The Srixon Soft Feel is a low-compression, two-piece ionomer ball aimed at moderate swing speeds (think under 95mph), and it's pitched squarely at the weekend golfer who wants soft feel without paying premium-ball money.
Best Golf Balls for Beginners and High Handicappers 2026
Soft feel, straight flight, easy on the wallet.
Buy the Srixon Soft Feel — it's the best all-round ball for beginners and high-handicappers: a soft, low-compression ball that's genuinely soft off the face, flies straight at moderate swing speeds and is priced so a lost one doesn't sting. The Callaway Supersoft is the other go-to, with an ultra-low compression around 38 built for slower swings and dead-straight flight. While you're still losing a sleeve a round, a $70 tour ball is wasted money — you want feel, forgiveness and a price that doesn't hurt when one finds the lake.
Two things should drive the choice at this stage: compression and cost. Lower-compression balls compress more easily at slower and moderate swing speeds, which means a softer feel and a touch less driver spin — often slightly straighter flight, which is exactly what a developing game wants. The greenside spin you'd gain from a premium urethane ball won't help you yet, so there's no sense paying for it. Buy in dozens, not sleeves, and don't agonise over the choice — at this level the difference between good soft balls is tiny.
These are the dozens that fly straight, feel great off the putter and cost sensible money, roughly $25–$40 a box. If you want the cheapest route to a genuine tour ball, graded recycled lake Pro V1s are in here too at around $20 a dozen. Honest note: you'll give up a little greenside spin versus a tour ball — but at this stage, it won't cost you a shot.
The Callaway Supersoft is a low-compression, two-piece ionomer ball built for slower swing speeds and soft feel, and it's been a best-seller for years (still the number-one selling ball on Amazon in 2025). It's aimed at mid-to-high handicappers who want a forgiving, straight-flying ball without paying tour-ball money.
A low-compression two-piece ball that's been a staple in UK golf bags for years. The current version drops the compression to 70, pairs a FastLayer core (soft in the middle, firmer toward the edge) with a Spin Skin coating and a 338 dimple pattern, and ships in foil-free, plastic-free packaging. It sits squarely in the value bracket at around 24 pounds a dozen, not the premium tier.
Wilson's entry-level distance ball: a two-piece design with a big, low-compression core wrapped in a tough ionomer cover. The 37 compression makes it one of the softest balls on the shelf, and the whole thing is engineered to fly high, fly straight and keep long-game spin low. There's a full alignment stripe running round it to help you line up putts and tee shots.
TaylorMade's budget-friendly, ultra-low compression two-piece ball, sold in white, yellow and the splatter-finish Ink colourways.
Titleist's entry-level ball and the softest in the range. It is a simple two-piece design built around the TruTouch core for speed and a soft 3.0 TruFlex cover for a bit of bite near the green, wrapped in a 376 tetrahedral dimple pattern that gives it a low, boring flight. Think of it as the honest workhorse of the Titleist lineup, not a Pro V1 in disguise.
The Titleist Velocity is a two-piece, ionomer-covered distance ball. It is the budget-Titleist tee rocket aimed at mid and higher handicappers who want max yards and a high flight, not greenside wizardry.
The Warbird is Callaway's budget distance ball, a no-nonsense two-piece job built around a big, hot core and the HEX dimple cover. It is the ball you buy by the dozen, lose half of, and genuinely do not care. No fancy urethane, no tour-spin marketing, just a firm ball designed to leave the clubface fast and keep rolling.
A dozen genuine Titleist Pro V1s recovered from course lakes, washed and graded near-new by Second Chance, a long-established UK lake ball company.
Frequently asked
- What is the best golf ball for beginners?
- The Srixon Soft Feel — soft, straight-flying and inexpensive, so it performs well without punishing you when you lose one. The Callaway Supersoft is an equally good choice if you prefer the softest possible feel.
- Should a beginner use expensive golf balls?
- No. While you're still losing several balls a round, a premium tour ball is wasted money — you won't benefit from the greenside spin yet and it stings to lose. A soft, low-cost ball is the smarter buy until your contact is reliable.
- Do soft golf balls go straighter?
- Soft, low-compression balls tend to spin a little less off the driver, which can mean slightly straighter flight for slower and moderate swing speeds. The bigger benefit for most beginners is the soft, satisfying feel and the low price.
- Are lake balls or recycled golf balls any good?
- Yes — recycled premium balls like lake Pro V1s offer near-new performance for a fraction of the price, making them a smart pick while you're still losing the occasional ball. Quality varies by grade, so buy a reputable, graded supply.
- When should I move up to a better ball?
- When you stop losing several balls a round and start noticing your short game — chips and pitches that should check but don't. That's the sign you'd actually benefit from a urethane ball's greenside spin. Until then, the soft, cheap ball is the smarter buy, and your money is better spent on lessons or a fitting.