TaylorMade can’t be accused of shying away from technology. If anything, the company behind “MWT” and “FCT” and countless other technology acronyms is one of the most technologically adventurous around.
With the Penta TP, TaylorMade has moved the golf ball into new territory: the Gillette razor blade land of “more is better.” In shaving equipment, it’s the number of blades. In golf equipment, it’s the number of layers.
Joking aside, the buzz around the Penta TP has been tremendous since the ball was given to pros late in 2009. Can one ball – albeit one with five layers – really fit everyone? From the guy who is happy to reach the occasional par four in two to the guys who routinely reach par fives in two on our televisions each weekend?
Let’s find out.
Design and Technology
As we said in our Bag Drop article on the Penta TP, the Penta TP is one golf ball, not a line of balls with a common name. Premium golf balls have traditionally existed in a two- or three-ball lineup, with each model offering varying amounts of spin, softness, and distance. The Titleist Pro V1/V1x, Callaway Tour i/ix, the various Nike models (they keep getting renamed), the Bridgestone B330/B330s/B330RX. All of these balls come in multiple offerings in order to fit the widest range of golfers.
Rather than offer two or three variations, as even TaylorMade has done with the TP Red and the TP Black, The Penta TP is singular, a “one-for-all” model. How? Essentially, TaylorMade claims that one of the five layers will work for every golfer, for every club in his bag, and on every shot he wants to play.
The ball’s five layers are:
Outer Layer – “Cover”
This layer is responsible for most of the ball’s spin, particularly with the shorter clubs and shots from inside of 80 or 100 yards. The ball isn’t compressed at these swing speeds and with higher-lofted wedges and irons, so the cover primarily interacts with the clubface in these situations. The outer cover of the Penta TP is urethane like every other premium ball on the market, but a softer urethane than most.
Second Layer – “Outer Mantle”
The outer mantle helps the player achieve an optimal spin rate on their short irons by placing the fastest mantle immediately under the cover. TaylorMade claims that an optimal shot with a short iron will check up but won’t zoom backwards. TaylorMade also claims that this layer is of great benefit to the player with a slower swing, as it helps him achieve a higher ball speed and greater distance even if he’s unable to compress the ball much at all.
Third Layer – “Middle Mantle”
This mantle aids in the prevention of ballooning (which will lead to distance loss) and promotes a mid-launch trajectory and medium spin. These characteristics are a result of the semi-firm and fast material used in this layer.
Fourth Layer – “Inner Mantle”
The Inner Mantle of the Penta is softer than all the outer layers already mentioned, though not as soft as the core, and is one of the contributing factors to the softer feel of this ball with the longer clubs, which will compress the ball to this layer fairly easily regardless of swing speed.
Fifth Layer – “Core”
The innermost layer of the Penta is the core. This layer employs the softest, lowest compression material found in the ball, leading to low spin and a high launch, promoting longer distances off the tee. TaylorMade says that despite the fact that the core is low-compression and soft, it is still very fast, and will promote faster ball speeds to those players that put it out there between 140-180 MPH. They also claim that the Penta TP will be most likely be longer than their current ball.
Progressive Distance
The basic idea behind these five layers is that as the golfer swings faster – due to their use of longer clubs or their increased swing speeds – more layers of the ball will be brought into play. TaylorMade calls this “Progressive Distance.” In a graph, it looks like this:
LDP Technology
Prior to introducing five layers to the world, TaylorMade claims to have made good advances in aerodynamics with their “LDP” technology (“Low Drag Performance”). TaylorMade claims that LDP maximizes distance on off-center hits through the use of special aerodynamics. The dimple pattern on the Penta TP was taken from the TP Red and TP Black, and was designed to reduce the effects of wind on the ball.
Distance
Premium golf balls go a long ways these days. Golf balls have gone a long way for years – decades – but the modern premium ball has added short-game feel and control to the distance balls of yester-year. The modern ball lets you have your cake and eat it too.
The earlier premium balls still didn’t give you all the distance you could get with a Pinnacle or Top-Flite or even some of the mid-level surlyn balls, which spun less and went farther. The early premium balls spun a lot more… and didn’t go as far.
