Forum Member Reviews: Callaway Whitebox Testing

[Jeff in the Mitten]

Here's a video of my unboxing experience where I cover:

1. First impressions and feel

2. What I expect to get from the test between the two models (Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X)

3. What balls I'll be testing against

 

Click below to watch the video  

 

Edited February 10 by Jeff in the Mitten

[2puttbogey]

Everyone is getting their balls and I haven’t even received notification of shipping yet.

[Jeff in the Mitten]

I'm very curious if this hold true through the testing...

(image courtesy of Callaway Golf via CallawayGolf.com)

[Indy_Oz]

After seeing the other Spies' white boxes arrive, it was nice to get the UPS delivery notification and grab them from my doorstep earlier.

First Impressions: Haven't had much time to gather first impressions other than visual. Same as others, two sleeves each of the Chrome Tour and Tour X- each with a tube of both #1 and #4. All triple track, which I do like (as you'll see from other balls below, I draw triple track equivalent markings on my gamers). All appear to be defect free and the markings are clean. I think I prefer having the ball model written as part of alignment markings, or, so the face with 'Callaway' and ball number is a little cleaner and less cluttered. That isn't an issue that would stop me buying the ball if it feels and plays well.

(I had this foam packaging insert, which just happens to nicely work for the purpose of holding the balls for photos)

Comparison balls: I grabbed two each of the new out of the box balls I have for comparison testing- Taylormade TP5 & TP5X, Bridgestone BX & BX S, Callaway Chrome Soft (hi viz). I also have some used Callaway Chrome Soft X LS, Titleist ProV1 & ProV1x, Kirkland Performance+ V2 and a single Vice Pro Plus. I thought I had a couple more Vice, but must have lost them last fall.

As Callaway provided both the lower-spinning distance 'Tour' ball and the higher spin 'Tour X', I wanted to have similar tour standard balls to compare against- hence both low and high spin tour balls from Taylormade, Bridgestone, Titleist and the older Callaways. I often struggle with excess spin, particularly on driver, so it will be interesting to see how these balls do.

The new comparison balls will be better for wear characteristics, but most of the used ones are in decent condition and I'll cherry pick the least worn/ scarred for the simulator work.

Initial testing: Tomorrow lunchtime I will be on the sim for 1-1.5hrs. I plan to gather comparison data for sim sessions over the next couple of weeks to collate to produce meaningful comparison stats. Initial impressions from wedge, iron, woods and driver will be shared after tomorrow's session. It takes a few days for the sim place to sync with the cloud after going there so I won't have all the session data until midweek.

Tomorrow afternoon, I hope to find a little time for some putting comparisons to see how the Tour and Tour X sound and feel off the putter face. That will be in my garage on the putting mat. Another time I'll spend some time on the indoor putting green at the sim facility.

Hopefully the weather here in Indiana will improve enough for a few course outings during the test period! I should be able to find an outdoor practice green and chipping area to test the balls in a little more 'real world' environment too.

Let the fun begin...

 

[MuniGolfer]

Unboxing

 the Callaway test balls came in a plain white package, similar to other test balls, with a hex cutout that shows this is an unprinted chromesoft package.

 

Inside are two sleeves each of Chrome Tours and Chrome Tour Xs. Each have a sleeve of playing number 1 and 4. The sleeves also each have a hexagonal cutout that allows the sleeve under the one for the top lid of the box to show the ball through.

 

The balls look and feel premium, although I agree with others that I would prefer different color playing numbers between the two models. Maybe we have been overly trained by Titleist? Also, I agree with @“Mr. 72” that  the differing reds of the triple track and playing number are a little off-putting. 
 

 

I am excited to try the triple track, though. Already seems easier to line up to my starting spot. The first putts on my training mat, I didn’t notice a difference in the hardness. They both felt similar to the TP5 and Maxflis I have been playing. We will see if anything becomes apparent once I get them in the sim.

 One thing I wanted to look at was the dimple change. I had read that they are now mixing round and hex dimples for the new tour balls for better aerodynamics. The way they are laid out is in a hexagonal pattern with groups of round ones spaced around the ball, sort of like a soccer ball. The majority of the dimples are still hex. I won’t be able to test any differences from the change in the sim, so hopefully I can get these out in some wind.

Edited February 11 by MuniGolfer
Typos

[Randall Robbins]

Ok, got mine as well!  

First Impressions:

The balls arrived in the non-stop descript white box, with the cut out to see one ball.

The balls themselves are nice looking, and the triple stripes really stand out against the bright white of the ball.  As you can see, have them marked and ready to go for tomorrow's round.  Should get a good initial test with the weather in the morning in the 60s and clear before rain in the afternoon.  Be interesting to see how they perform as opposed to my normal balls and others I have tested on my own. Back with more after this first play.

