14 Best Golf Balls for Intermediate Players (2021)

Most golfers know precisely how expensive golf balls can get. Therefore, getting the best value for money with every purchase is crucial—especially for intermediate players looking for golf balls that are the perfect fit for their skill level. What are the best golf balls for intermediate players?

The best golf balls for intermediate players are those where the feel and ball speed are prioritized. Options like the Titleist Tour Soft excel at balancing speed and spin, while others like the Bridgestone E12 Soft also add a high launch and straight trajectory into the equation.

The rest of the article will cover the best golf balls you can get today as an intermediate player. You’ll also find additional information that can help you make the best decisions on golf balls in the future.

Who Is an Intermediate Golf Player?

An intermediate golfer is exactly what it sounds like: someone who is between the expert and beginner levels in terms of golfing skills. If you can lose three balls on a par five in a session and then putt for eagle in another session, you’re intermediate.

You’ll also probably average between 80 and 92 when you are out on a par 72 course. If you do much better than this, you have left the intermediate class.

On the other hand, if you’re still well below, you should focus on upping your skills and shelve any handicap calculations for now.

An intermediate golfer won’t have a very high or very low handicap. Their standard range is around 7 to 27. Most intermediate golfers in the US have an average handicap of 16.1 for men.

For women, the numbers will vary slightly as their swing speeds are generally different from the numbers posted by men. So, they tend to have a lower average handicap.

In no particular order, here are 14 of the best golf balls you can find in the market today as an intermediate golfer:

Srixon Q-Star Tour 2

With the Srixon Q-star Tour 2, you get golf balls made with feel as the focus.

However, the manufacturers sacrificed a bit of distance to achieve that goal, as highlighted by the low compression rating.

It is a very soft golf ball on the greens, and its short game spin is as good as any others on this list.

Pros

It’s the ball to go with if you don’t mind giving up distance for a better feel.
It’s one of the softest balls around the green.
It’s designed to land and stick elegantly on the green.
It’s one of the most affordable balls in its category.

Cons

It’s not a good option to choose if some extra distance is important to you.
Mishits may be worse with this ball as it holds spin extremely well.

Titleist Tour S o ft

Titleist is one of the first names that come to mind when the discussion is about golf balls.

The brand is known for the production of excellent quality golf balls.

Their latest Tour Soft ball is indeed very soft on the greens, and it has been revamped to deliver additional distance that most golfers will love.

The playability of the ball is one of the best you will find in this price range.

Pros

It comes with an updated dimple design, which has made the ball-flight a lot better.
It delivers the softest feel you will find in its price range.
It features an expanded core, which ensures better distance and spin while on the green.
It is one of the softest landing balls you can get today.

Cons

It is a bit more expensive.
There are balls in its price range that are more explosive.

Bridgestone E12 Soft

This golf ball is the quintessential option for intermediate players.

The price point makes it an excellent value for money. With this ball, you get a three-piece design where feel and ball-speed are adequately balanced.

It comes with an “Active Acceleration Mantle” layer designed to influence initial velocity and thrust, ultimately increasing your distance.

On the other hand, the low compression core ensures you can maintain control. The ball’s dimple design also reduces spin on long shots while ensuring that it still spins well around the green after landing softly.

Pros

It is very soft around the green.
It strikes a balance between maintaining good spin rates in your short game and reducing spin off the drive.
The low compression core and acceleration mantle layer is a perfect tech combo for distance, launch, and excellent softness and feel.
It ensures a straight trajectory as well as a very high launch.

Cons

The balls are good for intermediate golfers but may not be the best for faster swing players.
The ball flies high enough, but the compression rating of 50 means some balls will fly higher.

Callaway ERC Soft

This is the first golf ball model from Callaway with the founder’s initials—Ely Reeves Callaway—in a long while.

They generally reserve the initials for their drivers and irons, but they’ve broken the norm for the softest and longest golf ball the company has produced in a long time.

It’s the perfect combination of distance and feel, a good example of Callaway’s commitment to remaining one of the industry’s most trusted brands.

Pros

This is the longest golf ball from the brand within this price range.
The added length doesn’t make the ball any less soft as it remains the softest in the company’s range.
It comes with an advanced core that has been technologically enhanced to allow low compression while also delivering higher launch, higher ball speed, and less spin.

Cons

The regular price may look exorbitant when compared to other options covered here.
Some golfers argue that the features are not enough justification for the price, with other more expensive pro balls offering better value.

Wilson Staff Fifty Elite

The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite is an affordable golf ball that delivers a great performance on the green.

It is made of composite material, and it comes with an aggressive core, delivering a good blend of soft feel and explosive distance.

With the design of the ball, you’re always in control of your shots. The product is a popular option because it delivers on everything it promises, for only a fraction of the price of other premium golf balls in the market today.

The Wilson Staff Fifty Elite balls can fly through the air easily thanks to the aerodynamic material they are made from. Therefore, your shots will cover the most distance possible in relation to your swing. You’ll have the opportunity to hit more birdies and eagles.

You’ll also have a better influence over your shots due to the rubber core, which has been improved to be 22% softer compared to other balls. This will give you a better influence over your shots. The ball’s two-piece construction makes it very durable.

Unlike many other brands covered in this list, the Wilson Staff Fifty Elite golf balls come in multiple colors. You can choose the options that appeal to you the most. These balls won’t compete with the most premium brands in the market today, but for an intermediate golfer, this is one of the best options you can go with if you’re looking for a reliable and affordable golf ball.

Pros

It’s durable and affordable.
It’s designed to give you ultimate control and maximum distance.
It has a soft feel.

Cons

It’s not the best option to go with if you’re looking for premium balls.

TaylorMade Tour Response

The TaylorMade Tour Response ball is a product of consumer surveys done by the company.

The company took feedback from golfers to find out what they want in a good golf ball and then brought a mix of the ideas from those responses to life.

With the Taylormade Tour Response, you’ll get an affordable ball with technology geared towards providing excellent distance and softness.

Pros

It has a low-compression, high spring core, which ensures a perfect balance between ball speed and softness.
It is one of the most affordable within this group.
The core is further enhanced by an extra casing layer to ensure low compression with high ball speed.
The ball has a cast urethane cover designed for an increased spin around the green and enhanced durability.

Cons

The ball has adequate feel and distance, but it won’t come out tops in any of those aspects.
The affordability of the ball means it’s not equipped to be the best performer.

Bridgestone E6 Soft

The Bridgestone E6 Soft is a great product designed to deliver reduced spin on drives, where many golfers struggle for efficiency.

It will deliver more penetration on your longer shots, with little or no movement to the left or right.

Unlike other balls with a focus on distance, the E6 feels very soft to your strike. You don’t have to feel like you’ve hit little rocks on impact.

The ball’s ionomer cover means it won’t move like urethane-covered options while you’re out on the greens, but it still delivers a softer feel when compared to standard golf balls featuring 2-piece constructions.

The ball has built a reputation as one of the top options for intermediate golfers looking for more distance without the need for longer clubs.

Pros

It’s designed for direction and distance.
The ball allows you to hit shots that are also straighter.
It’s one of the most popular golf balls in the market for intermediate golfers.

Cons

It scuffs easily.
Some golfers may find the alignment aids annoying.

Callaway SuperSoft

This golf ball comes with a very low compression core, which ensures it can deliver a moderate spin on drives, as well as a soft feel for shorter shots. The ball is a 2-piece design featuring a Trionomer cover.

It delivers a truly soft spin when you’re putting and chipping.

Away from the tee, you can count on the ball to cover a long distance. It also ensures a longer roll-out for most swing speeds.

Pros

The Trionomer cover ensures a soft feel.
It can deliver chips with more spin and longer drives, thanks to the low compression.
It is competitively priced.

Cons

It may feel too soft if you have an older putter that comes with inserts.

Snell MTB Black

The Snell MTB Black is arguably as close as you can get to premium balls like the ProV1. It is an affordable 3-piece ball also covered with urethane.

It delivers a long distance, and its stopping power on the greens is also excellent.

Most intermediate golfers agree that it is a very good product that always delivers.

Pros

It has a durable urethane cover.
It delivers a great spin on approaches as well on chip shots.
It’s often compared to premium golf balls like the Pro V.

Cons

The price can be a bit cheaper.

Taylormade Project (a)

If you’re an intermediate golfer that gets into a fair few competitions, you’ll love this ball.

It’s a Tour-style ball from Taylormade, made for people within your skill range looking for a bit more spin. Think of it as a watered-down Tour-level ball.

The ball’s exterior features a urethane cover, which makes all the difference when the ball is spinning. This is balanced by the low compression core, which ensures more distance. Hitting 80 or 90 will not be too difficult with this.

The urethane cover on the Taylormade Project (a) gives it the quick-stopping and grippy properties you’d expect from a Tour ball. You don’t have to worry about your pitches and chips failing to stop or bounding too far off the pin.

With a low 70 compression, the ball reduces spin just enough without affecting your ability to shape some shots effectively.

Pros

The overall constructions of the balls make them very durable.
You can count on them to deliver straighter flights when compared to other balls.
They are moderately priced.

