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TESTING: Callaway Chrome Soft Ball Member Reviews


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[quote name='BD57' timestamp='1423706951' post='10935513']
Have heard the "shorter off driver & long clubs" from a variety of sources, including my teacher, who works with tour pros.

Will be interested in hearing more from testers ...
[/quote]
Not the case for me. I played this ball in Orlando in January. Longer off the irons for me, and marginally longer off the driver.

DRIVER:  Callaway Rogue ST 10.5

FAIRWAYS:  Callaway Rogue ST 3, 9, 11 Fairway Woods

HYBRIDS:  Callaway Big Bertha 3 Hybrid, Rogue ST 4 Hybrid

IRONS:  Callaway Rogue ST 4-AW

WEDGES:  Callaway Jaws Raw 50 S Grind, 54 S Grind, 58 Z Grind 

PUTTER:  Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas

BACKUPS:  Odyssey Toulon Garage Le Mans Tri-Hot 5K Double Wide, MannKrafted Custom, Slighter Custom

BALL:  Testing

A man has to have options!

 

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Round #2 with the Chrome Softs. Overall much better (17 strokes better). Irons still about half a club longer, driver no more than 10 yards shorter. All irons, 6-iron thru half wedge hit and stopped within 4 feet. I switched to a higher lofted driver and was swinging about 5 mph faster and that helped keep my drives in the air. My drivers are set up to be optimal in Summer conditions and I think I was not getting enough spin off the driver on the first day. It's hard to know without a launch monitor, but I feel like I am getting a little less spin from all my shots. But shots are predictable and not hard to stop. Still trying to get used to the soft putter feel, it's not bad just different. To answer driver distance question. I hit drives with the CS to spots I normally reach on this course, but on the 4 holes I hit a second drive with another ball(3 x Prov1 and a Srixon Z-Star), the other ball went farther and had more draw.

Two things that were note worthy; my normal good drives are push draws and the Chrome soft draws less but misses are also less wild. This ball likes to go straight. I managed to use the same ball for the whole round and it still looks like new. Better durability than I would expect from any other urethane covered ball.

Playing again tomorrow, more to follow.
Charlie

J40 430/9.5/ahina70//Ping i25/AD-DI7S
TEE CB3/13*//Wishon 949mc/18*
Titleist 913H/D 23*/ Diamana S+ Blue 82
Mizuno MP-52/5-9/DGS300
Scratch raw metal 1018 D/S 47, 52, 56, 62
Ping Redwood Anser or TearDrop TD-20

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I received these on Tuesday & have only been able to roll them on the putting green. Softer than my current gamer off the face. Not a bad thing, just not that use to it. Like the other tester stated, seems like a tennis ball of the face. Rolls smooth & feels good. Hopefully the weather will cooperate & I will be able to get on the course with these and get more info for you.

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[quote name='3 putt Charlie' timestamp='1423711152' post='10936081']
Round #2 with the Chrome Softs. Overall much better (17 strokes better). Irons still about half a club longer, driver no more than 10 yards shorter. All irons, 6-iron thru half wedge hit and stopped within 4 feet. I switched to a higher lofted driver and was swinging about 5 mph faster and that helped keep my drives in the air. My drivers are set up to be optimal in Summer conditions and I think I was not getting enough spin off the driver on the first day. It's hard to know without a launch monitor, but I feel like I am getting a little less spin from all my shots. But shots are predictable and not hard to stop. Still trying to get used to the soft putter feel, it's not bad just different. To answer driver distance question. I hit drives with the CS to spots I normally reach on this course, but on the 4 holes I hit a second drive with another ball(3 x Prov1 and a Srixon Z-Star), the other ball went farther and had more draw.

Two things that were note worthy; my normal good drives are push draws and the Chrome soft draws less but misses are also less wild. This ball likes to go straight. I managed to use the same ball for the whole round and it still looks like new. Better durability than I would expect from any other urethane covered ball.

Playing again tomorrow, more to follow.
Charlie
[/quote]

A buddy of mine who plays a pretty good push draw, aim middle, push to right rough, land about center, found his ball in the right rough the first 5 holes he first played it...simply doesn't produce a ton of side spin, which should help most players. He adjusted and bombed it the rest of the day, just didn't push it out so much to the right..!

Callaway Mavrik SZ 9.0 VA Composites Nemesys 65 04
Callaway Mavrik SZ 15 VA Composites Nemesys 75 04
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Odyssey WHP #3-Stability Tour, Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2.5, Toulon Long Island Garage-Stability Shaft
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[quote name='Dscvrr St Louis' timestamp='1423716276' post='10936591']
[quote name='3 putt Charlie' timestamp='1423711152' post='10936081']
Round #2 with the Chrome Softs. Overall much better (17 strokes better). Irons still about half a club longer, driver no more than 10 yards shorter. All irons, 6-iron thru half wedge hit and stopped within 4 feet. I switched to a higher lofted driver and was swinging about 5 mph faster and that helped keep my drives in the air. My drivers are set up to be optimal in Summer conditions and I think I was not getting enough spin off the driver on the first day. It's hard to know without a launch monitor, but I feel like I am getting a little less spin from all my shots. But shots are predictable and not hard to stop. Still trying to get used to the soft putter feel, it's not bad just different. To answer driver distance question. I hit drives with the CS to spots I normally reach on this course, but on the 4 holes I hit a second drive with another ball(3 x Prov1 and a Srixon Z-Star), the other ball went farther and had more draw.

Two things that were note worthy; my normal good drives are push draws and the Chrome soft draws less but misses are also less wild. This ball likes to go straight. I managed to use the same ball for the whole round and it still looks like new. Better durability than I would expect from any other urethane covered ball.

Playing again tomorrow, more to follow.
Charlie
[/quote]

A buddy of mine who plays a pretty good push draw, aim middle, push to right rough, land about center, found his ball in the right rough the first 5 holes he first played it...simply doesn't produce a ton of side spin, which should help most players. He adjusted and bombed it the rest of the day, just didn't push it out so much to the right..!
[/quote]
I like to turn the ball over left to right. I can't do that very easily. It wants to go straight. And I like it. :)

DRIVER:  Callaway Rogue ST 10.5

FAIRWAYS:  Callaway Rogue ST 3, 9, 11 Fairway Woods

HYBRIDS:  Callaway Big Bertha 3 Hybrid, Rogue ST 4 Hybrid

IRONS:  Callaway Rogue ST 4-AW

WEDGES:  Callaway Jaws Raw 50 S Grind, 54 S Grind, 58 Z Grind 

PUTTER:  Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas

BACKUPS:  Odyssey Toulon Garage Le Mans Tri-Hot 5K Double Wide, MannKrafted Custom, Slighter Custom

BALL:  Testing

A man has to have options!

 

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1st Many thanks to Callaway and WRX for the opportunity.

A little about my game, I am a solid 4, recreation golf worst round this year is 75 and best round 70, tournament golf worst round is 78 and best round 74. I played twice a week and practice about 4 hours a week mostly hitting wedges and driver. Driving the ball and my short game are strong suit in my game, I am consistent driver of the golf ball, if there is something that I want to improve are my long irons. Driver swing speed average from 102-105. I normally play Pro V1x before and now gaming the Supersoft. So my review today is comparing the Chrome Soft (White Ball) with Supersoft (Yellow Ball). I played a forged cavity back irons (A4 Tour), Fast 12 LS Driver, RBZ 3 Wood, a SC bullseye putter and vokey wedges.

So below is the summary of my quick review, the course was slow today since I started around 3:30PM and there was no one behind and front of me so I didn't feel guilty :) about hitting two balls, or dropping a couple of extra in the fairway. I played the front nine tee to green with both balls, and pay most attention to distance off of the tee, distance from my long irons, spin in my wedges and feel from the putter. I compared and I hit them side by side off the tee and on approach during the round, every time the supersoft is little bit longer by at least a yard or two for me, when using long and mid irons, on short irons and wedges the distance is almost identical and most of the time the balls end up on the exact same place, on driver and woods the Supersoft shine a bit and about 8-10 yards longer and the feel on driver the supersoft feel too "light" at impact but both is about 45.5 grams, and on putting the Supersoft feels mushy compare to Chrome Soft at impact.

