The United States Golf Association (USGA) decides what is legal and illegal when it comes to golf ball performance.
Some of the best golf balls on the market are not acceptable according to the USGA.
However, if you are not going to be playing in golf tournaments, you can decide for yourself if you are interested in playing with a golf ball that might not be considered legal.
Illegal golf balls typically go further and straighter than legal golf balls.
They make the game a bit too easy, and therefore, illegal golf balls are not considered an allowable option for tournament play.
If you are looking for a way to take your game to the next level, and you don’t care whether it is with legal or illegal technology, we have a list that will help you tremendously.
Here is a complete list of illegal golf balls that are available on the market.
Illegal Golf Balls (Complete List)
1. Polara XDS Self-Correcting Golf Balls | Anti Slice Golf Balls Guaranteed to Reduce Hooks And Slices
Key Features
- 3 Piece golf balls
- Helps to correct hooks and slices
- Spin control around the greens
A Polara Self Correcting golf ball is an option for any golfer who struggles to keep the ball straight down the fairway.
The reason that you hook or slice the golf ball is typically because of too much side spin on the golf ball.
When you have side spin on the ball, it will go left or right and result in a hook or slice.
The Polara XDS is a three-piece golf ball and because of that, it tends to have a bit more feel and distance than a two-piece golf ball.
Three-piece golf balls are a good choice for those who are looking for performance off the tee and around the greens as well.
In addition to the impressive three-piece technology, there is also an arrow on the ball to help you line up properly.
Setting the ball up on the tee like this will help you ensure that your golf ball is going to head straight down the fairway.
Pros
- Helps golfers hit the ball straighter
- Spin control around the green
- Arrow to help send the ball down the fairway
Cons
- Even with the 3-piece technology the ball is a little hard around the greens
2. Bandit Maximum Distance Golf Balls
- DuPont Lithium Surlyn cover
- Delivers incredible performance
- Strikes the ultimate balance of performance and distance
Key Features
- Lots of distance
- Highly reactive core
- High energy transfer from club to ball
The Bandit Maximum Distance golf balls are a great choice for those who are looking for extra distance in their game.
If you have already exhausted all of the golf distance technology on the market, the Bandit Maximum Distance Golf Balls are a great choice.
This golf ball is built with a highly reactive core that blends several different materials to produce maximum distance and ball speed.
Essentially, this golf ball goes so far that the USGA says this ball can’t be used on the course.
When you measure the ball speed of a golf ball like this compared to a golf ball that is legal, it will be significantly higher.
The DuPont Lithium Surlyn cover helps to increase the feel that this ball offers when around the greens.
Surlyn covers are also a good option because they tend to last for a long time.
When you choose a golf ball, if you make sure that you get a durable cover on the ball, you will know that it is going to last you through several rounds.
Pros
- Surlyn cover
- Long distance golf balls
- Great energy transfer from club to ball
Cons
- Distance is nothing like what you can get with a traditional golf ball, will feel much different when you switch over
3. Polara Self-Correcting Golf Balls | Anti Slice Golf Balls Guaranteed to Reduce Hooks and Slices
Key Features
- More self correcting than the XDS
- Helps golfers to improve their long and short game
- Can correct a slice by up to 25 feet
The Polara Self Correcting golf balls are similar to the XDS, but they have a 75% correction of off center hits as compared to a 50% correction.
The Polara Self Correcting balls are going to fly straighter and higher than a traditional golf ball.
This happens to be a good choice for those who are slower swinging players and have a hard time getting the ball up in the air.
The Polara claims to be able to correct a shot by about 25 feet on a 100-foot shot.
A two-piece construction in a golf ball tends to be good for long distance shots, and this Polara definitely offers its players much more distance than many of the other golf balls on the market.
Like the other options on this list, the Polara Self Correcting is going to be for recreational golf and can’t be used for tournament play.
When you put a golf ball like this into action, remember that it is going to make the game quite a bit different than it would be with a traditional golf ball.
Pros
- Very easy to hit
- Extreme slice correcting
- Good distance
Cons
- Feels a bit firmer than the XDS because of the two-piece construction
4. Bandit SB (Small Ball Technology) Golf Balls – Dozen
Key Features
- High energy core
- Smaller than a traditional golf ball
- 338 Dimple pattern
In addition to monitoring the distance and forgiveness of a golf ball, the USGA monitors and regulates the size as well.
