Last Updated on January 2, 2024 by Matt Greene
*Read our review guidelines.
The right ball at mid handicap level can bring your scores down fast. More distance and better spin control is what we crave.
Let's get you what you need to start breaking 90 and 80 regularly.
I love testing golf balls. I play different models every round if I can! Different colors, different materials, different number of layers - I love them all.
I'll share the benefits and performance of mid handicapper golf balls including which ones I recommend for your specific priority. My experience comes from hundreds of shots testing the best golf balls for mid handicappers on-course.
Best Golf Balls for Mid Handicappers in 2024
Here are the 8 best golf balls for mid-handicap golfers:
- Srixon Soft Feel (best for 10 handicaps +)
- Kirkland Signature (best budget urethane golf ball in the world)
- Srixon Q-Star (best for green side spin)
- Callaway SuperSoft (best for super soft feel)
- Wilson Staff DUO Soft (best high visibility urethane ball)
- TaylorMade Tour Response (best-value Tour quality ball low compression)
- Callaway ERC Soft Triple Track (best alignment aid for putting)
- Vice Pro Soft (best balls to cut through wind)
When should I buy some more sophisticated balls?
You can buy balls whenever and whatever skill level you like, but I would suggest that if you're losing more than two balls per round, you should stick to the cheaper or second-hand ones for the following reasons:
When you count how much money you lose every time you nail one in the water, out of bounds or into the bushes, it starts to hurt...badly.
On top of that, standing on the tee and feeling tension because you don't want to lose one of the new balls you've purchased will affect your game negatively in an immeasurable way.
If you feel happy and confident to buy new balls, and are content in losing a few without getting too upset, you should definitely invest in yourself. If you're a 10 handicap, a 15 handicap or a 20 handicap, check out these balls for mid handicaps - they will take you to lower scores.
Srixon Soft Feels are my #1 recommendation for mid handicappers who want their first new ball experience.
My experience with the Soft Feels:
This is the first golf ball I ever played new out of the box, when I dropped to a 10 handicap. I played these balls all the way down to a 3 handicap.
It's a two-piece construction in its 13th version and Srixon has reduced the compression to 60. That's more moderate than the ultra low compression trend at the moment and great for us. Srixon wrap the 60 compression core with a durable surlyn cover which is firm. A softer under layer and a firmer outer layer means improved distance.
Srixon have reduced the thickness of the cover and are one of the best mid handicap balls for holding the greens, with soft feeling off the club face around the greens. Your ball will stop 2-3 yards after the pitch mark.
Recommendation: Play them, you will not regret it.
I played a lot of rounds with the Soft Feel after I felt worthy of new golf balls - I think what made it so special to me is that it was the first ball I tried and the first new ball smell I ever experienced. Playing these balls prevented me from being scared of losing $4 balls and more toward thinking about smacking $1.50 balls smoothly.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Kirkland Signature
Simply the best budget golf ball anywhere on earth
There is nothing to dislike about Kirkland Signatures. You can pick them up for an excellent price, and play a golf ball that performs like a Tour ball with a high quality urethane cover.
I know because I bought 24 of these in the USA and played with them at Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, everywhere.
My Experience with the ball:
The Kirkland Signatures are balls that fly far, and do hold greens because of their soft, high-spin urethane cover. They spin but not in a way that makes the ball rip so far back that you can't control it. It stops right near your pitch mark.
It will be a big difference for you if you move from a surlyn ball to the urethane of the Kirklands. I found that I GAINED yardage with the Kirklands and the balls sit down where they pitch. That's at a pretty high swing speed, so you may experience slightly less 'rip' with these balls.
Even hitting the ball with wedges that have a rough face, these balls hold up very well compared to more 'premium' urethane balls. You can go a full 18 holes with this ball and just keep using it for another 9-18 holes.
This is a great golf ball for mid handicappers because it's high quality, urethane covered but it's at a price that won't upset you if you lose a few.
That cannot be overstated. The feeling of freedom when you don't fear losing a golf ball is huge and the Kirkland Signatures give you that freedom. When you don't care about losing balls, ironically, you lose less. The Kirklands are the gateway to that feeling.
That's what makes the Kirklands so special. I played a 73 and a 71 at Pebble Beach and used Kirkland. You can enjoy that freedom too. Check out the video on my channel.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Callaway SuperSoft
The Callaway SuperSoft has an ultra-low 35 compression core. That means tha it's believed to produce low spin on the drives and a very soft feel on the shorter shots.
Callaway's improved version of the SuperSoft is a two-piece ball with a very soft Trionomer cover for that extra soft feel and spin when chipping and putting. Off the tee, the ball will carry long distances with longer roll-out for the majority of swing speeds.
