Titleist Velocity Vs. Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls Comparison Overview
Here we have two different sets of golf clubs. One lives up to it’s name very well. The other, not so much. That’s not necessarily a good or a bad thing though, depending on what you’re looking for. It does make for some confusing marketing though.
In order to demystify these two very popular golf balls, we tested them side-by-side. Again, we found that one lived up to it’s name very well while the other didn’t. See which one is which and what it means for your game.
Titleist Velocity Golf Balls Overview
The Titleist Velocity balls played long. In some cases, too long. Spin is kept high with pretty much every club and distance is not something most players will have to worry about with these balls.
Yes, that means that the Velocity balls are the ones that truly live up to their name. Off the driver face, these balls play hot and produce very impressive ball speed. They have a high spin rate when they land as well.
They have a mid compression rating so they feel reasonably soft on chips and drives but give a firmer feel with your hybrids and long irons. Off the tee, moderate to fast swing speed players can expect average distances of about 259 yards.
The main problem was that the roll was unchecked around the green – especially from bunkers. This became an even more pronounced problem on firm greens.
Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls Overview
You would think that a ball with the word soft in the title would feel soft across the board.
That wasn’t really the case with these balls. So yes, this was the ball that did not totally live up to it’s name. That wasn’t really a bad thing for our faster swing speed testers though. They commented that they liked the firmer feel off the tee and were able to get an average of 266 yards from these balls.
In the rough, these balls yielded high launch angles even though spin is kept low off the deck in general. The Callaway Chrome Soft balls also surpassed the Velocity balls on short-game performance.
You get better short-game control and accuracy with the Callaway Chrome Soft surprisingly. While faster swing speed players will probably like the Velocity balls more off the tee, there is no denying the superior short-game control of the Callaway Chrome Soft balls.
Titleist Velocity Quick Facts
Compression: Mid
Cover Material: Surlyn
How Many Pieces: Two-Piece
Core Material: N/A
Dimple Type: Quadrilateral Dipyramid (346)
Spin Level: Low
Best Suited for: Low to mid handicappers
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
We really liked the distances we were seeing with the Titleist Velocity balls.
Most of the testers in our party were able to squeeze around 190 yards out of these balls while the slower swingers in the group were still hitting close to 180.
They are certainly not as soft as the Callaway Supersoft balls; but faster swing speed players will appreciate the added feel.
Performance from the Rough
It was a bit hard to control roll-out when getting these balls out of the rough.
They launch high enough (which actually became problematic when the wind picked up) but you don’t get optimal roll control.
Performance from the Fairway
Again, we would have liked a slightly lower shot shot trajectory from these balls but we would say that the exceptional distance with the long irons makes up for the shape these balls take in flight.
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.
Titleist Velocity Selling Points
- Better for lower handicap players
- Good carry distance
- High launch
- Low long-game spin
- Better feel off the tee
- Soft on putts
Titleist Velocity Cons
- More expensive
- Not great for high handicappers
- Launch high from the rough
- Roll control is lacking
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 Titleist Velocity Balls for?
This would be a good fit for mid handicappers who want better short-game feel.
The Titleist Velocity’s are a good middle ground between extremely soft balls like the Callaway Supersofts and tour-grade, lower compression balls.
Long and short-game spin is kept to a minimum but they still feel reasonably soft.
How Are They With Short Irons?
We liked the more substantial feel we got from these balls when playing with short irons. The higher compression made them more substantial.
On the Green
These balls play a bit hot off the putter which worked well for moderate speed greens. Faster greens posed a bit of a problem.
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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