TaylorMade's two five-layer tour balls, split by design: the TP5 spins more and feels softer, the TP5x flies faster and lower. Same $57.99 price, same tour pedigree — the gap is all swing speed and priority.
Quick verdict
There is no overall loser here— both balls earn an identical 9.2 consensus, so the right answer is genuinely a fit decision, not a ranking. The TP5x edges the category count 4–3, but its wins (flight, durability, value) are narrow while the TP5's are big — greenside spin, feel, and approach spin.
Choose the TP5x if you swing fast (110+ mph), fight ballooning drives, or play in wind — it's the fastest, lowest-spinning ball in the lineup (9.4 driver distance, 9.2 flight). Choose the TP5if your scoring lives in the short game — it posts the second-highest greenside spin in a 62-ball robot test (9.4) and the softer, “marshmallow” feel (9.3).
TaylorMade
Five-layer, cast-urethane, large tour core. The softer, higher-spinning half of golf's only five-layer tour ball — the spin-and-feel pick of the premium tier.
TaylorMade
Five-layer Speed Wrapped Core, 322-dimple Tour Flight pattern. The fastest, lowest-spinning tour ball in TaylorMade's lineup — built for a piercing, wind-stable flight.
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TP5 wins 3 of 7 · TP5x wins 4 of 7 · 0 tied
TP5
TP5x
The softer, higher-flying ball closed the old gap — it actually out-carried the Pro V1 by ~4.5 yards at 100 mph — but still runs roughly 2 mph slower off the driver than the TP5x.
The fastest, lowest-spinning ball in TaylorMade's lineup. Golf Monthly's 2026 robot session clocked 168.3 mph ball speed, ~2,018 rpm of driver spin, and 302 yards of carry; tied third-fastest in Today's Golfer's 62-ball field.
TP5
TP5x
Higher approach spin is part of the spin-first identity — more bite and stopping power flighting irons into firm greens.
Lower long-game and approach spin by design. The five-layer build strips spin off the longer clubs for a flatter, more penetrating ball flight.
TP5
TP5x
Spin is the TP5's whole identity. In Today's Golfer's 62-ball robot test it posted ~6,100 rpm on the 40-yard pitch — the second-highest greenside spin in the entire field. The spin king of the pair.
Still tour-grade urethane grab, but the low-spin sibling by design — Plugged In Golf measured the TP5 spinning a few hundred rpm more on chips and pitches.
TP5
TP5x
'Marshmallow soft,' per Golf Monthly — a lower-density acoustic core mutes the sound so it feels softer than its compression number, off both wedge and putter.
Firmer and crisper — a 'clicky' tock that faster players prize for feedback but soft-feel players often dislike. The single most divisive trait in the reviews.
TP5
TP5x
A mid-to-high trajectory — the TP5 flies higher and spins more than its sibling, which is exactly what some players want for carry and stopping power.
A piercing, flat, forward-driving flight that the 322-dimple Tour Flight pattern keeps notably stable in wind. For links and coastal golf, the trajectory alone is a reason to play it.
TP5
TP5x
The softer cover has drawn periodic forum complaints about scuffing across generations; TaylorMade improved it for recent versions, and the softest covers always trade a little resilience for grab.
The firmer cast-urethane cover is a touch more durable — one of the quiet upsides of choosing the firmer ball.
TP5
TP5x
At $57.99 a dozen it sits at the very top of the market, above even the Pro V1, just as value urethane balls have closed much of the gap.
Same $57.99 MSRP and the same caveat — a premium price right as cheaper urethane balls have narrowed the performance gap. Essentially a wash with the TP5 on value.
Play the TP5 if you...
Play the TP5x if you...
This is the cleanest version of golf's “spin or speed” question. The TP5 and TP5x share the same five-layer construction, the same cast-urethane cover, the same $57.99 price, and the same tour pedigree — and they post the same 9.2 consensus. TaylorMade built them as deliberate opposites, so the decision has nothing to do with which is “better” and everything to do with which trade-off suits your game.