About a decade ago the premium ball closed the gap with the move to a solid core. Steady advances have been made, and the modern premium ball is within a few yards of the modern “distance only and forget the short-game spin and control” balls. The modern premium ball is nearly every bit as long as the surlyn balls that you can find for a buck a ball.
The Penta TP, like its brothers in the $10+/sleeve aisle, is a long golf ball. Though every golfer’s specific launch conditions vary, I’m confident that the Penta TP is within a few yards – shorter or longer – than the ball you play now.
Tests with drivers, hybrids, and irons resulted in virtually identical distances when compared to Pro V1x, TP Red and Black, the Burner TP (an “iothane” ball), and a few surlyn models. I swing a driver at between 105 and 110 MPH most days, and I hit the same clubs as I’ve hit for the past few years. The Penta TP is every bit as long as any other ball I’ve played.
The TaylorMade Penta TP. Early models were available only in the number “5.” I imagine you can guess why… 🙂
Trajectory was perfectly well within the middle window I prefer, and the ball came out of the sky gracefully. TaylorMade’s LDP technology – its dimple pattern – which supposedly works to maximize distance on mis-hits but which likely has a larger effect on ball flight and wind performance, continued to perform well. The TaylorMade LDP balls are some of the best wind balls I’ve played, particularly into the wind as the balls will resist ballooning fairly well.
Performance with the irons was similar to my experience with the driver: a mid-height launch and a good landing angle. Even long irons climbed nicely, plateaued, and fell with little roll-out. Short irons launched on a good lower trajectory and reached a late peak height before falling at what I consider my standard distances.
The Penta TP bills itself as the ball for everyone, even for those with slower swing speeds. Within the past few years companies have released “premium” balls for “slower” swingers that sought to maximize distance (often by adding a little backspin so the ball would stay in the air a bit longer). I’m familiar with the games of a few slower swingers, so I gave them some balls and had them hit a bunch of shots to compare. Suffice to say their results mirrored my own. We saw no appreciable change in distance with any of the balls – premium urethane, surlyn distance, or otherwise.
So, distance? As I said, this ball’s got it, but that’s not really a story these days. Every ball gets out there when you hit them these days.
Feel and Spin
For as long as they’ve been available, I’ve played the Titleist Pro V1x (the Pro V1 spun too much for me). I flirted briefly with the TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black following my review of the original models (pre-LDP), but I never settled on one and, frankly, the confusion (particularly after some performance features switched in the LDP models) over which model offered what played a role in staying with the Pro V1x. Of course, there were times when I might want a little more spin than my Pro V1x could generate, particularly with delicate shots around the greens, but if the perfect golf ball is a 100, the Pro V1x rated a solid 95 or 96 for my game.
I always assumed that improving on that 95% might not be possible unless I won several majors and had a major manufacturing R&D department at my beck and call, but the Penta TP has shown me once again how dumb it is to assume. With one model, the Penta TP does away with the confusion and adds significantly to the 95%. It’s as near to a perfect ball as I’ve ever played.
The Rules of Golf forbid balls to have different performance characteristics in different orientations – but I’m somewhat surprised the Penta TP is not a seamless ball.
Feel is soft without being mushy with every club in the bag. The putter is where you’ll notice this most easily, and with a metal face (I’m not an insert guy), contact offers a muted click that’s music to your ears. This muted click carries over to every other club in the bag, from wedge to hybrid, with obvious allowances for the sound of individual clubs to overpower the ball sound.
As for spin, well, I’m starting to wonder if the core layer isn’t misnamed. Rather than calling it the “Core,” I think TaylorMade should have named it the “Brain” or “The Mind Reader.” The Penta TP has the unusual knack of spinning the exact amount I need for virtually every shot I play. It didn’t matter what kind of shot I was looking to play, the ball reacted as if we were somehow linked in spirit and mind. I could bore you by reciting as many different short game shots as I’m likely to play over 20+ rounds of golf, but in the end I’d just say that the Penta TP handled them all. If I wanted the ball to spin and check to a stop, it would. If I wanted the ball to release up a tier in the green, it would. From the bunkers, the fairway, the rough – and even a few times from pine straw and bark – the Penta TP did exactly as I expected.