My experience with the ball:
I played this ball for a few rounds after I won 12 of them in a competition, and I can confirm the feeling is incredibly soft off the face of the wedge and putter. The ball feels a little marshmallowy off the face of my insert putter but I tried it with a steel putter and I noticed a firmer feeling which felt really solid. The ball spun quite nicely around the greens too.
The durability was excellent only succumbing to a scuff from a shot I landed on a cart path. Easily one of the most popular golf balls out there for mid handicappers and I can see why.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Wilson Staff DUO Soft
The best part of the DUO Soft range is they are low compression at 38, but also available in very bright color, matte finishes. We like the matte finish because it adds to the feel of a grippier, spinnier urethane golf ball but with a durable surlyn cover.
My experience with the ball
I played these balls with JMac from the channel who absolutely loves them. I recommended he use the Wilson DUO Softs for his journey from a 19 handicap down to an 8 handicap.
We found that with his driver swing speed, the ball would shape less off target. He hit straighter shots and he could hit his hybrid and fairway wood nice and high for the first time. The bright colors make it easy to track and find the ball as well.
They're well-priced and JMac improved with his wedge game and chipping so he needed a new golf ball. I had him playing the Srixon Soft Feels for the longest time, but it was time to level-up the ball game.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Srixon Q-Star Tour
I'd be doing you a major disservice if I didn't suggest the Q Star Tour as one of the best golf balls for mid handicappers. If you're into premium-level three-piece balls, you won't find much better value than Srixon Q-Star Tour at this price range.
My experience with the ball
Joe, who contributes to this site, has sworn by this ball for years. He too, played the Srixon Soft Feel for years too.
I encouraged Joe to use the Q Star Tour to get from an 18 handicap down to a 12. His swing speed is moderate at 90 mph with the driver but he was not stopping the ball on the greens which cost him a lot of shots.. He really likes the consistent flight he gets with the Q Star Tour off the driver and the responsive feel off his steel-faced putter. He also plays in cold, wet conditions in the UK, and this ball is extremely durable.
The cover is urethane which means Tour-level spin green side and on approaches. If you're a solid mid handicapper who is shooting in the 80s majority of the time, this ball could give you the edge to finally break 80, especially with your short game consistency.
The low 65-70 compression core reduces the spin on long tee shots on moderate swing speeds, but will definitely hold the greens on approaches. You may need to fly your chips a but longer because the ball will spin more on your short shots.
Quite simply, forget spending crazy money for premium golf balls. The Q-Star Tour is mayor of Value Town.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Taylormade Tour Response
Best for competitive mid handicappers
The Tour Response is the best ball for competitive mid handicappers who want to win more competitions. To put it simply, this is a golf ball for the 7 to 15 handicapper who wants more spin and control over their shots to break that 80 barrier.
We like to call this a tamed down Tour-level ball. The construction is not as advanced on the interior but the outer cover is made of urethane and it makes a big difference in spin. Combined with a low compression core, the Tour Response is built for control: keeping the ball in play, stopping the ball on the green and give you next-level feel with your wedges and putter.
The difference between a surlyn and a urethane covered ball is something you need to experience to believe. Your chips and pitches just stop with no bounding on past the pin, leaving those awful 20 footers for par.
My experience with the ball
I have played Tour Response golf balls and they are excellent even with my faster swing speed. The ball spins a lot on approaches, especially with wedges in hand. I actually prefer a much firmer ball because I find this ball spins too much for me on the approaches with wedges. At a lower swing speed, the ball will stop right at the pitch mark.
Off the putter face, the Tour Response is nice and soft like all urethane balls and feels as good as any. I would recommend the Tour Response to 7 to 15 handicappers swinging less than 105 mph with their driver. If you swing faster, try a ball with compression of 80-100.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Steve on my channel LOVES these balls. The ERC Soft Triple Track works especially well with the new Triple Track putters because the putter lines align perfectly with the ball lines on your putts.
Callaway make this ERC Soft as a 3-piece ball with a blended cover so it's not purely urethane but a blend including surlyn. That means the cover is very tough and withstands a lot of abuse while being slightly spinnier than plain ionomer/surlyn covers. The main features of the golf ball are the distance and the alignment aid.
Steve has stopped using urethane balls lately to save on costs and actually found this ball goes further than the urethane balls he was using while also stopping in time on the greens. His swing is slowing as he gets older so the ERC Soft ball has helped maintain his distance as much as possible.
The alignment aid was the first thing that got Steve excited about this ball though. He uses the Triple Track putter and since he started using the ball with it, he makes so many putts inside 7 feet.
