Callaway Hopes to Set a New Gold Standard in the Tour Ball Category 
News

Callaway Hopes to Set a New Gold Standard in the Tour Ball Category 

Support our Mission. We independently test each product we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

Callaway Hopes to Set a New Gold Standard in the Tour Ball Category 

For Callaway, Feb. 2, 2024, was more than just Groundhog Day.

It represents a stake-in-the-ground moment for their flagship golf ball franchise.

The new Chrome Tour golf balls have hit retail shelves.

Callaway says the names are different because the products are different. Sure, but to understand how we got here and why the change matters, we need to rewind almost 10 years to the original Chrome Soft.

(Clearing my throat and doing my best 30 For 30 voice.)

What if I told you Callaway’s “Ball That Changed the Ball” wasn’t supposed to be “THE BALL” at all?

When the original red-box Chrome Soft came to market, Callaway was entering its second year with Speed Regime. While history may not remember Speed Regime fondly (or at all), at the time, it was Callaway’s flagship (i.e., most premium) ball franchise. The two balls planned for the new “Chrome” family were slated to sit underneath Speed Regime as value balls (it’s all relative) in the Callaway lineup.

The year before, Callaway launched the first generation of its budget-friendly Super Soft. Exceeding expectations, Super Soft provided Callaway with a strong signal that there was significant consumer demand for soft golf balls.

The original Chrome Soft was designed to be something akin to an advanced Super Soft. Callaway’s thinking was that a soft, three-piece urethane ball would have broader appeal but a category-redefining launchpad to No. 2 status in the ball category?

Yeah, probably not so much, at least not in the beginning.

Plans for Chrome Soft and, ultimately, the trajectory of Callaway’s ball business changed in 2014 as Chrome Soft was nearing production.

“We were working on a new ball called Chrome Soft,and there was a group of us, including Harry Arnett (Callaway’s former SVP of Marketing), that went to Bandon,” says Jason Finley, Callaway’s Global Director Brand and Product Management for Golf Ball.

“We started playing that ball because we had the earliest samples. I think that was the first sign. Wait a minute, we’re not all playing this Speed Regime ball. We’re playing this Chrome Soft prototype that everyone likes. We started getting a lot of people playing it. Now, none of us would be accused of being super high swing speed players, but the reaction to that product was amazing.”

The plan for Chrome Soft was to launch side by side with Chrome Speed. Chrome Speed was significantly firmer (90 compression) and more of a true “Tour” offering but inside the walls of Callaway, Chrome Soft had all the buzz.

Nobody wanted Chrome Speed.

“Everybody started to get pretty excited about it [Chrome Soft], even to the point where we had Phil [Mickelson] trying it,” says Finley. “Phil was giving it out to his dad, club pros, everybody. He was playing with it and the feedback was positive.

“So pretty quickly, the feeling became that we had a very differentiated product unlike anything we had seen in the marketplace and so we ended up launching it on its own rather than with Chrome Speed.”

Chrome Soft went to market and caught fire. Chrome Speed was never released.

In 2016, Callaway launched a redesigned dual-core Chrome Soft with slightly higher compression. The objective was to offer something closer to Tour-level performance with the dual-core providing a more robust spin profile.

Speed Regime was still in the marketplace but Chrome Soft had cemented its position as THE ball in the Callaway lineup.

The Consequences of Success

The original Chrome Soft X golf ball

It’s hard to look at Chrome Soft as anything other than a success. Today, it accounts for +/-8% of the dollars spent in the golf ball market but, in hindsight, one could argue it put Callaway at a disadvantage with the better player.

As 2017 rolled around, Chrome Soft X launched, but despite the X naming, for all intents and purposes, Callaway didn’t have a true Tour-level ball on store shelves.

The first iteration of Chrome Soft X was higher compression than Chrome Soft but not nearly as firm as it is now. Looking back, the performance wasn’t what it needed to be for a Tour ball.

“It certainly wasn’t at the level of performance that we have today,” says Finely, “and that was a problem in the in the early days of us being more serious about the golf ball business.”

A “Tour” ball wasn’t Callaway’s top priority and that was reflected in its Tour contracts where, in many cases, the ball wasn’t part of the deal. Even when it was, the letter of those deals wasn’t always honored.

