Ever watch a tour pro stop a wedge shot on a dime or launch a driver that seems to hang in the air forever? When you see that level of control, it’s natural to wonder, What golf balls do pros use? and if that same ball could help your game. This guide will show you exactly what balls the top players have in their bags, explain the performance features they look for, and then give a simple framework so you can choose the best ball for your own game.
There's very little variety at the highest level of the game. If you took a survey of any PGA Tour or LPGA Tour field, you'd find the vast majority of players are using one of two golf ball families: the Titleist Pro V1 or the TaylorMade TP5. It’s not just brand loyalty, these balls consistently deliver the specific performance characteristics that elite players depend on to compete.
Let's look at why these two models dominate the professional tours.
For more than two decades, the Titleist Pro V1 has been the most played ball on worldwide professional tours. It became the benchmark for the modern, multi-layer, high-performance golf ball. When a pro says they want a "tour ball," the Pro V1 is the mental model they are often comparing everything against. But it's not a one-size-fits-all product, a pro's choice often comes down to the subtle differences in the two main models.
Who uses it? Players like Max Homa and Jordan Spieth rely on the classic Pro V1 for its predictable flight and soft feel around the greens.
TaylorMade seriously challenged Titleist's dominance with the introduction of its family of 5-layer golf balls. This construction is a significant departure from the typical 3-piece or 4-piece design of other tour balls. The idea is to have different layers work for different shots - the inner layers are optimized for low-spin, high-speed driver shots, while the outer layers are designed to create high-spin and control with wedges.
So, why do practically all a pros use one of these tour-level balls? It isn't just because of sponsorship deals. Unsponsored players and elite amateurs almost always choose these models as well. The reason is that these balls are engineered from the inside out to provide a specific combination of flight characteristics that pros cannot live without.
If there’s one feature that separates a "pro" ball from an average amateur ball, it’s the cover material. A premium ball uses a cast or thermoset urethane cover. Cheaper, distance-focused balls typically use a plastic called Surlyn or ionomer.
The urethane cover is softer and significantly "grippier." When a wedge makes contact with a urethane cover, the grooves on the clubface can grab the ball and generate massive amounts of spin. This is what allows pros to hit those thrilling shots you see on TV - the low, checking pitch that bounces once and stops, or the high wedge that lands and spins back several feet.
A Surlyn-covered ball, by contrast, is designed to be durable and low-spinning for distance off the tee. When you hit a wedge shot with a Surlyn ball, it tends to hit the green and release or "run out" without much check. For a pro, that lack of predictability is a deal-breaker.
A golf ball has a nearly impossible job. A pro wants it to do opposite things with different clubs:
This is where the multi-layer construction comes into play. A simple 2-piece distance ball can’t deliver this. But a 3-, 4-, or 5-piece ball like a Pro V1 or TP5 has separate layers (a core, one or more mantle layers, and the cover) that each play a role. The firm inner layers help generate ball speed and lower spin on high-speed impacts from a driver, while the soft outer urethane cover does its job on the lower-speed, glancing blows from a wedge.
Have you ever hit a seemingly good shot on a windy day only to see it get knocked down or pushed way offline? Premium golf balls feature highly sophisticated dimple patterns that are engineered in wind tunnels to produce a stable, penetrating flight. They are designed to hold their line in a crosswind and maintain their trajectory into a headwind much better than a low-cost, 2-piece ball.
For a pro, hitting their yardages is everything. They can't afford to have a gust of wind turn a 175-yard shot into a 160-yard shot. They need a ball that performs as predictably as possible in any condition.
While Titleist and TaylorMade hold the lion's share, other major brands produce fantastic tour-level balls that are used by some of the best players in the world.
Just because Rory creams a TP5x doesn’t mean it’s the right ball for you. But you can use the same mindset that pros use to find the ball that best complements your game. The process is simpler than you think.
Most amateurs choose a ball based on driver distance. A pro does the opposite. They start by finding a ball that feels great and performs how they want around the greens. Because scoring happens on and around the greens, the ball’s performance with your putter, wedges, and short irons is the most important factor.
Go to a practice green with a few different urethane-covered balls (a Pro V1, a TP5, a Chrome Tour, etc.). Hit some putts. Hit some 20-yard chip shots. Which one feels the best off the clubface? Which one reacts how you expect it to on the green?
Once you've narrowed it down to a couple of models that you like around the green, take them onto the course for some "testing." Hit a few 7-iron shots into a green. Does one seem to fly higher or lower? Does one stop faster? A higher flight can be beneficial if you struggle to hold greens on approach shots. A more piercing flight might be better if you play in a lot of wind.
The last step is to see how each ball performs off the tee. Frankly, the distance difference between any of these premium models will be very minimal for most golfers. Pay more attention to the feeling and the flight. Does one feel too hard or too soft? Is one launching too high and ballooning on you, or flying too low?
By following this green-to-tee process, you're prioritizing what matters most for scoring - control - just like a professional does.
When you ask "what golf balls do pros use?", the short answer is tour-level, urethane-covered balls like the Titleist Pro V1 and TaylorMade TP5. They choose them for their unparalleled spin control around the greens and their consistent performance with every club in the bag. To find your perfect ball, adopt their green-to-tee testing process, focusing on feel and control before worrying about a few extra yards off the tee.
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