Equipment
“Speed meets enhanced visibility” in new TaylorMade TP5 Pix golf balls
TaylorMade has announced the release of a brand new ball — the TaylorMade TP5 Pix, which features advanced visual technology (which you can clearly see in the featured image, which is, well, the point).
According to the company, the design for the ball was created while working with partners at Indiana University who found that the human eye processes lighter colors more efficiently when it’s darker and darker colors when it’s lighter, leading to the two-color pattern of the TP5 Pix as opposed to the typical single color design seen in most golf balls.
The TP5 Pix features two colors within one shape enhancing visibility at all times. The larger contrast graphics of the TP5 Pix aims to allow golfers to see how much overall spin and side spin is generated around the green, with the 12 evenly-spaced images providing feedback immediately on the spin being produced on shots around the green.
Speaking on the TP5 Pix, Mike Fox, Category Director, Golf Balls, said
“White, round and sits on the ground is no longer the norm for golf balls. Visual technology has given us the opportunity to not only change the appearance of the golf ball but also allows players to see immediate feedback where spin matters most – on and around the greens.”
The TP5, of course, is equipped with all the features of the standard TP5. To recap, these include, a new Speed Layer System comprised of four increasingly stiff layers, featuring a new material called High Flex Material (HFM). According to TaylorMade, HFM is the fastest material the company has ever used, and the tightly wound spring of the HFM aims to create more rebound energy when compressed for added ball speed and also to increase the force on the driver face for added distance.
The Tri-Fast Core of the TP5 Pix features an extra large low-compression inner core with a progressively stiffer outer core and mantle. Working in conjunction, these three layers seek to create lower drag and increased carry.
Also included in the new TP5 Pix is its Dual-Spin Cover which contains an ultra-soft cast urethane cover and a 30 percent more rigid inner cover. This system aims to provide golfers with maximum greenside control, as the rigid inner cover seeks to force the soft urethane cover into wedge grooves for ultimate spin generation.
Finishing the TP5 Pix is a new SoftTough cast urethane cover which features a cast urethane compound and new paint formulation, in an aim to improve scuff resistance, shear resistance, and overall durability.
TP5 Pix will be available at retail on March 22 at an MSRP of $44.99 per dozen.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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 timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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jamho3
Mar 14, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Those are ugly, Truvis for life!
Gwenneth Paltrow
Mar 13, 2019 at 8:51 pm
Leave me out of this.
JP
Mar 13, 2019 at 8:31 pm
I must be a freak of nature! All this time, I’ve been able to find an all white golf ball! I am amazing!!!
Tiger Noods
Mar 13, 2019 at 8:45 pm
It’s not about *finding* the ball. It’s about being able to establish it as a 3-dimensional object in your vision, instead of a 2-dimensional optical illusion that many run into. This prevents skulling balls, and that’s why TruVis is popular.
But sure, you’re amazing. Good job. You’re so special, you must be American.
yellolab
Mar 15, 2019 at 1:43 pm
“This prevents skulling balls”…..seriously? Prevents?
Noe Mormon
Mar 13, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Amazing! Special!
Great job, princess!
jj7
Mar 14, 2019 at 1:53 am
proud of you man. you’ve finally graduated from the mini-golf course
Mat
Mar 13, 2019 at 7:48 pm
Ugly logo, but scientifically the real deal.
This will be the new norm.
Straight
Mar 13, 2019 at 7:43 pm
No such thing as side spin. Only back spin and spin axis. Please stop referring to side spin. People get confused by this. Won’t be long before you write something about “top spin.”
Vectors
Mar 14, 2019 at 3:58 am
Knowledge of axis systems would tell you either a) you have total spin and spin axis, or b) back spin and side spin. Given the numbers from either coordinate base you can easily calculate the other with a little trigonometry.
Both systems work, you’re just arguing terminology
Alex
Mar 13, 2019 at 6:55 pm
Vintage Taylormade…hitch your wagon to a gimmick. Hopefully Sam’s Club buys them out in time for the launch of the M17 which should be out next fall.
