Best Low Compression Golf Balls For Seniors

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Updated February 2021.

As a senior golfer, your swing speed may not quite be what it once was, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing the game.

In fact, by choosing your golf ball wisely, you may even be able to pick up a few yards off the tee.

The key to finding the best golf ball for seniors is finding a quality golf ball with a low compression core. This allows golfers with slower swing speeds to compress it and maximize your distance. Stay away from those rock hard cheap balls that say they’ll give you more distance, they are far from the best senior golf ball. You can get more distance and great performance around the green with the balls on this list.

And if you want more, check out our guide to the best golf balls on the market.

Keep reading for a more detailed review and more options…

Now that we have established what you should be looking for in a low compression golf ball, let’s take a look at the best ones out there today.

Depending on your specific needs, some of these options may be better than others.

Like with any golf ball selection, the best approach is to grab a box (I just order mine online) and try them out. The time and few bucks you’ll spend testing out a few options are going to pay dividends soon when your scores and distance improve because you have a ball that works great for your swing.

Titleist Tour Soft (Overall Best Golf Ball For Seniors)

The Titleist Tour Soft is the company’s evolution of the NXT and NXT Tour line of golf balls. It is no doubt an answer to the overwhelming success of other low compression golf balls by Callaway, Srixon, and Taylor Made.

Compression Rating: 65 | Two-Piece | Surlyn (Ionomer) Cover | Ideal Driver Swing Speed: 65-85

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

I used the NXT Tour back when they first came out and this ball was somewhat similar in feel to that model. Although I would say that it has a softer feel to it and is a little better around the greens.

One of the aspects of this ball that I was not expecting was the height I got on iron shots. This may vary depending on swing speed but it was helpful, especially on approach shots. I wouldn’t use this ball on a windy day though. It may be difficult to keep low when you need to.

As far as feel goes it actually felt quite similar to the ProV1 from tee to green. Perhaps a little bit softer on the long shots but similar on the shorter shots.

The Titleist Tour Soft lacks a urethane cover. This may not be a big deal to players who aren’t used to one but it may take some getting used to for those that are.  However, for a syrlyn cover, this ball performed much better than expected around the greens. Enough that the combination of a 65 compression rating and more than adequate control around the greens is why I picked this as for the number one spot on the list.

Who Should Use The Titleist Tour Soft?

For the majority of senior golfers looking for a low compression golf ball, the Titleist Tour Soft is a great choice. It strikes a nice balance with a 65 compression rating that is low enough for most senior golfers, but not too soft for those that might be used to a Pro V1 or similar ball. If you’re looking for a low compression ball, then this should be the first one to test out.

Pros

65 compression rating
Soft feel
Extra height on iron shots

Cons

No urethane cover
Less greenside spin than premium balls

Runner-Up | Srixon Q-Star Tour

The Srixon Q-Star Tour is a relatively new golf ball by Srixon that was made specifically for the slower swing speed player that wants to play a quality golf ball. It does have a slightly higher compression rating than others on this list so it is more targeted towards those seniors that can still generate a swing speed in the 80-95 range.

The Srixon Q-Star Tour is a great option for players who need a lower compression ball but don’t like that mushy soft feel.

CLICK HERE for my comparison of this ball with one of my favorites, the more expensive Srixon Z-Star.

Compression Rating: 75 | Three-Piece | Urethane Cover | Ideal Driver Swing Speed: 80-95

Q-Star Tour golf ball for average golfers

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

If you are familiar with the original Q-Star, these are probably much closer to the Z-Star in performance than they are to the Q-Star. Considering they are retailing for only a few dollars more than the Q-Star, this might be the best golf ball deal out there, hands down.

As one of the more recent entries into the low compression/high-quality ball market, Srixon really hit all the important things on this one. The combination of a low compression core and relatively low spin on longer shots will result in great tee ball performance. Especially for those in the 80-95 swing speed range. If you are lower than that, you should try out the other balls on this list to compare the distance with your driver and other long shots.

Around the green, this ball was the stand out of the group. The urethane cover makes a big difference for greenside chips and pitches as well as full swing wedge shots. In my head to head testing, it was not far off Srixon’s Tour-level ball, the Z-Star as far as handling around the green. So if you are used to a ProV1 but just don’t have the swing speed to get it down the fairway like you used to, then this is probably the perfect ball for you.

Putting with this ball was remarkably similar to the more expensive Z-Star or even a ProV1. It has that premium ball feel off the putter which I attribute to the urethane cover.

