TaylorMade Project 5 Golf Ball Review Thread

Really good thoughts mq! Sorry you lost 4 in 2 days but I have a feeling you will make great use of the 5th.

Ball definitely sounds like a performer but that scuffing so early definitely scares me. I was a big fan of the Penta TP as it performed great all around and was basically scuff resistant for me.
 
Got in a little bit of approach shot testing with the Project 5 tonight in the last 30 minutes before dusk. Had 3 '10 B330-RX, 3 '12 B330-RX and 3 Project 5 balls. Would hit the balls in a rotation, hitting one '10 B330-RX, one '12 B330-RX, then one Project 5 until I had hit all 9 balls. Took a 9-iron from the rough 128 yrds to begin with, shot is a little down hill but also played directly into a approx 10mph wind. Here is what the shot looked like:
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May be hard to tell in this next pic but only 2 balls found the green.
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I hit the next series of nine balls from the same distance but in the fairway this time. Most came up short again, mostly due to the wind I think.
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I moved up to 120 yrds with the next series and found the green with 8 of the 9 shots. The two closest balls are Project 5. The one ball off the green was also a Project 5 but it was a poor swing that pushed the ball just right.
DSCN0398.jpg


The next round also from 120 yrds produced similar results, also with one of the Project 5 balls being cloesest to the pin. The green image for that series came out blurry so I won't post it.

I found the three balls to perform similarly as far as distance and accuracy. The flight of the Project 5 seemed to be just a bit higher than the two versions of the B330-RX. Will try to do tests like this several more times over the coming weeks.
 
11/25/12 - Bent Tree CC / Sarasota FL
TaylorMade "Project 5" Ball Testing - Green side chips and pitch shots


I swung by the golf course today to hit the practice green with the Project 5 balls I have for testing purposes. My plan was simple today, work on shots from around the green chipping and pitching shots to different flags ranging from 5 yards to 35 yards.

First Impressions; From the moment I recieved these balls in the mail, the first thing I noticed was that they really did seem to have quite a soft feeling to the cover. Seemed to be a bit softer than my current gamed of the B330-RX, so I instantly began to think about how this ball would react on shots around the green, hence the reason my first testing session was on the practice green with my wedges.

Thoughts from the Practice Green;

My first handful of shots with the Project 5 greeted me with some solid results. I was able to carry the ball close to my target and get a good bit of bite with it and allow for it to check up and settle close. A lot of people associate "feel" with the sound they hear when they make contact with the ball, when i was hitting my shots, I was noticing a muted type sound, rather than a louder "click" you may get with some balls. The Project 5 definitely had a softer feel when struck, and it was a feel that I quite liked.

When working with my wedges, I wasnt met with any surprise results, meaning that when I hit a certain type of shot (check up, roll out, etc) I got what I wanted. This was something that I was glad to see, as there is nothing more frustrating for me than hitting a shot and getting an unexpected result. The ball seemed to react with nice action on shots when I was attempting to impart spin on the ball for it to bite a bit, and it seemed to do so quite easily. Getting the ball to spin did not seem to take any extra effort on my part that would be out of the norm for a shot I was trying to pull off.

I grabbed the putter and rolled the 5 balls a good bit, and again, I enjoyed the softer 'feel' off the putter. When struck the muted, depper tone at impact off my putter was noticeable and is something that I really prefer in a ball. The ball felt nice off the putter face, and rolled true to my line.

I did not take any full wedge shots today, as I was focusing on the greenside shots to try and get a feel for how the ball would work on the short chip shots. Having gotten a nice feel for what to expect from around the green, I intend to put these balls in play this week when hitting my shots in to the green to see what kind of reaction I get with the ball. Early thoughts are that I am liking what I am seeing, as when I am deciding on what ball I want to game, my decision is usually based primarily on how the ball performs for my short game. If the results going forward match up with my thoughts from this ball so far, it definitely is one I think I could game on a regular basis.
 
I may be skimming here but do any of you guys feel like this might be a low compression ball? Maybe in the 50 to 60 range :confused2:. It sounds like a really cool ball to play in the colder months with the soft feel etc.
 
Good thoughts so far Quinn. I also think WE and OneT give some solid advice.

Agreed, I love all the info so far, it's going to be awesome to hear all the results.
 
Great reviews so far guys it sounds like Taylor Made has put another outstanding ball into play. I should be receiving mine for testing in a couple days and cant wait to begin my testing .
 
