Callaway Supersoft, Supersoft Max and Reva golf balls: What you need to know

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Callaway’s Supersoft line of balls has resonated with golfers for years, witnessed by its significant market share. That’s partly because many golfers need more distance, higher flight and want it a palatable price point. The Supersoft and Supersoft Max check those boxes with two-piece, low-compression balls aimed at boosting distance for average golfers. The oversized Supersoft Max is about 4 percent larger in diameter to help those with slower swing speeds and prone to mis-hits launch shots higher through the bag. The revamped Reva ball is targeted at women with slower swings who are seeking to increase launch and carry distance.

PRICE/AVAILABILITY: Supersoft, Supersoft Max and Reva are priced at $25 per dozen. All three models will be at retail Jan. 27.

3 COOL THINGS

1. More than just soft. As the name suggests, the Supersoft has a pillowy feel thanks to its low compression. There is more to a low-compression ball, however, than just a nice feel. It’s also more forgiving because it will spin less on long shots.

The low-spin characteristic not only promotes distance with the driver and the irons but creates less spin that translates to increased accuracy because as spin is reduced, the ball will tend to go less offline.

A tweak to the core also brough significant improvements. Without getting into the chemistry and jargon associated with it, the upshot is that Callaway was able to get more speed out of the core at the same compression.

“That’s important,” said Eric Loper, Sr, R&D golf ball director for Callaway. “More speed equals more distance coupled with low spin characteristics. We also have a new cover material that’s designed to further improve that engagement with the wedges to generate more control around the green.”

2. Bigger is better. As its name implies, the Supersoft Max is oversized (about 3 percent larger than a typical golf ball). By being larger, the ball’s center of gravity is higher, the idea being that a higher CG also makes it easier for the average golfer to launch the ball higher by more easily contacting the ball with the CG of the club (particularly with an iron, for example) below the CG of the ball.

3. What women want. Let’s be clear: There are many, many, MANY women golfers who are tremendous players and can kick the backside of many male players on the course. Then there’s a segment of women players who don’t swing very fast and need all the help they can get launching the ball as high as possible to get as much carry distance as they can. Callaway’s Reva line of balls is aimed at the latter.

The Reva is made with a slightly larger diameter. That raises the ball’s center compared to a standard ball. That’s important because, like the Supersoft Max, it increases the chances of the CG of the club to be lower than the midpoint of the ball, which helps launch shots higher with slightly lower spin. In effect, making slower swings more effective.