[TylerC31]

Mine finally came in today! Like the others, the box was a mixture of chrome tour X and chrome tour, both in the triple track. 

First Impressions: 

The white box truly lives up to its name: the box was a plain white box with a hexagonal cutout teasing me with a triple track. Taking the lid off, I found more four white sleeves (a nice surprise, because I thought I would just get one sleeve!). The first sleeve I opened showed me exactly what I had been hoping for - the new chrome tour X. Because this is the closest analogue to my current ball, I have been itching to put them head to head. I went to my closet to grab a sleeve of the 2022 chrome soft X for comparison, happening to grab the number four sleeve. Wanting to minimize the extraneous differences in the comparison, I grabbed the number four sleeve of the white box balls and discovered that these were the chrome tours! Upon further inspection, it appears I was sent two of each, both in the triple track. 

 

Visual Comparison: 

Off the cuff, two big things stuck out. First, the new chrome tour and chrome tour x appear to be a purer white than the chrome soft x. I had never noticed it before, but sitting next to the updated ball, the 2022 version appeared to have more of an eggshell coloring. In contrast, the chrome tour and chrome tour x were as pure white as I've ever seen. 

 

The second thing I noticed was the triple track alignment. The color way remains the same, as does the spacing in the lines, but the edges of the alignment aid differ. While the old alignment aid consists of three distinct lines, each coming to an abrupt, square end, the new balls flow into a point, almost as if encouraging rolling into the hole. It's a subtle change, but one I am a fan of. The alignment seems gentler and encouraging without being a drastic change from the successful triple track alignment Callaway has used. In general, I feel that the triple track helps me square the ball to the target line better than any other alignment aid I have tested or drawn on my ball. I am glad to test the new ball with the aid because I would've drawn them on if not! 

 

Finally, I was eager to see the new cover dimple design. The hexagonal dimples have always been a Callaway staple, so I was interested to see if I could tell a difference while inspecting the balls. In general, I do not think the vast majority of people will notice on first glance. The ball still retains its distinctive appearance, one that I am a fan of. That said, I wanted to look closely and was able to see the intermixing of dimple patterns on the ball. While I have yet to take them outside and hit them in the wind, this is where I think the difference will be seen. 

It is worth noting, the white box balls have the old logo design, not the new one that Callaway has transitioned back to. I am indifferent between the two, but just something to keep in mind while reading the reviews. 

I am excited to take the balls out on the course. I had hoped to play a round today, but unfortunately the weather is quite wet in Chapel Hill. I plan on taking the balls to the simulator to begin to gather data. performance impressions coming soon! 

Edited February 11 by TylerC31

[Pingzingny]

February 11, 2024

Callaway White Box – Official MGS Forum Review by Robert Bloom

Introduction

About me : I am a 58 year old retired police detective who lives in Fort Myers Florida and plays golf 4-5 times a week. My game is a low to mid single digit handicap playing 150-175 rounds a year. Most of my golf is played recreationally but do play competitive golf through the Florida State Golf Association. Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club is where I both live and have membership at. I play left handed and have been playing for 30 years or so but the last 10 years I have been able to play year round since my retirement. Over the past 2 years I’ve traveled and played some of my bucket list golf courses to include The Old Course at St. Andrews, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Pebble Beach Torrey Pines, Kapalua and Pinehurst just to name a few.

 

My Game : My handicap has been relatively consistent over the past couple of years, fluctuating a couple of strokes either way. Playing competitive golf has helped maintain it on the lower end forcing me to play smarter golf and keeping the focus needed to play this difficult game. Almost a year ago I had cervical fusion surgery which has cost me some distance but make that up with club selection.

 

Current Golf Ball: My competition golf ball is Titleist ProV1 with an occasional Taylormade TP5. I like a ball that has high spin around the green and one that I can work in both directions. When playing at home I like try other balls to see what’s out there.

 

Current Equipment: I currently play PXG GEN4 woods and irons. My Vessel stand bag consists of my PXG Driver, 3W, 5W, 7W, 9-7 irons, Pw, Gw, 52*, 56*, 60*, 64* wedges and putter.

 

My hope with this test is to see if Callaway has stepped up their golf ball producing game in relation to their competitors.  I’ve played the Chrome Soft in the past and it would be nice to have more options of quality golf balls to choose from.  I will be playing these balls on days of golf when I am not playing a competitive round. 
 