I had a chance to take the Project 5 out on the course this afternoon. My thoughts are below. First, I have a tester's note: I found it pretty stressful playing these balls on the course today. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking, "You only have five of these, don't screw it up." I absolutely chunked a 4i into water during the round because I was swinging too tentatively. It is really fun to play with the ball and report back on the testing, but it makes for some interesting shots on the course. (I actually lost another ball during the round -- hit a cart path and then found a cross creek -- so I'm down to three.)

Course conditions:

I played 13 holes at North Fulton Golf Course in Atlanta this afternoon. The weather was fantastic -- 68, sunny and just a little wind. The only real issue was daylight since I started at 3:30 (which is why I only played 13 holes). I played the Project 5 along with a B330s. I also played a few holes with a ProV1x and a Hex Black to compare those balls to the Project 5.

I should also note that my swing was pretty inconsistent all afternoon. I still had on slacks and a dress shirt from work, and I did not have a chance to warm up before the round. I certainly made a lot of good swings, but there were several off center shots (and, as noted above, a complete chunk).

Initial impressions:

I really like the feel of the Project 5. It has an incredibly soft feel to it, and it is especially noticeable on full swing shots. I noticed some difference in feel with pitch shots and chips during my short game session yesterday, but the difference in feel is obvious on tee and approach shots. There was one brand of ball (which will remain nameless) that almost felt hard and "plasticy" compared to the Project 5.

The Project 5 seems to spin more than the other balls. While I did not strike every shot consistently well, the Project 5 seemed to consistently have more hold on the greens than the other balls. With that said, I also noticed that side spin seemed to be greater with the Project 5. I will go into more specifics with tee shots below, but the Project 5 seemed to have more side movement off of the tee in general. I would attribute the extra spin to the deeper dimples and softer cover. I may be incorrect, but I suspect the deeper dimples allow for the extra spin.

Tee shots:

The Project 5 feels solid off of the driver and FWs. It does not have a "clicky" feel that I sometimes find with golf balls. Well struck balls hold their line very well, and the ball seems to rise a little higher than other balls. Even though the Project 5 seemed to fly higher, I still noticed a fair amount of roll out on tee shots. Some of this may be caused by the nearly rock hard fairways at the course.

Distance seemed comparable between the Project 5 and other balls. There was one par 4 where I hit a ProV1 about 15-20 yards farther, but I really caught that particular drive. I hit driver on five holes today, and apart from the tee shot I just mentioned, the balls seemed to fly about the same.

There seemed to be more side movement off the tee with the Project 5. I remember one hole in particular where I hit two fades with a 3W. Neither fade was intended -- I just came out of both swings a bit. The B330s moved a little (5-10 yards), the Project 5 moved a lot (15-20 yards). That was pretty consistent for the round. If the Project 5 had side movement off of the tee, there was a fair amount of it.


Iron/Wedge approach shots:

A well struck iron shot with the Project 5 gives is simply rewarding. The ball feels fantastic, it holds its line, and it lands with an ample amount of spin. The greens today were firm, but the Project 5 held them well. Side spin is not as much of an issue with the irons (which frankly makes sense). Approach shots with the Project 5 seemed to fly a little higher.

The best shot of a the round was a 6i from 186 on a par 3. I caught the ball flush, it flew directly towards the flag as it continued rising, and it released slightly after one large bounce before coming to rest at about four feet. It was a fun shot to hit, and it was also fun to watch. That shot and a small handful of others showed me the potential with this ball. If you can consistently strike it well, you will be rewarded with fantastic results. I really think the Project 5 surpasses the other balls that I have used when it comes to really well struck approach shots.

Mishits with the Project 5 are comparable to other balls. I hit a few thin shots with several different balls throughout the round, and the Project 5's action was pretty consistent with the other balls (i.e., lower ball flight, much more release). The Project 5 may have still landed a little softer on thin mishits, but the difference was negligible.

The main difference between the Project 5 and other balls on mishits was the residual marks and scuffs. As I suspected after my prior short game session, the Project 5 marks a little easier than other balls. It's not so much that the cover tears or shreds, but clear scuffs and scratches are present after a mishit. It's not a huge deal, as, in my experience, all balls will scuff. But, I am not sure how many rounds I would get out of a Project 5. Better ball strikers may have better results on this than I am getting.