The Chrome Soft does not feel like the same, I must say, from the first driver strike I hit today the Chrome Soft feel like a little different, hard and powerful maybe because I got used to using the supersoft.

Driver & woods: Like I said this is one of my strong suit in my game, having said that, I felt like I was so relax today and hitting the ball well with my driver and almost all of the holes that I used driver on felt like perfect contact and felt like the contact hit was fairly equal with both balls. The SuperSoft was consistently 8-10 yards longer than the Chrome Soft. The trajectory of chrome soft is a little lower compare to Supersoft, what I mean is, I am a high ball hitter but the chrome soft launch definitely had a lower ball flight compare to Supersoft. Both are still long and straight, I know that I can’t tell the spin number but it seemed to me that the Supersoft spin less off of the driver than the Chrome soft and maybe this is where I am getting the extra 8-10 yards on Supersoft. I hit a couple of 3 wood on short Par 4 and again almost the same results, distance is about 5-7 yards difference and again Supersoft is a bit longer.

ADVANTAGE – Slight edge SuperSoft

[attachment=2613939:Driver.jpg]
Supersoft is longer about 10 yards, I hit a driver on this hole.
[attachment=2613941:3wood.jpg]
Supersoft again is little longer, I hit a 3 wood on this hole.

Long Irons: Long iron shots were hit with 3 and 4 iron. All seemed to perform well for distance. The Supesoft curved a bit much for me but almost identical distance. I did not felt any difference on impact, both felt the same. The Chrome soft stops within 18 inches of its mark on the green while the supersoft roll a little bit. The Chrome Soft stood out for me and much better on long iron shot. If the Chrome Soft perform the same distance (when hitting Driver) as the Supersoft then the Chrome Soft will be the holy grail of golf balls for me. :)

ADVANTAGE – Chrome Soft

[attachment=2613943:Longirons.jpg]
I hit 4 iron on this hole, but misjudge the wind and end up on the same place in the bunker, but saved par on both balls :)

Mid irons: The Chrome definitely spun more from the scoring irons, not a big surprise considering the urethane cover. The distance again is almost identical, most of my shot on mid irons almost ended up on the same place. On one of the PAR 3 I hit a 9 iron and the Chrome Soft back spin about a foot while the Supersoft drop, hop and stop by a foot which is expected.

ADVANTAGE – Chrome Soft

[attachment=2613947:9rions.jpg]
I hit a 9 iron here and almost identical distance but the Chrome Soft back spin about a foot while the Supersoft drop, hop and stop by a foot which is expected

Full wedge shots. Much like the mid irons, the Chromesoft spun more. I hit a wedge on one of the PAR 3 135 yards the Chromesoft back spin about 12 inches and the supersoft again just drop, hop and stop. I think that both balls felt fine from my wedges but if you like more spin on your wedges this is where the Chrome Soft really shines. The Chrome Soft reminds me of the Project (a) spin on full wedges shot.

ADVANTAGE – Chrome Soft

[attachment=2613945:Wedges.jpg]
I hit a PW on this hole and no surprise, Chrome Soft back spin about a foot while the Supersoft drop, hop/roll and stop by a foot.

Chip and Pitch shots: The Supersfot seemed to jump off of my club a little higher and hot, and I expected that on my pitch and chip shots. The spin is predictable and manageable, the chromesoft have more spin and roll less on 10+ yards pitch shot compare to supersoft.

ADVANTAGE – Chrome Soft

Putter: The Supersoft has a softer, more muted sound and feel from the putter compare to Chrome Soft when hitting with my SC Bullseye putter. Distance wise, when I missed the hole both past the hole with the same distance. Maybe the Supersoft is a little longer about an inch or two. The roll of the ball is solid and the same. Having said that, I liked the feel of the Supersoft better.

ADVANTAGE - Supersoft

The big question is will I game it? Yes absolutely…will it replace the supersoft in the bag? No.... Why not? I love hitting the Supersoft overall for me the Supersoft has better performance on my long game. But both are long, straight, and have no trouble controlling the ball on long and short irons. Both have great feel on the putter….the only thing the ChomeSoft shine is the spin on wedges but I am very satisfied on the spin Supersoft giving me , and is perfect and fit well with my short game and wedges. I want the ball that drop, hops one time and then stop, that is what I want my ball to react on the green. I am not saying the Chrome Soft cannot hop and stop but it does spin more on wedge shot. But knowing the ChromeSoft is available, I will not hesitate to gamed it and put in the bag. Overall I'm extremely happy with the Chromesoft. I'd recommend them for anyone that prefers the feel of a softer ball with urethane cover and spin of a tour ball. For me personally, they perform just like a high end ball when it came to distance and spin, the only difference is soft.

TI M2 (2016) 8.5° AD-GP 6x (backup Adams Fast 12 LS 7.5°)
TI M2 (2016) 13° TS AD-GP 7x
TI P790 #1 UDI 14° KBS Tour Hybrid Graphite Prototype 95X (backup TI RSi TP UDI #1 16° MRC Kuro Kage Silver 90HY TX)
TI TM P790 3-PW NS Pro Prototype 2F15 X-Stiff
TI TM Milled GRIND 52° & 59° KBS Tour Nickel Black X-Stiff
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[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423716794' post='10936625']
I normally play Pro V1x before and now gaming the Supersoft.

Chip and Pitch shots: The Supersfot seemed to jump off of my club a little higher and hot, and I expected that on my pitch and chip shots. The spin is predictable and manageable, the chromesoft have more spin and roll less on 10+ yards pitch shot compare to supersoft.

[/quote]

How would you compare trajectory of CS versus your PV1x?

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I got to play 18 yesterday at the same course I played Saturday the only real difference was we played the blue tee's yesterday and the white tee's Saturday. I was really looking forward to giving the chrome soft a go as this ball has me intrigued. I admit I didn't play my best but hit some solid shots to compare to other balls I have gamed, mainly the nike 20xi(2013) and the srixon z star and z star xv both the 2014 version.

Driver:
Distance was pretty much on par with all other balls but if I had go guess maybe 5 yards shorter off the driver, nothing to bad. Spin, I would say it is somewhere in between and regular and x tour ball, so basically in between a prov1 and prov1x. Rollout is hard to judge in my area of Florida as we never seem to have it but I would guess in between a prov1 and prov1x. Side spin is hard for me to judge as I hit the ball very straight, even bad shots are just straight pulls.

Hybrid:
I don't believe there was any loss of distance here but I only hit them or fw 1 or 2 times a round, if there is a loss/gain of distance it wouldn't be enough for me to care either way. The ball does stop very well on the green with hybrids though, but again this usually hasn't been an issue for me.

Long/mid Irons:
Pretty much exactly the same as hybrid for me.

Short Irons/Wedges:
I didn't notice any difference distance here or not enough to comment on but the spin is quite noticeable. I usually prefer less spin on full wedge shots as I very rarely want to see the ball backup, I want hop and stop. I hit one GW from 110 which is about an 80% shot for me that backed up quite a bit. I will get a photo added to show the amount of spin. This was one of my better shots as far as strike goes and I tried to hit a easier gap wedge to reduce spin since it was a back flag, that didn't happen with the chrome soft. I did like what I saw on little 40-70 yard flip wedges as the ball was within a foot of the pitch mark.

[attachment=2614375:chrome soft.jpg]
80% GW that spun back


Putting:
I really like the ball putting, I prefer the soft feel and I had no issues with distance control. The ball rolls true, I would say I think it feels hotter off the face but seemed to go the same distance. I actually had one of my better putting days lately and I am looking forward to playing it again Saturday.

