The Callaway Tour lineup has changed over the last few years. Let’s do another Triple Review and see exactly why Callaway has built more and more trust over the last few golf seasons.
The Callaway E.R.C Soft is designed for softer feel and full control. I imagine it would most likely suit slower swingers who want the softest feel while still maintaining a three piece.
The Callaway Chrome Tour had fantastic results last year during the test, but I was unhappy with the price increase and the change in the golf balls feel and compression. I am going into the test this year with a new attitude. Completely unbiased and ready for anything.
The Chrome Tour is a ball designed for advanced golfers who want a golf ball with little limits. Does it work for the average swinger though? Let’s find out and see how it compares to other golf balls like the Titleist Pro V1 and Srixon Z Star series.
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00:00 Intro
01:25 Pricing and Design
03:44 Chipping
07:32 Putting
11:47 Sound and Feel
13:44 50 yard pitch
15:00 Pitching Wedge
16:31 7 Iron
18:33 Driver
20:44 Accuracy and Dispersion
24:01 Durability
26:03 Conclusion
What is up my fellow golf ball addicts? Welcome back to the channel. We are doing another triple review and we are doing three high-end golf balls from Callaway. The ERC soft, the Chrome Soft, and the Chrome Tour. Let’s dive right in. I know many of you have asked recently if there’s a way you can support the channel other than the monthly membership. And so I have finally created a GoFundMe page. You can find that in the link tree link that’s in my description. Uh basically the reason I did this is just because so many requests were coming in for it. You can view this as buying new golf balls for the end of the year, buying equipment for next year to test the golf balls with. You know, uh the data sheet I’m getting ready to release, you know, publicly for free, whatever you feel necessary, it’s there. If you can’t, just the liking, commenting, subscribing, all the free stuff is more than enough for me. I appreciate you all doing that as always. So, thank you so much for your support on the channel. All right. So, when it comes to these golf balls, I know the first question many of you are going to ask is, “Nick, where’s the X model? I I don’t understand. Why would you not do the X?” Great question. I had actually originally intended to uh but when I went to test it, which it was last in line for testing, I have a couple of them that have just kind of disappeared on me. I don’t know where they went. Uh I have toddlers in the house whose hands are just perfect size for these little golf balls. I don’t know if that happened. I don’t know if I’m just a bonehead and misplaced it. There’s a lot of options on the table here, but uh I’ve ordered them. I’ll do them in a separate review in a couple weeks. they are coming. So, when it comes to these three, let’s go ahead and get into pricing and design. Let’s start with the ERC soft. This comes at a $39.99 price point. This is supposed to be a very, very soft feeling golf ball. Uh, probably intended for the lower swing speed, but we’ll see how the numbers are. I know a lot of you are really antsy about this one, so I’m hoping it does really well. When it comes to the price of the Chrome Soft and the Chrome Tour, however, these go up to $55 a dozen, which immediately makes my face go like this. However, Callaway does boost it up to kind of this somewhere. It’s like a half smile somewhere in there. But that’s because they do two for $95 and they also at Dick Sporting Goods, you can do buy three get one for free. And so that actually becomes a really good deal. It honestly does. Uh once you do the buy three, get one free and you’re basically getting them for, you know, 40 bucks a dozen, just over $41 a dozen somewhere in there. That’s actually fantastic, especially if you really like these golf balls and you’re willing to go all in on them. That’s a pretty good deal. That initial price is kind of eh, but the the bulk deals are nice. Let’s get into design here. And look, I’ll be honest with you. I could sit here and talk for 10 minutes about the design of Callaway Golf Balls. They have a 360 stripe. They have, of course, the triple track. They have all these different collaborations they’re doing now. As you can see, you know, they have retro football and dogs Frenchies and what Happy Gilmore. And I mean, my goodness gracious, whatever. They they do so many that I don’t have time to talk about it. But I I’ll just be frank. If you’re looking for it, they probably have it. If you’re looking for a picture alignment aid, they got it. If you’re looking for regular white, they got it. If you’re looking for yellow, they got it. If you’re looking for a full 360 line that’s colored, they got it now. If you’re looking for just a 360 that isn’t colored, they got it. If you’re looking for just a half triple track, okay, my point is they got it. They have so many different design. It’s almost overwhelming. I mean, I love the variety. You guys know I do, but my goodness, it is all over the place as far as what they have. Just go to callaway.com. I’m sorry that that is just too much. started to and I was like 15 20 minutes in and I was like this is too much. You you guys can just go figure that out. It’s a lot. But I will say this, Callaway is really known for two things. One, having those options, you know, as far as having a good alignment tool. Also, the hex dimple pattern looks really cool. I can identify a Callaway golf ball immediately. And they have that old English font when it