesky slice. Now if you're slashing across the ball heavily, it's best to fix that swing, but if you're a light slicer, the offset can really bring the ball more left. 

BDog from the channel found it difficult to hit off the mats indoors and was just hitting hooks and big draws. He found it performed better on the grass and natural lies. For this reason, I think it works better on normal turf but not hardpan. But then again, which fairway woods do well on hardpan?

I found that at address, the toe and heel sit closer to the ground leaving more face area low down, where most golfers need help with fairway woods to get the ball airborne. The step-down shape of the crown also helps to get more weight lower, which also helps to get the ball in the air ASAP. 

Cobra golf clubs are always a hit with amateurs. The LTDx MAX is a really classic-looking fairway wood with a plain black carbon fiber head but with a touch of offset to get rid of a slice. The matte black crown looks inviting at address and stops any glare from the sun. 

If you're a slower swinger, the Cobra LTDx Max is a good choice

The inclusion of two strategically placed tungsten weights in the head, combined with a very lightweight shaft will help you get some more mph on your swing. Cobra placed the weight low and forward in the sole to reduce that spin down and reduce the weight on top of the club.

More swing speed means more distance. The weights in the head are also designed to eliminate a slice, so swing free and aim right down the middle. 

A very wide club face gives you a long surface area to make contact with. With more sweet spot areas to hit the ball, you'll find more forgiveness and straighter shots. I do not recommend getting a 3 wood in this range. It's a bit too big and cumbersome to hit off the deck especially as a higher handicapper.

You'll find the 3 wood good as a back-up driver but the 5 wood and up are going to be your best friend from the fairway. They are much easier to hit off the ground and at address, they just LOOK like they are easy to hit, giving you much more confidence. 

I recommend the 16°,  20° and 23° fairway woods. Combining a higher loft than normal fairway woods with light weight and the perimeter head weights means less slice and in turn tons more distance. The head is also adjustable meaning you can dial in you preferred loft. 

JMac from my YouTube channel is a Cobra fairway wood convert. Using them he has gone from a high handicapper to single figure player. 

Important information about fairway woods for high handicappers

Fairway woods for beginners and high handicappers are a tough subject. Because they're difficult to hit, I tried to simplify the whole process of finding a reliable wood for you.

1. Distance isn't everything 

Fairway woods don't need to be SMASHED and shouldn't be.

A smooth swing with a slight downward hit on the ball will produce a nice consistent and accurate shot that will travel straighter and with more height.

Hitting a fairway wood HARD hurts your accuracy and consistency because you lose control of the club and hit the ball all over the face, sometimes missing the ball completely.

My best advice for hitting a fairway wood is to relax and trust the club to do the work and swing EASY and SMOOTH. Trying to 'help' the ball up into the air will result in a lot of slices and thinned shots. The club has loft to do the work for you.

The clubs are designed in a way to make your life easier. Trust them.

2. Loft is your best friend

Low lofted clubs produce much lower ball flight. Usually, we would associate a lower loft with more distance. That is the case if your swing speed is fast enough. A slower swing speed and lower loft means a very low short shot.

The more loft a club has, the more forgiveness it has. This can be seen with a 3 iron vs a 9 iron. The 9 iron is much easier to hit. The surprising thing is that a golfer with a slower swing speed could hit the ball FURTHER with a higher lofted wood than with a lower lofted. 

For example, a high handicapper is often able to carry a 5 or 7 wood much further than 3 woods because the 3 wood flies lower with less forgiveness. If the swing speed is not adequate, then the 3 wood will only be airborne for a short time. The extra backspin and loft of a 5 or 7 wood produces much more elevation and in turn more carry distance, even on mishits.

3. Different skill levels for different clubs

Higher handicappers and beginners usually swing a little slower and require a bit more loft than normal and so a FIVE WOOD would be the best place to start for most higher handicappers - that's usually 17° or 18° of loft.

Lower and mid handicappers are more experienced and have developed a controlled faster swing because of their confidence and skill. They can play lower lofted fairway woods because the lower the loft, the more skill and speed you need to elevate the ball.

4. Fairway woods and hybrids can both help you

In my opinion, newer golfers should learn to hit DOWN on a fairway wood or hybrid as soon as possible. Hybrids have made long iron play much easier by blending an iron and a fairway wood into one club. I believe a 17°, 19° or 21° fairway wood is far more forgiving than a hybrid to start, and easier to hit than a hybrid of the same loft. 

