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Callaway HEX Black and Chrome balls

SuperStroke
Both are really good. I'm having a hard time having a compelling reason to unseat the Pro V1x that I am used to, but the Black Hex is a close second followed by the B330 RX. My Black Hex experimenting right now reminds of the same I went through last year with the Penta TP. It was a little shorter than the Pro V1x but all around awesome and maybe a hair better on approach shots for me - being able to get 3 dz for $80 sealed the deal for the summer. Just wish all these balls were $24/dz LOL

Frank Bullitt said:
Callaway is REALLY good about sending out balls. I had a huge problem when I ordered my wedges from the store. I ended up having to call twice to find out what the problem was. Each time I called they said "let me send you some balls" - a week later, a dozen chrome and a dozen black showed up, the next week another dozen chrome and a dozen black showed up. Then the ferrules on my irons came loose, I called to complain, they replaced the irons and included a dozen black balls with the replacement irons. Finally, I called with questions about chrome vs. black a few weeks ago, rep said "let me send you a sleeve", a week later another dozen black showed up - they've sent me 6 dozen balls now!!!!

After all this, I put a ProV1x into play Monday and loved it!!!! Had the best short-game round I've ever had, got up and down 6 times and had 9 putts through first 7 holes and 12 putts on the front, and hit 6/7 fairways....

More confused than ever! I guess these are all great balls...

FB
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JK said:
Both are really good. I'm having a hard time having a compelling reason to unseat the Pro V1x that I am used to, but the Black Hex is a close second followed by the B330 RX. My Black Hex experimenting right now reminds of the same I went through last year with the Penta TP. It was a little shorter than the Pro V1x but all around awesome and maybe a hair better on approach shots for me - being able to get 3 dz for $80 sealed the deal for the summer. Just wish all these balls were $24/dz LOL
Click to expand...

At the Toshiba Classic this year in Newport Beach, Roger Dunn had a booth, they were giving away $10 coupons good towards a $50 sale. I asked the girl for a 2nd, then a 3rd, on the way out, she handed me a stack of 40 or so....Roger Dunn is letting me use these towards ProV1x (they sell them for $47.99) and they consider this close enough to $50, so I'm getting them for $37.99....my round on Monday made me realize quite a bit of this slow SS marketing is hype. I shot +12 at Tijeras Creek (42 on front and back) and the ball was fantastic!!!! I was just as long with the ProV1x as I was with a Hex Chrome....one thing I think I like about the ProV1x is that it's 4 layers versus 5. I've been told that the more layers you have, the harder it becomes to compress the core. Perhaps the ProV1x is a nice fit between the 3-piece and 5-piece - just a thought....

Off the beaten track, I see that you wear the Ecco Street Premiere shoe, these are really nice looking, I'm a bit of a shoe junkie and a Fred Couples disciple, so I found it really interesting that he took them off after it rained so hard on Saturday morning during the Toshiba in March, and then again on Sunday when it was not raining but still wet, he wore spikes again. The following Monday, I played the Costa Mesa CC and it was wet, I had FJ Contour Casual's on and slipped three times in the tee box. I've not slipped that many times in 15 years, so to slip three times in one day says something about these types of shoes. Have you played in them in wet conditions?

FB
 
Yes, I think they hold up pretty well. I've had a couple slips but given the 60 rounds I've probably played in them, wouldn't say they are a problem. In fact I used them on my Ireland trip last year and had very little problems in general in terms of slipping (though when it really rains I'm not really thinking about slipping). Also important to note I've worked on a more controlled swing lately so I don't lunge like I used to - i.e., slipping can be an indicator for me to chill out. To net it out, I would recommend the Eccos for damp conditions, but stick with standard spikes for truly wet ones if you tend to slip. Thread hijack warning: I'm actually gonna buy some Nike Bandon Zooms for my upcoming Scotland trip and wear those on wet days and the Eccos on less wet days.

