TaylorMade’s new TP5 and TP5x pix golf balls feature a new visual design which was developed following input from PGA Tour player Rickie Fowler.
Like many golfers, Fowler prefers to draw a line on his ball to help him line up putts. The previous generation of Pix made that virtually impossible, so, inspired by Fowler’s insights, TaylorMade positioned a single TaylorMade logo and aligned it perfectly with that TP5/TP5x stamp to form a natural pathway through the centre of the ball. Twelve strategically-placed, multi-colour graphics frame the single TaylorMade logo and TP5/TP5x stamp to form the company’s new ClearPath Alignment.
ClearPath not only helps with alignment, but it provides immediate feedback on the quality of the roll. On a well-struck putt where the ball is rolling end-over-end, the golfer can see a clearing in the middle of ball, which tells the player that they started the ball on their intended line.
“The pix graphics give you a precise focal point to work with,” said Fowler. “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.”
Michael Fox, TaylorMade’s director of golf balls, added: “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.”
TP5/TP5X Features
For the first time, pix is available in both TP5 and TP5x models – which utilise TaylorMade’s proprietary five-layer construction to achieve enhanced speed while still offering complete tee-to-green performance. The Speed-Layer System is comprised of four increasingly stiff layers, featuring a material called HFM, which acts like a tightly wound spring and when compressed generates more rebound energy for more ball speed. A 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 combination of these three layers work in conjunction to create lower drag and increased carry. A Dual-Spin cover boasts an ultra-soft cast urethane cover and a 30% more rigid inner cover. This system is ideal for greenside control, as the rigid inner cover forces the soft urethane cover into wedge grooves for maximum spin generation.
The first version of the TP5 Pix balls were only sold in the US when they launched last year, but the new version is being rolled out globally, and will be on sale in the UK at the end of February, priced at £49.99 per dozen.