Who Should Use The Srixon Q-Star?

If your swing speed is 80-90mph then the Srixon Q-Star might be a great choice for you. You still need to avoid the premium balls with compression ratings in the 90s and above, but you may not want the softer balls on this list. Because this is not among the lowest compression golf balls, those with swing speeds under 80 might want to avoid it.

Pros

Urethane cover (for great greenside control)
Low price (especially for a urethane cover)
Similar to premium balls

Cons

75 compression may not be low enough for some

Super-Low Compression | Callaway Supersoft 2021

For those of you that love a ball with a really soft feel at impact, the Callaway Supersoft might be perfect.

With a crazy soft compression rating of 38, the Callaway Supersoft earns its name. It is one of the lowest compression golf balls on the market. That alone makes it a great low compression choice for seniors but Callaway also makes it pretty good around the greens as well.

Compression Rating: 38 | Two-Piece | Surlyn (Inonomer) Cover | Ideal Driver Swing Speed: 60-75

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

The Supersoft made the list mostly because it is the best ball with really low compression. Every golfer looking for a low compression ball should try this ball out. In fact, we wrote a complete Callaway Supersoft Review here on the site because it has become so popular.

Despite the soft feel, it tends to generate less spin than the other balls on this list which makes it a great ball for those senior golfers who may need a little help keeping the ball in the fairway.

An interesting side effect of the low spin was a lower trajectory than the others on the list here. As long as you aren’t hitting it with a lot of clubhead speed, this ball will help you keep the spin down which results in farther straighter shots and makes it a good ball to use in the wind. That being said, it didn’t hold the green as well as the others on mid to long iron shots.

The biggest update for 2021 was the new cover which Callaway claims is much closer to the Urethane cover that is found on premium (and much more expensive golf balls).

New Hybrid Cover features an innovative PARALOID™ Impact Modifier made by DOW Chemical. This allows us to create a highly versatile, multi-material construction. It’s how we can provide an incredible combination of fast ball speeds from high launch and low spin, soft feel, durability, and excellent greenside control.

Callaway Website

If you are looking for a really low compression ball then this is the one you should try.

Who should try the Callaway Supersoft?

Get on a launch monitor and measure your driver swing speed. If you’re swinging your driver around 75mph or below then the Supersoft may be a great option for you. If you really like the soft feel of a ball then check this one out. It may be too soft for some, in which case, try out the other two options in the list. The best way to decide is to grab a box of each and play a few rounds with all of them.

Pros

Very low compression
Low spin on longer shots for added distance

Cons

Greenside spin less than expected
May be too soft for some

Premium Low Compression Ball | Callaway Chrome Soft

Low compression with a premium cover and control, the Chrome Soft is perfect for the low handicap senior golfer.

A couple of years ago, Callaway filled a big gap in the golf ball market with this low compression premium golf ball. Now lower handicap golfers with slower swing speeds can have exactly the ball they need.

Compression Rating: 75 | Four-Piece | Urethane Cover | Ideal Driver Swing Speed: 85-100

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

The Callaway Chrome soft sports a 75 compression rating (same as the Srixon Q-Star Tour above) but Callaway says that the combination of a soft cover and larger core give this ball an even softer feel that might be perfect for seniors or players with slower swing speeds.

If you want to see how it stacks up against the most popular ball in the game, check out Chrome Soft vs. Pro V1 comparison.

Some tests have shown that the optimum swing speed for the Chrome Soft is 90-100 mph. While that isn’t necessarily what most would consider a “slow swing speed,” there are a lot of low handicap golfers out there that are around that 90mph mark with their driver that needs a better option than the other premium golf balls out there.

The only major downside to this ball compared to the others on this list is the price. It’s a premium ball (used by some PGA Tour players), so you should expect to pay more than the other options here.

Pros

Soft feel and 75 compression
Great greenside control
Great for low handicap players with slower swing speeds

Cons

Expensive
75 compression may not be low enough for some

Advantage Of Low Compression Golf Balls

Without getting too deep into the physics of it all, a golf ball that is hit gets most of its momentum from the ball compressing against the clubface and rebounding off of it. The compression creates stored energy and the rebounding is releasing that energy.

That’s why a round rock the same weight as a golf ball wouldn’t fly nearly as far (there are other reasons too of course). Check out my other article “What Is Golf Ball Compression” for a little more detail on how this works.

If a ball is too hard (like the rock we just talked about) and you aren’t swinging fast enough to compress it, then you are missing out on a lot of potential energy and momentum in that ball.

