TaylorMade TP5/TP5X Golf Balls! - 2024 Forum Review

[Wib081]

In my round on Saturday I find that the TP5 is still a good ball for my game. The extra spin was stopping the ball with in 4 ft of pitch marks except on a par 5 where it hit midway up a ridge and it rolled back 10 ft. Distance is even better with the course being dryer getting more run out and loving it. My 14 y/o is liking the pic for lining up his putts now and he missed an eagle putt, we were playing scramble so he used mine, by 1/2 inch outside it was great

[DiscipleofPenick]

Back At It:

So, I ended up not being able to play for two weeks as the whole house came down with some kind of respiratory viral thing. I am still dealing with a cough, and my wife and littlest one still cannot shake it either. Ever since covid, it takes a lot longer to recover from any kind of sickness like this. But anyway, after the long layoff, I was able to get out and play Memorial weekend. I also want to point out, I took the MacGregor MT-86 out of the bag from last year’s test, and put my Titleist 714 CBs back in. The difference is that I went with the KBS Stiff in the Macs, I have DG X100s in the 714s. I had been hitting the ball all over the place with irons and wanted to know if it was swing or shaft causing that.

So anyway, after not playing for two weeks and switching irons, I really wanted to focus this week's testing on durability and on iron shots. I really do not feel like durability is any issue with this ball. I played one ball the whole front nine, caught several trees, and here are the before and after pics. You can see the one above the right of the logo, but it is just a little scuff, nothing major. I lost the ball on #12, so unfortunately, I cannot show you how a full eighteen looks. I can confidently tell you there is no marks or fuzz from my irons and wedges biting into the cover. 

The iron play was fantastic Sunday. I hit ten greens, went long on two others, and just hit lasers all day. Yes, this was mostly due to switching back to irons with extra stiff shafts, but what is important for this test is that the ball flew exactly how I like it to. High, straight or my draw, and the right distance (or a touch longer than the Z-Star). There is one difference I have noticed and that is the longer iron shots do not hold quite as well with the TP5 vs. the Z-Star. What I always liked about the Z and the ProV1 before it, is that on well struck irons the ball is within five feet of the pitch mark on the green. I get that one-hop-stop I am used to playing. Now of course this distance grows as I move to lower irons, I am not claiming I stick my 4i all the time. I am just noticing that when I get down the 4i and 5i. the roll out with the TP5 is significantly more than the Z. All other irons and full wedges the performance is identical. 

With driver and short game, I am not seeing any difference from my gamer. I am getting the distance and ball flight I like to see off the driver. And I can hit all the same shots around the green I normally do with the Z. I already have tons of confidence in this ball in the short game because it performs and rolls the way I am used to, just like the other comparable balls I have gamed in the past. 

Now with putting.... I absolutely love putting with this ball. It feels fantastic off the face and rolls true. I have not had any issues with distance control and even started making a few more putts outside my normal range. This is easily the best feeling ball I have used for putting, just top marks all around. 

So, here is the rub, I already have my mind made up about this ball. I have had the TP5 in my bag in years prior, as I get a sleeve now and then. This is a good ball, but it is more expensive than the Z-Star (and Snell) so I cannot say this is where I would spend my money and switch. So, I can keep posting about my rounds and the ball performance, but at this point, I would like to turn it over to the forum. I am playing tomorrow and Tuesday so I can throw some stuff at the wall if you want to see it.

What other tests would you like to see?

Are there any questions lingering from the other reviews?

Are there any comparisons you want to see? (I have Z-Star, Snell MTB-Prime, Wilson Staff Model, & Bridgestone B XS in reserve)

[Wib081]

6 minutes ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

Back At It:

So, I ended up not being able to play for two weeks as the whole house came down with some kind of respiratory viral thing. I am still dealing with a cough, and my wife and littlest one still cannot shake it either. Ever since covid, it takes a lot longer to recover from any kind of sickness like this. But anyway, after the long layoff, I was able to get out and play Memorial weekend. I also want to point out, I took the MacGregor MT-86 out of the bag from last year’s test, and put my Titleist 714 CBs back in. The difference is that I went with the KBS Stiff in the Macs, I have DG X100s in the 714s. I had been hitting the ball all over the place with irons and wanted to know if it was swing or shaft causing that.

