Gear: Callaway Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X balls
Price: $47.99 per dozen
Specs: Four-piece, dual-core design with urethane cover (Chrome Soft); four-piece, dual-mantle-layer ball with a urethane cover (Chrome Soft X)
Available: March 12
Manufacturers of premium golf balls usually focus on the performance benefits of their offerings in two areas: distance off the tee and spin around the green. When Callaway debuted the first Chrome Soft ball four years ago, it tried to go beyond those two things as engineers factored in how the balls performed with irons and wedges, too. For that reason, Phil Mickelson, Xander Schauffele and Francesco Molinari switched into either the Chrome Soft or the firmer-feeling Chrome Soft X.
For 2020, Callaway has updated both balls to help golfers get not only more distance but better overall performance.
The Chrome Soft is a four-piece, dual-core ball with a urethane cover. Like the previous Chrome Soft, the inner core is very soft, but for 2020 it is 34 percent larger, which should give this version of Chrome Soft more speed and a higher launch angle.
The inner core is encased in a second core, which is infused with Graphene, a nano-particle that reinforces the rubber. To accommodate the larger inner core, the outer core is thinner, but the Graphene helps make it more durable and also enhances spin on wedge shots.
The dual-core system is surrounded by a new ionomer mantle layer. Callaway designed it to transfer the speed created in the core more efficiently. It’s stiffer than the mantle used in the last generation of the Chrome Soft, and the company says it will allow wedges and short irons to grab the ball more easily and generate more spin.
Finally, the cover on the 2020 Chrome Soft is 10 percent thinner and made from a more resilient urethane to boost speed and lower spin off the tee. The hexagonal cover pattern is more aerodynamic, so it produces a higher launch with less drag for increased distance.
The new Chrome Soft will be available in white, yellow, Truvis (white and red, yellow and black) and a white Triple Track version.
The updated Chrome Soft X is also a four-piece ball, but instead of having a dual-core system like the last version, the new Chrome Soft X has one massive core. It’s 117 percent larger than the inner core of the 2018 ball and is made from a more resilient rubber to maximize speed.
A dual-mantle system surrounds the core. The inner mantle is soft, while the outer mantle is firm. Callaway said they work together to amplify speed with woods and long irons while providing a foundation for the soft urethane cover so golfers can generate more spin with their wedges.
The urethane cover is 22 percent thinner. Over the firm outer mantle, it helps give the Chrome Soft X a firmer overall feel without adding excessive spin off the tee. The Chrome Soft X ball will fly higher than the standard Chrome Soft, and it will be available in white, Triple Track white and Truvis (yellow and black).