When a major golf ball manufacturer like Callaway makes bold claims that their new products will outperform the 'current' gold standard in golf balls, the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x, it demands investigation.
Callaway stated that golfers would see higher ball speeds and potentially more distance simply by switching to the new Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X balls.
As an avid golfer currently using the Pro V1 ball, I was excited to put these claims to the test.
Who Are They Aimed At?
With a price tag of £55 per dozen these are for golfers who take their game seriously and want the very best when it comes to their equipment.
The Chrome Tour balls are for golfers looking to get the best possible performance from their ball, with a mixture of feel, distance and control, and Callaway say that if you are already using a Pro V1 or Pro V1x then you need to test these balls out too. The Chrome Tour X has a slightly firmer feel than the Chrome Tour, with more spin on both long and short shots.
For golfers who aren't willing to splash out those kind of prices for golf balls, Callaway have also got the Chrome Soft ball which is still part of the family, but now essentially sits one level below and so it's not something that you'll see many Tour players continuing to use. We recently tested the 2024 Chrome Soft model, and you can check that review out here.
The Tech
Callaway have completely redesigned every element of their top level golf ball this year, with all four layers featuring new or updated technology including the new Hyper Fast Soft Core. This core is engineered to provide better players with the combination of feel and distance that they desire.
Both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X feature a new urethane cover that looks to enhance spin and control around the greens. The Chrome Tour X features a little more spin on these shorter shots compared to the standard Chrome Tour, aiming to provide more precise approach play with wedges and short irons.
New Seamless Tour Aero technology is a unique aerodynamic setup which provides a consistently penetrating flight with added workability in the Chrome Tour X, with consistently stable ball flights in all conditions for the Chrome Tour.
In order to ensure more consistent results, Callaway's balls go through more than 100 million proof points during the manufacturing process, measuring each of the technologies for more precision.
Over the last few years we have also seen Callaway continue to expand their offering of different golf ball patterns and alignment technologies, and this continues with the Chrome Tour range with the likes of Triple Track, 360 Triple Track and TruTrack all available.
Watch on YouTube...
Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Balls Review
Looks and Feel
Callaway are certainly going for that high-end, premium feel with a complete packaging redesign thanks to plenty gold details in both the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X boxes. They will certainly jump out to golfers more on the pro shop shelf.
Although plain golf balls generally don’t have too much variation in looks, something we see in the new Callaway balls compared to previous models is the use of both hexagons and circle dimples on the cover.
For years, Callaway have been known for having hexagon dimples all the way across the golf ball, so also including circle dimples, both with varying sizes, is something new to the Callaway ball franchise.
The feel off the face seemed very similar between my Titleist Pro V1 and Chrome Tour, to an extent that I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference hitting the two blind. However, there was an obvious difference between the two in sound. The Chrome Tour is a lot more 'clicky', which I wasn’t keen on with shorter shots, however I didn’t mind it on the longer shots, especially with the driver, as times it subconsciously feels faster.
On the other side of the comparison, the Chrome Tour X and Pro V1x had very little difference in terms of sound, however I really felt a difference with the Chrome Tour X. This ball is a lot harder compared to the Pro V1x, which wasn’t ideal for feel around the green, and if you’re used to using the Titleist balls, you’ll probably notice a big difference here.
The Data
I tested the balls indoors at Hukd using the Foresight technology to see whether Callaway could back up their claims in terms of ball data.
I did see some minor ball speed and distance gains with the Chrome Tour over the Pro V1, especially with the driver. Ball speeds were 1.5mph faster on average, translating to another yard of carry distance and three yards extra total distance.
Larger gains were seen with the Chrome Tour X, which flew 2 mph faster than the Pro V1x for an average of 5 extra yards both off the tee and overall. While the differences were small, Callaway's claims of higher ball speeds did technically hold true in testing.
On-Course Performance
Out on the course I saw very little difference in shot shaping ability or spin rates between the balls, although in true Manchester fashion, we were testing these out on a day that was slightly wet underfoot which may have affected spin rates.
In the height of summer we might see more of a difference, however on the day we found very little in terms of control around the greens regardless of ball choice. Comparing the Titleist to Callaway balls, the main differences came from feel and sound as opposed to actual short game performance.
Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Balls Verdict
So, are Callaway's claims correct? Well the increased ball speed and distances, although minimal, did suggest that the Chrome Tour balls might be able to give you a little more distance and speed than the Pro V1s. But does that mean they are a better ball?
I would say that the sound of the Chrome Tour was not as nice as the Pro V1, and the feel of the Chrome Tour X was firmer than the Pro V1x, which are definitely valid concerns particularly on short game shots.
Perhaps the biggest downside for me is that Callaway have set the RRP for the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X at £5 per dozen more than comparable Pro V1s, at £55 per dozen.
For many, Pro V1s are already at the limit of their golf ball budget, so some may feel as though the added cost is too much of a stretch when the performance is not noticeably that much better to the naked eye.
Would I Use Them?
Whilst the results were promising overall I think I would like to do a little more testing, especially over multiple rounds in different conditions, to get a true picture of both the performance and consistency of the balls.
As with any equipment, the numbers don't always tell the whole story and personal taste plays a major role in what ultimately feels 'right' when deciding what gear to put into play.
Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Ball Pros & Cons
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
TaylorMade Unveils 2024 TP5 Golf Balls
Callaway Chrome Soft 2024 Golf Ball Review