Your club choice changes from shot to shot, but your ball remains constant whether you're looking to hit it as far as possible or get it down in two putts. For that reason, it's important that you find the best golf ball that will help you play to your strengths, but also help you with your weaknesses.
One brand that produces an excellent range of high-performance golf balls is Callaway. The brand are one of the biggest golf equipment manufacturers on the market and is a leader at producing equipment for all kinds of players. Their extensive range of golf balls is no different either, whether you're after the best premium golf balls or the best distance golf balls Callaway caters for everyone.
From the tour-preferred Chrome Soft models down to the ever-popular Warbird, which offers maximum value and durability, you'll find a ball that will suit your needs as a golfer. Some even feature handy alignment lines that can help you be more accurate on the putting greens, while others are jam-packed with technology that will help you strike the ball longer.
In this guide, we'll be walking you through some of the best Callaway golf balls you can buy right now and give you a rundown of which ball is best for each kind of golfer. Alternatively, if you prefer a different brand to Callaway, take a look at our guides on the best Titleist golf balls, best TaylorMade golf balls and best Bridgestone golf balls.
The Quick List
A beautifully soft feeling golf ball that will appeal to high speed and high spin players. This ball is extremely consistent in its delivery of spin and stability of flight. Look out Titleist, Callaway has upped its game a notch here…
An excellent premium ball. Spinnier, more workable and firmer feeling than its sibling, the Chrome Tour. This ball will suit players looking for maximum spin and those who love to shape the ball.
The Chrome Soft remains a really strong ball with good spin characteristics and a wonderfully soft feel. Not too much has changed for 2024, but why would it?
The ERC Soft offered excellent distance and alignment. All in all, the value for money is competitive here, especially given how durable we found it.
A fantastic value ball with outstanding performance, we definitely recommend these for senior players who don't want to spend lots on premium balls. They maintained distance for long clubs and had notable control around the greens.
Callaway Hex Soft is a great all-round performance ball, well-priced and feature a soft feel but very durable construction.
Load the next 2 models
Another great option for beginner golfers trying to get more range. The Callaway Warbird offers impressive distance and a good putting feel at outstanding value. You may notice a lack of spin in your approach shots however.
For
- Impressive distance
- Degree of greenside feel
- Excellent value for money
Against
- Won't offer quite enough spin around the greens
Golf is a difficult game and the Reva ball will help many golfers, especially beginners, to play better and ultimately boost their confidence for greater enjoyment.
For
- Slightly larger than the standard ball, so instills confidence.
- Easy to launch and forgiving on mishits.
Against
- Better players with a faster swing speed will not reap the benefits in terms of carry and distance.
Best Callaway Golf Balls
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Top pick
Of the two 2024 tour balls, the Chrome Tour is designed to be the softer feeling ball but slightly lower spinning through the bag. The player in mind here is someone with a high swing speed who doesn’t want to have to throttle back too much to avoid excessive spin.
In terms of the tech, a new Hyperfast Soft core has been designed to give as much speed as possible to the new Chrome Tour. Callaway says it has achieved this by using a new rubber system where a new base polymer has been combined with a mixture of other ingredients to create optimal compressions for speed.
In terms of the unquantifiable stuff, the Chrome Tour definitely does feel a touch softer than both it’s sibling the Chrome Tour X and also the Pro V1x. Audibly, it is also a little duller which is something that appeals to us and is more noticeable on the mid and short irons.
When it comes to the measurable factors, we found it to be a touch slower off the face than Chrome Tour X and Pro V1x when hitting driver, but we are talking 0.5mph lower than the Titleist and 0.7mph than the Chrome Tour X.
- Read our full Callaway Chrome Tour Golf Ball Review
Best for spin
With regards to the technological advances, Callaway is telling us that a new Hyperfast Soft core has been introduced to give as much speed as possible to the new Chrome Tour X. Callaway has achieved this by implementing a new rubber system whereby a new base polymer has been combined with a mixture of other ingredients to create optimal compressions to produce maximum speeds.
The Chrome Tour X also features a new cross-over dimple pattern of both hexagonal and spherical dimples to create an innovative new dimple design which maximizes the stability of the ball flight.
To talk in feel terms first, the X is noticeably firmer than the standard Chrome Tour. Nothing even resembling hard, just one note higher-pitched and livelier than its sibling.
We tested the Chrome Tour X on full shots against the standard Chrome Tour, the new Chrome Soft and our usual gamer the Titleist Pro V1x using a Trackman 4 launch monitor, and the results were pretty much as Callaway told us they would be. We saw marginally faster ball speed through the bag with the X version over the standard model and also slightly higher spin numbers. In terms of the data versus the Titleist ball, it was extremely similar.
