Brightly-colored golf balls have been around for decades, and balls designed with high-visibility markings have been out there for several seasons, but TaylorMade struck gold with the TP5 Pix ball two years ago after Rickie Fowler signed a ball endorsement deal with the company and started using the model in PGA Tour events. According to TaylorMade, Fowler played a role in the development of the TP5 Pix’s markings, explaining that he likes to draw a line on his ball and use it as an alignment aid when putting. That inspired TaylorMade’s designers to create a pattern that allowed for a line and that created a white path as the ball rolled on the greens.
This week at the Memorial, Fowler is playing a special Stars & Stripes edition of the ball and TaylorMade is making it available to the public for $49.99 per dozen.
TaylorMade’s TP5 PIX USA ball pattern creates a white path as the ball rolls on the greens. (TaylorMade)
Like the updated 2021 TP5 ball, the TP5 Pix USA ball is a five-piece, urethane-covered ball designed to reduce spin off the tee but provide plenty of greenside spin. The new Tour Flight Dimples are shallower and the walls of the dimples are steeper than the dimples in previously-released balls.
According to TaylorMade, as the ball rises off the tee, the shallower dimples reduce drag for increased speed. Then, as the ball starts to come down after reaching its apex, the steeper side walls trap more air to help the ball maintain lift and increase carry distance.