It wasn’t so long ago that had you said one of the most anticipated Callaway releases of the new year would be golf balls, you’d have gotten some very interesting reactions. However, in 2022, that is precisely the situation.
Since the inception of Chrome Soft, Callaway has been on a meteoric rise in the golf ball segment the likes of which we have never seen in terms of grabbing market share. While one might think that 2021’s craziness could potentially slow that momentum, it did the exact opposite. With two Major Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal, Chrome Soft was the hottest golf ball on the planet.
While other companies may decide to just “run with it” for another cycle, Callaway has been priming up for this release, they have said, the next evolution is all about “Precision Technology”.
2022 Callaway Chrome Soft Family
Callaway refers to themselves as an “unrivaled tech enabled golf company”, and with the advent of A.I. and a plethora of other technology firsts in the industry, no one can argue that point. When it comes to golf balls, the investment has been well beyond substantial to live up to that moniker. By spending over 50 million dollars, they have revolutionized their manufacturing facilities and the 2022 version of Chrome Soft is utilizing their newest tech, 3D X-Ray.
While altering and evolving the core, cover, and aerodynamic properties of the entire lineup is definitely a part of the story, the bigger tale to be told is what Callaway calls “Concentricity Offset”. In the simplest terms, yes, this is about ensuring things are centered, but not just the core, rather the 3D X-Ray and its high-definition imagery means Callaway can now check every single layer of their golf balls to ensure manufacturing specs are hit to within 1/1000th of an inch.
This is important because internal testing showed Callaway that the same ball, if offset, can have a multitude of different reactions off the face depending on its orientation, we are talking 2.7 MPH, 2.1° launch, and 1200 RPM of spin differences. Now, obviously, on the course we can’t look at the ball and align it every single shot because we can’t see the inside, so Callaway has taken their evolution to a level no other golf ball manufacturer has with 3D X-Ray and are trying to eliminate all the variables…except for our crazy swings.
This is why you will notice Callaway pushing “Precision Technology” everywhere this year, it may not fix our swings, but it will increase the potential for consistency.
2022 Callaway Chrome Soft
Now don’t worry Callaway fans, first thing is first, the company is adamant that soft feel, which put this golf ball on the map, is still well intact, but now with more ball speed and thus more distance potential.
The CS remains a 3-piece design which now uses a new “Hyper Elastic SoftFast Core”. While alarm bells would normally go off when a company changes the core, this new technology used Cross Linking which basically means the core responds better to strain (impact) at higher speeds allowing it to generate more energy, but without altering feel or touch.
The new Chrome Soft also features a new aerodynamic dimple pattern to help with longer carry and lower drag. Testing from the company points to about 0.5 MPH increase in speed off the driver while dropping spin in that club as well as the 7i.
2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X
The most played Callaway ball on Tour, they admit that their players were on them to not change a thing, after all, we all know by now this ball is the reason Jon Rahm came to Callaway. Not to mention, the CSX might have been the fastest golf ball on the market, so why would you change anything? Because better is always better.
The 2022 Chrome Soft X is still a 4-piece design, and according to the company, it is even faster than it was thanks to the same Cross Linking technology which was used in the CS being present here in the new Hyper Elastic SoftFast Core. Add new aerodynamics to play stronger into the wind, and the testing has indicated there to be no spin change while adding about 0.7 MPH ball speed off the tee.
The longest might have just gotten longer. However, it is important to note that at lower speeds, this Cross Linking in the core means that it performs just like its predecessor, meaning no loss of greenside feel, precision, or spin.
2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS
While it’s a mouthful to say, the CSX LS has been an eye opener for a segment of golfers who just generate more spin than is necessarily optimal for their games, and while they’re obviously a smaller segment than the other two balls address, this design is what gives Callaway one of the most complete Tour Caliber golf ball lineups on the market.
The LS also uses the new Hyper Elastic SoftFast Core along with Tour influences for the aerodynamic pattern in its 4-Piece design like its siblings in the lineup do. The big difference here is an all-new cover material which Callaway developed specifically to address the one knock on the original version by some, greenside control.
This new softer cover in cooperation with the new core has increased the ball speed, but also managed to increase spin around the greens while lowering it elsewhere. Testing shows almost 1 MPH of added ball speed while dropping off over 100 RPM’s from the driver and 7i.
The Details on the full lineup
Availability: 1/28/22
Price: $49.99
Options: Standard, Triple Track, Truvis
I have one good eye and I still think it’s garish. Are you even allowed to drive?
not for another few months ?
