Review of the Taylormade Penta TP

he should be going to San Diego

the penta sounds great; i'm thinking of getting a box to compare with my pro v1x

any idea where can i get it in sg and the damage?

S70B.. Great post.

I was at TM cathay and one of the staff there told me he tried the ball.

The review is " drive like ProV1X and on the green behave like ProV1"

@ zhenxua, the ball will be available widely sometime end april or early may, no exact release date. From what I understand, there is high demand for this ball in the US, so we have to wait for enough stock for this part of the world. Expect the pricing to be pegged against the ProVs.

Having played my best round recently with this ball, I'm sold on it's performance. The ball generally launches higher than any other premium ball I've tried without any manipulation to do so, which is what I've been seeking since I tend to launch the ball low.

Off the driver, the ball explodes off the face with a crisp feel that has some give to it. Impact is satisfying, to me at least. Nice parabolic trajectory that ends high. I can't quite comment on the roll since it was a wet day when I played.

Impact off the irons felt good as well. Again, I got the feeling that the ball seemed to explode off the face. Trajectory was surprising, the ball squirted out low, then climbed to a high apex at the end of it's flight before falling straight down onto the green with no roll. I haven't seen this type of ball flight since the days of balata balls. I like it since on the day I played the ball, it gave me the ability to attack a pin position over a bunker with no fear of the ball running off the green. More than once, I was surprised to find my ball around the pin. It seemed laser like accurate, landing as softly off a 5 iron as off a wedge. Again, conditions were damp. Some may say there is a slight ballooning issue, especially in the wind, I was not able to test this.

The few chips I had, the ball reacted well to my commands, checking and releasing nicely to the hole. I don't have the ability to suck the ball back, so can't comment on that. In any case, I always prefer my chips and lobs to check and stop for predictability, or release and roll when I want it to, which this ball does very well.

Off the putter, I could not feel any discernable difference from the Pro V1. If any, the Penta is very slightly harder on longer putts.

The Penta is a very durable ball, not only shearing less, but holding its colour even if there is some shearing. The Pro V1 on the other hand does show some greying where the shear marks are, although much less than the previous version.

One trait of the Penta not mentioned as yet is how the ball is much longer on mishits compared to other balls. One of the more important traits of the ball which I feel is very pertinent to amateurs like us who mishit more often than not. I mishit my irons off the tee twice on a par three and both times I was still pin high wtihin birdie range. My flight mates were surprised too at the results saying "sure or not, you mishit?" So I guess LDP technology does work.

I must admit I had my doubts when the Penta first came out. I thought why pay for 5 layers when my swing speed is not fast enough to compress the core, which supposedly only benefits those with pro-like swing speeds. But this ball is as close to one size fits all as you can get since the theory is that each layer activates at different swing speeds, from slowest on the outside to progressively faster swing speeds where the core is. The core is the softest part of the ball at 30 compression, overall compression of the ball is 83 if I remember correctly.

The five layer Penta came about when TaylorMade spoke to players about what they liked or disliked about the balls they played. Answers that came back showed that there were always compromises. Each ball performed well in certain areas but not in others. For example, one that drove well may not play well around the greens, or played great off the irons but not off the driver. The Penta with its five layers is TaylorMade's answer for a ball that performs well in all areas for all players.

My additional 2 cents to S70B's extensive review.

All i saw in your post was the bit about sucking balls.

bro birdman,

Thanks for the added review.
Now, you still got a spare sleeve for sale? I want leh....hehe......

Hey Asahi, Ur welcome, as long as you find the information useful, or at least good reading on the throne.



Spare sleeve for sale? Penta TP is a rare commodity at this point in time. Even if got, I don't know how much to sell you. If I do get extra, I'll let you know so you can have a ball to try out.

Bro BM, thank you in advance for your kind offer. Way cool!
Hmm....seems like me not the only one who likes to surf the forum while on the throne!

@Birdman: reading your post gives me the impressions that you have orgasmic experience using this ball... must try...

Now i m in OZ, saw the balls on sale in golf shops for 25AUD per sleeve!!!

I m now extending my service to purchase these Pentas for whomever,

Please PM me BY 1600H SG time. I will check my PMs @ 1600H SG time, whomever PM me with the below format.

1) Mob number?
2) How many Sleeves?

Do not reply here, just direct PM me with Orders. Balls will be in SGP on Sat am for pickup, hopefully in time for sunday game!

However i do feel its a tad steep on pricing here in OZ, oh well... for novelty sake i guess...

dun need to worry...just join our monthly game next month and stand to win either Pro V1 or Penta....

Found the TM Penta selling in Kuantan at about S$78 per box. