Is it worth me playing a better urethane ball

[Hazza]

Thanks for that, funnily enough I've just had an email from Costco who had previously told me that the Kirkland balls would not be available in the UK, looks like that might be set to change.

[cynogriffin]

For you, I think it really comes down to just a a couple factors: 1) Do you like a soft or firm feel? 2) What does your swing speed and spin characteristics dictate? 3) You've already stated you want a budget ball.

1. A couple of points on this factor. First off, at least according the ball test here (and apparently Mr. Snell as well), swing speed and compression have no real correlation, meaning compression isn't relevant whether you swing fast or slow, BUT generally higher compression (firmer) balls perform better in distance than softer (low compression) balls due to lower spin characteristics off the driver. Hence the mantra "soft is slow." However if you prefer the softer feel, it's best to use a soft ball that still has high performance characteristics (like your ProV1, TP5, Z-Star), which is part of the reason these balls cost so much. They are made with a urethane cover that is more durable and strong (as a material) so it can be crafted to feel soft whilst maintaining the highest performance characteristics. The reason why you don't see many soft ionomer balls is simply because the material becomes weak if it is soft and can't perform (which is why companies will drop the compression way down (I've seen as low as 55) on these "soft" ionomer balls to achieve a similar feel whilst keeping the cover still relatively hard and performing). The point being, if you prefer a softer ball, urethane is the way to go because you don't sacrifice performance for feel.
2. If you're losing a lot of urethane balls off the tee, that is a pretty solid indicator that you produce a lot of spin with your driver. Typically, compared to an ionomer ball, a urethane ball will produce more spin (especially noticeable on the driver) and thus will contribute to more errant shots. As previously stated, ionomer balls will have a firmer feel (or should if you don't want to suffer from the ultra low compression balls) and thanks to that, they will spin slightly less off the tee, helping to reduce unwanted sidespin that can cause your hooks and slices. This is why you hit these straighter. Once again, if you wanted a urethane ball to perform similarly to this, you would have to fork over more money than you said you are comfortable with for the low spinning premium options like the ProV1x, TP5x, Z-Star XV. Factoring your preference on budget in, you are much better going with the low spinning ionomer ball for your driver characteristics to keep more balls in play since the urethane options for your swing would be far too pricey.
3. Taking the above points into account, as long as 1) you aren't a die-hard soft feel guy 2) you don't care much about, or can't tell much difference with, touch around the greens and 3) committed to your sub-20 quid budget, then ionomer is definitely the best fit for you. Furthermore, once you are able to develop and improve your game and keep more balls in play to be able to justify the cost, I would definitely start looking at the low driver spin urethane options (ProV1x, TP5x, BX, Z-Star XV).

Hope this helps and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you play as long as you're having fun!

-CG   

Edited May 22, 2019 by cynogriffin

[Tsecor]

Try the BXS for a great all around ball......the BX is awesome but sometimes too firm near the greens...BXS and Prov's may be the 2 best balls ive ever played