This chart covers the balls we have reviewed plus a few comparison balls, not every ball on the market. Compression describes how much a golf ball deflects under load: a lower number is a softer ball. Most balls in the chart below fall between 74 and 100. Some makers, including Titleist for the AVX and Callaway for the Superfast, do not publish a number at all, so the table says so instead of guessing.
| Ball | Compression | Construction and cover (maker's description) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Srixon Q-Star Tour | 74 (Srixon's US listing; earlier versions were reported at 72 to 75) | Urethane cover, 338 dimples | Srixon |
| TaylorMade TP5 | 85 (2019 launch figure; unverified for the current model) | Five layers | TaylorMade, Golf Business News, 2019 |
| Titleist AVX | Not published by the maker | Three-piece, urethane cover (2026 model) | Titleist release |
| Vice Tour | 85 | 3-layer, Surlyn cover, 312 dimples | Vice Tour |
| Vice Pro | 90 | 3-layer, cast urethane cover, 318 dimples | Vice Pro |
| Vice Pro Plus | 100 | 4-layer, cast urethane cover, 336 dimples | Vice Pro Plus |
| Vice Drive | 95 | 2-piece, Surlyn cover, 312 dimples | Vice Drive |
| Vice Pro Soft | Not listed by the maker (no longer on Vice's ball range page) | n/a | Vice ball range |
| Callaway Superfast | Not published by the maker | Hybrid cover, hyper elastic soft fast core | Callaway Superfast |
| Volvik Tour S4 | 90 | 4-piece, urethane cover, 336 dimples | Volvik press release, 2019 |
Within the Vice range the order is not what the ball names suggest. The Vice Drive, sold as the budget distance ball, is listed at 95, higher than the Vice Tour at 85 and the Vice Pro at 90 (Vice Drive page). Do not assume a ball's name tells you where it sits on the compression scale.
What compression means
Compression describes how far the core and layers squash at impact. A softer ball is meant to feel softer off the face and, on slower swings, to compress more fully. Compression is one input, not a performance guarantee: cover material and layer design change spin and feel as much as the number does.
Swing speed and compression: what the makers say
The makers' own targeting is stated in swing speed terms, not compression terms:
- Srixon builds the Q-Star Tour for moderate swing speeds.
- Vice lists the Pro Plus as optimized for 90+ mph swings, and the Vice Pro for medium swing speeds.
- Volvik targets the S4 at swing speeds above 105 mph, and the 85-compression S3 at 95 to 110 mph, according to its Tour S3 and S4 announcement.
Makers publish compression in different ways and some publish none, so use the numbers to compare balls within a brand, or balls whose makers both publish a figure, rather than as a fitting rule on their own. The chart shows why: a 100-compression Vice Pro Plus is aimed at 90+ mph swings while the 90-compression Volvik S4 is aimed above 105 mph, so compression alone does not predict the right swing speed.
Our ball reviews
- Srixon Q-Star Tour review
- TaylorMade TP5 review
- Titleist AVX review
- Vice Pro review, Vice Pro Plus review, Vice Pro Soft review, Vice Tour review and Vice Drive review
- Callaway Superfast review
How to pick
- Check which numbers the maker publishes. If it publishes none, as with the AVX and Superfast, compare on cover material and the maker's stated player type instead.
- Match the ball to the swing speed the maker describes, not just to the compression figure.
- Choose the cover by the short game you want: urethane for greenside spin, Surlyn for durability and price.
- Buy a sleeve or a dozen of two candidates and compare them on the course before committing to a case.
For a wider shortlist see our best golf balls guide.
Source and date
Specs checked against the maker pages linked above on 5 October 2026.
Related: 2-piece vs 3-piece vs 4-piece golf balls.