 

 

 

[Pingzingny]

Unboxing

 These Callaway test balls came in a plain white box similar to other test balls that I’ve seen in the past.  The white golf ball box has a hexagon shaped hole in the front   

Inside the box were four boxes of three golf balls with two each being Chrome Tour X and two being Chrome Tour. 

The golf balls were white and appeared blemish free. Each ball had the triple track in red and blue colors with the ball name underneath the Callaway logo on either side.

 

I am a triple track fan and currently mark my Titleist ProV1’s in a complete 360 degree triple track fashion for both alignment reasons and for identifying it on the course.  There are no issues with anyone walking up and hitting the wrong ball when I am around.  

[Jeff in the Mitten]

PUTTER DAY 1 SOUND & FEEL REVIEW:

Overall:  I liked the sound on both balls, but found the new Chrome Tour to sound a lot like the old Chrome Soft.  Both had a more muted sound at impact.  The Chrome Tour X sounded more like my familiar gamer Pro V1x Left Dash with a slightly higher pitched "click".  I also noticed, as I have with any ball, when I switch from my SC Phantom 5S to my SC Laguna with a polished smooth face, the pitch and "click" were higher and more pronounced.  I like this bit of feedback as I tend to hear the "miss" a little more off the toe or heel.  I personally would choose the Chrome Tour X for putting alone based on a slightly more "lively" feel and higher pitched sound at impact.  

Sound:  This is important to me.  Rather than write about it, I've included a couple videos with 2 different putters to showcase the sound variance.  As mentioned above, the slightly higher pitch "click" is my preference and gives me more feedback, which I found in the Chrome Tour X.  The more muted "thud" was buttery soft and feels amazing in the Chrome Tour, but I didn't seem to get the same amount of feedback.  

Premium vs. Mid Range:  When compared to the other premium balls, Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash and last year's Chrome Soft, I found they were a great 1:1 comparison.  Chrome Tour was very much like the Chrome Soft, and the Chrome Tour X was very much like the Pro V1 Left Dash.  When compared to the mid range balls (Callaway Diablo Tour and Wilson Triad) I noticed a significantly more pronounced "click" with the Wilson and Diablo Tour.  

Alignment:  I'm one who LOVES to see a line on the ball and putter.  We are all on a spectrum of what we prefer, however, so others may love the blank look and no alignment to see an intermediate point to roll the ball over.  I know some of my buddies don't even look at the ball and rather look at a spot about 5" in front of it.  So, this is all to say...TO EACH THEIR OWN!  For me, I love Callaway's triple track, and I do notice a difference compared to a single line.  For me, I find it somewhat tough to get a single line actually lined up on top, so when I look down at the ball the line may actually looked curved, and I HATE.  The Triple Track, for some reason, helps me combat that and so if I'm playing a Callaway ball I'll always opt for the triple trach, and even prefer the 360 version.  In comparison to other balls and ways of lining up a putt, I think any decent ball is all held equal on looks.  Maybe you like yellow or Taylormade Pix, but whatever it is you like I encourage you to stick with it to build in mental repeatability. 

Next Up:  If I'm able (it's currently still the frozen tundra here in Michigan) I'll take them out to the course for distance consistency testing. 

The Dog:  My dog "Moose" was pretty curious about what dad was doing today...he wanted to say hi to all the Spies out there!  I particularly had to laugh when he wanted to add to the sound testing with his own squeaky toy (in the longer video). 

Hope you enjoy the pics and videos!   

 

 

 

 

[JC from SA]

Played my first round with the Callaway white box balls today. I played the front 9 with the Chrome Tour and the back 9 with the Tour X. (I’m sure that disqualifies me from some sort of high-level competition. But I did it for the cause.)

I shot 77 (37-40) in some decent Texas wind. The back nine was not the Tour X’s fault. (Is it ever?!) A couple of dumb three putts was the difference.

Overall, at my swing speed (97-98 mph), I preferred the feel of the Tour. The Tour X felt very firm especially around the green. I normally play Srixon Z Star Diamonds, which I love around the green, and the Tour felt very similar.

I had a very mediocre-to-poor day with the driver, so it wouldn’t be fair to judge the Callaways based off my tee shots.

On the other hand, my iron play today was excellent. I was trying to hit the ball low because of the wind all day, and found both versions of the Callaway to check very nicely on well-struck shots. I pured an 8-iron with the Tour X, and was pleasantly surprised that it wound up 6-8 inches from the initial ball mark on pretty rock hard winter greens (see pictures).

I want to give it a few more rounds before I make a final judgment but I’m interested to see what the Tour will do on a better driver day. I found it to be very similar to the Srixon.

