Name: TaylorMade Soft Response Ball
Brand: TaylorMade

Golf Monthly Verdict

An excellent addition to the TaylorMade golf ball family that offer amateurs the chance to balance the price they pay with a level of performance to suit them.

Reasons to buy

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Soft Response is a solid all rounder at a good price that offers a responsive feel on all shots and provides good distance on long-game shots.

Reasons to avoid

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Not as much control as we'd like around the greens.

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By Neil Tappin

last updated 18 March 2022

In this TaylorMade Soft Response ball review, we analyse the feel and performance but also assess how it compares with its sister ball the Tour Response

TaylorMade Soft Response Ball Review

In the Soft Response, TaylorMade is aiming to offer a ball that provides excellent all round playability and consistency without the same level of feel and spin control of the more expensive models like the TP5 and TP5x balls.

The Soft Response sits alongside its sister ball, the Tour Response, which differs by having a urethane cover. It is worth saying that these are the original version of these balls and the newer TaylorMade Soft Response 2022 golf ball aims to move the performance on.

TaylorMade Tour Response and Soft Response Balls

RELATED: TaylorMade TP5 Ball Review

In the long game, the Soft Response ball performed well. It offered plenty of distance off the tee and provided a strong flight that was consistently true, even in the windy conditions we tested them in.

The Soft Response has a unique dimple pattern for added distance, an ionomer cover and has a low compression to help those with slower swing speeds.

Around the greens, the Soft Response felt fantastic. While it may not spin as much as its urethane counterparts, the Soft Response felt lovely off the putter face in particular, it felt smooth and we had plenty of control.

RELATED: Best Mid Price Golf Balls 2020

For many amateur golfers, who are just as likely to hit a drive straight down the middle of the fairway as they are to shell one into the unknown, the idea of a golf ball that offers good all round performance at an affordable price-tag sounds seriously alluring.

Indeed, this is what TaylorMade is offering in the Soft Response. It may not create as much spin around the greens, but its performance in the long game and soft feel off the face make it a great, and cut-price, golf ball.

If you can put up with your chips rolling out a little more, then the Soft Response still feels good whilst also performing impressively in the long game. It also comes in yellow and pink if you want to add some personality to your game.

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."

Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X