The 5 Types Of Golf Ball Construction

One piece golf balls are the simpliest construction available and have been designed for beginners and are mainly associated with the driving range. They are the least expensive to produce and are normally made up of either a solid sphere of surlyn with dimples moulded in or a simple rubber core and a hard plastic dimpled outer casing.

They have a much lower compression than any other type of ball and consequently provide much less distance. This makes the ideal for the driving range or to put in your practice bag, but would not really be recommended for actual use on the golf course, as they provide no real benefits to any particular style of play.

Two piece golf balls are used by the majority of everyday golfers because they are generally a more affordable option that deliver both maximum distance due to their lower spinning nature, and durability. The basic construction is made up of a solid (usually hard) plastic sphere which is surrounded by an ionoic or urethane cover.

By changing the size and compression of the balls core, and softness of the cover, enigneers can alter their performance, thus offering models that can meet the needs of a large array of golfing styles. Although forgiving, 2 piece balls are generally not preferred by the more accomplished player because they offer less feel and control.  

Three piece golf balls are centered around a solid rubber core, that is surrounded by a second layer which is often made up of a liquid or very pliable rubber, with the final layer being a thin, soft urethane cover. The idea behind this additional second layer and softer cover is to provide golfers with the potential for extra spin and control.

Although it sounds appealing to have more control over your ball flight and be able to generate extra spin on your approach shots to the green, these 3 piece balls are not as forgiving and will not produce as much distance as a 2 piece ball, and due to the extra spin they will also tend to exagerate any slicing or hooking issues you may have.

The core of the 4 piece ball is made from a soft rubber, designed to offer explosive distance, the inner layer helps to transfer energy to the core. The extra inner layer is designed to increase driving distance without reducing spin and control on the mid irons and around the green, and the final layer is a soft urethane cover for extra feel.

Four piece golf balls are specifically designed to meet the needs of the serious golfer, who has full control over his golf swing and ball flight. Four piece golf balls offer the maximum distance and compression of a 2 piece ball, with the soft feel and control of a 3 piece ball and are now the preferred choice of the majority of Touring Pro's.

Among the highest priced golf balls on the market, the new five piece ball design is a relatively new concept to the golf ball world and is built up of layers that are designed to optimize the outcome of the five key shot categories that highly skilled golfers require, including driving, long irons, mid irons, short irons and short wedge shots.

The 5 key layers include a low compression core, promoting high launch and low spin off the driver, a soft fast inner mantle to optimize long iron shots, a semi-firm and fast middle mantle to create perfect conditions for mid iron shots, a firm fast outer mantle for optimum spin on short irons and a soft urethne cover for extra feel and control.