comes to the logo that I really like and appreciate. It’s kind of a timeless classic at this point. So, I do enjoy that. Let’s get out to the chipping and putting green and let’s see how they do around there. See what we’re working with here. Nice. Oh. Oh, wow. That actually looked like it was going to go in the hole, but it had some bass effect and it shot to the right. Wow. Okay, so there’s some check up there. There’s some spin. Nice. Oh, baby. Very soft. All kinds of rotation on that ball. I love to see that real quick. Yeah, that’s some pretty good checkup right there. I’m going to try some left spin now. Oh my gosh. I mean, yeah, bouncing around like a fish that just found out he’s going to be a father. I mean, I can’t even believe it. Pretty decent feel. Very soft on the ERC soft. I didn’t touch on it, but yeah, this is the chrome soft. Now, they have firmed this up, but let’s see what we got here. Nice. Oh my goodness gracious. Took two hops and then boop. Took a ride at Albuquerque. Nice. Oh my goodness. Now I know that rolled off the back of the green, but it had some tug. You saw it. All right, I’m going to open the face here. Try to hit a cut. Ah, just a little too far right. Um, you know, overall the spin is good, but because these are to balls, you do have to hit them clean. There’s not a lot of forgiveness. If you do kind of duff it just a tad or even off the toe a little bit, they roll past the hole back there. But if they’re hit correctly, you saw how they can really stop or come close. So, interesting enough. Now, we have the tour. I don’t imagine the tour is going to be any better when it comes to that forgiveness, but I am hoping the spin’s at least a little better. Very nice. Excellent. And I mean it it did roll off the back which is a little disappointing but that’s all right. Let me open the face just a little more because it did have some left spin. Nice. Uh that ball like I it was going left and then the spin on it as soon as it hit it shot that way. I mean goodness gracious that is the most tug I have seen. Nice. Beautiful soft landing. Nice grip. Some spin baby. So very common in tour balls. Like I stated, you know, when I do hit it correctly, that last one, that’s what you get. It’s awesome. You do mishit it slightly, it rolls way past the hole. Which is why, again, don’t ever be afraid to play a bump and run ball. Don’t always get this idea. You have to have a ton of spin. If you’re still a mid handicap or a high handicap and you’re just looking for consistency, get a good bump and run ball that’s very consistent, very forgiving. Once you get better, even better than me, obviously, because I’m still struggling, then you can kind of move into these balls that really grip a lot. Nice. Oh, I thought that was going to See, again, that was like a 90% hit. That was like good, not great. And it still shot to the back. So, you got to be perfect with these. Very nice there. That was a good strike. Going for the hole, baby. Ah, it’s going to stop, isn’t it? Yeah. It’s It’s It’s a shame because at its peak, these golf balls all have a really healthy amount of spin, but they’re just so inconsistent because I’m inconsistent. As an average golfer, you could run into some issues. I don’t feel a lot of confidence with these. So, they do spin a ton. If you’re a great golfer, if you’re a great ball striker, I think you’ll like them. They feel great off the wedge. They have a lot of tug, which is great. But there’s other golf balls where, you know, the Sniders are one, the Z stars are one where even when I mis hit them, they still were stopping on a dime. And so that might be better for more mid handicappers. All right, we have our Timber Touch putter Works wooden mallet putter here for the first one. See how it responds. Oh, very soft, very bouncy, very in the hole. I like it. Uh, yeah, very dead in the hands. Didn’t feel it at all. Couldn’t feel any feedback. has a lot of spring to it. Distance control is actually normal. It’s not fast. It’s not slow. Pretty good. Not perfect, but darn close, man. Little short. Okay. Well, this final one’s just going to have to I’m just going to have to bank it. A Yeah, solid roll. Four out of five roll. Really good. Just dead in the hands. I wish I had a little more feedback, but that that golf ball is intended to be soft, squishy, so it doesn’t bother me. Moving on to the chrome soft. Maybe this one will have a little more feedback. I hope it keeps everything else but just improves the roll. Great alignment tool here. There it is. That’s what I was looking for. And that Oh, hey, I banked it. Okay, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll just bank them from now on. Yeah, I love the feedback there. They they they had, like I said, they improved on everything from the ERC. Oh, yeah. I love the roll, too. That was a terrible putt, Nick. That might be one of the worst putts I’ve seen from you. Yeah, five out of five roll. I love the roll. Look at that. Little tiny bit of feedback. Not much. Very soft, very subdued. Uh there’s not a lot of sound. They’re both very low on the sound meter, you know, without being dead. They’re low low. Excellent. Let’s see how the tour is. Let’s keep this going. Okay. Very similar feeling. Again, two bad putts. Uh please excuse those guys. Yeah, it feels very close to the chrome soft. It really does. Again, distance controls average. It doesn’t spring off. The feedback’s there. One more time here. I love that. Yeah, I’m going to give that the big smiley face there. Those final two were great. EC is still good. It’s above average, but those final two really a healthy