What’s the longest golf ball for average golfers? Our robot test reveals all!
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We put 62 models on a $100,000 robot to find out the longest and shortest golf balls for average swing speeds. Here’s what we learned…
The average clubhead speed for male amateur golfers is 93.4mph.
At that speed, the maximum carry distance you can hope to generate with your driver is around 210 yards.
But, to do so, you need to make sure you’re playing the best golf ball for your swing speed. Because the 2025 Today’s Golfer Robot Golf Ball Test showed that there’s as much as 10 yards between the longest and shortest models at that swing speed.
How we tested the golf balls
We tested 62 different golf balls on a $100,000 swing robot. This machine delivers exactly the same strike every time, which means the only variable in our test was the ball itself.
Here’s what the numbers revealed…
Gain 10 yards – just by switching golf ball
At a 93mph clubhead speed, the Callaway Chrome Tour generated the longest carry distance of all the balls in the test, averaging 210.8 yards. That’s 10.2 yards (5.08%) longer than the Pinnacle Soft, which was the shortest ball at this swing speed, averaging 200.6 yards.
The longest golf ball at average swing speeds
Longest golf ball
Pros
- Impressive distance and ball speed
- Played by some of the best golfers in the game
- Very consistent golf balls
Cons
- Not as high-spinning as the Chrome Tour X
| Carry distance (yds) | Driver 114mph - 275.4 | Driver 93mph - 210.8 | Driver 78mph - 161.8 | 7-iron - 155.6 |
| Ball speed (mph) | Driver 114mph - 165.1 | Driver 93mph - 134.7 | Driver 78mph - 113.4 | 7-iron - 108.7 |
| Backspin (rpm) | Driver 114mph - 2,689 | Driver 93mph - 2,701 | Driver 78mph - 2,508 | 7-iron - 4,658 | Pitch - 6,036 |
| Launch angle (°) | Driver 114mph - 11 | Driver 93mph - 12.7 | Driver 78mph - 13.9 | 7-iron - 20.9 | Pitch - 30.1 |
| Descent angle (°) | Driver 114mph - 37.3 | Driver 93mph - 32.5 | Driver 78mph - 27.6 | 7-iron - 44.9 | Pitch - 35.2 |
| Peak height (yds) | Driver 114mph - 32.6 | Driver 93mph - 22.7 | Driver 78mph - 15.7 | 7-iron - 29.4 | Pitch - 6.5 |
| Compression (psi) | 113 |
- Hyper fast soft core
- Seamless Tour aero
- High-performance Tour urethane soft cover
- 332 dimples
- 4-Piece construction
- Available in white and yellow
- Alternative models include Triple Track, 360° Triple Track, TruTrack, and Limited Edition patterns
Close behind the Chrome Tour were the Mizuno Pro X (210.5 yards), TaylorMade TP5x (210.3 yards), and the Maxfli StraightFli (210.0 yards).
If distance is your priority and you’re on a budget, that makes the Maxfli StraightFli a great option, as it’s significantly cheaper than the others.
Great distance – at a budget price
Pros
- Great distance
- Good tee-to-green performance
- Amazing value
Cons
- Low greenside spin and control
| Carry distance (yds) | Driver 114mph - 270 | Driver 93mph - 210 | Driver 78mph - 161.3 | 7-iron - 158 |
| Ball speed (mph) | Driver 114mph - 162.6 | Driver 93mph - 134.1 | Driver 78mph - 113.1 | 7-iron - 109.5 |
| Backspin (rpm) | Driver 114mph - 2,764 | Driver 93mph - 2,575 | Driver 78mph - 2,254 | 7-iron - 4,530 | Pitch - 3,742 |
| Launch angle (°) | Driver 114mph - 11.1 | Driver 93mph - 13 | Driver 78mph - 14.3 | 7-iron - 21 | Pitch - 36.5 |
| Descent angle (°) | Driver 114mph - 37.5 | Driver 93mph - 32 | Driver 78mph - 27 | 7-iron - 44.9 | Pitch - 42.8 |
| Peak height (yds) | Driver 114mph - 32.3 | Driver 93mph - 22.5 | Driver 78mph - 15.5 | 7-iron - 29.8 | Pitch - 9.1 |
| Compression (psi) | 102 |
- 20 Percent straighter flight compared to previous generation
- Cube-octahedron dimple design
- Soft Ionomer cover
- 374 dimples
- 2-Piece construction
- Available in white, yellow, green, and orange
- An alternative model is Graffiti
Other balls that ranked at the bottom of the pack for driver distance at a 93mph swing speed were the Srixon UltiSoft (201.9 yards) and Seed SD-05 (203.1 yards).
