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Callaway HEX Black and Chrome balls

SuperStroke
Wow, didn't realize all the quality issues were potentially that broad - I have a friend in ops over there - we don't talk work much, but now I need to ask, at least about the ball. BTW, I bought 2 dozen NXT Tours yesterday during a lunch stop in to the local box store. Couldn't resist at $18/dz. Figured with a box of Pro V1x and box of the Blacks, that's a good balance for my trip in a couple weeks - 9 or 10 rounds in 7 days in Scotland (since weather can really suck, the NXTTs will be perfect on crappy days) then a little tourney up in Monterey with old college buddies.

Frank Bullitt said:
it's the day-trader in me, I grind for a 1/4 point, when using leverage in the options market, 1/4 point adds up....

I actually just called, they are going to look into it and have it fixed. I also asked about the black cracks that are showing up on the hex edges, I was told they are aware of this and it's just a cosmetic thing and won't impact performance. I hit a brand new one off the tee yesterday and looked at it and it had the black cracks, it got pretty beat up in 3 holes. I thought the ProV1x held up better on Monday, I played an entire round with 2 balls and they both looked great....

I must admit JK, since I have a Titleist bag, driver, fairway woods, and putter, I'm drawn to the allure of playing the Titleist ball (I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a sucker for their marketing), a ball that seems to set the bar for everyone else - I think they come out with a ProV2 next year - I would use the slogan "total performace for all golfers"

I'm a huge Callaway iron fanboy, and I must admit I'm troubled by what's going on at the company. I think this cracking issue with the ball speaks to quality control issues they seem to be having. Every product I've bought from them this year has had problems: the ferrules came loose on most of my new irons, I ordered wedges with custom grips, they showed up 3 weeks later with a different (and wrong) grip on each wedge, and the 4-wood I ordered had a paint bubble in the head the size of a pencil eraser. If I was Chip Brewer, I would can the clothing, accessory, shoe, and range-finder business and focus on technology and quality control. He turned things around @ Adams Golf pretty quickly, so based on his track record, I made a little bet on the company on the 27th when the stock cratered 15% on the lousy quarter. I was not willing to use a large amount of money so I bought the November $7 call options....

FB
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Golf in Monterey is the bomb!!!! I've played Poppy Hills, Bayonet Black Horse, and Half Moon Bay Golf Links....

Have fun, that sounds like a fantastic vacation...I'm a little jealous!!!

JK said:
Wow, didn't realize all the quality issues were potentially that broad - I have a friend in ops over there - we don't talk work much, but now I need to ask, at least about the ball. BTW, I bought 2 dozen NXT Tours yesterday during a lunch stop in to the local box store. Couldn't resist at $18/dz. Figured with a box of Pro V1x and box of the Blacks, that's a good balance for my trip in a couple weeks - 9 or 10 rounds in 7 days in Scotland (since weather can really suck, the NXTTs will be perfect on crappy days) then a little tourney up in Monterey with old college buddies.
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The black "cracks on the edges that you speak of is what I see a lot of on this ball. It's what gave it that "to hell and back" look that I spoke of. What bugs me is that it doesn't just happen with wedges. My driver does it, FW and hybo, irons. I don't think the putter hurts it though...:wink: it really looks bad and saps my confidence that it's going to continue to perform optimally.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
 
COLT said:
The black "cracks on the edges that you speak of is what I see a lot of on this ball. It's what gave it that "to hell and back" look that I spoke of. What bugs me is that it doesn't just happen with wedges. My driver does it, FW and hybo, irons. I don't think the putter hurts it though...:wink: it really looks bad and saps my confidence that it's going to continue to perform optimally.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
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I agree, I smacked a brand new ball down the fairway, we were playing clean and place because we've had some rain, and I saw the crack, within 3 rounds I had two of them, they are on the top of the edge of the hex pattern. I need to post some pictures for another forum topic, perhaps I'll post a pic the ball here...

FB
 
Played the chrome today like I said I would and I did say I would finish out this dozen to give them a shot but I give up with them lol. They are going in the side pocket for "danger holes" and for when I play new courses. Still seeing to much side spin, and no spin around the greens. Glad they are working for some people though, I will gladly stick with the Black.
 
Just got back from golfsmith and got a dozen chrome balls for 27 after tax. Can't wait to try these! They had some 10 dollar coupon that they applied. YMMV


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My brother is a 8.3 handicap, he's a better player than I. He's also going through a ball selection process to find his ball for the rest of the year. He tends to play the same ball for a couple of years and then reevaluate. He's never played a Titleist. In the last 5 years, he's played the Callaway Tour IX, and then the Tour IZ for a little while. He switched to the Maxfli for a couple of months, and now is playing the Hex Chrome. I asked him to hit some drives today on the launch monitor at Golfsmith. We tested a Hex Chrome, a Hex Black, and then for fun, we had him hit a ProV1x (because it's said to be too hard for amateur swing speeds - his driver SS is 95 to 98)...

