The majority of you reading this review will be familiar with many of Callaway’s popular golf ball franchises like the ERC Soft, the Warbird and more recently the Chrome Tour which, as the name suggests, is played out on the various global tours by some of the very best.
But I stumbled across a completely new ball recently which I had never seen before and it seriously piqued my interest. This mysterious model is not listed on the Callaway EU or US websites, nor can you find it on Amazon (it must be the only thing you can’t find here). It is the Callaway Hex Bite Soft and you can only buy it from UK online retailer Clubhouse Golf. The RRP is £34.99 a dozen but if you go all out and buy three dozen, the current discount being offered means you’ll only have to part with £59.98 for 36 balls. So the big question is… does the Hex Bite Soft offer genuine value or is the price too good to be true?
WATCH: We put the Callaway Hex Bite Soft ball through its paces on the course
The tech description on the box is pretty vague. It promises a “soft feel”, “incredible distance” and “optimised short game shots” - which all sounds lovely. There is not, however, any mention of the cover material, which caused alarm bells to start ringing in my head. More on that later.
Out of the box it looks like a pretty well put together ball. It has the signature hexagonal dimple pattern we expect from Callaway, the finish is bright white and the dual black arrow sidestamp will go a long way to assisting with alignment on the greens. First I hit a few putts and it delivered the soft feel but with a surprisingly noticeable ‘click’ sound at impact. Soft, in golf ball talk, usually means slow and quiet and while it delivered on the former (it felt a little spongy off the face and didn’t have as much speed as I was accustomed to) it certainly wasn’t subtle on the ears.
Around the green was where I could get a better sense of what the cover was made of and the short game control I could expect as a result. Sure enough, chip and pitch shots rolled out a little more than I was expecting, although the slightly higher flight helped to enhance the stopping power. I’m confident the cover is not made of urethane, more like ionomer or surlyn, so the control on offer with a wedge will fall short of what the best premium balls are able to muster.
To test the durability, I hit 10 shots with the same ball from a practice bunker. On close inspection, there were some minor scuffs but nothing drastic - it held up pretty well.
It was in the long game where this ball really surprised me (in a good way). Low compression, soft-feeling balls tend to be slow in terms of ball speed for most golfers. But when testing in direct comparison with last year’s Chrome Soft, one of the premium balls in the range, the Hex Bite Soft compared admirably. It was a little faster and provided lower spin, meaning my distance output was considerably higher.
This theme continued with mid-irons. Despite the lower spin, the higher ball flight meant the stopping power was similar to what the Chrome Soft offered. Yes it felt soft, with every club in the bag, and while this didn't necessarily appeal to me - the trajectory and distance output I was experiencing absolutely did.
So who should be using the Callaway Hex Bite Soft ball? Well for starters anyone who wants a solid-performing ball in all areas of the game without the premium price tag. The bulk buy deal Clubhouse Golf is currently offering makes this a compelling proposition in terms of value for money, especially for golfers that prioritise long game performance. It might not stand to attention around the green, but you’ll soon get used to having to give putts a little more juice. I would say this ball suits the majority of abilities, from high single figure handicaps all the way up to casual golfers and beginners.