balance of great feel, not obnoxious, fantastic roll. Love to see it. Let’s see how the blade is. All right. Now, we have our traditional Odyssey blade putter. Let’s see if this is any different here. Oh, nice. I like that. Bam, baby. Okay, so now I do notice the feel. Now there’s more feedback because there’s not as much weight and not as much, you know, thickness that the mallet has. It honestly feels like the chrome soft did with the mallet. So, this is excellent. The rolls a lot better, too. The roll is now a five out of five. So, this one was just absorbing a little too much into the mallet. Too much bouncy ball effect. Oh man, that’s nice. A little crisp. Just a tiny little crisp. It’s not It’s crispy. It’s not crisp. There’s a difference. Crisp is like, yes, crisp. Crispy is like, okay, it’s it’s there. I kind of I hear some crispiness, you know. All right, then we get into the chrome soft. Let’s see how this one’s changed now. Let’s see if it’s become obnoxious or if it’s still great. [Music] Okay, a little heavy. Did I mishit it? One more time. I did. I misit it. Okay, good. Yeah, that’s straight butter. Uh that was incredible. Five out of five roll butter. Um just just I mean glided off the putter. Oh yeah, boy. That’s uh that’s the type of stuff they put in the magazines, I’m telling you. Now we have the tour. Oh yes. Incredible. Incredible. I like the roll a lot. They’ve Callaway has found a really good healthy balance of true roll. Now, I do need to see this tour one more time. I’m going to be nice and give that to the five out of five on the true roll, but it’s teetering. It It’s It’s flirting with the line quite a bit between a four and a five. But honestly, who cares? I mean, if that’s what we’re talking about here, if we’re splitting hairs and talking about the difference between four and five or five and five, those are all awesome. They’re very pleasant. Um, I will admit none of them like just blew me off my socks or whatever, but I like them. They’re awesome. They’re great. That’s exactly what I would expect out of something that cost as much as it does. Let’s get to the feel. Sound feel. Start with the ERC soft. Very nice. Actually is a little louder than I thought it would be, but it it feels awesome. It feels great. Nice and soft. Explodes off the club. Not a lot of feedback, but I mean it’s it’s soft, which is what it’s supposed to do. It’s on the name, so I assume. Guess I’m going to have to try to mis hit one because all those felt exactly the same, which is like a four out of five, by the way. Pure hits are a four out of five. Three out of five on m hits. It lets you know, but it’s not obnoxious about it. Chrome softs are up next. [Music] Okay, so mis hit. Uh, three out of five. It definitely let me know. It still felt like it had a lot of explosiveness, but it didn’t, you know, it didn’t just politely tell me. It was pretty firm. Like, hey buddy, none of that crap. Very nice. I got to verify because that’s that’s in between right now. A four and a five. That’s really good. I’ll give it the four out of five. It was close. It was close, but four out of five. Really good. Oh, wow. Okay. Either that was a really bad mishit, which it might have been, or that was just It’s a little firmer. You can definitely tell. Um I got to do one more just to verify. I’m so sorry. Yeah. Um three out of five on pure hits. It’s just a little heavy and a little firm. I think it’s just for a faster swing speed based on what I’m feeling, but um I would say mis hits definitely a two out of five. It let me know. It was very vocal. So just the firmness, it’s not it’s probably not for my swing speed. The chrome soft seems to be a perfect in between just for me kind of thing. So we’ll see how these numbers are and see if it reflects that. All right, so let’s talk some data numbers now. Let’s start with the 50 yard pitch. We’re talking backspin RPM. Diving into this, we’re looking at 8,088 from the ERC soft, which is just above average. I mean, just barely above average. Uh the Chrome Soft is 8,464, which is excellent. I do want to talk about that in just a second. And then the Chrome Tour at 8,55, which again, just barely. I mean, by a smidge of its chinny chin chin above that threshold. So, uh, the ERC soft and the Chrome Tour do spin basically, you can call it average or mid if you want. It does technically barely get into that, but the chrome soft is the outstanding one there. And I do want to tell you something that happened with this chrome soft because it was pretty incredible at the time. And I’m actually going to use this picture you’re about to see in a upcoming video. So I’m going to block out half of it. That’s why it’s blocked off. But look at the consistency of the chrome soft. I mean, look at that. I don’t usually see that. Usually it’s within like 1,000 yards or 1500 yards all over. But just I mean almost every single time it’s the same. It’s bam bam bam bam bam. all within like a 100 RPM of each other. I mean, maybe 200 there, 300 there. That is so consistent, and I wanted to bring it to a point because I just don’t see that that often. That’s nice. That’s incredible. Let’s get into the pitching wedge. Now, we are looking at 94.9 on the ball speed with ERC soft. That is average. It’s kind of on the low side of average. It’s getting near that red, but just not quite there. 