“You can put it in a contract all you want,” says Finley, “but if a player doesn’t view it as something that’s beneficial their game, they’re still not going to play it.”

In retrospect, there can be little doubt some of that boiled down to the quality of the product. As has been discussed at length, Chrome Soft tested poorly in our first robot tests and as we (and golfers) started cutting them open, concentricity issues became a part of the conversation.

During that time, Finley says that feedback from the Tour “wasn’t all super-positive”.

Callaway eventually owned up to the quality problems and, while the company is focused on the present, Finley concedes, “we knew we had to get better.”

Precision Technology

The box of the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft is the first to mention Precision Technology

Much has been written about the significant upgrades Callaway has made to its golf ball manufacturing facility in Chicopee, Mass.

An initial $50-million investment became $80 million and has climbed to more than $100 million.

“Versus my time when I first walked in there in 2014, everything is different in there now, other than our packing line,” says Finley. “Every single piece of that process has been upgraded and changed since then … a lot of that, unfortunately, doesn’t happen over night … If you want to call that acknowledging that we weren’t world-class, yeah, that’s probably fair.”

The investments in making a better golf ball go well beyond machinery. Significant investment has been made in human capital as well. The most visible addition is Eric Loper, who moved from TaylorMade in 2019 to head up Callaway golf ball R&D but he’s just one of many who have worked to overhaul Callaway’s ball business.

“I don’t have any metrics for you,” says Loper, “but if you were to go look at the leadership team there, in general, bringing in new talent that has experience, whether it be in golf ball or in general manufacturing, there’s a new approach and it’s centered around making excellent product.”

That new approach was the impetus for the Precision Technology label that adorned the boxes of the 2022 Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X, and Chrome Soft X LS.

a 3D X-Ray machine inside Callaway's Chicopee ball manufacturing plant
A 3D X-Ray machine inside Callaway’s Chicopee ball manufacturing plant

In that first iteration, precision technology spoke to Callaway’s use of 3D X-Ray technology to identify concentricity defects in its balls before they reached consumers.

Manufacturing experts will tell you that attempting to inspect quality in a product isn’t viable over the long haul but, in its first years of leveraging its X-Ray machines, that’s exactly what Callaway was doing.

The inspection process was costly as it resulted in significantly more scrap and lower production yields but it helped keep bad balls out of the hands of golfers.

For Callaway, it was part of the learning process.

“To be able to solve the problem, you have to be able to see and recognize the problem,” says Finley. “Having full visibility throughout every step of the way and collecting all that data has allowed us to get better but that didn’t come without the cost along the way of taking some stuff that we weren’t proud of and not letting it get into the marketplace.”

“I think what’s great about what’s been done,” adds Eric Loper. “Most companies would have adjusted their concentricity specs to align with yields. Let’s make improvements slowly. That’s one way. Our approach is really more consumer- or golfer-centric.

“Leadership said, ‘We want to focus on what’s best for the customer.’ R&D set those specs and we accepted the yields, which weren’t great, but that was what was best for the golfer.”

Callaway set tighter tolerances and was willing to adhere to them even if it meant eating the cost of more waste while it worked to improve. Several years ago, Callaway’s former VP of R&D Alan Hocknell described the process as changing the tires on a moving car. Shutting down completely was never an option.

a 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS golf ball
The core of a 2024 Chrome Soft X LS

Over the last few years, the company has seen its efforts bear fruit as the amount of scrap has diminished significantly.

Since the 2022 ball launched, Precision Technology has evolved into a company-wide rallying cry that signifies a dedication to the goal of producing the most consistent golf balls on the market.

Where that leaves Callaway on a relative basis today will take time to quantify but Loper believes the consistency of Callaway product is as good as anyone’s … if not better.

Call that redemption but it’s only half of Callaway’s battle.

Finding an Audience with the Better Player

A callaway chrome soft x golf ball
Patterned golf balls (Triple Track, Triple Track 360, True TruTrac, and Truvis) account for 65%-70% of Callaway’s urethane golf ball business.

Callaway has found success in other areas of the golf ball market (Chrome Soft and Super Soft are the market leaders within their respective segments) but has struggled to make any serious headway in the “Tour” ball category and, by extension, with the better player.