Here is the first comparison, I'll hold back my opinion until you guys have looked at it....

This is a ProV1x (in red), compared to a Hex Black (in white)


prov1xvshexblack-1.jpg



This is Hex Black (in white), compared to a Hex Chrome (in purple)

hexblackvshexchrome.jpg



This is BY FAR the most interesting thing I found, I compared the Chrome to the ProV1x, and then deleted out all the shots until I had two that exactly matched to get a near perfect comparison

prov1vschrome.jpg
 
So it looks like the ProV1x has a slightly lower launch and a better dispersion rate and the Chrome was longer by 12 yards but was almost 20 yards offline. Am I reading it right?
 
Oregon Golfer said:
So it looks like the ProV1x has a slightly lower launch and a better dispersion rate and the Chrome was longer by 12 yards but was almost 20 yards offline. Am I reading it right?
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Yes, I think you're reading this right....

My takeaway from the numbers above were:

1. When hit with the same slower swing speed (95), the Hex Chrome was only one yard longer than the ProV1x
2. The ProV1x had a MUCH tighter dispersion versus either of the other balls, only .077 yards on average over 5 drives (I was amazed, the red tracer for the five shots looked really close)
3. The black ball had more side spin than the ProV1x
4. My brother really hooked the Chrome ball, we had to delete out several that were 60 yards offline, I treated these really bad shots like statistical outliers and threw them out.

I was amazed at how well the ProV1x compared to the Hex Black. The ProV1x is nearly two years old, Callaway's ball is brand new, and according to Callaway, the new Hex Black is their "Most Highly Engineered Tour Ball. Ever." - so you would think it would blow away the ProV1x, my brother and I didn't see it, maybe it would work better for higher SS, but we are both decent players, he's a 8, and I'm a mid-12, both have smash factors approaching 1.5, and we were both really surprised at consistent the flight was

So, after all this comparison about Black versus Chrome, he's sold on the Chrome (he loves the price), and I'm going to game the ProV1x....

FB
 
Frank Bullitt said:
Yes, I think you're reading this right....

My takeaway from the numbers above were:

1. When hit with the same slower swing speed (95), the Hex Chrome was only one yard longer than the ProV1x
2. The ProV1x had a MUCH tighter dispersion versus either of the other balls, only .077 yards on average over 5 drives (I was amazed, the red tracer for the five shots looked really close)
3. The black ball had more side spin than the ProV1x
4. My brother really hooked the Chrome ball, we had to delete out several that were 60 yards offline, I treated these really bad shots like statistical outliers and threw them out.

I was amazed at how well the ProV1x compared to the Hex Black. The ProV1x is nearly two years old, Callaway's ball is brand new, and according to Callaway, the new Hex Black is their "Most Highly Engineered Tour Ball. Ever." - so you would think it would blow away the ProV1x, my brother and I didn't see it, maybe it would work better for higher SS, but we are both decent players, he's a 8, and I'm a mid-12, both have smash factors approaching 1.5, and we were both really surprised at consistent the flight was

So, after all this comparison about Black versus Chrome, he's sold on the Chrome (he loves the price), and I'm going to game the ProV1x....

FB
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Thanks for posting the numbers, had you previously ruled out the TP5/3 and B330/S? I played the v1x for 9 and nearly my last TP Red LDP for 9 yesterday and lost the v1x right twice ... might have just been bad swings, but it got it in to my head that the V1x was "spinnier" off the tee (oddly enough with the regular Pro V1 I've only had an issue with ballooning, not side spin)! Distance was approx the same, V1x might have been marginally shorter, both going around 255-260 with little roll on a still, soggy & cool 52F day. Maybe I should give the v1x another chance?
 
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David81 said:
Thanks for posting the numbers, had you previously ruled out the TP5/3 and B330/S? I played the v1x for 9 and nearly my last TP Red LDP for 9 yesterday and lost the v1x right twice ... might have just been bad swings, but it got it in to my head that the V1x was "spinnier" off the tee (oddly enough with the regular Pro V1 I've only had an issue with ballooning, not side spin)! Distance was approx the same, V1x might have been marginally shorter, both going around 255-260 with little roll on a still, soggy & cool 52F day. Maybe I should give the v1x another chance?
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No, I did not consider the TM or Bridgestone balls, I've just always liked/played the Callaway balls over the last 8/9 years, but with all the ball testing I've done of late, I decided to throw the two new balls up against a ProV1x and I was surprised how much I liked the ProV1x...
 
Looking forward to playing the Black this morning. Let's see how it compares to the ole Pro V1.
 
Played the black today and once again in performed just perfectly! Not a single mark on it after 9 holes, I had one with over 27 holes on it that only had a couple marks but ended up loosing that one. This ball just performs so well in every aspect.
 
Went with the Chromes again today, my original thoughts being that they were too "spinny" off the driver for me have faded away. Turns out it was me, not the ball. Who knew?

