TaylorMade Has Made A Huge Investment In Its Golf Balls - Here's How You Will Benefit

When you think about lowering your scores, your mind, like mine, probably jumps to a brand new driver, a custom-fitted set of irons, or even booking a set of lessons with your local PGA Pro. But the only piece of equipment you use on every single shot is the golf ball, and so choosing one with the right construction beneath the cover, and, as it turns out, the cover itself, plays a significant role in your performance on the course.

For years, the premium ball market has been dominated by a familiar name, and there is an argument that many Pro V1 users have stuck to what they know purely out of habit. But TaylorMade has been quietly, and now very loudly, changing the landscape of the premium category.

While previous generations of the TP5 have already established themselves as true competitors to the market leader, TaylorMade has continued to pour millions of dollars into R&D and production. They have invested heavily in facilities such as the state-of-the-art plant in Liberty, South Carolina, which Golf Monthly has visited to witness the precision of their manufacturing firsthand.

The result of this sustained investment? The new TP5 and TP5x. They aren't just a standard update on the 2024 model, they represent a completely reimagined evolution of an already elite product. TaylorMade has further refined a ball that stands toe-to-toe with the best in the world. So, what exactly has TaylorMade done with these new models, and more importantly, how does it translate to lower scores for your game?

Back in 2020, TaylorMade noticed an anomaly during some tour player testing at The Kingdom in Carlsbad. The launch monitors were showing perfect numbers, but out on the range, both the player and the R&D team were seeing the odd ball sporadically floating or falling out of the sky short of the designated target.

This, of course, was not up to the elite standards TaylorMade hold themselves to, and so the brand invested heavily in a proprietary Downrange Aerodynamic Radar Tracking (DART) system. Unlike the launch monitors we as golfers or fitters would use that rely heavily on algorithms, the further the ball travels, DART tracks a ball within three inches of its entire flight with 100% accuracy - pretty crazy.

Used alongside this state-of-the-art device was a new micro-measurement equipment that inspects the ball at ten times thinner than a human hair (the thickness of a red blood cell), and the culprit was finally exposed. It was paint.

In traditional golf ball manufacturing, paint can pool in the bottom of the dimples like water running down into valleys after heavy rain. This then disrupts the dimple's finely tuned aerodynamics, causing turbulence and inconsistent flight - as you experience on an airplane.

To fix this, TaylorMade completely revolutionized how golf balls are finished, and so they introduced Micro-Coating. Instead of paint collecting like rain at the base of the dimples, Micro-Coating applies the finish like a light dusting of snow, sticking evenly to every peak and valley of the dimple without pooling.

For you, the regular player, this means unmatched consistency and the trust that your equipment is almost flawless. The downside - blaming your equipment just became a lot more difficult!

So now, when you strike a 7-iron purely, you know almost exactly how far it will fly, launching in the correct window and with the right amount of hangtime. No unexpected ballooning in the wind, no sudden dropping short into the front bunker. Just reliable, repeatable distance, shot after shot.

Both of the new TP5 and TP5x balls feature a proprietary 5-layer construction, but they offer entirely different characteristics to suit different players' needs. Understanding why Tour pros choose one over the other is the fastest way to find the right fit for your own bag.

Rory made headlines when he switched to the TP5, and his primary reason was simple - he wanted maximum spin around the firm greens he faces each week out on the PGA Tour. However, higher-spinning balls historically peak too high in the air, making wedge shots difficult to control in the wind.

TaylorMade combated this and introduced a new dimple technology that minimizes peak height on the new TP5, and now, you and Rory can get the extreme spin demanded on shorter chip and pitch shots, all while maintaining a controlled, piercing flight that allows you to attack pins safely on fuller wedge shots.

The TP5x is the choice for golfers who want maximum speed and distance without sacrificing short-game control. That comes largely thanks to a new Speed Wrapped Core, which, according to TaylorMade and their testing, sees the TP5x average out a half-club longer than its predecessor, delivering lower driver and long-iron spin.

Crucially, this new core material produces a softer, more muted sound and feel than ever before, so despite being the firmer of the two balls, you’ll retain solid short-game feel. If your goal is to send more drives further down the fairway while maintaining a premium feel off the putter face, the TP5x is the ball you should look at adding to your bag.

While the main performance benefits of the new TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x balls come from the physical construction, their R&D heavily invests in and emphasizes visual technology. With options like the Stripe and ClearPath Alignment on the TP5 and TP5x Pix models, these balls are designed to help your performance on the greens, just as much as from the tee or the fairway.

The extended centerline and high-contrast graphics make squaring your putter face intuitive, helping line up putts, and when struck purely, the Pix pattern creates a clear, visible, unbroken channel as it rolls, providing immediate feedback on your stroke.

It’s essentially a built-in putting training aid that you can legally use during your Saturday medal - it almost seems ridiculous not to!

TaylorMade’s relentless investment in their R&D and facilities such as the Liberty Ball Plant, SC facility, and their groundbreaking tech like Micro-Coating and Speed Wrapped Cores proves they aren't just making golf balls to make up the numbers. The brand has engineered a premium, 5-layer product that goes toe-to-toe with the traditional market leaders, and they feel can improve your game regardless of the way you approach your round of golf.

If you’ve been stuck playing the same ball for years, down to habit, a Tour enthusiast tracking the gear of the pros, or a regular Sunday player looking for a competitive edge, the construction of your golf ball dictates your ceiling. TaylorMade has just raised that ceiling with the TP5 and TP5x.

Head over to the TaylorMade Golf website to learn more about the TP5 and TP5x golf balls and take the next step to bettering your game.