Do Callaway Truvis golf balls actually work?
By James Savage
When Callaway Truvis golf balls were first introduced there were some people – even within the company – who thought they would just be a fad.
That’s if they even made it off the ideas table.
They were something a bit different, a gimmick, and people like those sort of things for a short period of time.
There have been a few wacky innovations in golf equipment over the years which went away almost as quickly as they came.
You all remember the ice block putter right? Well, exactly.
But it was a good few years ago now when Callaway’s president Chip Brewer walked into a meeting and announced they were going to start making Truvis golf balls.
They were made reluctantly, to keep the boss happy. But they haven’t gone away. In fact, they are more popular than ever.
The brand have had to introduce new machines just to make Truvis balls as they were struggling to keep up with demand.
Callaway Truvis golf balls were launched into their Chrome Soft franchise – hands down the most successful golf ball in the brand’s history.
So it was being added as an option to an already hugely popular golf ball.
What are Callaway Truvis golf balls?
For those of you who don’t know – it’s fairly obvious looking at the pictures – they are golf balls with patterns on them making them look a bit like a football.
What is the theory behind Callaway Truvis golf balls?
The definition of Truvis is “giving true vision of movement and depth perception of the movement of a golf ball by application of symmetrical patterns.”
Put simply, Truvis make the ball look bigger and therefore can inspire more confidence at address.
It’s all an optical illusion as the balls are exactly the same size as regular golf balls but confidence in golf is a huge thing.
Are there any other performance benefits to the Callaway Truvis golf balls?
“It’s easier to see and follow in the air and find, and it’s easier to differentiate in your group,” said Callaway’s director of golf balls Jason Finley.
“It also helps with alignment. We tested and evaluated a ton of different colours.
“We found the brighter, bolder colours stood out a lot more, and the original red and white paired with the packaging of the Chrome Soft.”
You can also see the ball spin which gives golfers visceral feedback on performance.
Why do golfers love the Callaway Truvis golf balls?
“It has been really fun to watch it happen,” Finley added.
“Right from the time when we first started doing it to when we first introduced it to customers to where it is now.
“All conversations are always about Truvis. When can I get it? Where can I get it? How can I get it? I’d love to get it in this colour. So I’ve spent a lot of time on Truvis golf balls over the past couple of years.”
How did the Callaway Truvis golf balls come about?
“Chip (Brewer, Callaway’s president) was at Wentworth and saw this crazy guy on the green with a pattern he’d drawn on his golf balls,” said SVP of Marketing, Harry Arnett.
“He came back into a staff meeting and said what do you think of these? We were like what do you mean? They are hideous. Get those out of here.
“He was like ‘I think we should do this’ and we were unanimously saying he’d lost his mind. Chip’s like, ‘just figure out a way to do this’.
“We launched it just to appease Chip. But we have been struggling to keep up with demand.
“On its own, as a golf ball, it would be about the fourth or fifth biggest golf ball company in America – it’s crazy.”
What colours of Callaway Truvis golf balls are available?
The original launch colour was red and white with a yellow and black model introduced slightly after.
There is also a limited edition white and pink model currently available.
Callaway Truvis golf balls continue to go from strength to strength and we expect new and exciting things from the franchise in the near future…
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More information on the Callaway Truvis golf balls, which have an SRP of £32.99, can be found on the Callaway website.
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