Cons

They aren’t the highest launching balls around.
You won’t get that pop sound when you hit the ball with a club.

Srixon Soft Feel

This ball is designed with distance and control in mind. Regardless of where you hit it, the ball delivers a high level of near-pinpoint accuracy.

The manufacturers achieved this by maintaining a low compression, which ultimately ensures a high MOI.

It’s another ball that comes in different colors, so you can choose brighter colors if you’re always having problems with finding balls after you hit them. With the Srixon Soft Feel, intermediate golfers will be able to increase their shot distances in general.

Pros

It offers excellent movement and spin control.
It’s a great option if you want a better distance.
It’s not too hard or too soft.
The ball is a good option for playing chip shots.
It’s an excellent ball for intermediate players.

Cons

As your game improves, you’ll want a better ball.

Callaway Warbird

Do you want a two-layer golf ball that emphasizes distance? Callaway Warbird is an excellent option to consider.

It comes with a very thin outer layer to maximize feel and softness and delivers impressive distance—thanks to its larger soft core.

The aerodynamics of this golf ball also means that it performs well even in windy conditions.

The ball’s larger soft core means that it can deliver a higher level of exit velocity when hit than other golf balls in its price range. This is how it achieves more distance. It’s best for intermediate players that are not too worried about ball spin.

Pros

It’s moderately priced.
It delivers a good distance off the tee.
It performs excellently in high wind conditions.

Cons

The feel isn’t close to the best in its category.

Titleist Pro V1

We’ve already mentioned this ball above as one of the premium models in the market. The Titleist Pro V1 is without doubts a dream ball for most golfers, intermediates inclusive.

With its low long game spin and penetrating trajectory, you can count on it to deliver solid distance always. You’ll be able to hit straighter shots.

In terms of design, this golf ball features a tetrahedral dimple and is tiled spherically. The outer layer has a cover made of soft urethane elastomer. The design means you’re sure of getting great resistance and durability with this ball.

Pros

It improves the distance you can cover with shots.
The product is from a respected brand.
It’s excellent for playing on green courses.
It’s highly durable.

Cons

You can only get the Pro V1 in white.
It’s expensive in comparison to the other options we have covered here.

Ultimate Distance Nitro

Many people regard this golf ball as one of the top options you can get in the market today as an intermediate golfer, and it’s not hard to see why.

The ball is ideal for intermediate golfers with average swing speeds.

It comes with a titanium core rated as super active, which means you can hit long-distance shots quite easily. This is because the ball is designed to optimize the energy movement between your golf ball and the club head.

The ball also offers excellent stability while in flight, so tracing it is easy. With the aerodynamics of the ball’s dimple construction, you’ll enjoy more ascendance on shots while reducing the overall drag required for promoting distant shots.

The ball is made more robust outside, using a material known as “Dupont Surlyn.” The manufacturers say that it is responsible for enhancing the durability and overall resilience of the ball.

A pack of this ball contains 15 pieces, and there are three colors you can choose from: yellow, orange, and white. Many people go with yellow because it offers the best overall visibility.

Pros

It’s one of the most affordable golf balls for intermediates.
Its design makes it ideal for driving.
There are different colors to choose from.

Cons

Some users have claimed that it’s not quite as durable as others in this category.

Important Characteristics to Watch Out for When Choosing a Golf Ball

We’ve listed some of the best golf balls for intermediate golfers above, but what if you’d like to make your findings outside our list? What characteristics should you look out for? We’ll cover them below.

Distance covered: This characteristic was a regular feature on our list because it’s important. What kind of distance should you expect from the ball? The balls are tested with a machine to get a distance rating. So, you should choose an option that delivers the level of distance you’re looking for.
Construction pieces: Golf balls fall between 1-piece and 5-piece construction. The higher the number of materials used in the construction, the better the balance between the spin, feel, and distance. As you slide up the quality scale, however, the cost of the ball will also increase.
Ball spin: Machine guided clubs are also used to test golf balls for spin. You can purchase a ball with either a low, mid, or high spin, but your typical swing should guide your choice. If you have a strong swing but can’t control where it will land, go with a lower spin ball. The lower the spin, the greater the level of control you’ll have. If you have no control issues but want to improve your draw or carry, get a mid to high spin ball.
Ball feel: Explaining a golf ball’s feel might be difficult, but it’s something everyone that’s been on a golf course has experienced. It’s a mix of things, including how the golf ball bounces off the club, the sound it makes on contact, how it lands and sits on the green, and how it responds to your fade or draw attempts.
Durability: A durable golf ball will react and travel the same way on the 60th strike like it did on the 6th strike. However, you may ignore this characteristic if you don’t care about losing your balls or buying a new dozen for every game week. If you want to save money and know how to avoid losing golf balls, you should focus on finding durable options.

Important Questions You Should Answer When Buying Golf Balls

Before you spend money on a box of golf balls, there are a few questions you should answer that can help you save money or just make a better decision overall.

What Is Your Budget?

While talking about the golf balls’ pros and cons above, we mentioned that some of them are affordable, while others are a bit pricier—however, this is purely based on current dollar terms.

You may be willing to spend a bit more on your golf balls compared to the next person. Are you just about okay with spending $20 on a set of golf balls, or are you open to going as high as $60? Make up your mind on a budget first, and you can whittle down a list quickly.

How Many Balls Do You Lose for Each Round?

If you lose several balls with each round of golf, you probably shouldn’t buy a Pro V1 box just yet.

Stick to the cheaper options first as you learn so that you won’t spend a lot of money on balls while you’re still learning, or spend too much time trawling through the course in search of balls you’ve hit well off course.

If you don’t mind leaving the ball behind, you’ll be under considerably less pressure.

What Course Type Do You Practice on Mostly?

As a rule of thumb, you should use cheaper balls when practicing on more difficult courses. Losing your balls in difficult tracks is very easy. However, if you’re taking part in a competition, feel free to use the best ball possible for the occasion.

How Is Your Consistency Currently?

If you’re not yet consistent, buying the best golf ball in the market today won’t change your consistency and make you a better player. You should focus on other important aspects of your game first and only start looking towards the ball when it’s clear that you need it to help you reduce your scores.

Are You Competing or Playing for Fun?

If you’re always playing for fun, you can be a bit laxer with your golf ball choices. Any kind of balls should work. For a competition, it makes sense to choose a ball that is as close to what you’ll use on the day as possible, if not the same.

Final Words

As an intermediate golfer, there are a few good golf balls made for people within your skill level. Ultimate Distance Nitro and Taylormade Tour Response are two popular examples that are highly rated, but we’ve also looked at a few cheaper options. If you feel you’re in the intermediate level’s higher rungs, or you want to jump straight to the high end, you should go with the Titleist Pro V1.

Don’t forget to go over your chosen ball’s features to ensure it matches your unique needs. Even aesthetics like the color of the ball can also be a deal-breaker.

How to Get Loft on a Golf Ball: 6 Essential Tips

If you have found yourself out on the golf course, preparing to take a shot out of a sand trap or over a tree, you may have found yourself wondering, “How can I possibly get the ball high enough?” The answer lies in the concept of loft.

The more loft you can get on the ball, the better you can get the ball up in the air quickly.

To get loft on a golf ball, you will want to choose a club with a high loft, move the ball back in your stance, hit down on the ball, and hit it at full speed with a strong follow-through. Following these tips will help the ball get up into the air quickly, allowing you better control of your shot.

In the rest of this article, we will take a closer look at what you can do when maximizing the amount of loft on your shot. We will explore the concept of loft in terms of the physical equipment in your golf bag as well as what you can do as a player to maximize the trajectory of your shot.

We will also discuss some concrete tips to get you hitting higher the next time you find yourself in a tough spot on the course.

Understanding Your Clubs & Their Loft

When you look at the clubs in a golf bag, you will notice how each club gives a different angle when positioned with the ground. This angle is referred to as “loft” in golf.

These angles are designed in order to get the ball to do different things, depending on the shot. Numbers are assigned to the clubs in order to rank the amount of loft it has.

Essentially, the higher the loft, the higher the trajectory the ball is capable of when hit with that club. This means, when using a club with a high loft, it will go further up into the air but a shorter distance.

Typically, your first shot off the tee will require a low loft club because you are concerned with distance as opposed to height.

As you get closer to the green or encounter varied terrain, you will want to select a club that gives you more loft potential.

When evaluating loft, there are three main categories of clubs we can examine.

Woods and Drivers are considered low loft clubs, and these are typical choices when the top concern is hitting the ball a long distance.
Hybrids, Irons, and Wedges are higher loft clubs, and these clubs typically come into play the closer and closer you get to the green.
Putter, the last category of club, but these are not relevant when it comes to getting loft on a shot.

Club Categories and Measurable Loft

Now let us take a closer look at each category and explore which specific clubs work best in different situations.

The angle measurements provided here will give you an idea of the progression of loft in any particular category of club.

Low Loft Clubs: Woods, Drivers, and Hybrids

Woods are the largest clubheads and are best for hitting the ball long distances. These have low loft and are not designed to hit the ball high, but they are ideal for hitting the ball far. These are often chosen at the beginning of a hole when the distance is the top priority.

