2024 TaylorMade TP5 & TP5x Golf Ball Review

By: Golfshake Editor | Thu 15 Feb 2024

The new golf season is approaching and TaylorMade has unveiled its range of golf balls for 2024, including the latest TP5 and TP5x models.

Featuring an all-new Speed Wrapped Core that impacts sound, feel and overall performance, TaylorMade has created their fastest (TP5x) and softest feeling (TP5) tour balls to date.

Golfshake's Equipment Expert, Ryan Rastall, has tested and reviewed the balls for us, including analysis of the technology and what it could mean for your game on the golf course.

You can see Ryan's thoughts in a detailed video below or by watching directly on YouTube.

New TP5 & TP5x Golf Balls

TaylorMade TP5 Golf Balls

Since debuting in 2017, the TP5/TP5x franchise has consistently delivered premium results. The proprietary 5-layer construction has continually evolved to enhance tee-to-green performance with breakthrough technologies that boost distance, wind stability and greenside control.

In 2019, TaylorMade introduced the Speed-Layer System, incorporating High-Flex Material (HFM) into the TP5/TP5x construction, unlocking new levels of speed for all golfers. In 2021, the brand built upon this legacy by introducing the Tour Flight Dimple Pattern, a design innovation that aimed to maximise aerodynamics, reduce wind resistance and add carry distance.

Continuing a trend of innovation and engineering, the 2024 TP5/TP5x relies on a combination of new technologies to provide the biggest jumps in performance to date. The most impactful change is the first-of-its-kind Speed Wrapped Core, which produces a softer sound with better feel while paving the way for a faster overall construction. In the 2024 TP5/TP5x, the use of core materials as the central element of decoupling feel and distance represents a game-breaking innovation in golf ball design.

Michael Fox, Senior Director of Product Creation, Golf Balls, said: "Our learnings from countless player and Tour tests show that golfers, unsurprisingly, favor a softer more muted sound with added distance. Historically, the challenge has been the inability to improve one without negatively impacting the other. With this understanding, we've evolved our golf ball design process by uniquely decoupling feel and speed through material advancement, a complete departure from the conventional. The material-level advancement positions our TP5/TP5x family as having the best feel in the industry with faster constructions."

This year marks a critical evolution of the patented Speed Gradient construction that defines the TP5/TP5x franchise. In the 2024 TP5/TP5x, TaylorMade incorporated a new progressive 5-layer design fueled by the Speed Wrapped Core, which optimises variable stiffness between the core and mantle layers.

This results in reduced spin on drivers and long irons while enhancing spin control for wedges. It is this variability in driver and wedge spin that maximises the capabilities of five-layer technology and allows the new TP5/TP5x to maintain its leadership position as the most complete tour ball.

The Difference Between TP5 & TP5x

TP5 and TP5x represent two distinct choices that cater to different player preferences. The TP5, TaylorMade's softest 5-layer Tour ball, offers a notably softer feel with enhanced spin around the green. This ball fits golfers who prioritise touch and feel in their short game, providing responsive and precise control. The new TP5 provides lower driver spin than the prior generation but maintains its best-in-class greenside performance.

TP5x emerges as TaylorMade's fastest 5-layer Tour ball. This design prioritises ball speed, making it the ideal choice for golfers seeking increased velocity off the clubface. The new TP5x also sees a reduction in driver and long iron spin, with a focus on distance while maintaining greenside control. It delivers performance for players seeking lower driver spin while also delivering faster ball speeds than the prior gen product.

While both 2024 models boast decreased spin on drivers and long irons with maintained wedge spin (compared to the previous generation), spin variance is still the greatest differentiator between TP5 and TP5x. TP5 generates more spin on wedge shots, with TP5x producing less spin on drives and long iron shots in addition to a flatter trajectory.

Ultimately, the choice between the TP5 and TP5x hinges on individual playing styles and preferences, as TaylorMade provides golfers the flexibility to select a ball that aligns with their specific needs. Whether one prioritises a softer feel and enhanced spin or seeks maximum ball speed, TaylorMade's TP5 and TP5x provide solutions for a wide range of players without sacrificing any tee-to-green performance.