2023 Golf Ball Survey Results
Golf Balls

2023 Golf Ball Survey Results

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2023 Golf Ball Survey Results

About a month ago we asked you to take our golf ball survey. We wanted to get a better sense of what golf balls you’re playing and perhaps a bit about why you’re playing them. We also wanted to know where you’re buying your golf balls and whether “white, round and on the ground” remains the simple truth about what you’re playing.

In total, more than 7,700 of you (7,746, to be exact) took the survey.

We’ve chosen several of the more interesting questions and answers to share with you today.

Here’s what you told us.

Which type of golf ball do you typically play?

urehane covered golf balls remain the most popular choice among avid and serious golfers

If nothing else, the responses served to validate what we already believed to be true. The overwhelming majority (nearly 83 percent) of our readers who took the survey play a golf ball with a urethane cover.

We’ll continue to mix in the occasional ionomer-covered preference product but our readers are, by and large, performance-driven, which is why urethane-covered balls will continue to be our focus.

How much do you typically pay for a dozen golf balls?

$30-$40 is the most common price golfers typically pay for golf balls

An intriguing result to say the least: $30-$40 was the most-selected price range yet many of the most popular balls (see below) exceed the $50 price point.

Even with bulk discounts, it’s hard to get below $40 for the industry leaders. For what it’s worth, most direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands can get you below $40 with bulk pricing.

As more manufacturers push retail price points above $50, it will be interesting to see if consumer buying habits follow.

Which of these golf ball brands have you played within the last year?

Titleist is, far and away, the most frequently played golf ball brand.

More than three-quarters of respondents report playing a Titleist ball within the last year. TaylorMade is next on the list but trails by more than 25 percentage points.

Srixon is fourth, ahead of Bridgestone by a couple of percentage points while VICE holds a comfortable lead among DTC brands. More than twice as many of you reported trying VICE than Snell, though Snell’s well-documented supply chain issues likely played a role in that.

Which of these brands makes your preferred golf ball model?

Titleist was chosen as the preferred golf ball brand by more than 3x its nearest competitor.

Titleist is again a healthy leader with nearly 40 percent of you listing the company as your preferred brand.

TaylorMade is second again while Srixon is a sneaky third edging out Callaway and Bridgestone.

Of note, DICK’S Sporting Goods house brand, Maxfli, edged out VICE to lead all DTC (or DTC-like) brands.

How likely is it that you would recommend your preferred golf ball to a friend or colleague?

Which golf balls are most likely to be recommended to friends and family

Net Promoter Score is perhaps the ultimate metric for judging brand affinity and loyalty. It’s particularly interesting given that past surveys have taught us that smaller brands will typically fare better than larger ones.

It’s indicative of a smaller, but vocally passionate, following. Chances are, if you play a ball from a small or DTC golf brand, you love it.

Among all brands, Maxfli led the field with a Net Promoter Score of 73.

An exception of sorts, the Costco Kirkland brand was last among all brands that were chosen at least 100 times as the preferred golf ball brand.

Among golf’s traditional brands, Titleist was first with an NPS of 55. Srixon was again surprisingly strong (NPS 49) while TaylorMade, Callaway and Bridgestone weren’t far behind.

Rank the following golf ball performance characteristics by importance.

What performance attributes are golfers looking for in a golf ball?

While the total rankings reveal a relative balance between Feel, Driver Distance, Iron/Approach Performance and Spin, feel was most often chosen as the most important characteristic.

Have I taught you nothing?

We’ll look to adjust the wording of answers in future surveys, but Feel should be, at best, third on this list.

What’s interesting in that result is that while Feel was selected first most often by a slim margin, it dropped off significantly from there. It was selected as the second most important factor only 16.6 percent of the time and third most important only 18.3 percent of the time.

The other three top choices were selected more than 20 percent of the time as the first, second and third most important characteristics.

My takeaway is that if you care about feel, you really care about Feel – and if you don’t, it’s really not that important (and it shouldn’t be).

Where do you buy the majority of your golf balls?

The majority of golf balls are purchased at big box retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, PGA TOUR Superstore, and Golf Galaxy.

It never hurts to check in on buying habits now and again.

When it comes to golf balls, Big Box is king with one-third of you telling us that’s where you buy most of your golf balls.

Online from the manufacturer was the second most popular choice while smaller online specialty retailers account for more than 12 percent of the total.

Of note, Amazon was chosen only six percent of the time, while “green grass” was just a bit above seven percent.

What color golf ball do you play most often?

White golf balls are still the most popular choice by a significant margin.

Finally, I wanted to see if trends in color and patterns were moving the needle with our readers.

While it’s inarguable that bright colors and things like Truvis, Pix and Triple Track have a following, white still accounts for nearly 78 percent of the balls played most often by our survey respondents.

