There are hundreds of golf ball brands out there now it’s really a hassle going through them all. Many are released in series. Some get replaced in as little as a year.
It would have been as easy as sticking with one brand and just going with whatever they bring out. But it’s not always like that. Because you have a lot of things to consider.
You have to consider the price, performance, material, spin, distance, and a whole lot more. And if you’re a pro golfer, you will definitely come across other brands to test outside of your choose/favorite one.
This is the case of Titleist and Callaway. The two brands have been around for decades. And they have been trying to outpace each other for quite a while.
Say Titleist is your favorite brand and you love the Titleist Tour Soft that’s just released. And then you come across a new ball from Callaway (an equally formidable brand) and you can’t resist the features on the ball. Softer feel, lower price, even distance as promised.
Unfortunately, you can’t get your hands on all of them because you know you can’t break the bank just to get a two-piece, average golf ball. So, you have to compare and contrast. If that’s the case, then I think you should find this article useful.
Titleist Tour Soft vs Callaway Chrome Soft: Reviews
Callaway Chrome Soft
Just like Titleist, Callaway introduced a newer technology in the Chrome Soft, known as the Graphene. This is a new and very light material for the cover of the ball.
The resultant thinner core ensures you get a higher launch that is married to a softer feel. This in addition to lower spin and more control around the green should make this ball the holy grail, right?
Callaway has innovated in the design of the Chrome Soft Golf Balls with a dual SoftFast core, which is composed of two cores, a very soft and firmer outer core.
The softer inner core allows the ball to reach more speed and go farther, which is ideal for slower swinging players.
And the outer, the firmer core, offers exceptional control.
Besides, the ball is made up of four layers the first layer is a thin cover that covers the two layers of the cores, and an outer layer made of urethane, which makes the ball have a soft feel.
Conclusion
These golf balls are tough and just as durable as the best premium balls on the market. They can withstand the wear and tear of constant use and remain in top condition. In fact, they are more likely to be lost while playing than damaged.
Many golfers claim the company did a good job with the Chrome Soft only that they’ve placed a premium price on it. However, if you can afford it, it’s a good one.
Titleist Tour Soft
The Titleist Tour Soft is a 2-piece golf ball with a large core and a lower compression rating. As opposed to 3-piece golf balls, the balls with this construction are great for beginners and average golfers.
If you’re looking for less spin and more distance off the tee, a 2-piece golf ball is your best choice. As opposed to 3-piece golf balls which are designed for advanced golfers to have more control of their shots.
So, if you’re slow speed swinging golfer, this will give you a suitable field of play. Are two-piece golf balls good? Yes, but if you have a handicap of 36 or lower with a swing in the low 80s mph.
As regards the lower compression, that is going to give you less spin so your ball can cover more distance. What Titleist has done with the cover in the Tour Soft is that they made it very tiny and build it on their patented technology.
The cover is the usual ionomer cover, a kind of surlyn cover material found in many two-piece golf balls. So, according to the brand, you can get the soft feeling of the Chrome Soft, while enjoying tour-caliber performance on this ball.
So, for example, you don’t need to spend extra 5-10 dollars chasing after premium golf balls like the Pro V1.
Conclusion
While you may possibly get good results playing this ball, you should never expect a tour performance on it. It just can’t give you that because it doesn’t have the construction to do that. But is it a good ball? Yes. But not necessarily at the level at which Titleist is trying to promote it.
Titleist Tour Soft vs Callaway Chrome Soft: Comparison
When you look at the golf ball industry at large, you’ll soon discover fierce competition between manufacturers to convince you to their side.
For example, Titleist will claim that their Tour Soft Golf balls are longer, softer feeling, and therefore better than other brand balls like the Chrome Soft.
According to Titleist, the Tour Soft carries 140 mph ball speed, 12-degree launch angle, 2900 rpm spin rate, which makes it 5 yards longer than the Callaway Chrome Soft. Same thing with many other popular brands.
This is a result of a machine testing setup condition carried on several golf balls including the Tour Soft and Chrome Soft. Similarly, Titleist claims that the Tour Soft is 14 compression units softer than the Callaway Chrome Soft.
In a comparison by a pro golfer, David, he pointed out that the claims may be accurate but may not be applicable to all golfers, especially the average ones.
Those golfers with average swing speeds (that is less than 100mph) may not see close to the performance metrics that Titleist is claiming.
So, if you’re looking at these balls, you don’t necessarily have to go with the manufacturer’s claims. But rather the reviews of those who’ve played the ball or analysis from pros like David from PuttsAround.
Final Words
In terms of performance, both the Tour Soft and Chrome Soft are very similar. After testing both, some golfers find they are both easily controlled, have similar spin and coverage.
The durability is the area where Titleist wins though as the Callaway Chrome Soft may not be as durable as it. However, the Chrome Soft should deliver a softer feel than the Tour Soft.
The price, I think might be the breakpoint for many people. The Callaway is arguably more expensive. So, if you don’t care about the feel, you may want to go with the Titleist.
Read More: Is Callaway Warbird Better than Supersoft?