Lower and lower spin.
That seems to be the mantra of the golf industry as of late. Lower spinning golf balls to go with lower spinning drivers for optimum distance. Now the trend has spilled over into iron designs, as well with hot faced irons that are easy to hit and launch the golf ball miles.
But we seem to have hit a point of diminishing returns here.
While the gains with the driver are undeniable, the results with the irons perhaps leave a little to be desired. Most professionals will tell you that they expect an iron to spin roughly its number multiplied by a thousand. So, a 6-iron is supposed to spin at 6,000 rpm, a 7 at 7,000, etc.
But looking at launch monitor data with recent iron models reveals that they spin over 1,000 rpm less than before. This means that an approach shot hit into a green with a long iron or hybrid has little chance of holding the green. Modern irons counter that by making trajectories higher from club to club relying on the steep angle of approach into the green to keep the ball from running off too far after it hits the putting surface but this too has its limitations as golfers are used to seeing their irons fly at specific heights.
Callaway seems to have gotten that message. The new Chrome Soft X ball is designed to spin more than the very successful Chrome Soft. The Chrome Soft is probably still the best golf ball Callaway makes for most golfers but for the ones for whom it’s a less than ideal fit, Callaway now makes the Chrome Soft X.
The original Chrome Soft golf ball, launched in 2015, had the very soft compression of 65. When Callaway released the 2016 version of Chrome Soft, it gave the ball a slightly higher compression (75), which improved its consistency on short-iron shots. The compression of its new Chrome Soft X is 90.
The reason for the higher compression has to do with the low-spin profile of the Chrome Soft, a blessing to most golfers as it helps their shots fly straighter and farther. It’s not ideal for some tour pros and better golfers, however. They often have a ball flight that is so dialed in that the lower spinning performance of the Chrome Soft makes their shots harder to control. To address that small but important segment of the golfing population, Callaway created the higher-spinning Chrome Soft X.
Callaway used a slightly thinner urethane cover, increased the size and hardened the compression of the Dual SoftFast core, and enhanced the HEX Aerodynamics. As a result, the Chrome Soft X should generate more ball speed and spin through the entire bag.
On the golf course, the Chrome Soft X performs as expected. It doesn’t seem to have lost any distance at all when compared to its storied sibling, but it does feel firmer and perhaps a bit weightier at impact. These are positives as far as I’m concerned, although others might disagree.
Where the Chrome Soft X excels is around the green. There’s nothing that this ball can’t do. It will spin if you have the ability to make it do so. It lands soft and holds firm and feels great off the wedge.
The Chrome Soft X is surprisingly durable. I bounced one off the cart path and found just a little scuff mark where ball met concrete. You could easily play a couple of rounds with one of these.
The thing to remember here is that the Chrome Soft X is a complimentary model to the Chrome Soft. The additional spin make it a less than ideal solution for golfers fighting hooks or slices but for golfers that want a bit more bite with their approach shots, the X is a top contender. Pick up a box for PhP2,795 at a proshop near you.