That’s not an opinion. It’s a fact that repeats itself monthly with each new market share report.

Despite what consecutive MyGolfSpy ball tests have shown to be excellent performance, Chrome Soft X accounted for less than two percent of the market. Add the LS to the mix and it takes a generous rounding effort to get to three percent.

To put those numbers in perspective, Callaway’s share of the tour ball market is significantly less than what TaylorMade has with TP5 and TP5x and it doesn’t come close to sniffing Titleist’s 1-2 punch of Pro V1 and Pro V1x.

The lack of retail success of Callaway’s Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X LS likely boils down to a few factors.

Finley acknowledges that having “soft” in the product name has likely hurt Callaway with some golfers (he also suggested that some of that might be my fault).

A 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS golf ball

While Callaway believes the Chrome Soft X LS is one of the most overlooked hidden gems on the market, the “LS” branding may have implied a golf ball that’s low spin across the board, not just off the longest clubs in your bag.

Nobody wants low spin around the green.

Lastly, starting with the original Chrome Soft, Callaway has prioritized its red box ball to the near exclusion of Chrome Soft X and LS.

“If I’m critical of us, I think there are some branding challenges that we’ve dealt with there but we balance that with the fact that Chrome Soft was our franchise. We have focused on Chrome Soft. It goes back to putting your weight behind winners and believing we had a truly differentiated product.”

Chrome Soft was THE ball. Chrome Soft X and X LS got whatever they got by being along for the ride.

That’s all in the past. With the 2024 Chrome Tour offering, Callaway is planning a dramatic shift.

“The New Gold Standard”

Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Balls

The signature piece of a revitalized Callaway golf ball lineup and strategy is the Chrome Tour – a 90 compression ball designed to compete with the Pro V1. It’s the ball the Callaway lineup has lacked since Chrome Speed hit the scrap bin and Speed Regime faded from shelves.

Why now?

First, the realities of now lack the immediacy the word suggests. Chrome Tour is three to four years in the making.

“Don’t think for the last couple of years we haven’t had the conversation about the name. You and I have joked about it for multiple generations,” says Jason Finley,

“But I think what we have done from a product perspective, and I say that primarily talking about the performance of the product, but also everything else we’ve talked about, we couldn’t be prouder of the product we’re delivering to the marketplace now.”

Part of that pride no doubt stems from the advancements in Chicopee.

“You can’t design and launch a product that you can’t make,” says Eric Loper.

“We definitely have enough experience on my team to know what the limits are, and it’s important that we push those limits, but we do it in a way where we’re pushing the limits to improve performance but understand what needs to be done on the manufacturing side to ensure that we hit great quality.”

Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Ball

As Callaway transitions into a new year, a new product line and a new effort to reestablish itself as a “Tour” brand within the golf ball category, no detail is too small.

The balls are better, sure. But the paint is brighter, the fonts are different and the side stamp is bigger. The logo, the player number … everything has changed.

“I’m almost embarrassed to say how much time we spent looking at some of these things,” says Finley.

Nowhere will the changes be more apparent than your local big box retailers where gold will replace Callaway’s typical sea of red on the endcaps. That should clue golfers into the idea that something is different.

“I’m not going to tell you that going from red to gold is going to solve all the world’s problems for us,” says Finley, “but I do think it will get people to think about us a little bit differently than they have in the past.”

Chrome Soft remains in the Callaway golf ball lineup, but it won't be the feature.

The red box Chrome Soft, Callaway’s signature ball over the last nine years, remains in the lineup. A segment of golfers love it, and Callaway isn’t about to take it away from them. The new Chrome Soft is better, says Callaway, but don’t expect to hear too much more about it and don’t expect to see red boxes front and center as they have been in the past.

Out of the gates, Callaway has led with its firmest offering, Chrome Tour X. At the 2024 PGA Show, it challenged attendees to hit Chrome Tour X side by side against Pro V1x. Callaway says Tour X is faster off the driver and spins more off wedges than Pro V1x. At the show, it didn’t lose often.

Neither faster nor spinnier or even both irrefutably translates to better but, for golfers to make a switch, you need to show them something.

So, as we transition into the heart of the buying season, Callaway hopes to provide plenty of reasons for you to try (and ideally convert to) their new balls.