BTW, love the coupon hording - $38/dz definitely works. I am still one of those people who think there is ZERO difference with "practice" balls and buy my Pro V1x's for $30. Only problem is they have been hard to find in stores lately. And because you are not guaranteed the "x" when buying online (its a mix of Pro V1 and Pro V1x) I prefer to get from the store because I can swap them out. Funny stor on this topic real quick: I was playing at a really high end club here in SD (where Phil belongs as reference) and went to warm up on the range only to find they used brand new Practice Pro V1's - since my bag was full of them (because that's what I was using at the time) I was afraid to pull them out to play for fear of being labeled a thief, so I had to buy some real ones (ouch on the per sleeve cost at a fancy club) - LOL

Frank Bullitt said:
At the Toshiba Classic this year in Newport Beach, Roger Dunn had a booth, they were giving away $10 coupons good towards a $50 sale. I asked the girl for a 2nd, then a 3rd, on the way out, she handed me a stack of 40 or so....Roger Dunn is letting me use these towards ProV1x (they sell them for $47.99) and they consider this close enough to $50, so I'm getting them for $37.99....my round on Monday made me realize quite a bit of this slow SS marketing is hype. I shot +12 at Tijeras Creek (42 on front and back) and the ball was fantastic!!!! I was just as long with the ProV1x as I was with a Hex Chrome....one thing I think I like about the ProV1x is that it's 4 layers versus 5. I've been told that the more layers you have, the harder it becomes to compress the core. Perhaps the ProV1x is a nice fit between the 3-piece and 5-piece - just a thought....

Off the beaten track, I see that you wear the Ecco Street Premiere shoe, these are really nice looking, I'm a bit of a shoe junkie and a Fred Couples disciple, so I found it really interesting that he took them off after it rained so hard on Saturday morning during the Toshiba in March, and then again on Sunday when it was not raining but still wet, he wore spikes again. The following Monday, I played the Costa Mesa CC and it was wet, I had FJ Contour Casual's on and slipped three times in the tee box. I've not slipped that many times in 15 years, so to slip three times in one day says something about these types of shoes. Have you played in them in wet conditions?

FB
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I played the Hex Black for my entire round today and the ball still looks pretty darn good. Its a great wind ball and the spin around the green is very solid. This is the first Callaway Ball line I have really liked this much and it is definitely a solid contender.
 
I just got my 3 dozen Hex Blacks from Budget Golf. $30/dozen, plus free shipping that arrived in 2 days (I also bought some shorts on sale to push the total cost over $100). Not a bad deal at all.
 
JB, how would you say it performs in the wind vs the B330 RX and Pro V1x? Specifically, by "int he wind" I mean for minimizing damage off the driver hitting draw/hook or fade/slice with side to side winds rather than into- or down-wind.

JB said:
I played the Hex Black for my entire round today and the ball still looks pretty darn good. Its a great wind ball and the spin around the green is very solid. This is the first Callaway Ball line I have really liked this much and it is definitely a solid contender.
Click to expand...
 
Frank Bullitt said:
At the Toshiba Classic this year in Newport Beach, Roger Dunn had a booth, they were giving away $10 coupons good towards a $50 sale. I asked the girl for a 2nd, then a 3rd, on the way out, she handed me a stack of 40 or so....Roger Dunn is letting me use these towards ProV1x (they sell them for $47.99) and they consider this close enough to $50, so I'm getting them for $37.99....my round on Monday made me realize quite a bit of this slow SS marketing is hype. I shot +12 at Tijeras Creek (42 on front and back) and the ball was fantastic!!!! I was just as long with the ProV1x as I was with a Hex Chrome....one thing I think I like about the ProV1x is that it's 4 layers versus 5. I've been told that the more layers you have, the harder it becomes to compress the core. Perhaps the ProV1x is a nice fit between the 3-piece and 5-piece - just a thought....

