 A
simple fact: One golf ball looks much like another. Yet, if
you believe some of the hyped-up marketing by golf ball manufacturers,
there are dozens to choose from, each with different flight characteristics,
each promising to be the magic ball with a magic fix for your game.
The five balls shown within this article constitute the very best
available in today's market and are highly recommended.
Regardless off your skill level, you'll never know which ball
really works best for you unless you experiment. Ball companies
are forever offering specials to get you to try their new products.
Take full  advantage
of these offers. When you do test, check carry, ball flight and
distances with your driver, fairway woods and irons. Pay special
attention to those balls that best work for "scoring"
shots- those from 100 yards in with a lot of spin, bump-and-run
shots and pitches.
Golf balls are divided into two basic types: the distance
ball, which feels hard off the clubface and produces relatively
little backspin, and the performance ball, which has a
softer skin and offers more spin.
However, due to well-funded R&D departments and technological
advancements, a new category of ball  has
surfaced - the so-called compromise ball, which aims to
combine distance with a degree of feel. The difference in feel
and performance are significant and the lesson of this is clear
- whichever ball you choose, you need to think about its key characteristics
every time you step up to play a shot. By combining compression
and spin, manufacturers have done an amazing job creating balls
that are soft and long. They can even make a ball spin when hit
at one swing speed and not at another. Take advantage of it.
 Golfers
often choose golf balls without really understanding what the
balls can or can't do for their games. It's prudent, for example,
to find a ball that works well on the course you play most often.
If that course is fast and hard with countertop greens, go for
lots of spin. If it's soggy and long, with greens that hold like
Velcro, go for distance and feel. If you must work the ball, spin
has to be a priority.
Of utmost consideration in the purchasing of the "Balls
used by Pros as seen on TV", remember that unless you have
the ability to generate ball speeds in excess of 155 m.p.h., the
ball is of no benefit to you and status can be very expensive.
 The
balls that will most benefit the average player minimize spin
off the tee and maximize spin around the green. Two-piece solid
and multi-layer balls reduce backspin and the sidespin that results
in slices and hooks. They also boost velocity for greater hang
time. The softer covers on these balls also allow you to generate
more backspin on your iron shots.
Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional
Golf Teachers Association of America. He is also a member of the
Golf Writers Association of America and the California Golf Writers
Association and a Mediator for the golf industry. He is a contributing
writer to numerous national magazines. He can be reached at drlotz@cbsgolf.net
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