The only anomaly, which I’m still scratching my head about, is the attached photo with a crease on the Tour X. I didn’t hit any trees or cart paths. Not sure if it’s a defect or if I thinned one to put the “smile” on it. 
 

Stay tuned for more…

Edited February 11 by JC from SA

[TJ Hall]

Really enjoying reading the early feedback on these!

[Mike10487]

Good morning MGS'ers.

I see that the white box has arrived, and I will be unpacking and making a first thought comments later. 

Intro:  I am 54 years old and reside in Vero Beach, Florida. I've been playing golf for around 35 years. I have had a few layoffs due to injury. I lost 6 years to a back injury and 3 years to the wrist injury which I still fight daily. Being ultracompetitive, dealing with a 30-yard loss of distance on every club has been very hard to swallow, but I'm playing. My clubhead speed has been inching back up and I finally cracked 100 mph driver SS again. During this time, I have been learning the importance of course management and hitting to the proper areas. This has enabled me to get back into a single digit handicap. The strongest part of my game has always been the short game, with the putter leading the way. Weakness has always been iron play. 

Current gamer ball- I fell in love with the Maxfli Tour and Tour X. I hit the ball extremely high so, more often than not I play the tour for the reduced spin.  On days that are calm, I will opt for the X. The reduced spin of the tour (for me) is easier to flight and work.  Best ball in the game, especially for the price. 

My clubs are listed below. I made a putter change to the Ai T Three, the jury is still out on this one. Distance control has proven difficult. I just shortened the shaft to allow me to get over the ball more. 

My introduction to this ball-  I have tried to stay away from the commercials and You-tube video reviews. It's been hard to avoid.  I have already seen the balls and our local Callaway rep tried to give me a couple of sleeves. I explained to him that I was selected to do the MGS ball test and politely refused. I didn't want to taint the testing procedure. I found 2 in the woods yesterday. Both were X so I'm guessing the driver spin is higher. LOL  

 

Good luck to all, I can't wait to get to brass tacks.

[Bohnson]

First off, thanks MGS for the opportunities you provide the golfing community with independent and unbiased testing. Excited to test out these white box balls! I play out of Southwest Ohio and have been golfing for 25 years. I have been playing tournament golf for the last 9 years. I picked up the game after Happy Gilmore and Tiger Woods influenced a hockey playing northern Minnesotan to grip it and rip it. Tournament golf has got me hooked on the game, improving, running tournaments, and all around being a golf junky. I have a few certifications such as SuperSpeed, WHS, and Impact Zone. I took a yearlong Keiser University Associates program in Golf Management during the COVID times. I love the process of preparing, practicing, learning, and testing my game/equipment. The only ball I have played in a tournament is a Srixon ZStarXV and Titleist ProV1. I switched from Srixon after a subpar review from MGS. I tested the OnCore VEROX2 last year and you can find my review by clicking here. I also tested the Topflite Gamer ball and you can find that review by clicking here. I am a loyal guy as you can see by my bag of clubs. Still working with the Taylormade M1 in driver and 3W and a Srixon Z Blade combo set. I did recently buy a new Odyssey AI putter to try out! I have gamed an Odyssey #9 for years not. Putting and distance are my strengths.

 

I want to test this product by comparing it to my gamer, the Titleist Prov1. I am going to take this ball on all areas of the course to get some initial impressions and play a few holes, then a few rounds to see how it handles different conditions. I also plan to take it to GOLFTEC (GC Quad), my home course (Trackman), and get data on the course with my Bushnell Launch pro launch monitor. Lastly, we will have to get out and play a match play between the two balls. The product will stay in the bag if it outperforms. All-around performance is key for me. I hit a lot of wedges into par 4s so keeping the ball in play off of the tee and having a consistent ball that does not spin too much on full shots and not enough on green side shots is a priority. I am excited to test the product because I have never ventured off of major manufacturers for golf balls. I did some research on the product, and I am intrigued at the higher price point for the 2024 ball compared to the 2023 balls. I expect that it will be challenging to move off of the ProV1. ProV1 golf ball is a stalwart in the industry, and I trust the consistency of that ball. MGS testing backs up the ball and so many pros trust Titleist balls. Should be fun, I enjoy the process and I am happy to support MGS!

Edited February 12 by Bohnson
spelling

[golfinnut]

INTROS:  Yes, it's the infamous, notorious, B I G ... oh wait, not him, it's Golfinnut.  I've been around a while, sticking my nose & opinions in every possible thread I can.  I'm 52 in age & 82 in body   Sometimes feel that way with a bad back & metal hip, but hey, I'm still breathing.  I've been playing for roughly 48 years.  Yes, my father started me young ... yet I still suck.  Ha!  He was my only teacher.  Ever since he passed & my hip was replaced, I've lacked the same drive for the game.  I was a great player back in high school & college.  But I lived, breathed golf ... every day, that's what it took to be good.  If I weren't playing, I was practicing.  My only off day was in the gym (yeah, that body said bye-bye to me long ago)  I was as low as a 2 handicap, but it now balloons to a 10 - 12.  I may know what to do & how the swing is supposed to look, but the execution is where I'm lacking.  