98.8 on the chrome soft. Good golly miss, Molly. That’s fantastic. That’s incredible ball speed. And then 95.9 on your Chrome Tour, which is on the higher side of average, just slightly. Uh, but let’s let’s be honest here. Let’s talk about just if you if you kind of look at these with your peripheral vision and you just look down. Look at all the red in the ERC soft. I lost distance. You know, spin was mid. Uh, you know, smash factor is in the red. Unfortunately, now 1.21 last week would have got you in the the average, the yellow, but now it’s shifted because I’ve tested so many golf balls. It’s now to 1.22. However, the Chrome Soft is just green across the board. It has excellent spin. It has incredible, you know, ball speed. The distance is just absolutely insane. Five yards gained from my average. How could you ask for any more than that, getting more spin and also 5 yards increased distance, just incredible. And then the Chrome Tour is not bad. The Chrome Tour is a little firmer. It’s not designed for a uh, you know, mid swinger really. It’s more of a tour ball. It’s for someone who’s going to be close to a professional. And the fact that I got all yellow, no red, I respect that. I respect that a lot. So, two thumbs up there from the chrome soft and the chrome tour. Those are right where I would want them to be. In fact, the chrome soft is above expectations. ERC soft, I might be overcompressing it, unfortunately. And that’s what that looks like. But we’re going to go into the 7iron. We’re going to see if these numbers continue. Looking at the 7ir, as you can see, we have 115.5 from the ERC soft. So, again, average not bad. Uh the distance actually is in the green there with the RC ERC soft, but that’s also because the spin was so low. Uh launch is 15.3. Really low with the ERC for some reason. Uh then we get into the chrome soft. Again, kind of a low spin, but a huge increase in distance. I’m talking 7 yards from my average. That’s pretty significant. Uh, so even though it has a mid spin, you know, I don’t mind that if I’m gaining a ton of ball speed and distance because some people don’t need more spin. Some people need less spin and want more distance. That’s where the Chrome Soft’s really going to come into play. If you look at the Chrome Tour, it does the complete opposite. You still get great ball speed, but now you have really high spin. And yeah, the distance is still gained. I only gained two yards, but I got what 700 basically like 700 more RPM spin. So yeah, I’ll take that. The smash factors for both the Chrome Soft and the Chrome Tour are incredible. And those little threes next to the Chromeoft on carry and distance. That’s third place. Bronze right now. It is third ranked out of 80, what is it? Two, 82 golf balls this year. That’s impressive. So, it does look like I’m overcompressing the ERC soft a little bit. Uh the Chrome Soft, everyone knows kind of my biggest issue with the Chrome Soft last year basically was, you know, the Chrome Soft 22 model was one of my favorites. I it was a top 10 golf ball. It was soft. For an average swinger, it was just it it’ll probably go in the golf ball of fame. And I’m That’s something I do, by the way. Don’t actually look that up, but that’s something we’re going to start doing this year. It’ll probably make it into that. And last year, I’ll admit I was a little upset that they firmed it up. I didn’t like the way it had gone. I think I was in a mental state a little bit of just like so disappointed that the numbers weren’t bad, but I just I was upset they changed it. And last year there was a lot of golf balls changing that I didn’t like. This year I tried to go into it with a more positive outlook and the numbers are really good. So I’m happy. You know, my swing’s better, got different clubs, got all kinds of different metrics. These are some of the best numbers I’ve seen this year. So that’s really great to see. All right, so when we look at the driver, I get really excited seeing these trophies and medals. But real quick before I get too excited, I’m going to start with the ERC soft. I don’t know that I’m necessarily overcompressing the heck out of the soft anymore because I am still getting average ball speed every single time. I just think it’s a really soft golf ball and it just doesn’t have a lot of pop. Maybe it’s about soft feel and control over distance. But, however, that that kind of leads me to concern. I don’t want to lose that much, especially like I lost four or five yards with the driver in total. You know, I like the roll out, but the carry is really low for me. I I just don’t care for that at all. It’s it’s very mediocre. When we get to the chrome soft, though, 147.1 is a new first place. That is by far the best I’ve seen this year. The Bridgestone Tour BXs was number one for a very long time, about a month or so, and and honestly, I didn’t think anything would catch it. It was so high. But the Chromeoft came in, kicked the door down, put its feet up, and demanded a sandwich. Uh mid spin, incredible total distance. Number one, that that trophy represents number one in both those categories, carry and distance. So, it beat it in both. Then, when we get to the Chrome Tour, still excellent. I mean, I know it’s not number one, but it’s number third three. It’s third bronze medal in total distance as well as ball speed. So, two excellent performances from the Chrome Soft and the Chrome Tour. I don’t know how you couldn’t look at that and just be thrilled. Uh, you know, the Chrome Tour has had an incredible showing, but the Chrome Soft for me at this point is just like, “Hey, Nick, use me.” I mean, it really is. And there’s there’s been a couple. I just tested the Trust Bison V. you guys saw. I loved that one. I was considering making my gamer. I’m not normally one to spend this much on golf balls, especially the Tour, but because there’s bulk deals, my