So anyway, after not playing for two weeks and switching irons, I really wanted to focus this week's testing on durability and on iron shots. I really do not feel like durability is any issue with this ball. I played one ball the whole front nine, caught several trees, and here are the before and after pics. You can see the one above the right of the logo, but it is just a little scuff, nothing major. I lost the ball on #12, so unfortunately, I cannot show you how a full eighteen looks. I can confidently tell you there is no marks or fuzz from my irons and wedges biting into the cover. 

The iron play was fantastic Sunday. I hit ten greens, went long on two others, and just hit lasers all day. Yes, this was mostly due to switching back to irons with extra stiff shafts, but what is important for this test is that the ball flew exactly how I like it to. High, straight or my draw, and the right distance (or a touch longer than the Z-Star). There is one difference I have noticed and that is the longer iron shots do not hold quite as well with the TP5 vs. the Z-Star. What I always liked about the Z and the ProV1 before it, is that on well struck irons the ball is within five feet of the pitch mark on the green. I get that one-hop-stop I am used to playing. Now of course this distance grows as I move to lower irons, I am not claiming I stick my 4i all the time. I am just noticing that when I get down the 4i and 5i. the roll out with the TP5 is significantly more than the Z. All other irons and full wedges the performance is identical. 

With driver and short game, I am not seeing any difference from my gamer. I am getting the distance and ball flight I like to see off the driver. And I can hit all the same shots around the green I normally do with the Z. I already have tons of confidence in this ball in the short game because it performs and rolls the way I am used to, just like the other comparable balls I have gamed in the past. 

Now with putting.... I absolutely love putting with this ball. It feels fantastic off the face and rolls true. I have not had any issues with distance control and even started making a few more putts outside my normal range. This is easily the best feeling ball I have used for putting, just top marks all around. 

So, here is the rub, I already have my mind made up about this ball. I have had the TP5 in my bag in years prior, as I get a sleeve now and then. This is a good ball, but it is more expensive than the Z-Star (and Snell) so I cannot say this is where I would spend my money and switch. So, I can keep posting about my rounds and the ball performance, but at this point, I would like to turn it over to the forum. I am playing tomorrow and Tuesday so I can throw some stuff at the wall if you want to see it.

What other tests would you like to see?

Are there any questions lingering from the other reviews?

Are there any comparisons you want to see? (I have Z-Star, Snell MTB-Prime, Wilson Staff Model, & Bridgestone B XS in reserve)

The durability of the ball you were sent and the color definitely have me wondering if there was an issue with the batch a few others and myself noticed in testing. I’m going to have to pick up a sleeve of the yellow to compare. With the driver did you really go after any, and what was the rough distance you were seeing? In my post above on the par 5 I bombed one and definitely noticed a distance gain there and on most holes where I don’t mess up lol. Last year I played Kirklands, Pro-V’s, and Cut Grey balls. Could be I’m swinging better this year so far and that’s where my distance gains are coming from. Great post btw!

[Rob Person]

Love that they offer a yellow option! But like you said, without any major gains over your gamer choice, it comes down to personal preference. 

 

[bogeygolf02]

I finally had the chance to play a few rounds with the new generation TP5x. These were not part of the testing lot, and purchased from my local golf store. 

Definitely notice the slightly softer feel they mention. Haven't really noticed the half club length of distance, but haven't had the chance to compare on a launch monitor either. The durability with the sleeve I bought seems on par with my experience in prior generations. Bounced off a few trees like normal and they came out unscathed. My wedges are Clevelands CBX2s so probably not as sharp as some Vokey's, but didn't notice any groove scuffing.

If I can get my hands on a newer Vokey I'll hit some shots to see what happens.

