Introduction
TaylorMade revamped their TP5 and TP5x models as part of their $100-million investment into their golf ball-related business which included buying the Nassau ball plant in South Korea and huge investments in R&D. Over the last three years, TaylorMade has built a new state-of-the-art indoor test range and completely remade its outdoor test area with Trackman units to capture performance data for every stage of ball flight.
The TP5 and TP5x now have what TaylorMade calls “Speed-Wrap”, a new technology that TaylorMade claims produces “significantly faster with a better feel and a softer feel.” This is done by allowing the material to control the sound without affecting speed. As sound often directly relates to feel, the new TP5 and TP5x can be firmer without feeling or sounding, well, firm. Finally, the initial three layers are now progressively firmer, allowing them to “truly perform like completely different products.”
So, of course, we wanted to get the new TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x golf balls into the hands of our testers to get their feedback.
The Testing Opportunity
We selected five golfers to test the TP5 or TP5x and also get their thoughts on the new Pix models.
TaylorMade TP5 and TP5X First Impressions
Sure, golf balls can be a little boring for a “First Impressions” section but there is something to be said about shelf appeal. When our testers unboxed their golf balls, this is what they had to say.
Wib10: “Opening the brown shipping box from TaylorMade the boxes of both versions of the TP5 just popped! Not just visually but physically! The logos and ball on the cover of each are raised and provide a cool tactile feel that really stood out, and this continued with the individual sleeves inside. The balls themselves felt of very high quality. The cover itself feels soft to the touch with a very minimal sheen. Of the 2 balls I was more interested in testing the Pix to help with putting alignment, but also to help on focusing on the ball when hitting off the tee and the balls definitely impressed me in this regard upon first inspection.”
Mission Man: “They look amazing, nice premium style box that match the quality of the balls. Taylormade claims it’s softer, longer and better than my current ball. I’ll see if it can deliver on those claims.”
This is a good lead-in into the next section: How did these golf balls actually play? Did they live up to the premium unboxing experience and feel?
TaylorMade TP5 pix
Not everyone is going to like or prefer the Pix series from TaylorMade or, for that matter, any graphics on any golf ball. All of our testers received a dozen Pix golf balls for testing. How did they like them or prefer them compared to the standard model?
Ronnieg: “With putting, the Pix design was great. I always line up my putts, so having a visual aid is a big plus for me. It’s firmer than the Pro V1 off the face, but not clicky. It rolled true.”
Odinsnipes: “I love this ball, the way it looks, the way it feels, everything! I went ahead and bought a dozen of the doughnut and the peach TP5x Pix”
Not every tester loved it but none found them overly distracting and said the performance matched or exceeded that of the standard model.
On-Course Performance
Regardless of how a golf ball looks or feels out of the box, it all comes down to how it performs. Is it predictable and offers performance across the board? Where does it excel and where could there be some improvements? For the first portion of this, we are going to focus on where the TP5 and TP5x excelled.
Ronnieg-TP5x: “This ball is high and long with the driver. It would almost feel like I was hitting them too high, but they still got out there a good 10 yards past my average. It has a crisp feel with irons and wedges. Same high launch as with the driver. I like to flight the ball down, and would occasionally see a shot go above my preferred window. The high launch seemed to help with lower spin, as the ball still stops rolling out where I would expect with my gamer.”
Odinsnipes-TP5 Pix: “There is something about orange on the course that is pleasing to the eye! Every shot, good or bad, was the perfect height in ball flight and distance was absolutely incredible!”
WiBi0-TP5: “The TP5 outperformed my regular ball far and away. Off every club in the bag I saw an increase in distance by 5-10 yards. I was able to hit on an indoor Trackman range and the results between the Kirkland and the TP5 were incredible”
The other resounding theme was the feel of the golf balls. They unanimously said they felt great and had an impressive sound and feel and that aligned with what they look for in a premium golf ball.
All of the results so far would indicate that TaylorMade was achieving all their goals. However, there were some red flags that made testers question whether this would be their new go-to ball.
TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x Durability
To be honest, most golfers will lose a golf ball before it gets to the point of needing replacement. That said, there is little worse than putting a new ball in play and, after a few crisp shots, there’s damage that we know will impact performance. MyGolfSpy has done significant testing on this very topic. Damaged golf balls are bad news and several testers noted significant durability concerns.
WiB081: “It is in the area of durability that I have concerns about the TP5 line this year. Using a few of the balls for a 9-hole round, I really liked how they felt off the clubs. However on pitches between 20 to 30 yards with a 56 degree Vokey spin milled wedge I noticed the cover took a beating.”
Ronnieg: “Now to the main thing that hurt the TP5x for me, durability. Durability is a big factor for me. I go through balls pretty quickly, as is. I spin my wedges well around the green and can rip them back on fuller shots when I want to, so I tend to scuff balls up pretty quickly. That said, the TP5x seemed to scuff up quicker than any premium ball I’ve ever used. It was essentially a 100% scuff rate on well-hit, full wedge shots. Then it didn’t seem to matter whether I was actually trying to spin it or even if I was taking spin off. It would also occasionally scuff on well-hit iron shots.
I hit a few balls on the cart path during my testing, and although I don’t expect a ball to survive that, the TP5x was totally destroyed. It literally ripped the cover off where contact was made with the path. I normally go through 2-5 balls a round just based on scuffing them with a wedge. During testing, I was going through 5-8 balls per round. I probably even used the TP5x’s a little longer than I normally would, just for the testing. This was definitely a major letdown for me, as performance on the course for the TP5x was very good.”
Not great, but was it a deal breaker for everyone?
Final Grades and Findings
As with all other tests, we ask our testers to rate the golf balls out of 100. This covers a variety of categories for a complete overview of how the golf ball performs.
The TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x received a low grade of 85 and high of 94 out of 100. Durability was a significant factor affecting the testers’ evaluation.
Three of the five testers are making this their new gamer moving forward. The remaining two found the performance was there to make it their new gamer. However, between price and durability, it will remain in rotation with others. They are balancing premium performance and feel versus suspect durability.
Curious about seeing all the information and data from our testers? You can find their full reviews, videos, photos and more here.
What is Forum Member Testing?
MyGolfSpy offers all its community members a unique opportunity to test, review and keep a variety of different golf equipment. This includes apps, apparel and more. Successful candidates are selected by Forum staff.
Members who are selected interact, engage and write a review on the specific product. All while enjoying the fun of trying new gear!
Member testing is vital because it gets gear in the hands of you, the golfer. Our members give honest feedback on how any product or service works. We select a variety of handicaps and abilities to ensure our readers are even more informed when making purchasing decisions.
To learn more about how testers are selected, head here: Want to be a forum tester?
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