This is perhaps most obvious with the tweener shots. In my game, tweener shots fit between “greenside” shots and full-swing shots, typically 40-80 yards or so. These shots can be tough, as even small differences in contact quality, the lie, and the conditions of the green or your grooves can make a difference. I found that even with these shots the Penta TP reacted well. A 70-yard shot could be made to roll out a few feet or come back a bit. Mighty impressive.
Durability
Perhaps it’s because I know what a “smiley” is (and no, I’m not talking about an emoticon), but I’ve never really felt as though any modern golf ball suffers from poor durability. Sure, some last longer than others – much longer in some cases – but you won’t find a ball that becomes unplayable as quickly as the balls in the early and mid-90s.
That said, I’m happy to report that I played a single Penta TP for 47 holes before misjudging a four-club downhill par three and depositing the pellet in the pond. Turns out it was only three clubs downhill…
The outer layer of the Penta TP feels about as firm as any other premium ball, but it holds up better than most. This ball does a good to great job at resisting scuffing, cutting, and shredding, even when it encounters the roughest cart paths and sharpest wedges. I’m not guaranteeing you’re going to get 47 holes out of yours, but I think you’ll get more play with a Penta TP than at least 70% of the other premium balls out there.
The Penta TP has a large white portion for those who prefer to tee their balls up that way, and the “PENTATP” seam stamp makes for a good alignment aid when putting.
Conclusion
Jokes about how TaylorMade will probably introduce a six-layered ball in two weeks put aside (rumor is it’s three weeks, anyway), I continue to be impressed by the Penta TP.
Early on I gave a half-dozen balls to a friend. He’s no ordinary golfer – he played on the Nationwide Tour, has worked with some of the game’s best instructors, and is quickly becoming one of them himself. I asked him to give me his thoughts.
Each time I heard from him he was more and more enthusiastic. At first he’d say “I like ’em, they seemed to be at least as good as the ball I use now.” The next time he told me about some nifty little shots he played with them in the wind or from a tricky greenside lie. The next time it was something else. Finally, when he’d exhausted all of his options and played just about every shot he could think of, he said “I’ve thrown everything at this ball and I like what it does in every situation. I’m blown away. This is my ball in 2010.”
His experience parallels my own. Like him, I’m incredibly picky about my golf balls. Neither of us will switch balls for a small improvement because, in his words, “confidence built up over years playing with one model can more than make up for a small performance gain.” Between two virtually identical balls, it may come down to something as small as which has the best cheater line (side stamp alignment marking).
Considering small details like the side stamp is a waste of time with the Penta TP. It’s not a better ball by a small margin – it’s a better ball by a sizable margin. I don’t know what the future holds, so they still don’t rate 100% on my scale, but they’re awfully darn close.
TaylorMade has a winner on their hands with the Penta TP. Perhaps one size (and five layers) really can fit all? If you’re a premium ball player, you owe it to yourself to find out for yourself.
Nice review. You’ve gotten many golfers, including me, excited to give these balls a try.
The thing about a six piece ball. Is that true?
Excellent review!!! Almost every single person who has reviewed this ball seems to have had similar experiences, I can’t wait to give them a try.
Great Review.
Hopefully my local store will stock them soon, Can’t wait to try them out.
I like the Pro V1x (Pro V1 for me, like you, spins way too much for me on all types of shots) but it sounds like this ball performs the same way off the tee as the Pro V1x but adds a little (but not too much, like the V1) spin around the greens.
I do like the arrows on the Pro V1x though. “Cheater lines,” ha ha. But I still like them. I don’t know if I can adjust to “PENTATP.”
No. That was just a little sarcasm. 🙂
That about sums it up, yeah. And I miss the arrows (“AIM technology”) too. It’s one of the few negatives… but a small one.
I agree with Erik’s review in every detail. This really is the first ball for which you don’t have to give up one attribute to gain another. This is a remarkable ball, and one that could actually unseat Pro V1 if those Titleist players will just give it a try. It’s done it for me.
Great review. Thanks for the comprehensive look.
