The golf ball is the one piece of equipment we use for every shot on the golf course and so finding the right model for you is particularly important to helping you play better golf, lowering your scores and your handicap index. There are a huge amount of models out there and so finding the right one for you can feel a little overwhelming.
To help, we spoke to one of TaylorMade's lead Tour fitters, Chris Trott in the video below. He talks through the benefits of the different balls in the TaylorMade range and explains why going down the premium route doesn't have to be the right choice for every golfer.
As Chris explains, from a standing start you need to look at the speed you possess as a golfer and whether or not you need some extra help in launching the ball or if you already have the speed to achieve a strong flight throughout the bag.
“If you can launch a six-iron half of that number, so there is around 31° of loft on the blade, so if you can launch a six-iron around 15°, you’re pretty good and it shows you’re compressing the ball and probably have speed, so that brings you straight away into our premium ball line, the TP5 and TP5x” explains Chris.
The TP5 and TP5x are premium priced, and this is justified through the abundance of technology and performance on offer with these balls. The TP5 is the softer of the two balls, that has a little more spin, helping attack tucked pins with irons and offering a little more grab on the greens. The TP5x is a touch firmer, a feat achieved by varying the thickness of the 5 layers that make up the ball and in turn lowering the spin to promote a powerful and penetrating ball flight.
Chris continues by explaining there are slightly lower compression balls on offer for those who don’t have the speed to get the most out of the premium priced offerings. “Those would be the Soft Response or the Tour Response golf balls. There is a Urethane cover on a Tour Response golf ball, so at the end of the day, this is a premium Urethane cover on a medium priced-point ball that also comes with the visual tech if you want it.”
The Tour Response balls are some of the best soft feeling balls on the market and feature ClearPath technology, a colored stripe that wraps around the ball to offer a comprehensive vis-tech alignment aid, helping line putts up correctly while also offering immediate feedback on the quality of the stroke made. This three-piece ball is definitely considered one of the best value for money golf balls around thanks to its soft feel but tremendous distance on offer.
Chris explains that golfers who play in a stiff flex shaft can benefit from the premium ball range because they have the capability to access the full five layers on offer with the TP5 or TP5x golf balls. But if you are someone who wants a more budget friendly or entry level golf ball, you should consider the Soft Response golf ball. “This ball will give you the feel and feedback you would like and offer a high spin. The player who uses this ball will not tend to spin the ball enough and so this ball will give the golfer the spin rate they need to”.
“Have fun with the process in finding the right ball for you” says Trottie. “Start with on and around the green, find out whether you like a soft or a firmer ball, move to around the 150 yard mark, how does the ball fly, land and react? The last thing is driver, but you don’t need to do it, you can simply adjust your driver settings to work around the golf ball.”
Hopefully this article provides some clarity over which TaylorMade golf ball may be worth trying and the differences between the premium models and mid-priced models. Each golf ball is built to suit golfers with different swing speeds and attack angles and so if you have an idea where you fit on that scale, it may be worth purchasing a sleeve of perhaps two models you may have narrowed your choice down to and then get on the course to choose which one you prefer.