For those THPers that are a little older, the Project 5 cover reminds me of the old Titleist Tour Professional and Tour Prestige balls. (There were, I think, the last wound balls that Titleist made before the ProV1.) These balls had a cover that was really soft but still more durable than tour ballata balls. This is the type of cover that I am reminded of when I hit the Project 5. It's really soft, and you can generate a lot of spin with it, but mishits will show (without tearing the cover).


Summary/Moving forward:

I really like how the Project 5 performs. Well struck shots feel great, and the ball provides a lot of control around the green. At the same time, it does not seem to lose distance off of irons or woods compared to other firmer feeling balls.

At the same time, I am wondering if I strike the ball well enough to play the Project 5. Mishits off of the tee seem to have more side spin, and in my experience mishits on approach shots and around the green will scuff the Project 5 more frequently than other, similar balls. I would maybe try to use these as "tournament" balls instead of using them in my normal rotation -- although I have been known to pull a slightly scuffed ball out of my bag to play a normal, everyday round.

My plan is to use the remaining balls for the THP Invitational at True Blue. Since I am already down two balls, I am probably not going to play the Project 5 again until the Invitational (on 12/8). I will try for another short game session in the next week, and I may try to use a Project 5 a little bit during a round (when there is no hazard in play) to continue working on feedback.

I'm happy to answer questions. Thanks again to THP and Taylormade for the testing opportunity -- it is really fun to do.
 
Good info ATLGolfer :clapp:. The side spin would be something that I would have to be concerned with instead of the abnormal wear factor. Heck I don't really get comfortable with a ball, until it hits the cart path a couple of times. Then I can swing freely and let er rip :golf2:
 
How bout' a project 5 testers round for those who live here in Atlanta this weekend ? Sunny and 65 this Saturday !
 
I'm liking the first views, side spin isn't an issue with the B' Asha or the shorter tools. Keep 'em coming fellas.
 
I'm really not concerned about side spin, I'm a pretty low spin player, and my side spin isn't too much of a problem.

I'm liking what the testers are saying so far, keep up the work guys
 
Great thoughts shared last night ATL, War, and cpljohnst!

Sounding like you guys are seeing a bit higher ball flight on full shots than your normal gamers and also the scuffing issue is persistent.

WarEagle: with just that short game practice, did you notice any scuffing from those wedge shots?

Very nice start by each of the testers!
 
Like how these are sounding so far. I'm interested in seeing the durability trend, but the ProV1s werent very durable for many years either.
 
Great thoughts shared last night ATL, War, and cpljohnst!

Sounding like you guys are seeing a bit higher ball flight on full shots than your normal gamers and also the scuffing issue is persistent.

WarEagle: with just that short game practice, did you notice any scuffing from those wedge shots?

Very nice start by each of the testers!
It was all short game shots, so no full wedges or anything, but to answer your question; No, I did not notice any scuffing or any other unusual wear to the ball.
 
Received my sleeve of balls last night!

I plan to do some direct comparisons between the Project 5 and the ball that I assume it is likely replacing, the Penta TP5 as well as my current ball, the Hex Black. I will not make outright judgements of "this ball is better, etc". I'll just collect the data and present it for others to make their own judgements.

Once the weather cooperates I plan to go out to the course and set up a camera near the green to video the action of the ball coming into the green from different distances such as 50, 75, 100 yards.

First up will be some putting and short game work followed by a round of 18 holes.

After all that is done I have some pretty cool durability tests lined up.
 
Received my sleeve of balls last night!

I plan to do some direct comparisons between the Project 5 and the ball that I assume it is likely replacing, the Penta TP5 as well as my current ball, the Hex Black. I will not make outright judgements of "this ball is better, etc". I'll just collect the data and present it for others to make their own judgements.

Once the weather cooperates I plan to go out to the course and set up a camera near the green to video the action of the ball coming into the green from different distances such as 50, 75, 100 yards.

First up will be some putting and short game work followed by a round of 18 holes.

After all that is done I have some pretty cool durability tests lined up.
Sounds awesome, RR. Looking forward to reading your thoughts.
 
I like your plan Rounders. Looking forward to seeing your results!
 
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ATL, the spin you're describing with the Project 5 seems similar to what I experienced with the B330S. A little too much for my game, which is probably why B-Fit put me into the B330-RX. Is that what you saw? I know you played it along side of the B330S, but, didn't comment directly on it.
 
