Callaway Warbird Golf Balls

Unlike many of the company's balls over the past ten years or so, the original Callaway Warbird golf balls did not use the patented "HEX Aerodynamics" system (if you're not familiar with these innovative geometrically-shaped indentations on the ball's cover, I encourage you to read some of our reviews on Callaway golf balls that do use this system - the reviews of the Callaway HX Tour or Callaway Big Bertha golf balls, for example, should give you a basic understanding of HEX and what it's all about).

At any rate, in a bit of a departure from many of the company's recent balls, original Callaway Warbird golf balls use conventional dimples on the cover instead of the HEX indentations. First introduced in the early 2000s, the ball was updated in 2007 (now, there is even a "Warbird Plus," but it's an entirely different ball which does use the HEX system). The original balls used a two-piece construction and were typically marketed as affordable "distance balls" suitable for mid- to high-handicappers with slower than average swings.

Many recreational golfers have mid- to high handicaps, and the original Callaway Warbird golf balls were squarely aimed at that skill level. Although I have a below-average handicap (it's hovering around 9 right now), I'm still the type of golfer that these balls were designed for. My swing speed is a bit slower than average, and I'm always trying to squeeze out some additional distance.

But, despite being a member of their "target audience," I have decidedly mixed feelings about these balls. Keep reading and I'll let you in on what I think are their pluses and minuses.

The Advantages of Callaway Warbird Golf Balls

• Price. These balls have always been priced affordably, especially when you consider that they come from one of the world's foremost golf equipment makers. I've bought them for as much as $16.95 and as little as $11.99 per dozen. Even the high-end price is reasonable for Callaway quality.
• Distance. These golf balls are optimized to deliver more distance, even for those of us who deal with slower swing speeds. According to experts, these balls fly farther off the tee because they're designed to reduce spin off the driver. They're also designed to minimize side spin, so they tend to go longer but also straighter than some of the other balls in their category. I found this to be true when I hit them.
• Feel. Callaway Warbird golf balls are "distance" balls, as opposed to being "spin" balls designed for highly skilled players. That being said, these balls have a softer core and cover that gives them a better feel than some of their competitors in the distance ball category. The softer core also helps slower swingers maximize their distance.

The Drawbacks of Callaway Warbird Golf Balls

• Not Very Spin-Able. Being optimized for distance, they are not designed to promote spin on approach shots. Many mid- to high-handicappers would struggle with spinning the ball on their approach shots no matter what ball they used, so the ball's lack of "spin-ability" isn't really much of a drawback for them. But, if you want a ball you can land on the green and "stick," look elsewhere.
• Durability. I'm actually not certain whether I think these balls are durable or not. On some days I'd hit the same ball for an entire round and at the end of the day it wouldn't have a single mark on it. Other days they seemed to scuff and cut really easily. The cover is a substance called ionomer and it's supposed to be fairly durable, so maybe my varied results regarding durability were due to me and my somewhat erratic game, not the ball.

The Bottom Line: Callaway Warbird golf balls aren't the best ever made, but their tendency to go long and straight makes them appealing to many average golfers. And, their reasonable price makes them look even better. Their feel isn't great, but it's better than some of the other distance balls you could buy. In short, this is a good (not great) ball for a low price.

From Callaway Warbird Golf Balls to other Callaway golf balls.