MY GAME:  I'm an old fart.  So picture an old fart's game ... that's mine.  I don't hit the ball very long anymore.  Driver SP around 98 - 102 mph.  My strength is in my short game.  I miss so many greens, I have to have a good short game to play respectable.  So I concentrate on working around the green, so there are a lot of scrambling pars on my scorecard.  As some of you know, I play Titleist golf equipment.  I have since the days of the first blades & the Professional golf ball.  Not that I don't like other OEM's but I have had the best play with Titleist & I'm pretty biased since I've played them so long.  My biggest issue as of late has been my putting.  This was one of the reasons why I like testing golf balls .... for the short game & putting testing. 

WITB:  Complete Titleist bag, with the exception of the putter.  (see signature)  I play the Titleist ProV1 98% of the time or the AVX.  I was fit into the V1 & the AVX.  My spin numbers translate into me playing both balls with no problem.  It's why I want to try the new AVX soon as well.  These two will be the balls I'll be comparing with.  

TESTING:  As mentioned, I'll be testing these balls vs the AVX & V1.  I hope to play as much on the course as possible, but the weather here in VA will dictate how much.  I prefer the course, but I do own a net & the Rapsodo for the stats.  I also have a course fairly close to me with a short game area, so I will get there to practice as well.  

INITIAL THOUGHTS OUT OF THE BOX:  First up, the fingernail test.  Cover of the CT noticeably different than the X.   I can feel the fingernail indent into the cover of the X (soft cover).  No noticeable blemishes or marks visible.  I always like to look for the "seam" of the ball, where the two halves join together.  TItleist always seemed to put the side stamp directly on that seam.  These balls, not so much.  None of the batch seemed to be stamped in such a way.  Maybe they aren't supposed to?   Triple Track design as expected.  

PUTTING OFF THE MAT:  Noticeable 'click' on the X vs the CT.  Triple Track design is a great visual to aid in putting.  I'm hoping this helps my putting woes out a bit.  I usually only use one solid black line on the V1's.  

ON THE COURSE:  Soon .... 

 

 

[JRDuck40]

SUPER excited to give these a run. I'm going to be using them for league (indoor sim) tomorrow night. BUT, the long term forecast is looking somewhat warm in WI.. Hopefully I can sneak out on an actual course in the coming days. 

[David Staller]

Weather in GA is bad.  My dock is under water.  Turf conditions will be undesirable at best for the next week. 

[boylerz1]

Thanks to MGS for giving me this opportunity to be a first-time tester! I’ve enjoyed reading past reviews and it has definitely helped to guide me, so I hope this does the same for you. Looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say and seeing how these perform!

About me:

I'm a 39-year-old dad in Alabama. I have been playing golf since I was a kid and am a former collegiate golfer. Dad duties hinder the amount of time I am able to dedicate to practice and have limited my ability to play in competitive events. I am hoping that as my kids get older, I can pull one (or both) of them in so that we can enjoy this mind-numbing game together. I have always loved the game and I am always sifting through this forum, researching and buying gear. I have a semi finished simulator setup (mevo+ and GSPro), so I am looking to play a little bit more this year, either inside or outside. My handicap has crept up (due to lack of reps), but that makes me a great Member-Guest partner!

My game: 

I’m a consistent single digit handicap. Most days depend on how well I get off the tee, which used to never be a problem for me when I was playing often. I am currently working this off-season to be more consistent with the driver and increase clubhead speed. I hang out around 105-108 mph consistently. My strengths are my wedge play and putting. I'd say that my weakness tends to be my driving. If I keep the ball in play, then I generally score well.

Stock Yardages (Carry):

Driver: 260 yards, 3 wood: 235 yards, 2 hybrid: 210 yards, 4 iron: 200 yards, 5 iron: 190 yards, 6 iron: 175 yards, 7 iron: 165 yards, 8 iron: 150 yards, 9 iron: 140 yards, PW: 130 yards, GW (50*): 115 yards, SW (54*): 95 yards, LW (58*): 75 yards

Equipment:

I currently play a TaylorMade SLDR 430 9* with Speeder 757 S shaft. YES, IT IS OLD AS DIRT! But I have tried (just ask the guys at the PGA Superstore!) and can’t find anything that has fit me better.  Callaway Pro 3 wood with Speeder 757 S shaft, Nickent 17* hybrid with Graffaloy Blue S shaft, Callaway apex irons (4-pw) with s300 shafts, Cleveland RTX 50*, 54*, and 58* wedges, and TaylorMade Rossa putter.

