To start off this series, I picked a battle of two giants! The Titleist ProV1x has long been recognized as the definitive "best ball in golf," however with the somewhat recent news of PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler making the shocking switch from the ProV1x to the Taylormade TP5x, there has been a spark in discussion on how good the TP5 really is. So what better way to begin? Let's jump into the test!
Most Noticeable Differences:
ProV1x seemed noticeably better into wind.
TP5x definitely feels softer, but not too soft.
Other Notes:
As far as distance is concerned, TP5x definitely seemed longer on a number of shots (especially those less effected by the wind). I overshot a few greens with the TP5x and thought it might be club choice, however after testing other balls from the same spots, the TP5x was just longer. Also I had some monster drives with the TP5x.
Around the green, in terms of approach shots and chipping, there really wasn't much difference when it came to the way the balls performed. I did seem to like the TP5x just a hair more. I seemed to hold the greens on a few shots I thought would roll off and I really liked the ball characteristics when chipping (almost had a few go in), but all that could just be attributed to better ball-striking (it was the 2nd 9) or personal preference/feel. I would guess they perform similarly in this category going off just data alone.
On the greens, they both performed very similarly off the putter and I really couldn't tell a difference between the two. Both felt great! The TP5x might have just a touch softer feel (as aforementioned), but I really couldn't tell off the putter. Overall I think I sunk more putts with the TP5x, but again that's probably not the ball.
Durability was definitely a tie! I was surprised to see a huge scuff mark on the ProV1x after about 8 holes of use, but it could have very well just been a freak thing. The TP5x help up surprisingly well (even after a direct hit off a tree that bounced back into the fairway) considering all the reviews and things I've read about it's durability issues. I had no problems at all with the TP5x in terms of durability!
Overall:
Both balls performed extremely well and there really wasn't a whole lot of stark contrasts between the two in this matchup. The ProV1x, as expected, was a super consistent ball that was playing well into the wind and had no real weakness to speak to. The TP5x actually surprised me in a lot of ways (as I have never played or tried a Taylormade ball before) with the only downside being what I saw of it struggling a little bit with the wind. Now on to which one I would choose between the two. Surprisingly, I would have to go with the TP5x! Like I've said, it does seem to struggle with the wind on occasion for me, however considering the distance gains, added feel around the green (for me), and the fact that they run around $5-10 less a dozen than the ProV1x, this ball is too good to ignore. The ProV1x is obviously still an excellent ball with top tier quality control, consistency, and performance. For me though, I believe, based on my personal experience with these two balls and the results from this first test, that my game would benefit more from what the TP5x has to offer.