Off the beaten track, I see that you wear the Ecco Street Premiere shoe, these are really nice looking, I'm a bit of a shoe junkie and a Fred Couples disciple, so I found it really interesting that he took them off after it rained so hard on Saturday morning during the Toshiba in March, and then again on Sunday when it was not raining but still wet, he wore spikes again. The following Monday, I played the Costa Mesa CC and it was wet, I had FJ Contour Casual's on and slipped three times in the tee box. I've not slipped that many times in 15 years, so to slip three times in one day says something about these types of shoes. Have you played in them in wet conditions?

FB
Click to expand...


Take this however you want (~3:15 mark) but it's the first I've heard SS discussed like this (has embedding been disabled?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjcVWJJAOWw
 
Frank Bullitt said:
At the Toshiba Classic this year in Newport Beach, Roger Dunn had a booth, they were giving away $10 coupons good towards a $50 sale. I asked the girl for a 2nd, then a 3rd, on the way out, she handed me a stack of 40 or so....Roger Dunn is letting me use these towards ProV1x (they sell them for $47.99) and they consider this close enough to $50, so I'm getting them for $37.99....my round on Monday made me realize quite a bit of this slow SS marketing is hype. I shot +12 at Tijeras Creek (42 on front and back) and the ball was fantastic!!!! I was just as long with the ProV1x as I was with a Hex Chrome....one thing I think I like about the ProV1x is that it's 4 layers versus 5. I've been told that the more layers you have, the harder it becomes to compress the core. Perhaps the ProV1x is a nice fit between the 3-piece and 5-piece - just a thought....

Off the beaten track, I see that you wear the Ecco Street Premiere shoe, these are really nice looking, I'm a bit of a shoe junkie and a Fred Couples disciple, so I found it really interesting that he took them off after it rained so hard on Saturday morning during the Toshiba in March, and then again on Sunday when it was not raining but still wet, he wore spikes again. The following Monday, I played the Costa Mesa CC and it was wet, I had FJ Contour Casual's on and slipped three times in the tee box. I've not slipped that many times in 15 years, so to slip three times in one day says something about these types of shoes. Have you played in them in wet conditions?

FB
Click to expand...

FB - regarding the shoes... I wear True Linkswear shoes, and I have yet to slip in them, and I have played in some very wet conditions and i put a lot of torque on my feet. I slipped way more in spikes, I guess because they fill up in the spikes with wet grass?
 
tgtt said:
Take this however you want (~3:15 mark) but it's the first I've heard SS discussed like this (has embedding been disabled?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjcVWJJAOWw
Click to expand...

Really interesting...I watched it....but I kind of knew this anyway, I was basing my statement above primarily on the claims that Bridgestone makes....I had a Callaway rep on the phone bristle when I intimated that the black ball was for faster swing speeds, he told me "no where on our site do you see this claim, we are not saying that"....so Callaway is taking the Titleist approach to the swing sped issue...as I stated in a previous post, I think it comes down to swing quality - i.e., if you hit it straight, then a 3-piece ProV1 or Hex Chrome is a fantastic ball, but if you cut and hook slightly, or quite a bit like I do, than the ProV1x or Hex Black might provide a little help....

FB
 
JK said:
JB, how would you say it performs in the wind vs the B330 RX and Pro V1x? Specifically, by "int he wind" I mean for minimizing damage off the driver hitting draw/hook or fade/slice with side to side winds rather than into- or down-wind.
Click to expand...

Similarly to both for me and has durability like the RX. I find the Pro V1x lacks the durability compared to those 2.
 
that's a pretty good observation Frank....it's something I'm going to pay attention to when I have my ball fitting done for the Chrome v Black

Frank Bullitt said:
Really interesting...I watched it....but I kind of knew this anyway, I was basing my statement above primarily on the claims that Bridgestone makes....I had a Callaway rep on the phone bristle when I intimated that the black ball was for faster swing speeds, he told me "no where on our site do you see this claim, we are not saying that"....so Callaway is taking the Titleist approach to the swing sped issue...as I stated in a previous post, I think it comes down to swing quality - i.e., if you hit it straight, then a 3-piece ProV1 or Hex Chrome is a fantastic ball, but if you cut and hook slightly, or quite a bit like I do, than the ProV1x or Hex Black might provide a little help....