- Read our full Callaway Chrome Tour X Golf Ball Review
Best Tour softness
We've always been big fans of the Callaway Chrome Soft range, which has been with us for numerous years now. In 2024, we see the brand bring in a new Hyperfast Soft core that has been designed to give as much speed as possible. Callaway has also done this via a new rubber system, where a new base polymer has been combined with a mixture of other ingredients to create optimal compressions for speed.
Performance-wise, it kept up with the likes of the Titleist Pro V1 and, as the name suggests, it provided an extremely soft feel which resulted in excellent control and consistent results.
In all honesty, the rise of the Chrome Tour and Tour X does question where this model sits in Callaway's hierarchy but, if you are after one of the best premium golf balls that won't break the bank, then the Chrome Soft is an excellent option. What's more, it's available in multiple colors and designs so there should be an option for everyone.
- Read our full Callaway 2024 Chrome Soft Golf Ball Review
Best for alignment
The latest version of Callaway’s ERC Soft is packed with new technology and features that are designed to make it the brand's longest soft-feeling ball. It features Callaway's largest ever Graphene-infused Dual SoftFast Core, with the larger inner core maximizing compression energy at impact. This keeps driver spin ratios down and helps generate a high launch for more yards. A new multi-material cover produces an extremely soft feel around the greens.
In testing all of this was valid. The ball launched high off the driver's face, held flight well and compressed nicely. Around the green, the Callaway ERC Soft isn’t as zippy as the top models but it feels nice, lands softly and checks up pretty quickly. It comes with Callaway's patented Triple Track Technology which won't be for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed its alignment benefits, especially with the driver and on the green. I rated these balls so highly that the Golf Monthly team chose to include them in our guide to the best golf balls for high handicappers
- Read our full Callaway 2021 ERC Soft Triple Track Golf Ball Review
Best soft feel
Callaway’s low-compression Supersoft ball is one of the best soft-feeling golf balls for mid-range handicappers. It features, what Callaway has christened, a Paraloid Impact Modifier which delivers improved distance and durability without sacrificing feel and short-game control. Callaway’s famous HEX Aerodynamics cover pattern reduces drag on the ball and increases lift to help you launch your shot better. The Soft Compression Core then enhances energy transfer for more ball speed and a high-launch, low-spin combo in your longer clubs.
In my testing sessions, I definitely felt this was the case and I also saw some receptiveness with approach shots, especially longer irons and hybrids. Another feature of the ball I was particularly impressed with was the black background on the Supersoft name which provided a great alignment tool. It is also available in six colors - white and yellow plus matte orange, green, pink and red- making it one of the best golf balls for winter.
- Read our full Callaway Supersoft Golf Ball Review
Best value
First and foremost the Callaway Hex Soft delivers a lot of performance for a relatively modest price, and as such, it offers excellent value for money. This is one of Callaway’s distance balls, but one that's billed as also offering excellent feel. Callaway says this is achieved through the low compression core which is said to give greater ball speed and increased distance in the long game, but in tandem with the trionomer cover feels soft on short game shots.
When testing this ball on the course and on the range, I felt the ball performed well enough to back up those claims and I also thoroughly enjoyed the durability on offer. Around the greens and off the putter face, the ball feels soft, and easy to control. If you're looking for a ball that provides distance and a soft feel at a value-for-money price, then the Hex Soft should be on your list. It is also featured in our guides on the best soft golf balls and the best value golf balls.
- Read our full Callaway Hex Soft Golf Ball Review
Best for distance
Callaway has used the Warbird name for several decades now, and this budget model is essentially an out-and-out distance golf ball. The latest Warbird model generates its distance via the perfect combo of a large, soft, high-energy core plus a low compression. When I tested the ball, with the driver, it felt powerful and delivered a strong ball flight with plenty of roll - so it's hard to dispute that distance gains are there to be had.
Callaway’s renowned HEX Aerodynamics cover design further enhances distance by helping to reduce drag, allowing you to carry the ball further. Of course, given the focus on distance, the feel is not comparable to the other more premium models above, but another big benefit is the durability. There were plenty of occasions where this ball could have scuffed, yet it seems able to take the odd poor strike without blemishing too severely. If you're new to the game and are looking to save money on your golf gear, why not twin this ball up with the excellent Callaway Warbird Package Set.
