Golf Tips For Beginners - Golf Equipment #2

If you read part 1 of golf tips for beginners - golf equipment article, you will have learned of the importance of choosing the correct golf clubs. Golf balls are another item of golf equipment that the beginner golfer generally doesn't take care in choosing correctly. They either believe that any golf ball will do or they are swayed yet again by multi million dollar advertising campaigns from the big name manufacturers.

You should not believe some of the claims made by golf ball manufacturers, even if they are from the most respected ones. When you hear or see golf ball adverts that say you will get an extra 10 or 20 yards distance of the tee, they are talking about very accomplished golfers and professionals. These players can generate the swing speed necessary to take advantage of these newly designed distance balls that will gain them those extra yards. Unfortunately, for most of us, if we can't generate enough golf club swing speed, then we will be lucky to see an extra yard.

Having the right golf ball can make it easier to pull off finesse shots, gain you distance in your drives, or make it easier to spin the ball for landing the ball on the green and stopping it where you want.

There are as many different balls on the market today as there are different types of golfers. Though, for making golf ball comparisons, there are really only three types: two-piece golf balls, three-piece golf balls, and four-piece golf balls. There are one-piece balls, but normally, these are used as practice balls. The type of ball you need will depend on what level of golf player you are and what you are looking to achieve on the course.

One-Piece Balls

Two-Piece Golf Balls

The two-piece ball consists of a large hard rubber core with a cover of plastic, usually surlyn. On the cover, there are dimples to help the ball travel further. The two-piece balls are better for distance but not for spin, making them the preferred choice for the beginner.

If you are a beginner, you most likely don't want a lot of spin, but need the distance, making the two-piece a good option. These balls are also good if you don't have a straight shot or are just trying to improve your long shot. Knowing your strong and weak points is important when choosing the right golf ball.

Three-Piece Golf Balls

The three-piece solid ball also has a large rubber core, but then it has a thin layer of plastic followed with the cover. The other variety of the three-piece ball is the wound ball, sometimes with a liquid center, covered with wound up leather or rubber thread followed with a cover of hard plastic, synthetic rubber or balata. This ball is not as good for distance but is better for backspin and control. The wound ball is used by proficient golfers and professionals, and it is more expensive than the two-piece ball.

The three-piece ball is an excellent choice for the golfer that has a good all round game, is very consistent with his shots, and wants to improve upon his game.

The Four Piece Golf Ball

Some golf balls are intended for slower swing speeds with a lightweight construction that catches the air. They are normally marketed for seniors or women, but plenty of men will play these balls because it gives them extra distance.

Low Spin Rated Golf Balls

Firm-Feel Golf Balls

The feel factor relates directly to the compression rate. Most golf balls are rated by the amount that they compress; a compression of 0 deforms by 0.2 inches or more and a compression of 200 does not compress at all. Soft feel balls are low compression golf balls that have a compression rating of around 50 to 70; whereas hard feel golf balls are high compression that are rated at around 100 or 110. Manufacturers can use different systems to rate their balls so they can differ from brand to brand.

The condition of the golf course can also dictate which golf balls to choose. If the course has been inundated with rain, then you will need a ball that will travel father and produces less spin. If you are playing on a rock solid, sun-scorched course, choose something softer that will land soft and spin.

Even the weather you are playing in can make the golf ball behave differently. Take into consideration the temperature; golf balls come in various compressions; sometimes from lows of 50 up to 110 or more. When you hit the ball it compresses; the 90 compression ball will be softer and compress more than the 100. If it's cold, the ball will not compress as much, so you will want to play a 90 compression golf ball. If it's hot, you will want to decide on the 100 compression.

There are numerous places to buy golf balls, but to get an idea of the amount of different golf balls on the market, look on the internet. You will generally find that on line golf stores can offer their golf balls cheaper than the high street shops, and they can also offer more choice.

I have found that Scorelow have the lowest prices for all the latest top brand name golf balls. They stock balls from all the major golf ball manufacturers at discount prices, and they also have a closeouts category where you can find even greater deals - I have seen a dozen golf balls for under $10.

ScoreLow have knowledgeable, friendly, and service oriented staff that helps you place your order. There are other stores with more choice, but when it comes to price, they can't be beat. The only gripe I have is with there onsite navigation; when you go to the golf balls section, you are presented with several pages of golf balls but they are in no particular order, so you have to just go through each page to find what you are looking for - but, for their prices, it is worth it.

If you are looking for a huge selection and a well laid out menu design, then GolfBalls is what you are looking for. For a start, you can choose the brand from a drop down menu to go straight to the brand you want. You can also choose the condition, as in; stock, logo overruns, personalized, or custom logo. I also like, when you click on a golf ball, you get more information, and at the bottom of the page there are customer reviews of the balls.

As far as selection goes, they have 40 different brands, so you will be sure to find the ball you are looking for. They have all the top brands as well as second tier name brands. They also have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, safe and secure shopping, and fast order processing. Well worth checking out for their choice, but also they are the leaders in the market when it comes to personalized golf balls and custom logo golf balls.

Finally, as another option, you can buy used golf balls. Now, I know you may be thinking that who would want to buy split and damaged golf balls. Well, if you check out GlobalGolf you will see that they also have new golf balls. For the beginner that may loose a lot of golf balls when first starting, or for the budget minded golfer, used golf balls can be a good option.

I have seen 5 dozen Pinnacle golf balls for $18; that is only $3.60 per dozen! As to the condition; all there used golf balls are graded as AAA. GlobalGolf says this about the condition of them: "Triple AAA grade used golf balls are like new. These high quality recycled balls look, feel, and play like new. They have a consistent brand label, color, and shine. Very minor surface scratches and imperfections are possible."

Some of their used balls are mint condition and go for only $10 per dozen, which is still cheap. Again, from GlobalGolf: "Mint condition grade used golf balls have the appearance and feel of a ball that has been hit once. Mint condition used golf balls have a consistent color, glossy shine, and perform as they would out of the box. Imperfections are very minor, if not unnoticeable.

I have given you three different options for buying golf balls for three different budgets. The most important thing is to choose the correct golf ball for your needs. Take into consideration your skill level, whether you are looking for distance or spin, and depending on the course conditions or weather - all will affect the type of golf ball you should buy.

Choosing the right golf ball really is important to playing to your maximum potential. There are scores of golf balls on the market, so explore which golf ball you may want to use and then try it out. Experiment, and in time, you'll find exactly the right golf ball for your game.

In the next golf tips for beginners - golf equipment article, I will go over choosing the last three important items of golf equipment the beginner golfer needs.