mind’s going. And when I see this, when I see the number one in ball speed on driver, and I see you seven iron performances like that, it’s low spin, which I need. I I’ll tell you what, it’s tempting. It really is tempting. I’m not going to lie. Um, let’s go ahead and get to the dispersion. Let’s see how dispersion is, cuz we can have great numbers. Let’s be honest, we can have incredible numbers, but if we don’t actually go and see how they are accuracy-wise, then it kind of doesn’t matter, right? So, let’s get over to the computer and let’s look at accuracy and dispersion. All right, starting with the ERC soft. And let’s be real, that 50-yard pitch might be the best one I’ve seen this year. Everything is just clumped up right in the middle. Incredible accuracy, incredible distance, consistency. Uh yeah, that’s all there is to it. It’s amazing. uh getting into the pitching wedge, you know, there’s one that was kind of pulled a little left and far and one just went a little far. But if you look at the other eight out of 10, those are all right square in the middle. And I’ll tell you what, again, I’m going to have a lot of birdie opportunities. I love that this softer golf ball may not have the distance, but it’s got some great dispersion there. When we get to the seven iron, I mean, no different. Very consistent, very all in the middle, all on the green. Maybe one that’s getting close to the fringe, but all those are puttable. I love to see it. The driver here is obviously where we have an issue. Do I account for some human element in there? Sure. You know, sometimes I don’t have a great day with the driver, but it is kind of concerning. And you know what’s interesting is if you actually just take away my pools, which is four of them over there. The rest aren’t so bad. So, the circle really makes it look worse than it is. I’m going to account for some human element in there, but off the tea, just kind of be weary. You know, if you’re someone who isn’t really dialed in on the tea, this might be an issue. But, I don’t know. Uh when I look at the other three, you know, the 50-yard pitch, the pitching wedge, and the 7 iron, they’re all so consistent and nice that it kind of leads me to believe that maybe that driver was a lot of me, but I don’t know. I’ll let you make the call on that. Uh but it is something I would at least keep in mind if you decide to try this golf ball. All right, chrome soft time. I’m super excited about this one. 50-yard pitch looks fantastic. One pulled left, one a little short, but other than that, those are all dimes, baby. Then we get into the pitching wedge. And you know, I could have mistaken the pitching wedge for the 50-yard pitch. That’s how good it is. I mean, good lord. I I I love that. I mean, are you kidding me right now? I I don’t have any words for that. Uh that’s very tight. It’s very accurate. Uh there are some that were pushed a little bit, but the point is is I’m putting and I’m not only putting, I’m going to have some really good look at birdies. Seven iron. If we look at the one or two that I pulled left, there’s one on that far edge of the yellow circle up there up top on the top of your screen. And there’s also one kind of just left or I guess above if you’re looking from a normal view of the red line. The ones all below that red line, those are all excellent. Eight out of 10. Really accurate, really consistent. Uh really awesome, you know. And again, I hold these golf balls to really high expectations because of their price. And that’s what I’m looking for. And look at the driver. Everything in the fairway. Uh there’s actually four. Look at those four right dead in the center. They’re all on top of each other. That that’s incredible. So, you know, it’s hard not to give these universal acclaim. Uh, I expected a lot. I got even more. Last but not least, we have the Chrome Tour. And, you know, nothing new here. Excellent 50-yard pitch, excellent pitching wedge, one pull it looks like, which is me from the seven iron. Everything else is just absolute darts. And then we get into the driver. Everything’s in the fairway again. Hard not to be impressed. And I got to give Callaway a lot of credit here. You know, usually I will harp on tour balls because they’re a little punishing for average golfers. not the case for me. I would have no problems using any of these golf balls really. Uh the only concern or even minor red flag was the ERC soft on the driver, but like I said, might be a little human element in here. If I look at across the board what these golf balls have done, it is nothing short of a five out of five pretty much on all aspects. All right, let’s look at some durability here before we go. Um and I tell you about my final thoughts. Uh let’s start with the ERC. If we look at the ERC, you know, it’s not bad. Um I have had some issues in the past with it. And as you can see, there’s some like really kind of grainy dark spots. These are all chips. Uh they’re very tiny chips, but when I feel it, it feels like sandpaper. Looking all around the golf ball. Again, there’s a slit here on the front that you can see in between the S and the O on soft. Uh you know, it’s just not that great. And at this point, this golf ball I can’t use anymore. I It feels too rough. There’s a slit in it. Uh unfortunately, because this one only went about 70 shots, I mean, it’s it’s rough. I don’t even think it would get you through a round. So, five out of 10 is going to be the best I can give it. And just the slits and the sandpaper so much. So, little disappointing there. I know Callaway is using like a specific proprietary blend with