TaylorMade TP5x Golf Balls

Product Information

The TP5 remains the only five-piece ball on the market from a major manufacturer. While its competitors would no doubt dispute it, TaylorMade’s position is that more layers provide greater opportunity to tune spin performance throughout the bag.

Except for one ball in box No. 2 that was a bit on the heavy side, the consistency of weight across the sample falls within the average range. Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Vacating the higher end of the compression space where balls like the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash and now the Callaway Chrome Soft LS live is an interesting decision, especially as golfers are becoming more aware of these options. To some degree, it feels a bit like TaylorMade is walking away from an emerging category where it was already one of the leaders. The TP5x claims a higher ball flight, which you may think is a bad thing if you are playing in some wind. But this ball gets up there and has more of a piercing ball flight. So it actually plays quite nicely in the wind. Better than the TP5 due to the lower spin rate. Short Game Spin For the second generation in 2019 the company wove High-Flex Material (HFM) into the construction of their premium balls to more efficiently convert compression into ball speed. Known as the Speed-Layer System, this design injected a new level of speed into TP5x over the prior generation.In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. In total, we flagged six percent of our sample as bad. That’s only two balls which, while obviously not perfect, is a solid result. In one case, we observed a significant layer incursion. These occur when the inner layer hasn’t fully cooled before the next layer is added. Effectively, we’re talking about one layer melting into the next. I tried them out on the course as well and got a little more distance off the driver and the 3 wood. Of course, this isn’t a scientific experiment, but on good swings, I saw the TP5x was consistently about 5 yards farther. Off the tee, I was carrying my driver and woods 5-10 yards further due to higher launch and I could really feel the ball springing off the face. I also had an increased roll out. I really liked the stability it gave me off the tee.

On our gauge, the new TaylorMade TP5x measures 91 compression on average. That’s down seven points from the previous generation. The Taylormade TP5 ball is a great alternative for those of you that like to play the ProV1. It is certainly a premium golf ball and in the same class as the more popular ProV1. With a lower compression than the TP5x, you can get great performance out of this ball with a driver swing speed around 100-110. As we’ve come to expect from TaylorMade, the TP5x qualifies as small. It’s fair to say the company finesses its way to meeting the USGA minimal requirement, but nevertheless, the entire sample conformed to the rules. Both models deliver world-class distance off the tee, but TP5x is the fastest and longest ball in the current TaylorMade line-up, with a firmer feel and higher launch on iron shots. In addition, it has more greenside spin than the prior generation with a new and softer cast urethane cover.The manufacturing story remains a bit non-standard. You might even say odd. The cores and inner mantle layers are produced in Taiwan. The nearly finished balls are shipped to TaylorMade’s U.S.A. plant where covers are put on. Your results may vary and keep in mind that less spin may mean more distance off the driver but can also mean less ability to stop a long iron on the green. So balance your options and use the ball that matches your game. Feel Significant shifts in compression from one generation to the next are rare so it’s noteworthy when it happens. To give you a frame of reference, the compression change from the 2019 TP5x to the new model is roughly the same as the difference between a Pro V1x and the standard Pro V1. I enjoyed putting with both of these balls. I usually prefer a soft feel on the greens, and the TP5 was a little firmer than my usual gamer, but after a few putts, it was easy to get used to. Swing speed, spin rate, and feel preference. If you aren’t getting the driver up to at least 105+ mph then the TP5x might actually cost you yardage so go with the TP5. If you have the swing speed for them both, then grab a box of both and get on a launch monitor or take them out to your local course and see which one plays better for you.

We were seriously impressed by the TP5's feel though and, arguably, it is the golf ball's strongest factor! A number of the best premium golf balls on themarket can boast a solid combination of distance and spin, but the feel of the TP5 would be hard to match.RELATED: 2021 Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x reviewed Should I play the standard white TP5x model, TP5x pix or TP5x yellow? Compression consistency across the TaylorMade TP5x sample was above average (what we classify as Good). Even into the wind, the TaylorMade TP5x had good stability which is sometimes hard to find in a tour performance golf ball. I didn’t notice much difference in the distance with my irons or wedges but I did notice a higher launch pattern. If you hit the ball a little low and want to launch it higher to gain distance this could be a great option. From driver through to putter, the soft cover felt great and meant that, even when using it for the first time, making the adjustment from another brand was seamless. Ball Flight The 2021 TP5x and TP5 offer complete tee-to-green performance thanks to TaylorMade’s proprietary five-layer construction.

Taylormade has said that the TP5x does use a slightly harder urethane cover compared to the TP5. So, I think one place where the TP5x may come up a little bit short of the TP5 is for those short chips and pitches on a fast green when you need some real stopping spin on the ball. The TP5 and TP5x introduced a new technology that Taylormade calls “High Flex Modulus” (or HFM) in 2021. They claim that the material is more efficient at converting energy from the club impact into the forward momentum of the ball. In this section, we detail the consistency of the TaylorMade TP5x. Our consistency metrics provide a measure of how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.Apart from one having an X on it, there really isn't much to separate the two in the looks department. However, it is a different story when it comes to feel, with the TP5 remaining noticeably softer than theTP5x. In general, teh TP5 spins a little more than the TP5. This is likely due to the softer compression (and slightly softer cover when it comes to short game shots). The lower launch angle serves to prevent the higher spin rate from causing the ball to balloon up in the air. What I liked about the TP5 was that it fell somewhere between the ProV1 and the firmer TP5x. So if you want all the benefits of a higher spinning tour caliber ball but with a slightly firmer feel then this might be a good choice. Minor incursions remain prevalent and this does seem to be an ongoing issue with TaylorMade, though, compared to the prior generation, they were neither as numerous nor as severe. The differences show up when you move to iron shots. Here you will see a mid-high ball flight from the TP5 and a high ball flight from the TP5x. This likely has to do with the differences in spin that I’ll talk about below.