Hitting hybrids requires a downward strike on the ball but learning to do that with a club that looks meatier like a fairway wood makes the transition to hitting hybrids so much easier. 

Learning to hit a 3 or 4 hybrid immediately as a beginner or high handicapper will be difficult because essentially it is still a 3 or 4 iron but it just has a chunk of metal stuck on the back. And you and I both know how difficult it is to master a long iron!

The best fairway woods for high handicappers and beginners must come in lofts higher than 17 degrees. You'll be able to hit them consistently and get these woods to travel longer distances. I also think you should have as many fairway woods as you can but never going below 17° of loft. 

The fairway woods you see the pro's hitting from 13° to 15° are much more difficult to get airborne off the tee and even harder to do off the fairways. The caveat to this is PING. PING woods are so easy to launch, it will make your hair stand on end!

Should I use a fairway wood off the tee?

Yes you can and very often for beginners, it is easier to keep the ball in play with a fairway wood off the tee.

If you want to use a fairway wood off the tee, you want a taller face so you can tee it higher. If you have a shallow face, you must tee it lower.

Is a fairway wood easy to hit off the ground?

The fairway woods in my list above definitely are the easiest to hit off the ground. It's very difficult for a lot of golfers to hit fairway woods 'off the deck' but I've tested every single one possible and I selected only the most forgiving woods for you.

It's easier to launch a shallower face fairway wood from a hard lie, a soft lie, a fairway lie or a lie in the rough. It's far more difficult mentally, to hit a tall-faced fairway wood because it feels like you have to 'help the ball' into the air., so I tried to find the shallower faced fairway woods.

I really suggest finding yourself a set of fairway woods that start at 16.5 or 17 degrees and work in intervals up to 24 degrees because these clubs are going to be your new favorites! High, long, floating shots instead of topping the ball and trying to help the ball inot the air.

Whatever gets the job done is what you play and with the assortment of woods and hybrids out there, you can practically fill your bag with them! Get out there and find what works for you!

Three woods can be easier to hit off a tee and in my 25+ years of playing golf with thousands of golfers, a three wood is often the answer for the wayward tee shots. Three-woods are not easy to hit off the ground though which is where it is valuable.

That is why I do not recommend the traditional 3 wood - I recommend higher loft. I believe this concept will revolutionize your game.  

For the most forgiving 3 wood I recommend something 16° or higher. Traditional 14 or 15 degree 3-woods are much more difficult to hit for the average golfer.

The G430 Max definitely appears to have a shallow, more of a hybrid-shaped face which makes it so easy to hit off the fairway and get the ball airborne off tighter lies. 

My experience with the Ping G430 Max 3 wood:

• The low profile face and very flat sole of the club makes it easy to launch the ball high from any lie
• I tee the ball lower when I hit the Ping G340 Max on the course because of the shallow club face
• If you play a Ping driver like I do, then it;s a no brainer to use their 3 wood because it performs identically well

During testing on the course, I would mis-hit the 3 wood and as I looked up, I would look to the right or left of the target because I assumed it was a bad shot. I would however, always find it  flying high and straight toward my target. It's uncanny and I can't explain how it does that but Ping are famous for how well their fairway woods perform. 

I also play the 7 wood in my bag. Highly recommended. You can adjust the loft 0.6 to 1 degree up or down.

Recommendation: The PING G430 Max is the ONLY 3 wood I recommend in lofts below 16 degrees. They are that easy to elevate off the turf. I would recommend the Ping G430 Max to anyone who swings below 100 mph.

Warning for fast swing over 110 mph: If you swing around 110 mph, you should look at other Ping options - this one will balloon into the air.

The Wilson Launch Pad 2 three-wood is a perfect 16 degrees of loft and is the best 3 wood for any high handicapper.

• The Launch Pad 2 is a simple point and shoot 3 wood that was easy to hit straight shots with 
• I gave it to a friend of mine on the course who swings relatively slow, and he had no problems hitting towering 3 woods
• The club sits very closed at address which gives the club a very obvious task of pulling your ball more left
• The shafts included in the Launch Pad 3 wood are very light at 55g (the one I tried) so you can pick up some speed 

Recommendations: The Wilson Launch Pad 2 is best for slower swingers who want to get more distance by reducing their slice. The club is lightweight so brings you more swing speed too. I would not recommend this club to FAST swing speeds (over 100mph)

The Cobra LTDx uses a tungsten weight low and forward in the sole to reduce spin and increase ball speed for more distance.

