Callaway Chrome Soft Review – Worth The Price?

Urethane-covered golf balls are typically associated with lower-handicap golfers. However, in my honest review of the Callaway Chrome Soft, I explain why this premium-quality golf ball is a suitable option for moderate to high swing speeds.

After reading this review, you’ll know how fast the Chrome Soft leaves the club face, launches into the air, and travels.

I’ll also reveal the spin characteristics of the golf ball, which enhanced my control and greenside performance. It’s not often that I encounter a tour-level ball that works for us moderately skilled players.

Why listen to us? Our team has tested dozens and dozens of the top balls on the market (you can read in-depth review of each here). We keep detailed notes and findings about each one to come up with our recommendations for you.

Overall Rating and Thoughts

As far as performance and aesthetics go, my review of Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls turned me in favor of the balls. They are long and soft, suit my moderate swing speed, and offer ample wedge spin.

However, their premium price tag puts me off. I’m personally a mid-handicapper and tend to lose 2 to 3 balls per round. At that rate, I’ll be spending $100 monthly on golf balls.

Putting my views on price aside, I do appreciate the Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls and feel they suit mid or low handicapper with moderate to fast swing speeds.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Features

Three-Piece Ball

The Chrome Soft sports a marginally more complex structure than an entry-level distance ball. A Hyper-Elastic SoftFast Core drives the ball, while an ionomer mantle contains spin and enhances acceleration.

Callaway covered the inner workings with a soft urethane material to maximize short-game spin, and the Hex Tour Aero dimples optimize aerodynamics.

Precision Technology

Precision Technology ensures consistent aesthetics and performance of each Chrome Soft golf ball. The engineers expose the balls to a 3 step process, starting with a robot manipulating the mold of the core. This helps the engineers generate a well-rounded core for optimal rebound and energy transfer at impact.

Once the molds are cured, they are booked in for a 3D X-Ray which measures each layer with millimetric accuracy. If the core passes the test, it is sent for an additional inspection, where high-resolution cameras and enhanced lighting are employed. Callaway added this step to optimize the aerodynamics and cosmetics of the balls.

Molds that pass the rigorous inspection are transferred to the cosmetics department, where the balls are decorated with a stamping machine. The stamp applies a Triple Track or Truvis design before each side is painted evenly to encourage consistent flight.

Hyper Elastic SoftFast Core

The HyperElastic SoftFast Core combines a high rebound inner core with a speed-enhancing ionomer mantle. I felt the core helped my moderate swing speed gain additional mph on high-impact strikes thanks to the increased spring produced off the clubface.

Nestled between the core and urethane cover was the stiff, ionomer mantle. It restricted spin on wood, hybrid, and long iron shots, helping me retain ball speed for a powerful launch. My driver ball speed and backspin revolutions surpassed the Chrome Soft X, boosting my distance.

Ultra Soft Urethane

I thought the Ultra Soft Urethane was the best asset of the Chrome Soft golf balls, softening the feel and boosting wedge spin. The application of urethane increased the production costs of these balls, placing them at the premium end of the market.

Despite the higher price, I appreciated the smooth sensation delivered on wedge, mid, and short iron shots. The urethane cover further amplified feedback on shorter strikes for greater greenside control.

Hex Tour Aero Dimples

The Hex Tour Aero dimple pattern displayed its value producing consistent ball flight, minimal drag, and increased lift. Although I welcomed the consistency of the flight, I noticed the ball was less workable than the Chrome Soft X.

My low long and mid-game spin rate likely added to my straighter ball flight for improved accuracy. The increased lift delayed my landing to boost my carry yardage off the tee and on approach.

Alignment Arrow

The Chrome Soft alignment arrow wasn’t anything special, but it’s effective and gets the job done. The Chrome Soft text is flanked by double arrowheads, which helped me keep my putter face aiming at the target line.

I thought the alignment arrow was superior to the entry-level Callaway Warbird but not as impressive as the complex TaylorMade Distance + design.

Designs

Callaway concocted the Chrome Soft golf balls in 3 designs. The standard, the Triple Track, and the Truvis. As always, I prefer the standard Tour White design, but I enjoyed the aesthetics of the Truvis and Triple Track balls.

Chrome Soft Truvis balls sports patterns like the United States flag, dog paws, and 4 leaf clovers. These golf balls are white with the Truvis pattern scattered around the surface. The Triple Track lines cap of the Chrome Soft designs offers the ultimate golf ball alignment aid.

Triple Track golf balls are offered in white and yellow, the latter which is far easier to trace in the air and spot in the cabbage patch. Triple Track balls are designed to pair with the Odyssey putters with their namesake. The alignment aid of the putter and ball team up to optimize your aim on the dancefloor.

Performance

Price

The cost of the Chrome Soft balls is my least favorite feature, fetching almost $50 for a dozen balls. I suggest opting for more affordable constructions like the Callaway Supersoft or Warbirds if you’re prone to losing multiple balls per round.

Feel

I loved the feel of the Chrome Soft in my hand when I bit into it and off the clubface. Granted, I struggled to gauge the feel on wood shots due to my higher club and ball speed. However, the feel was evident off my irons, wedges, and putter face.

In my experience, the Chrome Soft proved softer than the Chrome Soft X, which I tested during the same round.

