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Best Distance Golf Balls 2026Four distance balls lined up by construction, dimples and price per ball

Updated: Nov 7, 2026Contains affiliate links

I average a score of 72 and play 150 rounds a year. I picked these seriously.
When you want distance, the things to look at in a ball are five: initial speed, spin, wind, stopping power and price.
As a gear nerd, I lined up the four balls on the long-flying side of tour balls (high-priced balls that stop on the green) by those five. I hit all four on the course. I measured numbers for three of them, the PRO V1, TP5 and Z-STAR XV; the TOUR B X carried in the early 250s (I did not keep detailed records).

Header image: product photos from Rakuten Ichiba (Ad) | Honma 2026 D1 Ball

Bottom line

Five things that decide distance, side by side

A ball changes your distance through five things: ball speed (how fast it leaves the face), spin, wind resistance, stopping power and price. None of the four makers publishes a distance in yards. So I took what each maker says about the build and set it against these five, and put my own numbers in the last two rows.

The descriptions come from announcements by Titleist, Bridgestone and Dunlop, and from the media and shops that repeated them (sources at the end). The TP5's ball speed and spin are shown as "—" because no source I found states them. The per-ball price is my own calculation from Rakuten Ichiba prices (2026/11/6). The conditions for my own numbers are in the table later in the article.

One way to read this table. It is what the makers say, not how many yards the ball actually flies. I measured the Pro V1, TP5 and Z-STAR XV; for the Tour B X I have only the impression. I built the ranking around those measurements.

Four balls by construction, dimples and price

I lined the balls up on two things: numbers that show the build, and the price per ball. Dimples are the small dents on the ball's surface. Their number and shape change the air drag and the lift while the ball is in flight.

Prices are the lowest listing for a new dozen (Japan domestic model) on Rakuten Ichiba, pulled through the Rakuten Web Service on 2026/11/6. The per-ball price is my own calculation: the dozen price divided by 12. The Tour B X price of ¥5,690 is a shop's sale price; most shops list it at ¥6,930, which comes to about ¥578 a ball. Build and dimple counts come from what Titleist, Bridgestone, Dunlop and TaylorMade have published, and from the media and shops that repeated it (sources at the end). The TP5 dimple count is blank because I found no source. ◎ marks the best value among the four.

One thing about reading the table. "Piece" is the number of layers in the ball. A three-piece ball has three: the core in the middle, the inner cover around it, and the outer cover. The TP5's five layers add more between those. The makers say more layers make it easier to balance distance and spin. That is also why the price goes up.

No. 1 to No. 4: what's good and what's weak

No. 1 Titleist Pro V1 (2025). My everyday ball, and the one whose distance I can give in numbers. Three-piece, 388 dimples, urethane elastomer cover. Titleist says the new high-gradient core and high-flex casing layer raise tee-shot speed and cut spin on long shots. It is a mid-flight ball. My own numbers: 252 yd driver carry, 270 yd total, and 6350 rpm with a 7-iron (read off the TrackMan screen). It barely curves and it flies well.

I ranked it first because its driver carry was the longest of the three balls I measured (the TP5 carried 250 yd and the Z-STAR XV 249 yd). It barely curves, and it adds wedge spin, so it suits golfers who want to hit it far and still stop it.

Two weak points. It costs ¥6,580 and up per dozen, about ¥548 a ball, the highest of the four (about ¥150 a ball more than the Z-STAR XV). The other is that it loses distance on cold days. I tee it up a little higher to cope.

Great for you if you

• You want distance and low curve from a single ball
• You want to hit it far and still stop it with a wedge
• You want to settle on one everyday ball and keep your distances consistent

No. 2 Bridgestone TOUR B X (2026). A ball that gave a distance close to the PRO V1.Released on February 6, 2026. Three-piece, 330 dimples, with a Reactive iQ urethane cover. Bridgestone positions the X as the model with excellent distance performance and the XS as the model focused on spin performance. The design is high initial speed and low spin on full shots, with wind-resistant flight, and low initial speed and high spin on approaches, for easy control.

