Equipment
Co-designed by Rickie Fowler, 2020 TaylorMade TP5 and TP5X Pix golf balls feature new ClearPath Alignment System
TaylorMade Golf has unveiled the all-new TP5 and TP5x Pix golf balls, which are co-developed by Rickie Fowler and feature the brand’s new ClearPath Alignment System.
Inspired by Fowler’s insights, the second generation of the Pix golf ball contains the all-new ClearPath Alignment System, which features a uniquely positioned single TaylorMade logo aligned with the TP5/TP5x stamp, which is designed to form a natural pathway through the center of the ball.
Twelve multi-color graphics frame the single TaylorMade logo and TP5/TP5x stamp to form the company’s new ClearPath Alignment System, which not only aims to help with a player’s alignment but also seeks to provide feedback on the quality of the roll by allowing golfers to see the ball roll end-over-end.
Speaking on the creation of the new TaylorMade TP5 and TP5X Pix balls, which he will put into play at this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, Fowler said
“The Pix graphics give you a precise focal point to work with. When we started developing the new design, one of my first comments was if we didn’t have the full TaylorMade logo in two places, we would have space to create a path that works for alignment and feedback.”
For the first time, Pix is available in both TP5 and TP5x models. Both feature TaylorMade’s five-layer construction designed to achieve enhanced speed while still offering complete tee-to-green performance.
Like it’s predecessor, the TP5 and TP5X contain the brand’s Speed-Layer System which is comprised of four increasingly stiff layers that feature HFM. According to the company, HFM is a tightly wound spring that, when compressed, generates more rebound energy for more ball speed.
The ball’s Tri-Fast Core consists of an extra-large, low-compression inner core (16 compression in TP5, 25 compression in TP5x) and a progressively stiffer outer core and mantle. The three layers are designed to work in conjunction to provide golfers with a ball that creates lower drag and increased carry.
Completing the new additions from TaylorMade is the Dual-Spin Cover containing an ultra-soft cast urethane cover and a 30 percent more rigid inner cover. The rigid inner cover is designed to force the soft urethane cover into wedge grooves for maximum spin generation, creating the perfect condition for maximum greenside control.
Speaking on the new balls, Michael Fox, TaylorMade Category Director – Golf Ball & Accessories stated
“We learned a lot in the development of the first generation of pix, but through our partnership with Rickie Fowler we’ve learned even more. His vital feedback led directly to the development of the ClearPath Alignment System. It’s not just about unique cool designs that are easier to see, it’s now validated at the top of the pyramid with a performance benefit like nothing else out there. It’s the ideal combination of style and function.”
The TP5 and TP5x Pix will be available at retail on 2/28 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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Jerry
Jan 29, 2020 at 7:40 pm
At first glance, based on the color scheme I thought this was an old article from Halloween. As several others commented, how about something truly useful, optic yellow.
hl
Jan 29, 2020 at 6:20 pm
nothing better than a bunch of high handicappers bagging on a professional with multiple wins, solely cause he’s never won a major. Clowns
BD
Jan 29, 2020 at 6:10 pm
My eyes rolled so much that I think they did a 360.
Patrick
Jan 29, 2020 at 4:03 pm
Nothing like waiting for some hack to take 2 minutes to line it up just right…. and come up three feet short.
dat
Jan 29, 2020 at 3:23 pm
load of marketing bs
steve
Jan 29, 2020 at 2:19 pm
“Inspired by Fowler’s insights, the second generation of the Pix golf ball contains the all-new ClearPath Alignment System, which features a uniquely positioned single TaylorMade logo aligned with the TP5/TP5x stamp, which is designed to form a natural pathway through the center of the ball.”
So were just making up names and thinking its innovative, huh?
Chris
Jan 29, 2020 at 1:27 pm
Fowler designed it? Sweet so I’ll miss the cut and never win a major as well.
ScottBinSLC
Jan 29, 2020 at 12:53 pm
TP5 in Optic Yellow needed. Nuff said
MF
Jan 29, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Coming in April
SJT
Jan 29, 2020 at 12:21 pm
I am still hoping to see the TP5x in Optic Yellow. Not a fan of the Pix look. I think it is actually distracting.
John
Jan 29, 2020 at 12:02 pm
No i will never use a taylor made ball.. enough of fowler
steve
Jan 29, 2020 at 10:36 am
Its not really working for Fowler
D
Jan 29, 2020 at 10:32 am
Did anyone even see someone play the old TP5 Pix golf ball? I never saw one on golf course last year.
David
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:51 am
TP5 is my preferred ball. Only thing I would change is to add a simple black line for putting alignment. Just a black line that won’t wear off like a sharpie does. I wish they would at least offer a black line as a customization option. I can take or leave the other “pix” graphics, doesn’t bother me but also doesn’t add value for me personally.
Jim Thomson
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:38 am
Interesting that Canadian bilingual packaging is pictured.
JP
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:32 am
This is getting stupid. Roll out a new graphic every few months and claim it’s revolutionary. Callaway beat you to it with Truvis and you just keep trying to keep up. TP5 & TP5X are great balls indeed, but really?!?
JP
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:38 am
Oh yeah, Callaway also beat you to Triple Track too. Haha
Will TM now make a matching clearpath alignment putter? LOL
Patrick Reed
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:36 pm
Nice input JP. Might want to look in retail stores at the new Callaway putter that’s identical to TM’s spider putter. The ignorant posts I see on this website is unbelievable.
JP
Jan 30, 2020 at 12:30 pm
CHEATER!!!
JD
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:18 am
The quality of my eye roll while reading this article was much improved over last years model.
joe
Jan 29, 2020 at 9:28 am
HAHAHA, perfect.