Current Ball:

My current golf ball is usually a Titleist ProV1x. I will use most anything similar, since I am not competitive right now. I utilize Kirkland Signature in my simulator due to the cost and the wear I have noticed in the balls.

What I Want From This Test:

I'm hoping that the Callaway ball that we get to test will match up to the ProV1 and ProV1x. I tend to get higher than ideal spin with my driver off the tee and would benefit from a golf ball that gives me low spin with a penetrating flight. I generally have good spin with irons and wedges, and I want a ball that maintains a soft feel around the greens. I tend to prefer softer-feeling golf balls because I notice the feel more around the greens and coming off the face of the putter.

How I'm Going To Test This:

I have a Flightscope Mevo+ that I will use to generate hard data and compare it to other brands. I tend to chew through balls in the simulator, so I will focus on durability. I plan to then get some outside use, especially around the greens and will get in a few rounds if the weather cooperates with my schedule.

Like many others here, this will be my first time as a tester. I'm very excited to share my thoughts, numbers, and feedback with everyone, and looking forward to the discussion! I will start taking notes, pictures, and maybe even a few videos as soon as my white box arrives in the mail.

[Rob Person]

Welcome to MGS and welcome to the testing everyone!!! It's exciting!!!

 

 

Question for the testers; 

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

["Mr. 72"]

2 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Welcome to MGS and welcome to the testing everyone!!! It's exciting!!!

 

 

Question for the testers; 

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

The dream scenario would be that it improves all facets of my game, but that's hoping for too much/not realistic.

I'm not expecting too much as I play a pretty good ball - ProV1x. I do play the Chrome Soft and the CSxLS from time to time as well. I've been a Callaway fan since buying the original s2h2 irons, to this day still my favorite set.

I would say that if I could get a couple of more controlled yards off the tee without negatively affecting the other facets of my game....  That would be huge.

 

[boylerz1]

39 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Welcome to MGS and welcome to the testing everyone!!! It's exciting!!!

 

 

Question for the testers; 

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

I am hoping it is lower spin, flatter trajectory off the tee. When I evaluate a golf ball, I work from the green backwards. But with a lot of recent model changes, I haven't noticed as large of a gap in greenside performance as I have with driver numbers.

[Blake Hopkins]

Unboxing

I received my Callaway White Box testing balls yesterday, and was so excited to open up the package! This is my first ball test, so it was definitely strange to see a box of balls with no markings on it, just plain white, but that hardly matters. I was very happy to find that we were given 2 sleeves of the new Chrome Tour ball, and 2 sleeves of the Chrome Tour X. These are exactly what I was hoping for, as I have a high swing speed and love to see balls with a lot of greenside spin that don't spin like crazy off the tee, which is what these have been marketed as by Callaway. 

 

As for looks of the individual balls, I am very excited to test out the new triple track design. I love to practice putting with triple track balls but I've never really put them into play on the course because I often don't love the feel or spin results of the ball itself. I'm hoping that I like these ones better, as I'm a huge fan of the small change that I see. The change I'm talking about is pictured below, with the two new balls in the middle with a 2023 chrome soft on the left and an ERC Soft on the right (I was given a dozen of these so that might be one of the balls I test these against). In the new balls, the lines on the triple track taper off into points rather than ending harshly. I've never thought about this but I love the new look, as comparatively the old ones look more severe as opposed to the flow of the new markings. It's a small point, but one I'm a huge fan of.

 

Looking at the new balls, the other main difference that I see is that they seem to be a purer white than the older models. The Chrome soft has been hit a few times, but doesn't have any real scuffs on it, but the ERC Soft has never been hit, and both of those balls look like more of an eggshell color than the pure white of the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X. 

Overall first impressions are great, I'm looking forward to watching how these new golf balls look rolling end over end with the tapered triple track lines!

[Erin B]

Hello MGS Troops! Hope the day is going well for everyone. Just wanted to keep you all in the loop, I haven’t been able to get out to hit these balls on a course yet. I will be going to the sim on Wednesday for an another session. Will let you all know. Happy Birdie Hunting!!!

