BALL CHOICE
GET YOURSELF ON THE RIGHT LINE
Choosing the right ball for your game is a question of blending performance with preference.
Performance-based considerations typically centre on how much the ball spins. The hard-hitting but wild golfer, for example, might benefit from a lower-spinning ball that stops drives ballooning and keeps slices in play. The shorter, straighter hitter might benefit from the extra spin that keeps the ball in the air for longer. Then there are your typical playing conditions to take into account; a links golfer might look towards a lower-spinning ball that stays below the wind; the golfer who competes on a target golf course might look for higher spin to hit and hold the greens. As for preference, you may like a softer or firmer feel, to play your short-game shots with more or less spin, or to hit the ball higher or lower. If your goal is to score low, you might choose a performance ball; if it’s to out-drive your mates on a regular basis, you might select out-and-out distance. Modern ball technology can cater for all of these choices, and that’s why Taylormade offer the awardwinning TP5 and TP5X.
But now there‘s an extra consideration that merges performance with preference: visual technology. As Taylormade TP5X user Rickie Fowler explains here, the Pix graphics he helped design and that adorn his ball deliver extra focus and feedback. Will they work for you? Only a trial will tell you.
RICKIE SAYS...
The first time I looked at a Taylormade Pix ball, I had the same reaction you surely did. It looked unorthodox, and possibly not for me. But then you hit some shots with it. Within five minutes, a traditional, all-white ball starts to look odd.
Wherever the ball comes to rest the graphics give you a great visual cue to focus on. With purely white balls, the eyes can wander; the markings on Pix help you dial in, get a little more focused on the shot you’re hitting. They work in the air too, because they help you see how the ball is spinning and how it reacts on the green.
I was pleased to help with the latest Pix design, in which we removed one of the Taylormade logos to create an open path between the 12 shapes. Taylormade call it Clearpath Alignment, and on the greens it allows me to position the ball with an uncluttered, visible line to aid putting feedback. On the TP5X I use, it forms an excellent addition to a proven golf ball. The fact it has five layers means I can tune it in to my driver, long and short irons, right through to the short game and putting. I enjoy the sound and feel; it feels heavy into the wind, and you know you’re going to get a strong flight. Since switching to it, I have more speed with my driver and more spin around the green…a combination we all want.