Connect with us

Equipment

TaylorMade Project (a) golf balls

Published

10 years ago

on

In most ways, amateurs need their golf balls to perform like the premium balls used by professional golfers.

With the driver, for example, most amateurs prefer the low-spin performance that is typical of a multi-piece tour ball because it allows them to hit longer drives. And on short shots, amateurs will benefit from the high-spin performance that is characteristic of a tour ball’s thin, urethane cover.

TaylorMade’s new Project (a) golf balls are designed specifically for amateurs, and use the company’s “React Core” to create low-spinning drives and “Soft Tech” cast urethane cover to drive higher-spinning short shots. The three-piece Project (a) balls also have a “Spin Mantle” layer in the middle, which helps regulate spin on the shots in between. Where they’re different from TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred and Tour Preferred X tour balls, however, is where their high spin kicks in.

According to Dean Snell, vice president of golf ball R&D for TaylorMade, amateurs with handicaps in 10-to-24 range miss the green from 150 yards by an average of 35 yards. They certainly don’t need the extra spin a tour ball would provide on those shots, because it would cause them to miss the target by an even greater margin. But where they do need spin is from 80 yards and in, where Snell said they record 80 percent of their shots during a round.

“The tour guys, they average about 10,000 rpm of spin with their wedges,” Snell said. “It takes about 9000 rpm for a ball to spin and come back [on the green]. But amateurs only average about 5000 rpm of spin.”

To close the gap between amateurs and professionals, the Project (a) golf balls are designed to have maximum spin with a golfer’s short clubs, from the 9 iron and in for most golfers. Every extra 1000 rpm amateurs can generate with those clubs will stop the ball 5 feet closer to its landing point, Snell said.

The Project (a) golf balls are available in stores now for $31.99 per dozen.

Your Reaction?
  • 62
  • LEGIT8
  • WOW10
  • LOL2
  • IDHT2
  • FLOP16
  • OB2
  • SHANK0

Related Topics:
29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. Ragin Kagin

    Jul 25, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Love these, on my 5th dozen. Straight drives great spin on short shots and great durability no scuffs off my rotax wedges ,and excellent feel all around. Ive been searching for a ball to call my own for 2yrs and now ive got one. Was playing bridge rxs before . These are much straighter of the tee.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Gary

    Feb 5, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Sounds like this ball is very much worth a try, probably a somewhat updated Rocketballz Urethane. Does this ball have a seamless cover?

    Reply Report comment

  3. Joe Golfer

    Feb 5, 2014 at 1:47 am

    If they spin that much, I hope the covers don’t get chewed up on wedge shots, especially with so many of the latest wedges having the extra laser etched grooving on the faces.

    Reply Report comment

  4. jc

    Feb 4, 2014 at 5:02 pm

    talk about spin!!!! I hit a driver and the ball hit the ground and spun all the way back to the tee!!!!

    Reply Report comment

  5. jc

    Feb 4, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    many optic tests have proven that yellow is easier to see…why do you think tennis balls are yellow now? they are also easier to spot in the early morning and dusk…the white ball is easier to see IF it is early morning, there is dew on the grass and the sun is bright..

    I like yellow because I know which ball is mine when we get out in the fairway.

    Reply Report comment

  6. J

    Feb 4, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Any data to back-up the claim it takes 9000 RPM to back a golf ball up on the green? If that is the case, I’m hitting the 9k mark with a 6 iron and just shy of that on my 4 iron.

    Reply Report comment

    • Zak Kozuchowski

      Feb 4, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      A lot of factors at play here, J: angle of descent, firmness of greens, moisture content, etc. But you bring up a good point. This is something I’d like for us to drill into in the future.

      Reply Report comment

  7. Poi

    Feb 4, 2014 at 12:55 am

    How is it off the driver? Does it balloon?

    Reply Report comment

  8. Indy

    Feb 3, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    I got some of these at the PGA Show, the spin rate increase was crazy! I generated 9800 with the NXT Tour, 11000 with Project A. Took it to the course the next day, backed both shots I hit with it back at minimal 20ft. The Rocketballz Urethane, could not do what this ball will do. Saw my dad do their test, went from 5000 to 6500. Same test with NXT Tour. This ball will spin!

