Top-Rated Practice Golf Balls for Improving Your Game | Expert Picks

By Clint McCormick
Best Practice Golf Balls

​For those dedicated to enhancing their home practice, the AlmostGolf balls stand out as the best practice golf balls. These balls are perfect for players aiming to refine their trajectory and ball-striking skills. However, it's crucial to remember that not all practice balls are created equal. Regardless of your skill level, there's a practice ball out there that will not only benefit your game but also add an element of fun to your training sessions, including soft practice golf balls and the best foam practice golf balls

table of contents

    AlmostGolf Practice Golf Balls—Best Overall
    SKLZ Limited-Flight Practice Golf Balls—Best for Short Game Practice
    SCI-CORE Practice Golf Balls—Best for Full Swings
    Izzo Golf Tru Spin Foam Practice Balls—Best for Pitch and Putt Courses
    24 Foam Practice Balls—Best for Beginners
    Callaway HX Soft-Flight Foam Practice Golf Balls—Best for Low-Handicappers
    Rukket Sports Practice Golf Balls—Best for Juniors
    Airflow Practice Balls—Most Affordable
    BirdieBall Practice Golf Balls

​How To Improve Your Putting At Home

8 Best Practice Golf Balls (And One of The Worst)

I've curated a selection of the best practice golf balls to simplify your decision-making process and help you see rapid improvements, much like my students have experienced. Don't let the high costs of driving ranges deter your progress. Equip yourself with a set of quality practice golf balls and practice at your own pace.

1. AlmostGolf Practice Golf Balls—Best Overall


​Material: Dense Foam
Color: Yellow
Best Use: Outdoor

What truly distinguishes these practice balls is their ability to simulate the flight and spin of a real golf ball. This feature allows you to hone your accuracy and control without the need to spend on course or driving range fees, making them a smart choice for serious golfers.

These practice golf balls are crafted from a soft, compressed foam material that closely mimics the feel of a real golf ball. Despite their softness, these balls can cover distances up to 100 yards, making them ideal for practicing a wide range of shots, whether in your backyard or indoors.

Their durability also impressed me, especially when shots don't hit the sweet spot. These foam golf balls can endure a few mishits, and their reduced flight design ensures that your misfires don't end up far off, making your practice sessions less stressful and more productive.
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Pros
Cons
  • Incredible feel at impact
  • Able to apply side spin for draws and fades
  • High-quality foam is durable
  • Accurate trajectory for longer pitches
  • Not great for indoor use
  • Only 12 in a box

2. SKLZ Limited-Flight Practice Golf Balls—Best for Short Game Practice


​Material: Plastic Compound
Color: Black and Yellow
Best Use: Outdoor/Chipping & Pitching

Designed to travel only about a third of the distance of a standard golf ball, these practice golf balls are perfect for smaller spaces. Whether you're confined to a small backyard or reside in an area with limited open spaces, these balls offer a practical alternative to frequent visits to the golf course.

To enhance your short game, improving your versatility is key, and that's precisely where these practice golf balls excel. They're suitable for all types of short game practice, from pitching and chipping to full shots, thanks to their realistic feel and performance. They’re suitable for all types of lies and trajectories. Their dimpled design plays a significant role because it mimics the flight and spin of a real golf ball. The shorter the shot, the more realistic the feel, making these practice balls an excellent choice for refining your short game.

The limited-flight feature of these balls encourages you to concentrate on control and precision, making them an invaluable tool for perfecting short shots and putting. Suitable for both beginners and experienced players, these practice balls are sure to help you improve your short game and lower your scores.
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Pros
Cons
  • Realistic feel with wedge shots
  • Control over spin and trajectory
  • Great for smaller backyards
  • Helps all skill levels​
  • Not great for full-swing shots
  • Only available in black and yellow​

3. SCI-CORE Practice Golf Balls—Best for Full Swings


​Material: Foam and Rubber
Color: Orange
Best Use: Outdoor or Net

Nowadays, some practice golf balls boast technical advancements that rival the real thing, thanks to innovative dual-layer construction. These advancements make them an excellent choice for golfers looking to practice with balls that offer a realistic feel and performance

The first layer is made from a unique composite material designed to mimic the feel and weight of a real golf ball, these practice golf balls offer realistic feedback upon impact. The second layer, made from a soft, flexible material, absorbs impact without sacrificing the genuine feel. Striking these foam golf balls correctly gives a satisfying feedback, enhancing your practice sessions.