Jeffrey
Mar 14, 2019 at 8:58 am
Joke isn’t funny anymore. They have had a 1 year release cycle just like most other companies for many years now.
Metthew
Mar 13, 2019 at 6:30 pm
I gamed the Truvis to see what was up. I’ll give these a shot
Swirley
Mar 13, 2019 at 5:38 pm
You losers will all be playing these ugly rocks the second DJ or Rickie puts them into play. Losers…
V
Mar 13, 2019 at 5:36 pm
I can definitely tell when my ball is going left or (way) right without it looking like something out of a video game. Should look great in the fall too. Fail.
golfraven
Mar 13, 2019 at 4:04 pm
What is next? Bananas on the balls?
2putttom
Mar 13, 2019 at 3:36 pm
first skinny jeans now …… golf balls that look like something outta Mario Brothers.
ND Hickman
Mar 13, 2019 at 3:13 pm
I’ll stick with my Truvis but hope TM fans like these balls.
grossmsj
Mar 13, 2019 at 3:09 pm
I could see these would be excellent to practice with, when you can focus on the feedback from shots you are working on. I might buy a dozen for that.
No way would I be caught dead playing them.
Tider992010
Mar 13, 2019 at 2:43 pm
It amazes me how each OEM has the same technology and name it something else, truvis vs PIX, jailbreak vs hammerhead, speed channel vs cut through technology, speed foam vs gel. Everyone works from the PGA allowed limit so they all should be pretty good. It just ends up being what looks good to you individually. When is a 4 iron, not a 4 iron……….., when it is a 3 iron with a 4 on it.
I
Mar 13, 2019 at 6:51 pm
Get over the whole iron label thing man.
Back in the day there were no A wedges and no G wedges. They didn’t know how to name a Gap wedge. And go back even longer they didn’t have a Sand wedge.
Shall we take numbers off woods and start calling them by names again?
Wuss
Old Man Shaking Fist At Sky
Mar 13, 2019 at 8:49 pm
Only Balata Balls are real balls.
Get off my lawn.
Summit
Mar 13, 2019 at 2:41 pm
Those might be the ugliest looking design they could have put on the ball. Fail…
And to the person that mentioned “camouflage on a golf ball during the fall”, you are absolutely right! this will be impossible to see when the leaves start falling.
Mako Shark
Mar 13, 2019 at 2:37 pm
Guy Fieri comment had me lmao. looks like a distracting ball to make the game even harder – who can focus on this thing?
dat
Mar 13, 2019 at 1:58 pm
These look like they are meant to get lost in the weeds.
david
Mar 13, 2019 at 1:18 pm
taylormades answer to truvis… eh.
John
Mar 13, 2019 at 12:48 pm
It took a university study to come up withe revelation that we see dark colours clearer in light conditions and light colours more clearly in dark conditions? I’d figured that out for myself, thanks.
Robyeaks
Mar 13, 2019 at 12:42 pm
This comment thread is the highlight of my day. Dilly dilly.
Ryan
Mar 13, 2019 at 12:37 pm
I introduce to you the Callaway Xhot golf ball, by Taylormade.
Jim
Mar 13, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Just looks like TM’s answer to the Callaway Truvis. Not that good looking though.
David
Mar 13, 2019 at 12:12 pm
Finally a ball that looks like Guy Fieri.
Boyo
Mar 13, 2019 at 11:55 am
Never did like those Callaway soccer balls either…
Smith
Mar 13, 2019 at 11:22 am
Chrome5 TP Soft with TruPix Technology
Mvan
Mar 13, 2019 at 11:08 am
This is literally like putting camouflage on a golf ball during the fall here in MI
pns
Mar 13, 2019 at 11:13 am
You only play ice hockey there, no?
JR
Mar 15, 2019 at 8:29 am
My thoughts exactly.