MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
About the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS
The Chrome Soft X LS is the newest member of the Callaway Chrome Soft family. The original launched in early 2021 and then was updated alongside the standard Chrome Soft and Chrome Soft X LS earlier this year.
It’s billed a low-spin offering and, while there’s often some wiggle in those descriptions, golfers should expect it to spin less than the standard Chrome Soft X.
Callaway Chrome Soft X LS Construction
The Chrome Soft X LS is a four-piece offering. Like the CSX, it’s a dual-mantle (as opposed to dual-core) design. Like other Chrome Soft offerings, it features a 332-hex dimple cover. While the count is the same, Callaway says it alters the geometry of the dimple on each cover to provide an optimized trajectory for each model.
The Chrome Soft X LS is made alongside other Callaway Chrome Soft balls at the company’s Chicopee, Mass., factory.
Compression
On our gauge, the 2022 Chrome Soft X LS has an average compression of 94. That’s five points softer than the previous model and effectively identical to the standard Chrome Soft X. The inference here is that target compressions for the X and X LS are identical. That Callaway is hitting that target repeatedly is also notable.
Across the market as a whole, it qualifies as a firm golf ball (which is kind of the opposite of “soft”). What’s in a name, right?
Diameter and Weight
While the standard Chrome Soft runs small, the Chrome Soft X LS is a solidly average-sized ball. Callaway doesn’t appear to be flirting with the USGA rules so it’s no particular surprise that none of the balls failed to meet the USGA’s minimum diameter requirements.
With respect to weight, we have found the occasional overweight Callaway ball in the past. With our Chrome Soft X LS sample, we found no issues. Despite being heavy relative to the market average, all of the balls conformed to the USGA weight requirements.
Inspection
Centeredness and Concentricity
Precision Technology is the rallying cry inside the Callaway ball plant this year and it most directly applies to layer concentricity and what Callaway calls “concentricity offsets.”
Bear that in mind when I tell you that the concentricity within our Chrome Soft X LS sample is the best we’ve seen to date. Absolutely nothing of any concern was noted. I should also mention that instances of the outer mantle bleeding into the inner mantle were few in number and minor in severity.
Core Consistency
Core consistency and color were consistent throughout the sample.
Cover
No notable cover issues were found.
Callaway Chrome Soft X LS – Consistency
In this section, we detail the consistency of the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.
Weight Consistency
Weight consistency for the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS falls within the Good range. You’d be hard-pressed to say that any one box was more or less consistent than the other two. Across the market as a whole, the CSX LS is heavier than average which likely benefits performance.Diameter Consistency
Diameter consistency for the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X LS falls within the Average range. The size of the balls falls within the Average range relative to the market as a whole.Compression Consistency
Compression consistency falls within the Good range. Box 1 was slightly softer while Box 3 was a touch firmer but the sample was very consistent ooverall. The compression delta across the entire sample was 7.5 which is also above average.True Price
True Price is how we quantify the quality of a golf ball. It's a projection of what you'd have to spend to ensure you get 12 good balls.
The True Price will always be equal to or greater than the retail price. The greater the difference between the retail price and the True Price, the more you should be concerned about the quality of the ball.
Callaway Chrome Soft X – Summary
To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
The Chrome Soft X LS is the best ball we’ve tested from Callaway to date. Given that it’s produced at the same factory as the other Chrome Soft offerings, it’s reasonable to believe that Callaway has turned the corner. High scores may be the norm moving forward.
The Good
Compression and weight consistency above average Diameter consistency is squarely within the average range No layer/concentricity issues to speak ofThe Bad
Nothing of consequenceAt the time of review, the 2022 Callaway Chrome Soft X receives a Ball Lab score of 89. That’s significantly higher than the average score of 74.
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