[DiscipleofPenick]

2 hours ago, Wib081 said:

The durability of the ball you were sent and the color definitely have me wondering if there was an issue with the batch a few others and myself noticed in testing. I’m going to have to pick up a sleeve of the yellow to compare. With the driver did you really go after any, and what was the rough distance you were seeing? In my post above on the par 5 I bombed one and definitely noticed a distance gain there and on most holes where I don’t mess up lol. Last year I played Kirklands, Pro-V’s, and Cut Grey balls. Could be I’m swinging better this year so far and that’s where my distance gains are coming from. Great post btw!

Yea, I saw that you and the other testers mentioned about cover durability, so I've made special note to try and pay attention to that and talk about the cover. I'm still getting the 265-275 I normally see, but I will confirm that tomorrow. I had Arccos, but didn't renew it this year as it's kind of expensive. My buddy I'm playing with still has it, so I'll verify my distances with him. I know my irons are going the same distance because I can shoot the flag, pull the same club I always have, and I'm getting it there. I have noticed a distance gain with the driver when I switched from ProV1 to Z-Star and so far the TP5 equals the Z-Star. Except into the wind, the Z-Star is longer for me.

2 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Love that they offer a yellow option! But like you said, without any major gains over your gamer choice, it comes down to personal preference. 

 

Yea I do like how just about all the major ball makers now offer their 'tour' options in yellow. Also, the TP5 has more of a neon/green tint when compared to Srixon or Bridgestone yellow. So even if you actually have another player hitting yellow in your group you can still tell the balls apart. 

And you're right. I have no issues with the performance of TP5, and it is only $5/doz more than the Z-Star (Srixon used to be quite a bit cheaper then the other OEMs They didn't raise their prices when everyone else went to $50/doz). I know there's a lot of different schools of thought but my opinion is play the least expensive ball that performs they way you want it to. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

So I've played 3 more rounds with these balls. Two of them were decent (scores of 83 & 82), and one went off the rails (90 w/ 5 penalties). Even though the swing was gone on the one, this ball continues to check all the boxes. During the one round I was even getting quite a bit of zip back on my wedge shots, and my Vokeys I've had in the bag for years and they are not fresh wedges by any means. 

To just give you the run down

Yellow

Driver distance same as gamer

One hop stop on greens

Chips, pitches, bump 'n runs play how I like 

Feels great off the putter & rolls true 

I am playing Sun-Wed-Sun over the next week and temps are supposed to be over 90. Let's see how the ball performers in hotter, dryer conditions. Other than that I don't have anything new to say and will be posting my final review before the end of the month.

[DechamBRO]

I’m currently checking them out to see if I like the TP5 or TP5x better. So far both feel great, and somehow I haven’t lost a single ball yet!!

[ZackS]

I have been playing the new TP5 Pix and really like it. Came from the Srixon Diamond which I really like as well and get a little more ball speed with on the driver. But the TP5 is a little lower spin so I get pretty much the same distance and love the PIX look and feedback so it will be hard for me to go away from this ball. 

[Jean D]

I really liked the TP5x Pix, but was finding I was having some really weird ball trajectory issues… (starts as a fade and goes into full slice about 2/3 of the way through it’s flight…)  I’ve switched back to the Bridgestone Tour B RX (for sub 105mph swing speed) and am finding the fairway a LOT more while getting same distance. They are also $15(CAD) cheaper than the TP5x Pix...

[mynerds]

For any fellow indecisive buyers / ball gremlins, TaylorMade now sells a "Performance Decision Kit" thats basically a variety box with two each of the TP5, TP5pix, TP5x, TP5x pix, Tour Response, and Tour Response Stripe. I REALLY hope this is the start of a new trend, and would love to be able to buy this kind of box from other OEMs!

[Lefty11]

30 minutes ago, mynerds said:

For any fellow indecisive buyers / ball gremlins, TaylorMade now sells a "Performance Decision Kit" thats basically a variety box with two each of the TP5, TP5pix, TP5x, TP5x pix, Tour Response, and Tour Response Stripe. I REALLY hope this is the start of a new trend, and would love to be able to buy this kind of box from other OEMs!