Durability: This is definitely the most durable ball I have ever used. I used the same ball all 18 without a mark on it, I did hit 1 tree that knocked it onto the cart path and not even a faint mark from it, pretty shocking to me anyway.

A couple of thoughts about this ball:
It leaves me intrigued and guessing. I had 142 to a middle flag and hit my 9 iron which is a stock shot for me, the ball came up 10 yards short of the green. The reason I bring this is up is, due to the ball being so soft I wonder if I mis hit it a touch even though it felt flush, that's what I am guessing anyway. I am intrigued by the ball because I think the soft feel is great and distance was normal to me, it leaves me guessing about one or two shots that I thought were perfect and both came up a little short, again it wasn't my best day striking the ball so I will definitely take that into account. I am definitely looking forward to playing it Saturday and hoping I have a better day striking the ball.

If anyone has any questions on this ball please ask away.

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[quote name='PHboogie' timestamp='1423597571' post='10926195']
I'm not a selected tester of this ball but have had a chance to play it. I work as an Assistant Professional in NC and am a Callaway Staffer. I play the SR2, of course I play all new balls that come out to give my customers my 2CW about them. That being said, here it is about the chrome soft without any monitor #'s:

[b]Driver[/b]: Seemed to come off flatter than normal for me, thus a little shorter. Feel was great though, better than performance here.
[b]Irons:[/b] Long through short, a definite butter feel, slightly higher trajectory w/ no significant yardage gain.
[b]Short Game:[/b] Spin is incredible for crisp shots in the 80-40 yd range. I felt in total control trying to hit it low and one hop and stop it. Sometimes a little to good.....IMO. Short shots, this ball out performed the SR2, again, could loft it or hit low and was very receptive. This is being done on dormant Mini Verde....which is a little more receptive this time of year, but if you are familiar with, you know how quick it is.
I agree with the other posts as far as feel off the putter face. I believe the church lady said it it best from SNL...like butter!
[/quote]


I hate to nit pick but it was Linda Richman who said, "like buttah", not the Church-lady, jeesh :yes: .

[size=3]Titleist 913 D3 9.5 Diamana S+ 62 stiff[/size]
Titleist 915 F 3 wood, Diamana S+60 stiff
[size=3]Mizuno F-60 5 wood[/size]
[size=3]Mizuno MP-33 w/S300 stiff +1/2 by me[/size]
[size=3]Mizuno T7, 52 and 58 degrees[/size]
[size=3]Taylormade Juno TP  putter[/size]
[size=3]Titleist Pro V1 and V1x depending on what I find.[/size]

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Second Round with the Chrome Soft is in the books.

My game was utterly atrocious today but it was definitely not the balls fault :)

Let me start with durability because I have not touched on it yet. This ball is practically indestructible. I went 30 holes on one ball and there were no scuffs on it!!!! It took a lake and a bad approach shot for it to meet its demise!!! The ball did have a few run ins with a tree limb here and there over the 30 holes and came away unscathed. I am also using Vokeys with the old style grooves and those have had no effect on the ball as well.

I have been struggling with this ball on the greens and today was no exception. The ball was constantly flying past the hole. I made a little setup change 12 holes in and was able to get my distance under control a bit but still not feeling confident on the greens with this ball. As far as driver and irons this is still the best feeling golf ball that I have ever played. Distance is spot on for me with no noticeable loss on the driver and no significant gains with the irons as other have reported. Spin is outstanding.

My chipping and pitching was really poor today and I am planning to get to the practice area in the next few days to focus on that part of the game so that I can better speak to the balls performance in this critical area.

If I can get a feel for this ball on the greens I would definitely switch to the Chrome Soft as my ball of choice.

More to come.....

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[quote name='kobes31' timestamp='1423756550' post='10938535']
[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423716794' post='10936625']
I normally play Pro V1x before and now gaming the Supersoft.

Chip and Pitch shots: The Supersfot seemed to jump off of my club a little higher and hot, and I expected that on my pitch and chip shots. The spin is predictable and manageable, the chromesoft have more spin and roll less on 10+ yards pitch shot compare to supersoft.

[/quote]

How would you compare trajectory of CS versus your PV1x?
[/quote]

I am digger and took a huge divot; I trapped and compress the ball too much and this is where I get my high ball flight and spin on my irons. The Chrome Soft will launch just a bit higher compare to V1x, but you will not notice or see the difference until when you hit full wedge shots. The V1x will feel firmer compare to Chrome Soft. The feel of the Chrome Soft at impact is like puring a regular ball with a butter soft Miura Blade.

TI M2 (2016) 8.5° AD-GP 6x (backup Adams Fast 12 LS 7.5°)
TI M2 (2016) 13° TS AD-GP 7x
TI P790 #1 UDI 14° KBS Tour Hybrid Graphite Prototype 95X (backup TI RSi TP UDI #1 16° MRC Kuro Kage Silver 90HY TX)
TI TM P790 3-PW NS Pro Prototype 2F15 X-Stiff
TI TM Milled GRIND 52° & 59° KBS Tour Nickel Black X-Stiff
TI Bullseye Tour Putter
KSIG/PROv1x

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[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423780383' post='10941371']
[quote name='kobes31' timestamp='1423756550' post='10938535']
[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423716794' post='10936625']
I normally play Pro V1x before and now gaming the Supersoft.

Chip and Pitch shots: The Supersfot seemed to jump off of my club a little higher and hot, and I expected that on my pitch and chip shots. The spin is predictable and manageable, the chromesoft have more spin and roll less on 10+ yards pitch shot compare to supersoft.

[/quote]

How would you compare trajectory of CS versus your PV1x?
[/quote]

I am digger and took a huge divot; I trapped and compress the ball too much and this is where I get my high ball flight and spin on my irons. The Chrome Soft will launch just a bit higher compare to V1x, but you will not notice or see the difference until when you hit full wedge shots. The V1x will feel firmer compare to Chrome Soft. The feel of the Chrome Soft at impact is like puring a regular ball with a butter soft Miura Blade.
[/quote]

Thanks for reply. I'm a similar swing speed and play my irons just as you described for yourself. I've been in the fence with trying these due to all the comparisons to SS. I like the SS except about 60-in trajectory is too high and I have trouble with distances as it's such a soft ball.

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[quote name='kobes31' timestamp='1423788571' post='10942209']
[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423780383' post='10941371']
[quote name='kobes31' timestamp='1423756550' post='10938535']
[quote name='viperstudio' timestamp='1423716794' post='10936625']
I normally play Pro V1x before and now gaming the Supersoft.

Chip and Pitch shots: The Supersfot seemed to jump off of my club a little higher and hot, and I expected that on my pitch and chip shots. The spin is predictable and manageable, the chromesoft have more spin and roll less on 10+ yards pitch shot compare to supersoft.

[/quote]

How would you compare trajectory of CS versus your PV1x?
[/quote]

I am digger and took a huge divot; I trapped and compress the ball too much and this is where I get my high ball flight and spin on my irons. The Chrome Soft will launch just a bit higher compare to V1x, but you will not notice or see the difference until when you hit full wedge shots. The V1x will feel firmer compare to Chrome Soft. The feel of the Chrome Soft at impact is like puring a regular ball with a butter soft Miura Blade.
[/quote]

Thanks for reply. I'm a similar swing speed and play my irons just as you described for yourself. I've been in the fence with trying these due to all the comparisons to SS. I like the SS except about 60-in trajectory is too high and I have trouble with distances as it's such a soft ball.
[/quote]

Not a problem, you might find this ball a great fit for you. I do have problem with SS before when they 1st release it. I cracked a couple of them (I post this pic on the SS tread) but not an issue anymore.

If you want to try the ball contact me and i can ship you one sleeve, just pay shipping. Not sure if buying one sleeve at your local Golf Store is the same as the shipping to your address.