- Read our full Callaway Warbird Golf Ball Review
Best women's
Designed specifically for women golfers, the Callaway Reva golf ball is an excellent offering if you're looking to increase your distance off the tee and launch the golf ball higher. It features on our guide to the best golf balls for women and is the perfect golf ball if you're looking to build more confidence over the tee. That comes from its slightly oversized construction, and when having tested this golf ball on the course, I felt it delivered excellent forgiveness that helped us hit fluid and complete shots. We found it very easy to get the ball into the air and felt the ball offered strong ball flights and good yardages off the tee.
But the greens were where this ball really stood out from the crowd and I found ourselves nailing those tricky short game shots onto the green that can so often be duffed or topped. Putting was also a breeze and the ball felt big and easy to focus on against the face of the putter. It is a seriously impressive golf ball that packs a lot of potential to help beginner and high handicap golfers improve their swing.
- Read our full Callaway REVA Golf Ball Review
How we test golf balls
When it comes to testing golf products, we have a thorough testing procedure that revolves around our ethos of giving insightful and honest reviews of golf gear so you are well informed if you want to purchase a new set of golf balls. At Golf Monthly we are all regular golfers and therefore seek to be as honest and insightful as possible in all our reviews and buyers' guides, so that you can make an informed decision.
Golf ball testing on the site is headed by Joe Ferguson and Sam De'Ath, two writers who have worked in the golf industry for over 10 years and have both competed as professionals.
Our specific procedure revolves around both indoor and outdoor testing. We start by testing the ball indoors to get some controlled data on how it performs. We always use launch monitors like SkyTrak or Foresight Sports GCQuad. Often we hit new models alongside previous generations, or competing models to see how the performance differs as well.
Outdoor testing comes next which revolves around hitting the product not just on a driving range, but on the course too. This way we can see how the ball performs by playing a variety of shots from different lies and conditions. We think golf balls have to be tested over a number of rounds because that is how you can test for things like distance, feel, durability, spin and so on. The final critical point we want to mention is that no manufacturer can buy a good review because we tell it how it is.
How to choose golf balls
Golf balls are perhaps one of the most technical pieces of equipment in your golf bag, and for that reason, picking the right golf ball for you can be quite an overwhelming choice. With each golf ball featuring so many different features, it can be hard to suss out which is the right ball for you. For that reason, we've put together a few key points you need to consider when purchasing your next golf ball.
1. Soft or firm?
What do you prefer from a golf ball feel-wise? Do you like a clicky golf ball or do you prefer something a little softer? The range of Vice golf balls we selected above all have different designs which fit into either soft or firm categories, so we would always recommend trying different golf balls from different distances to find your preference.
2. Cover material
Urethane-covered balls offer the best spin control and feel but do cost more than surlyn-covered golf balls. Experiment to see if you notice enough of a difference to justify the extra cost, or whether the best mid-price golf balls might be an option.
3. Long game or short game?
Linking with the above point, which aspect of the game is most important to you? Do you want to get as much distance as possible out of your golf ball or would you prefer a model that allows your short game to flourish thanks to an improved feel?
If distance is your focus, then the Vice Drive is going to be the top model in all likelihood, whereas if you want a premium feel, then the Vice Pro Plus or Pro Soft models will give the best spin and short-game control. On that note, you may also want to check out our best soft feel golf balls guide for more models that are designed for feel.
4. Color
No longer do your golf balls have to be white, instead, they can be different colors like yellow, red, or even green. The Vice Pro Soft also comes in Hue colors like coral, blue and peach.
5. Budget
We would always recommend being aware of what your budget is when it comes to golf balls and then you can choose a model accordingly. What is interesting about Vice is the unique system they have for buying golf balls from their website. The way it works is the more you buy, the cheaper it is per golf ball so it may be worth thinking about buying them in bulk at the start of the season.
For more advice on what golf balls you should purchase, take a look at our guides on the best premium golf balls, best golf balls for high handicappers and best value golf balls.
FAQs
Which Callaway golf balls are best?
Callaway makes several high-quality golf balls across every level of the game and across different player abilities. Therefore when answering this question it is about what you are after from a golf ball. If you want a Tour level design, then one of the Chrome Soft balls will be the best, or if you want distance then the Warbird will probably test best. Then you have factors like soft-feel, firm-feel and so on and so forth. Whatever you are after, Callaway has you covered.
What Callaway golf ball is like Pro V1?
In terms of the testing Golf Monthly has done, the Callaway golf ball that is most similar to the Titleist Pro V1 in terms of performance is the Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball.
What professional golfers use Callaway golf balls?
PGA Tour players Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Min Woo Lee are three of the most high-profile Callaway ball players. Then on the LPGA Callaway is used by Rose Zhang, Atthaya Thitikul, Ruoning Yin and Yuka Saso.
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