It’s about time they did this!

[DiscipleofPenick]

****THE FINAL REVIEW****

Well, my round this past week I finally used the last sleeve of balls, so now that I have run through two dozen it is time to give my thoughts.

Aesthetics - 5 out of 5

The packaging looks great, though that matters truly little to me. I like how the TP5 'yellow' has a bit of a green tint to it. As my friend also plays a yellow ball, this made it easy to know who was. Unless I was my usual 25 yards in front of @MaxEntropy off the tee. Zing No one I got paired with over these two months ever asked about the ball or seemed to notice anything.

While I did not evaluate the Pix version, I do want to state that I have played them and the Pix does not bother me at all, especially compared to the Truvis or Divide, or that Stripe TaylorMade puts on the Tour Response. I like the Pix.

The Numbers - 5 out of 5

The TP5 performed almost identical to the Srixon Z-Star that I have been gaming for several years. Driver and iron distances were the same. Though I noticed the Srixon was the better ball INTO the wind. I think TaylorMade makes a ball that is comparable to any other tour-level offering from the major OEMS, so if you play the ProV1, Z-Star, or Bridgestone XS you will like this ball too. Full shot spin was a little dubious as there was an occasional shot that would really spin back, which is something uncommon for me when playing this type of ball. Off the putter, this is the best feeling ball I have played in the last decade. Buttery soft feel.

On the Course - 5 out of 5

In this section, there is really nothing that I did not already say in the numbers section above. Driver? The ball went where I wanted it to with no loss of distance. Irons? Could hit all my normal shots without an issue and the ball held greens simply fine. The normal one-hop-stop shot I like to see. Chipping? I could play my normal shots around the green with a 58, and it worked well with my bump and run 7 iron. Even chipped a few in. Putting, the ball rolled true and felt amazing off the face.

Good, Bad, and In Between - 5 out of 5

I know TaylorMade, like most OEMs, claims this is a brand-new ball, and that is just not the case in a good way. I have had sleeves of TP5s in the past and I did not see any difference between these and any TP5 I have played before. TaylorMade makes a (slightly) surprisingly good golf ball and I see no reason for anyone not to play this ball. 

I also want to point out, I did not see any of the durability issues as reported by the other testers. I could hit several trees in a round, which I did often, and most of those would only leave a small mark. No scuffing or fuzz from wedge shots, which is something I did see on the Snell MTB Prime that I purchased this year. Even for a soft and thin cover, I did not see anything outside of normal wear and tear, and a I few balls I was able to play more than 18 holes with.

Play or Trade - 4 out of 5

This is the only place I can knock the ball. and it just comes down to price. The Srixon (and Snell) are just a bit less expensive, and both those manufacturers run BOGO or bulk buy specials more often than TaylorMade does. Look if price is not a concern, then there is no reason not to play this ball, or at least pick up a dozen and try them. This ball performs just as well as any other of the 'non-X' or the '3-piece' tour level balls made by Srixon, Callaway, Titleist, or Bridgestone. It is a great ball, and my second favorite in marketplace right now.

Overall - 29 out of 30

TaylorMade makes a great ball, it performed the way I expect a golf ball to perform and there were no durability issues. The only reason I am not switching to this ball is the price. My Srixon Z-Star, which I have been on for about 6 years is just a more affordable ball with the same performance.

[Wib081]

Well now that there is a new iteration of the TP5 out there I think I will add a box of these to the bag and see how they fair against the 2 dozen provided for testing. Specifically against the Pix balls to see which woks better for me off the putter.

 

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/first-look/first-look-taylormade-tp5-tp5x-stripe-golf-balls/?utm_source=mygolfspy.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=new-golf-balls&_bhlid=dc8af2491b45bd06437f6ab99513e241a8e55d7d

[mynerds]

47 minutes ago, Wib081 said:

Well now that there is a new iteration of the TP5 out there I think I will add a box of these to the bag and see how they fair against the 2 dozen provided for testing. Specifically against the Pix balls to see which woks better for me off the putter.

