Taylor Made Ball question...

[BigJim13]

So Dick's in our area is running a special on Taylor Made TP balls- $27.50/dz for the red or black. So, my question is which one is which? I know one is like the Pro V and one is like the V1x, which one is which?

 

[SiberianDVM]

Don't know for sure. All I know is that I hit a Black I found and liked it. Late I found a Red, and I didn't like it.

 

[acarty]

OK black's are ProV1's and red's are ProV1x's.

 

[Youngun5]

above poster is correct.

 

[mddubya]

The Red is the low spin ball, the Black the high spin one.

 

[halifax_golfer]

Do you actually notice much difference between the Prov1 and Prov1x (red/black TM TP)?

 

[mddubya]

My home course sells used ProV's for $15 a dozen. But they mix them up together. The only time I can really tell a difference is off the tee. I fight a over active fade and the PoV1's definitely fade more than the ProV1x's. Same with the TM Reds vs. the Blacks.

 

[Randicap]

It's not that simple. TM has changed the balls from their first versions. TP Red launches lower and has less spin than the original versions. TP Black launches higher and maintains the already high level of spin the first version had.

I found this on another golf forum:

Anyway, here's the response I got from TaylorMade's primary ball engineer, Dean Snell:

Source: Dean Snell
The old times in golf where softer golf balls means more spin are gone. Look at the two pc category today. The golf balls are now in the 50 and 60 compression, and feel and sound very soft. However, they DO NOT have high short game spin. They are still truly distance balls with feel.

Today, with materials and multilayered constructions, we are able to "dial in" feel and spin much better. So when we started with TP RED and TP BLACK in 2006, we made two golf balls that ended up close in feel, and close in short game spin... both very close to V1x and V1.

So, based on tour players and better player feedback, we learned that these 2006 versions were good, and had PLENTY of short iron (8, 9, pw, sw) spin. In fact, a lot of players thought too much, and had trouble getting to back pins due to too much spin... so they would try to take spin off the short, use less clubs and choke down, etc. They asked us to make golf balls that:

1) kept spin like we had (TP BLACK), and
2) try to lower the full short iron spin shots...

This is what we did with the new TP RED LDP and TP BLACK LDP... We held the full iron spin (high) with the TP BLACK LDP, and we created a 4pc ball with a very soft inner mantle that did two things... It lowered the compression (softer feel), and also lowered the full short iron spin... and when a golf ball is softer in compression and feel, it typically comes off the face lower.

So, the TP RED LDP is a softer feeling ball than TP BLACK LDP (and Pro V1x), and lower spinning on full short irons than TP BLACK LDP and Pro V1x, and launches slightly lower off the irons for better control... This helps players who spin the ball TOO MUCH keep spin down, and launch down is less affected with wind, and gives that player better control on these shots.

Conversely, for the players who NEED more spin on these shots, we still maintained this higher level with the TP BLACK LDP.

Most choices for players are better understood on feel, since most players do not know their own short game spin.. therefore, as a feel recommendation, the TP RED LDP is softer in feel than TP BLACK LDP, and more like the Pro V1... whereas the TP BLACK LDP is firmer, like the Pro V1x....

So we recommend that if you play PRO V1, then try RED and if you play V1x, then try BLACK... then let the spin and launch be the secondary test which is different for every player.



So it seems that they've confused people a bit because they DO in fact have a "low launch, low spin, soft ball" and a "high launch, high spin, firm ball." They may be the only people with that slightly bizarre combination.

And coming from the guy who designed the balls, I consider this the definitive word. [/I]

 

[FATC1TY]

I've been buying them up at the new prices.. Bought 2 dozen for $55, and then even WALMART has the TP Black and Red's for $25 a dozen..

I've always played the Red, but started playing the black, and I like it more I think.. Much better feel to me, and it spins PLENTY for me. Just a crisper yet muted feel when I hit.

Generally, I've always played the ProV1x's if I played a Titleist ball. So I guess it makes sense I've gravitated towards the Black.

And at $25 a dozen, you CAN NOT beat them for a super premium ball.