Equipment
New for 2019: Callaway ERC Soft, Supersoft and Supersoft Magna Golf Balls
Callaway Golf has announced its newest golf balls for 2019 — the Callaway ERC Soft, Supersoft, and Supersoft Magna.
All three models hit retail stores on February 8.
Callaway ERC Soft
With the new ERC Soft Golf Ball, Callaway Golf introduces its new Hybrid Cover. The soft multi-material cover is designed to promote a combination of faster ball speed for longer distance with a soft feel, while also providing higher spin for excellent control around the green.
The ERC Soft also contains Callaway’s largest Graphene-infused Dual SoftFast Core yet, which features a larger inner core which aims to maximize compression energy for fast ball speeds, while minimizing driver spin to promote a high launch for greater distance.
With the ERC Soft, Callaway has also introduced its new Triple Track Technology. The new technology utilizes Vernier Acuity Precision (a visual technology used to land planes on aircraft carriers) and aims to improve alignment compared to a regular side stamp alignment aid.
The ERC Soft comes with a price tag of $39.99 per dozen.
Callaway Supersoft
The new Supersoft combines Callaway’s lowest compression with a new softer cover and HEX Aerodynamics.
The HEX Aerodynamics of the Supersoft Golf Ball aims to lower the spin rate to reduce drag while enhancing lift for increased carry, higher flight and longer distance.
The Ultra-Low-Compression-Core is designed to create low spin for a longer, straighter flight on full shots. While combined with the new soft Trionomer cover, the Supersoft Golf Ball aims to provide golfers with better feel and greater shot-stopping spin around the green.
The Supersoft cost $22.99 per dozen.
Callaway Supersoft Magna
The new Supersoft Magna is an oversized ball that still conforms to the USGA Rules of Golf. The bigger size aims to provide developing golfers and slow swing speed players, to make better contact on the clubface.
Its larger size, higher center of gravity and high MOI are designed to offer a higher launch and contact that you would typically get when a ball is teed up.
The Supersoft Magna also contains the same characteristics of the Supersoft Golf Ball, including the Ultra-Low Compression Core, HEX Aerodynamics and Soft Trionomer cover to provide golfers with all the benefits of the Supersoft Golf Ball.
The Supersoft Magna costs $22.99 per dozen.
- LIKE75
- LEGIT11
- WOW4
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP3
- OB0
- SHANK14
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
View this post on Instagram
OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
- LIKE26
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK3
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Matthieu Pavon WITB 2024 (May)
Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping G430 Max (9...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2015 Wells Fargo Championship
Then-No. 1 player in the world Rory McIlroy began the week at the Wells Fargo Championship at 3-1 odds, if...
Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)
Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole1 week agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Equipment1 week agoGolf fans left surprised by LIV’s choice of course for its 2024 individual championship event
-
Equipment2 days agoDetails on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
Bobtrumpet
Jan 7, 2019 at 10:13 am
The three lines on the ERC Soft reminids me of Dave Pelz O-Ball.
DanT
Jan 5, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Living in Virginia, I generally play golf from April to November. Last year I used the supersoft ball, and liked it. So for my birthday, and Christmas I ask my family to buy me the supersoft golf balls as a gift. I have about 7 dozen ball, that will clearly last me throughout next year.
Here is my problem with Callaway – I asked for the supersoft balls as on each box I own (given as presents) it states “New and Improved”. Foolishly, i assumed, and was told by my local golf store – Callaway normally comes out with improved golf balls product line every other year. (I know that golf clubs are revised annually, but not golf balls.) So, i assumed with the “new and improved” on each box sold in 2018 – Callaway would change/improve/modify the supersoft in 2020. I guess the market need to come out with newer and greater overrides printed “hyperbole” on the box.
Art Williams
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:46 pm
I know they say it is still a super low compression. Does anyone know what the actual compression is? The current Supersoft is said to be 38 degree. Have to wait to hear what the new Supersoft is. I remember many years ago that some company had a larger ball. It was a dud and went away quickly.
Yes Sir
Jan 4, 2019 at 12:56 pm
The fact they use the word “technology” when talking about 3 lines painted on a golf ball is just obscene. Comparing technology on an aircraft (3 lines mind you) and lines painted on a golf ball. GET THE F OUTTA HERE. I just lost ALL respect for callaway. All these major brands are just making a mockery of people while trying to take their money.
Chuck Dietz
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:23 am
Time will tell how it sells to consumers. No mention of colors….might up the interest?
The thought that a slightly larger ball might be easier to hit may be more in the golfer’s head, but the intended audience is likely not very aware of the distance they would hit any ball, and at low swing speeds, the differences are likely very small.
Chip
Jan 4, 2019 at 11:18 am
I hope they got rid of the chrome soft name
That would piss people off!
Rich Douglas
Jan 4, 2019 at 10:54 am
Great. Now everyone can see how you mis-hit that putt!
The Magna ball is odd. That’s been tried before (by Spalding Top Flite). It doesn’t make sense. There’s a reason the USGA puts limits on how SMALL and how HEAVY the ball can be. Making it bigger and keeping the same weight isn’t an improvement. The ball will travel less distance and the notion that some golfers will be able to “make better contact on the clubface….” is odd; the difference is too small to matter on the clubface, but large enough to matter in the air–in a not-good way.
Simms
Jan 6, 2019 at 1:25 am
.of course they do own the patents form Top Flite. Only 22.99, let see Costco 3 piece urethane $23.99 for two dozen?? and my Costco had two full pallets sitting in the aisle just yesterday. Still have over 5 dozen of the Kirkland 4 piece but like the 3 piece much better..