Yellow boxes have replaced the familar red boxes on the end caps of big box store golf departments.

Chrome Tour will feature heavily. It’s the ball Callaway bills as “The New Gold Standard”. A not-quite 1-for-1 replacement for the Chrome Soft X LS, Chrome Tour is the ball that Callaway’s lineup has been missing.

“We had an exercise with our fitting team,” says Finley. “Somebody walks up to one of our performance fitters on a range … and they say, OK, well, what ball are you playing? I play ball X, ball Y, whatever it may be, right? This is the Callaway ball that they need. And, really, it was very easy to do with every single ball in the competitive landscape, except for one. And that was the Pro V1.”

With Chrome Tour, Callaway has its answer.

Something really is different here.

With that, you can expect Callaway to roll out the requisite bold claims. It also plans to host events across the U.S. where golfers will be invited to test their current ball against Chrome Tour.

“You don’t do that if you don’t think you’re going to win,” says Finley.

A Bigger Piece of the Pie

Even if, as Finley predicts, Callaway wins more than it loses, it’s still facing an uphill battle.

Unlike the metalwoods category where consumer loyalty is fleeting and 10-point swings in market share can happen in a month, change in the ball category moves at the pace of JB Holmes.

If Callaway can double its share in the tour ball category from three percent to six, it will be a win. And even that won’t come easily. Titleist is steady, TaylorMade has new balls on the way, and even where there are quantifiable performance differences, golfers struggle to see them. The reality is that many, if not most, are comfortable with what they’re playing.

Can Callaway convert golfers to Chrome Tour?

Selling the first box is easy. Showing enough performance benefit so that golfer will buy another box and another and another after that is exponentially more difficult.

“You’ve heard it, ‘Oh, I tried it for a couple rounds. It’s great. What are you playing now? I kind of went back to the …’ I’ve heard that for 20 years,” says Eric Loper.

“You have to have a product that’s better and a lot better to keep that player motivated and wanting to play it. If they’ve been playing it for 20 years, they have all of those shots. That’s catalogued. ‘I was playing better golf. I stuck it tight. I got my first hole in one.’ It’s hard competing against history. There has to be a reason to switch.”

A faster core, a softer cover, greater consistency. Even if it all proves true, are those reasons enough?

To Be #1 …

Callaway hopes to become the #1 brand in golf balls

When I visited Callaway’s Chicopee plant two years ago, I asked Loper why he left the increasingly successful ball franchise at TaylorMade. His response was to hold up a single finger.

Loper, like Jason Finley, and the rest of the Callaway ball team believes the company can get to No. 1. Not this year. Not next year either but the hope is that with time and the best product it has ever delivered in the ball category, it will happen.

“Hope is not a strategy but we’re very hopeful that we’ll signify to the consumer that something has changed.

“This idea of the new gold standard can be perceived as marketing, a cheeky tagline, but it is really a new standard in performance we’re setting with both the ultimate performance variables of speed and spin all the way down to the consistency that our products are providing.”

Callaway says its golf balls aren’t just “good enough.” They’re better. I suspect that promise is enough for many of you to buy that first box.

Whether there’s enough performance to overcome history, to motivate you to make the switch? Well, strategy or not, Callaway certainly hopes there is.

The 2024 Callaway Chrome Tour, Chrome Tour X and Chrome Soft are available now.

Editor’s Note: This article was written in partnership with Callaway

For You

For You

Drivers
Dec 9, 2024
Deep Dive: How Titleist Designs Drivers
PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Review PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Review
Drivers
Dec 9, 2024
Top 37 Drivers Ranked for Forgiveness
P53 golf irons P53 golf irons
News
Dec 9, 2024
P53 Irons: A Not So Hypothetical Question
Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer.

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey

Tony Covey





    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

      Ranny Reynolds

      10 months ago

      Picked up a box on Monday, played them Tuesday on a soggy Northern Virginia Course. Driver distance was about what I have been getting with my PRO V1x balls. All my drives did seem low, which was good on a windy day. All good drives except when I hit directly into a 15 mph head wind. A slight fade turned into a hook. My bad. 3 Wood was consistently straight and longer than usual. The real difference was my wedges. Ended up with three 25-60 yard wedge shots 2”, 18” and 2’ from the pin. Soft greens probably helped. I blame the user for my horrible chips and putting. Will play the same sleeve on Thursday, when it should be less wind and the fairways will be half-way dry.