 

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/first-look/first-look-taylormade-tp5-tp5x-stripe-golf-balls/?utm_source=mygolfspy.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=new-golf-balls&_bhlid=dc8af2491b45bd06437f6ab99513e241a8e55d7d

I’ll be adding these to the bag. I LOVE the alignment aid but hate how the colored stripe can make it tricky to find your ball on the course (will it look colored, white, or split?)

Immensely excited for these!

[EasyTempo]

FINALLY!!!

Edited August 26 by EasyTempo

[BillyEnforcee]

Just ordered 2 dozen TP5x stripes. Looking forward to them.

No longer messing around with the line making tool on the first tee just to deposit the ball in the pond while the inks still wet.

[MissionMan]

I wish more companies would do the mixed sets so people can trial balls. The upgraded alignment however is awesome. 

[chisag]

On 8/26/2024 at 3:43 PM, BillyEnforcee said:

Just ordered 2 dozen TP5x stripes. Looking forward to them.

No longer messing around with the line making tool on the first tee just to deposit the ball in the pond while the inks still wet.

 

... I applaud any company offering 4 different premium balls. White, yellow, pix and striped. I find bright yellow unpleasant so not for me but two of my pards absolutely love them. But I really dislike any alignment lines on my golf ball. I turn my ball on the tee and on the green so all I see is pure white. Pix are OK for me because there is no pattern but having a striped ball lined up a little left or right of my target on a chip, pitch or full shot is very distracting. We can't adjust the ball in the rough or on the fairway and I don't need something confusing my subconscious with "I want you to use my line on the tee and the green but ignore me in the fairway and rough". How do you ignore a very prominent line pointing 7* away from your target? 

... I imagine I am in the minority but stripes just aren't for me so I am glad the TP5x and Maxfli Tour x offer both. 

[BillyEnforcee]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

Pix are OK for me because there is no pattern but having a striped ball lined up a little left or right of my target on a chip, pitch or full shot is very distracting. We can't adjust the ball in the rough or on the fairway and I don't need something confusing my subconscious with "I want you to use my line on the tee and the green but ignore me in the fairway and rough". How do you ignore a very prominent line pointing 7* away from your target? 

I definitely hear you on this one...

When I mark a regular ball it probably goes around about 40% of the way just over the TP5x marking. When I tee off, alot of the time I will set the whitest part up not even looking at a Taylormade logo. I'm interested if these stripes will be a problem since it goes all the around and no longer be a empty spot. For the most part I have an aiming routine with my putter which uses the line and different aiming routing with all other clubs.

I like to use the line when putting to help square up my feet, body and putter to where I want to hit it. I look back and forth at the hole about 3 times to find the speed I want but when I make my final stroke I stare at the line on the ball to make a consistent straight back, straight through stoke. Using a line has helped my putting tremendously.... HOWEVER if I'm 1 foot off the green with 20+ feet to the hole I CANNOT putt because I loose my routine since I can't mark and adjust it. Which forces me to chip it. 

In the end why I'm really excited is I like the line when putting, nothing is more satisfying then seeing your ball with a line go end over end into the center of the cup.

[Wib081]

So today was my first round using my with the TP5! Let me just say holy crap! This combination is a weapon for me lol. I was playing to day with my step and 2 brother in laws and on a shorter par 4 I hit my hybrid off the tee to be the safe play because there was water right and we were 2v2 best ball and my BiL like the right lol. I get crap from my step dad so I went in okay game on mode. This was my next hole minus 15 for the moved up tee box and I didn’t look back. TP5 was my gamer after testing and now it’s definitely not going anywhere anytime soon!!! Oh and after the hole below my step dad got to experience more of the same for the rest of the round with my BiL’s laughing every time I hit! It was a good day

[BillyEnforcee]

Quick(ish) review of the TP5x Stripe 

As mentioned I ordered these on Aug 26th. As advertised they started shipping on the 29th, due to the Holiday they showed up Tuesday, before 9am I might add Fedex doesn't typically get to my next of the woods until Late Afternoon so that was cool.