ATL, the spin you're describing with the Project 5 seems similar to what I experienced with the B330S. A little too much for my game, which is probably why B-Fit put me into the B330-RX. Is that what you saw? I know you played it along side of the B330S, but, didn't comment directly on it.

I tend to hit a pretty straight ball. Off the tee, I usually have a little bit of a fade or a cut. (I normally can't choose between the two -- I just go with whatever is working that day.) If I am hitting the ball okay, I typically get about 5-10 yards of side movement off of the tee. That is what I expect when I am playing a B330 or B330s, which is my usual ball.

It seems like the Project 5 gets a little more side movement for me off of the tee. I only hit five drivers yesterday, but most of them seemed to draw a little bit more than the B330s that I was also playing. The difference was noticeable, but not substantial -- maybe another 5-10 yards at most. The only unfortunate result was my last tee shot of the day with the Project 5, which drew a little too much and clipped a cart path just left of the fairway, which caused the ball to jump into a cross creek.

I did catch one drive very well with the Project 5, and the result was a high and straight ball with very little side movement. It seemed to stay on a line the entire flight.

I want to hit a few more drives with the Project 5, but my initial impression is that I get a little more spin (including side spin) with this ball. It seems like a trade-off to me; you get a little more spin and control around the greens, but you lose a little bit of control off of the tee.

I'll also add that I was surprised that the distance seemed very comparable off the tee between the Project 5 and the B330s. I was expecting the Project 5 to be a little shorter since it has a softer cover and seems to spin more. I was pleasantly surprised that the distance seemed very similar.
 
I like your testing plan, RoundersRob. I hope that the video turns out well.
 
Great review ALT, i was really worried about the side spin. I thought they really improved that on the TP5 compared to the first Penta.. But It seems like that may be coming back a little.

I need to find a ball that gets the NXT-S or Burner Tour distance with the green side spin of this new Project 5 :p (Wishful thinking)
 
Just wondering what other ball feels similar to this I know someone said the cover felt like the titleist professional
 
Great stuff so far, guys. Hopefully my sleeve is in tomorrow so I can get it in the simulator. I am planning on comparing the Project 5 against the Srixon Z-Star XV, Bridgestone B330, Callaway Hex Black, and the Titleist test balls that were sent out in early October by them. I wish I had some "softer" golf balls to compare with this ball as it seems from the other reviews that this new TM ball is quite soft, but these are the new balls that I had in my bag.

I am going to compare the 5 balls with 5-8 shots with the 7-iron and the same process with the driver. If I have enough time, I may also compare them with a PW or maybe a hybrid/long iron. I am going to focus on spin, launch angles, and carry distance the most. Hopefully I can have consistent enough swings across the board.
 
I apologize in advance if I touch on anything that the other testers may have already noted. I'm an engineer by trade so every once in a while I might get into some nerdy tests so if that's not your thing, my apologies for that too. Now onto the nerdy first day tests.

Today I did very simple comparisons between the Penta TP5 and the Project 5. First off, while it may look like the Project 5 has hexagonal dimples, it does not. They are most certainly round but the coverage is so good that it does trick your eye a bit. A side by side comparison to the Callaway Hex Black is also a good way to see the round vs hex difference.

One very visible difference between the Penta TP5 and the Project 5 test ball is the seam. The seam on the TP5 is very visible whereas on the the Project 5 it is barely noticeable. The TP5 also shows very obvious gaps in the dimple coverage. You don't get this at all on the Project 5. Chalk up a couple of early points to the Project 5 as the better designed golf ball. We'll see how it performs over the coming days.

Penta TP5

tp5dimples.jpg


Project 5

p5dimples.jpg



Up next was a very simple 5 foot bounce test. Sounds like a pretty basic test but for me, it's a first indication of the softness of the ball. From a height of 5 feet, the TP5 averages 3 more inches off a concrete floor. Project 5 vs Hex Black are virtually identical.

Putter Feel

Using both my forged blade putter and my mallet insert faced putter, the Project 5 ball had the softest feel off the putter face. I really liked that as it allows me to get a really nice feel for how it will roll and I can also feel slight putter miss hits a little better. However, off the mallet insert faced putter, it was almost too soft but that is more of a personal preference then positive or negative comment.

Next up I'll be heading to the course, probably this weekend (if it doesn't rain), for some extended short game tests.
 
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