When Callaway Golf launched the Chrome Soft ball a year ago, it dubbed it as “the ball that changed the ball.” Callaway doubled down on that sentiment with Truvis technology, a soccer-style patterning designed to increase visibility.
Truvis is a patented technology Callaway purchased for exclusive sales rights in North America. The company recently launched a black and yellow ball to complement the original red and white design and installed a third Truvis machine in its ball plant to keep up with supply and demand.
Jason Finley, Callaway’s director of Brand Management for Golf Balls and Packaged Sets, said Callaway is kicking around more ideas for Truvis use. He shared a few in a recent interview:
Q: How confident was the Callaway staff about how Truvis would be received?
We thought it would do well, but we’ve been surprised by the success. The original idea was to get people to be more open about trying something different in a golf ball. We wanted to engage the people who had tried a colored ball in the past, but this turned out to have a much broader reach. We’ve had everyone from beginners to really good players love it and start playing it.
Q: How about performance?
It’s easier to see and follow in the air and find, and it’s easier to differentiate in your group. We found the brighter, bolder colors stood out a lot more, and the original red and white paired with the packaging of the Chrome Soft.
Q: How has the new black and yellow ball been received?
It’s done very well and is outpacing the sales of our traditional yellow balls. Truvis in total is pushing into a 50-50 split versus traditional balls with some of our accounts.
Q: The new ball design got a boost from the Par-3 Contest at the Masters, correct?
Yes, a bunch of players used the yellow and black and Tom Watson played the red and white in the Par-3 and the tournament.
Q: How did Tom Watson come to play the Truvis ball?
It’s funny. He wasn’t one of the players we were going to approach, but he was touring our office one day and there was a Truvis ball on the floor. We have golf balls around our office. People chip and putt. He looked down, saw one on the ground and asked, “What’s that?” Our CEO Chip Brewer explained it to him and he said he wanted to try it. So he’s about as traditional as they come and he’s using it.
Q: What’s the future for the ball? More colors?
We partnered with Troon Golf last year to produce a pink and white version for October. I could see more custom opportunities like that where we utilize other colors for a special edition offering. There’s a ton of opportunity there, for sure.