I suppose it’s noteworthy that it wasn’t that long ago that non-white use was often said to be around 20 percent. The fact that it has reached 22 percent with our base of largely serious golfers suggests there could be some momentum, though I don’t anticipate anything overtaking white in my lifetime.

Have your say

Did anything stand out to you in the results? Let us know.

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Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

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Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey





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      Todd

      6 days ago

      Great work,Tony. You’re the best at breaking it down.

      Reply

      Ron Reidlinger

      1 week ago

      I only play OP ( other people’s). After an outside tournament, always a few good Titleist, Taylor made, Srixon, Bridgestone hiding in certain places where good players miss.. I stock up and am good for a few months.

      Reply

      Kyle

      2 weeks ago

      They need to ask how many users buy new vs used vs refurbished

      Reply

      Stewart Abramson

      1 week ago

      +1

      I think this is the reason for the” intriguing result to say the least: $30-$40 was the most-selected price range yet many of the most popular balls exceed the $50 price point.”
      I play left dash pro V1x and pay around $30/doz used (like new) rather than $50/doz. The used ones play exactly the same as new ones that I received as a gift

      I’m also one who had feel as the least important factor in the survey. The left dash feel pretty hard

      Reply

      Bryan

      2 weeks ago

      I currently play Pro V1s, but have been desperately looking for a cheaper alternative. I’ve tried the ionomer covers (SuperSoft and SuperHot), but the extra distance and forgiveness doesn’t make up for their lack of iron spin and feel around the greens. I’ve also tried the Tour Response, but I didn’t really like the feel. I have an order out for Bridgestone B RXS, but they aren’t that much cheaper than the Pro V1s. The struggle is real!

      Reply

      Steve

      6 days ago

      Try Vice Pro. It is, by all measurable factors, a Pro V1 clone. I played Titleist for years and I get every bit the same distance, spin, and feel from the Vice Pro.

      Reply

      Sean

      6 days ago

      2nd for this. Vice Pro and Pro Plus are great balls, and can be had for $30/dz if you buy 5 dozen.

      Abbie Golf

      2 weeks ago

      We lived behind a golf course (Delaveaga GC) in Santa Cruz, Ca and found hundreds of golf ball whilest walking our dog. I probably have about 350 top quality Titleist golf balls (gave away 500 plus non Titleist), so I don’t buy any. Since I’ve been reading your articles on golf balls, I’ve purchased Callaway Supersoft, Bridgestone Soft Feel and Callaway Max Soft because I’m getting older and my swing speed has dropped.

      To my surprise, the non Titleist golf balls were shorter on drives, longer with the irons, and no spin on the greens. Switched back to the Titleist. I guess I’m a little weird.

      Reply

      Harry

      2 weeks ago

      Have played the Z-Star for several years and with their promotions have never paid more than $32 for a dozen.

      Reply

      Ned

      2 weeks ago

      For my swing I have tried the Pro V1 vs Callaway super soft and did not see any advance to the Pro V1. Pro V1 $55 Callaway Super Soft $23.

      Reply

      Bryan

      2 weeks ago

      I’ve played those 2 as well. The SuperSoft is definitely longer and more forgiving. But, they’re awful around the greens, don’t spin nearly enough. I’ve seen them roll out 20+ yards off of a well-struck 9 iron. Plus, they’re kind of like velcro when you putt them, just seem to die as they approach the hole. If you’re mostly concerned with extra length and forgiveness, then I agree. But I just can’t score with them to save my life.

      Reply

      Peejer

      2 weeks ago

      Maxfli’s success is a direct result of the MGS coverage. Above average ball below the competition’s price, coupled with the positive reviews. I think Maxfli ought to be very grateful for this site!!

      Reply

      Kyle

      2 weeks ago

      I agree. For a neutral website, it doesn’t seem very neutral in the coverage or commentary

      Reply

      KailuaBoy

      2 weeks ago

      Bridgestone E12 Contact! Best ball for distance, feel and price. Titleist highly advertised and over priced. Due to marketing. Don’t waste you $!!

      Reply

      MarkM

      2 weeks ago

      “An intriguing result to say the least: $30-$40 was the most-selected price range yet many of the most popular balls (see below) exceed the $50 price point.”
      My golf ball buying is in this range. I don’t know about other players, but I have found that you can usually find a discount on the top brand’s previous year model balls (except Titleist, which I don’t play anyhow) after the new ones come out. Also, eBay is a great way to find these deals too.