Medium Compression

My moderate swing speed paired well with the medium-compression golf ball. I generated reduced long-game spin and consistent speed for a powerful launch, carry, and total distance. These features suit the needs of other medium swing speeds working to maximize yardage from the tee box and the fairway.

If you’re a slower-swinging player, I recommend looking at the softer, easier-launching Supersoft distance ball. You’ll find the lower compression core easier to strike to get your ball airborne and maximize yards.

Spin

Driver

The Chrome Soft delivered impressively low driver spin, keeping me below my 2500 rpm threshold. I owe the reduced spin to the stiff ionomer mantle and high rebounding SoftFast Core which blasted the ball off my driver clubface.

Irons

Low spin numbers continued with my iron shots, pushing 5600 rpm. The reduced revolutions helped me preserve ball speed and launch my ball consistently for a satisfactory carry distance. Although it was lower than my results with the TaylorMade Soft Response, I didn’t notice significant differences in the stopping power.

Wedges

I don’t feel my wedge spin data did the Chrome Soft balls justice. I averaged 9000 rpm on full pitching wedge shots, 500 rpm below my average, but it didn’t impact my performance. I thought I generated ample spin, the feel was superb, and the ball stopped rapidly.

Distance

Driver

The Chrome Soft golf balls conjured impressive distance off the tee, averaging 277 yards. The reactive core, consistent ball speed, and low spin helped me exceed my average driver distance by 4 yards.

Irons

I was satisfied with my Chrome Soft distances on long and mid-iron shots. For context, my 7-iron strikes averaged 151 yards, only 1.5 yards longer than my standard 7-iron distances. Despite the numbers reflecting a few yards difference, I didn’t notice it with the naked eye.

The increased length is more of an issue for low handicappers demanding optimal distance control on approach. However, I can handle the reduced spin as a mid-handicap golfer with a moderate swing speed.

Ball Speed

Driver

My ball speed reached 139.8 mph on average, which is explosive by my standards. It’s over 2 mph faster than my average performance with the TaylorMade Soft Response, a 3-piece distance ball. The HyperElastic SoftFast Core sprung off my driver face imparting optimal speed and low spin onto the golf ball.

Irons

I was satisfied with my irons ball speed, which accounted for the reduced long and mid-iron spin. I produced 118.4 mph ball speed with my 7-iron, which is over 2 mph faster than my average velocity with the same club. The optimized speed enabled the Chrome Soft to fly high and deliver consistent carry distance.

Launch and Flight

Although Callaway advertised the Chrome Soft as a high-launching ball, I found it produced a tame apex. I sent my ball 34 yards high with the driver and 31 yards with my 7-iron. This is a medium launch for me, which I prefer because it delivers increased roll upon landing.

What I Like About The Callaway Chrome Soft

Low Driver Spin

I welcomed the low driver and long iron spin of the Chrome Soft. It helped me boost energy transfer and preserve ball speed for a solid launch, consistent flight, and increased roll upon landing. These factors combine to deliver outstanding distance and accuracy.

Soft Feel

The soft feel is a key attribute of the Chrome Soft golf ball. I appreciated the delicate touch produced on putts, iron, and wedge shots, which I attribute to the softness of the urethane cover. I felt the soft feel enhanced the feedback of the golf ball on iron and wedge shots to help me identify where the clubface struck the ball.

Wedge Spin

Although my data said otherwise, I thought the ball spun well with the wedges, boosting my greenside control. There was less spin than the Chrome Soft X, but it still sat quick enough, allowing me to attack the flagstick on short shots.

Straighter Flight

I approved of the straighter flight of Chrome Soft, which offered slight forgiveness on off-center strikes. I feel this quality suits moderate or faster swinging mid handicaps susceptible to the odd mishit. The straighter flight was a direct consequence of the low spinning mantle and aerodynamic Hex Tour dimples.

Consistent Flight

I noticed that the Chrome Soft launched and flew consistently, which is what I expect when forking out a premium for golf balls. The Precision Technology definitely enhances the efficiency of each golf ball to avoid flight deviation, as I experienced with the Noodle Long and Soft recently.

Long Game Distance

I walked away satisfied with my Chrome Soft distance, which exceeded my average by 4 yards. The combination of a high flex core and low spinning mantle led to rapid rebound off the clubface. The increased spring at impact imparted swift pace and minimal spin for a medium to high launch and optimal carry yardage.

Compressibility

I often struggle to maximize compression with stiffer golf balls, but the Chrome Soft surprised me. The moderately compressible ball provided ample rebound at contact for increased energy transfer, ball speed, and low spin. I feel moderate to high swing speed golfers will appreciate the boost at impact.

 

What I Dislike About The Callaway Chrome Soft

Expensive

The price tag is the biggest grudge I hold against the Chrome Soft and the main reason it won’t become my go-to golf ball. It makes it unattractive to the average golfer who loses multiple balls every round. It’s best suited to skilled players who can hold onto a dozen golf balls for extended periods.

Low Iron Spin

I generated lower iron spin numbers with the Chrome Soft than the Chrome Soft X. While this may cause my ball to roll more than intended, there was minimal difference in its bite. It was good enough for a player like myself who doesn’t attack the flag and can handle a few extra feet of roll.

The reason I add it as a dislike is that most low handicappers may prefer the precision of the Chrome Soft X. Every foot counts when you’re hunting birdies.