TI M2 (2016) 8.5° AD-GP 6x (backup Adams Fast 12 LS 7.5°)
TI M2 (2016) 13° TS AD-GP 7x
TI P790 #1 UDI 14° KBS Tour Hybrid Graphite Prototype 95X (backup TI RSi TP UDI #1 16° MRC Kuro Kage Silver 90HY TX)
TI TM P790 3-PW NS Pro Prototype 2F15 X-Stiff
TI TM Milled GRIND 52° & 59° KBS Tour Nickel Black X-Stiff
TI Bullseye Tour Putter
KSIG/PROv1x

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Played round #3 with the Chrome Soft today. A friend came into town and wanted to play, so we played despite poor conditions. Temp at tee time mid 40s dropped to mid 30s. Wind gusty 25mph+. Very difficult conditions and not much new learned about the CS. Ball was blowing off the greens. I'm getting better feel for distance control on putts. The one item of note. I made it through a second round using the same ball and it finally shows some wear. I hit several trees, but a minor scuff came from a cart path. I wiped it with a wet cloth and it's not even bad enough to quit playing with it. Too cold to play tomorrow, but I may chip and putt with the CS a little.

J40 430/9.5/ahina70//Ping i25/AD-DI7S
TEE CB3/13*//Wishon 949mc/18*
Titleist 913H/D 23*/ Diamana S+ Blue 82
Mizuno MP-52/5-9/DGS300
Scratch raw metal 1018 D/S 47, 52, 56, 62
Ping Redwood Anser or TearDrop TD-20

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Round #4 with the Chrome Soft: First I'll answer a question about the Supersoft. I found one and did some putting and chipping with it. It is softer feeling off the putter than the CS and it goes a little higher on chips, but has less spin. Round 4 just confirmed previous observations. The Chrome soft is shorter off the driver especially with a tail wind or no wind, probably equal into the wind. It is still longer off the irons. I was able to play a third round with the same ball. I don't think I've ever done that before. The ball is tough and flies straight.

Observations: My normal short game practice is with a shag ball full of beat up ProV1 and ProV1Xs, so that's the feel I was used to. The CS is softer, but I've been limited my short game practice to only the CS and I'm getting used to the new feel. I have the distance and feel down and I'm happy with it. The Driver is a different story. At my club we pay an annual fee to have unlimited range balls. Every practice session I have ends with me hitting some max effort drivers. Probably not good for my game, but I love pounding drivers. So I probably hit 4 times as many range balls with my driver as game balls. That also means that I love the feel of a very well struck range ball. I have been through a ton of drivers and my current top 3 drivers are all set up to give me high launch, low spin knuckle balls that need me to swing 105+ to keep them in the air. With my best strikes, the Chrome Soft just feels unh... the launch angle looks good the ball doesn't draw as much as I would expect and it's 10-20 yards short of where it should be. The distance issue is greatest with a tail wind and least with a head wind. So I'm guessing that I'm not getting enough spin to maximize my drives or there is a loss of ball speed or both. I suspect I could get full distance with a Chrome Soft with a different driver setup. Luckily my driver #4 is a little higher spin. I'll put it in the bag for my next round to see if that makes a difference. Maybe Callaway should sell a bunch of soft range balls to Club Corp and then the Chrome soft will feel just right.

It's going to get very cold for the next few days, but ask questions if you have any.
Charlie

J40 430/9.5/ahina70//Ping i25/AD-DI7S
TEE CB3/13*//Wishon 949mc/18*
Titleist 913H/D 23*/ Diamana S+ Blue 82
Mizuno MP-52/5-9/DGS300
Scratch raw metal 1018 D/S 47, 52, 56, 62
Ping Redwood Anser or TearDrop TD-20

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[quote name='GreggM' timestamp='1423670233' post='10931291']
First off thanks to GolfWRX and Callaway for the opportunity. Here is a little background information on my game first for those who might be similar so they can judge the performance of the ball in relation to my game.
Age: 56 (took up the game seriously at age 30)
Residence: McKinney, TX just north of Dallas
Former D1 FB player (DB)
Handicap: 5.5
Driver Swing Speed: 104-105 average
My “gamer” ball is the Bridgestone B330S. For years I played the Pro V1x but went through a couple ball fittings (one from Bridgestone, and another at the PGA Tour Superstore-I didn’t believe the Bridgestone fitting but in fact it was dead on with the one at PGA) Anyway both fittings recommended the B330 as it had a very slightly higher ball speed and a tad less spin than the Pro V1x, so I switched, probably from just a “had to be different” scenario but more realistically they were a few bucks cheaper. I’ve always hit the driver a long way but have struggled with high spin numbers so I’ve “ho’d” a few drivers (and everything else) in my lifetime but had been playing a Titleist 913D2 with a Fujikura Fuel 70 shaft and had great success with it. Now I’m gaming a BB Alpha with that same Fuji Shaft and it’s a bit longer given the lower spin numbers.
Now we have that behind us let’s look at the ball performance:

[b]Putting:[/b] I took out three different putters to test on the green. One was an Odyssey PT11, a Scotty Newport 2, and an Odyssey Tank Cruiser #1 Wide. First the Tank Cruiser: In a putting comparison the B330S and the Chrome Soft each rolled smoothly and didn’t notice any difference in either losing or gaining any distance on long putts, they simply were equal in that regard. The one thing I did notice was the feel; it was a little tougher discerning a real difference between the two balls with an insert putter, they essentially felt pretty close but maybe the Chrome Soft did feel a little softer (but not much) My son felt he could definitely tell the difference but he’s a kid and what does he know anyway. So after hitting putts with the two steel putters I can tell you that again both balls performed identically on the green but this time I could definitely tell the difference in feel. I switched to the B330S simply because I didn’t lose any real distance from the B330 and it felt better, but I will say the Chrome Soft definitely has a softer feel than the B330S.

[b]Driving: [/b]Here is where I began to notice the differences in the two. The B330S always seemed to launch well and jump off the driver face and give a good trajectory without being too high or spinning too much, whereas the Chrome Soft definitely had a lower ball flight. In terms of feel, this is one of the big differences between the two; the Chrome Soft [i]definitely[/i] was the softer of the two. I never thought I’d say the B330S felt clicky but it did in this comparison. Regarding distance, about half my normal tee shots were slightly longer I was hitting at least 1 club less into the greens but is this due to the ball? Not sure yet because there were too many other factors involved (no wind, varying fairway conditions) I’ll update with more findings later

[b]Wind[/b] – TBD, it wasn’t windy (I didn’t believe it either) during this round but here in North TX, it won’t last long.

[b]Irons: [/b]The ball “feels” better than my B330S, but I didn’t notice any real distance gains. Almost all of my full shots landed and stopped within 12” of the pitch mark so they definitely dropped and stopped. Will update more after another round.

[b]Wedges: [/b] I broke this down into two areas: Full shots and chips/pitches
Chips/Pitches – By playing the B330S for 3+ years, I know how to hit it to make it check and how to get it to release, this was no different in my round with both balls. I did have a little harder time making the Chrome Soft release on some shots as it checked up on me. I attribute this to no experience with this ball. As for feel, you can definitely tell the difference between these balls on partial shots, does the Chrome Soft spin more? I can’t answer that without another round/two with it.
Full Shots – I hit all these shots with a Callaway MD2 Tour Grind. Feel-the Chrome Soft definitely feels better on full wedge shots as well, great feel. Distance was pretty close but the Chrome Soft felt like it went farther off the clubface, it didn’t but sure felt like it went farther. I found also that all shots hit from the Chrome Soft were less than 12” from their pitch marks so definitely it’s a drop and stop kind of ball. I didn’t hit any shots that hit and backed up as if a string were attached.

[b]Update[/b] – I brought out my X Forged 58, with original MD grooves and wanted to do a durability test. After hitting the Chrome Soft in a variety of shots (full hacks, with square and open faces) I can tell you that after a dozen or so full swings, I didn’t notice ANY shred marks on this cover so kudos to Callaway for cover durability.