      Reply

      Peter

      2 weeks ago

      One thing that would be nice to include is “If you could play your current ball (assuming it is only available in white) would you like for it to be made available in a particular color or with a design on it?”
      I play the Maxfli Tour X mostly but WISH that it was available in either yellow or with some sort of differentiating alignment. I mostly have to go and put bigger markings on my ball to differentiate it because the people I play with aren’t always paying close enough attention to what THEY are playing and have been known to play someone else’s ball. 🤬

      Reply

      Frank B

      2 weeks ago

      I mostly play Vice, Snell, Maxfli and honestly can’t tell any difference between those and the ProV1s… so i only buy ProV1s when i get them for free or some kind of discount… Being a 13 handicap, the ball isn’t as important as my swing/technique.

      Reply

      Jeff

      2 weeks ago

      A couple of thoughts:
      1.) This survey becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy based on the type of golfer who reads MGS. Based on the anecdotal evidence from my local muni course from the balls I find, only about 1/3 are premium/urethane balls. Mostly they’re 2-piece distance balls I find. Also in talking with the pro shop, they sell more Noodles and “Soft” balls than any other type.
      2.) While I play premium, Bridgestone Tour BRX, I buy them used. Yeah yeah yeah, I know what you’ll say. But when I can buy used at $15/dozen (not refinished) on balls I’ll eventually lose vs. $50/dozen new, it’s not as gut wrenching when one goes OB into the woods. Best of both worlds I say – like buying a low mileage used car.
      3.)

      Reply

      Tony Covey

      2 weeks ago

      Certainly, our readership represents the more avid golfer, but almost without exception, 4 of the top 5 selling balls on the market have urethane covers. It’s where the bulk of the money is spent in the ball category.

      Reply

      Brad

      2 weeks ago

      Your point is definitely valid. Also consider that you’re also about 100% more likely to find a Nitro in the woods/creek than a ProV1 due to the general caliber of golfer that uses each respective ball. Also factor in the quality of your hunting grounds or sample area (local muni vs a bougie club somewhere).

      Reply

      Brett

      2 weeks ago

      What stood out to me is that you recognised Seed balls exist in this survey, even though you never include them in Ball Lab or Most Wanted tests. Please include them in future 🙏

      Reply

      Chris

      2 weeks ago

      I agree. I know a few people that are playing them and I see them about as much as Snell and Vice on the course but no reviews or tests. I’ve never bought them but played a few and liked them.

      Reply

      Matthew Levens

      2 weeks ago

      I do always try and play yellow and I choose Bridgestone. I just bought the 3 pack sale of tour BX but had to buy white as it only came that way.

      Reply

      Thomas Mansfield

      2 weeks ago

      I have been playing with 3 balls lately to see which one works best for me. I play five rounds per week so my experience took three weeks. First week was the Maxfli Tour. The ball lived up to the hype and I was very pleased with the performance. Next up was Taylormade Response. Again the ball performed well but I lost a bit of distance off the tee, though my iron shots did not suffer.
      Week three I played Srixon Z-StarXV. Once again, a good ball. I could definitely feel the compression difference between this ball and the others. The performance was definitely there and my drives were point on again without losing distance with irons.
      That being said, I am not sure yet which one I will land on. I will likely not add the Maxfli Tour X into the equation to see how it fairs. I do know that wherever I land for now will be good for my game. Of course, next year so will likely do it all over again.

      Reply

      Thomas Mansfield

      2 weeks ago

      Correction, I will likely add the Maxfli tour to see how it fairs.

      Reply

      Joe Domill

      2 weeks ago

      the new top of the line balls are really too expensive. the less expensive ones probably work for most golfers who are mid to high handicapers. the companies wil probably out price themselves because most people cannot afford these prices, the way the current conditions are.

      Reply

      Chris Gent

      2 weeks ago

      Too many people are missing out on one of the best values in golf: The 48-pack Maxfli Tour CG. Less than $2 a ball if you get them with any kind of a coupon and I hit them just as far as I hit the 2023 ProV1. I am a 4-5 handicap with a 110+ swing speed and hit a driver (70-gram tour X shaft) about 290-310 on average. I hit a 4 iron 215-225 on average using 115-gram stiff shafts. I have tested the new version against the new ProV1 and the new Tour X CG against the ProV1x and found both Maxfli balls to be as good or better in almost every metric (driver distance, dispersion, long game distance and dispersion control, short game distance control and dispersion, and putter feel / distance control). That last one, putter feel, is probably the biggest reason I quit using the OnCore balls last year, and is for sure the biggest reason I hated the Vice and Cut balls. As much as it pains me to say it, Dick’s / Golf Galaxy have a winner on their hands with their direct-to-consumer Maxfli ball. Just for the record, no one is paying me for this comment either. I have bought all of the balls I’m playing with my own money and won’t get anything from GG / Dick’s for saying this. However, at 40% of the cost, there’s absolutely no way anyone whose handicap isn’t a + and / or who isn’t getting their balls provided by school or a tour rep should waste money on a ProV1 / V1x over the Maxfli balls. There’s no way you’re seeing a 60% benefit to your strokes-gained…my son, who’s swing speed is up about 2-5% from mine, and who’s HS team gave him ProV1x for tournaments, preferred to slip in the Maxfli balls if possible because he could flight them lower on windy days than the V1x and they stopped better with his wedges for him.

