June 1, 2012 – Maybe you’re not going to play the Augusta Masters or the Open Championship. But even so, you needn’t give up playing a better golf ball, which can help you if your progress in the game can benefit from it. Callaway Golf has sent us half-a-dozen of its new HEX Black Tour, and we have played them on the golf course to know their strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, this golf ball is full of technology inside. It has a 5-piece construction (the first of its kind was the TaylorMade Penta TP), of which Callaway describes as innovative the dual core structure, the exceptionally resistant material of the cover, and the well-known pattern of hexagonal dimples (HEX), all of which lead to a better overall performance than any previous ball from the company.

This double core, softer at its interior and firmer at its exterior, functions as an intelligent core that takes the concept of Spin Separation to a new dimension. That is, it is designed to generate the greatest difference between the rate of spin off the driver (very low effect from the tee), and the spin rate off the wedge (a greater effect to enhanced control around the green).

With these references I came to the golf course to test the golf ball that pros like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Branden Grace, Alvaro Quiros and Pablo Larrazabal, among others… are playing on Tour. These are my conclusions:

• First impression: It is certainly a great Tour type golf ball, for professionals and low handicaps, although medium handicaps in progression will also appreciate its advantages.
• As a Tour ball, the best and most important quality I have found, comparing it with previous models in its class is… durability. The surface suffers less wear and tear, and therefore has more durability.
• The flight is high. You might feel that you miss a slightly more piercing trajectory.
• The feel of the ball is somewhat harder than I like, but the reaction of the ball on the green surprised me. It has a good grip on the green.
• Maybe there are golf balls on the market that might make more distance, and others that have more stop capacity, but the Black Tour HEX could be the one that is better balanced in terms of performance, because it works well in all aspects: height, durability, distance…

There is no doubt that Callaway has successfully brought together the virtues of the fast ball with a firm core with the softer ball with a smoother cover in the HEX Black Tour, compared with its models from previous seasons.

CALLAWAY HEX BLACK TOUR GOLF BALL

• Tester: Toni Alcázar (33). Pro of El Doctor Golf.

DESIGN	[rating: level=”5″]
PIERCING	[rating: level=”4″]
HEIGHT	[rating: level=”5″]
DURABILITY	[rating: level=”5″]
PERFORMANCE	[rating: level=”4″]
FEELING	[rating: level=”4″]
VALUE	[rating: level=”4″]
FOR…	Pros, Low and Medium Handicaps
PUNTUACIÓN MEDIA	[rating: level=”4.5″]

A great golf ball, which surprises for its balance in all aspects of performance: height, distance, grip on the green, durability…

The touch may seem a little hard to you, and the height might not convince you if you’re looking for a more penetrating trajectory.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

• i-Core Technology: This dual core construction maximizes the compression difference between the inner and outer core layers.
• Dual Mantle: Both the inner and outer mantles are comprised of ionomer blends in different ratios to affect the hardness and resilience of each mantle layer.
• DuraSpin Cover: This proprietary cover formulation was developed using a unique thermoplastic urethane (TPU) blend with excellent mechanical properties and durability characteristics.
• HEX Aerodynamics: 100 percent surface area coverage on a golf ball whereas traditional round dimples typically cover only 88 percent of the surface.
• RRP: 12 golf ball box, €54,99.

Por Toni Alcazar