FB
Click to expand...
 
I like them as well. I did however go back to the Nike One Tour D ball since I got an awesome deal on them and won't play the Hex again until these are gone. I am impressed with Callaway customer service and the feedback from them on this issue.
TheHeez said:
I'm seeing those "cracks" too. It almost looks like thats how a Hex dimple shows a wedge cut but they are right on the edge of the hex dimple.

Other than that, these balls are pretty much awesome. I'm still getting used to them being longer but am really loving their spin characteristics around the green. I've never really been one to be too concerned with distance (accuracy being my primary issue), but it is sure nice playing one club shorter on every shot. Driver spin has not been an issue either, my miss remains a slight fade that is playable on all but the narrowest holes.
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Put the Chrome in to play this evening, and have to say that I absolutely love this ball. The spin that I get on my Iron and Wedge shots is absolutely perfect for me. I am not a high spin player, but being able to his a wedge from 100 yards and get the ball to land and stick the green today is something that made me grin from ear to ear. I feel that the Chrome reacts perfectly for me on my shots, and will definitely keep putting it in play.
 
War Eagle said:
Put the Chrome in to play this evening, and have to say that I absolutely love this ball. The spin that I get on my Iron and Wedge shots is absolutely perfect for me. I am not a high spin player, but being able to his a wedge from 100 yards and get the ball to land and stick the green today is something that made me grin from ear to ear. I feel that the Chrome reacts perfectly for me on my shots, and will definitely keep putting it in play.
Click to expand...

Good thoughts WE. I really love this ball as well.


Sent from someone else's iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Played the Hex Black a couple of days ago. Played better with it and it's an excellent performing ball. Where on earth are y'all getting these claims of "durability" though? I didn't touch a tree, cart path, or sand trap all day and the ball looked like it had been through hell and back.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
 
COLT said:
Played the Hex Black a couple of days ago. Played better with it and it's an excellent performing ball. Where on earth are y'all getting these claims of "durability" though? I didn't touch a tree, cart path, or sand trap all day and the ball looked like it had been through hell and back.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
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What do you think of the Penta TP3?
 
I'll try to make this response appropriate for this thread.

Off the driver the Hex B is "firm" but not harsh. The TP3 is almost like hitting nothing...so soft. Hex B launches noticeably lower and spins a bit less. Hex B is mildly shorter and I'm a high"ish" swing speed player.

Off the irons the Hex B feels firmer, once again, but not hard or clicky. TP3 slightly less controllable off the irons. It still gets where you intend it to be, but it's just harder to keep down if you want. I'd say they hold greens identically on full iron and wedge shots.

Wedges are the same story feel wise for both balls...ie Hex B=slightly firmer and TP3=soft as a baby's bottom. Hex B stays down and spins a little more on short pitches. Hex B checks harder on chips too, but not by much.

Durability
Hex B is an iffy 6.
TP3 is a solid 8.
Just my opinion as others seem to be having different results in this department.

In my opinion between the two balls really the only difference I am seeing is that the Hex B is mildly but noticeably firmer than the TP3, launch is just a little bit lower off of everything, and spins just a little bit more when you get close to the green.

So if you want a softer feel, a little bit higher launch, and to pay $10 less for a dozen balls then go with the TP3.

