I know I’m not the only one who gets tired of finding a golf ball that’s long off the driver and short off the irons. I probably need more help keeping my yardage up on my irons but it’s hard to give up driver speed to get it.
So I went digging through the 2025 MyGolfSpy Ball Test presented by UNRL to see which models have high driver ball speed and iron ball speed. Here are those picks for every swing speed.
High swing speed (Driver ~115 mph/7-iron ~90 mph)
At higher speeds, firm “tour” balls still ruled for total speed but a few models managed to stay quick through the irons as well. The PXG Xtreme Tour X was among the fastest across the board, combining a firm core with a stable mid-flight profile.
Srixon’s Q-STAR Ultispeed surprised testers by keeping pace with urethane balls despite its ionomer cover although it gives up greenside spin.
The Maxfli Tour X continued to prove that speed and overall performance don’t have to come at a premium price.
| Golf Ball | Driver (mph) | Mid-Iron (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| PXG Xtreme Tour X | 167.33 | 127.39 |
| Srixon Q-STAR Ultispeed | 166.08 | 127.44 |
| Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond | 168.01 | 126.87 |
| Maxfli Tour X | 168.15 | 126.83 |
| Wilson Staff Model X | 167.63 | 127.33 |
Mid swing speed (Driver ~100 mph/7-iron ~80 mph)
For mid swing speeds, “compression matching” makes all the difference in performance. The Titleist Pro V1x was fast across all clubs with the kind of consistent spin and height that makes it playable from tee to green.
Srixon’s Z-STAR XV followed closely, offering top-tier speed with a slightly higher flight and spin profile.
| Golf Ball | Driver (mph) | Mid-Iron (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| Titleist Pro V1x | 149.81 | 108.15 |
| Srixon Z-STAR XV | 149.63 | 107.21 |
| Mizuno Pro X | 149.89 | 107.31 |
| Callaway Chrome Tour X | 149.63 | 106.69 |
| PXG Xtreme Tour X | 149.63 | 106.47 |
Low swing speed (Driver ~85 mph/7-iron ~65 mph)
At slower swing speeds, softer isn’t always better. Mid-compression balls that still generate speed tend to perform best. The PXG Xtreme Tour topped both the driver and iron charts, showing that a firmer core can still help moderate players pick up distance. The Titleist Tour Soft was one of the biggest surprises of 2025, producing near-urethane ball speed despite its ionomer cover. The spin around the greens on the Tour Soft is limited.
| Golf Ball | Driver (mph) | Mid-Iron (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| PXG Xtreme Tour | 123.79 | 88.48 |
| Titleist Tour Soft | 123.43 | 88.44 |
| Bridgestone TOUR B RXS | 123.27 | 88.15 |
| Srixon Z-STAR | 123.34 | 88.35 |
| Callaway Supersoft | 122.80 | 88.35 |
Final thoughts
Across every swing speed, a few trends stood out. PXG’s Xtreme Tour lineup showed up in all three groups. It’s consistently fast across the bag for nearly every type of swing.
The other takeaway here is that speed alone doesn’t tell the full story. You’ll need to find a golf ball with the proper flight and spin to match your game (especially around the greens). For full speed, flight and spin data across all 44 tested models, check the complete MyGolfSpy 2025 Golf Ball Test.
The post Driver vs Iron Ball Speed: Which Golf Balls Stay Fast Across the Bag? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