Even within the club category of woods, there is a particular club head that possesses the most gentle angle or the lowest loft. This club is the driver. This can also be referred to as a 1 wood and has a measurable loft of 7 to 12 degrees.

Other popular woods that many golfers will carry in their bags are 3 woods and 5 woods. As the number next to the club’s title increases, the angle of the loft increases as well.

For these particular clubs, a 3 wood will have a measurable loft around 15-18 degrees, and the 5 wood should have around 20-22 degrees. You can see the incremental pattern of loft increase as the number of the club increases as well.

Hybrids bring in elements of both woods and irons. The clubhead will resemble that of a wood while the shaft will resemble that of an iron.

These have caught on in popularity because golfers have found these easier to hit than traditional irons. Their loft can be a bit higher than that of a typical wood, but these clubs are still designed for long-distance shots on the fairway.

High Loft Clubs: Irons and Wedges

As you get closer to the green and as you encounter more obstacles, you will be able to choose clubs with higher and higher lofts. This will begin with your set of irons and move on to your wedges.

Irons are still typically used on the fairway when you are no longer hitting off a tee, but you still need to be thinking about distance. You can begin to see the subtle difference in loft with a low numbered iron and can see how this loft increases by the time you get to an 8 iron or 9 iron.

For example, a 4 iron will have a loft around 25 degrees. For a 5 iron, it should measure around 28 degrees, and a 7 iron should be around 34 degrees.

By the time you get to the 9 iron, you will see loft angles of about 41 degrees. These are not absolutes, but these measurements give you an idea of how much the loft changes in one category of clubs.

When it comes to wedges, the loft gets higher and higher. If you are pulling out one of your wedges, you are probably quite close to the green and need a nice trajectory on your shot.

Typical wedges in your bag may include a pitching wedge, a sand wedge, and perhaps even a gap wedge.

A pitching wedge will measure in at about 45-50 degrees of loft. Your sand wedge will be around 55-58 degrees. If you have a gap wedge in your bag, this will be at least 50 degrees of loft. The gap wedge loft should be between the loft of your pitching wedge and your sand wedge.

If you do happen to have a lob wedge in your bag, this will have the highest loft of any of the clubs. These usually measure in at about 60 degrees.

These are typically the highest loft clubs you will have access to during your round on the course. Sand wedges are excellent if you found yourself stuck in the bunker and need that lift and power to get back on track.

If you are within 100 yards of the green or so, grabbing your pitching wedge is a good choice.

Putters

While putters are an important category of golf clubs, they would simply not be a choice if you are looking to make a shot with high loft.

These are for making shots on the green with no upward trajectory at all. Therefore they are not relevant to our conversation on how to get loft on a golf ball.

Now that we have a better understanding of the concept of loft and how your equipment will directly impact the potential trajectory of your shot, let us take a look at the top 6 tips to increasing your loft on the course.

Choose the Right Club

As we have just explored, to get more loft on the ball, your club choice itself will have an immediate and tangible impact. If you hit the ball in exactly the same way with two clubs with different lofts, you will have two very different shots.

Essentially, once you have hit the ball off the tee, you will need a club that offers loft in order to get the ball off the ground. The amount of loft required will depend on the conditions you find yourself in as well as the distance you are to the green.

Lower irons are a classic choice if you are still a ways from the green, and you can increase the iron loft as you get closer.

Your wedges will offer you the most loft and are especially useful in emergency type scenarios. If you find yourself in a sand trap and you need to get the ball up in the air fast, the high loft of the sand wedge is exactly what you need.

If you tried to use this type of club when not faced with a sand trap, it would most likely be too much loft and not enough distance.

By getting a feel of the clubs in your bag, you will understand better what their loft number feels like on the course. With more experience, you will be able to make an appropriate club choice without much thought. It will become an intuitive reflex that will serve you well on the course.

Position the Ball

Once you have chosen your club, and before you take your swing, you can still make adjustments that will help you increase the loft. In your golf stance, between your front and back foot, you have the power to position your ball in a way that will impact its trajectory.

This is due to the fact that you will bring your club in at a different angle depending on where the ball is in relation to your foot. This angle translates directly to a higher or lower loft.

This brings us into the discussion of a dynamic loft, or the ability to change the amount of loft beyond its clubhead measurement. By adjusting your stance and swing, you will be able to increase or decrease the loft presented by a club at any given moment.

This is happening whether or not you are aware of it, so it is best to grow your awareness and skill in order to have this phenomenon work in your favor.

In order to position the ball in a way to maximize loft, you will want to move it towards your front foot. This will slightly adjust the way you will hit the ball, maximizing the loft potential of your club and sending the ball higher into the air.

Simply put, move the ball towards your front foot for more loft. Move it back towards your back foot of less loft.

But how much is enough? Begin by placing the ball right in the middle of your stance, with an equal distance to the front foot and the back foot.

Now, roll the ball over about one full rotation towards your front foot. This should move it just a few inches, about the size of a ball itself. This is sufficient positioning to increase your loft on your shot.

This is something you can experiment with on the course as well. You can move the ball around in your stance and see the impact it has on the loft of your shot.

The more you get used to the position’s impact on your loft, the more you will get a feel for it, and the more you will be able to create the desired outcome each time you step up to hit.

Hit Down on the Ball

It is a common mistake for beginner golfers to think that they need to somehow hit up with their club to get the ball up in the air.

However, this assumption comes from not understanding the design of the clubhead and the loft that is built into every club in your bag.

Since the clubs are designed at an angle, it is as if they are doing the work for you of hitting the ball up with their angle of impact.

In order to harness the power of a club’s loft, it is actually necessary to hit down on the ball in order to get it to go up. This can be effectively achieved by practicing a powerful, accurate, and efficient golf swing.

In order to do this effectively, fully engage in your backswing and downswing, moving your hips with the natural movements of your arms coming down and through the swing.

Your hips should end facing the direction that you want the ball to go. Fully engaging in the movement of the swing will help you approach the ball in the correct way with your club at the angle it was intended to be used.

If you are struggling with this and find yourself still hitting up on the ball, before you take your swing, visualize yourself following these steps effectively and hitting down on the ball.

Breaking your mental misconception of the physics behind this movement will help remove any unintentional, harmful movement in your swing that comes from this mindset.

Hit at Full Speed

In order to give the ball the velocity and power it needs to get it up in the air, you will need to hit the ball fast and hard.

One way you can be sure your muscle and enthusiasm translate into the right kind of energy being transferred to your ball is to make sure you hit through the entire hitting area with speed and power.

This means that you must maintain your full-power swing through the entire hitting zone where you are making contact with the ball and even beyond it.

Do not back off once your club has made contact, but rather make sure you have a strong follow-through to maximize your loft.

This is important as well as you choose clubs with increased loft. The higher the iron you choose, or if you grab a wedge out of your bag, you will need to increase your power behind each of these shots. The higher the loft of the club, the more speed and power you will need to hit it with.

PGA Professional Rick Shiels gives a lovely demonstration of how to do this effectively in his Youtube video that can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0p75NlVKa4

How to: Hit your golf ball VERY HIGH or SUPER LOW (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0p75NlVKa4)

Finish Your Swing Strong

Once you have made contact with the ball, giving it your best speed and power, make sure you do not give up just yet. Bring that strength all the way through your shot and your follow-through, making sure to end your shot with your hands up over your head.

If you are envisioning your hands ending in this position, it will have an overall beneficial impact on how you are bringing your club through the downswing, giving it the best angle to make contact with the ball.

So, as you step up to hit the ball with a high loft, imagine your hands ending the swing well above your head, and then let this vision become a reality through your powerful swing.

Do not allow yourself to fear the power or back away from the shot too soon. Fully commit to what is necessary and push all the way through. This will give the ball what it needs to get up in the air quickly and effectively.

Practice

Now that you have a better understanding of the concept of loft and how to be in better control of your own dynamic loft on the course, there is still one more essential tip: practice.

In order to make this theoretical knowledge useful to you as a golfer, you will need to spend time experimenting and practicing in order to get a real-life feel for each of these concepts.

Experiment with both the loft of the clubs in your bag as well as your ability to influence the dynamic loft. You will get a better sense of how different clubs react to your different positioning and swing and will gather experience that will help you hit the shots the way you want to in the future.

When to Avoid High Loft Shots

After reading this article, you might be excited to hit the course with your high irons and your wedges and practice getting some lofty shots. However, there are also many times that reducing loft on the ball would be advantageous as well.

Wind

If the wind is strong, a lot can go wrong if you hit a high loft shot. The higher up the ball goes, the more it will be impacted by the strong wind.

So, if you are out on the course and the wind is blowing hard, consider reversing your knowledge of getting high loft on a ball and instead follow these steps to keep the ball closer to the ground and under better control.

How to Deloft Your Shot

When the conditions call for you to deloft a shot, you can follow the same tips as above, but this time in reverse. This is called delofting a shot.