      Reply

      Duffer1

      10 months ago

      Great article! It looks like they are setting a new price $tandard too. If they want to take some market away from Titleist and TM, they need to be $10 cheaper/box to get people to try and stick with it.
      Not interested in another Me Too $$ ball.

      Reply

      Big Dog

      10 months ago

      I have tried all the top golf balls, I stay with Titleist mainly because of their quality control has proven better through testing than the others. You want to surpass Titleist, your ball has to be proven better not just claim it. I started playing Srixon a few years back because I had heard that their quality control was better and then heard other things about the testing and such that said that wasn’t the case. I’ll be with Titleist balls until someone comes out with something better. I have heard good things about Maxfli and with Lexi playing their ball maybe they will make more improvements. Their price is definitely better !

      Reply

      Jake

      10 months ago

      Mr. Covey, will you change your current gaming ball to any of Callaway balls?

      Reply

      Tom

      7 months ago

      I bought a dozen at my pro shop, 6 of each ball, reg and x. Played s sleeve of each and then traded the remaining 6 back for ProV1’s. Why would pay the same price as Titleist ?

      Reply

      HikingMike

      10 months ago

      Really interesting stuff. I did not know this history. What the heck is Speed Regime? Is it weird I never heard of that?

      I’ll ask my buddies if they want a sleeve to try and I’ll buy a box to split.

      “I asked Loper why he left the increasingly successful ball franchise at TaylorMade. His response was to hold up a single finger.”
      🤔

      Reply

      Bill

      10 months ago

      Speed regime was 3 balls in a series. Speed regime 1 was for swing speed under 90 mph, Speed Regime 2 was for swing speed 90-105 mph and Speed Regime 3 was for swing speed over 105. I think they were on the market for one year.

      Reply

      Mike

      10 months ago

      Who did the branding and packaging design for this ball? Naming your ball “chrome” and then putting it in gold packaging is a real head scratcher.

      Reply

      Jay Nichols

      10 months ago

      Callaway can try all they want, and spend another $100 Million in manufacturing changes, they’ll never beat Titleist, they’ll never beat Pro V1 & Pro V1X, Callaway can’t even come up with their original model names, they have to copy Titleist and add X to the end of their higher compression model.
      Bottom line is, Callaway has been trying to be Titleist since they bought the Chicopee plant from Spalding, they’ve never come close to competing with the best (Titleist), and no matter how hard they try, or how much money they spend, they will never come close to beating the #1 Ball in Golf Titleist!

      Reply

      Kevin

      10 months ago

      They can get to #1 if there overall technology and quality consistency proves better than the others. If it wobbles less in flite and rolls truer on the greens, people will change. Proof that their ball is better comes from massive testing , just claiming it will never work. Show us the proof.

      Reply

      Hopp Man

      10 months ago

      I really like the Chrome Soft X LS and prefer the yellow color of Calloway balls to Titleist. In a Titleist I prefer to play the AVX, a little softer than the Calloway, but don’t like the color as much. I will try the Chrome Tour in yellow as I think it will be a match for what I like, but when I am having a bad day losing balls on the course, I would much rather be playing the Maxfli Tour in yellow as it just doesn’t hit me in the pocketbook as much when I am buying 4 boxes.

      Unlike so many of the people who have already commented, I am ball agnostic mostly. I just want high quality urethane balls at a great price. I don’t really get all the love for Pro V’s, they have never struck me as anything special to be honest. Many believe the Titleist marketing hype for sure.

      Reply

      KRay

      10 months ago

      I will probably try the Chrome Tour ball, but it’s going to be a tough sell longer term for the same reasons as pointed out by others. $55 per dozen isn’t attractive. Been playing the Chrome Soft X for a year, like it well enough, can’t really tell the difference between that and the ProV1 (other than I like Callaway’s yellow better than Titleist’s yellow). Having said that, this aging 5 handicapper also plays the Maxfli Tour X and I get equivalent results in regards to on course performance (distance, durability, feel, green spin, and most importantly, scores). At $20 less per dozen less, the Maxfli ball has a compelling value, at least for me. I can afford to tinker some, but I didn’t get to financial independence by doing *everything* in tinker mode. I wish them well but Callaway’s got a tough, tall golf ball hill to climb.

