Callaway Chrome Soft Vs. Srixon Z Star Golf Balls Comparison Overview
We would feel comfortable placing the Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls in the premium category. They are certainly not up to par with some tour-grade balls but they certainly lean more towards the tour-grade side than they do to the distance side.
Still, every hypothesis needs a test. So to test the meddle of the Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls, we pitted them against established tour-grade balls: the Srixon Z Stars.
Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls Overview
The Callaway Chrome Soft balls are unique in that they have a generally soft feel and moderately low compression; but they won’t be totally unusable by faster swing speed players.
Off the club face, the Callaway Chrome Soft balls do a good job of sticking and letting you know where you made contact. They have a compression rating of 65 so they are pretty soft overall but feel firmer than your typical distance ball.
Off the tee, we were pleasantly surprised that both our fast and slower swing speed players were able to get at least 220 yards out of these balls. The distance performance was similar off the deck with hybrids, woods and irons.
Where these balls really shine though is around the green. The thin urethane cover belies the compression rating by adding a high rate of spin after landing and in the air.
Srixon Z Star Golf Balls Overview
The Srixon Z Stars have some overlapping features with the Callaway Chrome Soft but are firmly seated in the tour-grade golf ball category.
This should tell you a little something about the value of the Callaway Chrome Soft balls right off the bat which are a few bucks cheaper than the Z Stars. The Z Stars feature a 3-piece design and the urethane cover that we love so much – just like the Callaway Chrome Soft balls.
However, the testers in our party with an average swing speed of 105 MPH or higher liked the Z Stars off the deck more and were getting about 15 yards extra over the Callaway Chrome Soft balls. On the deck, they launched a bit on the high side for our liking; but greenside spin rates were superb.
In the end, the Callaway Chrome Soft balls don’t have the overall performance that the Z Stars had. But they are obviously a tremendous value for a premium ball.
Srixon Z Star Quick Facts
Compression: 90
Cover Material: Urethane
How Many Pieces: 3
Core Material: Gradient Energy Type
Dimple Type: 344
Spin Level: Low long-game spin, very high short-game spin
Best Suited for: Low handicappers looking for more control around the green
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
The faster swing speed testers in our party were able to get an average of 270 yards with these balls while the slower swing speed testers were relegated to an average of 245.
Performance from the Rough
The Z Stars launch very high for a tour grade ball which made them good for getting out of the rough.
Performance from the Fairway
This is where things got a bit tricky. The high launch caught too much wind sometimes even though these balls play pretty long on the fairway overall.
Our faster swing speed testers were also noticing that they were producing too much side spin with their long irons.
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.
Srixon Z Star Selling Points
- Tour-grade balls
- Great for low handicappers
- HIgh launch angles
- Great on pitches
- Satisfying sound on putts
- Keeps its line
Srixon Z Star Cons
- Not so great for slow swing speeds
- Sometimes launch is too high
- Lots of side spin on long iron shots
- A bit expensive
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 Srixon Z Star Balls for?
Any player with a swing speed approaching 100 MPH and above should feel right at home with these balls.
They really shine around the green though. The spin gets picked up with the short irons and wedges and the urethane cover allows for optimal feel and control.
How are they with Short Irons?
In a word: superb. It seems that the Z Stars were built for short irons in fact. They do a really great job of checking bounce even with the exceptional launch angles.
This will make the Z Stars a dream for anyone who can consistently set themselves up for eagle.
On the Green
The Z Stars do an exceptional job of keeping true to their line on the green as well.
Overall Rating: 95/100
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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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