TP5 or TP5x? We robot tested TaylorMade’s tour balls to see which model is tailor made for you!
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Which TaylorMade TP5 model is best suited to your game? Here’s what the robot had to say when we pitched golf’s only five-layer tour balls against each other.
In our 2024 Golf Ball Robot Test we put another 24 models through their paces, including the balls described as “the most complete tour balls” by their manufacturer – the TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x.
Jump To: Specs | The Data | Final Verdict
Now in its eighth year and fourth iteration, the TaylorMade TP5 franchise is fighting hard to demonstrate its credibility as a contender to the industry’s unequivocal No.1 ball – the Titleist Pro V1. And while TaylorMade remains some 90-odd PGA Tour pros behind in the constructor’s championship, they are the ball of choice for several of the game’s heavyweights. Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, and Tommy Fleetwood all game the firmer TP5x, while Rickie Fowler is among the few stars to plump for the standard TP5 model.
The results from our test in conjunction with Loughborough University have once again provided us with a mountain of objective evidence to help shape our buying advice when it comes to helping you choose the best golf ball for your game. From helping you maximize distance from your swing speed to revealing the ball that delivers unrivaled spin for its price, our data can help you make a more informed decision.
And if that decision is leading you toward a premium level-tour ball, then we would be surprised if you weren’t curious about the industry’s only five-layer models, particularly as they retail at a much more reasonable price point than the competition.
But which one is best suited to my game you may be asking? So, to save you from relying on what the box says, we’ve pitched the TP5 and TP5x head-to-head on a robot to highlight the key differences and take out the guesswork. But before we dive into the data, let’s meet the models and find out what performance characteristics we should be expecting…
How do the specs compare?
| TaylorMade TP5 | TaylorMade TP5x | |
| Construction | 5-piece | 5-piece |
| Cover | Urethane | Urethane |
| Dimples | 322 | 322 |
| Compression | 88 | 93 |
| Colors | White, Yellow, Stripe*, Pix*, MySymbol* | White, Yellow, Stripe*, Pix*, MySymbol* |
| RRP | $54.99 / £44.99 per dozen | $54.99 / £44.99 per dozen |
Player Profiles: What should we expect?
TayloMade’s TP5 family comprises the softer and lower-flighted TP5, and the TP5x, which is designed to be faster, longer, and higher launching. The 2024 iterations are both engineered with a Speed Wrapped Core that decouples sound and feel from speed, giving the biggest jump in performance since the TP5 was first introduced.
The TP5 is TaylorMade’s softest feeling 5-layer tour ball, prioritizing a softer feel with enhanced spin around the green. This ball will fit golfers who prioritize touch and feel in their short game and rely on precise and responsive control. Whereas the TP5x prirotizes ball speed making it the ideal choice for golfers seeking increased velocity off the clubface. The TP5x reduces driver and long iron spin (over the previous model) so there’s a focus on distance while maintaining greenside control. This would be the choice ball for golfers seeking less driver spin and wanting to hit shots a fraction higher through the bag.
Both the 2024 TP5 and TP5x produce less driver and long iron spin than previous models while maintaining wedge spin. Spin variance is the biggest differentiator between the two models. Where the TP5 offers more wedge spin, the TP5x produces less driver and long iron spin along with a higher launch but flatter trajectory.
Why do we use a robot to test golf balls?
It’s too easy to simply accept manufacturers’ claims at face value that a golf ball delivers monster distance or heel-digging spin just because the box says so. And given that golf balls are perhaps on repeat prescription more than any other piece of equipment in your golf bag, we believe further digging is more than warranted. It’s why we commandeered a $100,000 robot to take out the guesswork.
As TG Equipment Editor Simon Daddow says: “To accurately gauge performance differences between golf balls you absolutely have to test on a robot. Human testing is crucial for intangibles like feel and looks, but no golfer on the planet has the consistency or stamina to hit shots at the same speed and from the same location again and again as a robot can.
“Thanks to Loughborough’s indoor test lab we created a controlled test environment without the interference of weather conditions, which is a huge concern when hitting thousands of shots down a range over five days. It also meant we could easily retrieve any ball that presented abnormal flight behaviors and slice it open to see if there were any deficiencies in its construction.”