      Reply

      I miss, I miss, I make

      10 months ago

      I am an aging 10 handicap and have been playing golf for well over half a century. When it comes to the subtle differences between TOUR balls, I have a hard time telling the difference. What is the difference between a ’21 ProV1 and a ’23 version? Is that extra yard or two the ball or me? The 4 foot height difference? My wedge backing up 3 feet instead of 2 ft, 11 3/4 inches. Was that the lie? Where it hit the green? Or was it the ball? I play with some that “can tell”. I am all too happy to listen to their tales as I sit in the bar as they buy another round because they lost – again.
      All the TOUR balls are better than my game. I have read the “Ball Tests” for years and value consistency over everything else. Just removes another variable.

      Reply

      WYBob

      10 months ago

      Thanks for the article and insight to Callaway’s latest moves in the golf ball space. I wish them success because it is always a good thing to have multiple strong competitors in a given market space. That said, I have watch their original efforts starting with the Rule 35 in 2000 through their Spalding acquisition (to get ball patents and incremental marketing share) through the present offerings. I have tested their various offerings but never found a compelling reason to switch, and that in a nut shell is their challenge. If the new Chrome Tour actually performs similar to the Pro V1 and has similar manufacturing quality I will give it an honest evaluation to replace my current gamer. The reason is their change to a brighter cover. As I’ve gotten older, my eyes have increasingly been challenged to follow the typical cast urethane ball in multiple light conditions. If the new “brighter cover” means I don’t have to give up playing a white ball, they will more than likely have a great chance to convert me. Sometimes it’s the small things that effect the greatest changes in buying preferences.

      Reply

      Kevin

      10 months ago

      I personally have tried the Chrome Tour, and I can attest to the claim that it matches up to the Pro V1. I found it to be slightly more spinner off my high wedges. I would highly suggest giving it a shot.

      Reply

      WYBob

      10 months ago

      Thanks Kevin for the input. Really keen to know if the new brighter paint helps with the flight optics. I will give the Chrome Tour a good evaluation once I can get back onto the course. My biggest challenge right now is that I’m still 2 months away from getting back on the course due to the weather here. It’s still very cold with a blanket of snow on all the courses. The curse (or blessing) of living in the Mountain West.

      Tom S

      10 months ago

      I have been playing the ChromeSoft X LS. Should I assume it’s dead now? I haven’t gone golf ball shopping since September.

      Reply

      Evan

      10 months ago

      Me too! I decided to give them a try after last year’s ball test. I absolutely loved the Chrome Soft X LS TruTrack USA balls. I’m sad to see there are gone after only a year. The article states that Chrome Tour is a not-quite 1-for-1 replacement for the Chrome Soft X LS. So I guess the gold box is what I’ll be giving a go this season. I’m glad to see they will be offering TruTrack options in these right away.

      Reply

      Will

      10 months ago

      If it costs as much as the ProV1, why wouldn’t I just go for the ProV1? Did no one internally think to poke this hole in their plan?

      Reply

      Harris

      10 months ago

      This is exactly what the majority of people will think and hence no one really stepped up to even close to challenge the crown away from Pro V1.

      Reply

      Jim

      10 months ago

      I have to agree with some of the comments above, why spend $55 when you can get others that are very close in comparison (re: Snell, Vice, etc.) for a lot less money. For most golfers spending $4-$5 per ball just isn’t in the cards. Between the clubs and now the balls (and greens fees too), golf is becoming very, very expensive. I like the Titliest, Taylormade and Callaway offerings but am unwilling to spend that much for a golf ball that is only marginally better than my Snell.

      Reply

      DP

      10 months ago

      Takeaway: In summary, the new ball is for fewer than 5% of consumers, and the Chrome Soft (and variations) is still our best ball for you. The only change is that we have improved our manufacturing processes to produce the quality ball you thought you were already playing.
      Seems like another marketing miss by Callaway?

      Reply

      Alex

      10 months ago

      I have a few 4 for 3 boxes of Chrome soft X thanks to Ballnamic. It is a good ball but cover durability was not very good – especially compared to Pro v1. If durability has not changed, it’s not worth it for folks who don’t get balls for free.

