Young Golfers Need a Low-Compression Golf Ball

Getting the ball airborne and hitting the ball straight are the two most important things for a young golfer when they're starting to play golf. Don't worry about distance. Bragging rights aren't important at this stage. And you don't want your young golfer to feel like they have to compete with you on the golf course. You will hit the ball farther than your young golfer, but that's only because you've got physics on your side. You're probably taller and heavier, you have longer arms and your clubs are longer and heavier. You have the advantage from the get-go thanks to Newton's Laws! So don't emphasize distance-- instead, focus on the quality of their shots!

So, what's the compression of a golf ball, you ask? The compression of a golf ball is actually a number that measures the stiffness (or resistance to being compressed). Compression is a number. The lower the number, the softer (and more squeezable) the ball. The higher the number, the stiffer (and more rock-like) the ball. Titleist has some very interesting articles about the history and aerodynamics of the golf ball. If you're an engineer or a golf nut, you should check out their site. Heck, it's kind of cool to be able to talk about a featherie or a gutta percha when you're waiting on the tee box.

A few years ago, Titleist had published their golf ball compressions on their website. I can't find them now, but I do have my notes from my Palm Pilot. Here are the compressions:

• DT Distance: 77-82
• HVC Tour: 80-85
• HVC Distance: 83-88
• HVC Distance-L: 85-90
• NXT Distance: 70-75
• NXT Tour: 80-85
  
• DT Solo: 60's

The Titleist DT Solo is a nice, low-compression golf ball. My son likes Nike golf balls, because he's a huge Tiger fan. Nike has several low-compression varieties marketed under "Soft" and "Soft Distance."

There are also some fun golf balls out there. Both of my kids were into colorful golf balls when they started playing. The Volvik Crystal golf ball comes in a variety of colors, mostly pastel, and it's outer coating is clear and crystal-like. The Maxfli Noodle Ice is a colorful golf ball with a clear cover.

Just remember to chose a low-compression golf ball for your young golfer. Try to get a golf ball with a compression of 70 or lower.