There are the best golf ball brands, and brands that everyone knows. Volvik once fell into the second category but is making a hard push to become a brand played by all golfers. None of their models are more representative of this than the Volvik S3. The S3 is a ball that can be played by golfers that shoot anywhere from 70-100, providing a boost to all. Below, we do a little Volvik golf balls review. Forget what you already know about Volvik. We think you’ll like what else they’re putting on the course.
Top Pick: Volvik S3
When choosing our top pick, we like finding a product that can relate to a majority of people in the market. In this case, we were looking for a golf ball that could be used by a variety of players. This means those who are brand new to the game, as well as golfers that have been playing for years. That’s exactly what we found in the Volvik S3.
According to research, the average amateur male swings 93 mph. Volvik designed the S3 for golfers that swing between 85 and 105 mph. While this isn’t a strict recommendation of who can, and cannot use this ball, it should be taken into account. In this range of swing speed, you see an optimal performance.
Thanks to a softcover and a mid-range compression level (85), it’s easy to add a few yards off the tee. While the allure of tour-level balls can be difficult to resist, most golfers will generate more distance with a ball like this.
A VU-X urethane cover provides increased durability and control. This is a three-piece golf ball and is designed to help the average golfer produce more spin. This is most evident around the green, where you will have increased feel on half swing wedges and chip shots.
This model is more expensive than the usual colored, matte-finished Volvik golf balls you’re used to seeing. You’ll immediately notice this comes with a slightly high price than most golf balls designed for average golfers. The redeeming factor, the control, and distance you gain are worth paying a few extra bucks. Plus side, with more distance and control, you’ll lose fewer balls. That’s almost the same thing as saving money, right?
What we liked
- Our Volvik golf balls review for the S3 could be transferred to most equipment made for average golfers—a perfect option for the weekend warrior
- Creative numbering (designs around the number) gives you a built-in marking, it’s the little things that make you happy on the course
What we didn’t like
- Players with swing speeds higher than 115 mph might damage the ball without hitting trees, cart paths, etc. Luckily this faction of golfers is small –like really small
Runner-Up: Volvik Solice
A Volvik golf balls review wouldn’t be complete without an option with a metallic finish. Volvik Solice is our favorite model when it comes to this. Yes, it is our runner-up option. But, it only lost out on the top spot since some players don’t like the plain white ball we’ve known all our lives.
Only trying to keep the masses happy by making this pick #2. Spending any amount of time on an average golf course will tell you that colored balls are on the rise. I’m not sure if this is because people like creative freedom or they’re sick of the plain white ball. Either way, prepare for more and more bright golf balls going forward.
Volvik tells us we should like metallic finish golf balls due to increased visibility. That’s good and well, but I think the biggest benefit is that most of the time, no one else is playing the same color ball. No one confusing their ball for yours, that’s what I like best.
This is a three-piece golf ball. All three pieces are designed to help increase distance. In order to achieve this, Volvik sets this up to be a high launch, low spin ball. By hitting the ball higher and on a better launch angle, you can maximize your potential distance without increasing swing speed.
What we liked
- Even the white option is not a traditional white, each of the colors offered are unique
- A lower number of dimples (but still around average) helps an improving golfer focus on gaining distance, not backspin
What we didn’t like
- Every Volvik golf balls review will have something negative. The only way there wouldn’t be is if somehow the ball expanded fairways and holes—not going to happen. If the Volvik Solice could improve in one place, it would be durability. The cover is just a little too soft for us.
Best for Beginners: Volvik Magma
No frills, no fancy features. Volvik Magma golf balls are designed to help a new golfer keep the ball straight and hit it longer. Perfect for practicing or fine-tuning your game, this is a ball that provides enough responsiveness to give a beginner something to work on. At the same time, it is easier to launch the ball higher with more control.
The Volvik Magma is built strictly for distance. This allows you to work more on mid irons and less on woods for your second shot of the hole. Eventually, there will be a time when you improve enough as to where you won’t need extra help with distance. By using this ball as you improve, you’ll be ready for more competitive play when the time comes.
On the Volvik Magma, dimples are fewer in number, but deeper. With deeper dimples, the ball will stay in the air longer. As you’ll come to learn (if you don’t already know), the longer a ball is in the air, the farther it goes.
While most Volvik balls are available in a handful of unique colors, the Magma is not. Volvik Magma golf balls come in white or yellow only.