[4theDogs]

Hello all of you fine people and thank you MGS for the opportunity to do a little testing. Here is a little about me. Was born and raised in Southern Ontario and moved to Pennsylvania in '91 on an athletic scholarship and have been here since. Finally broke 50 in human years and desperately trying to consistently break 80 in golf strokes. Growing up I played a lot of golf, mostly self-taught or with the help of my father but when I moved here, I didn't pick up the clubs for about twenty years. I am now back and have been consistently playing a lot for the last several years. The Western PA weather has a limited outdoor golf season and I take full advantage of it. Three years ago, I assemble everything to create my own Sim area in my garage and that holds me over until spring.

I have been fortunate to be a member of a club here and for the last two years and am getting back to the consistency that I want in my game. The struggle is the approach not being tight enough to the pin and at time some putting. Our greens are kept pretty fast and are unforgiving. Handicap is floating around 11. Average drive in-season is 250 yds and swing speed 95-100. 7 iron is 165 yds. Irons are new and driver is old. Really due for a new driver.  Have been working on straightening out my game and if I have a miss, it is predictable. I currently play ProV left dash and Snell Black. I have friends that play Callaways and are true fans of the ball, which makes this testing even more intriguing.

So currently it is below 40’s in the day here which leads me to my testing opportunity. This will be testing inside in a controlled environment with data provided by my SkyTrak. Like I stated my current ball the PRoV left dash and I will be using that as my baseline and reference point. I guess the hardest point to assess is feel and that is the swaying point for me if I was to change balls. The improvement that I can grow with most is my approach game and around the green where you need that ‘feel’ and if during this testing that shines then I might have a new ball to play this season.

Currently with the unboxing they do look nice and shiny and even though I do not currently play Callaways, the three stripes (triple track) are pleasing to the eye. I do like the look of them and the visual aid in aligning putting is a plus. As I opened the box, I also had a box of -ProV1x, which I received for Christmas. This was a good comparison right off the bat. I opened the sleeve if the Chrome Tour and it seemed tacky or sticky compared to the PVx. Its hard to explain both the CT and CTx seem to have a waxy feel to them when compared to the PVx. Not a great distinguishable feel but it is there. I did take a few swings with my driver, it was actually the first time since Dec 25 when we had a crazy warm Christmas here and I went out and played 9 holes, but I digress. After a couple of warm ups, the sound was a little more muted over the PVx, which has a sharper sound. When I actually devote the time to test all clubs a will hopefully have videos to support this.

I have talked long enough in the intro, I will leave you all with some unboxing photos and two Sim data photos and will talk soon.

[Desous17]

Thank you again, MSG for giving us this opportunity. I am super excited as a first-time Tester!

UNBOXING: I received my Callaway White Box testing balls Saturday afternoon, and I was ready to get into it as I had a tee time for 9 later that afternoon. Like a few other first-timers. this is my first ball test so had no idea what to expect! I initially thought they were all Chrome Tour as I only took out 2 boxes to start messing around with. It was only after I saw testers saying that there were 2 boxes of Chrome Tour and Then the other 2 sleeves were Chrome Tour X that I realized there were two different balls (my bad for jumping the gun). I initially thought these would be right up my alley as I have been trying out playing dedicated ball that works for my swing speed and playing style (Prov1 and Prov1x). Before I would take a ball in the woods and if I liked the feel and sound I would game it... I know there's some golfers rolling in their graves for this slanderish practice.....

INITIAL THOUGHTS:  First, just wanted to get my hands on them and do the nail/ bite test (I know I'm going to get heavily judged on this, but hey they did this with gold)... and I have to say the cover of the CTX feels firmer to me than the CT. I can feel a little more "give" on the cover on the CT.  I have never really been a triple track guy, I usually just sharpie and extend the lines on the model name for alignment. Balls looked perfect out of the box and ready to get used and abused!

First 9-hole Round Thoughts: So I got to the course and immediately broke out the Chrome Tour as this was the ball that I was going to try first and play a round with. I first went to the chipping green to warm up and immediately liked the sound feel and spin performance. This is on a 60-degree day in Virginia and the greens were rolling decent for still being "winter". The only thing I noticed after 6 greenside chips was that one of the balls was showing a decent scuff from the wedge. Granted I'm playing with a Vokey SM5 58 and has decent grooves but by no means is this brand new...

Onto the practice putting green and starting to try out the triple track and aligning my putts.  I'm not going to lie, I am kinda digging it. Really like the way it looks when I hit a good putt and it goes end over end. The feel is good and distance control was feeling nice and predictable with trying out a "new to me" putter, Spider Tour. 

Starting on hole one, hit a decent drive with no range session to warm up right down the fairway. good flight and predictable distance. The second shot was a nice pitching wedge onto the green with some great spin and stopping power, super predictable. (Par)

Fast forward to the first Par 3 at 117yd. Hit a great shot right at the pin, lands about 6ft short, and spins back about another 8-10ft. I hit a birdie putt, honesty by the feel thought it was going to be short but it got there and in for 2!