If you like a nice solid feel off of your club, and a little bit more controllable flight with your irons, and a tad more spin around the green then go with the Hex B.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
 
COLT said:
Played the Hex Black a couple of days ago. Played better with it and it's an excellent performing ball. Where on earth are y'all getting these claims of "durability" though? I didn't touch a tree, cart path, or sand trap all day and the ball looked like it had been through hell and back.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
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Really? That's odd with the Hex Black. I took mine through hell and back. Sand, full wedge shots, all out wedge shots, etc. Ball was very playable even after a fight with a tree.
 
COLT said:
I'll try to make this response appropriate for this thread.

Off the driver the Hex B is "firm" but not harsh. The TP3 is almost like hitting nothing...so soft. Hex B launches noticeably lower and spins a bit less. Hex B is mildly shorter and I'm a high"ish" swing speed player.

Off the irons the Hex B feels firmer, once again, but not hard or clicky. TP3 slightly less controllable off the irons. It still gets where you intend it to be, but it's just harder to keep down if you want. I'd say they hold greens identically on full iron and wedge shots.

Wedges are the same story feel wise for both balls...ie Hex B=slightly firmer and TP3=soft as a baby's bottom. Hex B stays down and spins a little more on short pitches. Hex B checks harder on chips too, but not by much.

Durability
Hex B is an iffy 6.
TP3 is a solid 8.
Just my opinion as others seem to be having different results in this department.

In my opinion between the two balls really the only difference I am seeing is that the Hex B is mildly but noticeably firmer than the TP3, launch is just a little bit lower off of everything, and spins just a little bit more when you get close to the green.

So if you want a softer feel, a little bit higher launch, and to pay $10 less for a dozen balls then go with the TP3.

If you like a nice solid feel off of your club, and a little bit more controllable flight with your irons, and a tad more spin around the green then go with the Hex B.


Tapping and crashing with the new updated/downgraded Tapatalk.
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Thanks Colt - that's interesting....this is the only new ball for 2012 I've not hit yet....(No ball would have saved me today, my 12.3 that I just posted last night, will be going up after today - I hit it SIDEWAYS!!!! What an awful day, 84 on Monday, same course today - 94!!!! - I need a Xanax!!!!)
 
Callaway has launched a new golf ball selector on their website that includes the new balls and is very different from the previous selector. It's also not working right now, I tried it with two different browsers, maybe it's a Mac thing....
 
not working for me either...

Frank Bullitt said:
Callaway has launched a new golf ball selector on their website that includes the new balls and is very different from the previous selector. It's also not working right now, I tried it with two different browsers, maybe it's a Mac thing....
Click to expand...
 
Step 1 (HI input, current ball, etc) worked for me, but step 2 is blank though it looks intriguing as it appears you can adjust rather than just get a single answer:

it says "Please use the sliders below to select the importance of each performance characteristic" is what it says but there are no sliders

Frank Bullitt said:
Callaway has launched a new golf ball selector on their website that includes the new balls and is very different from the previous selector. It's also not working right now, I tried it with two different browsers, maybe it's a Mac thing....
Click to expand...
 
JK said:
Step 1 (HI input, current ball, etc) worked for me, but step 2 is blank though it looks intriguing as it appears you can adjust rather than just get a single answer:

it says "Please use the sliders below to select the importance of each performance characteristic" is what it says but there are no sliders
Click to expand...

Maybe I should call and ask them to send me more free balls????
 
LMAO - Frank, gotta love the way you work the system (are you thru all those Pro V1x coupons yet?). They probably will fork over some more since the bottom line apparently is not a focus. BTW, I live and work about a mile from Callaway (and TM) HQ, so maybe I'll just walk over there and complain - wonder how that would work in person :)

Frank Bullitt said:
Maybe I should call and ask them to send me more free balls????
Click to expand...
 
JK said:
LMAO - Frank, gotta love the way you work the system (are you thru all those Pro V1x coupons yet?). They probably will fork over some more since the bottom line apparently is not a focus. BTW, I live and work about a mile from Callaway (and TM) HQ, so maybe I'll just walk over there and complain - wonder how that would work in person :)
Click to expand...

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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