What we liked
- Smaller than legal golf balls, which leads directly to yards gained with every club in your bag
- Rare for a three-piece ball designed for beginners, this is an exception
What we didn’t like
- Non-confirming according to USGA sizing regulations, but hey, you’re a beginner, you aren’t playing in many tournaments anyway
Best for Low Handicappers: Volvik S4
Volvik S4 golf balls are the Cadillac of this brand. Their highest priced model is also their best performing. Reserved for top-tier golfers, this is ideal for a low handicapper looking to switch things up.
For a lot of models and variations, a Volvik golf balls review applies to many, this one does not. The Volvik S4 is designed for hard-swinging golfers. For anyone using the S4 that swings below the 95-120 mph recommendation, you’ll be leaving yards and control on the table. Anyone who swings harder than that, well, good for you.
When you find out the S4 has a dual-core, you might end up asking yourself how. Easy answer, it’s a four-piece ball. With a careful combination of elements that encourage control, spin, and distance, there’s a little bit of everything for a skilled golfer.
Analyzing the performance of this ball would have been 10 times easier if you didn’t know it was a Volvik ball. Once you get past the fact this isn’t a traditional high-performance brand, the sooner you’ll improve. Volvik is officially in the high-end golf ball game.
What we liked
- This is a plus every time I see something like this. The suits of cards around the numbers are pretty cool
- Low spin off the tee, high spin around the greens; a match made in heaven
What we didn’t like
- This is a tour performance golf ball; it’s also priced like a tour performance golf ball
Best for High Handicappers: Volvik XT AMT
A new take on the ball that made them famous, the Volvik XT AMT is a matte finish option that offers solid all-around performance. For a high-handicapper, you want something that is easy to control. The XT AMT is one of the best for this.
A baseball player tracks the seams of a pitch to identify the spin. With the same mindset, you can identify if a putt is going straight when you draw a line around the ball. Volvik takes out the need for artistry with a 360-degree alignment system.
With a line wrapped around the ball, lining up putts, and then watching your progress has never been easier. If you struggle with alignment, this will help.
A lot of high handicap golfers can hit the ball far. Where many of them lose strokes and fall behind the competition is around the greens. With the matte finish, you will have more control and be able to stop short shots quicker. If you can execute a pitch shot to a designated landing area, but cannot stop the ball, this will help. Not every missed green has to equal a bogey or worse.
What we liked
- Shallow dimples help with flight stability, keeping longer shots straight
- High launch design thanks to dual power core
What we didn’t like
- Many golfers do not like matte finish the first time they use this type of ball. Luckily, quality performance will help it grow on people when given a chance
Budget Option: Volvik Power Soft
Volvik Power Soft golf balls fall under their premium distance category. With this knowledge, it’s no surprise they help with distance but do not perform as well around the greens.
With increased distance, it’s understandable that you might be worried about control. After all, if you’re going to miss the fairway, you only want it to be by a few yards. The dimple pattern on this ball reduces the spin rate, meaning that your slices and hooks will be a bit less severe.
Off the tee, it is a mid to high launch golf ball. This means it is effective for high handicappers and beginners. In many cases, these are golfers who otherwise might have trouble getting the ball high enough to maximize distance. It could eventually be problematic, but with Volvik Power Soft balls, your goal needs to be hit it far and let everything else sort itself out.
What we liked
- Affordable, but still gives you a distance boost
- A handful of color options, plus traditional white
What we didn’t like
- Not even a real flaw, but balls not numbered 1-4 irk me for no particular reason, these are numbered 00, 11, 22 and 33
Volvik Golf Balls Review Takeaways
Volvik may be celebrating its 40th anniversary, but it’s fair to say its rise to prominence has been pretty recent. In the last decade, Volvik quietly arrived as a manufacturer of funky, colored balls. Today, they are much more mainstream and higher quality.
As we mentioned, Volvik used to be exclusively known for their bright and matte-finished balls. It got to the point where a colored ball was starting to get called a Volvik, the same way tissue is called a Kleenex or a plastic bag a Ziploc. Today, golfers of all levels that like Volvik have a variety of options.
A few years ago, a Volvik golf balls review like this wouldn’t have been possible. To start, they weren’t as widely available as they are now. Secondly, they weren’t worth our time. If you haven’t given Volvik a shot yet, it’s certainly worth a try.