TaylorMade’s latest version of its Tour Response and Tour Response Stripe boasts a new core, as well as a new mantle layer designed to increase distance for non-elite swing speeds.
Prepping for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy casually hit a few of the 2024 version of TaylorMade’s TP5 ball around the green and began to notice a distinct difference in feel as the ball came off the face of his wedge.
Encompassing all the technology of its TP5 and TP5x golf balls, TaylorMade’s TP5 and TP5x TRK-R golf balls are designed to further enhance the launch-monitor experience. Although the balls are designed for indoor use, they are R&A and USGA-conforming and can be played in competition.
The latest iteration of Bridgestone’s e12 family of golf balls consists of three models: HiLaunch, Straight and Speed. The designs are targeted at three specific types of players based off data gleaned by the four-million-plus ball fittings conducted by the company.
Both models look to increase the potential for distance and ball speed by reducing the thickness of the cover but increasing the thickness of the spin-reducing mantle layer between the core and cover.
All models in the 2025 line-up are buoyed by redesigned cover and core constructions, as well as a micro-urethane coating that delivers increased greenside spin and control.
If you’re one of the lucky few who somehow manages to keep the same ball in play for what seems like an eternity, the only thing you need to keep track of is cover wear.
When Golf Digest ran a test with average golfers, less than half could tell the difference between a non-urethane cover ball and a urethane cover ball.
PGA of America president John Lindert said the quiet part out loud when it comes to the golf ball rollback that the R&A and USGA have slated to take effect in 2028: namely, that average golfers might not abide by it. At least initially.
The TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x tour-preferred multilayer urethane-cover balls use a new rubber formulation in the core to create more speed with a better sound and feel.
Australian Golf Digest
