TaylorMade's Penta TP Ball - Performance on Every Shot
-
TaylorMade Golf’s new Penta TP ball just might revolutionize the ever-evolving future of the golf ball.
The First Five Layer Tour Golf Ball
Three years of research and development by the company based in Carlsbad, California has spawned the only five-layer tour ball on the market. If imitation is the best form of flattery, you could see more five-layer balls in the not-too-distance future, especially if tour players like Y.E. Yang continue to showcase how versatile the ball performs on shots from anywhere around the course.
Tour Players Switching
Even after winning the 2009 PGA Championship by slaying Tiger Woods in the final round, Yang switched to the new ball, giving up the TaylorMade TP Red LDP. He won the Volvo China Open with it in April, right after a strong showing at the 2010 Masters. Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen began using the new ball during the 2009 PGA Championship, months before it became available to the public.
Performance on Every Shot
How versatile is the new Penta TP? The five layers are designed to handle any shot - from a booming 300-yard drive, to a deft flop shot around the green, a wedge spinning in tight, or a five-foot putt that must roll true.
"We spend a lot of time with tour pros asking questions," Dean Snell, head of TaylorMade golf ball R&D, said in a statement. "Most think the ball they play is lacking somewhere. Some say their ball performs great in the short game but costs them distance, while other players said the opposite about their ball. Some feel their ball performs great off the middle and short irons but isn't long enough off the tee and doesn't spin enough on short shots."
"The takeaway was simple: If we could create a ball that performed well in all areas, we would have a revolutionary product. That's what inspired us to create our newest ball, Penta TP, which is every bit the breakthrough we hoped it would be."
Each Layer Serves a Purpose
The soft Urethane cover promotes a high spin rate for wedge shots within 100 yards of the green, while still having the necessary characteristics for a lower launch angle and proper spin rate off the tee.
The second layer, the outer mantle, is the fastest in the ball. It is easily compressed by slower swing speeds, helping players generate a higher ball speed for increased distance, while still optimizing spin.
The semi-firm and fast third layer, the middle mantle, promotes some spin and launch ability for even slower swingers who tend to only compress the two outermost layers under the cover.
The much softer fourth layer, the inner mantle, delivers a delicate feel, high launch and low spin rate for long irons to create high, soft-landing approach shots. The ultra-soft, low-compression Core is the key to the high-launch, low-spin properties for maximum carry off the tee.
The ball has also helped tour players adjust to the new groove rule adopted this season. TaylorMade believes players recoup some of the spin they lost when forced to use shallower grooves. TaylorMade pros now don’t have to fear those dreaded 30 to 75 yard wedge shots. "That's been the biggest shortcoming in today's tour balls," Snell believes.
A Ball for Everyone?
This isn’t just a game ball for the big boys, either. The same reasons that the top players love the Penta TP should strike your fancy. Making the switch could increase your distance off the tee, while at the same time, help slower swingers like you and me get up and down easier with softer, higher, spin-controlled shots.
The ball, released nationally in the spring, retails for $45.99 per dozen. For more info, visit TaylorMade Golf.
