Taylormade Penta looks cheap

[CrazyXGolfer]

Maybe they hadn't been properly balanced?!?!?

hahahahaha!!!!!

[Cornbread]

Dean Snell is the Director of Golf Ball R&D; for Taylormade.

Question to Snell:
Seams in golf balls seem to be a real controversy. Is there any performance loss from the visible seam in the TP line?

Dean Snell's answer:
That's a great question. I think for people to understand – when you submit a golf ball to the USGA, and I think everybody remembers back when Pro V1 first came out this is where the seam issue came from – if you teed it up on the seam it would go a little bit further. If you look today, that issue has been raised to the USGA, has been corrected by Titliest and it's not that way any more. So having something that has a seam or doesn't have a seam, it's tough to say it really has a big advantage to it. From a pure consistency point of view I'm not sure if today I'd be able to say something.
There's two halves that come together and there's a seam on every ball. That seam has to be removed so no matter if you interlock it or stagger it there's still a seam on the ball. Now the question becomes is it more consistent seamless because there's no seam?


It appears he dodged the question, don't you think?

[Cornbread]

Basically the answer is, Taylormade does not own a patient for Seamless Golf Balls. They have tried to gain technology thru the purchase of ball producing companies like Dunlop Maxfli.

Dean Snell is the Director of R& D for Golf Balls at Taylormade.
A Dean Snell quote:

I think probably the biggest change that we’ve had is that we purchased Maxfli a few years back. The purpose for actually buying them was really to be able to get the cast urethane technology that Maxfli had, which they used to use on the old Revolution and A-10 golf balls. Being able to get that technology allows us to start develop golf balls that can be used on tour.
When we took over Maxfli, we started with the Black Max ball using this urethane technology. But we were extremely restricted with respect to aerodynamics. So we actually went out and purchased a company that made all the dimple cavities and dimple designs for pretty much everyone outside of Top Flite and Titleist.

[ControlJunkie]

+1 . convertee from the pro v1 here. although on putting i find the pro v better. maybe thats just my yucky putting lol.

Not really comparing it to any particular ball, $45 per dozen is just kinda expensive, no matter if we're talking TM, Titleist, or any other

Not outrageous or anything, just on the high side. When I buy Pro V1s/V1x's, I usually just buy x-outs. Other than the Penta and ProV1/V1x, I play Nike One Tours and One Tour Ds. Lately I've gotten both of those for $30 per box.

[rebby]

Although I agree that the appearance of a "seemless" look is better, it doesn't seem (no pun intended) to affect performance in any way. Thus, I see this as a non-issue.

BTW - Dean Snell, Director of Golf Ball R&D; for TM had a very big part in the original Pro V1. Which, IIRC, also had a seam that didn't affect performance in any way either.

[wrx_junki]

I'm looking at a Penta right now and I can't even find the seam.

It looks nice to me and played very well but just cannot afford it.

[Jay-Bird]

Great ball. If you find more, please PM them to me.

[leftcoastsrt04]

I think it is a beautiful ball.

[bbedell]

this is probably one of the most useless threads i've seen on this site. You cannot comment on a ball because of 1 or 2 that you found on your local course. The Penta is one of the best balls, if not THE best ball out there right now. Stop staring at it and f*^%ing hit it already!

[BigMikey]

i sense a prov1 bias

I've recently tried over the course of about 5 rounds each the Penta, ProV1 and ProV1x (after 2 rounds I knew I liked the V1 better).

All three are great to putt with and they all spin back nicely on the greens from 100 yrds and in. But off the tee I found the ProV1 to be a better ball for me. I fight an occastional slice and the ProV1 outperformed both the ProV1x and Penta for me. A guy at Edwin Watts upsold me on the performance of the Penta. I'm sure it's a great ball it just made it harder for me to find the fairway everytime. I played Achasta this weekend in Dahlonega, GA and saved 10 strokes playing a ProV1 over the Penta. The verdict was 10/14 fairways with ProV1 and 7/14 with the Penta. Could be insignificant but having a second shot off the short grass makes par that much easier.

[McGolf-Doggie]

I was a little surprised when I discovered the flat seam on mine. But the ball plays just fine. I don't lose too many balls where I play, so I expect the sleeve to last ... well at least until I play West Point next month, and then they will be goners for sure...unless I bring and use the "finders" I 've collected the last several months, instead. But what's the fun in not using your best balls on a tough course?

[Fourputt]

I've recently tried over the course of about 5 rounds each the Penta, ProV1 and ProV1x (after 2 rounds I knew I liked the V1 better).

You do realize that the V1x is the lower spin and straighter ball of the 2 Pro V's? If you straighened out your slice more with the Pro V1, then it was simple coincidence, because the Pro V1x is actually the ball which is designed for that.