How can you tell if a golf ball is hard or soft?

Check the compression number. The word “soft” is printed on balls from under 50 compression all the way to 100, so the box tells you little.

Compression is how much the ball squashes under a fixed load on a gauge. Higher means harder. MyGolfSpy’s working definition in its 2026 compression test is that mid-70s or lower is soft and low 80s is soft-ish. Our compression chart runs every ball in the catalog on one scale, from the Maxfli SoftFli at 35 to the Pro V1x Left Dash at 105.

Two rough clues without a chart. Price and cover: nearly every ball under 60 compression is a cheap two-piece ionomer ball, while tour balls run from the high 70s (Chrome Soft at 77) to over 100. And the putter: a soft ball clicks lower and duller off the face than a firm one.

One trap. At the same number, a urethane cover feels softer than ionomer. Sort by the number first, then trust your hands on the cover.