When it comes to premium golf balls, the TP5x and Pro V1x are two of the biggest names on the market. I’ve played with both of these golf balls extensively, and I find it really interesting how different they can be. All premium golf balls claim to have high spin rates around the green, great feel, and long distance.
I was curious to see how much of a difference there is when using a five piece ball as compared to a four piece ball. Take a look at this TP5x vs. Pro V1x head to head comparison if you are trying to determine which golf balls would be best for your game.
Let’s dive in.
TP5x Overview
- Unique 5 Piece Construction
- Tour Caliber Premium Golf Ball
- Soft Feel
- Excellent Greenside spin
The TP5x is a five piece golf ball, the only one of its kind on the market. Golfers on the PGA Tour are using the TP5x, so it is also considered a tour level option. When TaylorMade released the newest version of the TP5x, they included a Tour Flight Dimple Pattern. Golfers should now be able to get maximum carry distance and a steeper angle of descent with the longest clubs in the bag thanks to this improved dimple pattern.
Each of the layers in the TP5x gets stiffer as it gets closer to the cover, and then the entire ball is wrapped in cast urethane. The greenside spin is high from the TP5x. However, the golf ball also has a relatively soft feel. The Dual-Spin Cover is a unique feature being that this is a 5 piece golf ball.
One more technology to be aware of in the TP5x is the HFM or High Flex Material. TaylorMade refers to this as a spring that rebounds when you strike the golf ball. Certainly sounds like some technology that will help total distance.
Pro V1x Overview
- Four Piece Ball Construction
- Naturally high trajectory
- Titleist drop and stop technology for excellent stopping power on the green
- One of the best performing golf balls on the market
The Titleist Pro V1x is a tour proven golf ball built for long distance and consistent ball flight. Titleist incorporated their Drop and Stop technology to help improve overall control and feel around the greens.
If you want a higher trajectory, and the ability to stop the ball on the greens, the Pro V1x can do the trick. The Pro V1x is a higher compression golf ball than the Pro V1, part of this is because of the four layer construction of the Pro V1x.
Inside the Pro V1x, you will find a new reformulated 2.0 ZG Process Dual Core. The purpose of this was to increase total speed and distance, and it worked. The cover on the Pro V1x is a cast urethane elastomer that holds up well, even to those with faster swing speeds.
TP5x vs. Pro V1x Key Feature Comparison
Now that you have a better idea of what you can expect from both the TP5x and the Pro V1x, here are some things to understand about the differences between these two golf balls and how they actually performed on the course.
Construction
Probably the most significant difference between the TP5x and the Pro V1x is the number of layers they feature. The TP5x is a five layer ball, while the Pro V1x features four layer construction.
As golfers, we have sort of been trained to think that the more layers a golf ball has, the better it is. This is not always the case. I can’t tell you that the TP5x is better than the Pro V1x simply because it has the extra layer.
However, having this extra layer did help TaylorMade pack in a little extra technology that has certainly helped to improve overall playability on the longer shots.
Ball Flight
Ball flight for the TP5x and the Pro V1x is high. One thing I did notice was that the TP5x was slightly higher than the ProV1x, and I would say it’s probably related to the new dimple pattern.
The pattern is in place to increase hang time on the longer clubs in the bag, and it certainly seems to do its job.
Most golfers with a swing speed high enough to use these golf balls are not overly concerned with the ball’s flight, as they have no problem getting high shots that also travel a long way.
Some players struggle to produce a high ball flight- if that’s the case, both of these Tgolf balls will serve you well in your golf bag.
Feel
The Pro V1x and the TaylorMade TP5x have a soft feel. I felt that the cast urethane cover on both golf balls actually felt similar. I was thinking that the TP5x would have a bit of a harder feel because of the five layers, but that was not a problem.
The compression rating of these two golf balls is in the high 90s and almost identical. Therefore the feel off the tee is about the same, and on iron shots, it also feels really similar. No question that when you hit the ball in the center with a premium iron, it feels buttery with either of these clubs in hand.
Off the Tee Performance
From the tee, you can expect plenty of distance and low spin with both golf balls.
I found the TP5x to be a little longer on some shots. Again, I think the new speed dimple pattern helps to keep the ball in the air just slightly longer and to allow for a lower spin when the golf ball does touch the green.
Iron Performance
With both the Pro V1x and the TP5x, I was looking for control on the iron shots. I wanted to make sure that the angle of descent was high so that I could get the spin and accuracy I needed. You can take your pick, but you’re getting premium performance from your irons with both the Pro V1x and the TP5x.
These are two of the best balls out there, and frankly there’s not much between the two.
The ball flight was high, slightly higher, with the TP5x.
Performance Around The Green
On and around the greens, you can certainly tell that each of these golf balls is made with premium materials and technology. Both of these balls are quite spinny, and very responsive to short game shots. I found the Pro V1x to stop a little quicker than the TP5x. I think Titleist has that Drop and Stop technology mastered, and I’m impressed with what they can do. Hitting low spinning pitch shots around the greens with the Pro V1x is just plain fun.
When putting with either of these golf balls, the feel is soft but still firm enough to keep the ball on the proper track.
Who Should Use Each Ball
The bottom line here is that the TP5x and the Pro V1x are two of the best golf balls in the game. If you are looking for long distances on your fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons, I would go with the TP5x. If you want that control around the greens that are so hard to find, the Pro V1x is a great option.
Golfers that play either of these golf balls need some extra swing speed and a fair amount of accuracy in their strike to reap the rewards of either of these golf balls.
Final Thoughts
We hope you now feel you are equipped to choose the Pro V1x or the TP5x the next time you head out to the course. Each of these golf balls has proven its position on the market and has players on the PGA Tour that are very satisfied with its performance.
At the end of the day, I had to choose the Pro V1x. The quality of this golf ball around the green is just so hard to match, and although the TP5x gave me a few extra yards in my long game, the Pro V1x has the performance where I need it to score.