A simple way to do this is simply choosing a lower iron to immediately take some of the loft potential off of your shot. However, there are ways to decrease the loft of a club without actually exchanging it for a different club altogether.

Dynamic Loft also exists for decreasing the amount of loft you want. You can influence this by moving the ball back a bit in your stance. This will create an impact on how you angle the club towards the ball and will cause it to present with less loft.

In your swing, you can hold back a bit on your speed and range of motion. Imagine hitting with three-quarters of your potential speed and doing the same for the range of your swing.

Do not bring your club all the way into your backswing or follow through. By limiting it a bit, you will keep the ball from getting too high up in the air.

Golf Pros and Driver Loft

An interesting shift has occurred in modern-day golf, where pros are actually choosing drivers with slightly higher loft than has been done in the past.

This goes against the common conception of low loft translating into the greatest distance. With a driver, the priority is usually distance– so why are pros making this shift? Is it something weekend drivers should do as well?

The change has come about through innovation in club head technology. In a large clubhead like a driver or wood, manufacturers have figured out how to manipulate the center of gravity, which makes a direct impact on how much the ball spins.

This means that from company to company, the amount of spin can vary on the same number club head depending on where the center of gravity is.

Another factor impacting the amount of spin on the ball is the golf balls themselves. The way golf balls are being manufactured now is quite different from a few decades ago.

The golf balls that are on the market today do not tend to spin as much as older balls do. This is due to newer, more effective materials and other innovations in design.

So, as golf equipment has improved, the amount of spin on the ball has decreased. This means that adding a bit of loft to your driver is now possible in a way that it was not before.

Doing so would have meant far too much spin on the ball in previous times, but now it is an adjustment that can be made safely.

Guidelines for the Weekend Golfer

For the amateur golfer, your swing speed will be a great determining factor in the loft you want on your driver. Typically, the slower you are swinging, the more loft you will want on your club.

For example, if your average swing speed is somewhere between 95 mph and 104 mph (153 kph and 167 kph), a driver with a loft of around 10 or 11 degrees should suit you well.

If on average, you are hitting the ball faster, you could select a driver with a lower loft. Say your average swing speed is between 105 mph and 115 mph (169 kph and 185 kph); you would be better suited to use a driver with 7 to 9 degrees of loft.

In order to make the best selection, consider going into a golf shop where they will be able to access your personal abilities and make an informed recommendation.

You will also have the benefit of being able to try the different clubs and how they feel in practice.

Final Thoughts

As a golfer, you have a lot of control when it comes to how much loft you want to get on your shot. You can manipulate this with the club that you choose, the way you place the ball, and how you execute your swing.

You’re able to control the loft in both directions, to add height to the ball’s trajectory, or to do the reverse and hit it lower to the ground.

By understanding the concepts and following the tips here, you’ll be able to better understand how to approach any shot depending on the amount of loft that will bring you success on that hole.

Golf Cart vs. Walking: 5 Pros and Cons of Each

The game of golf has a long history as a game played on foot. Traditionally, caddies were there to help players with their clubs as they walked the course’s length, and golf carts only came onto the scene relatively recently, with the first one popping up in the 1930s.

By the 1960s, they became a more prevalent option, and nowadays, they can be found on practically every course.

When a golfer chooses between walking or riding, he is choosing between an active day with time for reflection versus a day of comfort and social opportunity. Walking allows a golfer to be fully present as they enjoy the day on the course while riding will offer social and environmental comforts.

In the rest of this article, we will look at five pros and cons for riding and walking.

Both are good options depending on your personality and the conditions of the day, and by the end of this article, you will be able to make a more informed decision about how you want to play your next round of golf.

Pros of Riding Golf Carts

As golf has changed in the last decades, there has been a rise in the popularity of carts. Nowadays, these can be powered by electricity or gas and can even come equipped with smart technology.

They can be quite a lot of fun to drive, and some golfers wouldn’t hit the links without them. Let’s take a look at some of the pros of taking a cart out on the course.

Good for Seniors & Those Struggling With Mobility

As a sport with an aging population, the cart has provided a way for the older players to continue to participate in their favorite pastime.

For someone who is no longer able to carry a bag and enjoyably walk for several miles over the course of a day, a cart makes the game possible and pleasurable for all.

This benefit isn’t just restricted to the senior players. Anyone facing a mobility issue, whether it be temporary or chronic, can use a cart and move around the course with ease.

Even for someone in great shape, if they are not in the mood to walk the course’s length on any giving day, they can always opt to take a cart and enjoy its comfort and speed.

In this sense, the cart is an equalizer that allows more people to participate in the game of golf. Long walks and uphill stretches that once would have kept players at home are no longer a problem if using a cart.

This can make a day out on the course more appealing for many potential players.

Makes Challenging Courses Accessible

There are many reasons that a course may not be very accessible on foot. One example of this is housing development courses that have been designed in recent years.

These courses, which feature unusual layouts as they include housing on the same premises, can often be much larger than the average course with much longer distances to walk in between holes. Cart use makes this type of course feasible.

Due to the nature of evolution in golf course design, even traditional courses can feature parts of the course that are a bit more of a struggle for someone on foot.

Many courses initially only built the front nine holes, with the idea that golfers would simply play the same nine holes two times. However, as it became preferred to play 18 unique holes, many golf courses added a separate back 9.

For this reason, the back nine on a particular course can perhaps be hillier or less walkable than the front 9. Using a cart allows you to take on any course without wondering about what natural features might be there to slow you down as the game goes on.

Maximum Comfort

There is a wide range of comforts that modern golf carts can offer the players. First, they are a secure storage area for any miscellaneous items you bring with you on the course.

If you’ve got an extra golf glove, your phone, wallet, cigarettes, or whatever it may be, you have a designated storage spot on your cart that won’t weigh you down as you’re moving around the course.

Not only can you bring extra layers or rain equipment depending on the weather conditions, but you will also have protection from the elements in the cart itself. Most carts these days are well weatherized and will keep you dry and even warm.

There are such things as “smart carts” available on some courses these days as well. As an innovation that first came from the resort course world, many carts will feature a GPS that gives important information about the course.

It has taken on the role of a caddy in many ways, such as providing yardage and hazard details to the golfer. This can be a real advantage if you are not a regular on a particular course.

Additionally, by partaking in the comfort of the cart, you are saving your energy for when it counts. You are able to give your full energy and attention to your swing and won’t feel the fatigue of being on your feet all day when you reach the last few holes.

Speed Up Play

As golf courses struggle with the number of rounds being played decreasing over time, one way for players to get more rounds in on a time constraint is by using a cart.

If you are playing with friends but time is still of the essence, you can drop your buddy off directly at his ball and proceed to your own.

Simply put, a cart goes faster than someone on foot. By incorporating a cart into your game, you might be able to play a bit more in the same amount of time as if you were on foot.

This, of course, is a win for the golf course as well. As a business interested in making money, they are interested in their customer playing as much as possible. Golf carts could potentially turn a day of 9 holes into more.

Socializing in the Cart

Of course, one of the greatest perks of using a cart when out golfing with friends is the sense of adventure and time spent together in the cart.

In a foursome, the group usually breaks into pairs, and each will take a cart. With your cart buddy, you can swap stories and spend more time together as you cruise from hole to hole.

Another aspect of socializing in the cart is the ability to eat and drink on the go. You are easily able to bring some food along with you or perhaps some cold beverages.

Even if you didn’t pack anything from home, often there will be someone circulating on the course selling food and drink to golfers. Being able to use the cupholders and take a break on the course with your friends is a very appealing aspect of using the cart.

If you are more motivated by enjoying the day of golf as an outing than as a serious opportunity to improve your golf game, the cart definitely facilitates this type of play.

Cons of Riding Golf Carts

Now that we know the joy that comes with choosing to rent a cart let’s take a look at some of the downsides that come with it as well.

Rainy Days & Cart Path Play

Just because you rented a cart does not mean that you are unrestricted in your ability to move around the course. On bright, sunny days when the ground is firm, you can drive right up to your ball, usually without restrictions.

However, in winter or on a rainy day, when the grass is damp and can be damaged, you will be restricted from driving on the cart path. This limits your ability to get close to your ball.

You will still find yourself walking quite a bit, moving from your cart on the path to wherever your ball has ended up. This can involve long distances or even hills.

For some golfers who do enjoy the cart, the “cart path only” days can be a dealbreaker for them. The enjoyment can decrease as the day involves a lot more hopping in and out of the cart.

Also, walking for long stretches back and forth from where the ball landed and where the cart was allowed to be parked.

No Access to Your Bag

Another drawback of cart play is the fact that your bag is in the cart. This is typically not a big deal if you are able to drive right up to where you are going to hit from.

That way, you still have complete access to all of your clubs as you choose which is best for your shot. However, if it’s a “cart path only” day, your bag will be too far away from you to make changes in your selected club comfortably.

This goes for any other equipment or accessories that you have left in the cart as well. Again, this is usually positive to store everything in a safe place, but on “cart path only” days, it can be quite a hindrance.

