What’s New: 2020 Callaway Chrome Soft Hits Retail
Not much more to say that has t been said. Today was more of the same with the CSX. Incredible distance off the tee and irons, crazy spin control off scoring clubs. Even out of the rough I managed to stop a couple within a few feet of the ball mark. It’s a touch firm off the putter, but honestly I’m used to it and didn’t notice at all today.
csxtt20 is the goat. i've never played anything better. i hit some absolutely brilliant greenside bunker shots today that danced and gave me the opportunity for some great up-and-downs. and the feel off the putter is perfectly responsive, giving me distance control that is better than my jacked up stroke deserves. off the driver it's long. off the irons it's long and spins beautifully into greens. off the wedges you can make the ball do whatever you want. i've heard others say they're seeing durability issues, and i'll admit i did as well, but the last couple dozen i've purchased have held up really well, so maybe there are some inconsistencies in production batches? or maybe i just caught some bunkers with rocks in them that scuffed the ball and didn't realize it. regardless, i'm thrilled with this ball and will be reloading this week.
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Well I lost the last of my two sleeves of 2020 CS TT balls yesterday, so I thought I'd write a brief summary of my experience with this ball. Most of my testing was in comparison with my normal gamer, the Srixon Q-Star Tour.
- This is a REALLY GOOD ball!
- Good feel off the driver, irons, wedges, and putter. Between the cover material and the ball's compression, it is a good fit for me, and I'll give a slight nod here over the QST.
- Good distance off all clubs, not quite as long for me as the QST, but the difference is minimal, and wouldn't be a deal breaker.
- Great spin on full iron and wedge shots, and chips/pitches around the greens, for me, the QST is good, the CS is very good.
- Triple Track, probably the best alignment aid on any ball I've seen, but I don't use it.
- Durability is pretty good, and pretty equal to what I get from the QST.
- Value, this is where the CS loses for me big time. Callaway is admittedly putting out a ball in the 2020 Chrome Soft Triple Track that performs a little better for me than the Srixon Q-Star Tour. But looking at full retail, the CS is $15 a dozen more than the QST, and that $15 difference is maintained when looking at the best deals I can find anywhere between the two. The CS just isn't that much better, I'd likely pay $5 a dozen more for it, but not $15.
Price point seems to be what is holding back the Chrome Soft IMO. Multiple buddies enjoy the ball, but they will buy ProV1 for the same price (or less with Titleist's 4 for 3) every time.
I've found the CSx to perform so well for me. The CS is interesting because on the monitor it doesn't win any single category. Its not the fastest or the highest or the spinniest with an iron - but it always plays well on the course for me.
I've found the CSx to perform so well for me. The CS is interesting because on the monitor it doesn't win any single category. Its not the fastest or the highest or the spinniest with an iron - but it always plays well on the course for me.
I’d agree on price point, especially since it joined the upper echelon in that regard. I think it was better priced at $39.99 and even better when on sale at $34.99 for prior year releases. The CSX on the other hand has been stellar for me. I still miss the lower price point but it’s been so good!
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Everything this!
I really hope they do a 4 for 3 deal in late winter/early spring. I will pay the extra freight but they need to do it to compete with everyone else.
The 2020 CSX continues to impress. I played with the same ball through 16 holes and while it was scuffed a bit, it held up well.
i really like this ball off the tee and into the greens with wedges. It allows me to be aggressive with my wedges knowing the the ball will check and have minimal roll out.
off the putter whatever firmness i felt early on is gone. I’m not sure if it’s my putter or what, but the “click” I heard/felt at impact is gone.
i really like this ball off the tee and into the greens with wedges. It allows me to be aggressive with my wedges knowing the the ball will check and have minimal roll out.
off the putter whatever firmness i felt early on is gone. I’m not sure if it’s my putter or what, but the “click” I heard/felt at impact is gone.
I'm hoping to finally put together my notes and data on the CSX this weekend after testing and playing with them on and off the last 6 weeks or so. It appears they're being pretty well received on the whole here after extended use.
I’m hoping if I say “the 2020 CSX TT in yellow would be the best ball of all time” enough, it will happen. 
. Love both of the new balls, but the CSX stands out. And it’s time for me to restock for next year, so yellow would make me so happy haha.
. Love both of the new balls, but the CSX stands out. And it’s time for me to restock for next year, so yellow would make me so happy haha.
Should there really be inconsistencies in production batches after $50 mil in facility upgrades to eliminate inconsistencies though? I feel like that hopeful statement is equally troubling if true or not true.
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I played the 2020 CSXTT today for the first time. @mikeg_74 gave me a sleeve to try this morning and it could not have went better. It was wet and soft today so I did not get the normal Texas rollout but I hit some bombs off the tee. I hit a couple pulls today but I did not see an abundance of sidespin, the ball just stayed on its line. The spin into greens is exceptional but you have to watch out for spinning the ball back too far. I hit two bunker shots today. The first I was aggressive making sure to get out the trap and the ball flew the pin but just stopped dead right where it hit. The second was a long bunker shot on 18 that was inches from holing out. No problems with endurance and feel off of my putter felt fine. I am definitely ordering a dozen to compete with the CSTT.
i think 2020 is a hall pass year. staffing issues. materials issues. logistics issues. it’s a year where if it can go wrong, nobody should be surprised if it does go wrong. i have no idea if the issue is batch related, or just me making a crap swing or a piece of rock caused the scuffs. it’s not like i’m seeing scuffs out of the middle of the fairway or off a tee. the worst i have seen are out of bunkers. and rocks are very common where i live, even on nicer courses. but yesterday i was in a lot of bunkers, and played the same ball almost the whole round with no issues. who knows?!