this or something like that. Um, and it’s cool. It’s It’s got a lot of stick to it, but not good for durability. Looking at the chrome soft, I did this yellow one. Now, this is exactly like the one I did last year, and I got a 10 out of 10 on durability last year. And guess what? Nothing’s changed. Uh, this is still an incredibly good-look golf ball. You can see some dirt marks here, but if I take, you know, my finger and just kind of rub them like with a little bit of spit, they come right off. So, I mean, that’s just dirt. That’s all it is. It feels great. If I close my eyes, nothing there. Feels brand new. I wouldn’t even be able to tell if I probably went and cleaned it up. So, another 10 out of 10, just like last year. Great job on the chrome soft. Then, when we look at the chrome tour, looking at this one. So, this one’s not quite a 10 out of 10. It’s still going to be really good, though. But, as you can see right here in the middle of the Callaway logo, there’s some gouges there that are pretty bad. Looking on the side here, the cover is definitely starting to come apart. I got some sandpaper effect for sure. Um, it’s not bad, but my problem is when I’m paying this much for a tour ball, it’s just like anything else. I set the bar just a little bit higher because it costs so much. I want the durability to be good. I will give it the six because of the price point. If this was a cheaper golf ball, like, you know, $30, $40 a dozen, I’d give it the seven. That’s how close it is. But because it is $55 a dozen, I would expect a little more than that. I’m going to go with a six. All right, so final thoughts here. Let’s start with the ERC soft. Um, I know a lot of you really are interested in this golf ball and I know it did really well in some robotic testing. You know, this is like the third time I’ve tested this golf ball. And every time I pretty much have the same conclus, which is if you really want a soft, squishy golf ball, like you’re, you know, a slower swing or not mid, but slower, you want feel control, you want, you know, that that Callaway brand, you know, you want a decent price, you know, $39.99, not a great price, but a decent price, this does work, but it’s kind of niche, right? I’m having to say if and if and if it just doesn’t explode off the club and there aren’t any numbers from this test that I saw where I was like, “Oh my goodness, wow, check that out.” You know, there’s just nothing. It’s just all average and mid. Now, it’s not bad, but it’s just average and mid. And the problem with a triple review, you know, this is the first year we’ve been doing these triple reviews. If this had been a standalone review, you might leave this and be like, “Okay, you know, I maybe I’ll put on like at the bottom of the, you know, playlist, whatever.” But with a triple review and you can see the chrome soft right next to it and you see all these trophies and awards and there’s two bikini models on both sides of it and there’s a Ferrari in the background. It’s really hard to pay attention to the ERC soft right now. You’re like, “Well, uh, yeah, get out of the way. I can’t see the Yeah, I can’t see the other bikini.” Like, you’re you’re just pushing it out of the way now because the numbers are just fantastic. I mean, 50 yard pitch by far the best well above average pitching wedge. I mean uh uh uh Looney Tunes eyes coming out the screen old cartoon style 7 iron. I mean if you need low spin now look if you need more spin than what it gave I understand that but still distance-wise driver number one it’s just throughout the whole process it’s been incredible and what also sucks about the triple reviews is then a golf ball like the Chrome Tour which the Chrome Tour had an excellent showing but here comes Goliath. You know what I mean? Like I mean my goodness like it was it was incredible. It’s like, you know, Pton Manning had an amazing football career, but it also happened at the time Tom Brady. So, a lot of the time he just kind of gets pushed to the side. You know what I mean? We talk about Tom because of Seven Rings. That’s what this feels like. The Chrome Soft is going to be really high again on this list. Um, I love the numbers I got from it. You know, the testing parameters are different this year, so the numbers were different. I absolutely love what these do. So, sorry about the long rant there. Who is the Chrome Soft for? Who is the Chrome Tour for? Chrome Soft is going to be for if you’re an average swinger and you want one of the best golf balls you can get and you need lower mid iron spin and long iron spin. Here you go. This is what this is one of the best I’ve tested. It has all kinds of different, you know, design options. Uh you can get it for a bulk discount, so you can get it a little cheaper than like, you know, another brand I won’t mention. Uh it’s a fantastic golf ball for mid swingers. Now, if you’re a little faster than that and you need a little bit more iron spin, like I would say if you’re 100 mph and faster and you do need a little bit more spin as far as your long irons, your mid irons, 8 iron, you know, stuff like that, the Chrome Tour is a little bit better. But it’s firmer. It’s clickier. It’s for a really good golfer. If you’re someone who is looking for more of a soft, bouncy ball type feel, you’re not going to get that. Unfortunately, you’re not really going to get that with anything except the ERC soft. But advanced players are going to love what these golf balls do. I thought it was a great test. Guys, as always, keep watching, keep saving, keep learning. Until next time, I’ll see you soon. Thanks for being here.