Noise and Disruption

If the course you are playing uses electric carts, these will typically be much quieter and less distracting than some gas-powered models. Using a gas cart can be a bit noisy and potentially disturbing to others playing the course in quiet.

This goes for the behavior in the cart as well. It can be a little too easy to be enjoying the time with your golf buddy and perhaps be a bit rowdier than usual.

It’s possible you have a few beers open in your cup holders, which can also impact the volume you are interacting at. Be courteous to the others you are sharing the course with if you feel this applies to you.

Departure From Tradition

Some view the use of carts as an unnecessary modernization in the game of golf that takes it further away from its origins. Caddies were the traditional way of bringing your clubs around with you in a comfortable way.

Some that take a more purist view of golf see the use of carts as an unfortunate departure from the caddy tradition.

Environmental Impact

As electric carts become more popular, it is more and more likely that you can use a cart without contributing to pollution and greenhouse gases.

As many of us think about our own carbon footprint, we may not be able to justify using a cart that is emitting harmful pollutants as we take part in a leisure activity.

Gas carts do have a negative impact on the environment. If gas carts are your only choice at your preferred golf course, consider mixing it up and walking the course on occasion to lessen your negative environmental impact.

Pros of Walking the Course

If you are a more introspective golfer and prefer to be in touch with your surroundings, you may prefer the more traditional approach to the game.

That involves walking the course with your bag over your shoulder or on a pushcart by your side. Let’s take a look at some of the pros of this type of approach.

Observation of Conditions

When you walk the course, you will have many more opportunities to observe the conditions around you. You will be able to feel the wind more easily, feel how hard or soft the ground is, how the grass feels as well as other elements that will impact your golf game.

Not only is this advantageous for your golf game itself, but it is also a pleasurable experience to be present in nature and really be aware of the moment. Many golf courses are home to beautiful nature and wildlife.

By moving with awareness, you never know what you will catch a glimpse of– seeing a deer or a wild turkey darting around on the course might make the day even more special.

Time to Reflect and Stay Focused on Your Game

As you walk from shot to shot, you have more time to reflect on the shots you have just hit and what you will do next. Having this time, especially if walking alone or calmly with someone else, allows you to be a more reflective player and, ultimately, an improved, more self-aware golfer.

Additionally, walking in between holes is not just a great reflection time but also keeps your body warm and loose. By jumping in the cart and waiting in between shots, your muscles have a chance to cool down and tighten up.

By engaging in constant movement throughout the day, you are keeping your body ready to swing in its greatest range of motion.

Always Have Your Bag With You

Especially if it would be a “cart path only” day, one great advantage to walking is that you will always have your bag with you. This means that you have full access to your clubs at all times.

No matter which club you will need for any particular shot, you will never feel like you could have done better if you just had your bag with you.

You will not experience the regret of choosing the wrong club and leaving a better option in the cart parked on the cart path. You will be able to be present at the moment and respond to each challenge with all of your tools available to you.

Long Walk at Pleasurable Pace

If golfing for 18 holes, it is quite typical that you will be walking three to six miles. However, this is leisurely spaced out over three or four hours.

This means that you will still be able to get your steps in without doing so all at once. By breaking up the distance over the course of the game, you will be able to enjoy your walk without wondering when it will end.

Additionally, getting in three to six miles of walking is great for health. If you are looking to be more active or at least balance out the beers you plan on drinking back at the clubhouse; walking is a great way to make golf an active and healthy sport.

Everyone Goes Directly to Their Ball

Walking can make the game have a more independent feel. If golfing with others, you are able to walk some stretches together, but everyone can naturally break off whenever they get closer to their ball.

This is great if you are more concerned with your golf game as opposed to socialization. Walking helps facilitate a more focused game of golf.

Cons of Walking the Course

However, when it comes to comfort, socializing, and fatigue, walking is not always the best option. Let’s take a look at how walking the course can have its downsides as well.

Social Impact

This depends on the people involved, but typically riding in a cart, sharing a drink and a snack with your golf buddy, is the more social activity.

It is possible to have a fun time walking with your golf buddy as well, but you both must be excited about the idea of walking the course together in order for it to be a good day out.

You won’t enjoy the walk as much if your golf partner struggles with it or is complaining about it.

Walking is a good choice for a more introverted, reflective golfer, or a small group excited to walk the course together and share that particular experience.

It might be a better choice for a couple looking forward to the walk together as much as the game itself.

Exposure to the Elements

While a cart can keep you dry if it starts to rain or keep you protected, if the wind starts blowing hard, you will be without this protection if walking the course.

It will be up to you to prepare for the weather conditions, which may involve bringing a raincoat or extra layers.

This also means that you will not be able to extend the golf season the way players can who take carts.

Golf carts have been able to stretch out the golfing season by providing extra shelter and protection from the harsher weather at the end of the fall season and the beginning of the spring season.

If you choose to walk, you will be doing so in the more traditionally accepted golf season.

Weight of Bag & Supplies

Now that you’re all packed up with a raincoat, extra layers of clothes, and whatever supplies you think are best for the weather forecast, you’ve got to carry these around with you for 18 holes.

This is certainly a drawback of walking, is that you are physically responsible for the weight of your bag and anything else you are looking to carry with you.

However, that might be misleading because many golfers who walk will opt for a pushcart.

This essentially puts your golf bag on wheels and lets you bring your cart along with you as you walk the course. This keeps the heavy weight of your clubs and supplies off of your back and shoulders.

Of course, nothing is stopping you if you prefer to carry your clubs on your back.

If you are in good physical shape and are up for the challenge, you can certainly walk the course in this way as well.

This will give you a chance to build strength as well as keep all your supplies by your side.

Comfortable Golf Shoes Needed

If you are planning on walking the course, you will need to make sure your shoes are up for the task.

Getting tired over the course of the day can have a negative effect on your golf game, so making sure your feet are cared for and aren’t prone to extra fatigue is necessary if you want to get the most out of your time on the course.

You can make sure you choose a waterproof golf shoe to keep your feet dry as you walk through the fresh morning dew.

There are also many athletic styles of golf shoes available nowadays, so you should not have a problem finding something that gives you the comfort of an athletic sneaker for walking long distances.

The last thing you would want is your choice between walking or carting to cause an impact on your game.

If you are not prepared with good footwear on a particular day, it might be a better choice to grab a cart for that particular round.

That way you will not suffer the extra fatigue that the wrong shoes can cause you to feel.

Requires Physical Ability

For some reading this, walking the whole course simply isn’t an option.

That much walking might be beyond your physical abilities at this current moment. Whether it be recovering from surgery or dealing with a chronic injury, walking the whole course simply is not available to everyone.

This is certainly a downside if it applies to you.

Other Tips When Deciding Whether to Walk or Cart

Now that we know what makes walking or riding a good choice depending on preference and conditions let’s look at some other tips for making this choice.

First, you do not have to make a choice and stick to it for your life as a golfer. Of course, you can always shift back and forth between these two styles, even in the same game.

A golfer can walk the front nine and choose to rent a cart for the back nine. One day, when you are out with your friends, you may choose a cart while the next time you will decide to walk.

Both options are available to you, depending on your mood, needs, and conditions.

Also, it is not unheard of for one golfer in a group to choose to walk while his friends take the cart. If this golfer is in good shape and can make good time on his feet, there should not be a big disruption in the pace of play.

Finally, remember that renting a cart costs money. If you dream of spending your pocket cash on some new golf equipment, consider forgoing the cart for a few rounds and walking instead.

This can help you redirect your golf budget to a different purchase and add some new equipment to your collection.

Final Thoughts

There is no right or wrong answer as to whether you should walk or take a cart. It is a matter of personal preference, and this preference is likely to change depending on the weather, the social environment, and daily energy levels.

If you’re looking to be active and burn some extra calories out on the course, walking is a great option. If you prefer to save your energy for the golf game itself, jump in a cart. Simply remember to check in with yourself and see what you are feeling like on that particular day.

Is a Golf Ball Hollow or Solid?

A staggering estimated 1.2 billion golf balls are manufactured around the world every year – but what are they made of? Are they hollow or solid? You may be surprised to learn that not all golf balls are created equal: there are many different varieties, and the ball you use can profoundly impact your game.

Golf balls are solid. Most golf balls have rubber cores, sometimes made of several layers of different rubber. Some older golf balls, called ‘wound balls,’ are filled with rubber threads wrapped around a solid or liquid-injected core.

The rest of this article will help you decide which kind of golf ball is right for you. We’ll explore the evolution of golf balls over time, the different cores available today, and how different cores affect the ball’s overall performance.

History

Golf had its origins in Scotland in the 15th century, and back then, the balls were made of solid hardwood. Eventually, innovators moved on to leather balls stuffed with feathers.

Still, true change only came in 1848 when Robert Adams Paterson invented a ball made of gutta-percha – rubbery sap that could be reshaped into a sphere even after multiple uses.

These were significantly cheaper to manufacture and soon became the most widespread golf balls. It was gutta-percha balls that first were marked or scored on the outside to help get a smoother flight trajectory – a forerunner of the dimples we use today.