It is also explained that a high-density inner cover raises the moment of inertia of the whole ball and stabilizes spin in the air. It is said to be the stiffest inner cover the company has. I hit it on a Boso course in July 2026, and the carry was in the early 250s. I did not keep detailed records. It was longer than or about the same as the TP5 (250 yards) and Z-STAR XV (249 yards), which have numbers, and close to the PRO V1's 252 yards. I put it at No. 2, above those two. Since the numbers are not detailed, it comes right after the PRO V1.

The weak point is price. The ¥5,690 (about ¥474 a 1 ball) is a shop's sale price; most shops list it at ¥6,930, which comes to about ¥578. At that price it is the most expensive of the 4 balls.

Great for you if you

• You want distance above everything
• You want a steady flight even on windy days

No. 3 TaylorMade TP5 (2026). A five-layer build aimed at tighter ball flight. It has five layers and is sold as the softest-feeling tour ball. TaylorMade says it applies the paint in a uniform layer about 0.05 mm thick, which stops paint from pooling in the dimples and scattering the ball flight. The dimples were redesigned with a deeper shape to cut air drag.

The build suits golfers who want the same distance every time. It starts at ¥5,500 for 1 dozen, about ¥458 per 1 ball, which is about ¥90 a 1 ball cheaper than the Pro V1.

My own numbers. September 2026, a local public course (22 °C, light wind), about two rounds. I bought a dozen on Rakuten for about ¥5,900 (about ¥490 a ball). Driver: QUANTUM 9° (VENTUS TR RED 6S), head speed 46 m/s. Carry 250 yd, total 270 yd. That is 2 yd short of the Pro V1's 252 yd carry, and since the Tour B X felt longer than that to me, the gap to it is wider.

With a 7-iron (ZXi5, 160 yd) it rolled about 4 yd after landing, with backspin of about 6300 rpm. That is almost the same as the Pro V1's 6350 rpm, though it felt a little looser on the green. Feel: the driver was slightly firm with a high sound, the irons slightly firm with a slightly high sound, and the putter soft. Both it and the Z-STAR XV felt a little firmer and higher-pitched than the Pro V1.

Three weak points. On a windy day it ballooned a little. At about ¥490 a ball, losing two balls on a course full of water cost about ¥1,000 and felt heavy. On days with water, I carry two or three cheap spare balls. On top of that, I found no maker-published dimple count or distance in yards. I have left the TP5x out of these four.

Great for you if you

• You are curious about a five-layer ball
• You want less scatter in your ball flight
• You play TaylorMade clubs

No. 4 Srixon Z-STAR XV (2025). The cheapest of the four, a tour ball that leans toward distance. Three-piece, urethane cover, 338 dimples. It came out in January 2025. The core is FastLayer DG Core 2.0, soft in the center and firmer toward the outside. A Dunlop spokesperson says it is aimed at higher ball speed. Golf.com describes the XV as the model with the highest compression and the most distance focus in the line, compared with the softer-feeling Z-STAR.

The lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba right now is ¥4,780 for 1 dozen, about ¥398 per 1 ball, the cheapest of the 4 balls. Against the Pro V1 that is about ¥150 a 1 ball, or about ¥450 on a day you lose 3 balls (1 round).

My own numbers. October 2026, the same course as the TP5, one round (16 °C, light headwind). I bought a dozen on Rakuten for about ¥6,500 (about ¥540 a ball). Same driver, QUANTUM 9° (VENTUS TR RED 6S), head speed 46 m/s. Carry 249 yd, total 268 yd. That is 3 yd short of the Pro V1's 252 yd carry and 1 yd short of the TP5.

With a 7-iron (ZXi5, 160 yd) it rolled about 5 yd after landing, with backspin of about 6000 rpm, roughly 350 rpm below the Pro V1's 6350 rpm. It felt like it stopped less. Feel: the driver was firm with a high sound, the irons slightly firm, and the putter slightly firm. It felt a little firmer and higher-pitched than the Pro V1.