Well that was an interesting piece. I’ll be in Florida in a few weeks so I’ll give a sleeve a try. I’ll probably stick wit my sirixon’s AD330 to Tri’s .It will be interesting. cheers
I use the tp black now and love it. Prov’s are great too but i prefer they higher spin of the tp. So i will try these. I
like to add my own line by myself and need more empty real estate to do that…cheater lines just get in the way..i consider it better they are not on there. I need a longer line anyhow…so i will definitely try these out…just hard to justify the cost of all these premium ones..but then again..won’t be long til i can buy mint used….just need you guys to buy and lose em..for me to do that 🙂
Great review; i was given a couple sleeves of these late last year and played with them in Hawaii over thanksgiving.
I’m not as enthusiastic as you. From the rough or sand, this is the best ball ever, got great reaction, better than the ProV1 i usually play. Was not as consistent out of good lies. Had several shots where i thought I hit a high and tight mid iron and i just spun way too much (several back up 30 feet off the green). Really impressed some of the people i was playing with, but not the consistency i’d like
I’m pumped, I love TaylorMade products, but something tells me I could still make these balloon.
I am looking forward to giving these a try after reading the review. I just got 2 dozen ProV1 x for XMAS, but my birthday is in a few months, so I may ask for a dozen of these to try them out.
If you’re spot on about the durability, i might have to give this rock a try out in the spring.
Not the type of positive review you want to read when you’ve just ordered 3 boxes of Pro V1x.
🙂 Oh well, by the time I’ve used them up, I guess Titleist will have a 5 peice too.
The Pro V1x is still a very good golf ball. I have a bunch I’ll be using up this year as well. The Penta TP offers a bit more short game spin than Pro V1x without spinning as much as Pro V1 while maintaining roughly the same long-game characteristics as Pro V1x.
The Pro V1x is currently my choice of ball. It’s got a feeling I’ve yet to find in any other ball. There is something relaxing about it. A pure hit is like golfing nirvana. Might give the Penta a shot some day when my current stock of V1x is spent. I hit the ball all over the course (and off it), but my short game and putting is pretty good, so I hate playing a cheaper ball to save money. A ball performing slightly better than the V1x does sound good.
im a 1 handicap, i play 3-5 times a week on championship courses in southern california…i play the prov1 & the prov1x..i tried the penta and the mainthing that cought my attention is the way it performs i the wind..amazing..off center shots still get decent yardage…the thing about 47 holes is a bunch of bs..theres is no way any company interested in making profits selling golf balls wil make any of their products that long lasting..they are as durable as the prov1x…ive pulled a new one from the sleeve..hit a 285yd drive, hit a gap wedge 110yd and thats the end of that ball..the ball was cut..i have a 116 mph swing..the penta “does not” spin as much as the prov1..the prov1 is 5 times better around the green than the penta..in my opinion..the penta does out perform the prov1 from tee to green..you cannot have your cake and eat it too…you have to give up something to gain elsewhere..you just have to choose whats important…
Erik,
I have also used the pre-LDP TP red in the past, with excellent driving and long iron results but the putting and the short game feel were not there.
I was hoping the Penta 5 would solve that problem and it did (putting to long irons) but unfortunately the hybrid and 3 wood flight was way too high. I have spoken with people in the industry and they have stated that this is what the ball was designed to do. Unfortunately the extreme height was problematic on windy days and I could not achieve a lower trajectory.
3 wood was a Callaway FT tour 15 deg with a 108mph driver swing speed with high spin.
Looks like I will stay with the Pro V1X and Z Star X balls.
Why can’t they sell the Penta at a lower price? I’m buying other premiums all day long for $39. If they are that good, they could corner the market at $35 / dozen.
I imagine it may be because they can’t make much money selling them at $35? These premium golf balls do cost a fair amount of money to make.
If they’re like other TMAG products, just wait a while. They’ll drop. I can’t stand paying retail for balls. Taylor Made gave away TP Blacks and Reds last year (I still have some), well before they started selling Pentas to the general public. I guess they don’t turn their inventory as quickly as Titleist does?
good article, will definitely give these balls a tryout. i’m with “Shark”, i’ll wait and buy some of the lost souls before making a major investment.
Interesting review, thanks for the info. I’m a 3.8 handicap, play pro v1x or callaway tour ix…I have to budget my golf ball purchases, and am often dismayed by how easily a new pro v1x gets chewed up. 1+ round max, and if I’m at all loose (i.e. cartpaths or trees) best of luck.