Different Types of Golf Balls

Different golf balls are created to meet different goals. Traditionally, there’s been a trade-off between distance and control: professional golfers have tended towards higher compression with softer outer covers that allow for greater spin and more precise control, while amateur golfers often opt for balls with harder coverings and softer cores, which are better at achieving distance but less good for delicate maneuvering.

Wound Balls

If you have ever thrown or dropped a ball of rubber bands and seen it bounce, you’ve got an insight into the inner workings of a wound ball. Invented in 1898, these replaced balls made of gutta-percha and dominated the professional golf scene throughout the 20th century. They are made of a central core, either solid or liquid, wrapped in rubber threads, and then coated.

Benefits of Wound Balls

These balls were a significant improvement on anything that had been used before. As their design developed in complexity with different layers and tensions, different characteristics could be accentuated depending on a player’s game. Wound balls were lighter, so they went farther, and they could achieve high levels of spin, which enabled control the likes of which had not been seen before and made them the make of choice for pro golfers.

Disadvantages of Wound Balls

While pros loved the workability that wound balls offered on the green, most amateur golfers stuck with solid one-piece balls for several reasons.

The softness of the balata coating of wound balls did not stand up well against the imprecise swings and poor aim of learners, who could swiftly mark up the golf balls and make them unfit for play. The high levels of spin on these balls made it harder for casual golfers to get a straight hit on drives, and the relative complexity of the manufacturing process also drove prices up and made wound balls too expensive.

Shift to Solid Multi-Piece Golf Balls

In 1996, as with every year preceding, wound balls made up over 80% of the golf balls played at the US Open. But by 2001, 85% of balls played there were solid multi-piece balls. What happened?

Nike was the first to launch a solid core ball aimed at touring golfers in 2000, but Titleist’s now-iconic Pro V1 swiftly followed them, and this is the ball that really took off. Titleist pioneered a urethane covering, which was soft like the balata cover on old wound balls had been, allowing for a controlled spin with irons.

However, the gradation of hardness in a solid-core ball meant it also went greater distances on the drive. Within two years, it had replaced wound balls almost completely in the touring sphere.

The wound balls couldn’t compete, and now they exist mainly as collector’s items for golf enthusiasts. In fact, professional golfer Stewart Cink tested a wound ball from the 90s against a modern multi-piece golf ball – the Pro V1 from Titleist, to be exact – and found it handled very similarly except for one significant difference. He tweeted, ‘The wound ball was a full 8MPH slower!’

So, what kind of golf balls are available today?

One-Piece Balls

One solid piece of synthetic rubber with the dimples pitted directly onto the surface; these balls are not used for serious playing. Without a harder outer cover or layers of different material to convert a strike’s energy into momentum, they deform and quickly become misshapen. They are cheap to produce, though, so they are still used as practice balls and mini putting courses.

Two-Piece Balls

This is probably the ball you started on. Two-piece balls are made of a solid rubber core with a separate outer casing. Common at clubs and driving ranges, they are the widespread choice for learners and high-handicap players. This is partially due to affordability: with relatively simple composition, balls like this are cheaper to produce. But its popularity is also down to a few other factors.

One of the most important to consider is swing speed: if you’re swinging below 90mph, a two-piece is likely to be the right choice for you. That’s because the lower compression in the core gives you more of a spring on impact in your drives, and the thicker outer casing minimizes side-spin for a cleaner, straighter shot.

If you’re looking for some two-piece balls to start on or practice with, check out the Mizuno RB 566. The low compression on this model is great for slower swing speeds, and the 566-dimple pattern works to eliminate drag in the air. For a more affordable option, consider Vice Drive – the core compression on this model was lowered this year for an even softer feel.

Three-Piece Balls

Many of the market premium balls today are three-piece: underneath a cover, the central core is wrapped in another layer of a different material called a mantle. The different compressions and properties of separate rubbers mean that in some cases, the force from a strike can be converted into kinetic energy, adding momentum.

Different parts of the shot can be modified: the arc can be slightly adjusted or the speed augmented. For players with a high swing speed or a low handicap, the Bridgestone Golf E12 Soft or the Kirkland Signature could be what you need to take your precision to the next level.

Four or more

These days, with balls that are made with four or more components, pro golfers are actually being fitted for bespoke balls that can be tailored to their needs. If you’re not quite there yet, but you’re looking to buy something top-of-the-line, consider the Callaway Chrome Soft X, which has been recently honed for distance with an enlarged core and two mantles.

TaylorMade, among others, has even come out with a five-piece ball: the TaylorMade TP5x. As innovation continues to increase, we can expect to see even more leaps forward to create balls that are fine-tuned for every player’s game.

Final Thoughts

Golf balls have not always been solid, but they are now. The golf ball’s evolution has seen some twists and turns throughout history, and these days, they are only getting better.

If you want to see the different cores and layers within golf balls with your own eyes, check out this YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/puUtdS01AyA

Cutting Open Premium Golf Balls (https://youtu.be/puUtdS01AyA)

How Much Do Used Golf Carts Cost? A Complete Guide

Golf carts have grown in popularity in recent years. They are now for more than just riding around a golf course. Many people choose to purchase used golf carts instead of new ones, but how much do they cost?

Used golf carts cost around $2,000 to $5,000, depending on various factors. Age plays a huge role in the price tag, with older models costing less. Customization also affects how much you’ll pay. Your location and who you purchase your golf cart from also affect the price.

In this complete guide, we’ll look at how much a used golf cart costs. We’ll also talk about the factors that go into how much a cart should be worth.

The Cost of Used Golf Carts

Many people choose to buy a used golf cart rather than purchase a new one because it’s a more affordable solution.

It’s also a great way to get a golf cart that has been upgraded with new features and aftermarket customization, so you don’t have to do all the work.

The power source of the cart can also affect your bottom line. Carts that run on gasoline cost more than an electric golf cart. You can expect to pay 10% to 15% more for a gas cart.

You should expect to pay between a couple of thousand dollars up to the higher price of $5,000 for a used golf cart. This price may seem a bit steep, but that’s a lot better than paying four to ten thousand for a new cart.

You can have the same upgrades on an old golf cart, such as upgraded tires, a heater, a music system, or a DVD player, for the same price that you’d pay for a bottom-line stock golf cart.

What Factors Affect the Cost of a Used Golf Cart?

Many factors affect the cost of a used golf cart. You should consider each of these criteria when deciding whether the price you’re considering is a fair cost.

Age

The age of a golf cart will play the most significant role in the cost of your used golf cart. The older a golf cart is, the less you will pay.

But cheaper isn’t always better. Older model golf carts often have more wear and tear, which means they’ll be in worse shape.

Parts start to fail after extended use. So you could end up with a cheap golf cart. But end up with a bunch of large repair bills that drive your bottom line up, between parts and labor.

When shopping for a used golf cart, you need to know the cart’s model, make, and serial number. These identifiers will help you understand how old the cart is and assist with finding parts.

In addition to the cart’s age, you’ll also want to know the hours or cycles. This number is similar to a vehicle having miles. The more miles, the less likely you’ll want to purchase the vehicle.

Customization

If you want to have all the goodies with your golf cart, it’s important to remember that these extra features will cost you.

But if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your golf cart, some features would make your time riding the course more comfortable.

Heaters

Many people pay extra for the luxury of having a heater, which makes it more tolerable to get your weekly 18-holes during cold winter days. It also keeps you warm if you’re using your cart for other activities.

If you’re purchasing a used golf cart, the seller may tax on a small sum for the feature. You could choose to buy a cart without a heater and add one yourself. Depending on the type you buy, you could spend anywhere from $50 up to a few hundred.

Tires

Another common upgrade for golf carts is the tires. Regular golf-cart tires are often swapped out for higher-quality models with better treads, larger rims, and a better brand.

Some golf carts can be made street legal, widening their use for jobs other than golf. You may want to customize your cart with the appropriate tires and suspension. This feature could cost up to hundreds of dollars.

Custom Work

If a cart has other customizations such as a custom paint job, you may have to pay for the extensive artwork. So expect to see a higher price tag on a fancy cart than a plain one.

One way to avoid paying extra for a custom paint job is to use decals or stickers to give your plain golf cart a custom look. You can get stencils online for less than $50 (depending on design and company pricing). Expect to spend more if you’ll have these professionally applied.

Entertainment

The final customization that can affect your bottom line would be a sound system. Some people install DVD players or Bluetooth-enabled radios.

If this is an important feature, you can buy a used golf cart with one already installed. Or you can purchase one to install on your own. A good quality Bluetooth radio/DVD combo can be acquired for around $100. Speakers are another expense.

Of course, you could always go with the cheaper option and purchase a good Bluetooth speaker like this Ampcaddy Golf Bluetooth Speaker to mount into your golf court to stream music or calls through your phone. Look for one that’s waterproof if you plan to leave it in your cart full time. Speakers can range from $30 to $100.

Location

Where you live or buy your cart will also affect the price of your purchase. If you’re trying to purchase a golf cart in warm regions, remember that they are often used more.

Due to the extended mileage, it’s common to see some cheap carts. But remember, the costs of repairs can add up to a large sum, reducing the money you saved from buying a used golf cart.