Two weak points. The first is curve. One shot went about 15 yd right into the trees and hit one, and the cover roughed up within about three holes, so I switched to a new ball on the next hole. After that it was fine. The second is that a high-compression ball is built to get its speed from a fast swing, and the Dunlop spokesperson says it is tuned for fast swingers. It also came out in January 2025, so it is not a new 2026 spec, which may disappoint anyone who wants the latest.

I put it fourth because, in my numbers, it carried 1 yd and totaled 2 yd shorter than the TP5 and rolled 1 yd more with a 7-iron. The cover also got scuffed after the shot to the right. The low price is attractive, but what I paid came out higher than for the TP5.

Great for you if you

• You want to keep the cost down within tour balls
• You swing fast and care most about ball speed

How many yards does the ball add? Set against its price

This is what people who switch balls for more distance most want to know. The driver carry of the three balls I measured was 252, 250 and 249 yards. The gap is at most 3 yards (252 − 249), about 1.2% (3 ÷ 252).

Differences and percentages are my calculations. I left out the TOUR B X because I have no detailed record for it.

Choosing the PRO V1 costs about JPY 90 more per ball than the TP5 and carried 2 yards farther. That is JPY 45 per yard (90 ÷ 2). Against the Z-STAR XV it is about JPY 150 more for 3 yards, so JPY 50 per yard (150 ÷ 3).

However, I did not hit these three balls on the same day under the same conditions. The TP5 was at 22°C in September, the Z-STAR XV at 16°C in October, and the PRO V1 figure is from another day. A 3-yard gap may fall within the range that wind and temperature move on a given day. I cannot say that the ball alone adds distance. Since the TP5 at 250 yards is only 2 yards shorter than the PRO V1, I feel that distance changes more with temperature and tee height than with the ball model.

So if you are looking for a long ball, you can decide by asking: is gaining 3 yards worth about JPY 50 to JPY 150 more per 1 ball? On a day you lose 3 balls, that comes to a gap of about JPY 450.

How many yards come back when the ball won't fly on a cold morning

On winter mornings, even the same PRO V1 feels hard and does not fly. Here are the numbers I measured from the first tee in Boso in late January 2026 (6°C in the morning). The distances are what the course rangefinder showed.

Differences are my calculation. They are single rough readings from the first tee, not figures from hitting many balls on the same day.

Of the roughly 8 yards, about half, 4 yards, came back just by warming the ball and teeing it a little higher. The remaining 4 yards or so are due to the cold, so on winter mornings I keep two warmed balls in my pocket and alternate them.

So if cold-day distance concerns you, try warming the ball and adjusting the tee height before changing the ball model.

3 things to do for ¥0 before you pick a ball

1. Check your current ball's spin on a driving-range launch monitor. See whether the driver spin is too high. If it is, review the tee height and launch before changing the ball. On my first day with the QUANTUM the tee height was wrong and I hit low hooks, but once I fixed the height the carry came back to around 251 yards. Fixing the launch conditions before changing the ball adds yards more reliably.
2. Count how many balls you lose in 1 round. If you lose 3 balls and play a ball of about ¥548, 1 round costs ¥1,644; with a ball of about ¥398 it costs ¥1,194. The gap is ¥450.
3. Buy one dozen only.Buying in bulk can wait until you like it.

If you also want to check whether your clubs suit you before changing balls, Best Drivers for Beginners will help.

Where this ranking is weak

• I ranked these on my own numbers (Pro V1, TP5, Z-STAR XV), my own impression (Tour B X), the makers' descriptions and price. I did not measure all four on the same day under the same conditions.
• I played the TP5 in September 2026 for about two rounds (22 °C, light wind) and the Z-STAR XV in October 2026 for one round (16 °C, light headwind). The temperature and the number of rounds differ, and the Pro V1 numbers are from other days.
• For all four balls, I found no maker-published distance figure in yards.
• For the TOUR B X I have only the record that the carry was in the early 250s, and I did not take detailed numbers.
• The TP5's dimple count and its ball speed and spin descriptions are blank. The Z-STAR XV's build comes from a shop listing.
• Prices move daily. The table shows Rakuten Ichiba listings on 2026/11/6, which differ from what I paid (about ¥490 a 1 ball for the TP5 and about ¥540 a 1 ball for the Z-STAR XV).
• The stiffer higher-end models in each line, such as the Pro V1x and TP5x, are not included here.

