Of all the trends in golf, patterned golf balls are rising to the top of the list. Golfers have more options now than they ever have before and it seems that every major golf company has adapted to this trend by creating a non-traditional golf ball of their own. In the past few years, the popularity of this trend has skyrocketed due to the numerous benefits that the patterns provide. Companies like Callaway and Taylormade are blazing this trail and with their continued success, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the others follow. Whether patterned golf balls is simply a fad that will soon fade out, or a new adaptation to the game that’s here to stay, it an interesting topic to dive into.
One of the most relevant examples of a patterned golf ball is the Callaway Truvis design on their Chrome Soft model which was released in 2016. This pattern mimics the look of a soccer ball by featuring colored pentagons. The purpose of this design is to improve the player’s focus and allow them increased visibility of the ball. This will also benefit the player’s ability to aim the golf ball and make them more accurate. The soccer ball inspired pattern gives the player instant feedback on spin, especially while putting. Since these golf balls were released, they have exploded in popularity and they were even used in competition by Tom Watson. This ball comes in a wide variety of color options.
Callaway has been a pioneer in golf ball design in recent years and they seem to release the next best thing in golf ball technology every season. This year, Callaway released the ERC Soft with Triple Track Technology, there newest pattern design that has the goal of improving your alignment. Triple Track Technology feature a wide red line with two thin blue lines on either side. According to Callaway, this ball features “Vernier Visual Acuity” and will improve your accuracy with putts. As opposed to a single thin alignment line, the Triple Track Technology makes it easier to take aim on your intended line. Phil Mickelson is currently using this technology on his specially made Chrome Soft X ball. The Triple Track Technology is available on white and yellow balls.
Callaway isn’t the only company offering a patterned golf ball with the intention of improving your game. Taylormade has released their own adaptation of this style this golf season with the introduction of the Pix design on their TP5 balls. This pattern has a comic book like ‘X’ shaped design that is red and yellow on a white ball. Similar to the Callaway Truvis that we discussed earlier, this ball improves the players visibility in low light and high light hours and it provides immediate spin feedback around the green. The red and yellow color pattern was inspired by the way we see colors in various lighting conditions.
These new patterned designs are the latest and greatest in golf ball technology and they are beneficial to players of any handicap level. Some may find these patterns to be distracting and obnoxious but there is no denying that they will improve your accuracy and provide you with instant feedback around the greens. Before writing them off based on their appearance, give these balls a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised.