    Reply Report comment

    • Adam

      Aug 5, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      That’s because the NXT Tour doesn’t have a completely urethane cover. They advertise it as a “blend”

      Reply Report comment

  9. Jim

    Feb 3, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Sounds like a rebranding of the the RBZ Urethane from last year – not that that’s a bad thing. Hopefully TM will learn about keeping the name of their golf balls consistent going forward too.

    Reply Report comment

    • Brady Wilson

      Feb 3, 2014 at 5:02 pm

      Those balls surprised me by how good they were. our shop sold out of them because they were so cheap, and good quality combined. hopefully they improved upon that same idea. I’ll have to give these a try.

      Reply Report comment

      • bootscrilla

        Feb 3, 2014 at 6:33 pm

        Same here, we couldn’t keep them on the shelves..I never did try them but I might have to give these a go

        Reply Report comment

        • Justin

          Feb 3, 2014 at 10:52 pm

          I agree, they were really good balls, and I gamed them for a little bit in my college matches. They may have spun a tad much on the mid irons, but that may be because I still used the old TP/Black balls from forever ago (itself a mid spin design).

          Reply Report comment

  10. Chris

    Feb 3, 2014 at 11:46 am

    The reason most amateurs average around 5,000 RPM’s of spin is not just the golf ball, but the way they strike it. Hard to generate spin when they pick it off the turf or if they are hitting an approach from the rough, too.

    Reply Report comment

    • Poi

      Feb 4, 2014 at 12:55 am

      You mean blade it off the turf. You can still generate a ton of spin by picking it on the grooves.

      Reply Report comment

  11. J

    Feb 3, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Similar to NXT Tours perhaps?

    Reply Report comment

  12. tbowles411

    Feb 3, 2014 at 10:43 am

    But can you get it in yellow?

    Reply Report comment

    • deafninja

      Feb 3, 2014 at 4:58 pm

      Nope not currently in yellow doubt they will produce it in yellow. That’s why I will stick with Srixon since they have practically all of their offerings available in Yellow.

      Reply Report comment

      • Dave

        Feb 3, 2014 at 5:13 pm

        What’s the benefit of yellow? Not trying to down play, just curious.

        Reply Report comment

        • bootscrilla

          Feb 3, 2014 at 6:31 pm

          Visibility for the most part

          Reply Report comment

          • Jeff

            Feb 3, 2014 at 8:19 pm

            They are no easier to see. It’s a gimmick.

            Reply Report comment

          • RadioActive

            Feb 4, 2014 at 11:07 am

            Well if Jeff says they are not easier to see then they must not be easier to see…

            Reply Report comment

          • paul

            Feb 5, 2014 at 12:54 am

            I play early morning golf and its way easier to see when the sun is barely up. And it is easier to spot in the rough I think.

            Reply Report comment

          • fitterray

            Feb 5, 2014 at 7:30 pm

            I’ve lost every yellow ball that I’ve ever had.

            Reply Report comment

          • Ragin Kagin

            Jul 25, 2014 at 12:29 pm

            Lmao @ fitterray is correct ive lost all of mine as well

            Reply Report comment

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 8, 2024

By

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article. 

…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.

Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.

Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.

According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.

He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.

Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article. 

Your Reaction?
  • 15
  • LEGIT2
  • WOW1
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK3

Continue Reading

Whats in the Bag

Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)

Published

17 hours ago

on

May 8, 2024

By

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS (9 degrees @7.2, 2 grams lead tape heel, 4 grams toe)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (44 7/8 inches, tipped 1 inch)

Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 degrees @13.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X (43 inches, tipped 1.5)

Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype (19 degrees @17.8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X

Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125 S+

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S @49, 54-10S, 60-08C @61)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X

Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Split

Grips: Iomic

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

More photos of Akshay Bhatia’s WITB in the forums.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 5
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Whats in the Bag

Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)

Published

17 hours ago

on

May 8, 2024

By

Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX

5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.

Your Reaction?
  • 1
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag17 hours ago

Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)

Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
Whats in the Bag17 hours ago

Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)

Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Callaway...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Webb Simpson WITB 2024 (May)

Webb Simpson what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Keegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)

Keegan Bradley’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. >14 clubs pictured. Obviously, Bradley will reduce that number to...

Facebook

Trending