The Bandit SB stands for small ball technology.
This golf ball is 1.65 inches in diameter, which makes it a much easier fit into the standard size golf hole.
As you can imagine, when you try and fit a smaller ball into the hole, it is going to be quite a bit easier to get in.
This means that you will end up with impressive performance on the greens as well as off the tee.
A smaller golf ball happens to get through the air quite a bit more easily as well.
This is a simple concept in physics that allows smaller objects to get through the air with ease because less surface area means it experiences less wind resistance or drag during its flight.
Overall, this is a unique technology to try if you are interested in an illegal golf ball for your next round on the course.
Pros
- Smaller golf ball gets through the air much easier
- High ball speed
- Easy launch
Cons
- Can be a bit harder for a senior golfer to see
5. Volvik Magma Long Distance Non-Conforming Illegal Golf Balls Gift Set Bundle
- BUNDLE INCLUDES 1 dozen (White 6, Yellow 6 - 12 Balls) Volvik Magma long distance golf balls & 5 ball markers & 1 magnet hat clip
- USGA Non-Conforming 3 Piece Long Distance Ball
- High Trajectory Dimples create Higher Launch and Longer Distance.
- Volvik High Energy Dual-Core delivers Explosive Distance.
- Reduced Diameter minimizes Aerodynamic Drag.
- Volvik is the most recognized colored golf ball by golfers and have been in use on professional matches since 2012, before other brands
- Volvik is a leading golf ball manfucturer that revol
- Volvik's global market share in golf ball production is 5th/6th worldwide and 1st in color balls.
- Volvik color balls are used in several PGA tournaments - PGA, LPGA, KPGA, KLPGA, JPGA, JLPGA.
- Volvik color balls are also used in other golf tournaments, such as European Tour, Asian Tour, Women's British Open, World Long Drive Championship.
Key Features
- 3 piece golf ball
- Built for distance
- Slightly smaller size than a traditional golf ball
Volvik is a company that makes a lot of high quality golf balls that are impressive in technology.
The Volvik Magma is a three-piece golf ball that has a very high energy core and long distance.
With all the power that you can get with this golf ball, you are not going to be disappointed by the performance that it provides.
There is also a high trajectory dimple pattern on the Volvik Magma.
This pattern helps to ensure that the ball is easier to launch and there is less drag as well.
Lower drag not only helps increase the launch, but it helps to get the ball to fly higher through the air as well.
The Volvik Magma looks quite big, but the ball is actually quite a bit smaller than a traditional golf ball.
This again makes it easier to get the ball in the hole and to see the ball make it through the air with less drag.
Pros
- Three piece golf ball for performance from tee and green
- Reduced diameter
- Volvik is a well known golf manufacturer
Cons
- Some will say the Volvik conforming golf balls are just as good
6. MG Golf Balls Senior Longest With Speed, Distance, Maximum Enjoyment (1-Dozen)
- The longest ball for golfers whose drives are less than 250 yards.
- Expect more distance. Astonishingly more. The MG Senior flies higher and longer, with a hotter feel off the face and a sound you aren't used to hearing anymore. And you can expect 1 to 1-1/2 clubs longer with your irons too!
- Putts feel more solid.
- USGA non-conforming. The MG Senior (unlike our other balls) is not legal for most tournament play. It is for golfers who want more enjoyment from the game.
Key Features
- Very long golf ball
- Great option for senior golfers who are looking for extra distance
- Claims to fly higher and longer as well
Senior golfers tend to struggle with a lack of distance and speed in their swings.
When a golfer’s swing starts to slow down, it is harder to obtain the distance, and the dispersion in a player’s game starts to get worse as well.
If you are accustomed to missing your target by a few yards, you may start to miss it by ten or fifteen yards.
This is where choosing a higher performing golf ball for seniors comes into play.
The MG Golf Balls are built specifically for senior players who want to hit the ball high and long.
If your swing speed is not capable of producing shots of more than 250 yards, this is a golf ball that could be a good choice for your game.
MG claims that you will be able to get at least one golf club more when you put this ball into play.
Think about being able to hit your eight iron as long as you hit your seven iron.
What kind of an impact would something like that have on your game?
If you are a senior player who is ready to start having more fun playing the game, the MG golf balls are a smart choice to consider.
