It’s simply harder to shape the ball and the lack of feel is a downside when greenside. Many pros and low handicap golfers stay away from ionomer golf balls, since spin rates and feel are that much lower. Usually, manufacturing costs are lower than urethane, so ionomer golf balls are cheaper and segmented more towards beginner golfers.
It is the preferred material for distance balls because spin rates are lower and durability is higher.
Ionomer golf ball covers bring something different to the table than urethane. Surlyn is a specific type of ionomer resin, developed by the American company DuPont in the 1960s. The competitor to urethane covers is ionomer covers which are also known as Surlyn covers. The downside to urethane can be lower durability and in some cases less distance. Many higher-level golfers prefer urethane covers on their golf balls, because of the above-mentioned softness and ability to spin. When manufacturing urethane covers it is possible to control the hardness and toughness of the material through how much heat is applied. While not going too deep into the chemical composition of urethane, let’s just mention that it’s a type of polymer which is a string of molecules bonded together in long chains, engineered specifically for the job in mind. The two most common ones are urethane and ionomer/Surlyn.īeing the softer material when compared to ionomer, urethane brings a lot to the table in regards to spin rates and feel. If you haven’t investigated how golf balls are made before, you will be interested to know that there are a few different kinds of cover materials. How Far Would A Golf Ball Go Without Dimples?.What Were Golf Balls Originally Made Of?.