Struggling To Hole Short Putts? A New Golf Ball Could Provide The Answer

Struggling To Hole Short Putts? A New Golf Ball Could Provide The Answer

Golf ball design has certainly become more extravagant over the past few years, with the introduction of models like the TaylorMade Pix and Srixon Q-Star Divide. However, even more radical offerings from TaylorMade and Callaway look set to accommodate a growing trend towards more vibrant alignment cues from your golf ball. Both of these brands have brought to market balls that will not only help you spot and identify them more easily, but feature new graphics that could help improve your scores.

The Tour Response Stripe Multipack features four sleeves in four different colorways - blue, red, yellow and orange. The 360 ClearPath alignment wraps around the ball to create clear visual feedback on the quality of your chip or putt. When a putt is hit correctly to your target, the colored strip will roll end over end, which will either inspire confidence that you have hit a good putt, or will show you what side of the ball you are miss-striking it from.

The latest Tour Response Stripe, one of the best golf balls for the price, is a three-piece, cast urethane covered golf ball that shares the same dimple pattern found on the TP5 and TP5x played on the PGA and DP World Tour to create ideal aerodynamics, helping improve carry distances.

Much like the TaylorMade Tour Response Stripe balls, the new Callaway Chrome Soft 360 Triple Track balls now have, as the name suggests, the popular three line alignment aid running the whole way around the ball, which makes for a mesmerising watch as the ball rolls end-over-end when putting with them. What’s more is all three of the Chrome Soft, Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X LS balls will be offered in the 360 Triple Track option, so no matter your ball preference, you can still benefit from this excellent alignment aid.

Another new alignment-enhancing ball as part of the Decorated collection is the Callaway Chrome Soft TruTrack, which features Callaway Truvis technology as well as a new extended alignment line printed though the Chrome Soft stamping. As someone who loves putting with a line on their ball, having a line printed on and not having to worry about my wobbly sharpie line wearing off makes a huge difference.

Alongside the premium Chrome Soft franchise, Callaway has introduced the ERC Soft 360 Fade as an additional alignment option and a pretty unusual one at that. This design features a line running horizontally to align with your putter face, which then has a pattern that starts in solid color and fades out to create a unique alignment feature, that looks very cool when in motion and provides good feedback as to whether your put rolled purely or not. These ERC Soft 360 Fade balls would be ideal for higher handicappers, or those who struggle with aim when putting and certainly could be considered one of the best value for money golf balls on the market.

It’s hard to picture where brands will take ball design and alignment aids next, but these are certainly different to what we have ever seen before and are worth experimenting with if you struggle to knock in those nerve-jangling three footers.