Regardless of what others may tell you, your swing speed can and should play a major factor in deciding what golf ball to play with, especially if you are looking to save additional strokes off of your fairway golf game. Many golfers tend to think that playing the most expensive golf ball such as the Titleist ProV1 will automatically set them up for the best opportunity to shoot their lowest score, and that is simply not the case.
The key word to consider is compression. Every single golf ball out on the market today has a compression rate, which basically signifies how much the clubhead contacts with the golf ball before going into the air. The earlier example of the ProV1 is a high compression ball, which means that in order to get the most out of it (proper spin around the greens and on fairway golf approach shots, long distance, etc.) one needs to have a high enough swing speed to compress the golf ball enough the get through the layers that comprise it.
Golf balls are comprised of various layers, generally with a cover and then an inner core. As technology has advanced, golf companies have introduced more layers underneath the cover to provide for more spin and distance. However, to fully utilize these layers requires having a high enough swing speed to compress the ball and reach the inner core. Not all golf balls have 3 or more layers though, and that is why it is important to first figure out your golf swing speed.
Low Compression
Once you figure out your swing speed, you can then find a golf ball that matches it in order to shave strokes off of your fairway golf game. Those who have a lower swing speed (less than 80 mph) should consider using golf balls that have two layers in order to reach the core and get the most out of the golf ball and your fairway golf game at the same time. Good examples of this are the Bridgestone e6 and The Flamingo by Fairway Golf. What makes low compression golf balls unique is their ability to generate a lot of distance for those with slower swing speeds that they may not be able to with higher compression golf balls.
High Compression
Those who have a swing speed above 80 mph should consider using higher compression golf balls, as they will not only generate distance but much-needed spin on fairway golf shots. Good examples of these are the Titleist ProV1and Eagle Pro from Fairway Golf. Generally speaking, these type of golf balls should have three or more layers to them. While it is still debatable as to whether or not four or five layers really make that much of a difference, they are worth considering as well if you have a swing speed over 100 mph, as more layers require higher swing speeds to fully utilize what the golf balls have to offer.