Ever watch an LPGA Tour broadcast and wonder what golf ball Nelly Korda or Lydia Ko is using to flight it so perfectly? You're not alone. It’s a common question I get from students, and the answer reveals a lot about how to select the right equipment. This article will break down exactly which golf balls the top female pros use, explain why they choose those specific models, and give you a simple framework to find the perfect ball for your own game.
The Truth About "Women's Golf Balls" on Tour
Let's get one major misconception out of the way first: there is no single "women's tour ball." The best female golfers in the world are not playing low-compression balls marketed in pink boxes. They are elite athletes with high swing speeds who demand the absolute best in performance, and they use the very same premium golf balls you see on the PGA Tour. The choice isn't about gender, it’s about a meticulous, personal fitting process to match a golf ball to their unique swing, desired ball flight, and feel preferences.
Pros understand that the golf ball is the one piece of equipment you use for every single shot. It has to perform with the driver, your long irons, your wedges, and your putter. They choose their ball to optimize performance across the entire bag, and their choices provide an excellent look into what makes a high-performance golf ball tick.
The Most Popular Golf Balls on the LPGA Tour
Just like on the men's tour, a few key brands dominate the weekly usage counts on the LPGA. Titleist has been the long-standing leader, but brands like TaylorMade, Srixon, and Callaway have made significant ground, with many of the world's best players putting their models in play. Let's look at the specific favorites of the game's biggest stars.
Titleist: The Gold Standard
For decades, the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x have been the standard by which all other premium balls are measured. They offer a fantastic combination of distance, feel, and short-game control that appeals to a wide range of players. The LPGA Tour is no exception, with a huge percentage of the field trusting Titleist every week.
- Lydia Ko: Titleist Pro V1x - Lydia Ko, one of the most consistently great players of her generation, relies on the Pro V1x. Compared to the standard Pro V1, the Pro V1x is designed to launch higher, spin more with irons and wedges, and feel slightly firmer. This suits players who want to hit towering iron shots that land softly on the greens and who need maximum spin for greenside control. If you're a player who wants more height on your shots and an aggressive, "drop-and-stop" performance with your wedges, the Pro V1x is built for that.
- Jin Young Ko: Titleist Pro V1 - On the flip side, former world #1 Jin Young Ko plays the standard Pro V1. The Pro V1 offers a softer feel and a more penetrating, lower ball flight than the V1x. It’s a ball for players who might not need help getting the ball in the air and prefer a slightly lower trajectory to bore through the wind. It still offers exceptional greenside spin from its urethane cover, but with a softer feel that some players love, especially on and around the greens.
TaylorMade: A Force in Innovation
TaylorMade’s TP5 and TP5x golf balls have firmly established themselves as top-tier competitors to the Pro V1 family. Their unique 5-layer construction is designed to deliver speed on long shots and incredible spin on short ones, a combination that has won over some of the biggest names in golf.
- Nelly Korda: TaylorMade TP5x - As one of the longest and most powerful players on tour, Nelly Korda's choice of the TaylorMade TP5x makes perfect sense. The TP5x is the firmer and faster of the two models, prioritizing ball speed and a higher launch. Its design helps reduce driver spin for maximum distance while maintaining incredible wedge spin due to its soft urethane cover. Nelly leverages this to hit towering drives and attack pins with her irons.
- Brooke Henderson: TaylorMade TP5x - Similarly, Canadian powerhouse Brooke Henderson relies on the TP5x. Known for her aggressive style and incredible swing speed, the performance characteristics of the TP5x allow her to maximize her distance advantage without sacrificing the crucial scoring control needed around the greens.
Srixon: Performance for the Discerning Player
Srixon golf balls have a loyal and growing following among tour professionals who appreciate their balanced performance and outstanding feel. Their Z-STAR line offers nuanced options for skilled players.
- Minjee Lee: Srixon Z-STAR - Major champion Minjee Lee plays the standard Srixon Z-STAR. This ball is known for having one of the softest feels among premium urethane balls. It offers exceptional spin and control around the greens, allowing for precise chipping and pitching. It has a slightly lower flight than its sibling, the Z-STAR XV, making it a great all-around performer that excels in the scoring shots from 100 yards and in.
