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Callaway releases its softest ball ever, the Supersoft

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Callaway recently released a new golf ball, appropriately named Supersoft, which boasts a ball compression number of 38. The soft core and soft cover combine with HEX aerodynamics to produce a golf ball that reduces spin and adds distance.

Retail golf stores aren’t used to shelving golf balls with such a low compression number. Only the Wilson Duo golf ball holds up in comparison, with a compression number of 43 according to the PGA Compression scale. As a frame of reference, the Titleist DT Solo has a ball compression of 72 and the ProV1X’s number is 102.

“It’s easy to make a soft core, but it’s really difficult to make a soft core that is resilient, and we were able to do that with SuperSoft.” said David Bartels, Callaway Senior Directory, Golf Ball R&D. “Because the soft core is so resilient, it enables us to put a soft cover on it and still achieve really good ball speeds. The soft cover is great for feel and control around the green as well.”

CallawaySoft2

The two-piece Supersoft ball has a core made of polybutadiene material and a cover made of trinomer blend material. The cover features a pattern of 332 geometries covering 100 percent of the surface area.

A dozen of SuperSoft Callaway golf balls sell for $19.99, and are available in both traditional white and optical yellow.

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Jason Levi

    Jan 30, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    I hit THE ball with THE wedges, and shortcut iris with a lot of backspin I assume that this ball being so soft William have more backspin. Am I right?

  2. Robert

    Jan 29, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Funny how the article changed from DUO being softer than the Callaway. This changes my view of GolfWRX…. Im sure it has something to do with Callaway “deep pockets”. The Wilson DUO is still softer and better than the Callaway IMO.

    • Zak Kozuchowski

      Jan 29, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Robert and fmgolf64,

      As I stated previously, our original article got it wrong, mixing compression numbers from two different scales. The numbers in the current article reference the same scale, the PGA Compression scale, putting the balls on equal footing.

      Remember, compression is just a number, and doesn’t necessarily correspond to more feel or more distance.

      – Zak

      • fms64

        Jan 30, 2014 at 7:55 am

        I am just curious as to the “two different scales” you are referring to. The original article claimed only one. I find it hard to believe that Golf WRX measured the balls on two different devices. So which measurement device was used other than hexcaliber? Atti, ADC, Instron, Riehle?

        • Zak Kozuchowski

          Jan 30, 2014 at 10:37 am

          By different scales, we don’t mean actual measurement devices. We mean the “PGA Compression” and “Majestix” scales, which are different compression tests.

          Here’s how PGA Compression is measured: Compression = 180 – (deflection in inches x 1000)

          Deflection is obtained when applying a 200 pound load on the golf ball. Here’s an example when deflection is 0.100 inches

          180 – (0.1 x 1000) = 80 PGA Comp

          If you have any more questions, you can email me directly at [email protected]

  3. [email protected]

    Jan 29, 2014 at 2:09 pm

    Interesting that the original article noted that the Duo ball was 6 points softer than SuperSoft. Curious as to the reason for the editing???

  4. TJ

    Jan 15, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    I understand that the ball we choose is not just based on swing speed, but is there a range of swing speeds that would benefit from this ball? I understand its for slower swing speeds but how slow is slow enough?

  5. storm319

    Jan 12, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    The compression numbers listed in this article look to have been taken from the wrong column (MPI rather than AVG) of the gbt.org test results. AVG column shows actual compression results that are converted into a 100 point scale which comprises the MPI column.

    Most manufacturers reference core compression rather than overall compression as it makes the ball seem softer than it actually is. Unfortunately, core compression is not as helpful as overall compression as we hit the entire golf ball and not the bare core.

    • Zak Kozuchowski

      Jan 16, 2014 at 9:59 am

      We’ve made a correction that puts the Wilson Duo and Callaway SuperSoft compressions on equal footing, the PGA Compression Scale.

      – Zak

      • [email protected]

        Jan 29, 2014 at 4:23 pm

        Exactly how did you measure for the “PGA Compression Scale”. There are a number of different methods of measuring compression (and you mentioned the handheld “Hexcaliber” device in the original article). What equipment did you use?

  6. Jeff

    Jan 12, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    Just played this ball today and it’s very similar to the Wilson Duo. The difference is it doesn’t jump off the club face, especially on putts. Primarily for slower swing speed. Won’t find a better value from a Callaway ball.

  7. Dalton

    Jan 12, 2014 at 11:43 am

    Will this play longer than women’s balls? Just thinking of how my mom always wants to drive our local course’s par 4.

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Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

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Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

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TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

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Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

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In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.

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