What do golf ball cores do?

A racing team can drop a fortune on the best racing tires, high-grade fuel and driver around to make sure their car competes on the track, but if the engine is busted, they’re not going anywhere. The same can be said for golf ball cores.

Like a race team, several elements must come together to ensure a golfer performs his or her best while out on the course. An athlete can have the best golf clubs, the perfect stance and a rock-solid swing, but if a golf ball isn’t reacting properly to a player’s swing, all of that energy is being put to waste. That’s where premium golf ball cores come in.

Today’s golf balls consist of several different elements, from two-piece construction up to four-piece hybrids, all of which depend on a central element for power: the core. Golf ball centers – like every part of the ball – are key to delivering the best performance for any sportsperson.

Golf ball cores also come in several different types, providing varying benefits that cater to the different needs of today’s amateur and professional players. Let’s take a look at why golf ball cores are important, and what you should look for when choosing a golf ball with the best core construction for your game.

What Do Golf Ball Cores Do?

Hold a golf ball in your hand; you may not know it just by looking at it, but the largest and most powerful portion of your golf ball lies underneath its slick, dimpled cover.

A golf ball’s core is the largest element of your ball, and is responsible for one thing: power. Golf ball cores are designed for maximum transfer of energy from your clubface to the ball. A premium golf ball core will give you a solid return on your investment, taking energy from your swing and using it to send the entire golf ball sailing through the air.

Simply put, the golf ball core is the engine of your golf ball, driving forward power and energy for optimal ball flight.

Golf Ball Core Material

Golf balls have come a long way since wooden spheres and feather-packed leather sacks were the very first tools of the trade during golf’s Scottish advent some 500 years ago. Today’s golf ball core types consist primarily of synthetic rubber, which is the most responsive known material that can be used for a golf ball core. Technically termed polybutadiene, these rubber cores return most of the energy that is put into them, making this material the number one choice for modern golf ball core construction.

One of the best features about these synthetic rubber cores is the fact that they can be formulated and tweaked to produce countless golf ball models offering a number of features. Variations in core stiffness, compression, size and durability grant golfers many choices when shopping for golf balls, so finding the perfect ball for players is a snap.

What Are the Best Golf Ball Core Types?

So you want to find the best golf ball with the most effective core type for your game, right? Then first, you’ll need to consider your particular playing abilities and style on the course.

For example, Most PGA Tour pros have swing speeds in the triple digits, while amateur and high-handicap golfers can usually count on swing speeds well within most highway speed limits. No two golfers are the same, nor do any two individuals deliver the same amount of energy to the golf ball core with their varying swings.

Luckily, golfers have many options to fit their particular playing style. Stiff golf ball cores have been popular with amateur players in years past, primarily because a firmer center supplies both greater ball speed and more distance. Golf ball cores that are stiffer are the perfect choice for players with swing speeds that fail to get their golf balls further down the fairway.

On the other hand, perhaps your swing speed is not an issue. In fact, your drivers and irons hit pretty solid, but it’s your short game that is costing you strokes. Well not to worry, because softer cores have you covered. Softer cores – along with different core compound variations that are tuned in to golfer’s needs – give players more confidence in their short game by providing more spin and control to the golf ball.

Several leading golf ball manufacturers like Titleist, Bridgestone and Callaway offer dual-core options that are intended to supply the best of both worlds; they provide reliable distance from atop each tee and off the fairways, while affording short game control and spin around the greens.

Finding the perfect golf ball core type is an important part of any serious player’s game. Just like a bad link in a chain, the wrong golf ball core can weaken your overall score, instead of giving you the extra boost that you need. Golf ball cores are the powerful engines that send your ball flying down the fairway, so always make sure to use a premium golf ball with a state-of-the-art golf ball core.