But you may pay a higher price in warmer locations due to supply and demand. Avoid shopping for a used cart during warmer months, as the price always goes higher because more people need it.

Carts in cold-weather regions are often used less, so they can be in better shape due to less mileage. But, colder weather can cause adverse effects to the vehicle if not properly winterized.

You should always check out a used golf cart thoroughly before buying to ensure nothing has been damaged. Used golf carts may go for less in areas where there are limited use times due to cold weather.

Maintenance

All vehicles require regular maintenance, so they have an extended life. What type of golf cart you buy will determine the amount of money you may spend on maintenance. If you’re on a limited budget, you’d want to buy a golf card that requires less maintenance.

Electric golf carts have fewer parts than gasoline golf carts. It’s more affordable to maintain an electric golf cart’s 500 pieces than it is to keep up with more than 2,000 separate parts found in a gas-powered cart.

However, batteries for an electric golf cart can be expensive. You want to be sure the cart you buy has a battery that’s in good condition. Otherwise, you could spend anywhere from a few hundred up to two thousand dollars on a battery pack.

Wear and Tear

Keeping your golf cart regularly maintained helps get more extended use out of your vehicle and lowers the need for repairs.

But many pieces will wear out after a certain amount of time, regardless of your maintenance schedule. When an electric golf cart has so many pieces, it can get expensive, keeping up with all the different parts that generally wear out.

But electric carts also wear down over time, like gasoline carts. The parts for electric buggies can be more expensive than gas-powered parts.

Accessories

There are many accessories you can get added to your golf cart. You could expect to pay for these with a used golf cart, as you would if you bought your cart new from a dealer. If a buyer has installed these extra accessories themselves, they may expect a higher price for their cart.

Examples of extra accessories that may be added to a golf cart include:

Covers
Mirrors (side and rear view)
Lights
Rocker panels
Steering equipment
Fender flares
Life kits
Bluetooth capabilities
Heaters
Extra storage
Coolers
Cup holders
Rims
Blinkers
Tags (if your cart is allowed to be road legal)
Custom seats
Boosted engine
Number of seats (golf carts can hold two, four, or six people)

Where to Shop for Used Golf Carts?

When shopping for a used golf cart, there are plenty of places to check. There are usually plenty of options available in most locations, year-round. Let’s look at some of the best places to shop for a used golf cart.

Golf Courses

The first place to check for used golf carts is to check golf courses. Many courses routinely upgrade their carts, which means you could luck up on a good deal.

The great thing about buying from a course is most of them take good care of their carts. Although the cart may have a lot of hours on the motor from frequent use, they do regular maintenance.

Most courses use electric golf carts because they’re easier to keep maintained, and they are a cheaper option when bought brand new compared to a gas golf cart.

Social Media

Sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace make it easy to connect with sellers who want to get rid of their current toys.

Often, you may even be able to negotiate a trade if you have something of value you are willing to exchange for your cart in place of money.

You should always use caution when shopping from strangers. Always test the cart before you agree to buy. If possible, have someone with experience look it over for any signs of problems or damage.

Be sure you get a receipt or bill of sale, especially for carts you plan to register for highway use. Having proof of purchase saves you time if problems arise regarding ownership.

It’s also a good idea to ask if there is a record of maintenance so you can be sure the golf cart you’re buying has been used correctly.

Manufacturers

Many times, dealers will have used inventory that they offer for sale or lease. Purchasing from a dealer gives you the option to get financing so you can pay a monthly payment instead of having to buy your golf cart outright with the entire sum of money upfront.

Buying from a dealer also helps you ensure the cart you get is in good condition. Most dealers do any repairs or maintenance before they sell an item. And many have warranties, so if something breaks, you won’t need to shell out a whole paycheck to repair the problem.

Some common golf cart brands to consider are:

Yamaha
Club Car
EZ-GO

Tips for Shopping for a Used Golf Cart

When shopping for a used golf cart, it can be easy to get confused about making sure you’re getting a good deal. We’ve put together a few shopping tips to help make your experience easier.

Get Details

When looking at golf carts, try to narrow your search to sellers that can provide you with specifics about the cart for sale.

You want to know what model your cart is, how much it’s been used, and any parts that have been replaced.

If a seller acts suspicious about providing any of these details, you may want to pass on the offer, as it could be that the golf cart hasn’t been adequately maintained. Or it may have been used more than the seller is letting on.

Negotiate

Many people make the mistake of agreeing to a price without attempting to negotiate. When dealing with individual sellers, it never hurts to negotiate with the dealer over a lower price.

Most sellers expect a counteroffer, so they set their prices higher than they actually expect to get. While you don’t want to come back with an offensive number below the asking price, it doesn’t hurt to try getting the number down a bit.

Do a thorough examination and point out areas you think might bring the cost down. Are the tires low on the tread? Is the interior torn? Maybe there are scratches on the paint or a dented hood. Most items are not perfect if they are used. Make sure you’re paying what the cart is worth.

Research

It can be tempting to jump on an offer when you see something that fits your exact needs. But before you sign any deals, you should do your research to find common issues about the model.

You should also see the going rate for similar items compared to what the seller is asking. If the price is too high, you can negotiate a lower price by pointing out that it’s marked higher than others. There may be a reason, but it may just be a difficult seller.

Know the average costs so you don’t end up overpaying. Also, be wary of items listed for much lower than other models, which could point to a problem the seller doesn’t want to disclose. Cheaper isn’t always better.

Refurbished or Used

Many people stumble on the terms refurbished and used. While these words are synonyms, they often have different meanings in terms of selling.

When you purchase a used golf cart, you are typically buying from an individual seller who used their cart for personal use. Most of the time, the buyer only has one item for sale.

Once you buy a used golf cart from an individual seller, it’s usually a final deal. If there are problems with the cart, you will have to eat the costs for repairs.

A dealer or manufacturer usually sells a refurbished golf cart. Refurbished golf carts are used carts that came from a previous owner through a trade or purchase. They can also come from a course fleet.

Although refurbished golf carts are used, they are, typically, of good quality. Most dealers will do repairs and maintenance to make your cart close to new again. But many times, the work is cosmetic and may hide underlying causes that could be severe problems.

Most refurbished carts do not have a warranty, so the repairs are out of your pocket if something gets damaged. The only way to ensure your golf cart is protected under contract is to buy from a dealer, and it usually has to be a new model. Some dealers may offer a short term warranty for an additional cost.

In Closing

Golf carts are a fun and easy way to get around, whether it’s on the golf course, through the woods, or just for a stroll around your neighborhood. Buying a used golf cart helps you save money and get a better deal on a cart that already has some extra features. It also lets you save money, so you have enough left over to add these additional features on your own.

11 Tips For Increasing Your Swing Speed With A Driver

Sometimes a player comes along who transforms a sport all on his own. For golf, that was Tiger Woods. His powerful style changed the landscape for both professionals and amateurs as they chase the art of his swing. But you might wonder, how can I swing faster?

To increase your swing speed with a driver, you first need to choose the right driver for your style and golf shoes for stability. Use physical training to build strength, flexibility, and balance. Improve your swing mechanics, swing alignment, and timing. Use a proper grip and relax your swing.

This article will discuss the best tips for improving swing speed and why it matters for your game. I will also explore best practices for avoiding injury on the course and other ways to enhance your play.

What Is A Driver?

You can think of golf clubs as a set of tools, each designed to work best in a certain situation. Sure, you could stamp down a nail with the flat side of your wrench, but the hammer is the better choice. You want the right tool for the right job.

There are four main categories of golf clubs:

Putters – Putters have a flat face where they strike the golf ball so that it does not take air upon impact. They are used for rolling the ball across the green towards the hole and are designed for accurate shots over small distances.

Wedges – Wedges have an angle to their striking face, which is referred to as loft. These clubs have the steepest slope, as much as 60 degrees or more, to make the ball go as high into the air as possible. They are used to escape sand and tall grass or to clear obstacles. The ball does not travel far after being hit.

Irons – Irons are numbered 1 through 9, with the striking face’s loft increasing with the number. While the one iron can hit a ball the farthest, many golfers don’t own a one or a two because of the skill needed to use them well. These are used to launch a golf ball up to 200 yards.

Woods – Woods have the largest heads and the longest shafts of all clubs. Additionally, the only clubs with smaller lofts to their striking face are putters. Among them, the one wood has the biggest and broadest head. This club is also called the Driver. Woods are used for hitting the golf ball the farthest of all clubs.

For many players, the driver is the first club they ever use in a game. It is the club you tee off of because you can drive your golf ball as far downfield as you can and close the distance to the hole in a single shot. Because of the length of its shaft and weight of its head, you can swing the driver faster than any other club thanks to centripetal force.

How To Avoid Injury While Golfing

There is a saying, “Don’t swing hard, swing fast.” Many amateur golfers try to use their drivers to smash their golf ball into space by using every bit of strength they have when they are trying to swing faster.

This isn’t just poor form that yields lackluster results. And it isn’t just fun for your friends to watch as you spin yourself off balance with your own swing. The practice is also terrible for your back.