I'll have another update after my next round.
[/quote]
[b]Update[/b][list]
[*][b]Off The Driver - [/b]Trajectory is still lower than normal. Last rounds distance gains were probably more a result of very firm fairways on one course vs the softer fairways I played this round on. Ball flight is piercing so I think this validates their claim of lower spin off the driver. There can be both advantages and disadvantages for this ball flight depending on the course/wind conditions you experience at your course. Not sure I'm totally on-board yet with the ball flight off the driver.
[*][b]Approaches -[/b]Ball works good, feel is still good off the irons. Once the ball hits the green (even firm greens) I found a little more distance between my ball marks and where the ball ended up (still all were under 18"-24") I didn't have any issue on full approaches sticking on the green close to where they landed.
[*][b]Wedges - [/b]I had a hard time today getting the ball to do what I wanted. On shots I wanted to release the ball checked and on shots I needed to check, they released so my "stone hands" were most likely the culprit. I'll update after next round again.
[*][b]Putter - [/b]Felt good and performed pretty well off the putter (I used a Tank Cruiser #1 Wide) for my round.
[*][b]Wind Performance - [/b]Ball performs well in the wind. Seems to hold it's line in cross winds and it's low trajectory pierces through any head winds you might encounter. Because of the low fall flight, any down wind shots where you want to launch up into the jet stream, I couldn't hit the ball high enough to fully take advantage of this. Had to hit 3 wood to get that high launch.
[*][b]Seam - [/b]I know someone had posted a question about the difference in the seams between the Chrome Soft and the Supersoft. To me they appear to be identical as if they came out of the same mold from the factory (see pic) Dimple patterns were identical, Supersoft is the yellow ball.
[*][b]Durability - [/b] Had my first encounter with some obstructions: Had to hit a cut from the left rough and it cut into an old oak tree then pin balled off a cart path. As with any urethane ball, it showed some scuffing but not too bad. Other than this the ball still held up well in spite of my best efforts with the X Forged Mac Daddy grooves. Still no shred marks off the cover so this ball is as durable as they come without being a Surlyn cover. (See Pic)
[/list]
[b]Summary [/b]

I'll hold off on a final summary for this ball but based on what I've seen so far I can honestly make these statements. [b]My next round I'll compare again with some additional balls (I'll include a B330S again, a Callaway Supersoft, Callaway SR1 and SR2, and I have a couple Wilson Duo's that my buddy gave me) [/b]Since some other guys already did the Pro V1x, I'll skip that one
Pro’s – Good ball flight off irons/wedges, comparable distance, excellent in windy conditions, not too much spin, price – B330S $44.99; Chrome Soft $37.99
Cons – Low ball flight off driver, but the jury is still out here. Honestly I can’t think of any other cons with this ball.

If you want a ball with good trajectory, distance, holds it’s line in the wind and is $7.00 cheaper per dozen, this ball [i]could [/i]be for you. Now keep in mind different swings may make this ball not good for your game but for me, I think I might try another dozen or two and who knows from there.

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Today I went out with the sole purpose of doing some comparisons vs. ProV1 (my current gamer).

 

I started with chipping. I could find no difference between the 2 as it relates to spin and rollout. It was a wash. The CS however feel much softer with the ProV1 feeling clicky in comparison. I moved back to to hit some 30 yard pitch shots. Typically a tough yet important distance. Here the CS had an advantage for me. The CS spun more and checked up quickly. Again the feel was softer for the CS. If it wasn't for the distance control issue I am having with the putter I would call the CS a slam dunk for me in the short game.

 

On to the long game...As I have been posting I have have seen no loss of distance on the driver and no gain with the irons. Today I was able to get out on the short course at Orange County National with my Ernest Sports ES14 launch monitor and do a side by side comparison to ProV1. I hit 6 balls from the tee box of the 9th hole which is a 270 yard par 4. Drivable for some but not for me:) The fairway narrows at about 50 yards from the hole to a 7-10yard wide swath of fairway.

 

First up was the ProV1. This is the screen shot from the ES14 for the average of the shots hit with the ProV1.

 

 

post-122974-0-41960200-1424026882.jpg

 

Average Distance 248

 

Here is the screen shot for the CS.

 

post-122974-0-10509800-1424027026.jpg

 

Average Distance was identical 248 Yards!!!!

 

The data shows identical ball speeds at 142mph. The ProV1 launched higher with more spin and CS launched a bit lower with less spin. I had 2 MPH more swing speed with the ProV but a lower smash factor. Bottom line is that as I felt on the course there is no difference for me. I took a picture of the six balls and all landed close enough to be in 1 picture. I circled them because they may be a bit hard to see. The yellow ball is the CS.

 

 

post-122974-0-56964700-1424027599_thumb.jpg

 

I would call this a wash on both distance and dispersion.

 

Next was an iron from the fairway. I went to the 150 marker on one of the holes and the flag was at 155 on my laser. Unfortunately I could not get the ES 14 to register the shots. I was rushing as a group was finishing up the hole before and I was trying to stay out of peoples way. There was a good breeze at my back and I hit 8 iron. Again as I felt on the course there was no difference for me with the irons. Both balls flew pretty much identical distances. The CS did check up better than the ProV1. Here are pics of the balls landing positions and rollout. Again the wind was at my back.

 

Here is where they landed. I placed the balls back in their pitch marks. Its a wash.

 

post-122974-0-98361300-1424028152.jpg

 

The next pic is where the balls actually ended up. As you can see the CS stayed on the green and the ProV1 rolled off.

 

post-122974-0-62208800-1424028284_thumb.jpg

 

Today I was able to confirm what I was feeling on the course. Feel for the CS is amazing!! No loss on the driver, no gain on the irons. Better spin on the approach and longer pitch shots with the CS. Its just coming down to the putter. I have decided to backweight my Newport2 with a 70g tour lock to see if the added weight will give me better distance control. I won't be able to give that a test until probably Thurs. If that does the trick then I will definitely be changing to the CS.

 

More to come....

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I've always been drawn to a softer ball. I started playing the Precept Lady back in the day (that later switched to the Laddie) and love the feel. I currently play either a ProV1 or a Bridgestone 330RXS. The ProV1x and the Bridgestone B330 feel like rocks to me.
Bought a box of these Callaway Chrome Soft balls and absolutely LOVE them. Seemed a little longer off the tee for me (around 102-106 swing speed) but didn't notice much of a difference with my irons (160 7-iron). Felt a little softer than the ProV and the 330RXS on full shots and while putting. Sometimes I'll buy a box of Wilson DUO's or the Wilson Tours for the winter, and while the Chrome Soft definitely felt softer than my usual gamers, they didn't feel quite as soft as either Wilsons - which feel like marsh mellows to me (but easy to compress in the colder winter months!). The Callaway was also very durable. More durable than the Titleist and about even with the Bridgestone. Spin with my wedges was excellent but spin off the driver seemed fine. I usually play a slight draw and didn't notice any difference in ball flight or the amount of right to left movement.
I haven't (consistently) played a Callaway ball since the old RED and BLUE back in the 1990's, which I thought were "soft" and ahead of their time. Glad I bought these new Chrome Soft balls to try because I really like them. They may be this years gamer for me.

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sirparalot, it sounds like you're finding yourself a winner!!! Work on that putting and you will, sir, find yourself a gamer. I continue to be amazed by this ball around the greens. That's really what is getting me about this ball. I haven't gotten out because I've had a stomach virus for the last 3 days and didn't get to go out this weekend :(. The other night I went out into the YMCA Par 3 here in Lakeland and was able to play 6-7 holes before they closed out the place with the CS and compare them to the Prov1x. I actually had the place to myself which allowed for a ton of different shots. The most important to me is the closed faced 54* chip, which bounces low 2-3 times and checks up. This ball reacted so nicely, I really love the softness of the ball and the sound that it produces, compared to the V1x, which as many have mentioned has sounded "clicky" after playing the CS. The picture below is a shot of 11 out of the 12 balls from 20 yards away. As you can tell, I had a bit of a hard time getting used to the spin, but the ball reacted consistently, and I wouldn't mind leaving myself (the furthest) 8-10 feet consistently. Can't wait to put the ball to a true test in some disney greens (rolling about a 11-12 last time I played) this week but I really haven't had an issue with the ball coming off the face. Keep y'all updated!