      Reply

      Nathan royse

      2 weeks ago

      How do you feel about the tour vs the x

      Reply

      Brian Hagen

      2 weeks ago

      I’m a high swing speed player and I prefer the Tour to the Tour X, despite the Tour X being the higher compression ball. I produce a lot of backspin with my irons and the X version overspins for me.
      My preferred ball is the ProV1x “left dash,” but at roughly half the price with fantastic performance, I’ll buy the Maxfli Tour any day.

      Dennis Blankenbaker

      2 weeks ago

      Chris, I totally agree. I switched from Titleist Pro V1’s last year to Maxifli Tour balls, because I was able to buy a 48-pack for $109 @ Dick’s Sporting Goods. Last year, I ended playing a single dozen Maxifli’s over 45 rounds, I just couldn’t lose one for whatever reason and if I did, I didn’t have that sick to my stomach feeling watching a $4-$5 Titleist Pro V1 sail into the water or woods. I gave a dozen Maxifli’s to my Brother and to his best friend during another round last year, and both of them have now switched from Titleist Pro V1’s to Maxifli Tour balls~! Great product at a resonable price.

      Reply

      Leonard Graff

      2 weeks ago

      Interesting article but not very informative, reflective of, or useful to the average golfer. I appreciate you acknowledge the results as a percentage of only your readership. Thanks and keep up the good work

      Reply

      Keith Hansen

      2 weeks ago

      I’ve been playing Bridgestone e6Softs for years but I’m considering upgrading to urethane. While I haven’t gone to the $50 per dozen yet, I’m curious and thinking about trying the ProV1, just to see what the fuss is about. BTW, I also play yellow. Occasionally I hit it where I might need the help and usually I’m the only one in the group playing yellow, so it’s easy to tell which one is mine. BTW, I’m old enough to remember when tennis balls were predominantly white. The conversion to yellow was made because of improved visibility. It would stand to reason that most golfers should play something other than white, given that most of us will hit it (Sometimes/Often) where we aren’t intending.

      Reply

      Daryl

      2 weeks ago

      I find the neon red balls very easy to find. It’s too bad most of them are matte, and not urethane so you pay a performance price with them. I have tried the taylormade tour response the last two rounds, which are available with a red or orange stripe that I’ll be trying soon. $40 a dozen and urethane, so you don’t have to go to $50 or over for performing colored balls.

      Reply

      Steve

      2 weeks ago

      Vice does a good red ball in 3 and 4 piece urethane

      Daryl

      2 weeks ago

      Interesting to see that so many people care more about feel, than things that can actually lower their score. I rarely care or notice how impact felt other than noticing my best shots I feel nothing off the clubface at all.

      Reply

      Jeremy

      2 weeks ago

      Hi Daryl, i dont know about other people but i ranked it the most important because good feel inspires confidence and good confidence generally inspires good play.

      Reply

      Lawrence Bogar

      2 weeks ago

      While the Pro V1X has been my ball of choice for a few years now, They have broken my price point. I expext to move to my 2nd choice of Mizuno RB Tour X soon.

      Reply

      Tom

      2 weeks ago

      I’ve been playing the Maxfli Tour X for about 2 years now, and its exactly like the ProV1X. If youre looking for a cost effective replacement, do yourself a favor and give it a try.

      Reply

      Kyle

      2 weeks ago

      I agree about the Titleist price.I switched to Snell a few years s ago & haven’t looked back. I’m a single digit handicap & I don’t see a performance drop off. Maybe the shine of the cover wears down a round quicker, but for the price, I can deal with that…

      Reply

      CC Biggz

      2 weeks ago

      I also switched to Snell a few years back and even though people believe including mygolfspy that the new injection production cannot be as good quality as in the past I find the new Snell prime MTB-X to not only excel off the driver but not as heavy or firm feel if you will with the putter that I find with the Pro-V1X. I will admit to purchasing a brand new dozen tireless pro V1 access at the backpage golf shop but only because someone gave me a gift card 😉
      Given what I have read up top I will definitely try to max fly tour but as of now Dean Snell receives all of my ammo funds

      Kyle

      2 weeks ago

      The mizuno ball lineup is junk

      Reply

      James C

      6 days ago

      You can get the 2021 version at a good discount now. There’s almost no difference between the 2021 & 2023.

      Reply

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