The first time I saw these golf balls in the store I asked myself; where is the catch? It seemed too low of a price for one of the industry’s major brands. My curiosity was strong enough and I went on to buy them. I will share my experience in this TaylorMade Distance + golf ball review and help you decide if you should give these balls a try.

According to TaylorMade, the ball is designed for speed and distance while providing a soft feel. It is a 2 layers ball with a 77 compression, which means it is primarily made for golfers with slow and moderate swing speeds.

Who Is This Ball For?

There can be a simple answer to this question. That is for new(ish) golfers who do not want to spend too much money on golf balls. With that in mind let’s add this ball does go far as its name suggests. However, it does not offer much workability. In other words, do not expect a spectacular performance from it.

If you are a golfer who likes to shape shots or have more greenside spin, this ball will disappoint you. Furthermore, do not expect it to be super durable. Let’s just say it does a decent job for a very affordable price.

On the Green

The most satisfying part of the game helped to restore faith in the ball. Although the sound when coming off the putter face is a bit high-pitched, putting was fairly easy. Both short and long putts were okay to control and get the right weight. The ball performed especially well on delicate downhill putts when it only needed a soft touch to get it going. It’s all good here, except for the sound that could be a bit more pleasant to the ear.

Around the Green

Chipping was decent, more from closer to the green than from further. Over 10-15 yards off the green it was a bit challenging to find the right pace for the ball to roll nicely once it lands. For both short and long pitches, it would bounce too much once on the green, and that did not help with quick stopping. It is still manageable to play a fun round, but do not expect amazing finesse shots.

Approach Shots

The ball was going far on full swings, that was great, but sometimes it was just going too far. It happened a few times over a couple of rounds that the ball went all the way to the back of the green or completely over the green. Since I mostly play on par 3 courses, the ball needs to be able to stop quickly on the green and go approximately the distance I am looking for based on the pace of my swing. Both things were way too inconsistent for a satisfactory outcome, even for a cheap ball it could be better.

Appearance and Price

This is a positive area where the ball shines. It has the standard nice and clean TaylorMade logo which makes it look like any other TaylorMade ball. What I like, and this is all my personal opinion, is the thick alignment arrow with another thinner line across which makes it look like a plus sign. I found it very easy to align when putting, and the cross-alignment helped. A big plus for the ball here.

What caught my attention the first time I noticed the ball was the price. This has to be the strongest selling point, and I believe it does the job just fine. It is TaylorMade’s cheapest golf ball and that makes it appealing to a large audience.

Durability

If there is an area where the ball failed, it is durability. After only a couple of rounds on a par 3 course, the ball looked like it went through more than it did. The marks were expected, but what was surprising were the scuffs. There were multiple scuffs which made it look worse than it was. There was no noticeable drop in performance or anything like that, but it is hard to believe there wouldn’t be after another couple of rounds.

Final Verdict

There is no catch when it comes to this golf ball, you pretty much get what you would expect from a cheaper recreational ball. It does not perform sensationally, it will certainly not make you a better golfer, and it will not last forever. Nonetheless, it does go a long distance and it is a solid purchase for the money. This is an ideal ball for new golfers just starting to get out on the course.

There is a good chance you will lose a few (or a few dozen) balls once you start golfing. We all went through that, and it is a part of the game. You will not feel as bad as losing a $20 dozen balls vs losing a $40 or $50 dozen balls. Eventually, you will become more confident on the course and start losing fewer (or no) balls per round, and that will be the time to move towards more expensive ones. For now, enjoy the game as much as you can, and save your money.

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