The TP5x is the distance and flight ball. It is the fastest, lowest-spinning ball in TaylorMade's lineup — a 9.4 on driver distance against the TP5's 8.7 — and the 322-dimple Tour Flight pattern fires a flat, penetrating trajectory that holds its line in wind (9.2 on flight). For a fast swinger, a player who balloons drives, or anyone who plays windy golf, that combination is the right ball. It also edges durability and value, though both of those margins are slim.
The TP5 is the spin and feel ball, and it wins those categories by the bigger margins. It posted the second-highest greenside spin of 62 balls in Today's Golfer's robot test (9.4), carries more approach spin (9.2), and feels distinctly softer (9.3 vs 8.6) thanks to a muted acoustic core. If your strokes are won and lost inside 120 yards, the TP5's extra bite and touch are worth more to your scorecard than a couple of mph off the tee. Fit the two by swing speed and by feel — not by the badge, because on the scoreboard they're tied.
“The feel is marshmallow soft and the ball seems to stay on the wedge face for an eternity, rolling up the grooves.”
Golf Monthly·On the TP5Favors TP5
“The TP5 generated around 6,100 rpm on the 40-yard pitch — the second-highest greenside spin of all 62 balls we tested. If you prioritise spin and control, it's among the very best.”
Today's Golfer (robot ball test)·62-ball robot testFavors TP5
“Exceptionally fast ball speed and an ultra-low spin rate produced a powerful, penetrating flight with massive rollout potential.”
Golf Monthly·On the TP5xFavors TP5x
“It was the lowest-spinning premium tour-level driver ball we tested and tied third for fastest ball speed — a genuine distance ball with tour-level control.”
Today's Golfer·On the TP5xFavors TP5x
TP5 — our take
The spin-and-feel ball. It wins greenside spin, approach spin, and feel — by the bigger margins of the matchup — with the second-highest greenside spin in a 62-ball test and a soft, communicative feel. The pick when your scoring lives in the short game.
✦ Best for: short-game scorers and 90–105 mph swings who want spin and soft feel
TP5x — our take
The distance-and-flight ball. The fastest, lowest-spinning ball in the lineup, with a piercing, wind-stable trajectory and a firm, crisp feel fast swingers love. It edges the category count 4–3 — the pick when raw speed and flight win you holes.
✦ Best for: fast swings (110+ mph), ballooning drives, and windy golf
Bottom line:it's a tie on the scoreboard (9.2 each) — so fit by swing speed and feel, not by ranking. Spin and softness → TP5. Speed and a penetrating flight → TP5x.
It comes down to swing speed and priority, because both balls earn an identical 9.2 consensus score. Play the TP5x if you swing fast (110+ mph), fight ballooning drives, or play in wind — it's the fastest, lowest-spinning ball in TaylorMade's lineup (9.4 driver distance, 9.2 flight). Play the TP5 if your scoring lives in the short game — it posts the second-highest greenside spin in a 62-ball robot test (9.4) and a softer feel (9.3).
The TP5x is the longer, faster ball — it scores 9.4 on driver distance to the TP5's 8.7, and ran about 2 mph faster off the driver with a lower, more penetrating flight in robot testing (Golf Monthly measured 168.3 mph ball speed and 302 yards of carry off a fast swing). The TP5 has closed the gap to the Pro V1 but still gives up speed to its firmer sibling.
The TP5. It scores 9.4 on greenside spin versus the TP5x's 8.8, and posted the second-highest greenside spin (~6,100 rpm on a 40-yard pitch) of 62 balls in Today's Golfer's robot test. The TP5x is the low-spin sibling by design — it keeps tour-grade urethane grab but generates a few hundred rpm less around the green.
The TP5 is clearly the softer-feeling ball, scoring 9.3 on feel against the TP5x's 8.6 — reviewers describe it as 'marshmallow soft,' helped by a muted acoustic core. The TP5x is firmer and crisper, a 'clicky' tock that faster players prize for feedback but soft-feel players tend to dislike. Both are $57.99 a dozen, so fit by feel rather than price.