Both surlyn and urethane are the dominant sleeves (covers) on almost all golf balls manufactured today. It’s not something that most golfers consider, as each one has their favorite ball, usually based on brand. But what is the major difference between the two and will choosing one over the other improve your game?
Neither is technically better than the other but surlyn is the cover of choice for distance shots because it’s a harder material and urethane is the cover of choice for finesse and control shots, with a softer and more grippy cover that facilitates more spin.
Despite the focus on certain aspects of your shot, Urethane is the most commonly used golf ball material in tournament-level play or “tour-level” games. Although surlyn gives golfer distance and reduces hooks and slices, allowing a bit of control over certain types of shots.
Advantages of Surlyn
Unlike urethane golf balls, surlyn is a much harder material, with a lot more bounce. For the golfer who really likes to rip it as hard as possible, a golf ball with surlyn material is the way to go. The material and the dynamics of the surlyn material simply allow for a much longer shot.
Unfortunately, hardness nullifies finesse or control. You might be able to slam a surlyn ball so hard that you can barely track its flight but you can’t control it as well as you can urethane. Of course, surlyn balls are not completely without control.
If that was the case, no one would use them. The material itself is hard and there is a very audible click when you strike one.
- Efficient and highly durable
- Abrasion resistance
- Longer distance shot
- Reduces the strength of hook and slice shots
Now, it may seem counterintuitive to use a ball that reduces the strength of your hook or slice shots. However, sometimes that’s exactly what you need, especially if you have a particular way of striking the ball on a hook shot and you know that under normal circumstances, the hook would be too strong.
In other words, it’s an option of your bag to take some of the elbow grease out of shots when you need it to.
Advantages of Urethane
Urethane lacks the longevity of surlyn in the marketplace since surlyn has been around for decades. However, urethane cover golf balls do have some staying power and that’s because golfers have embraced them from tour-level play down to recreational golfing.
Urethane offers the one thing that you cannot get from surlyn balls and that is control. Urethane covers are not as hard and therefore not as bouncy as surlyn, so you won’t get the same kind of distance out of a urethane cover golf ball that you would from surlyn.
Urethan is a softer material that has a little more grip than a surlyn, so you can’t get the immense distance out of urethane that you can with the other. But that grip and lack of bounce allow for a much more controlled shot.
You can get a lot more spin from a urethane ball which is imperative on approach shots. It took urethane balls a little while to get it right in the manufacturing process. Original urethane balls were too soft and didn’t last long in the bag thanks to scuffs and abrasions that ruined their capabilities.
Fortunately, the engineers behind the urethan design have gotten it right now and they are nearly as durable as surlyn covers today.
- Softer with more control
- Resists abrasions and scuffs
- Superior spin
- Improves short game
- Great feel off the tee
Which Cover is Right for You?
What it really boils down to, is how you play the game. If you are all about distance and not too concerned about a reduction in control, then surlyn cover golf balls are probably right for you.
There is a reason that urethane balls are used by professional golfers, however, and that is the level of control that urethane offers. For those who are learning the game, surlyn might make a little more sense, but only in the short term.
At a certain point, however, a surlyn cover ball is going to give you maximum distance while failing to improve your short game, like putting and approach shots. If you are maxing out your drives and looking for something that will improve your approach, urethane is probably a better fit for you.
On the plus side, you barely lose anything on your drive if you go with urethane golf balls. We’re talking about a matter of feet here. That may make a difference on some par 5s but probably won’t have much effect on anything below that.
All Things Considered
While the surlyn cover balls are excellent golf balls and have been around for more than half a century, times are changing and urethane covers are becoming the newest and greatest thing. The latter is now the official cover for tour-level play and if you really want to improve your game, urethane is the way to go.