      Reply

      atxrich

      10 months ago

      How do you break out and slay the Titleist dragon? Win on Tour. And win often. Sadly, the one staff player that had the best chance to give them those wins and publicity went to LIV.

      Golf like many other sports is a game of copycats. If one Tour pro finds a competitive edge and subsequent success through a technique change or piece of equipment, others take notice and will follow (including amateurs). I mean, the Odyssey Jailbird was a breakout hit last year and just this past weekend Wyndham Clark crushed the field at Pebble Beach with it again.

      Reply

      Gerald Foley

      10 months ago

      Obviously anecdotal but I’m old and hitting shorter every year so anything that gets me closer to the green has my attention. I usually do a simple test every year or so by finding an open hole while playing where I can hit a few extra tee shots with different balls. I walk out and find where they went and compare. I’ll then play that for a few holes to gauge green side spin and putting feel and sound. I’ve subsequently switched balls for a round or 2 and then retest against my usual ball. I have say that I’ve returned to my favorite brand again and again. There’s a reason why golf brands do well. Generally speaking golfers use products that benefit their own games.

      Reply

      CryptoDog

      10 months ago

      Except, those idiotic people who INSIST on playing a soft ball that has no urethane that doesn’t fly, just because it feels good, hits them and wonders why they go far and don’t spin, and shoot awful scores and then complain about it, even though they see good players hit hard balls with urethane that goes far and checks up well, but are too stubborn to use such a ball that would help them control their game immensely as they also would be closer to the hole off the tee
      LMAO

      bob

      10 months ago

      The article tells a story of a company bumbling its way through deciding what ball to make, how to promote it and what to do when quality issues become a major problem. Then they supposedly rectify those issues and slap a $55 price tag on balls that many golfers lack confidence in. There are two simple questions that should stand in Callaway’s…..way
      1) why spend $55 on a box of Callaway when you can get a premium ball you know will perform and not have quality issues
      2) better balls that what Callaway offers exist at a lower price point…..why buy Callaway?

      Reply

      CryptoDog

      10 months ago

      100%

      Reply

      Mike

      10 months ago

      When you say a “segment” of golfers like the Chrome Soft, you’re under-clubbing BADLY. Over the past few years at our courses we’ve found 40,000+ “lost” balls. Among urethane-cover balls, the Pro v1 models are the most numerous, but Chrome Soft is a solid 2nd, well ahead of the TP5 line. So I guess a bit more than a “segment” of the golfers have been playing Chrome Soft! (guess the word “soft” in the name hasn’t heard sales)!

      But I do think this is a good move by Callaway. The chrome soft x and the chrome soft X LS weren’t big sellers. Another other little thing, many of my middle-aged & older friends didn’t like the ball because the writing was so small!

      Reply

      CryptoDog

      10 months ago

      Well, they had better hope! Because their original ones were totally shite, remember? And their poor manufacturing standards were found out!
      lmao

      Reply

      Kevin C

      10 months ago

      I’ve always liked Callaway golf balls (for the most part), but when they’re at the same price point as Titleist then you’re not going to take a risk with your $55. We’ll take a risk on Maxfli, Vice, Snell, et al because the savings is fairly significant. They’ve got to do something different here or the only way I’ll try a box is next winter if they have a really good sale……and it better be really good because I know I can get a good deal on 4 dozen Maxflis.

      Reply

      Gregor

      10 months ago

      Chrome soft is the only ball that has physically split on me purely through hitting it, and it happened twice from totally different boxes. Both times it was very cold for golf (about 2 degrees Celsius), but that really shouldn’t affect the integrity of the ball too much. Hence, Calloway can spout whatever marketing guff it wants, I certainly won’t be purchasing their balls again any time in the future.

      Reply

      Tim

      10 months ago

      Feels similar to Cobra and Wilson trying to gain market share in clubs. Really good equipment but how do you get over the hurdle of changing the consumers mindset. It may take years.

      Reply

      Mike

      10 months ago

      I’d be curious to see what % of market share they would consider to be a “win” with this new ball. Chrome Soft (& Supersoft) ball sales are huge, but I can’t imagine they’d expect the same sales volume initially with the new ball.

