TaylorMade TP5 Ball

TaylorMade TP5 Ball Review - Technical Editor Joel Tadman puts TaylorMade's new premium TP5 golf ball to the test, how does it perform?

TaylorMade TP5 Ball Review

TaylorMade’s latest premium ball is said to offer the best combination of feel, greenside spin and long-game performance that the company has ever built into a golf ball.

Key technology Both the TP5 and TP5x golf balls feature five-layer constructions, with each of the layers customised to meet specific demands, be it driver and iron distance, control and spin, or greenside feel and performance.

Via a progressive construction and manipulation of the size, compression, and materials in each layer, TaylorMade has been able to decouple driver and iron speed from iron and wedge spin.

How we tested We hit 50-yard pitches, full 7-irons and drives with both balls and their rivals on our GC2 launch monitor before testing them over a number of rounds to assess ball flight, short-game control and overall feel.

We also compared them with the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x, the leaders in the premium ball category.

GM Review

Short game Both the TP5 and TP5x models offer a soft enough feel and nice low launch, plus plenty of grab on chips and pitches. They react exactly how you would want and expect a premium ball to react.

Long game The TP5 performed similarly to the Pro V1 on drives – slightly lower-spinning if anything. But with a 7-iron we saw a higher launch and flight, more ball speed, less spin and two to three yards more carry.

The reduction in long-game spin will help the majority of players who spin the ball too much.

The durability was very good and the higher ball flight on iron shots still seemed to hold its line in the wind.