- Hannah Green: Srixon Z-STAR &diams, (Diamond) - Fellow Aussie and major winner Hannah Green plays the more niche Srixon Z-STAR &diams, (Diamond). This ball is an interesting hybrid. It blends the firmer, higher-speed core of the Z-STAR XV with the softer cover of the Z-STAR. The result is a ball that offers higher iron spin than the XV but more distance than the standard Z-STAR, fitting 'tweeners' who want an extra-specific performance profile.
Why Are They Choosing These Specific Balls?
As you can see, the choice is highly specific. A pro doesn't just grab a sleeve of balls, they go through a fitting process that analyzes their entire game. They look at three primary factors, and you can, too.
1. Feel and Sound
This is probably the most underrated factor for amateur golfers but one of the most important for pros. The feel of the ball coming off the putter face or a wedge can inspire immense confidence. Some players, like Minjee Lee, prefer a very soft, "buttery" feel, which the Srixon Z-STAR provides. Others, who might associate a firmer feel with more speed and a powerful strike, may gravitate toward something like the Pro V1x or TP5x. Sound and feel are directly related, and connecting with a ball on that sensory level is fundamental.
2. Spin and Short Game Control
This is non-negotiable. Look at the list above - every single ball mentioned has a thermoset cast urethane cover. This is the premium material that provides the grab and friction necessary to produce high spin on wedge and chip shots. Balls with Surlyn or Ionomer covers (found on most "distance" balls) feel firmer and cannot generate the same level of greenside spin. Pros need their ball to hit, check up, and stop quickly. That's why they exclusively play urethane-cover balls.
3. Launch Window and Trajectory
Every pro has an ideal "window" in which they want to see their ball fly. A player who naturally hits the ball low might choose a higher-launching ball like the Pro V1x to get their iron shots to land at a steeper, softer angle. Conversely, a player who naturally produces a lot of height and spin might opt for the lower-launching Pro V1 to flatten their trajectory for better flighting and wind performance. They are matching the ball's inherent launch characteristics to their swing delivery to produce a predictable and repeatable ball flight.
How to Choose Your Golf Ball Like a Pro
So, how do you take all this information and apply it to your own game? You don’t need a launch monitor and a team of technicians. You just need a simple process to find what works best for you.
Step 1: Be Honest About Your Game
Ask yourself some simple questions. What is the one thing you want more of from your golf ball? Is it more distance off the tee? More spin around the greens? A higher flight with your irons? Do you feel like your putts are "skidding" off the face and want a softer feel? Identifying your primary goal will help you narrow down your options from the start.
Step 2: Test from the Green Backwards
This is the single best piece of advice for testing golf balls. Most a golfer’s strokes happen within 100 yards of the hole. Start by grabbing a sleeve of two or three potential models (e.g., a a Pro V1, a TP5, and a Z-STAR) and head to the practice green.
- Putt with them. Which one feels the best off the putter face? Which one gives you the most confidence on short putts?
- Chip with them. Hit different kinds of chips - low runners and high, soft shots. Which one provides the most predictable reaction and spin on the green?
- Hit wedge shots. Move back to 30-50 yards and hit pitch shots. Does the ball check up for you, or does it release and run out too far? The ball that feels and performs best around the greens is very often the right choice for your entire game.
Step 3: Commit and Learn
Once you find a ball that feels and performs well, stick with it. Playing the same ball model every single round eliminates a huge variable. You'll learn exactly how it reacts on chip shots, how far it flies with your 7-iron, and how it feels off the driver. This consistency is far more valuable than searching for the mythical "perfect" ball and switching every other week.
Final Thoughts
The women on the LPGA Tour are playing the best golf balls in the world - balls chosen through a precise process based on feel, meticulous spin control, and desired ball flight. They don't use a special "women's" ball, they use premium models from Titleist, TaylorMade, and Srixon engineered for maximum performance.
As you work on you own game, your decisions on the course matter just as much as your equipment choices. That’s why we designed our app, Caddie AI, to give you that same tour-level strategic thinking in your pocket. For those moments when you aren't sure of the right club or the smartest way to play a tricky hole, you can get instant, expert advice. By analyzing the situation just like a professional caddie would, we help take the guesswork out of your game so you can stand over every shot with more confidence. You can check it out at Caddie AI.