 

 

20150212_195235.jpg

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Hey guys, any chance to compare to the TM Project a? I assume the Chrome Soft is targeted towards the same demographic as the Project a so I'm curious as to how they compare.

Thanks and enjoy!

Callaway Epic 9.0 w/Mitsu Grand Bassara
Titleist 915F 3W
TMaG 4 Rescue 2011
PXG 0311XF 5-7 Steelfiber
PXG 0311 8-GW Steelfiber
Scotty Newport Notchback 34"
Titleist BV 54 & 58 Wedges

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[quote name='adfrick' timestamp='1424128455' post='10966459']
Hey guys, any chance to compare to the TM Project a? I assume the Chrome Soft is targeted towards the same demographic as the Project a so I'm curious as to how they compare.

Thanks and enjoy!
[/quote]

My son plays the Project A. My thoughts are that the Chrome Soft is softer feeling (duh!), equal in distance off the driver, slightly higher ball flight off the irons, less spin with the wedges. In my opinion, the Project A feels better off the putter and performs similar to a premium ball (i.e. Pro V1X, Srixon XV, etc.) on chip shots. The only draw back for me with the Project A is I tend to spin it too much with the driver. Likewise with the CS, but I can't get used to the feel on and around the greens...

[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Callaway Rogue Sub Zero 9.0*[/color][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Callaway Rogue 15*[/color][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Callaway X Hot Pro 23* [/color][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Callaway Apex MB 5-PW[/color][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Bridgestone J15 50*, 54*, 58*[/color][/font]
[font=georgia, serif][color=#454545]Taylormade Spider Tour Red[/color][/font]

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I hit chrome soft as well...I got some free ones ( not from GOLFWRX) so figured why not

normally play pro V or TM PENTA/LETHAL

I actually liked the cally ball...felt very soft on all clubs....everything in long and full shot game seemed same...my chipping was a lil off because they react differently but I am sure I could get used to it....I had one very good day of ballstriking and 3 so so days....would take me quite a few more rounds to really tell all the subtleties......but overall they are very playable....distances were near or close enough...maybe a little longer with my irons...felt very soft, no knuckle balling like supersofts.....my SS vary from low hundreds to 110 on good day

I did not like TM amateur ball, not at all

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[quote name='GreggM' timestamp='1424021482' post='10957705']
[quote name='GreggM' timestamp='1423670233' post='10931291']
First off thanks to GolfWRX and Callaway for the opportunity. Here is a little background information on my game first for those who might be similar so they can judge the performance of the ball in relation to my game.
Age: 56 (took up the game seriously at age 30)
Residence: McKinney, TX just north of Dallas
Former D1 FB player (DB)
Handicap: 5.5
Driver Swing Speed: 104-105 average
My “gamer” ball is the Bridgestone B330S. For years I played the Pro V1x but went through a couple ball fittings (one from Bridgestone, and another at the PGA Tour Superstore-I didn’t believe the Bridgestone fitting but in fact it was dead on with the one at PGA) Anyway both fittings recommended the B330 as it had a very slightly higher ball speed and a tad less spin than the Pro V1x, so I switched, probably from just a “had to be different” scenario but more realistically they were a few bucks cheaper. I’ve always hit the driver a long way but have struggled with high spin numbers so I’ve “ho’d” a few drivers (and everything else) in my lifetime but had been playing a Titleist 913D2 with a Fujikura Fuel 70 shaft and had great success with it. Now I’m gaming a BB Alpha with that same Fuji Shaft and it’s a bit longer given the lower spin numbers.
Now we have that behind us let’s look at the ball performance:

[b]Putting:[/b] I took out three different putters to test on the green. One was an Odyssey PT11, a Scotty Newport 2, and an Odyssey Tank Cruiser #1 Wide. First the Tank Cruiser: In a putting comparison the B330S and the Chrome Soft each rolled smoothly and didn’t notice any difference in either losing or gaining any distance on long putts, they simply were equal in that regard. The one thing I did notice was the feel; it was a little tougher discerning a real difference between the two balls with an insert putter, they essentially felt pretty close but maybe the Chrome Soft did feel a little softer (but not much) My son felt he could definitely tell the difference but he’s a kid and what does he know anyway. So after hitting putts with the two steel putters I can tell you that again both balls performed identically on the green but this time I could definitely tell the difference in feel. I switched to the B330S simply because I didn’t lose any real distance from the B330 and it felt better, but I will say the Chrome Soft definitely has a softer feel than the B330S.

[b]Driving: [/b]Here is where I began to notice the differences in the two. The B330S always seemed to launch well and jump off the driver face and give a good trajectory without being too high or spinning too much, whereas the Chrome Soft definitely had a lower ball flight. In terms of feel, this is one of the big differences between the two; the Chrome Soft [i]definitely[/i] was the softer of the two. I never thought I’d say the B330S felt clicky but it did in this comparison. Regarding distance, about half my normal tee shots were slightly longer I was hitting at least 1 club less into the greens but is this due to the ball? Not sure yet because there were too many other factors involved (no wind, varying fairway conditions) I’ll update with more findings later

[b]Wind[/b] – TBD, it wasn’t windy (I didn’t believe it either) during this round but here in North TX, it won’t last long.

[b]Irons: [/b]The ball “feels” better than my B330S, but I didn’t notice any real distance gains. Almost all of my full shots landed and stopped within 12” of the pitch mark so they definitely dropped and stopped. Will update more after another round.

[b]Wedges: [/b] I broke this down into two areas: Full shots and chips/pitches
Chips/Pitches – By playing the B330S for 3+ years, I know how to hit it to make it check and how to get it to release, this was no different in my round with both balls. I did have a little harder time making the Chrome Soft release on some shots as it checked up on me. I attribute this to no experience with this ball. As for feel, you can definitely tell the difference between these balls on partial shots, does the Chrome Soft spin more? I can’t answer that without another round/two with it.
Full Shots – I hit all these shots with a Callaway MD2 Tour Grind. Feel-the Chrome Soft definitely feels better on full wedge shots as well, great feel. Distance was pretty close but the Chrome Soft felt like it went farther off the clubface, it didn’t but sure felt like it went farther. I found also that all shots hit from the Chrome Soft were less than 12” from their pitch marks so definitely it’s a drop and stop kind of ball. I didn’t hit any shots that hit and backed up as if a string were attached.

[b]Update[/b] – I brought out my X Forged 58, with original MD grooves and wanted to do a durability test. After hitting the Chrome Soft in a variety of shots (full hacks, with square and open faces) I can tell you that after a dozen or so full swings, I didn’t notice ANY shred marks on this cover so kudos to Callaway for cover durability.