The crown is made of a carbon composite to reduce crown weight. The remaining weight allowance means Cobra created three different weighting options for different players. For players who need pure forgiveness, the LTDx is the best choice.

The LTDx is the most forgiving because of an extra weight chip in the back of the head for better ball flight. The Max has more weight in the heel of the head to try stop slices and the LS is really for more advanced players looking to tweak minor things to adjust workability.

Cobra have become famous for the rails under the club which are hollow trips of metal designed in a way to improve the way the face flexes. They've been removed on the 3 wood in the range because the 3 wood needs a sweeping motion and the rails are less effective for most golfers on this club. That's why I recommend higher lofted clubs for the majority of players. 

GOOD NEWS FOR YOU

I mentioned earlier that the 3 woods in most ranges do not offer much forgiveness compared to slightly higher lofted options. In the LTDx range, the 5 and 7 wood, which are really the ones we're interested in, have those hollow T rails so you don't dig your club into the turf and get nice high, soft landing shots with more carry. 

WHICH ONE'S FOR YOU?

The LTDx is made for straight distance and forgiveness. You'll get a high-launch/low spin shot for better carry and rollout. There's a fixed 8g weight in the back of the club which is the ingredient that creates the magic. 

The Paradym X fairway woods have been upgraded from the prior model Mavrik and Rogue Max by adding adjustability to the driver. On top of that, the Paradym HL version (high launch) means you can get a forgiving 16.5 degree loft on this great 3 wood. 

My experience with the Paradym X 3 wood HL version:

• The large design of the head makes the Paradym X look more like a high lofted driver behind the ball
• Placing the 3 wood behind the ball, the face is shallow so I felt confident of making good contact instead of topping the ball
• Easily the most forgiving Callaway fairway wood I have ever hit
• I noticed a right-to-left draw shot when I tested the club both on the Trackman and on the golf course
• I did not hit any fades with the club and that reliable draw shape and high trajectory makes it easy to know where the ball is going

The batwing technology makes the body stiffer to create more distance for the medium swing speed golfer. The HL version is slightly higher lofted so launching the ball is easier than a 15 degree 3 wood.

With the X model the forged carbon is only on the toe side to help make more draw shot shapes. More weight on the heel-side means that the tow is lighter so you can close the club face easier than other 3 woods.

Recommendation: The Paradym X HL is the most forgiving 3 wood if you hit low 3 wood shots and if you over-fade your 3 wood. This club will help to correct those two problems. 

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD fairway wood is designed to be the most forgiving 3 wood in the TaylorMade range.  It has a strong draw bias to help correct a left to right ball flight.

My experience with the TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD:

• The club head looks really long from front to back and also from toe to heel, making the face appear to have a huge hitting area
• TaylorMade have lowered the center of gravity a lot and while I don't fully understand the meaning of that, I could see that my thin shots went WAY longer than other fairway woods on the  same strike
• The club loves to go left - my draw got bigger, so if you are a slicer, you'll reduce the shape, but if you draw the ball, check out the standard Stealth 2

If you are tired of seeing your 3 wood burning worms along the ground and want to hit higher, floating shots into the greens or off the tee, the Stealth 2 HD has been designed for you.

Recommendation: The standard 3 wood is set at 16 degrees, making this one of the easiest 3 woods to launch high and get near the green. If you hit a fade, this club may eliminate that shot shape or reduce a big fade because it has a tendency to pull the ball left. 

Srixon upgrade their ZX fairway woods with the ZX MkII and they've moved some weight to the front of the club to change the center of gravity for more forgiveness especially on thin shots from tough lies.  

My experience with the ZX MkII:

• Matte black finish on the driver and the bigger size of the head makes me feel best when hitting from the tee
• I hit quite a few shots from the rough on course and the ZX MkII 3 wood performed the best out of all fairway woods
• When I hit from the rough, the fairway wood glided through the long grass without getting tangled
• On thin shots from the fairway, the ball had much less back spin - I could tel by the flight as the ball dropped out the sky and rolled out much further
• It was very easy to get the ball in the air despite the low 15 degrees of loft 

Recommendation: I always prefer more than 16 degrees of loft so I would recommend the ZX MkII to you if you are confident from the fairway with any 3 wood. If you're looking for a powerful 3 wood from the tee, then I would recommend this Srixon ZX MkII to anyone as long as you have the right shaft in it.

I do not recommend the 13.5 degree version unless you have a very high swing speed and play off a low handicap.