A playing partner of mine is playing the TP red…I heard that wasn’t a legal ball. Any truth to that?
Terrific review. Nicely done!
Outstanding review, well written. As the golf season fast approaches us in the Northeast, I look forward to giving this ball a go. I’ve played the TP Red for the past 2 years, switching from the ProV1 (spun to much). I like many others are very picky about the golf ball I play. The Taylormade Penta sounds like it’s got some serious R&D behind it. I fully agree in regards to Taylormade’s LDP technology. It’s by far the best wind ball I ever played. Looking forward to seeing others post reviews about the new Penta.
I’m actually amazed that you mention premium balls and Pro V1 in the same sentence… Srixon Z-STAR and Bridgestone B-330 in my opinion, fly farther, hold the against the wind more efficiently, are more durable, and are much more handy around the greens. However, I do agree with your review of the Penta. Efficient distance, seems to curve better than most of the current balls, and putts better than any ball I’ve previously played.
I know I’m bashing Titleist. Waiting for the fanboys to rip me a new one on this.
Thanks for your comment Jeff. The Titleist balls certainly belong in the “premium ball” category. Maybe you didn’t like them, but a great many people do. I’d play them as an awfully close second to the Penta TP.
Glad you like the review. In the end, I think it’s a better ball than any I’ve ever played (up to the date of this comment of course)… but the Titleists are right there too, as are almost all the other premium balls.
Are you kidding me? I picked up a sleeve of these things while in the process of buying my usual dozen of BridgeStone Tour B330. I put them into play with my regular group and assumed that I had hit a sprinkler head on the first hole for the ball to end up as long as it did. Second hole, another blast, my playing partner walks up and ask me if I am playing a TopFlite. I respond no and tell him I just bought these balls. He ask “yea, but will it hold”. Don’t know but about to find out, eight iron approach, downwind, next shot. Wow, holds no problem on greens that were not that forgiving. Actually backed it up on a couple of holes later in day. This ball is amazing to say the least. I am a six handicap with a rusty game coming out of winter months and am really excited about this ball. I estimate 20 yards longer off the driver than my B330’s. Yea, wish they were cheaper, but I understand the price if they continue to please like the first round with them. p.s. returned the B330 and bought a dozen Penta’s.
For chipping and putting like other types of balls before it, is tremendous. You can work this 5 layer ball as well. But — the distance off the clubs was just not there. The Black TP outperforms the Penta in this area. Another brand which I play, outperforms both of them. I have played Taylormade clubs for a long time. This is why Titliest is still king and I don’t play their ball — Chipping, putting, distance, workability is in their PV1 and PVX. Other brands, including this new Penta, have not been able to match these three areas in one ball, I don’t care how many layers goes on.
My mate and I play off 3 and I won’t stray from pro v 1 but he did give these balls a try he did think it span more than the pro v But has had 3 of them split there might be a major floor with this ball our pro is sending them back to talormade he is waiting for their response hope this is just a bad batch
I was recently told that the more pieces the ball has the more it spins off the driver…any truth to that. The way it was described to me was the more pieces you add to the ball the harder it is to compress.(adding spin) I am a high spin player and was curious to some insight before buying some.
I picked up a dozen of these at my local pro shop before a round…I played the whole round with the same ball, the durability was amazing and the look and feel of this ball is fantastic. My drives went forever and the putts were true and clean.
I always played Pro V’s like a lot of guys out there, but there was really something about this ball that I LOVED!!! It’s my new ball of choice and I can’t wait until my friends give this one a try.
Great Job TM!!!
I just got off the phone with Taylor Made to report a Penta that split on the seam this weekend and he said it was the first he had heard of it….but I see D Harriss said the same a couple of comments above me.
The ball has great distance and I love it off the putter but I prefer the TP Black…..it has more greenside spin and control for me.
The seem on the Taylor Made balls drives me crazy! For the price of these things you’d think they would fix this… every other ball (including lower end balls) have managed to manufacture w/out this seem eyesore!!
I have always played the ProV1x, but a recent club switch to the new Titleist 710CB’s with Tour Issue x-100 shafts (to kill some spin – certainly worked!!) left me searching for a ball with a bit more “feel”. I tried these and did not like them one bit. They feel way too soft, but I know that is what many people like about them.
