By Larry Feldman
To develop the concept for their newest golf ball, TaylorMade Golf spent a lot of time on tour asking questions. What do players like about the ball the play? What do they dislike? The answers to all of the questions inspired them to create their newest ball, Penta TP. This golf ball took three years to develop as their R&D team carefully experimented with different mantle materials, compositions and thicknesses until the ideal combination was defined. Extensive computer modeling, prototype creation, robot testing and player testing went into creating what they believe is the finest all-around performing golf ball of its kind, a ball that delivers outstanding performance on every key type of shot a golfer has to hit while also delivering tremendously soft and responsive feel off everything from driver to putter.
Obviously the biggest news about the TaylorMade Penta TP golf ball is that it is the first tour ball constructed of five solid layers. The five layers of Penta TP include the core, inner mantle, middle mantle, outer mantle and cover.
Layer 1 - Cover
The soft Urethane Cover promotes a higher than average spin-rate on the all-important partial wedge shots required in the scoring zone, within 100 yards of the flag. These are the types of shots where many current tour balls fail to deliver the goods because they launch too high and don’t spin enough. Instead, most tour pros want a ball that launches lower and spins enough to stop fast after one or two bounces, which gives them maximum control over these types of shots. Penta TP’s soft, durable Urethane Cover has the necessary characteristics to deliver that coveted combination of lower launch angle and higher spin-rate, while also providing soft tour feel.
Layer 2 - Outer Mantle
The firm and fast Outer Mantle promotes optimum spin off the short-irons to stop the ball quick without sucking it off the front of the green or drawing it back too far from the hole. The Outer Mantle is the fastest mantle in the ball; because it’s positioned just beneath the cover it’s easily compressed by slower swingers (ball speeds 120 mph and below), helping them to generate higher ball speed for increased distance.
Layer 3 - Middle Mantle
The semi-firm and fast Middle Mantle, which surrounds the Inner Mantle promotes mid-launch and mid-spin off the middle irons. Mid-launch promotes control; mid-spin keeps the ball from up-shooting, ballooning and falling short of the target. The Middle mantle consists of a fast material, allowing medium-slow swingers (who average from 120 to 140 mph in ball speed) to generate more ball speed and distance, as they will compress only the two outermost mantles underneath the cover.
Layer 4 - Inner Mantle
The soft, fast Inner Mantle, which surrounds the core, promotes soft feel, high launch and low spin off the long-irons for exceptional distance and high, soft-landing flight that helps the ball sit quickly on the green. Because the Inner Mantle consists of a fast material, it helps players who average from 140 to 160 mph in ball speed to generate more ball speed and distance, because although they don’t swing fast enough to activate the core, they are able to activate the three layers between the core and cover including the inner mantle, which is the deepest of the three.
Layer 5 - Core
The extremely soft, low-compression core is the most critical layer to promoting high launch and low spin off the driver, which are well known to be the launch conditions that promote maximum carry and distance. Despite being soft and low-compression, Penta TP’s Core is still very fast, which allows players who generate fast ball speed — in the 140 to 180 mph range — to generate more ball speed, which means that long-hitters who play a tour ball will likely be longer with Penta TP.
Overall
The total ball. TaylorMade has taken the best attributes of the previous series of golf balls and wrapped them all into the Penta TP. Tour validation has already been apparent as many of the top players on Tour have put these in their bags. In the end, the Penta TP was able to answer our questions and we give the highest of marks…every bit as good as Titleist, if not better.
For more information on all the products that TaylorMade Golf has out, check out their website at www.tmag.com.
