What is better, high compression or low compression?

They solve different problems, so neither one wins outright.

Low compression gives you a softer feel on every club, and most low-compression balls are two-piece ionomer models that cost less than half of a tour ball. High compression holds ball speed as your swing speed rises, and nearly every high-compression ball wears a urethane cover that spins more on wedges.

MyGolfSpy’s 2026 robot test settled the old rule. Compression tracked ball speed on a straight line with no cutoff where one number suddenly became “right” for a swing speed. At 85 mph, none of the 11 balls under 75 compression beat the Pro V1 control for driver ball speed.

So pick by feel and short game first. If you want soft and cheap, go low. If you want wedge spin and top-end speed, go high.