Callaway Chrome Tour X

The good and the bad

Verdict at a glance

The Callaway Chrome Tour X is the firmer, higher-spinning sibling of the Callaway Chrome Tour, built for players who want maximum spin and control into the green. It is Callaway's high-spin tour golf ball, a rival to the Titleist Pro V1x and TaylorMade TP5x, and one of the best golf balls you can buy if generating greenside spin is your priority. This review covers how the Callaway Chrome Tour X is built, how it performs from tee to green, and who should play it.

What the Callaway Chrome Tour X is built for

The Chrome Tour X is aimed at the golfer who wants higher spin throughout the bag, a firmer feel and a higher, more controllable flight than the standard Chrome Tour. It suits players who like to attack pins and want the ball to stop quickly, and faster swings who can use the extra spin and height without ballooning their long game.

Like the Chrome Tour, the current new model was redesigned to compete with the best tour balls. The headline is more spin separation: lower spin in the long game for speed, and higher spin with the wedges for control, so it does not sacrifice distance to get the extra greenside bite.

Construction and the Tour Fast Mantle

The Callaway Chrome Tour X is a multi-layer golf ball with a fast core, a firm mantle and a soft cast urethane cover. The current model uses a new Tour Fast Mantle that is around 16 percent more rigid, which acts like a stiffer spring to return more energy at impact and widen the spin separation between the long game and the short game.

That soft urethane cover is what delivers the high greenside spin and control, the same class of cover the best players in the world rely on to stop the golf ball by the flag. Against the standard Chrome Tour the difference is a firmer, higher-spinning setup, not the cover.

Callaway Chrome Tour X at a glance

Feel

The Callaway Chrome Tour X feels firmer and more clicky than the Chrome Tour, and firmer than the previous model, sitting just a hair softer than the average tour golf ball. Faster and better players tend to prefer that crisp, solid strike on full shots. Around the greens it still feels controlled rather than hard, so the short-game touch remains despite the firmer overall character.

Off the tee: flight and distance

Off the driver the Chrome Tour X flies higher than the standard Chrome Tour while keeping long-game spin in check, so it is fast and long with a steeper landing. The higher launch suits players who want the ball to climb and stop, and the low driver spin means that extra height does not turn into ballooning. It is a strong golf ball for a player with speed who wants a towering, controllable flight.

Into and around the green

The green is where the Chrome Tour X makes its case. It spins a few hundred RPM more than the Chrome Tour at every distance, generating higher spin on irons and wedges for maximum control. Approach shots fly high and stop fast, and chips and pitches bite hard, which is exactly what a player chasing greenside control wants from a firmer, high-spin golf ball.

Performance and testing

In independent robot and launch-monitor testing the Callaway Chrome Tour X posts higher spin numbers than the Chrome Tour throughout the bag, with competitive ball speed and a higher launch off the driver. Reviewers and data agree it is one of the highest-spinning tour balls into the green, and on average it delivers lower long-game spin with markedly more wedge spin. If you buy one golf ball for maximum control from the tee through the bag, it rates among the best tour balls in every equipment test.

Durability

The Chrome Tour X's soft urethane cover will scuff over time like any high-spin tour golf ball, but its firmer construction holds up well in normal play. A single ball will comfortably last a full round and often several, and you are more likely to lose it than to wear it out.

How the Chrome Tour X compares

The Callaway Chrome Tour X's main rivals are the Titleist Pro V1x, the TaylorMade TP5x and its own softer sibling the Chrome Tour. Against the Pro V1x and TP5x the Chrome Tour X offers a similar high flight with class-leading greenside spin, usually at a slightly lower price. All are excellent high-spin tour golf balls, so the choice comes down to feel and flight, which is why testing a sleeve of each is worthwhile.

Chrome Tour X or Chrome Tour?

Play the Chrome Tour X if you want the most spin and control into the green and a firmer feel, and you swing fast enough to use the higher flight. Play the Chrome Tour if you want a medium feel, lower spin through the bag and a more distance-and-versatility balance. Both share the same tour urethane cover, so the choice is about spin, feel and trajectory.

Who should play the Callaway Chrome Tour X

The Chrome Tour X suits golfers who want maximum greenside spin and control from a firmer, high-flying tour golf ball, especially faster swingers who like to attack pins. Players who already generate plenty of spin, or who prioritise distance and versatility, may prefer the standard Chrome Tour, so match the ball to whether you need more spin or already have it.

Verdict

The Callaway Chrome Tour X is one of the best high-spin tour golf balls in the game, using a stiffer Tour Fast Mantle to combine a fast, controlled long game with class-leading greenside spin, in a firmer package. If you need help stopping the ball and want maximum control into greens, the Chrome Tour X delivers, with the standard Chrome Tour waiting if you want lower spin and more versatility.

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