The realistic feel of these practice golf balls allows you to maintain the same level of intensity and focus as you would with a regular golf ball. They travel just the right distance to observe sidespin effects, yet are short enough to avoid spending your afternoon chasing errant shots.

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Pros
Cons
  • Feels as close to a real ball as possible
  • Provides accurate feedback upon each strike
  • Create draws and fades
  • Bright orange makes finding them a breeze
  • Great for full shots out of difficult lies
  • A bit pricey
  • Not suitable for indoor use​

4. Izzo Golf Tru Spin Foam Practice Balls—Best for Pitch and Putt Courses


​Material: Foam compound
Color: Multi
Best Use: Outdoor/short irons

The Izzo Golf Tru Spin Foam Practice Balls are a game-changer for golfers aiming to improve their scores on the course. As a golf enthusiast, I understand the frustration of inconsistent distance control around the greens. These practice golf balls could be the solution to refining your game.

What sets these balls apart from traditional practice golf balls is their foam construction. The soft foam material reduces flight to prevent damage to equipment or property, while the lightweight design challenges you to develop a more controlled and precise swing.

The true advantage of these foam practice balls lies in their ability to simulate the flight of a real golf ball. Thanks to Tru Spin technology, similar to the AlmostGolf ball, you get a more accurate representation of your shots, making these practice golf balls a valuable training aid.

These foam golf balls are particularly beneficial for shorter courses, where precision is key. Practicing with these balls can sharpen your short game, improving your approach shots on par 3s and shorter par 4s, and enhancing your chipping skills.
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Pros
Cons
  • Excellent response with short irons
  • Creates true spin and trajectory on short shots
  • Translates well to longer irons and woods
  • Color scheme makes them perfect for putting practice
  • Could be more durable
  • Only available in funky split colors​

5. 24 Foam Practice Balls—Best for Beginners

​Material: Soft Foam
Color: Pink
Best Use: Indoors

A generic foam practice golf ball is an essential tool for any beginner golfer looking to enhance their skills affordably. Made from lightweight and durable foam, these balls are perfect for indoor and outdoor practice, offering a cost-effective way to refine your golf swings.

The foam practice golf ball is an excellent tool for beginners to hone their swing technique and accuracy. Controlling the direction and distance of a real golf ball can be daunting for novices, but with these foam golf balls, you can practice your swings without the fear of damaging property or losing balls.

Beyond full swing practice, these practice golf balls are also great for chipping, pitching, and even practice putting. For beginners, this simple training aid can significantly improve your scores by helping you develop a consistent swing for better shot control.

Pros
Cons
  • Perfect for practicing technique and fundamentals
  • Soft material won’t damage anything indoors
  • Great for practicing all short game shots, including putting
  • Includes a handy carrying mesh bag
  • Very affordable
  • Only available in pink
  • Not good for practicing trajectory and spin

6. Callaway HX Soft-Flight Foam Practice Golf Balls—Best for Low-Handicappers

​Material: Foam
Color: Orange or Yellow
Best Use: Outdoors or Net

The Callaway HX Soft-Flight Foam Practice Golf Balls are ideal for serious golfers focused on enhancing their skills. The first thing you'll notice is their soft foam construction, which feels remarkably similar to real golf balls, providing a realistic experience for practicing shots.

Their unique hexagonal design reduces air resistance and enhances their flight path, making them perfect as practice golf balls. I noticed exceptional accuracy in my driving and long-distance shots, as these foam golf balls fly straight and true. This promotes consistency and helps lower your handicap by allowing you to fine-tune your swing mechanics.

You'll get better feedback and be able to replicate swings with regular golf balls more accurately. Additionally, the foam material of these practice golf balls makes them lightweight and safe to use in any environment, embodying the ideal characteristics of foam golf balls.