39 Comments
Ty for uploads
We can't take your reviews seriously unless you're in a long t shirt and barefoot 😂
A fun little experiment for us up in the north would be take these golf balls you over compress like the ERC would be put them in the fridge overnight and then test them.
I used to wish the ERC would stop better around the green. The 2025 models gave me hope.
NOPE
It’s a super cheap ball but have you tested the MacGregor UFO ball?
Thanks for the review. Keep up the awesome work!
My quick guess… ERC will go longer than the others, and the chromesoft will stop the best and fly straighter. Your just at the mallet putting, so here we go…
I played the new ERC soft today and had pretty much the same reaction. Good not great. If it was priced a little cheaper maybe the value would be there and I would consider playing it more.
That being said I don’t like that the Chrome Soft and Chrome Tour are the same price. I’m going to try the Chrome soft just for giggles, but if it was priced where the ERC is maybe I would be open to it. I’m just not consistent enough yet to be spending that kind of money on balls yet. But those numbers sure were nice.
Been playing the tour response this year for the most part and recently just tried the chrome soft. Was really happy with it. Other than the price 👌🏽
Great to see to Chrome Soft isn't as bad as you previously thought. And kudos to you for being open to a new evaluation for the ball. I'm excited because, even thoug it's still too much ball for me, I love how they feel and I hope to one day possibly make that my gamer.
As far as the ERC, I'm curious if the good greenside spin will help some make that ball a choice for them, even though the distance numbers might not be superb. And like you said, you're over compressing it a bit and the robot tests have been so good in other reviews.
Interesting stuff! Thanks!
Another good one.
My recent experience with the ERC soft (durability) was the same thing. The ERC was my go-to ball for about a year and a half. Most of this year, I have been playing the Maxfli Tour, and I purchased the 4 doz pack to get the best price. I bought a dozen of the ERC for a golf trip about 2 weeks ago. I can't get more than a round out of an ERC ball. It was noticeably scratched and scuffed– really after less than a full round. The ones left in the bag from the previous round were just not smooth and clean. The durability of the Maxfli balls (I have used both the Tour and Tour-S) are so, so much better. And with the 4-pack, the price is better. The spin on approach shots and control around the green are superior with the Maxfli, too. Hard to beat a 3-pc, Urethane ball for $30/doz.
I personally love the chrome soft!!
something that we don"t mention enough: you should play different balls for different temperature…at least 2 for summer and winter , the softer in winter because with the frost , things will change…
that would be nice to include this in the test sometimes 😉
I love the distance on ERC but the covers are to thin and wear quickly.
Good golly miss molly! I'm not gonna pay that price until I get paid to play. Of course they're gonna be good. Let's get back to the balls for the common folk, Nick. Keep the value in the equation.
It's interesting that folks expect to play a single ball for a whole round. I remember reading articles in the early 2000s and they used to talk about how pros would only hit the same ball for maybe 3-4 holes before swapping them out. Also, I lose mine WELL before getting to the end of a round, lol
The Callaway top end balls are very good balls, however being a retired fixed income course monkey, they are a little above my pay grade, I like the play but can't afford the pay, unless I scrounge used balls.
Course Report: Maxfli Softfli, what a pleasant surprise, I had my hopes suppressed expecting it to be a meh. It has the sound and feel I love in a ball, Long off the tee box, more accurate than I'll ever be and proved itself to be pretty durable, suitable for high desert Combat Golf, where you play in the sticks, rocks, gravel, dirt and brush. Well worth the money and DSG has them on a twofer. Great Video Nick, I'm actually a Callaway Fanboy, they just priced themselves out of my league.
Great video..thanks for sharing.. Chrome soft vs chrome tour x please when they arrive
I was a confirmed Pro V1 user, ever since it came out 25 years ago BUT as I have said before probably at the end of my tour ball as first choice time! I did, however, get some chrome tours as Callaway were doing a 3 for 2 deal in the UK, dropping a box to about £33! They will be the last tour balls I buy! I do have a couple of boxes of Srixon Z stars I got as a gift but I’m looking at the Triad as my new go to but I’ll maybe give the Chrome soft a try!🤔😉
Chrome Soft are real thing if money is no object. I immediately give away any ERC's I find… hate them- don't know who they are for. I have PXG Extreme, Vice Pro/+ and now Bison V from Amazon … all are under $30 shipped for 1 dozen when timed right. I play Chrome Soft only if I find a good one & don't want the design for my collection. THE TOP 10 THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE REALLY STRONG. Several that will be availible used at great value… CS 2025 in particular.