Pros
- Can help senior golfers enjoy the game again
- High launching golf ball
- Gives golfers almost one club more distance
Cons
- Not an excellent choice for the faster swing speed golfer
7. SAINTNINE X Golf Balls, 3 Piece Premium Long Distance Ball (One Dozen) (White)
- Non-USGA Conforming
- 3-Piece Construction with 95 Compression
- Tour-Level Distance with Ionomer Cover
- Old European Specs (smaller size, heavier weight) with New Age Performance
- Mental Mates included on ball - Rhino, Eagle, Elephant, Crocodile
Key Features
- 3 piece construction
- Newer golf ball company
- Smaller size golf ball
Saintnine America’s X golf balls are a newer brand of golf balls, but they are certainly one that is worth looking into if you want an illegal golf ball.
The Saintnine X is a three-piece golf ball that is going to give you performance off the tee and around the greens as well.
The Ionomer Cover is a very nice addition to this golf ball, and it helps to ensure there is a better feel around the putting green.
One of the things that make the Saintnine X golf balls unique is that they have a logo on them.
The logo is supposed to help golfers focus on their golf shot, whether on the putting green or on the golf tee.
The Saintnine X has a compression rating of 95, so it will work for players with a good amount of club head speed.
The golf ball itself is slightly smaller in size, but it has quite a bit of weight to it.
Players who are using these are impressed with the technology that they get for a very fair price.
Pros
- Easy to focus on the pattern on the golf ball
- Tour level distance
- Ionomer cover helps the ball feel good around the greens
Cons
- Designs on golf balls are rather large and can be hard to get used to
8. Kaede Fly Distance Golf Balls (Half Dozen) 2 Tone Colored 6 Balls
- With the world's first streamline shape(Kaede) innovative dimple, the Kaede Golf Ball was designed by Japanese aerodynamics.
- 270 KAEDE dimples deflects air flow at an angle, reducing drag by 18% and increasing distance.
- By making the core as large as possible, the impact increases absorbency and rebound force, which increases the distance.
- 2-layer Non-Conforming golf ball, achieving extraordinary distance, the best choice for amateur golfers
- When the best initial elasticity for increasing distance is 12 degrees, the duration can be increased to make a perfect ball flight.
Key Features
- 270 dimples
- Two piece golf ball
- It helps to increase the distance
The Kaede Fly Distance Golf Balls are another excellent choice for those golfers who are looking for extra distance, even if it means using illegal technology.
The Kaede Fly Distance Golf balls are not an inexpensive choice as they are only sold in a package that contains six golf balls.
One of the reasons that this golf ball is so well received is that it has a very unique dimple pattern and shape.
This golf ball is manufactured in Japan and is designed with increased aerodynamics from previous versions.
In addition to reducing drag and giving golfers more distance, the ability to get a higher ball flight is also apparent with these golf balls.
One of the things that we do not like about this ball is that it is a two-piece golf ball.
Although you are going to get some great distance off the tee, the performance around the green is not as good as we’d like to see.
Inside the Kaedge golf ball, there is a very large core.
The core helps to ensure that there is more distance and a big jump off the club face.
Most golf balls have a lot more than 300 dimples, but this golf ball is designed with only 270 dimples.
In the end, the golf ball ends up getting through the air quite a bit more easily with a design like this in play.
Overall, if you can afford the Kaede Fly Distance Golf Balls, you will likely find that you get more distance.
In addition, the unique pattern will help you stand out from the others in your group, but the problem is that they are a bit hard for a golf ball that is this expensive.
Pros
- Easy to control the ball flight
- Large core with increased absorbency and force
- Great transfer of energy from golf club to golf ball
Cons
- Expensive golf balls sold in a six pack
Conclusion
Hopefully, we have helped you to see that there are plenty of great illegal golf ball options on the market.
If you have made the decision not to play in golf tournaments and you are wanting to use something purely to help you become a better player, any of these options will do.
Even though illegal golf balls cannot be used in tournaments, they do tend to cost just as much as a legal golf ball.
This has everything to do with the extra performance that they provide golfers.
Players are willing to pay for extra distance and increased forgiveness.
If simply switching a golf ball can give you an additional 10 yards on your shots or straighten things out by ten or fifteen yards, it is typically well worth the money.
Don’t let the fact that certain golf balls are illegal keep you from playing them, but simply be careful about which events you choose to use them in.
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