TaylorMade upgrades Penta ball line

• By Global Golf Post
• Mar 5, 2012 2:18 PM ET

Even in the midst of several high-profile golf club introductions, TaylorMade Golf made sure not to forget about its golf ball line as it also brought out a pair of new offerings under the Penta brand.

First comes an upgrade to the five-layer Penta TP ball the company introduced two years ago. The big difference with this version, called Penta TP5, is a softer core that has 28-percent lower compression, and is designed to produce lower driver spin for more distance and softer feel.

According to John Kawaja, TaylorMade executive vice president, the TP5’s faster outer mantle and thin urethane cover also work to give players just the right amount of spin in the scoring zone, so that those golfers with slower swing speeds can find the added control to get up-and-down more often without sacrificing distance.

“This ball was created for our tour pros, yet we believe it is a great ball for every level of player,” he says, adding that the company expects nearly every member of its tour staff, from Dustin Johnson and Jason Day to Martin Kaymer and Darren Clarke, will make the transition to the new TP5.

At the same time, TaylorMade has released a brand new golf ball under the Penta name, the TP3, one that company officials describe as “tour caliber” and say is geared to promote increased spin on iron and wedge shots. It, too, features a cast thermoset urethane cover and utilizes the company’s proprietary REACT core technology. But the Penta TP3 comes with three-piece construction and is sold at a less-than-premium price point.

Says Kawaja: “Golfers are all different and require variations in their equipment to best suit their games. The added spin form the TP3 will offer more control for a wider range of golfers while maintaining distance off the tee.”