I'll have another update after my next round.
[/quote]
[b]Update[/b][list]
[*][b]Off The Driver - [/b]Trajectory is still lower than normal. Last rounds distance gains were probably more a result of very firm fairways on one course vs the softer fairways I played this round on. Ball flight is piercing so I think this validates their claim of lower spin off the driver. There can be both advantages and disadvantages for this ball flight depending on the course/wind conditions you experience at your course. Not sure I'm totally on-board yet with the ball flight off the driver.
[*][b]Approaches -[/b]Ball works good, feel is still good off the irons. Once the ball hits the green (even firm greens) I found a little more distance between my ball marks and where the ball ended up (still all were under 18"-24") I didn't have any issue on full approaches sticking on the green close to where they landed.
[*][b]Wedges - [/b]I had a hard time today getting the ball to do what I wanted. On shots I wanted to release the ball checked and on shots I needed to check, they released so my "stone hands" were most likely the culprit. I'll update after next round again.
[*][b]Putter - [/b]Felt good and performed pretty well off the putter (I used a Tank Cruiser #1 Wide) for my round.
[*][b]Wind Performance - [/b]Ball performs well in the wind. Seems to hold it's line in cross winds and it's low trajectory pierces through any head winds you might encounter. Because of the low fall flight, any down wind shots where you want to launch up into the jet stream, I couldn't hit the ball high enough to fully take advantage of this. Had to hit 3 wood to get that high launch.
[*][b]Seam - [/b]I know someone had posted a question about the difference in the seams between the Chrome Soft and the Supersoft. To me they appear to be identical as if they came out of the same mold from the factory (see pic) Dimple patterns were identical, Supersoft is the yellow ball.
[*][b]Durability - [/b] Had my first encounter with some obstructions: Had to hit a cut from the left rough and it cut into an old oak tree then pin balled off a cart path. As with any urethane ball, it showed some scuffing but not too bad. Other than this the ball still held up well in spite of my best efforts with the X Forged Mac Daddy grooves. Still no shred marks off the cover so this ball is as durable as they come without being a Surlyn cover. (See Pic)
[/list]
[b]Summary [/b]

I'll hold off on a final summary for this ball but based on what I've seen so far I can honestly make these statements. [b]My next round I'll compare again with some additional balls (I'll include a B330S again, a Callaway Supersoft, Callaway SR1 and SR2, and I have a couple Wilson Duo's that my buddy gave me) [/b]Since some other guys already did the Pro V1x, I'll skip that one
Pro’s – Good ball flight off irons/wedges, comparable distance, excellent in windy conditions, not too much spin, price – B330S $44.99; Chrome Soft $37.99
Cons – Low ball flight off driver, but the jury is still out here. Honestly I can’t think of any other cons with this ball.

If you want a ball with good trajectory, distance, holds it’s line in the wind and is $7.00 cheaper per dozen, this ball [i]could [/i]be for you. Now keep in mind different swings may make this ball not good for your game but for me, I think I might try another dozen or two and who knows from there.
[/quote]

Well got out and played one more round before the bad weather hit here in DFW. Having hit this ball beside my beloved B330S, I had some Wilson Duo's and found couple Callaway SR1 and SR2's so here's what I've learned:

Callaway SR1 - The Chrome Soft feels just like this ball but for me the SR1 flew with a higher trajectory and there was very little difference in length, some holes the Chrome Soft was longer but on others the SR1 won out.

Callaway SR2 - The SR2 flew higher, felt a little firmer than the Chrome Soft and for my swing was longer on all tee shots that I compared between the two. The feel around the green was definitely better with the Chrome Soft which held the greens much better.

Wilson Duo - In comparison between the two: The ball flight off my driver showed a similar trajectory between the two both lower than my normal flight with other balls. Distance (sorry Duo fans) the Chrome Soft was a minimum of 8-10 yards shorter off the tee although the distance with the irons was interestingly close but the Chrome Soft was slightly longer. Holding the greens wasn't a problem for either one of these balls so you can call them relatively even here. The one thing I just didn't like (or maybe wasn't used to) was the feel of the Duo. I just didn't like it nor the sound off the clubs, being because there wasn't a lot of either... a dull muted thud just didn't give me personally the feedback I like in a ball or the feeling I've grown accustomed to. Can't say it's a bad ball as my son plays them and loves them, just not for me.

All in all, I'm still thinking this is a great winter ball and will continue to play it, the more rounds I put under my belt with it may just sway me to continue playing this ball well into summer, jury's still out on that yet, but for $7 less than my normal ball, it's worth it to me to continue to see what happens.

I hope this hope some of you and if there are any questions, shoot me a note.

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So today was my first chance to go hit these. Thank you so much to callaway and golfwrx for the oppurtunity. I've done my best not to read the previous reviews so I could have an open mind with regards to performance. Today is only 1 round and it was a money game so I didn't have the oppurtunity to hit different shots so this is gonna be an ongoing review. Two things I noticed with the driver, 1) ball flew really high but without the same back spin as a pro v1. My tee shot on the first hole looked like it ballooned but settled average distance. A little wind in this face too so not bad. 2) I hit a slight draw and the only time I turned this ball over was on pull hooks. I was missing my target just right all day. In saying that my pull hook misses weren't near as bad as usual. Actually never hit a ball out of play today which considering how little I've been playing and the nasty wind I was happy.

It seemed like my iron and wedge shots flew much lower than I'm used to. Hard to give a good review on what happened on the greens with irons because I was short and right all day. Not saying it was the ball that's just what happened. The ball felt a little hard with driver but not too bad with irons and wedges. I'm far from done playing this ball and hopefully this week I can get out and practice different shots!

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I played the Chrome Soft Friday with my buddy and gave one sleeve of Chrome Soft to him to try. He is about the same Handicap as I am but shorter, he average around 240 on his driver (95mph ss on Driver) and using a prov1. He said, he feel like he gain some distance using the Chrome Soft and is about the same distance on irons and same spin on the green. I can tell he gain distance using the Chrome Soft since I am always about 25-30 yards longer than him when using driver, there was a few holes that we both have identical drive. I know i am not using my gamer which is the supersoft and I know i lost a little distance when using Chrome Soft, this is the same results when i compare and test the Chrome Soft side by side with Supersoft. My putting was also off and left it short on a few holes on the front nine, but adjusted at the back nine. My distance on chip and pitch was also short with Chrome Soft on the front nine and try to adjust on the back nine by picking different landing spot on the green. Over all i think the Chrome Soft is a great ball and the durability is not an issue, I was still using the same ball I used to test and compare the 1st time i try the ball.

TI M2 (2016) 8.5° AD-GP 6x (backup Adams Fast 12 LS 7.5°)
TI M2 (2016) 13° TS AD-GP 7x
TI P790 #1 UDI 14° KBS Tour Hybrid Graphite Prototype 95X (backup TI RSi TP UDI #1 16° MRC Kuro Kage Silver 90HY TX)
TI TM P790 3-PW NS Pro Prototype 2F15 X-Stiff
TI TM Milled GRIND 52° & 59° KBS Tour Nickel Black X-Stiff
TI Bullseye Tour Putter
KSIG/PROv1x

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I got out for another round Saturday and had my best 18 ever. I played the same chrome soft for all 18 holes and there was only one little scuff on it from a tree/cart path combo. One thing I have noticed with this ball is you can do whatever you want with it, little knock downs, high flops, mid flight shots. The ball spins very well on all shots for me. I thinned a bunch of iron shots on Saturday and all shots were within a couple feet of the pitch mark. I got up and down every time but one and I missed a 2' putt to not get up and down that time. I missed 5 putts inside of 2 feet or I would have shot par. I have noticed no loss or gain of distance compared to the Nike 20xi or Srixon z star xv I normally play, but have seen a gain in spin around the green. I also have not noticed any extra side spin but I am a very straight ball hitter and almost struggle to work the ball. I personally love the feel and distance control I have with this ball with the putter and I definitely think this will become the new gamer. I can see why a lot of people would struggle with putting this ball but I was always a terrible putter and this has changed it for me and I don't know why. I just had a weird day with short putts. I will put it in play Saturday and if I see similar results as far as distance and spin that will conclude my decision on which ball to play.

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[quote name='sirparalot' timestamp='1423647893' post='10930159']
I was able to get out and play sooner than expected!!! This round was all about getting a quick initial impression. The course was busy and I was in a foursome so I was unable to hit multiple balls in order to compare the ProV1 and the CS side by side. My goal is to be able to do that on Thursday along with some work in the putting and chipping areas. The course was very wet from heavy rains the previous day and there was a good bit of wind as well.

