Equipment
2020 Callaway Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X golf balls
The Callaway Chrome Soft has been called “the ball that changed the ball,” and for 2020, Callaway is bringing more innovations to its premium line, making its flagship ball offering longer and more consistent than ever before with the new Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X.
2020 Callaway Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X golf balls
Golf balls are an expensive thing to manufacture, and to do it properly requires a lot of capital investment into specialized machines. When it comes to golf balls, there is a big difference between those who own their process start to finish, and those who simply call up a manufacturing facility overseas and order up tens of thousands of “white label premium” balls with their logos on them. Callaway firmly sits in the “own the process” camp!
As documented in a piece released around this time last year, Callaway has invested millions, and continues to invest a planned $50 million, in new equipment that improves the ball-making process. From start to finish, the engineers at Callaway are leaving no stone unturned to produce the best performing golf balls possible.
These investments in machinery include
- State-of-the-art rubber mixer: This giant mixer is a four-story tall machine built for absolute precision mixing batch after batch. It precisely measures chemical compounds and polymers needed to build each layer and also regulates temperature during the process to make sure the final product meets strict quality control measures.
- New core-molding tools: Balls are built from the core out, and without consistency, the rest of the pieces don’t quite matter as much. Even with automation already a huge part of the process, Callaway is adding more to not only help boost ever-growing demand but and quality core to core. Don’t think for a second that this means Callaway is replacing people with machines though, in fact, quite the contrary. Over the last four years, the number of employees at the Chicopee, Massachusetts, plant has almost doubled.
- New 3D X-Ray system: If for some reason a bad golf ball gets past the first steps of the quality control process without fault, the 3D X-Ray system will prevent it from going any further. As Callaway has stated “these machines can’t make the ball pieces more centered, but it prevents ones that aren’t from ever leaving the plant.
The new 2020 Callaway Chrome Soft
As we talked about off the top, golf balls are constructed from the core out, and with the new Chrome Soft, the inner core is 34 percent bigger than the previous model. This larger inner core helps create higher launch and lower spin and it also allows the secondary Graphene reinforced layer to be thinner and firmer, resulting in faster initial speeds and longer distance.
The issue with making a golf ball faster and longer is that, in general, it results in a golf ball that feels and sounds much more firm. This is a broad statement, but one that applies to a lot of balls available in the market today. But this is not just any golfball, it’s a Callaway Chrome Soft—”soft” is in the name. So, how do you make a faster golf ball feel softer? You totally redesign the mantle layer under the cover.
The high-speed mantle layer was built with a new proprietary ionomer blend to better transfer energy from the dual core to the mantle layer and help retain energy. This stiff layer around the core helps the ball with both distance off the tee and with irons, while also better improving spin consistency and RPM around the greens.
So, about that cover. The cover on the new 2020 Callaway Chrome Soft is 10 percent thinner than the previous model. This new more resilient cover and the material it’s made of does a number of things for golfers from a performance standpoint. The first is help the rest of the ball maintain energy and produce higher ball speeds. Second, it maintains the soft feel and short game spin performance people love and expect from a Chrome Soft Ball.
The Chrome Soft’s new dimple design utilizes the Callaway proprietary HEX dimple, optimizes flight with higher flatter trajectory for target player. This higher flight results in increased descent angle for golfers with slower swing speeds while not sacrificing performance for faster players. The end result is a ball that flies up to five yards farther.
Options, availability, and Price
Beyond the traditional markings, the Chrome Soft will be available with Truvis, Truvis Yellow, Triple Track alignment and Triple Track yellow. It will be available starting February 28th with a retail price of $47.99 a dozen.
The new 2020 Callaway Chrome Soft X
“Go big or go home” seems to be the theme of the new cores built into each Chrome Soft ball from Callaway. With the new Chrome Soft X, the large single core is now 117-percent larger (by volume) than the previous design. It’s comprised of higher MW (molecular weight) Neodymium rubber, which is also stronger and faster, resulting in (you guessed it) faster ball speeds.
Compared to the standard Chrome Soft Model, that is a dual core single mantle, the Chrome Soft X is single core dual mantle, which provides the ball with what Callaway has dubbed a “Jail Break” effect to help maintain more energy and faster ball speeds throughout the bag, not just with the driver. The dual mantle layer is built like this: a soft inner mantle provides a dampening effect to maintain the soft feel Chrome is known for, paired with a firm outer mantle to create ball speed while not having to sacrifice total short game performance.
If you thought 10 percent thinner on the Chrome Soft was good, the Chrome Soft X’s cover is 22 percent thinner than the previous generation.
The aerodynamics have been given an overhaul with the Chrome Soft X to reduce total drag at all speeds to increase potential carry distance and increase trajectory. This makes the new Chrome Soft X up to seven yards longer.
Options, availability, and price
The Chrome Soft X will be available in a standard graphics package along with Triple Track Alignment and Truvis Yellow. Like its Chrome Soft counterpart, the X will also be available starting March 12 with a retail price of $47.99 a dozen.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Bill.nickelsen
Jan 23, 2020 at 5:04 pm
Looks like the old Royal golf ball! Great down wind. Anxious to try it out!
Rich Douglas
Jan 21, 2020 at 2:26 pm
This is a press release with no critical thinking applied to what Callaway is selling. It might all be true, but you cannot be sure because there is no independent voice, no agency, in what is written.
Why no Triple-Track on the Chrome Soft? Again? Especially since they just offered up a bunch of Odyssey putters designed specifically for use with those markings? It doesn’t make sense.
Chris Ewalt
Jan 24, 2020 at 5:04 pm
They will be available In the triple track
Tenbuck
Jan 21, 2020 at 2:16 pm
From the KINGS of marketing, it only a ball Callaway only a ball.
Mark
Jan 21, 2020 at 7:07 am
No one in the golf industry, who writes about equipment, gulps down more corporate Kool Aid than does this Barath chappie.
If you are serious about equipment, he is an irrelevant read.
Manny
Jan 21, 2020 at 9:46 pm
Completely agree. As this is a new product release, I would prefer an in depth marketing piece straight from Callaway. Then, once the author has experience with the product, an actual opinionated review of the product.
This article (and most I’ve read from this author) tries to straddle both marketing / review while being neither.
Not worth it
Jan 21, 2020 at 6:52 am
Originally the ball was in the $35 dollar range. At that price it did change the market. Now at a list of $48 a dozen, why bother. Rather spend the money on a ProV.
334
Jan 21, 2020 at 5:01 am
Not a single line mentioning the off center scandal while it covers so much about solving the issue. Kind of obvious this is a paid adticle.
Will Dutton
Jan 21, 2020 at 5:08 am
was thinking the same thing
Doubt
Jan 21, 2020 at 6:35 am
Getting pretty sick of these. It’s always an obvious add, or someones opinions on the pro’s.
We really never get any true opinions on equipment, testing, or inside scoops.