Srixon Soft

The two-piece Surlyn ball ain’t what it used to be.

Something of an afterthought for ball-makers at one time, it has evolved from a basic rock utterly devoid of technology and sophistication into a far less basic rock with a decent amount of technology and enough sophistication for you to spend time considering which brand and model might work best for you.

Even the rock metaphor doesn’t really apply anymore. As the name implies (well, it does more than imply – it flat-out tells you), the Srixon Soft Feel feels soft. Even though the cover is made of Surlyn it is very thin, and the ball has a compression of just 58 which is quite a bit firmer than some soft-feeling two-piece balls but significantly softer than most Tour-level balls.

Soft feels good and though it invariably means ball speed and, therefore, distance is lost, it’s a compromise most mid-high handicappers are happy to ignore – especially when it costs so little (half the price of multi-layer Tour balls).

Something else budget-conscious golfers are comfortable disregarding, at least not treated as a high priority, is greenside spin – a Surlyn-covered ball won’t spin on pitch/bunker shots quite like a urethane-covered ball will. No matter, you can’t have it all at this price.

What you do get, though – and this is one of those beautiful moments when a technology once considered edgy and innovative is so well-received it gradually becomes mainstream and, therefore, considerably cheaper or is used in less expensive models – is a gradational core (Srixon calls theirs FastLayer) that’s soft in the middle and gradually gets firmer as you move toward the perimeter. Such a core is the equivalent of having several separate layers, and it boosts ball speed giving you a little extra distance.

Also giving you a few extra yards and helping to keep you on the fairway, out of the trees, or in bounds is the fact that a softer ball tends to spin less and less sidespin takes the edge off your slice. Mitigating the low-spin and helping the ball launch high, and increase carry, is the fact that impact with softer golf balls lasts a fraction of a second longer than it does with firmer models. Shallower-depth dimples also help launch the ball a little higher.

Like other inexpensive, two-piece balls, Srixon’s Soft Feel is available in multiple colors, and there’s also a ladies’ model that has a slightly softer compression and is designed to get in the air even quicker and stay there longer.

$25/dozen
Colors – Soft White, Tour Yellow, Brite Red, Brite Orange, Brite Green; Soft Feel Lady – Soft White, Passion Pink.
us.dunlopsports.com/srixon