The ifrothgolf review
Callaway's premium tour ball, the one built to take on the Pro V1. Four-piece urethane job aimed at faster swingers who want soft feel without the spin getting silly.
What's great
This is a proper tour ball, not a pretender. The feel is a touch softer than the Tour X and even the Pro V1x, with a duller, muted click off the irons that a lot of blokes love. Greenside it bites just like a Pro V1, testers genuinely struggled to tell them apart around the green. Ball flight is rock solid and it holds its line beautifully in the wind, which makes it a cracker for links and breezy days. It's also tougher than you'd expect, more than one tester reckoned it held up better than a Pro V1 against cart paths and tree bark, so it lasts.
Worth knowing
It's a firmer feel overall (compression around 87), so if you swing easy or like a marshmallow ball, this isn't it, the Chrome Soft suits you better. It's a hair slower off the driver than a Pro V1x and the Tour X, costing a couple of yards of carry, though if you've got the speed you'll never notice. And it's full whack premium money. If you're a mid or high handicapper, you're paying tour prices for performance you can't fully use.
The verdict
A genuine Pro V1 rival and one of the best balls going for fast-swinging players who want soft feel and a steady flight in the wind. If you're slower or careful with cash, save your money and look elsewhere.
What reviewers say
In robot testing the Chrome Tour was the longest premium ball off the tee with strong greenside spin and a fast, firm feel big hitters like. Reviewers note 'longest on a robot' won't automatically mean longest for every golfer, and the firmer feel won't suit everyone versus the Pro V1.