| Golf Ball | Ball Speed (mph) | Backspin (rpm) | Carry Distance (yds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callaway Chrome Tour | 134.7 | 2701 | 210.8 |
| Mizuno Pro X | 134.5 | 2700 | 210.5 |
| TaylorMade TP5x | 134.9 | 2777 | 210.3 |
| Maxfli StraightFli | 134.1 | 2575 | 210.0 |
| Maxfli Tour X | 134.4 | 2860 | 209.8 |
| Wilson Staff Model X | 134.6 | 2792 | 209.8 |
| Seed SD-02 | 134.2 | 2718 | 209.7 |
| Bridgestone e12 Speed | 134.1 | 2574 | 209.7 |
| Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond | 134.1 | 2738 | 209.4 |
| PXG Tour X | 134.1 | 2688 | 209.4 |
| Wilson Staff Model | 134.0 | 2703 | 209.2 |
| Callaway Warbird+ | 133.7 | 2611 | 209.2 |
| Mizuno Pro S | 134.0 | 2647 | 209.0 |
| Titleist Velocity | 133.5 | 2467 | 208.9 |
| Callaway Chrome Tour X | 134.3 | 3048 | 208.9 |
| TaylorMade TP5 | 134.0 | 2911 | 208.8 |
| Bridgestone Tour B X | 134.0 | 2810 | 208.7 |
| Titleist Pro V1 | 133.8 | 2709 | 208.7 |
| Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash | 133.7 | 2575 | 208.7 |
| Vice Pro | 133.6 | 2759 | 208.6 |
| Maxfli Tour | 133.6 | 2705 | 208.6 |
| Titleist Pro V1x | 133.8 | 2717 | 208.5 |
| Titleist Tour Soft | 133.4 | 2731 | 208.5 |
| Vice Tour | 133.4 | 2635 | 208.3 |
| Maxfli Tour S | 133.5 | 2551 | 208.3 |
| Callaway ERC Soft | 133.5 | 2596 | 208.3 |
| TaylorMade Distance | 133.4 | 2476 | 208.3 |
| Vice Pro Plus | 133.7 | 2848 | 208.2 |
| Titleist AVX | 133.3 | 2606 | 208.1 |
| PXG Tour | 133.6 | 2747 | 208.1 |
| Seed SD-X1 | 133.7 | 2733 | 208.0 |
| Kirkland Signature V3.0 | 133.6 | 2734 | 208.0 |
| Seed SD-01 | 133.5 | 2676 | 207.9 |
| Mizuno RB 566 | 133.3 | 2553 | 207.9 |
| Srixon Z-Star Diamond | 133.8 | 2838 | 207.8 |
| Vice Drive | 132.9 | 2545 | 207.7 |
| TaylorMade Tour Response | 133.2 | 2586 | 207.7 |
| Srixon Z-Star XV | 133.6 | 2857 | 207.7 |
| Callaway Chrome Soft | 133.2 | 2712 | 207.6 |
| Titleist TruFeel | 133.0 | 2506 | 207.6 |
| Vice Pro Air | 132.7 | 2668 | 206.9 |
| Pinnacle Rush | 132.8 | 2416 | 206.9 |
| Bridgestone e12 Straight | 132.9 | 2642 | 206.8 |
| Bridgestone Tour B XS | 133.6 | 3059 | 206.7 |
| Srixon Z-Star | 133.1 | 2859 | 206.6 |
| Bridgestone Tour B RX | 133.1 | 2780 | 206.5 |
| Callaway Supersoft | 132.3 | 2334 | 206.5 |
| Maxfli TriFli | 132.7 | 2374 | 206.2 |
| Bridgestone Tour B RXS | 132.9 | 2815 | 206.2 |
| Wilson Triad | 132.6 | 2707 | 205.6 |
| Srixon Q-Star Tour | 132.6 | 2720 | 205.5 |
| Srixon Soft Feel | 131.6 | 2546 | 204.7 |
| Bridgestone e6 Soft Feel | 132.0 | 2528 | 204.6 |
| Bridgestone e12 HiLaunch | 131.8 | 2518 | 204.6 |
| TaylorMade SpeedSoft | 131.9 | 2383 | 204.5 |
| Srixon Q-Star (AD333) | 132.1 | 2649 | 204.5 |
| Maxfli SoftFli | 131.7 | 2484 | 204.5 |
| Seed SD-15 | 131.7 | 2482 | 204.0 |
| Wilson Duo Soft | 131.8 | 2540 | 203.8 |
| Seed SD-05 | 131.7 | 2832 | 203.1 |
| Srixon UltiSoft | 130.5 | 2399 | 201.9 |
| Pinnacle Soft | 130.1 | 2474 | 200.6 |
Buy on data – not marketing
Premium balls, such as the Callaway Chrome Tour and TaylorMade TP5x, are often viewed as the preserve of elite players with fast swing speeds. While they do perform well at fast speeds and are very popular on tour, our test proves that they also deliver maximum distance at average clubhead speeds.
Conversely, some of the balls marketed at club golfers with average speeds failed to deliver optimum performance.
But… I’m not a robot
We hear it all the time: “Use real golfers, not robots!” We do on-course testing too, but here’s why robots matter. A robot can strike every ball in exactly the same way, controlling lie, swing path, face angle, attack angle, impact location, hip rotation, wrist action – everything – at speeds from 5-130mph. Even the world’s best golfers can’t repeat swings with that level of consistency.
That’s why manufacturers use robots for development, and why we rely on them for pure data. Human testing still plays a role – for feel, sound, and on-course impressions – but if you want comparable data you can rely on, the robot is king.
Not all golfers are created equal
Two golfers swinging at 93mph can produce different impacts. Spin, launch angle, angle of attack, and strike location all affect carry distance, so the longest ball might differ slightly from player to player. That said, a ball that ranks near the bottom in our test is very unlikely to suddenly deliver the most distance for you.
Does the golf ball make that much difference?
A lot of golfers with average swing speeds think they’re not good enough for the ball to make any difference and will happily tee it up with anything.
But the data shows that the ball you play really does matter. Our robot test showed up to 10 yards of difference off the tee between models – the same as a full club in your bag. Over a round, that can be the difference between laying up short and carrying a bunker, or hitting a 7-iron instead of a 6-iron into a green. And over weeks and months, those shorter approaches add up to shots saved.
So don’t just stick with the ball you’ve always played. Pick one that suits your swing speed, and you’ll make the game noticeably easier. In golf, that’s as close to free distance as it gets.
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Our robot test reveals the longest and shortest golf balls for average swing speeds.