Fast forward to a few holes later and at a long par 4. Tee shot over water and just makes it over. Long iron shot in, landed short left of the green. Have a 40yd chip shot left and land it about 8ft short of the pin onto the green, pin high, the spin control on the chip shot was perfect and to be fair I didn't hit it that well but it still stopped like I would expect a good shot. (2 Putt Bogey).

Fast forward a few holes to the 9th. Long Par 5. Decent drive and, good 2nd  fairway wood shot to be 30yd short left of the green in the rough. Chip shot was again not that great struck but got the ball up and onto the green and almost rolled in, tap in birdie to finish out. 

The overall impression after the round is that it plays very similar to a Prov1 or equivalent ball. The good feel and durability is what I was most impressed about. In the past, I've noticed that Callaway balls get scuffed pretty easily and don't seem to last. The picture above was the ball I played with the whole round and still only showed the initial scuff from the practice green. 

I look forward to doing some Sim testing this week!

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? I am really hoping that one of these balls could be my silver bullet for me... long and low spin off the tee, able to spin and hold greens and also have the control and feel for chipping around the green and be durable to stand up to long term use and abuse. 

[yungkory]

9 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Welcome to MGS and welcome to the testing everyone!!! It's exciting!!!

 

 

Question for the testers; 

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

I mentioned it in my first/intro post but I'm hoping for a little additional spin in the long/mid game.

 

I also received my white box today. I won't flood the page with the box pics (it looks exactly the same with the green dot). What's interesting to me, having participated in white box testings previously, is that in the past we aren't always made aware of the model. So many questions in my head now, where before I was only thinking if they were going to be urethane or not. Are these this year's CT/X? Are there already Protos of future ones just a few weeks after they hit retail? Did Xander give me sleeves from his stash (most likely to be the case).

Super stoked to try these out!

[Bortery]

Congratulations testers!!! As a new member, I can’t wait to read the reviews and see what information could be important as a tester to write about. 

[Jeff in the Mitten]

18 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Welcome to MGS and welcome to the testing everyone!!! It's exciting!!!

 

 

Question for the testers; 

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

@Rob Person good question!  For me it all comes down to spin.  I have two MAJOR issues that I've faced with spin in my game, centered around Driver and Wedges.  With the Driver, I can get the ballooning spinner that just drops straight down and cuts my distance by 30+ yards at time.  That tends to be when I get 3,000 RPM from getting a little too forward lean and hitting my driver like a 7 iron swing (that's on me, not the club), but when it happens I know it immediately and kick myself for not hitting up on the ball on a tee.  So, for the Callaway balls I NEED it to be lower spinning off the driver.  We all know the idea of swinging the club perfectly 100% of the time is not a real expectation, so my review will somewhat center on what the ball does when I make those mistakes and hopefully minimize the damage.  

With wedges it'll come down to full swing shots.  I don't flush it every time there either, but at times when I'm playing a spinnier ball like a Kirkland, I'll hit it pin-high and then zip it 30 yards back off the green and that has to be one of the most frustrating things in the world!  It's a roller coaster to hit the shot and think, "OMG that is the one!" and then see the ball come back at you like a yo-yo.  So again, I think I'll watch for CONSISTENT spin numbers within a range regardless of whether I absolutely flushed it or not.  

 

I'd love to know if the videos are helpful.  I've posted some around putter feel, and after watching them back I personally think you can hear the difference, which was my goal, but I'd love to know if other Spies out there agree?  If you can, check out my earlier post about putting with the videos.  I'd love some early feedback so I can incorporate it into my future posts. 

CHEERS!

Edited February 13 by Jeff in the Mitten

[golfinnut]

What area(s) are you hoping this ball will help to improve your game from? 

Dammit .... why don't these float??  

Well since they haven't' come up with one that does that, I guess I'm gonna have to say that I need a ball that fits my flight window.  Not too high, not too low.  I don't want a lot of spin off the tee, just so I don't hit them off the map on my mishits.  But I want the spin around the greens, of course.  There isn't a ball that goes straight every time, on command?  Well damn  

[Madden B]

Soooo, I spent several hours in the sim over the weekend hitting a lot of shots with these balls, a lot of shots! But I need to edit some videos and get the data compiled so I don't have my first full update yet. But I will say this, I hit these new balls further than ProV1s with my driver by 3-4 yards and the dispersion was better! They feel slightly firmer but I love the way they came off the club face. I will have a full breakdown but so far, these balls are sweet!