"Gonna open the face here and hit a little cut….ball goes 2 yards…." Literally me. 😂🤣
Definitely going to buy the Chrome Soft I have some dicks points I'm so excited in trying them.
In my last round of 18, I played the Chrome Tour. I love it of the tee and in and around the greens 💚 I love the feel and accuracy of my mid and lower irons. The only downfall for me was the durability. I went through 2 balls to finish my round. It's not like the cut blue or red it's just a 6 or 7 out of 10 on durability 😢. I prefer the newer version of the Chrome soft it feels great 👍 off the T, and when you pure it it feels Great🎉 of the club
Thanks for the review ❤ you came to the same conclusion I did. I don't have a launch monitor, so I go by feel and the distances I get at the golf course
Another good comparison Nick ! The ERC is old guy slow swing friendly where the chrome Soft & Tour are for the higher swing speed types !
I just played 23 holes with a chrome tour. It was a found ball after 1&done a left dash in the weeds. Great distance and feel around the greens. I hit a small flop shot on a Par 3 that might have impressed Phil 😂 #teamlefty
Funny you came out with this review today. I had a couple of sleeves of Chrome Softall , I played today. I am a slower swinger. But this ball rockets of the driver , even at 85 mph . The irons felt firm when I hit the ball off toe . But I lost very little distance. So it is good for even us old guys, that are low handicap.
Have really been looking at the Soft and Tour recently, so this is a timely review. Only thing that concerns me is your chipping results. I’m definitely in the category where playing a bump & run is the smarter play.
I had the same experience with the ERC Soft. No pop and sprayed the drives everywhere. Usually lose 1-2 balls per round, but with that ball it was 4-5 per round.
Way off topic here. Just bought 2 dozen 2021 Maxfli tour balls for $14.48 a dozen at DSG. Good deal or no?
Nick, have not typically liked the Callaways but would like to try the Chrome Soft. Thanks for a nice review!!
My buddy bought a dozen of the Callaway Triple Diamond golf balls the other day. He gave me one to play so I compared it to my gamer Pro V1X Left Dash. The Callaway is probably the straightest ball I’ve ever played. Probably hit 90% of the fairways that day and the stopping power on the green was pretty good as well. I will probably be switching to this ball pretty soon.
Hey Nick! Enjoyed the review. I’ve had a different experience with the ERC, so I’m gonna push back (respectfully) just a bit. I do swing slower than you (7-iron around 80mph and driver at 95mph, and a 2.8 hcp), so that may be part of it, but I get excellent distance with both the ERC and the CS. I don’t generally need a ton of check around the greens, so the ERC is a good fit for me also. What is odd about the numbers you got is that the MGS test has the compression of both the ERC and the Chrome Soft at 77. And Today’s Golfer has the ERC being slightly FIRMER than the Chrome Soft. And both tests have those balls basically in a dead heat for speed and carry with nearly every combo of swing speed and club, and they get even CLOSER at 115 mph with driver . So over compression is not the reason for the discrepancy in ball speeds and distance. Anyway, that was a head-scratcher for me. I have also enjoyed playing the Tour, which is definitely quick with driver. I do lose a few yards of carry with irons with the Tour, but that spin is great around the greens and with wedges into greens. They’re just really pricey when you’ve got so many DTC brands and Maxfli giving you identical performance for way less $$$, as you’ve shown time and again.
Keep up the good work! Always look forward to the next review!
-Dan
So I've played all three of these (OPBs …Other People's Balls I've found!) and quite frankly ….ehh. The ERC was soft and I am a senior but I've played other balls that fit me better. I'm really not generating enough swing speed for the other two but loved the short game feel on the Chrome Soft..but not enough to convince me that a price point that high would be a positive return on investment …. Hey there's a video or a list…Best Return on Investment balls! As always excellent content and it is clear you've stepped up your game since going full time …Love it!
Would love a taylormade quad review the distance plus, speedsoft, tour response, and TP5. I feel like I get the same results with the speedsoft as I do the rest but would love to see the numbers and how you feel about them.
Nick, when is the Tour Edge Exotics review coming?
Seeks like the tour and soft are the first top shelf price tour balls that play like it and play like it for mos people
Hey Nick! I played the Chrome Tour yesterday and loved the forgiveness over the Chrome Tour. Anything cheaper that plays like a Chrome Soft? I’m a 93 mph swinger with the driver