TaylorMade Distance+ Golf BallWorth it, for moderate swing speeds

Is the TaylorMade Distance+ golf ball worth it?

Worth it, for moderate swing speeds

4/5around $20

By Diego Ramos, sports & outdoors · updated 2026-07-25

Is the TaylorMade Distance+ golf ball worth it?

The moment

You catch one flush off the tee, the sound is right, and it still comes up ten yards short of your buddy's ball. You start wondering if it's you or the ball in your pocket. Before you blame your swing again, it's worth asking what that ball is actually built to do with the speed you've got.

The mechanism

The whole ball is built around one assumption: you're not swinging like a tour pro. The REACT Speed Core is soft, and a soft core compresses more at moderate clubhead speeds, storing energy and springing back faster on the rebound. That's the mechanism behind the distance claim, it's not magic, it's just a core tuned to compress fully at swing speeds most weekend golfers actually generate, rather than the higher speeds a firmer tour ball wants. Pair that with the ionomer cover, which is tougher and less spin-sensitive than the softer urethane covers on premium balls, and you get a ball that trades some greenside spin for extra ball speed off the driver and irons. The Extended Flight Dimple pattern does the second half of the job: it's shaped to hold its line through wind rather than knuckling off course, so the extra distance you just generated doesn't get eaten up by a crosswind. The alignment aid is the small, unglamorous part, a straight line printed on the cover so you can set your putter or driver face square before you even take the club back. None of this makes you a longer hitter than you are, it just stops the ball from wasting the speed you already have.

The click

So you're not buying a tour ball with a lower price tag, you're buying a ball matched to a specific swing speed range, and the softer core is doing real, measurable work at that range. The tradeoff is spin control near the green, which is exactly what you'd expect from a two-piece distance ball. The only question that matters is whether your swing speed is actually in the zone this ball is tuned for.

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Who it's for

Worth it if

Your swing speed is moderate rather than fast
You lose more distance to mishits than to a weak short game
You want a durable ball you won't mind losing

Skip it if

You already carry a fast, tour-level swing speed
You need soft feel and high spin around the greens
You play a shot-shaping game that depends on workability

Not for low-handicap players who need greenside spin and shot-shaping control.

The verdict

If you're a moderate swing speed golfer who loses more strokes to short drives than to missed up-and-downs, this is a quiet yes and a sensible price to lose a sleeve of them in the woods. If you're a low handicapper who shapes shots and needs spin control around the green, save it for the driving range bucket and spend the money on a urethane ball instead.

Amazon shoppers rate it 4 out of 5 across 10,994 ratings. That is their number, not ours.

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Before you go

Is the TaylorMade Distance+ soft or hard?

It's on the softer side for a two-piece distance ball, thanks to the REACT Speed Core, though its ionomer cover feels firmer at impact than a premium urethane-covered ball.

What compression is the TaylorMade Distance+ golf ball?

It's built as a mid-launch, mid-to-high spin ball with a compression tuned for moderate swing speeds rather than the low compression of ultra-soft balls or the high compression of tour balls.

Is the Distance+ good for beginners?

Yes, its forgiving two-layer construction and speed-focused core suit beginners and moderate swing speeds better than low-handicap players chasing greenside spin.