If same-condition measurements appear, I will revisit the ranking. When I do, the date and reason go here.

What is your driver spin?

What I learned playing all four

The four balls I hit on the course are my everyday Titleist PRO V1 (2025), the Bridgestone TOUR B X (2026), the TaylorMade TP5 (2026) and the Srixon Z-STAR XV (2025). I confirmed them while playing 150 rounds a year with many golf balls. Clubhead speed is 46 m/s. The TP5 and Z-STAR XV were played with the same driver (QUANTUM 9°, VENTUS TR RED 6S) on the same course. The TOUR B X is left out of the table below because I have no detailed record.

The numbers are ones I measured. The Pro V1's 7-iron spin is copied from the TrackMan screen. The 7-iron shots with the TP5 and Z-STAR XV were from 160 yd with a ZXi5.

The PRO V1 curved very little and flew far. Its weak spot is that it doesn't fly on cold days. I tee it a little higher to handle that. I use the PRO V1 in club competitions.

I hit the TOUR B X in Boso in July 2026, and the carry was in the early 250s, close to the PRO V1's 252 yards. I did not keep detailed records, so look at the gap to the TP5 and Z-STAR XV with the PRO V1's 252 yards as the baseline.

The TP5 and Z-STAR XV both felt a little firmer than the Pro V1, with a higher sound. They stopped a little less with a 7-iron, and the driver carry was 2 to 3 yd shorter. If distance comes first, start with the Pro V1 and the Tour B X. If feel matters most to you, these two are worth trying as well.

The average loss is 1.5 balls per round, and the annual ball cost is about JPY 100,000 as a rough figure. I lose 1 to 2 balls per round, and with the PRO V1 at about JPY 600 per ball that comes to about JPY 900 a round. I mix in lost balls, so my actual spending is a little lower. The PRO V1 at about JPY 548 hits the wallet on days with many losses. I think of it as a price paid for distance and low bending.

The cost of a day you lose balls, one ball at a time

An amateur typically loses 2 to 3 balls a round. I worked out the cost of a day losing 3 balls from the price of one.

The price of one ball is from the table above. Multiplying by three is my own calculation.

The gap between the Pro V1 and the Z-STAR XV is about ¥450 over 3 balls. You can decide by whether you want to pay that for the numbers on distance and low curve.

About the writer and sources

Written by a gear nerd who studies golf equipment, averages a 72, and plays about 150 rounds a year.

I re-read the numbers against the sources below on Nov 6, 2026. Last updated Nov 7, 2026.

FAQ

Related reading

Best Spin Golf Balls 2026
Five tour balls for golfers who want to stop the ball on the green, ranked by what I played and the price per ball.

Titleist Pro V1 vs Pro V1x
A guide comparing the No. 1 Pro V1 with its firmer higher-end model.

Best Drivers for Beginners
After balls, how to choose a driver.

Sources for this article

• Golf Digest Minna: Bridgestone TOUR B X and XS (released 2/6/2026)
• Yahoo! Sports: best-selling golf balls ranking (spec columns for Pro V1 and Tour B X)
• Pro Golf Weekly: Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x for 2025
• Golf.com: Srixon Z-Star golf balls, 4 things to know
• Dunlop Sports: Srixon Z-STAR and Z-STAR XV (2025)
• TaylorMade TP5 2026 (retailer product description)

Last updated: Nov 7, 2026

Specs and prices are the figures published on manufacturers' official websites and in press releases, and by media outlets (checked Nov 6, 2026). These are published figures. The numbers I hit or played myself are given in the text, with their conditions.