Pros
Cons
  • High durability
  • Excellent feel and spin rate
  • Great for all shots from putting to driving
  • Help develop consistent contact
  • Includes mesh carry bag​
  • Higher priced due to brand name
  • Too bouncy for indoor use

7. Rukket Sports Practice Golf Balls—Best for Juniors

​Material: Soft Foam
Color: White
Best Use: Indoor

These practice golf balls, made with sturdy sponge foam, mimic the feel of a golf ball but with only a fraction of the distance. This makes them great for juniors who are still learning how to control the direction of their shots to build confidence, showcasing the benefits of sponge golf balls.

As a result of these features, I recommend these practice golf balls to my junior students. The reduced flight distance of these sponge golf balls allows them to focus on swing and technique rather than constantly chasing after shots. Not only will their scores improve, but they will also enjoy playing the game more.

You can invite the whole class, too, because there are 64 balls in a bucket, perfect for sharing. Their durable design and features, tailored to young players, make these sponge golf balls a great addition to any young golfer's training equipment.

Pros
Cons
  • Softest balls on the list, so no risk of injury
  • 64 balls to a bucket
  • All have an alignment line to aid in learning proper setup
  • Exact same size as real golf balls
  • Do not mimic spin or trajectory of a real ball
  • Bucket is quite large and takes up a lot of space​

8. Airflow Practice Balls—Most Affordable

Material: Plastic
Color: Orange
Best Use: Indoor

I know these aren't the most popular practice golf balls, but they do serve a purpose when you just want to take a few swings or introduce someone new to the game. Their price and durable construction mean you can get a bag of these and one of the other premium balls listed above, making them suitable for casual chipping practice as well.

The best use of these practice golf balls is with your chipping and pitching. You can set up targets in your backyard or on your golf mat to solidify your technique and ball striking. They do not travel far and won't cause any damage on mishits, making them ideal for focused practice on an indoor net. These practice golf balls are designed to solidify your technique and ball striking. They do not travel far and won't cause any damage on mishits, making them a safe choice for practicing in confined spaces.

You can also use these practice golf balls to start some good competition. Set up a miniature pitch-and-putt course in your yard or basement, using empty paint cans or kids' sand pails as your targets, perfect for honing your chipping skills.

Pros
Cons
  • Best price in town
  • Great for beginners
  • Use to create fun pitch and putt games
  • Very durable
  • Does not simulate real golf ball flight
  • Cannot be used to putt
  • Not particularly useful with nets

Not Recommended: BirdieBall Practice Golf Balls

Material: Foam/Plastic Compound
Color: White
Best Use: Outdoor

My biggest issue with these golf practice balls is that they are not golf balls at all. The theory that they fly like a golf ball is somewhat substantiated, but ultimately, they are too different from a real golf ball and don't offer an authentic golf experience, even if they are useful as foam golf balls for practice.

Of course, if it's between no golf and using these, I will happily use them. However, with so many outstanding options available, including high-quality practice golf balls and foam golf balls, I recommend investing your hard-earned money in any of the other products on this list. You'll gain more from them and train your body to hit a golf ball, not a foam coffee mug.


Pros
Cons
  • ​Better than nothing
  • Not even in a ball shape
  • Highly-priced
  • Bigger than a real golf ball
  • Cannot be used for any kind of short-game practice

How To Improve Your Putting At Home

If you're keen to improve your game, mastering the full swing, chipping, and pitching are only parts of the puzzle. Many overlook the importance of putting, but with a bit of discipline and engaging in practice putting drills using practice golf balls, you can see quick improvements. Consider these tips as your starting point.




ABOUT CLINT

Clin​t grew up playing golf in Toronto, Canada, so he is very familiar with indoor golf and all its intricacies. Spending half the season using a sim over the past 20 years has taught him a lot, and he considers himself lucky to have seen such advancement in the industry. As a young pro, Clint didn’t have Trackman available while he was competing in tournaments. It was only when he became a full-time teaching professional that the technology really started to take off. Clint has seen the growth of simulator golf since its inception, and we are happy to have him on the team here at Yardstick Golf. 
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​Thanks for reading - you may also enjoy our golf simulator forum on Reddit:

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