From tee to green, I am a big fan of this ball. I had a lot of short iron and wedge shots in to greens today, and the ball just reacts perfectly for me around the green. Literally drops and stops, a couple of times I was able to get it to the back of the green and have it come back a bit. Again, this is not something that I normally see, but having the confidence to aim at a part of the green and be able to hold it just inspires confidence for me.

I put some DG Spinners in some of my older Callaway XSeries Jaws wedges this week and was using them today. The shafts in those wedges, combined with the Chrome made the short game shots just downright fun. I actually looked like I knew what I was doing with a wedge in my hand today. :alien:

The Chromes are in the bag to stay for now, they just work for me.
 
War Eagle said:
Went with the Chromes again today, my original thoughts being that they were too "spinny" off the driver for me have faded away. Turns out it was me, not the ball. Who knew?

From tee to green, I am a big fan of this ball. I had a lot of short iron and wedge shots in to greens today, and the ball just reacts perfectly for me around the green. Literally drops and stops, a couple of times I was able to get it to the back of the green and have it come back a bit. Again, this is not something that I normally see, but having the confidence to aim at a part of the green and be able to hold it just inspires confidence for me.

I put some DG Spinners in some of my older Callaway XSeries Jaws wedges this week and was using them today. The shafts in those wedges, combined with the Chrome made the short game shots just downright fun. I actually looked like I knew what I was doing with a wedge in my hand today. :alien:

The Chromes are in the bag to stay for now, they just work for me.
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Dude if you have any Blacks left I will trade you out my chromes for them. Of course I will give you more chromes than I get blacks to make up for the price difference. The black is just the ball for me and sounds like the chrome is the ball for you.
 
10YardDraw said:
Dude if you have any Blacks left I will trade you out my chromes for them. Of course I will give you more chromes than I get blacks to make up for the price difference. The black is just the ball for me and sounds like the chrome is the ball for you.
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If I had any Blacks, I would make the trade, but unfortunately I do not have any left.

If you are looking to offload some Chromes...let me know.
 
War Eagle said:
If I had any Blacks, I would make the trade, but unfortunately I do not have any left.

If you are looking to offload some Chromes...let me know.
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Was worth a shot lol. Im just gonna stick the chromes in the side pocket for danger holes and unfamiliar courses lol. I really wish it would of worked out for me since they are cheaper, saving cash never hurts.
 
After playing 36 holes with the Chrome on Friday I continue to be impressed with the performance each round. These suckers last forever! I only used two balls on Friday, one for each 18 holes and they still both look pretty darn good like I could keep gaming them, but I will probably just put them in the practice bag for short game practice. Ever since I put these in the bag with the 2012 Forged wedge my short game has been the best it has ever been. From chipping to putting I just have great confidence that I will get up and down. I love the way these feel off the putter face, it seems like it gets a nice little soft bounce off the face to get it rolling and it just rolls so nicely all the way into the hole.
 
I think I like the chromes better than the blacks. My game suffers with the extra spin of the blacks. The chromes have good spin for me and it's just enough. Kind of like how I prefer the prov1x over the prov1. Different balls of course, but same spin issues for me personally.
 
Used these off and on with some other balls today, but have to say that I still absolutely love the Hex Chrome.

I had a couple shots that just really blew my mind today, and being able to take a half wedge shot, keep it low and get the ball to hop and stop is just a great shot to have in the bag. This is something that I have tried to do for the longest time, and getting a ball that fits me well has made it possible. One shot in particular that stands out to me from my round today was being about 110ish yards out with a 52* wedge in my hand. Went just left of the flag to the back of the green and had the ball suck back at least 20-25 feet. It was a slight downslope, but the ball just landed the green and came right back on me.

For someone that does not generate spin going in to the greens, this ball certainly gets it done for me.
 
The chromes had some weird hex shaped marking or cracking after a few holes. I called Calloway and they sent me another dozen of the chromes. Do you find that they scuff easily?


Tappin' dat pad on tapatal
 
pmoa said:
The chromes had some weird hex shaped marking or cracking after a few holes. I called Calloway and they sent me another dozen of the chromes. Do you find that they scuff easily?
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I have used up about a dozen chromes and have had not problems with scuffing. I can usually play a full round without many marks on the ball. Of course cart paths may leave a mark.
 
pmoa said:
The chromes had some weird hex shaped marking or cracking after a few holes. I called Calloway and they sent me another dozen of the chromes. Do you find that they scuff easily?


Tappin' dat pad on tapatal
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No, I dont. I had my old Callaway Jaws wedges in the bag today, and my biggest complaint about those wedges has always been that they absolutely chew up balls. Some of the other balls I played today got absolutely chewed by the wedges, but the Chromes didnt seem to scuffed or chewed up at all.
 
I took a couple HEX Black balls out today that I've had sitting in my bag. After playing the Chromes for a while and seeing how great they performed for me I was actually a little disappointed in the Black. Chromes are definitely my gamer this year.
 
I wont be buying any more Chromes after burning through this box. Ive found now twice they scuff up very easily before Im even done with 9 holes. Just not durable enough for my taste.
 
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