Cutting to the core: should your next ball be two-piece or multilayer? We sort out the spin to help you find the right one

Golf Digest, Sept, 2003 by Mike Stachura

Done any sleeve-reading lately? One ball claims "Long Distance and Super Feel," another touts "Longer Distance, More Spin and Control," and a third shouts "Ultimate Distance and Control." It's enough to make you choose a ball based on the color of the box.

Categorizing golf balls is a sketchy business, a curious alchemy of science, marketing and a golfer's particular desire to consistently get a 20-yard chip shot to check. Still, manufacturers categorize balls all the time, usually by price and type of construction (another way of saying "performance"). Manufacturers realize that finding the right ball is a challenge.

"Everybody is different," says Bill Morgan, senior vice president of golf ball research and development at Titleist. "We have different swings, different areas in which we need help from our equipment, different areas in which we can take advantage of equipment nuances, different perceptions and different economic realities."

Price is clearly a factor, but it's also true that what you paid for a sleeve doesn't mean diddly when you need to get up-and-down on 18 for all the money. To assist you in your golf ball purchase, we present a breakdown of the golf ball universe and three key questions to ask about yourself and your game. Finally, we reveal some testing that shows just how different (and similar) the various types of balls can perform. Process it all, and you just might find a ball that really is longer and softer. For you.

THE FOUR TYPES OF GOLF BALLS

The argument can be made that there are as many golf ball construction types as there are individual models of balls. But for the sake of simplicity, let's break it down to four. Categories two and three below (two-piece low compression and what we're calling "two-piece performance") feature a variety of balls designed for average golfers. Your mission: Identify a category you like, and try the balls within that category

to find the one that addresses your different needs.

1 TWO-PIECE DISTANCE

Examples: Callaway Warbird; Pinnacle Gold; Slazenger Raw Distance Fusion; Top-Flite XL Pure Distance; Wilson Jack. Price range: $10-$20 a dozen.

Upside: They spin less, and that means less slice and hook. They also may launch higher because the firm polymer cover tends to slide up the clubface slightly at impact. Harder covers are less likely to show damage from abrasion, too. The biggest benefit: They're cheap, not much more than a dollar a ball and sometimes less.

Downside: They spin less. That's a problem around the greens, but it also could prevent slower swingers from generating enough lift (or carry). As for feel, generally, it's going to be more croquet ball than feather pillow.

Expert advice: "The firm cover and high compression yields a ball with high velocity, high launch angle, low spin and firm feel. However, golfers are sacrificing the attributes of spin and feel."--John Calabria, vice president of research and development for TaylorMade.

2 TWO-PIECE LOW COMPRESSION

Examples: Dunlop LoCo; Maxfli Noodle; Nike Power Distance Super Soft; Precept Lady and Laddie; Titleist DT SoLo. Price range: $15-$25 a dozen.

Upside: Because they're easier to compress, low-compression balls can improve distance for moderate swing speeds. Some balls in this category offer low spin to improve accuracy and softer covers to improve feel.

Downside: Soft feel may not translate into more spin on short greenside shots.

Expert advice: "The cores are more resilient while keeping the compression soft."--Dean Snell, senior director of research and development for TaylorMade.

3 TWO-PIECE PERFORMANCE

Examples: Callaway CB1 and HX 2-Piece; Maxfli A3; Slazenger Tour Platinum; Srixon Hi-Spin and Soft Feel; Titleist NXT and NXT Tour; Top-Flite Infinity; Wilson True Velocity. Price range: $20-$30 a dozen.

Upside: Some in this new genre tout large "springy" cores (A3, NXT Tour and Infinity, for example). Balls with large cores have thin covers, and that can make it easier for the core to compress when the ball meets the clubface. In theory, this leads to more distance.

Downside: Like the two-piece low compression balls, these balls may not offer the same spin advantages on short shots as the multilayer urethane ball.

Expert advice: "We are squeezing the last bits out of two-piece ball technology. This type of ball is definitely going to give most players enough performance. It probably provides 80 percent of all a ball can do."--Tom Kennedy, vice president of research and development for Top-Flite Golf Company.

4 MULTILAYER CONSTRUCTION

Examples: Ben Hogan Apex Tour; Callaway HX and CTU 30; Maxfli M3; Nike TA2, Double C and One; Precept U-Tri and Tour Premium; Srixon Pro UR and UR-X; Strata series; Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x; Top-Flite Tour; Wilson True Tour V and Elite. Price range: $25-$50 a dozen.

Upside: Each layer enhances a performance aspect. The soft cover enhances feel, the firm inner mantle improves energy transfer to the core and the core itself promotes distance. Urethane-covered multilayer balls are softer than two-piece balls and can spin more on chip shots and bunker shots. Urethane is just as soft as balata but is more durable and consistent.