REVIEW: Callaway 2018 Chrome Soft and X Golf Balls

Changing the Ball that Changed the Ball
Callaway has gone elemental to bring us the New 2018 Chrome Soft Golf Ball. The material they highlight is named Graphene. Graphene is type of carbon atoms arranged in an hexagonal lattice. I wonder if Callaway picked this substance because the elemental structure looks just like the HEX Aerodynamics on the outside of the golf ball? Probably not, but interesting that it is. Graphene was chosen because it is one of the smallest and strongest materials on earth. The research on this material even won a Nobel Prize in physics back in 2010. So what does that mean for us golfers? Forgiveness has been added to a golf ball.
A few years ago Callaway released the Chrome Soft with Dual Core Technology. Having two cores instead of one gives engineers more clubs to work with. Each core and layer reacts to different clubs.   What Graphene does in the outer core layer is give the ball a more stable ball flight and less spin without sacrificing performance in any shot. Think of it as MOI/Forgiveness in a golf ball. The Graphene creates perimeter weighting which allows the inner core to be bigger for faster ball speeds and less spin. Overall, it results in longer straighter drives, crisp wedges and responsive putts.
 

Short Game
For me what really matters with a golf ball is how it performs with scoring clubs. Yes, off the tee I want performance and this ball has it. The New Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls may also surprise you with it’s short game performance. My experience with prior versions of the Chrome Soft was not the best. The ball had a mushy feel and was inconsistent in spin and distance control. The New version is not that! The feel is solid, due to Graphene in the outer core level. It felt and sounded great off any club, but I especially liked how they were in the short game clubs.

Testing
The true measure of any equipment is how it performs. I was fortunate enough to start playing the prototypes before the snow closed the courses around me, but I also got an additional 6 rounds outside in warm sunny weather. I really like how the ball would hold its flight. The dispersion on shots was much tighter than I had been getting. I noticed a gain in distance on clubs like the driver and control with irons and wedges. The new versions of the Chrome Soft with Graphene will be a ball worth trying and buying.

Chrome Soft X – 7 Iron
  • Spin: 6467 rpms
  • Launch Angle: 20.8*
  • Dispersion: 5.2 yds
  • Ball Speed: 111.5 mph
  • Total Distance:  165 yds
  • Carry Distance:  155 yds

Chrome Soft X – Driver
  • Spin: 2464 rpms
  • Launch Angle: 13.5*
  • Dispersion: 19.1 yds
  • Ball Speed: 147.1 mph
  • Total Distance:  278 yds
  • Carry Distance:  254 yds

Chrome Soft – 7 Iron
  • Spin: 7002 rpms
  • Launch Angle: 22.1*
  • Dispersion: 9.1 yds
  • Ball Speed: 108.4 mph
  • Total Distance:  161 yds
  • Carry Distance:  153 yds

Chrome Soft – Driver
  • Spin: 2744 rpms
  • Launch Angle: 14.2*
  • Dispersion: 22.2 yds
  • Ball Speed: 144.3 mph
  • Total Distance:  269 yds
  • Carry Distance:  241 yds

 Graphene is a game changer; it also might just be a gamer changer.  This ball is going to surprise some people how good it is, especially the Chrome Soft.  The ability to manipulate the weighting, maintain a soft feel and increase tour performance levels makes this a must try ball for 2018.  It’s kind of a bummer that the price had to go up $5 because of the new materials, but it still falls right in line with other tour balls.  Callaway’s new golf balls have some super cool nano-technology materials and great tour performance.

For more information: http://cmp.callawaygolf.com

Quick Hits

  • Ground Breaking Technology
  • Above Average Performance
  • Both Models are Soft
  • Chrome Soft for Slightly Higher Flight
  • Chrome Soft X for Piercing/Workable Flight