Callaway ERC Soft Golf Ball Review

Callaway ERC Soft Golf Ball Review

Callaway ERC Soft Golf Balls
Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: A good all-around, mid-priced ball.

Manufacturer’s Site
On Amazon

All other things being equal, I prefer a softer feeling golf ball. In that, I’m not alone. According to one study, so do 70% of golfers — regardless of handicap.

Much of the difference in feel comes down to differences between urethane and ionomer covers. As a rule, urethane covers tend to be softer, provide more feel, and spin a little more. Ionomer covers, on the other hand, are typically feel harder, are found on distance balls and will reduce sidespin.

The 2021 Callaway ERC Soft was created to straddle the gap between traditional Urethane and Ionomer covers. Working in concert with materials experts at Midland, Michigan-based Dow, the ERC Soft has what Callaway calls a “hybrid” cover. It features a blend of Surlyn ionomers infused with Dow’s Paraloid additives.

The dimples are in Callaway’s trademark Hex pattern.

In play, I’ve found that the ERC Soft is just as advertised: a soft feeling distance ball. For my swing, flight is moderately low with the driver, with lots of roll. Off the irons, the flight is also (for me) on the low side. It just doesn’t climb like some other balls. In that, it only partly lives up to its advertising as “high launch and low spin.”

Distances, however, are about what I expect from each club.

For me, this would be a good ball to play in the wind. A little lower flight with no perceptible loss of distance could be a good thing.

As for feel, the ERC Soft lives up to its name. It has that urethane feel where the ball seems as though it lingers on the face of the club just a touch longer than it would with a surlyn cover.

Under the hood, the Callaway ERC Soft is a three-piece ball with the usual sort of specs: a “high energy” core and “high speed mantle” to go with the aforementioned “hybrid” cover.

What I find most intriguing about the ball, though, are the Triple Track lines. These are supposed to help you line up putts, but for my part, I think they’re more useful in lining up tee shots.

The three parallel lines take advantage of something called the Vernier Visual Acuity effect. With the two colors (red and blue), and the difference in the widths (the inside line is thicker than the outside ones), the lines help your brain more easily see the line through to the hole.

It’s a real thing. Science and math for the win.

The price point on the ERC Soft is pretty good. At around $35, it’s cheaper than the Hex Soft ($38) and the Chrome ($41), but $10 more than the two-piece Supersoft.

I’ll keep playing these until the last one dies a watery death.

The Callaway ERC Soft Golf Ball Review was first published on GolfBlogger.Com on June 23, 2021.