Four-Ball (4BBB) Golf: Better Ball Rules
Four-Ball — or 4BBB, for “Four-Ball Better Ball” — is the great team format in which everyone plays their own golf: four players, two teams of 2, four balls in play, and on every hole only the best score of each team is kept. The team with the better ball wins the hole; at the end, the team that has won the most holes takes the game. It is the legendary Ryder Cup format, and a favourite with many amateurs: unlike a scramble, you play your own ball from the tee to the green — but with a safety net, since a bad hole is wiped out as soon as your partner makes a safe score. Attack and insurance in the same team: that is the whole art of Four-Ball.
▶ The rule in 60 seconds, in French with English subtitles — the Game of Swing channel
How to play Four-Ball, hole by hole
- Form 2 teams of 2 players. Four balls in play in the same group — hence the name.
- Everyone plays their own ball from the tee to the bottom of the hole, as in a normal round.
- Keep the best score of each team. The team's score on the hole = the lower of its 2 players' scores.
- Compare the two teams. The better ball wins: the team wins the hole and scores 1 point. A tie = 0 points for both teams.
- Count the holes won. The team that has won the most takes the game.
Hole 7, par 4. Team A: Julie makes 5, Marc makes 4 → ball kept: 4. Team B: Léa makes 4, Paul makes 6 → ball kept: 4. A tie → 0 points for both teams. On hole 8, Julie makes a birdie 3 while Team B's better ball is a 4: Team A wins the hole, 1 point — Marc's 6 on that hole doesn't matter at all.
Four-Ball, Foursomes, Scramble: never mix them up again
| Format | Balls in play per team | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| Four-Ball (4BBB) | 2 — everyone plays their own | The better of the 2 scores, on every hole |
| Foursomes | 1 — played alternately | The score of the single ball |
| Scramble | 1 — chosen from everyone's balls | The score of the shared ball |
Four-Ball is the most “individual” of the team formats: your swing stays your own, only the scorecard becomes a team effort.
3 strategy tips
- Play in tandem. If your partner is safely in the middle of the fairway, you have the green light to attack the flag. If they are in trouble, play safe.
- The steady player goes first. A ball in play frees up the second player — on the tee as on the green.
- Pick up without a second thought. As soon as your partner has done better than you can still hope for, lift your ball: the team score is in the bag and play moves on.
Frequently asked questions
What does 4BBB mean?
“Four-Ball Better Ball”: four balls in play (one per player), and on each hole it is the better ball of each team of 2 that counts. It is also called “better ball” or “best ball”.
What is the difference between Four-Ball and a scramble?
In Four-Ball, every player plays their own ball from start to finish, and only the better of the team's two scores is kept. In a scramble, the team plays a shared ball: everyone plays their ball, the best one is chosen, and everyone plays again from that spot.
Can you pick up your ball in Four-Ball?
Yes — as soon as your partner has secured a score you can no longer beat on the hole, pick up: the team's score is already in and the game moves along faster.
Is Four-Ball an official format?
Yes, it is an official format in the Rules of Golf (Rule 23), played in the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Presidents Cup alongside Foursomes.
Every format on a single page: step-by-step rules, a worked example, the points scale and a strategy tip — to read the night before a round or to print. Four-Ball is in it, along with the 4 other formats you can play for free in the app.
Download the free sample →PDF · 14 pages · direct download, no email needed · the complete guide covers all 41 formats
Play your next Four-Ball without a scorecard
Enter the scores of all 4 players: the Game of Swing app keeps the better ball, counts the holes won and shows the duel live. Four-Ball is one of the 5 free games.
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