Though I am not a TM fan, they have made some good irons (RAC TP’s and MB’s) and drivers (Superquad TP), but they just don’t seem to be able to make a good ball.
Even the new Callaway i ball is vastly superior.
Me – I have settled on the ProV1 instead of the ProV1x for now, but the search goes on.
Dude, work on your game and stop searching for equipment. If today’s gear isn’t good enough for you, then its going to be a looooong search for equipment to meet your standards. Seriously, you need to focus on dropping 6 birdies a round, and not worry about all the technical B.S. out there. You are clearly an equipment junky, most of whom can’t score. You need to take a lesson from that guy at your club who shows up looking homeless, and drops a 68 consistently.
Being a former club pro, I played Pro v1x for years, and I have to say this ball is about 6-10 yards longer than any other ball I’ve played. A lot of balls say they’re just like a pro v, and go farther, well this ball actually does go farther, and has better characteristics.
I’ve found a ball that is light years ahead of its time, and its competitors.
Thank you TaylorMade!
Wow went into the bushes looking for my proV1X figured i would find a pinnacle like usual but low and behold i found a penta, two holes later put it into play and reached a par five in two that i had only got there one time before in a hundred rounds finished the last six holes with it an eagle and two birdies i have a driver swing speed around a hundred and i have to say there was some extra boom boom in that ball not ready to put them into play always but gonna give them a look see
The Penta is all about hype with little substance. Its huge seam causes an erratic ball flight. Test have proven that its driver accuracy ranked almost dead last out of 60 major balls. As for its price… it comes from the same assembly line in Tiawan as the less exspensive Maxfli balls. A decent ball, yes, a superior ball, no.
I played the Penta for the first time today. I have played the Pro V1x for the last several years. The Penta seems slightly longer than the Pro V 1x – maybe 1/2 a club with the irons and it acted very well in the wind. Oddly it sees to spin less with full shots than the Pro V1x (which I like as I tend to spin it too much) while still spinning well with pitch shots.
I really liked it and will probably start using it instead of the Pro V1x.
Also, whil my Vokey wedges still put small scuffs on the penta, the marks were certainly smaller than the ones on the Pro V1x. Net net it seems slightly more durable.
Great review!!!
This past Saturday, I found a Penta ball on the golf course I was mutilating. I was struggling to break 100. I played the last 3 holes par Eagle par to finish at 92. I played Sunday and purchased a sleeve of Pentas. I shot a 76 which is the 2nd best round of my life on a par 72. I’m a 14 handicap.The ball and I were 1. Unbelievable!
Very Complete review!! Good Job Erik!!
I’ve been playing the Penta since the weather in Quebec permitted us to play golf. I’ve played the ProV1x since i can remember but this one will stay in my bag for a while. I find it way more durable the the ProVs. I’m very cruel on my ball as I hit down on it very hard on short irons and wedges. I found the ProVs to either make smilies or “scuff” beyond being playable after 9 holes on average… Pentas will not do that!! Off the tee with my Monster XLS it crazy long!! Might be due to the confidence I have with it…
Anyways, Guys, try it!!! It’s a total keeper!!
Cheers!
Martin from Montreal, Quebec
I am hoping, after reading this review, that the Penta TP will be my ball for the upcoming Varsit Season! Thanks guys!
come on! 20 yards longer is just a ridiculous statement. I hate when people say stupid things like this. The Penta is certainly a great ball and from tee to green it’s extremely hard to find a better ball. But 20 yards longer than the B330 is just not even believable.
I’m a northern states player. I loved the Penta when we had 80+ degree days – fantastic around the greens, great feel, and good tee to green as well. However, I just played on a high 50’s day, and I noticed an obvious lack of distance driver and irons – like a club short, all day long. Frustrating…anyt houghts there?
