Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball review
The Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball is Callaway’s ball for everyone. It is supposed to be low spin with the longer clubs but soft and reactive around the greens with New Hyper-Elastic SoftFast Core and new Tour Aero design.
So how does the new Callaway Chrome Soft perform? Find out in our 2023 Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball review.
Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
The 2023 Callaway Chrome Soft builds on the extremely popular technology Callaway already had in place.
There’s no doubt this is one of the softest and spinniest balls on the market inside 50 yards.
If you loved the previous Callaway Chrome Soft, do not panic, you still have the fabulous soft feel and short-game spin control we have come to expect.
PROS
- Extremely consistent
- Tighter dispersion
- Great short-game spin control
CONS
- Expensive
- It feels extremely soft off the putter
Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls
Now: £47.99
Check out the best deals on the Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls
First Impressions
Callaway Chrome Softs are notoriously soft, to the point where, compared to other balls, you feel like you can actually manipulate the urethane cover in your hand. This obviously isn’t the case, but it does have an unmatched feel around the greens.
The Chrome Soft I tested has triple track technology, which I’m embarrassed to say is my first exposure to it, so I cant wait to roll some putts with it.
NCG Review
Callaway’s Chrome Soft lineup features 3 balls, the Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X & Chrome Soft X LS. Of the 3 models, the Chrome Soft that I tested is supposed to launch the highest and spin the lowest compared to the other models.
The big tech story here is Callaway’s new Hyper Elastic SoftFast core, which despite being a lot of words, just means the ball is going to go further with the driver and feel better around the greens.
Now I should state testing golf balls is one of the harder product tests we have to do. The impact variables undoubtedly change every time you hit a ball, so you are not always comparing apples to apples.
We cant afford a robot to do testing with, but I have spent many years now working on my swing to be as robotic as possible, but sadly I am not quite there yet, so this is the best I can do.
I started the test by hitting 50-yard wedge shots. This is a key shot for a golfer as we want to try and generate as much spin as possible with a short swing for maximum control when the ball lands on the green.
I am ecstatic with the results Chrome Soft produced. 3 shots over 10,000 spin is incredible, and is actually enough spin to have the ball come back towards me after it lands, which I don’t know how useful it’d be but would certainly look pretty cool.
Around the greens, this ball is so soft it feels like a normal ball wrapped in chewing gum. This isn’t for me personally, but I can see that some golfers would like this as it allows them mentally to be more positive with the swing or stroke. I do love the Triple Track technology though, and found short putts much easier to knock in.
After short game, the next phase of testing was 7 irons. It was a calm day at Woodhall Spa golf club, so shots were pretty much unaffected by the elements. This where I started so see some inconsistencies. I hit a couple of shots that saw quite a big drop off in distance despite not terrible strikes, and one shot that went absolutely miles.
I am thrilled with the consistency of the backspin numbers I achieved with the Chrome Soft, and with a slightly higher-than-normal launch angle. I would be really happy hitting into greens with it. You don’t notice the really soft feel now that we are at full swing distance too.
The final part of the test was driver data collection, which is what really you’re here to see.
After impressive numbers on the wedge and iron tests, I was pretty excited to see what happens with the driver, I had high hopes.
A 165 and 165.9 mph ball speed with the Chrome Soft are excellent numbers for me and would produce great yardage for me on the course. I did find the spin to be quite low, which is fine if you have a high launch but that sadly is not me.
I personally found the Chrome Soft X golf ball to be more suited to my swing. It launched with a higher spin that would just be a bit more forgiving on the course and carried a little further on average. They’re both excellent balls, and it’s probably just more personal preference than actual performance when choosing the right one for your game!
It’s also worth noting that the Chrome Soft is available in pure white, yellow, and with Triple Track technology (Callaway’s 3 lines).
Overall, this is clearly a great-performing golf ball. It performs exceptionally well across all categories. You get a great balance of feel, distance and control. If you are after a tour-level golf ball, it is impossible to go wrong with this.
Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls
Now: £47.99
Check out the best deals on the Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls
Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £49.99
How do we test golf balls?
At National Club Golfer, we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and make sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.
We headed to Woodhall Spa Golf Club to allow us to collect launch monitor data with our in-house TrackMan and Flightscope. We tested each golf ball on the putting surface and around the greens before collecting data on 50-yard pitch shots, with a 7-iron and with a driver.
What to consider when buying a new golf ball?
Feel
Golf ball feel is a personal preference. Different balls on the market will feel softer or firmer depending on their compression and structure. It is crucial to test balls when putting, chipping and hitting long game shots to check you like the performance across all areas.
Distance
How far you want to hit the golf ball is a crucial consideration when picking a brand and model. Getting the right compression relative to your swing speed and strike will help you get the maximum distance out of a golf ball. You also need to consider if getting maximum distance is important to you or if you would rather give up some yardage to gain in other areas.
Spin
Generally, lower handicappers are looking for a ball that spins more so they can get more control around the greens. In this case, getting a ball with a urethane cover is really important as it will give you the most spin and control.
Price
Not everyone wants to spend £50 a dozen on golf balls. When picking the right golf ball for you, you should consider how much you want to spend relative to what performance you want.
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Jack Backhouse
Jack is a PGA Golf Professional who specialises in coaching, teaching golf to beginners and top-level amateurs for 10+ years. He also loves his golf equipment and analysing the data of the latest clubs on the market using launch monitors, specialising in blade irons and low-spinning drivers despite having a chronically low ball flight.
Although Jack has no formal journalism training, He has been reading What's In The Bag articles since he started playing at 12 and studying golf swings since his dad first filmed his swing to reveal one of the worst over-the-top slice swings he reckons has ever been recorded, which set him off on the path to be a coach. His favourite club ever owned was a Ping G10 driver bought from a local top amateur with the hope that some of the quality golf shots would come with it (they didn't), and worst was a Nike SQ driver he only bought because Tiger was using it.
Jack is a member of Sand Moor Golf Club and regularly gets out on the golf course to prepare for tournaments. Jack uses a TaylorMade BRNR Mini driver, a half set of TaylorMade P7MB irons, MG4 wedges and a TaylorMade TP Reserve putter.