I took them out to the course this morning for a quick putting session, 18 Holes and another putting session.

First I would like to mention why I jumped on the opportunity immediately.
1. I have used TP5x Balls for about 4 years now, I love them. 
2. I always mark a line on my ball and use it every time I putt. 
3. I was getting dangerously low on balls.

Appearance: Here are 6 Balls laid out on 6 different sides(Think of it like a dice cube showing every side) Each ball is turned One Quarter turn compared to the one next to it.

A little interesting because it only has the Number and Taylormade printed once per ball. Depending on how people mark in tournaments, if your superstitious and circle the Number or Color in the 'T' (Or something along the lines of that... no pun intended) there is only 1 vs Both Sides of a Standard Ball therefore odds can go up that your marking could be hidden when you need to identify it.

On the Course: At address on drivers or tee shots it is nice to have a decent sized white spot. Depending on the day or my mood I sometimes like to look at nothing extra and sometimes I want something. The "white" sides gives a bit of a halo look but it didn't bother me today.

On the green they were super cool, the lines going all the way around REALLY amplifies the good and bad strikes. The wobble from an inconsistent strike almost got a little trippy on the eyes. As well as the (few) Pure putts I hit today, the outside likes looked solid black compared to the dotted line appearance.

Side note. I've had my putter for 3 years, I think they are made for each other...

Durability: Although I only played 18 Holes so far. The first ball survived 15 holes before I sent it over some white stakes, it encountered about 5 trees, had a couple full swing wedge shots, couple 3/4 knock down swings. And I didn't notice any issues with quality or durability. The ball held up and responded just like my regular TP5x' 

Conclusion: I will be gaming these balls immediately and into the future. I may continue to buy a box of regular TP5x' to mix in now and again to spice things up but so far I'm Lovin' em.

Thanks for Reading!

[Wib081]

2 minutes ago, BillyEnforcee said:

Quick(ish) review of the TP5x Stripe 

As mentioned I ordered these on Aug 26th. As advertised they started shipping on the 29th, due to the Holiday they showed up Tuesday, before 9am I might add Fedex doesn't typically get to my next of the woods until Late Afternoon so that was cool.

I took them out to the course this morning for a quick putting session, 18 Holes and another putting session.

First I would like to mention why I jumped on the opportunity immediately.
1. I have used TP5x Balls for about 4 years now, I love them. 
2. I always mark a line on my ball and use it every time I putt. 
3. I was getting dangerously low on balls.

Appearance: Here are 6 Balls laid out on 6 different sides(Think of it like a dice cube showing every side) Each ball is turned One Quarter turn compared to the one next to it.

A little interesting because it only has the Number and Taylormade printed once per ball. Depending on how people mark in tournaments, if your superstitious and circle the Number or Color in the 'T' (Or something along the lines of that... no pun intended) there is only 1 vs Both Sides of a Standard Ball therefore odds can go up that your marking could be hidden when you need to identify it.

On the Course: At address on drivers or tee shots it is nice to have a decent sized white spot. Depending on the day or my mood I sometimes like to look at nothing extra and sometimes I want something. The "white" sides gives a bit of a halo look but it didn't bother me today.

On the green they were super cool, the lines going all the way around REALLY amplifies the good and bad strikes. The wobble from an inconsistent strike almost got a little trippy on the eyes. As well as the (few) Pure putts I hit today, the outside likes looked solid black compared to the dotted line appearance.

Side note. I've had my putter for 3 years, I think they are made for each other...

Durability: Although I only played 18 Holes so far. The first ball survived 15 holes before I sent it over some white stakes, it encountered about 5 trees, had a couple full swing wedge shots, couple 3/4 knock down swings. And I didn't notice any issues with quality or durability. The ball held up and responded just like my regular TP5x' 

Conclusion: I will be gaming these balls immediately and into the future. I may continue to buy a box of regular TP5x' to mix in now and again to spice things up but so far I'm Lovin' em.

Thanks for Reading!

Great review! Mine get here tomorrow and I can’t wait to get them on the course to compare them with the pix balls!