Used the TP red and black LDP all year, replacing the Pro V1 and loved them, but this ball is even better. Up here in the great white north it’s been a golfer’s fall, but still cool in the morning and evening so we know about the loss of distance. Solution? Keep one warming up in your pocket all the time for the next hole. No worse for cool weather distance loss than any other top line ball. This is hands down the best ball I’ve ever used – quite like the Srixon Z-Star but with a softer feel on full shots (I use either r9’s or MP-52’s)
There were TP Red balls that exceeded the limits and rules but Taylormade corrected that problem and changed the TP Red ball so it met the requirement to play on the tour. It depends on which one your friend is playing with the right balls or the wrong balls. It should have something on the box that say it conform with the rules or something in that effect. I’m here in Iraq now and I don’t have my balls with me to give you the correct wording sorry.
My 12 year old son played with them a couple of days ago. He is a good player and beginning to consistently shoot in the 90’s. He just told me how great they were and said he was bombing his drives. He measured one with my GPS at 248 yards which is his longest drive to date.
I play the v1x’s and love the ball but hate the scuff marks they get from my iron shots. I tend to hit down on them hard and usually after a couple of holes they are scuffed. After 9 holes i replace it. Looking forward to trying the new TP’s.
I’m a +1 hdcp but certainly no equipment junky. I recently bought a sleeve of these to try (as opposed to my prov1x) and shot my low round of the season.
Here is what I noticed in comparison to the prov1x:
Slightly more spin off the driver, with a bit less distance (-5 yds)
More iron spin
Much more spin and control around the green (big advantage)
Slightly better durability (able to play 36 holes and counting with same ball)
Overall a great ball, probably going to switch to this for next season.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a rabid fan of the ProV1x. As the review states, the amount of confidence you have in a specific ball goes a long way in determining how well you play. Each time I found myself without the Titleist in my bag, cold sweats and panic would reign. A few weeks ago I played a quality local track. As I prepared my shoes, clubs and bag for the forthcoming adventure, I found myself out of my 1x inventory. I’d never enountered a course that didn’t have them in stock so I wasn’t that concerned. That is, until I arrived at the proshop and the pro informed me he ran out of my staple weapon a day or so earlier. Panic began to rear it’s ugly head. He quickly suggested though to try this new ball he just got in. I’ve hit Taylor Made balls out of necessity in the past, but never with any consistency. Given the fact this new ball didn’t have the Titleist logo stamped proudly on the cover, my confidence dropped like a rock tossed over a cliff. But hey, I’m here to play golf. So I purchased a sleeve of the Penta TP balls. Now, I don’t fully undertand how the 5 layers of the ball acting together can create the desired results for every shot. But what I do understand is that my ball flight that day was unlike any other day of my golfing career. I’ve never had a flight trajectory other than provided by a big balloon ball. There is just something about the way I make impact with other balls that promotes that ball flight. Enter Penta TP. Throughout the round I played with this ball, driver and long iron shots I hit had a trajectory that bore through the wind. Let me repeat that, they bore through the wind. I’ve NEVER had that ball flight in my bag. I didn’t do anything different in my swing to promote it, it simply happened. I am and probably always will be a 14 handicap. But this day, the only reason why I wasn’t even par for the round was due to 3 consecutive mental miscues in a greenside bunker, and a misclubed shot resulting in the watery loss of one of my new favorite balls. I’m sold. The TP is far and away the best ball I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Sorry Titleist. For those of you reading this wondering why I’m so long winded, no, I’m not a Taylor Made rep. I’m just a mid range handicapper who loves to write about what he loves. Now that I’ve found THE ball that is best suited to my game, I can’t help but rave about it. If you haven’t yet tried it, GO TRY IT!! You will absolutely be sold. Ry the Golf Guy.
Allot off dickheads comment on this great review. There is like no way that a Penta goes 20 yards further than a pro V1 or other a like balls. So i think your talking bullshit if you can just reach par 5 s in 2 with changing a golfball. If you say it takes 3 shots off your regular score i understand that. And than if you play a brand and type off golfball for long time and change to a totally other ball, it takes time in my opinion to get used to it, i play the wilson fg tours and have no complains on feel and distance i hit driver around 280. But the fact that this ball is so soft it took me some time to get the feel off them round the greens, these just check allot more then my older ones. Just one major fail is they getting worn down way to fast. i can’t play more than 9 holes with this ball. But on the other hand i can buy 2 dozen off fg tours to one penta. I’m a real tm fan by the way.