      Reply

      HikingMike

      10 months ago

      I’d guess they are also hoping that this new Chrome Tour ball will create a halo effect that will increase sales of their other balls further than what they are even if they’re doing great now. So that halo effect will be added to the actual sales of Chrome Tour for them to judge success with it.

      Ed Bailey-Mershon

      10 months ago

      Over last 30+ years, from time to time have tried other brands, but firm believer that anyone can make a good golf ball, but making millions of golf balls? Have played Titleist brands. Never complained about ball performance / wear.

      Reply

      Timothy Secor

      10 months ago

      I highly doubt they will gain market share and inch closer to titleist. The confusing marketing and lack of tour caliber players who use the product really hurt this brand.

      Reply

      TenBuck

      10 months ago

      Speaking of hype, what ever happened to “graphene” the miracle nano particle sheet of graphite that was supposed to make the Chrome Soft “The Ball”? Just some marketing buzz words obviously!
      Now we’re supposed to pay $5 bucks a box more and take their word on stuff….

      Reply

      BH

      10 months ago

      If they were priced cheaper than Titleist and TM, they would get more looks. All the marketing in the world couldn’t make up for a $5/box price difference.

      Reply

      The Swami

      10 months ago

      all well and good, but when you have (earned) a reputation in golf ball manufacturing as Callaway has, the way to break down this barrier and prove their new stuff is legit is not by trying to demand the same exorbitant $54.99/doz price as Titleist.

      to lure someone (pros, regular golfers, etc) away from established golf ball preference, this isn’t how to do it.

      if they’re really serious, they need to offer these at about $30-$35/doz max for a year at what I presume would be a loss (or close to it if not including R&D). that might get me to try a box to see if it is worth the hype.

      at max price, I can’t see how they think this business model is going to work to change market share. no one is going to be on the sidelines today playing a Titleist or other high profile ball and decide to think on a whim, ‘you know what, i’d like to gamble on this full price ball from a manufacturer that has a long and sordid track record of production issues’….

      Reply

      Dancin

      10 months ago

      That is the issue. I’m not taking a chance on Callaway after their past screw ups unless there is a significant discount in price compared to Titleist. The chrome softs I have found and messed around with have done nothing to impress either.

      Reply

      Thomas A

      10 months ago

      Consumerism has shown that if you price something low, people think it’s low quality. If you offer a sale/markdown on retail, people will buy it. A better strategy is Wilson’s “Buy two get one free” campaign with the Staff Model. After taxes I spent $95 on three boxes. That’s $31.60 per box.

      Reply

      elvis14

      10 months ago

      If Callaway prices it’s ‘Tour’ ball less than the other Tour balls it’s competing with it’ll fail. Nobody is going to think they are equal with the ProV1 if they are significantly cheaper. Also, I know a lot golfers who have no idea that Callaway used to have quality control issues. A lot of these same golfers pay for full priced balls even though their game doesn’t support the price. Those same people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with any of the previous Callaways that had issues. For me, I’m not a good golfer but I can tell a difference between balls (I’m just inconsistent). Sometimes I’m willing to buy more expensive balls (like before golf trips) but most of the time I’m playing a mid-range ball like the MaxFli Tour X or the Snell.

      Reply

      KJC

      10 months ago

      No kidding, “this was written in partnership with Callaway.” I hit the check price button and noticed it is the same price as Titleist. Why switch if it’s just as good as, and the same price as the best? Maxfli offers a price competitive option, with quality to boot. Just sayin…

      Reply

    Leave A Reply

    required
    required
    required (your email address will not be published)

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Drivers
    Dec 9, 2024
    Deep Dive: How Titleist Designs Drivers
    PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Review PXG 0311 GEN6 Driver Review
    Drivers
    Dec 9, 2024
    Top 37 Drivers Ranked for Forgiveness
    P53 golf irons P53 golf irons
    News
    Dec 9, 2024
    P53 Irons: A Not So Hypothetical Question
    ENTER to WIN 3 DOZEN

    Titleist ProV1 Golf Balls

    Titleist ProV1 Golf Balls
    By signing up you agree to receive communications from MyGolfSpy and select partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy You may opt out of email messages/withdraw consent at any time.