“Let the ball get in the way.” Another saying you might have heard before. It means that your real swing should be exactly like a practice swing. The goal is not to hit the golf ball, it’s to make a perfect swing where the ball just happens to be there.

Remember what sport you’re playing and swing like Tiger Woods, not Babe Ruth. Champion golfer Andy North illustrates this point in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGeOpi5TLMw

Andy North: Most Amateurs Swing Harder Than They Need! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGeOpi5TLMw)

As much as football or hockey, golf is a physical sport. Aside from making sure you use the right form when you swing, you can, like with any sport, do a few things before you start to avoid injury:

Stretching – The importance of stretching is hard to overstate. If your body isn’t ready, you can pull or tear muscles when you use sudden strong movements, like swinging your driver. Some good golf stretches include:

The Shoulder Stretch

The Standing Quad Stretch

The Standing Side Stretch

The Standing Back Stretch

The Hip Flexor Stretch

Warming Up – A warm-up is a solid start to any routine. If you go for a run, you don’t take off sprinting as soon as you have your shoes on. Your body needs to ease into the work you are about to ask of it. As a golfer, be sure to take some practice swings to get into the motion. For more helpful warm-up tips PGA Pros Piers Ward and Andy Proudman show us their routine in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBRojeYuILQ

5 MINUTE GOLF DYNAMIC WARM-UP (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBRojeYuILQ)

11 Tips For Increasing Your Swing Speed With A Driver

As you have already read, a faster swing takes a lot more than swinging the club as hard as you can. Here are the eleven best tips for increasing your swing speed with a driver:

Find The Right Driver – The first thing you’ll need is the right tool for the job, and few of your tools will be more important than the driver. The one wood is often the priciest club a player owns, so it’s doubly important that you get this one right. Sure, every one wood serves the same purpose, but there is a lot of nuance in the way these are made.

Drivers vary by shaft length, club head size, loft, lie, material, and a half dozen other factors. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of possibilities on offer here, but I can break some of this down for you.

Shaft Length – A shorter club will grant you more control, but a longer one will offer more power. Don’t be tempted to grab the longest one available. All the power in the world is meaningless if you can’t keep your shot on target. I recommend testing a driver at the range and finding the sweet spot that works for you before you buy.

Club Head Size – Most players are using clubs between 440 and 460 cubic centimeters. The smaller size gives you more control over your ball’s path, while the larger has a wider face that makes it easier to hit the ball.

Loft – I described loft earlier as the slope of a club’s striking face. The steeper the slope, the higher a ball will rise after impact, and the lower it is, the lower the flight path will be. If you are aiming for a faster swing, a lower loft will fit your playstyle better.

Lie – Where loft is the slope of the club’s head, lie is the slope of the shaft from where the club meets the ground. Loft changes the ball’s path up or down, but lie changes it left or right. While lie isn’t a big factor in swing speed, it can still impact the way you play.

Material – Woods earned their name because they were made of wood initially. The drivers of today are an assortment of metals and composites from steel to titanium. Titanium alloy clubs are both strong and light, and the lighter the club, the faster you can swing it. Heavier clubs sacrifice speed and control but may add more force to your swing and more distance to your shot.

Weight – While it is true that a heavier club can slow your swing down, how that weight is distributed is also very important. A heavier head can lower your club’s center of gravity. This can actually increase speed through the swing.

The Right Golf Shoes – A good pair of golf shoes will keep you stable and balanced throughout your swing and lets you get the most out of your motion.

Speed Training – If you are really serious about increasing your swing speed, you should consider a professional speed training program that may already be offered at your favorite golf course.

Overspeed Training – Overspeed training involves using weights or heavier clubs to practice your normal swing. The increased strength needed to perform the same motion will get your body accustomed to that level of effort. It will also help build all the muscles you use for your swing.

When you switch back to your driver, you will have a faster swing than before. But be careful. If not done correctly, Overspeed training can alter the natural motion of your swing. When using weights or heavier clubs, practice your swing slowly to keep the right form.

Strength Training – As a golfer, you are an athlete. You should train that way. By strengthening your muscles, you can add power and speed to your swing. But you need to focus on the right ones.

Your back, core, chest, and forearms all work together to form the basis of a solid swing. And you probably knew that. But did you know your butt was just as crucial as that whole group?

The glutes serve to bring your hips and legs into the swing. Your lower body can maximize the strength and speed of your motion. For the fastest swing you can get, you want all those muscles working together.

Flexibility Training – A fast swing demands a smooth arch. And that won’t happen if you’re stiff. By working on your flexibility, you improve your range of motion and make the movement easier.

This training can be as simple as stretching properly before matches and practice or as in-depth as regular yoga. Greater flexibility has the added bonus of lower rates of injury to your joints and back.

Relax – Keeping relaxed goes hand in hand with flexibility and not trying to smash the golf ball with everything you’ve got. If you tense up in mid-swing, you risk both slowing down your swing and injuring yourself. Just relax and let your swing happen. It should be as effortless as your practice swings.

Proper Stance – It might seem basic, but the right stance will help you get the most out of your swing, and the wrong one can hinder the entire thing. To hold a proper stance you must:

Plant your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Keep your toes pointed straight ahead of you.

Bend your knees a small amount, but don’t crouch.

Spread your weight evenly between both feet.

Grip Size – Just like there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, there’s no “right” way to grip a golf club. There are specific accepted standard techniques, but even some world-class players ignore them to favor a more comfortable personal grip. If you can hold the club with both hands and hit the ball well, you’ve got the gist of it.

That said, the size of your club’s grip can affect how you hold and swing your club. In this, there is a “right” way. That is to use the grip size that’s appropriate for your hands. A rubber wrap at the top of your club determines grip size. For small hands, a narrow wrap will grant the best control. If your hands are larger, you will want a broader wrap.

Grip size is important because using the wrong one can restrict or awkwardly alter your wrists’ movement. As you twist your club during the downward arch of your swing, a grip that isn’t large enough can add too much rotation to the natural motion of your hands. A grip that’s too large can keep you from turning the club properly. Both problems have the potential to foul your swing.

Swing Alignment – Proper alignment is the foundation for your swing. If you are just beginning, you will want to use this as a starting point and build a good, fast swing from here. If you have been golfing a while but are not aligned properly, there may be a problem with your swing that leaves you unconsciously trying to compensate. You will never find your fastest swing if you aren’t aligned.

Swing Mechanics – The mechanics of a golf swing are the breakdown of each aspect of a swing’s rotation. The five parts of a swing are the:

Takeaway – The start of your swing as you draw the club back.

Backswing – The arch of the club as you raise it over your shoulders.

Transition – The movement that ends your backswing and flows into the downswing. A smooth and proper transition is vital for the speed and effectiveness of your swing.

Downswing – The arch of the club as it swoops down toward impact.

Follow Through – The end of the swing after contact with the ball. A good follow-through means that you complete the motion of your swing after impact and ensures that you have met the ball at full speed and strength. If you end your swing right after contact, then you have slowed down too early.

For years, swing mechanics have been studied extensively. And that is because, out of everything listed so far, swing mechanics are the most important. Master every aspect of your swing to get the most out of these other tips.

The Top Drivers Sold On Amazon

Now that you have an idea of what you need to improve your swing, you should take a look at some of the best drivers out there today:

The PGX Offset Golf Driver – Made by Pinemeadow Golf, this is the number one best-selling driver on Amazon.com. The graphite shaft and large 460cc clubhead make it perfect for a faster swing. And it comes with a one year warranty.

The Men’s RBZ Black Driver – Produced by Taylor made, this excellent driver comes with an adjustable loft so you can customize its performance. Made with speed pocket performance for more distance and a titanium core for better control, this is another great choice to consider.

The Best Driver For Increasing Your Swing Speed

I saved the best for last, used and endorsed by Tiger Woods himself. I give you:

The M6 Driver – The M6 Driver from Taylor made has an aerodynamic design and was built with one thing in mind, speed. Every head uses a twist face design and is individually speed tested. The heads are also injected with a special resin to increase ball speed and shot distance.

A crowning feature of the M6 model is that it’s built to push the legal speed limit set by the USGA and R&A. If more speed is what you want, then this driver may be the one you need.

Conclusion

Champions like Tiger Woods have proven that a strong drive can be a powerful weapon in any golfer’s arsenal. Increasing your swing speed with a driver is one of the best ways to add distance to your shots. Adopt these tips to maximize the speed of your technique.

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Makes Challenging Courses Accessible

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Speed Up Play

Socializing in the Cart

Cons of Riding Golf Carts

Rainy Days & Cart Path Play

No Access to Your Bag

Noise and Disruption

Departure From Tradition

Environmental Impact

Pros of Walking the Course

Observation of Conditions

Time to Reflect and Stay Focused on Your Game

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Long Walk at Pleasurable Pace

Everyone Goes Directly to Their Ball

Cons of Walking the Course

Social Impact

Exposure to the Elements

Weight of Bag & Supplies

Comfortable Golf Shoes Needed

Requires Physical Ability

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