Interesting change. I like that. You should submit it to the higher ups!
I would be all in for that!
Was the LS this years or last? The LS changes this year took that out a bunch and made it feel softer as sort of a in between CS and CSX.
I was getting ready to ask the same thing. If the box doesn’t have a cross hair and say precision technology it’s last years and they were firm and clicky.
Or the name on the ball will have <> surrounding it.
This looks great. Did you just outline free hand style or use a ball market?
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Yellow TT is what my heart desires!!!!
The ball has enough spin on it for sure. Seen @xThor throw some sauce behind some balls just yesterday. It’s just a really solid ball in the lineup.
Mine too and @Muchmore18!
100% agree
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Just wish it was easier to find
PGA SS online
I’m loving the regular CS w/ Triple Track.
I also play the ERC Soft TT.
I don’t see a lot of difference between the 2, ERC maybe a little longer and higher flight, regular CS has a touch more spin from the short irons.
ERC Soft $10 cheaper.
Now, one problem I have with the Truvis is that they hide in plain site for me, some times even in the fairway I can’t see them clearly from more than 30 yards away. If they’re in the light rough, I might even step on one, especially the Stars and Stripes model.
Once I’ve exhausted my stash of OG TM Tour Response, the CS will be my ball. I like them better than ProV1’s which I spin way too much for my game.
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this is what I have been searching for!
This is awesome!!!
For like, forever. ????
It’s cool. Just talking to myself for 11 months apparently. ?
Never played Diamond so I couldn’t tell you there. But for TP5X, I’d say the LS.
I agree here on the TP5X
LS. I played the current TP5x for a year before the LS replaced it for me. Diamond is a different spin animal.
Decided to give these a try for 2023 as online ball fitter picked these so bought 2 dozen with my Callaway.com gift card. Loading up for 2023! ??
Great choice! It’s a superb ball.
You’re going to love them!
Looking forward to them! Still have a dozen LS Shamrocks that @fuffle master sent when I won a contest of his a while back too
Did you see all the yellow TT at cannon?
Went Triple Track too because lefties ?
Nope! Now I have to identify to my ball with a marker! This is BS! ?
Yours will be well in front of me so should be good ? but I can be the designated marker of ball
I felt like a tour pro and then I looked at how far away from the pin I was and thought better of it. It’s been a great golf ball this year!
This season, I used both the CSX and CSX LS pretty interchangeably. At the end of the year, I finally settled on the LS but could really go either way, truly.
LS was my ball last year but there were a couple things that I would have liked improved going in to this season. First being the clicky-ness of the ball off of irons through putter. 2022 version made it softer. Second thing was the durability of the cover could have been better from the 21 line. 2022 fixed that. So why would I regularly use the X as well?
Because it’s a DAMN GOOD ball too. There were some days I felt like I needed more spin around the greens. Check. And that’s it. The X does everything else the LS does for me specifically except it helps around the greens more. I don’t see more than 2-5 yards loss in distance off the tee and I can work with that easily. The only thing the X doesn’t do well is play in the wind. At least for me since I’ve seen a bunch of comments working the X in the wind just fine. That’s a no go for me. X seemed to just have that little bit of hang up off the tee or be moved a little too much by a crosswind.
What ball did I score best with this season? I shot a 75 with both balls which was my best score this year. I was surprisingly consistent with scores with regardless of what ball I used. So even writing this, I have zero doubt that I could use both balls and not miss a beat. I saw better spin towards the end of the year with the LS which is why it ended up as the ball towards the end of the season but that doesn’t mean I won’t go back to the X at some point. Lunatic Fringe and all…and hey, who knows what Callaway has planned anyway. My choice may change next year again lol
There will never be enough thank yous to Callaway and THP for the opportunity of a lifetime and for continuously giving THPers this chance to do something so completely insane that people don’t believe you. I will be forever grateful
Yep, loving the TT so far too. Not only for green reading, but I find I even align the center of the putter face better using TT.
Told the fitter that I had a lot of success during the season with the ball and while I stayed away from Chrome Soft in the past, I was quite please with 2022 version.
After about 45 minutes in the fitting, I asked what he thought of my ball choice.
His comment was "I love the ball for you, looks like you get some nice spin with it"
So, this stays in the bag for 2023.
I guess it would be too much for @JasonFinleyCG not to bring out a 2023 version before I use up what I have….
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