And while there is a degree of systematic error in any testing protocol, we believe our methodology provides a robust, objective, and most importantly, unbiased set of results to help you make better-informed buying decisions and maximize your on-course performance.
The Data: TaylorMade TP5 vs TaylorMade TP5x
Long Game: Driving performance
The TP5x outpaced its softer sibling across all three driver speeds, most noticeably at swing speeds of 115 mph. The firmer X model also produced lower spin rates across the board. Interestingly, this didn’t result in longer carry distances at swings of 100 mph and below, although at 115 mph, the TP5x produced an extra carry of almost 2 yards.
Approach Play: 7-Iron performance
Performance with 7-iron was closely matched between the two balls with the most noticeable difference being the added 204 rpm of backspin produced by the standard TP5. Both balls launched at the same angle, produced peak heights within 0.2 yards and descended within 0.2° of one another. The TP5x was the slightly faster of the two balls and carried by an additional 1.3 yards.
Short Game: Pitching wedge performance
Wedge spin rates were highly comparable (within 11 rpm), with both balls also reporting identical average carry distances of 105.7 yards. The TP5 produced a tighter average shot area of 6.0 yds2 compared to 8.1 yds2 from the firmer X model, although the TP5x was found to be more accurate when averaged over all three clubs.
Final Verdict: TaylorMade TP5 vs TaylorMade TP5x
Which ball is better suited to your game?
If cutting driver spin and maximizing ball speed is your goal then the TP5x delivers on both counts, spinning less than all its premium tour X-style rivals and registering the third fastest ball speeds at 100 and 115 mph across our entire 24 model test. Only at the fastest swing speeds, however, did the TP5x register further carry distances than the TP5, meaning average speed club players may struggle to unlock this ball’s potential off the tee. If distance is your priority then the Wilson Staff Model X or Callaway Chrome Tour X should be on your radar too.
Both balls produced 7-iron spin rates above our test average with the TP5 possessing more stopping power than the TP5x – a result that was reversed when we put the Titleist Pro V1s head-to-head. The TP5 was the sixth highest spinning ball on test with 7-iron, outspinning the Pro V1 while remaining 163 rpm short of the Pro V1x. If you place a big emphasis on mid to short-game control, then we would lean toward the TP5 out of the two, especially given there was little between the two in terms of peak height and decent angle. Both balls were just above mid-table for backspin with a pitching wedge, suggesting once again that there are more helpful models out there for club players seeking maximum stopping power.
TaylorMade’s tour balls are famed for being longer than the competition with long irons, and we saw 2.2 and 0.9 yards of extra carry with the TP5x and TP5 respectively over the Pro V1 with a 7-iron. Numbers TaylorMade would only expect to increase moving up the bag. When averaged over three driver speeds, 7-iron, and pitching wedge, the TP5x was 8.2 yds2 tighter than the TP5 and only outdone by the Seed SD-01, Titleist Pro V1, and Callaway Chrome Tour X for shot area, reinforcing its credibility as an accurate and consistent tour-level ball.
As we have found time and again, the firmer X-style ball is largely more favorable than its standard tour-level sibling. It’s true again in the case of the TP5 franchise in that the TP5x was faster, carried further with irons, and produced a tighter shot area overall. While the TP5 is the higher spinning of the two balls, players of the caliber these balls are targeted at will likely generate enough spin, and if stopping power is a priority then there are models better suited to addressing that shortfall than the TP5 franchise.
And while we found faster, longer, and higher spinning premium tour-level balls in our 2024 testing, the less pricey TP5 franchise can do an excellent job for you if you are in the market for a fast ball with low long-game spin.
View offers and find out more…
TaylorMade's premium golf balls for outstanding short-game spin and control
While you might not get as much distance as the TP5x, (Bryson might disagree with me here) distance isn't everything. If you prioritize greenside spin and control there aren't many better than the TP5. Moving slightly further away from the green, we only found two balls to spin higher with a pitching wedge in our very in-depth robot test. Also, with a 7-iron it was one of the highest spinning golf balls.
