Also, I'm expecting driver results to be exponentially greater than irons for example.
3 mph increase in driver is great, but is it 3 mph across the bag? I may be misremembering the grand daddy thread.
2026 Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Balls: More Speed, Tighter Consistency
3 mph increase in driver is great, but is it 3 mph across the bag? I may be misremembering the grand daddy thread.
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Used the Chrome Tour exclusively during my lesson at Back9 indoor sim yesterday.
On well struck shots, I am seeing distance I have not seen in a very long time (much younger).
I was getting high 7k spin and 185yds out of 7 iron and I wasnt trying to crush the ball.
I am a firm believer in the new Callaway ball lineup.
On well struck shots, I am seeing distance I have not seen in a very long time (much younger).
I was getting high 7k spin and 185yds out of 7 iron and I wasnt trying to crush the ball.
I am a firm believer in the new Callaway ball lineup.
I was seeing 2mph increase in ball speed with my 7i at the PGASS. We were told in the presentation that the new ball should not lead to any gapping issues (woods going much further than irons because of ball speed).
In my ball testing thread I've only tested two balls through my official protocol so far but it seems like I'm seeing just a little bit faster ball speeds with Mizuno Pro X. However, better and more consistent spin with CTX.
I actually prefer the higher and more consistent spin.
Very similar to what I am seeing hitting mine into a net with the MLM2 Pro, and since I added sticker dots to it, it gets impacted in the same spot repeatedly so I don't tear off the dots.
Nets chew up golf balls, and then they get a bounce or two on concrete in my garage. I think they are holding up really well considering.
I'll definitely test this ball as well. Once I can find a place to get them.
We were. Yet we used it for testing both balls.
We were but we used the new driver on both the competitor ball and the new ball.
We were also comparing a like ball to a like ball. Meaning an X style to an X style.
Yeah I'm even more flummoxed on why I'm not seeing it then. Definitely not for lack of trying. I'll give it another go tomorrow for my sim time.
But like I keep saying, I think I'd rather take the spin increase that I am seeing then a hotter ball off the face.
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Except when your putts don't roll straight and you get a wobbly line haha
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- #1,361
Nailed it
This is some glass half empty talk sir
Gotta play the game for those hero moments, they might only come once every other round but when it does happen…
Which two balls are you comparing and what did you play last year?
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I'm going to see if I still have any Mizuno Pro X laying around and compare because I don't buy this at all. I'm not saying its not possible but I need to see it for myself
Excuse me, this is the internet where all putts go end over end.
Yeah that's how I am too. I like to see stuff for myself when possible. That's why I keep chasing this 2.7mph increase
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- #1,367
Its not going to be the same for everyone. Some see more some see less but I've not seen a ball be faster than this one in my testing
What type of sim are you on? If it’s radar based, the different finishes of the covers could be effecting the results.
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I know we’ve both done this test numerous times, with pretty much every ball out there, typically there’s some impact location involved.
Testing golf balls for most people is tough when searching for a single metric. Less tough for you with the dime size mark you leave on a driver, but for lay people like me, it usually comes down to impact.
It’s why it was so unique to see a unanimous test again, because it’s happened less than five times in 18 years of doing this
Remember the 2.7 was just the average for our team and we had one guy gain 5. I believe in Callaway’s full testing it was closer to 2 than 3.
I don't love doing this, but it's easier this way here's a copy paste from Gemini on how Trackman iO measures ball speed.
The Trackman iO measures ball speed through a hybrid technology called Optically Enhanced Radar Tracking (OERT). Unlike traditional launch monitors that often rely on just one method, the iO combines radar and high-speed imaging to ensure precision in indoor environments.
How It Works
- Doppler Radar: The unit uses a 24 GHz ultra-low-power radar to track the ball's movement immediately after impact. It measures the Doppler shift (changes in frequency of the reflected waves) to calculate the ball’s exact velocity
- High-Speed Cameras: The iO features a dual-camera system capable of up to 4,600 frames per second. These cameras work in tandem with the radar to provide high-resolution visual data.
- Data Integration: While the radar is the primary tool for speed and distance, the cameras provide the "optical enhancement" by pinpointing the ball's exact 3D position and spin. This combined data allows the system to calculate ball speed with extreme accuracy even with limited ball flight
Think that is a good point that I keep forgetting is its vs. a different "market leading" ball. Perhaps the gain may or may not be as much for some just going from '24 to '26, but I do believe its been an all around improvement/step forward in the '26 model that I am seeing on the course. They've taken a great ball (CT in my instance) and made it even better.
thefrozenchef
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as a former TD user this is pretty intriguing. I didn’t quite have enough speed to take advantage of the TD so this may be worth a shot.
The tour is lower spinning off irons right?
The tour is lower spinning off irons right?
I know there's other variables at play, but to even see 5mph gain vs. a similar profile ball is also pretty wild in itself.
I know everyone loves distance, but the difference in dispersion and spin into and around the green I'm seeing (even over the '24 CTX) are what I'm excited about the most