I don’t like the 2015 Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Ball.
There, I said it. I feel better just putting it out there. For me…it’s shorter off the tee, and it just doesn’t do what I want it to do around the green.
For me.
As with most any other piece of golf equipment, your individual mileage may vary significantly.
If I’m Callaway, however, I don’t care even a little what Tony at MyGolfSpy thinks because, while we can split hairs over whether or not its self-proclaimed #BallThatChangedTheBall actually changed the ball (it’s still round, it still has dimples, and it’s not edible), Chrome Soft has absolutely made an impact on the market.
#3 Is Actually Really Good
Consider this; of the Top 10 selling golf balls in 2015, 8 of them fall under the Acushnet umbrella (Titleist & Pinnacle). The other two are Callaway balls. For its part in this story, the Chrome Soft outsells everything without ProV1 in its name.
And it’s not as if Titleist is the only player in the market. There’s real quality out there…Bridgestone, Srixon, and TaylorMade too. #3 and basically surrounded by Titleist is a hell of an achievement in the ball category. Toss in, as I did when I discussed the PING G30, that a healthy number of golfers are just really happy with what they got for their money, and well, you’d have to be a special kind of obtuse not to call Chrome Soft a success.
Even if I don’t love the ball, Chrome Soft has definitely shifted the market. It’s a great story, but #TheBallThatShiftedTheMarket is lousy hashtag.
The Missing Piece Layer
And to be fair, if I don’t like the Chrome Soft (and I don’t…did I mention that?), it could be because Callaway didn’t exactly give me another option. On a relative scale, I don’t like the ProV1, I like the ProV1x. I don’t like the Srixon Z-Star, I like the Z-Star XV. I don’t like Chrome Soft, I might like…you see where this is going.
My reality is that I generally find the performance I’m looking for in a four-piece ball. The 2015 Chrome Soft was a three-piece ball without a four-piece counterpart. The 2016 Chrome Soft is that four-piece alternative. It could be #TheBallThatMadeMeLikeTheBallThatChangedTheBall.
Feel free to use that one, Harry. No charge.
Better Than The Original? Always!
I’ve already spoiled the surprise.
The big change here is the addition of a 4th layer; an outer core which allows Callaway to make the claim that it’s the only company that has Dual SoftFast Core technology. That’s not to say that Callaway is the only one with a dual core structure – basically every four and five piece ball does. Nor does it mean that Callaway is the only company using soft(ish) materials in their core(s). It just means that Callaway is the only one using a Callaway trademark for a proprietary blend of materials not dissimilar from everybody else’s proprietary blend of materials. But hey, this is golf…everyone Trademarks everything and calls it exclusive because it sounds more exciting that way. It is what it is. Why fixate?
Moving on…
What is intriguing (to me anyway) about the new Chrome Soft are what Callaway claims are the benefits of that additional layer.
- It’s longer of the tee. That addresses one of my issues with the original.
- It offers more spin on aggressive shots into the green. Well there you have it…sign me up.
Callaway HEX Aerodynamics, Tour Urethane Cover, and of course, soft feel…all of that good stuff carries over from the original.
Let’s watch and listen as Phil breaks it all down for us:
Yeah, it’s true that nearly every ball manufacturer makes similar claims with every new ball. If it doesn’t offer more distance and/or more control than what came before it, then what’s the point, right? But in this case the extra layer should make a difference in both of those areas where the original just wasn’t right for me.
Chrome Soft feel (I did like that) with four-piece performance….the 2016 Callaway Chrome Soft, or as I’ve taken to calling it, #TheBallThatChangedTheBallThatShiftedTheMarket, has me curious.
Availability for the Chrome Soft begins 2/5/16. Retail price is $39.99, which makes it even more interesting.
SUPERHOT 55
Also introduced is the new SuperHot 55; a soft three-piece ball designed to be longer from tee to green while lowering spin to reduce hooks and slices.
Available 2/5, the SuperHot 55 will retail for $27.99 per dozen.
More information on both the Chrome Soft and SuperHot 55 can be found at CallawayGolf.com.
Dennis
7 years ago
Why can’t they just leave the ball lineup alone for a few years. Just got used to playing the SuperHot 55, and now its the SuperHot 70. I’ve played a lot of 70 comp balls, and most are fine for a higher handicapped player, just like myself-but I was really playing well with this ball. Brought my score down 10 strokes over 2 seasons. OK, might not be all about the ball, but it did seem to change my game first time out. Distance was good, and keeping it in the fairway was this balls mission once it left the tee. My slice would turn into a soft fade. Like to think it was the ball. Anyway, looking for a gamer again. And not spending more the $25 a doz.