It really is one of those amazing things you stumble upon. The ball performs very well as a Srixon Soft Feel or a Kirkland Signature might, but the thing that puts it over the edge for putting alone, is the alignment aid.
Reasons to buy
Cons
Vice Pro Soft
Best for solid mid handicappers whose swing is slowing
A three-piece golf ball covered in urethane for extra spin and performance. The High Energy Speed Core creates a higher ball speed and more carry off the tee for the slower swing speed.
But it's more for the guys who are slightly more advanced, so toward the lower end of the handicap spectrum nearing single digits. This will be the ball that takes you over the edge and with the spectacular colors, you get high visibility too.
My experience with the ball
The matte cover is my favorite - they just 'feel" stickier! The softer, urethane cover really grabs on wedge shots, even out of the rough. These are similar to the Volvik Vivid ST (which I LOVE) and that familiarity helped me trust the flight and feel off all clubs. Try them out and if you like them, Vice often do great bulk deals.
I played the Vice Pro golf balls during my trip of Scotland and they were fantastic in the wind. My favorite Vice Pro are the colorful golf balls because in Scotland, no one was confused whose ball it was because mine was the only luminous green one on the course!
Reasons to buy
Cons
What to consider for balls at mid handicap level
If you're confused or stuck between two or three balls, why not try all of them during a round?
That way you can play different shots throughout the round comparing driving distance, green side play, approaches and putting.
I always discourage using Pro V1 golf balls for mid handicappers. The technology is set up for advanced players with very fast swings and the ability to control their spin rates as well as the direction they hit the ball so they don't lose many. It really hurts losing $4 golf balls all day and the worse you feel about it, the more you lose!
If you use a mid handicapper, mid range ball you'll get full value for money and reduce the dread of hitting a ball over water to a par 3! You'll save some money and lower your scores!
What do you need to be a single figure handicap?
In my years of experience playing with mid handicappers, you really need more spin on approaches to hold the green. After that, you need a sharp chipping and pitching game where you can trust how the ball behaves on the greens. Using the correct ball is an instantaneous improvement in these areas.
We just need to ball to stop quicker and give use better distance control.
It's not only spin
We want booming distance off the tee without trying to swing too hard. There is a fine balance between your swing speed and the ball you use. When you try a few on the course, really try to understand if your priority is distance or spin,or a combination of both. Do you need to keep the ball in play more? Or do you need to be further up the fairway?
Mid handicap is where the manufacturers produce and sell the most golf balls at reasonable prices which makes your life super simple. You have 2 choices: soft urethane balls that spin, or firm surlyn balls that fly further with less spin.
Now, if you still prefer a Pro V1 or another premium ball, that's a perfectly fine choice. It feels good to play what the pros do.
What is the best golf ball for a 10 handicap?
Luckily mid handicappers around the 10 handicap mark are right in the sweet spot of the golf ball market to take advantage of golf balls designed specifically with medium spin and long distance without a huge price tag! Your average score is about 85 and you're close to the breaking 80 barrier.
If you prefer a urethane ball and want to play on a budget, Kirkland Signatures but for a bit more, the Taylormade Tour Response are the best in the 10 handicap category. If you want to play the surlyn ball and care about durability and want more rollout, the best ball is the Srixon Soft Feel and the Callaway Super Soft.
What is the best golf ball for a 15 to 20 handicap?
From 15 to 20 handicap, you're right at the top range of the mid handicapper segment. I would say your average score is between 90 and 100. For the 15 to 20 handicap golfer, I suggest the surlyn covered golf balls. They're usually two-piece and focus on distance.
At this stage of your golf journey, your handicap and skills are suggesting that you need to keep the ball in play. The last thing that you need is a lot of extra spin, slicing the ball further away from the target. A low spin golf ball will work well and any of the balls on this list that I have mentioned will be the best balls for 15 to 20 handicappers. The best one being the Srixon Soft Feel.
If you need balls for 20 handicap or higher though, I would look at getting second hand balls.
What if I have a high swing speed and mid handicap?
If you have a higher driver swing speed but you're a mid handicap golfer, you can play the same balls in this list. But I would suggest getting control of the swing first and then looking at upgrading your ball. Until then, play second hand balls, because the harder you swing, the more balls you lose.
I'd make sure you get a driver optimized to you as a mid handicapper, then match the ball to your new setup.
Conclusion
Anyone asking me for advice on which ball to play as a mid handicapper will get one of three responses:
If you want a cheap ball made with surlyn and you lose more than 2 per round, get Srixon Soft Feel.
If you want a tour style of golf ball and want more spin, get a Tour Response or Kirkland Signature.
These are the best golf balls for mid handicappers.
