A major reason Min Woo Lee connects so deeply with golf fans is his electrifying style of play, blending raw power off the tee with a delicate and creative touch around the greens. To play this way, he carefully selects every piece of his equipment, and none is more important than his golf ball. Min Woo Lee plays the Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track Golf Ball. In this article, we won't just tell you what he uses, we'll break down the specific performance characteristics of this ball, explain exactly why it’s the perfect match for The Chef's game, and guide you on an easy process for determining if a high-performance ball like this is the right choice for you.
Before jumping into the specifics of Min Woo's ball, it's helpful to understand what separates a premium, tour-level ball from the less expensive options you see on a pro shop's shelf. At the heart of it, the difference lies in the materials and construction, which deliver a "best of both worlds" performance that elite players depend on.
In essence, a pro needs a ball that's a rocket off the driver (low spin) but also a feather falling onto the green with a wedge (high spin). A single, simple construction can't achieve this. The intricate layering of a tour ball is how players like Min Woo Lee can boom a drive 330 yards down the middle and then hit a delicate, spinning pitch shot that stops on a dime.
As a Callaway Staff Professional, Min Woo Lee has access to their full lineup of high-performance equipment. His choice, the Chrome Soft X, is specifically engineered for a certain type of player - one who mirrors his own aggressive and high-speed profile. It’s the brand's premiere tour golf ball for faster swinging golfers.
Let's look under the hood to see what makes this ball perform the way it does.
The engine of the Chrome Soft X is its Hyper Elastic SoftFast Core. Callaway's breakthrough here was figuring out how to make a core that is both incredibly fast (for ball speed) and relatively soft (for feel). This dual personality is central to its performance.
As we mentioned, the cover is what separates the pretenders from the contenders. The Chrome Soft X features a high-performance Tour Urethane Soft Cover. When an iron or wedge strikes the ball, this soft material gets squeezed into the club's grooves for a split second.
This interaction generates a huge amount of friction, producing the high spin rates you see from professionals. It's what allows Min Woo to:
Without a urethane cover, the "sauce" and "finesse" simply wouldn't be possible. The ball would slide up the clubface and a controlled, spinning shot would turn into a low, running knuckleball.
You can't have a high-performance ball without a sophisticated dimple pattern. Callaway's Tour Aero design on the Chrome Soft X is engineered to reduce drag while maintaining a high lift. This creates a powerful and penetrating ball flight that finds its peak and stays there, pushing forward for maximum carry distance, particularly in windy conditions that are a staple of DP World Tour and PGA Tour events.
Technology is one thing, but how does it translate to Min Woo Lee's specific game on the course? It matches his strengths and player identity perfectly.
Min Woo has one of the fastest, most powerful swings in professional golf. His average driver swing speed consistently sits above 120 mph. For a player with that kind of speed, using a ball that's too soft or spins too much off the driver is a recipe for disaster. It would lead to "ballooning" shots - balls that fly too high with excessive backspin, losing an enormous amount of distance, especially into the wind. The Chrome Soft X is the antidote. Its firm feel and low-spin characteristics off the driver allow Min Woo to swing aggressively with confidence, maximizing his greatest weapon: sheer power.
For all his power, Min Woo might be even more famous for his short game. He has incredible hands and a creative flair for hitting delicate chips, touchy pitches, and daring flop shots from anywhere. This style of play is entirely dependent on the high spin offered by the ball's urethane cover. He trusts that he can land the ball in a precise spot and that the spin will take over, allowing it to brake and settle near the hole. This confidence is what lets a player be aggressive on their approach, knowing they have a get-out-of-jail-free card with their short game.
Perhaps the most underrated quality of a tour ball is its consistency from box to box. Min Woo Lee knows that every single Chrome Soft X he tees up will perform identically. This removes a significant variable from the complex equation of professional golf. When he's standing over a 178-yard shot that has to carry a bunker, he knows exactly how high the ball will fly, how much it will spin, and how it will react to the wind. That level of trust and predictability is priceless when a tournament is on the line.
So, we know why it's a great ball for a an elite professional with world-class swing speed. But that doesn’t automatically make it the best ball for everyone else. As a golf coach, the number one mistake I see amateurs make with equipment is playing a ball (or club) that isn't suited to their game.
Here’s how you can determine if a ball like the Chrome Soft X is a good fit for you.
This is the most direct way to know if this ball is in your wheelhouse. The "X" model is designed for players with high swing speeds, generally above 105 mph with the driver. If you swing below this speed, you may not be able to fully "activate" the core of the golf ball. You won't compress it enough to unlock its maximum distance potential.
- Your Swing: Slower and Smoother? Golfers with speeds under 100-105 mph will often get better all-around performance from the standard Callaway Chrome Soft or the ERC Soft. These balls are designed with softer cores, requiring less speed to compress them effectively, leading to better feel and more distance for moderate swing speeds.
- Your Swing: Fast and Aggressive? If you have a high swing speed and find that softer balls feel "mushy" or seem to fly too high, you are an excellent candidate for the Chrome Soft X. You have the speed needed to tap into its low-spin distance benefits.
Think about what you need most from your golf ball.
- If You Need More Greenside Spin: Do your wedge shots bounce and roll out too much? If you want to see your pitch and chip shots check up and stop faster, then a urethane-covered ball like this is an excellent choice, regardless of your swing speed. This is often the biggest performance jump an amateur can experience when upgrading their ball.
- If You Fight a Slice or Hook: A lower-spinning ball like the Chrome Soft X can help, as it reduces sidespin from a less-than-perfect impact. However, don't expect it to be a miracle cure. Taming a severe slice comes from improving your swing path and clubface control, not just the ball you use.
- Bump and Run vs. Flying it High: If your go-to shot around the green is a simple bump-and-run with an 8-iron, the super-high spin of a urethane cover is less critical. If you prefer to fly wedge shots all the way to the hole, it’s essential.
The simplest way to know for sure is to test one. But don't just go smash drivers on the range. This is my go-to process for testing a new golf ball:
By working from the green *back* to the tee, you prioritize what matters most for lowering scores: feel and control around the greens. After all, what good is an extra 5 yards off the tee if that same ball won't stop on the green?
Min Woo Lee uses the Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track because its characteristics are a mirror image of his game: it's built for high speeds, produces low spin for powerful drives, and offers tremendous spin and control for his masterful short game. Choosing the right golf ball involves matching its design to your swing and your needs on the course.
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