Who are they for?
All golfers who are willing to buy tour-level golf balls, but who also put a premium on a softer feel rather than maximum distance. The TP5 which is TaylorMade’s softest tour ball is usually a better fit for golfers who like to see more shape to their shots, whereas the TP5x is great for those who see shots in straight lines with the ball falling one side or the other of their target line.
TaylorMade believes the TP5 and TP5x are very long golf balls with mid and long irons, so much so rumor has it, Rory McIlroy saw ball speed gains of 2mph while testing the new 2024 models.
In typical TaylorMade fashion they’re so confident in their design they are running challenges throughout the season to show their models will gain golfers 5 yards of carry distance in just five shots against their preferred ball of choice.
Staff golf ball player Rickie Fowler commented after going through the brand's fitting process, “I’m fine hitting 5-iron 220 yards, but now I can get to 227 yards that’s a half club less which is a serious gain in one generation”.
Read our full TaylorMade TP5 golf balls review.
Pros
- Excellent short-game spin and control
- Extremely soft feel and incredibly responsive
- Lower and more penetrating ball flight than the previous model
- Tour approval being in the bags of some of the biggest stars in golf
Cons
- Not the most durable urethane cover
| Construction | 5-piece |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Dimples | 322 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Flight | High |
| Long game spin | Low |
| Short game spin | High |
| Colour options<div class | "bauer-product-card"><div class |
| Alternative models | TP5 Pix; TP5 Stripe; TP5 MySymbol |
- New seamless tour flight dimple pattern
- Speed-layer system
- High-flex material
TaylorMade's most popular golf ball on Tour
One of the key attributes of the TP5x is its ability to deliver impressive distance off the tee with low spin, while still providing high levels of spin and control for precision shots around the green. This versatility makes them a favorite choice among both professional Tour players, including Rory McIlroy and Charley Hull, as well as amateur golfers looking to elevate their game.
Who are they for?
As TaylorMade’s fastest tour ball, the TP5x is for golfers willing to pay for tour-level performance but who also put a premium on maxing out distance over a softer feel. Both Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood use the TP5x Pix, and while a majority of TaylorMade’s other staff players choose the ‘x’ marquee over the standard model the brand insists the two models allow them to cater to very different player preferences.
So, where the TP5 is for golfers who prioritise touch and feel in their short game and those wanting a noticeably softer feel the TP5x reduces driver and long iron spin giving more of a focus on distance while maintaining greenside control. Expect the TP5x to launch higher but with a flatter overall trajectory so this is not a ball that’s going to promote towering Rory McIlroy-type approaches.
The TP5x is faster and longer with the driver and irons but also a little lower spin with a wedge, a setup that works brilliantly for Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Dustin Johnson.
Watch out during the season as TaylorMade regularly reveals new HotShot Limited Edition TP5 and TP5x with everything from doughnuts to pickles, peaches, cars, and pizza to celebrate different events around the globe. And if you’re lucky enough to live in the USA (the service is coming to Europe) you can choose from 83 different MySymbol prints to customize your ball through the brand's website from the comfort of your own home. A service even Rory McIlroy is exploring for his own logo.
Read our full TaylorMade TP5x golf balls review.
Pros
- Firm feel is extremely responsive
- Delivers an amazing high ball flight
- The cover is more durable than the previous model
Cons
- Won't work as well as the TP5 for golfers who don't have super quick swing speeds
| Construction | 5-piece |
| Cover | Urethane |
| Dimples | 322 |
| Feel | Soft |
| Flight | High |
| Long game spin | Low |
| Short game spin | High |
| Colour options | White; Yellow |
| Alternative models | TP5x Pix; TP5x Stripe; TP5x MySymbol |
- New speed wrapped core
- Progressive 5-layer construction
- Seamless Tour flight dimple pattern
About the author
Ross Tugwood – Senior Digital Writer
Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.
Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.
He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.
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Find out which TaylorMade TP5 model is best suited to your game.
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TaylorMade TP5 vs TP5x: 7-iron results
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TaylorMade TP5 vs TP5x: Driver results
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TaylorMade TP5 vs TP5x: Wedge results
