We are working on testing the new ball bot and will send you those results as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ve dug a little deeper to learn more about the new ball’s specs.
Here’s what we know so far.
A well-known factory
of Amazon Core Soft is produced by SM Global. It is the same factory that produces Kirkland Performance+both PXG Xtreme Modelsand the Malbon golf ball.
Where the stories differ is that while those other balls have urethane covers, the most affordable ball (that means something when Kirkland is in the mix) is an ionomer-coated offering.
Dimple patterns are equally popular
It is not unusual for balls from the same factory to have the same dimple patterns. Great examples are balls from Maxfli, Vice, OnCore and more that share Foremost’s 318 dimpled cover.
What is interesting about Amazon Core Soft is that not only is the hole number the same, but the mold stamps on the cover suggest it was made with the same tooling as the urethane models I mentioned.
This is not something we have seen before, and in doing some digging, I heard from a high-level R&D source who told me that it would be very unusual to use the same molds for urethane and ionomer. So much so that he never saw it done.
We can’t be 100% sure about this detail, but the mold marks and dimple patterns are identical, and that alone is odd.
I don’t think the target consumer cares, but of course if you’re looking to cut costs, one way to do that is to use the tools you already have.
The consistency seems pretty good
We have noticed that the quality and durability of the products coming out of SM Global have improved with the latest generation of both Kirkland AND PXG ballsso in that regard, it’s not entirely surprising that, at first glance, Amazon Core Soft looks solid.
With the caveat that we only ran a dozen through our ball lab procedures, the variations in weight, compression and diameter were not at all concerning.
About that compression
In our gauge, Amazon Core Soft has an average compression of 55. Based on measurements taken as part of our 2025 golf ball test, this puts it in the same general ballpark as Callaway Supersoft, TaylorMade Speedsoft, and Srixon Soft Feel.
Every indication so far suggests that it is among the softest golf ball punches on the market right now. Honestly, this is a smart play as ball players tend to be sensitive to both feel and price.
And spin rates?
The compression value also provides a strong indication of torque characteristics. We’ll be able to put some hard numbers on this once we have some robot data, but given the realities of ultra-low compression, it’s safe to say it’ll also be among the lowest-spinning balls on the market.
The diameter is interesting
We have previously noted that ionomer/Surlyn coated balls are almost invariably larger than their urethane counterparts. It is one of the less discussed downsides of ionomer balls. There is a performance advantage to a smaller ball (which is why the USGA has a minimum size requirement), so it’s interesting that the diameter of the Amazon Core Soft is in line with what we typically see in a urethane offering. That is, it is significantly smaller than most ionomer balls.
In addition to providing a performance advantage, it also lends credence to the idea that urethane molds are being reused.
The weight is incomprehensible
The weight of the Amazon Core Soft ball falls squarely in the average range compared to everything else in our database. There’s not much to say about it, other than the fact that the Amazon ball isn’t heavy enough to risk breaking USGA rules, nor is it light enough to leave performance on the table.
More to come
As I said, we are working on putting together a robot test to see how the Core Soft compares to other top balls on the market. We will get it to you as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, if you’ve played the new ball, let us know what you think.
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