(Image credit: Kenny Smith)

Golf Monthly Verdict

A highly impressive ball at a competitive price point. The performance is very close to that of a premium-priced ball with particularly good, soft feel into and around the greens. The distance is comparable to premium models from the tee and iron shots. With 70 compression the launch is quite high and players who generate a lot of spin might not like that quite so much.

Reasons to buy

+
Great feel and distance
+
Excellent alternative to more expensive, premium balls

Reasons to avoid

-
A little lack of control for high-spinning players

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By Fergus Bisset

published 4 May 2022

TaylorMade V3 Urethane Ball Review

There's a comprehensive range of TaylorMade balls to suit differing playing requirements. Their premium offerings; the TaylorMade TP5 and TaylorMade TP5X are favourites among the better and Tour players.

The V3 Urethane is aimed at players seeking a blend of distance and spin – tour calibre performance at a lower price point. The Tour Response is another TaylorMade offering that targets that mid-range market that is worth checking out.

I played with the TaylorMade V3 Urethane over several rounds using Golf Monthly's testing methodology and was interested to see how it performed against my normal ball of choice - the Titleist AVX.

The V3's React Core has been designed to generate maximum velocity for explosive distance off the tee. At 70 compression, it also means a soft feel. Spin Mantle technology is supposed to deliver iron distance and control while the cast urethane cover helps with spin and durability.

On course, the V3 Urethane performed extremely well and we were impressed by pretty much every aspect of it.

With a full urethane cover, it has the look of a premium golf ball and the clear, simple graphics enhance the aesthetics.

From the tee we felt it held its own against the premium balls with good feel, strong launch and excellent distance. It’s softer at 70 compression and there’s just a feeling it could spin up a little in the wind.

With iron play, control is excellent as is launch and feel. Into reasonably firm greens – the ball was holding even with mid-irons, when well struck.

Around and into the greens, spin levels are good although spin and feel are just a little behind the likes of TP5 and TP5X. But, nevertheless, it feels easy to control and to play a variety of short shots with confidence. On the surfaces the feel off the putter is excellent and, again, very much comparable with more expensive balls.

In summary – The TaylorMade V3 Urethane ball is an excellent middle range ball that delivers near premium performance from tee to green.

If you opt to add the V3 Urethane ball to your repertoire, take a look at our TaylorMade voucher codes.

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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