Ball Model Years
Below are a set of frequently asked questions for serious golfers. For additional FAQs, please visit our general FAQ section or our blog golfballtest.org.
- Why are there "older" balls in the database that have since been replaced in 2025?
- Our goal is to provide you with the most comprehensive analysis of golf balls currently available in the marketplace.
- The GolfBallSelector.com database currently includes 60 actively marketed golf balls, sold primarily in the United States; and all of the balls listed in the GolfBallSelector.com system – including those of 2024 (and even some 2023) model years – are available for purchase new and as recycled golf balls at retail stores and online.
- The GolfBallSelector.com system does not differentiate performance based on model year. The facts are that certain golfers may do better (or no worse) with an older version of a certain ball type. Perhaps they enjoy the way the older ball version feels – or perhaps they are seeking "value for money" and are just fine selecting last year's model if they can save a few dollars. For example, in some cases, we have found 2024 "Tour Balls" offered brand new in specialty golf retailers (at a substantial discount) – even though they have since been replaced by a 2025 version.
- Please note that in many cases there are no 2025 models yet produced – and 2024 is the newest vintage.
- How do I distinguish between model years?
- The model year (vintage) of a golf ball can be determined by its "seam markings" – which are displayed in our Digital Ball Catalog™. In the output of the fitting system, the model year is identified in parentheses, such as Nike ONE Black (24).
- Understanding the differences in these seam markings can help you when purchasing balls at a discount – and especially when a retailer may not be disclosing the model year; or if the balls are being selected out of a bulk barrel or bin.
- Is the current model year ball always the better ball to choose?
- No, not necessarily. Although manufacturers may continually update and "enhance" a certain model type – and then make claims about new and improved – these may not be material changes that will affect the performance of every golfer. Our testing and selector processing is agnostic to performance claims – and just reflects what is in the data. Given differences in performance across golfer profile types and differences in how a golfer places weight on various factors (distance, control and feel), it is quite possible for a 2024 model to rank more favorably than its 2025 counterpart.
- Why is the 2024 version NOT right next to the 2025 version in the display rankings?
- Manufacturers continually pattern performance after each other and may gain substantive improvements within their family of products over time – or may just get closer to mimicking their competition. This will drive separation of a certain model type even where construction attributes are largely unchanged but manufactured in different years.
- Further, as new balls are continually entered into our database system, the number of individual ball comparisons multiplies by the number of balls in the system on multiple dimensions across distance, control and spin. The combination of individual golfer performance objectives along with updates in ball construction, materials and manufacturing processes make it much more likely that balls will be separated by more than a few other competing balls when the rankings are displayed.
- Does the age of a golf ball affect its relative performance?
- Properly stored, most new golf balls will not exhibit decay in performance noticeable to the average golfer. For recycled golf balls, it is largely an unknown where that ball came from and how long it might have been submerged in a pond or lake. One older study we came across suggests that over time there is a discernible decay in performance (among Surlyn and Balata covered balls) due to water logging; however, those cover technologies have been eclipsed by newer polymers. In our testing of compression and cover hardness (and some ballistics testing), we saw no notable performance decay in what are known as near-new Grade 1 / AAAAA recycled golf balls. Even a lower-grade recycled ball may have little noticeable difference in performance – except for its lower grading due to observable cover damage or blemishes. Discoloration of a ball would indicate it was most likely submerged for some time and would not be a top choice if high performance is a leading requirement for that day's play.