Bridgestone E12 Soft Vs. Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls Comparison Overview
We would go ahead and place the Callaway Chrome Soft and the Bridgestone E12 Soft balls in the same premium golf ball category. Overall, they provide good distance and an adequate amount of spin around the pin.
Both are also pretty versatile. But after we tested these two balls side-by-side, we were ready to proclaim one better than the other – at least in our opinion. Find out which one tickled our fancy and why in the following overview article.
Bridgestone E12 Soft Golf Balls Overview
The Bridgestone E12 Soft balls have an overall softer feel than the Callaway Chrome Soft balls.
Right off the bat, this may make them more congenial for your style of play. The E12 Soft balls really live up to their name with pretty much every club in the bag. They sport a compression rating of 50 and a soft surlyn cover.
Off the tee, our slower swing speed players were keeping up with our more experienced testers with distances approaching 270 yards. From the deck, the story was much the same: hot off the face, fast ball speeds, great distance and straight shots.
Around the green, the E12 Soft balls lose a lot of control and feel. Spin rates are low; but roll is nicely checked.
Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls Overview
The Callaway Chrome Soft balls sport a compression rating of 65 so they were significantly firmer than the E12 Soft balls.
This put a smile on our fast swing speed testers’ faces because they were getting great feedback and distance with these balls off the tee. From the rough, the Callaway Chrome Soft balls launch high and stop dead on the fairway and even on greens.
We liked the urethane cover material over the surlyn material because it felt grippier and allowed for more spin control. Around the green, there was no comparison: the Callaway Chrome Soft balls allowed for much more control and accuracy.
While they may lose their line in windy conditions, the same could be said of most balls with the same or around the same compression rating.
In the end, material makes a difference. The Callaway Chrome Soft balls are better around the green thanks to the thin urethane cover. The Bridgestone E12 Soft balls are almost unpredictable on approaches because of the overly soft surlyn and general squishiness.
Bridgestone E12 Soft Quick Facts
Compression: 50
Cover Material: Surlyn
How Many Pieces: Three-Piece
Spin : Mid-Level
Core Material: Polymer
Dimple Type: Delta Wing
Callaway Chrome Soft Quick Facts
Compression: 65
Cover Material: Urethane
How Many Pieces: 3
Core Material: Graphene
Dimple Type: Hexagonal (332)
Spin Level: Low long-game spin, high short-game spin
Best Suited For: High to mid handicappers
Performance Off the Tee
These Bridgestone balls were actually better for players with swing speeds under 90MPH than they were for faster swing speed players from the tee.
While they did reduce side spin, some energy was lost on fast swings.
Performance from the Rough
We really liked how seemingly easy it was to scoop the ball up and out of the rough thanks to the dimple pattern and Surlyn cover material.
Performance from the Fairway
From the fairway, the Bridgestone E12 Soft balls provided the springiness you would expect from a ball with a plunging compression rating of just 50.
Performance Off the Tee
The faster testers in our party were getting about 245 yards while the slower swing speed testers were getting about the same.
Performance from the Rough
Scooping the ball up and even spinning as you may need to was surprisingly easy with these balls.
Performance from the Fairway
We actually really liked the way these balls felt against our irons and hybrids.
The only problem was that the launch remained relatively high even when we weren’t trying.
Bridgestone E12 Soft Selling Points
- Very durable
- Good bounce
- 3-piece cover
- Good in the rough
- Good for slow swing speeds
- Good short game control
Bridgestone E12 Soft Cons
- Not great for fast swing speeds
- Loses some energy off the tee
- Seemingly thick cover material
- Smaller core
Callaway Chrome Soft Selling Points
- Great for beginners and intermediates
- Urethane cover
- 3-piece construction
- Decent short-game control
- Good side spin with short irons
- High launch off the deck
Callaway Chrome Soft Cons
- Not great for low handicappers
- Lacking workability with irons
- Launches high in all situations
- A but unstable
Who Are The Bridgestone E12 Soft Balls For?
The Bridgestone E12 Soft balls would definitely suit slower swing speed players more.
We’re talking about players who are hovering in the 9-15 handicap range. Players in this range will love the distance and added help they get from the tee with these balls.
How Are They With Short Irons?
The Bridgestone E12 Soft balls work surprisingly well with short irons.
You get great response chipping the ball in with a wedge and the feedback you get with 8 and 9 irons is excellent.
On The Green
Once you’re actually on the green you might have a little trouble controlling roll with these balls.
They are a bit unwieldy on long eagles and have a robust spin rate even when you think you’re feathering it.
Overall Rating: 92/100
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Who are the Callaway Chrome Soft Balls for?
The Chrome Soft balls partially live up to their hype by being a viable option for mid to high handicappers.
The compression isn’t low enough to match the distance you would get if your swing speed was in the “fast” territory.
How are they with Short Irons?
The great thing about these balls is the urethane cover and the 3-piece construction which allows for a good amount of greenside spin control. They definitely perform above their class with short irons.
On the Green
The Chrome Soft balls were a little hard to check on fast greens.
Overall Rating: 96/100
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