While I applaud your willingness to understand (seriously, how nice are you?! Lol), I don't think a manufacturer who had the ball issues they did really gets a hall pass year. I'd argue that they should, if anything, hold themselves to an even higher standard than expected by consumers.
That's all IF there was some kind of batch inconsistency. All of mine (4 different sources and purchase dates) were pretty crap on durability.
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i wish your durability issue was an isolated incident. alas, i’ve heard more people with similar issues than those who have seen really good durability like i have. it’s such a good ball, i don’t care about a few scuffs here and there.
noodle3872
Well-known member
The CS and CSX have not been the best for durability. I picked up balls throughout the spring and summer from multiple shops. I’m generally not scuffing or cutting up covers with wedges however the CS/CSX seem to be prone to scarring up. The other side of the coin is I got tremendous spin which aided my game considerably. For me, the damage means a ball is pulled from play more frequently than I did when I gamed the Pro V1. I don’t mind since the performance is better.
But you have to ask yourself, what do you expect from a premium ball(s) where the core is as large as possible for speed and the cover is so blasted thin? The more go fast material used means there’ll be less cover materia which generally leads to less durability. I think it’s not a manufacturing issue as much as it is a design outcome.
But you have to ask yourself, what do you expect from a premium ball(s) where the core is as large as possible for speed and the cover is so blasted thin? The more go fast material used means there’ll be less cover materia which generally leads to less durability. I think it’s not a manufacturing issue as much as it is a design outcome.
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The boys at TXG reviewed the CS and CSX recently and the CSX performed very well for a high swing player like Matty!
I have seen similar results on the course and on the launch monitor.
I have seen similar results on the course and on the launch monitor.
I'm going to describe the process of doing upgrades to a production environment is unfortunately more difficult.
That said, I hope these upgrades work and they tighten up the QC issues.
I say this as a huge fan of the TXG guys. Honestly, I love their stuff and I'm an avid watcher and subscriber. They've kind of hilariously proven this last year though that they can't fit Matty for **** 'in studio' for on course performance. They spent all last offseason doing ball tests and deciding what was best for him and 3 ROUNDS into the season he was telling Ian during a live chat, adamantly, that they needed to do a ball fit. lol That he was seeing too much spin and was coming up short, etc, etc, etc. It really showed the problem with indoor, closed settings ball fits when guys that good can't put one of themselves in the right ball for the course. There was a whole thing about it in the comments, and it's the most grief I've ever seen them take.
I do like some things about the CSX, personally, and don't doubt that it fits you well. I don't think it deserves anywhere near the loyalty it receives though either. People want to like it, even when it's a bad fit for them, in the same weird way the always have from my perspective. I'll never understand it, especially at the price.
This year getting back into serious golf have tried these and various Titleist, Bridgestone and TM models and these stand out as well performing, decently priced, good feel, and have an attractive look. Always a soft spot for their products as they have supported Daly and others in past during some tough times. Think my next large ball purchase will be these. Probably a dozen each as a starting point. I have played some of my best golf in past with their balls and it maybe psychological but confident playing them.
Its probably best for another thread but I do remember that. They really put themselves out there with what they're doing.
There are 3 balls that I can put in play and know that I'm not sacrificing anything or making any trade-offs, and the 2020 CSx is one of them.
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I could understand if you were speaking about the 19 and before CSX. It was a mushy ball to me and the ball speed wasn’t there which lead to 9 yards less off the tee against the ProV1X. The 20CSX beat the 19 ProV1x for me. The triple track also helps me line up putts which is a benefit. I really like it in the wind too, it just seems super stable.
i agree with @ArmyGolf this is probably better for a different thread, but both matt and ian have said matt is changing his game to be less about power and more about control. that could definitely mean a need for new equipment.
as to the ball, the txg guys made some pretty bold claims about just how good the 2020 csx is. great spin into the greens. fast off irons but with elevated spin. fast and consistent off driver but with perfect spin to hit the correct window and stay there. i know our grandaddy team has all seen extremely impressive performance out of the 2020 csx. it's absolutely the best ball i have ever played.
It has been a great ball for me. I can definitely say that it is every bit as good as ProV1x if not better for me. I played the regular CS in the early months of the season. The CSX definitely gave me more stopping power on irons and wedges. And, it's longer off the driver. Only one complaint about the ball. I cannot find it locally. The most I had ever seen in stock in one location is 2 dozen. Never found the Triple Track version. I would go in looking for a dozen balls and walk out with Z Star XV's because the CSX was nowhere to be found. I meant to order online a few times. But, I never thought of it until I was low on balls. Then, I couldn't wait for shipping so I would gamble and hope I could find them. Even the regular Chrome Soft didn't seem to be well stocked.