That means that if you have a slower swing speed (let’s say around 70-80mph) then a ball with a compression rating of 65-75 will travel farther than one with a rating of 90-105.

In case you were wondering, a ProV1 has a compression of 90 and a ProV1x has a compression of 100. So if you aren’t swinging your driver at least 90-95 then that Pro V1 is costing you a lot of distance and that Pro V1x is even worse!

Generally speaking, low compression balls should be the best golf balls for seniors. So with this in mind, all of the balls on this list have a compression rating of 75 or lower.

But there are more things to consider because you want more than just low compression, you also want a ball that gives you control and scoring opportunities.

How To Find The Best Golf Ball For Seniors

As a senior golfer, you need to maximize the distance you can get from your swing without giving up greenside control if you want to continue to shoot scores that match your skill level. It may be time to get rid of that ProV1 that doesn’t fly as far as it used to and look at these factors that are going to make a big difference in your game.

Compression Rating 75 Or Lower

This list is all about low compression golf balls, right? So let’s look at that first.

For the reasons I talked about above, I decided to choose a compression rating of 75 as the cut-off. Some of you senior golfers out there may have swing speeds that can handle a higher compression. But if that is the case then this article probably isn’t for you. Check out my Best Golf Balls buying guide for a lot more options.

The rest of you came here looking for low compression golf balls.

There isn’t a standard definition of what a “low” compression golf ball is, but looking for golf balls that have a compression rating of 75 or lower is a good place to start. Most of the balls on this list are even lower. Sometimes the lowest compression golf balls might be the best for you.

Greenside Control

This factor is just about as important as compression. Lack of control around the greens will probably cost you more strokes than losing distance off your drives.

Also keep in mind that if you are losing a little swing speed, you’ll end up hitting longer clubs into the green which will place a higher priority on being able to get up and down. As a senior golfer, your experience and skill around the greens is probably your strength so don’t go playing a golf ball that flies far off the tee but doesn’t give you any spin or control around the greens.

Control around the greens comes from two things, trajectory, and spin. A higher trajectory will make the ball stop sooner and having more or less spin will control how it rolls out after it hits the green. You can control trajectory with any ball but that isn’t always possible given the lie and position of the shot. So let’s talk about spin.

A softer ball with a softer cover will spin more. That means that pitches and chips will roll out less which can be very useful on courses with fast greens.

In recent years, golf ball manufacturers have put some effort behind developing balls that fly farther with low compression and less spin off the driver while maintaining cover softness for control around the green. Those are the ones you want.

Soft Feel

This factor goes along with greenside control. But it is more than that.

Playing a ball with a soft feel is somewhat of a personal preference, which is why this is the last factor to consider.

The feel of a golf ball affects your play from the driver all the way down to the putter. The feel of a golf ball can give you confidence or ruin it. A softer ball gives you that feeling of compressing it as you hit it on the longer shots. It also gives you a feeling of control on the shorter shots like wedge approaches and greenside short game shots.

Where I think feel matters the most is on the putting green. A softer feeling ball seems to stick to the clubface for a split second (I know you aren’t really compressing the ball with a putter but this is more of a feel thing). That gives you a better feeling of control. You can be a little more aggressive with your putting stroke which tends to lead to more putts made.

Of course, your experience may vary, but I think feel in a golf ball is important.

More Helpful Info For Senior Golfers…

Best OverallFor Moderate Swing SpeedsSuper Low Compression

Titleist Tour Soft

Srixon Q-Star Tour

Callaway Supersoft
MSRP$34.95$29.99$22.99
Construction2 Piece3 Piece2 Piece
Cover MaterialSyrlyn UrethaneSyrlyn
FeelSoftMedium/SoftVery Soft
Greenside SpinModerateModerate/HighModerate
Compression657538
TrajectoryHighMedium/HighHigh
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Author
Pete | Editor-in-Chief
Pete is an avid golfer since he was 10 years old and currently plays to a 9 handicap. He started Under Par Goals to help other golfers all around the world improve their games and learn more about the game.

2 thoughts on “Best Low Compression Golf Balls For Seniors”

  1. Your content was very helpful to me. It was very informative for senior golfers. because when we talk about Low Compression golf balls for seniors, we usually think of regular golf balls that have slightly different specifics & your content have almost every important information about senior people’s golf balls. Your content was very unique & amazing.

  2. Callaway supersoft has become my favorite golf ball. I got it just by accident because there was no available golf ball at the store and I grabbed it without knowing what it would be doing. Never looked back ever since.

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