We Tested 54 Balls. Here's What Matters.

Aug 10, 2026, 5:49 PM•golfdigest

Golf Digest

Those who listen to Golf Digest's Club Lab podcast have likely heard me admit to an equipment sin I've committed on numerous occasions. When the game isn't sharp and the ball supply starts to dwindle, I've been known to traipse into the woods and seek out future reloads. It's a terrible habit I need to break.

While all golf balls look the same, I'm exposing myself to the possibility that the ball I'm picking up isn't built for my game, especially from a key distance.

The 40-yard wedge shot is a critical checkpoint for pros when they're conducting ball testing, and as we found during a recent round of robotic testing with the Golf Laboratories swing robot, there's a noticeable difference in spin and spin variance between models.

For most recreational golfers, that's the moment ball selection starts to matter.

We tested 54 balls to measure exactly what separates them on a half-wedge shot. The interactive chart below plots each ball's average spin against how consistent that spin is from shot to shot.

Find your game, and stop picking random balls out of the woods, like yours truly.

Every golf ball has a spin signature. Find one that matches your short game from 54 models

Find the ball built for your short game—and stop guessing.

By Jonathan Wall

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jay Coffin

This stat is not too shabby if you're Jackson Koivun. The former Auburn star joined Tiger Woods as the only men to qualify for the PGA Tour's postseason after playing only five reguar season events. Woods did so in the 2019-2020 season, playing in the Zozo Championship (win), Farmers Insurance Open (T-9), Genesis Invitational (68), Memorial (T-40) and the PGA Championship (T-37). He then played in the first two playoff events and did not qualify for the Tour Championship. Koivun won the 3M Open two weeks ago and this week at the Wyndham Championship held onto the 70th and final position in the FedEx Cup standings.

Alex Myers

This is great news if you're worried about your boss tracking your golf scores. The USGA is rolling out a new privacy option for golfers with an official Handicap Index. On supported apps like GHIN, you can now choose whether you want your full scoring record to be seen by everyone or only members from your golf club(s). This new option can be found under settings and then privacy settings.

Sam Weinman

Sandbagging and vanity handicaps are two very different breeds of golfer. One is devious; the other delusional. What I’ve determined is they can easily be identified through one common scenario. In a best-ball match, when your partner is already in for your team’s score, you might decide for pace-of-play reasons to pick up and proceed to the next hole. What score do you put down then? According to the World Handicap System, players are asked to enter their Most Likely Score based on where they are and their skill level. But even then, it’s a matter of perspective. A four-foot sidehill slider is no gimme, but two different golfers might assess it differently. The vanity handicap wants the lower score and will put assume they would have made it for par. The sandbagger will go with a two-putt and bogey. The easiest way to avoid confusion? Just putt everything.

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