I'll start like most folks have and talk about the feel. Its FANTASTIC!!!! The ball felt soft yet explosive to me. At my swing speed (see my first post in this thread to learn about my game) the feeling was just so right. I was able to feel my mishits (heel/toe/high or low on the face) without question. The Bridgestone RXS is a ball I have tried in the past and it has always felt too soft or mushy to me and I just never was able to get comfortable with it. For those who have tried the Bridgestone RXS and felt it was too soft or mushy feeling I would recommend trying the Chrome Soft. Best feeling ball off the club face of anything I can remember playing.

Driver: Given the soft course conditions I felt the ball was on par with my current ball(ProV1) from the tee. I am a player that needs a bit of extra spin across the board and did not see any evidence of decreased distance based upon where I was hitting my second shots from. I flared 2 tee balls over the course of the round and actually found the ball was further down the right side than I thought and not as far off line as I thought once I got to the ball. Performance into the wind was solid. The ball held its line into several 2 club winds.

Irons: While others have been seeing some increases with the irons that was not my initial impression. I chose my clubs based upon my normal distances and found myself pretty close to the distance I expected. There was definitely not a feeling of being a half club longer or shorter. I am going to get out with my launch monitor over the course of my testing and see if there is any measurable difference on initial ball speed vs the ProV1. First impression is no better and no worse with the irons, hybrids or FW. Feel was again just the right balance of soft yet responsive.

Wedges/Short irons: I was able to really control the ball with my wedges. I hit several knockdowns into the wind and the results were very predictable, I was able to really get aggressive with these shots given the soft greens and the ball just hit and stuck like velcro. I hit a knockdown 6 iron into a 2 club wind on 18 and I thought for sure it was going to roll past the flag to the back of the green because I hit it lower than intended and this ball just hit went 5 feet forward and stopped dead!! Spin into the greens was very consistent given the fact that they were wet. I don't want to make any claims of more or less spin at this point but consistency of the spin was there. Feel...you guessed it just right.

Putting: On the greens my initial impression is disappointment. This ball is hot of the putter. I found myself waaaay past the hole on too many putts 12 feet and in and I also felt on a few long ones that I killed it and they went the right distance?!? The ball really had me guessing on the greens and I just never got a feel for it over the course of the round.

In terms of score I played to my handicap so no scoring advantage or disadvantage after the initial round.

Summarizing my first round: Driver and Iron distance seemed on par with ProV1 (feel is exceptional and I just kept saying that over and over during the course of the round), spin into the greens was consistent and I was able to flight the ball down with ease. Putting was difficult and just never gained any confidence on the greens.

I'm going to go out and hit em again on Thursday and try to get some side by side comparison to my normal ball.
[/quote]

My putting experience was very similar to yours during my first few trials with the CS. Over the past few years, I have noticed I got a little jabbier with putts, and was pulling it off well with the Chrome + I was gaming. Any sort of poppy stroke with the putter reacts oddly with CS in my experience, but as I have gone back to a longer, sweeping stroke with the flatstick, I find it to be excellent.

Basically, from what I can tell, anyone who idolizes Sneds' putting will probably be unhappy with this ball.

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Got a couple more rounds in with the CS, on Friday and on Sunday. Played in completely different conditions. Friday, was sunny, just a touch of breeze, and firm fairways and greens at River Ridge. Shot a 78, and I was really hitting the ball well. A little too well in fact, as a few of my bogeys were from me completely flying the green on a few approach shots, and not just the usual 5-6 yards I feel like I've gained with this ball. First, a par 4, where I hit my longest drive of the day (285 yards according to golfshot gps). The slightest downwind breeze and I had 143 yards left. I figured a solid 9 iron. Well I caught it very solidly, and ended up one hopping over the back of the green. The pin was front left :swoon:

It only really happened two or three times, and may have just been an anomaly, I was hitting it further in general that whole round and was striking the ball great. Then onto Sunday...

Pouring rain the night before and literally up until about 45 minutes before we teed off. Fairways were damp with spots of mud. Greens were receptive but still pretty fast. I played at Camarillo Springs for any who are familiar. Ended up shooting an 87, though about 87% of that was probably due to the fact that I hadn't hit a greenside bunker shot in many many moons, and got caught in about five that day that all had very sloshy sand. Other than the dreadful sand play though, I played decently, the ball still performed well, and still had a bit of length for me even in the wet conditions, as I managed to get three drives close to 260 without getting any run out. Putting has gotten even better for me the more I play and get time with this ball. For me, it's been a godsend on the greens as of late.

WITB 2023
- Srixon Zx5 mkII 10.5*, Tensei AV Blue 55s
-TSi2 16.5* Accra FX 2.0
-TSi2 18* hybrid, Fuji Motore F3
-TSi2 21* hybrid, Fuji Motore F3
-ZX7 5-PW, Fuji Pro 85
-50/54/58 Cleveland Zipcore TR, Fuji Pro 95 TS
-Sik Pro-C
-2023 Z-Star Diamond

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Played a round at Disney Magnolia with these on Saturday. It was a looooong day. 5 1/2 hour rounds really really make me anxious, but what are you gonna do, it's Disney. I love the game ofgolf, I'm happy hitting the ball straight, 260ish yards, and can say I can hit a pretty straight ball. The weakest part of my game is probably my long iron game and my 3 wood control. I consider myself to be a great green reader and love playing the bump and run around the greens. I play an XX-Stiff Axivcore tour red shaft in my driver which keeps my ballflight right where I like it, a mid launch, not low at all and I usually play a Prov1x as I love the way the ball plays off the tee and around the greens. My best round is a 78 and can shoot in the low 90's (rare these days) when I start inconsistently from the 1st hole. Can't tell you how many times I've shot 46 front 9 and 37-38 in the back. It's mental for me, I KNOW I need to start well and put so much pressure on myself right from the 1st tee, that sometimes by the time I get to the 7th hole, I'm fighting to finish the 9 around 44-45. What I look for in a ball is consistency. This ball, in summary, was consistently good all day for me. Feel was, umm...how do I put this. Soft? It felt great off the driver, irons, wedges, and putter. I'll break down what I was looking for in depth.

Off the driver, it was consistently straight. Ballflight was comparable to the Prov1X and spin was a bit higher, lost some yardage with these. I'm playing for fun though, 255-260 is good enough for me all day. If the ball is going straight and feels good in the other aspects of my game, I'm not erasing it from the competition just because I lost a few yards. The ball against the wind was awesome, still got a nice piercing ballflight and eased my concerns about the spin off the ball. The prov1x feels "clicky" off the face when you're comparing it to the CS, but that's not a bad thing considering the performance of the V1x. I give the edge to the Prov1x off the driver, for me. I'm working to fix an issue with my driver/3 wood that's causing everything to go left, but this ball feels absolutely beautiful off my R9 3 wood as well.

7iron-PW....WOW. The feeling I get from this ball is irreplaceable. Hard to describe the sound, but it just feels, right. Ballflight was a mid ballflight again, and was very very straight for me. Same distances for me in my irons, which is great, nothing to worry about distance wise here. Edge to the CS here.

Wedges. Not too impressed in this category, but the ball was still consistent. When playing 80-100 yard shots, the ball hopped, stopped and rolled forward about a foot. This was consistent in my gap wedge through my 60* wedge, which spins the Prov1x plenty. When I played the ball to go over the flag and come back, it didn't and it kind of screwed me up in some holes, left me with some nasty downhill putts, which I missed ALL day long. Greens were rolling at about a 11-12 at Disney on Saturday, firm and true. I give the edge to the Prov1x here.

Off the putter the ball felt great, didn't really have an issue with the ball "exploding" off the face, but was able to control it well. Overall here it's a tie with the Prov1x.

The edge still goes to the Prov1x in the most important areas of the game for me. However, this is just after 1 round. I like the ball, and do look forward to playing it again and comparing it to the Lethal, as I have those in my bag as well.

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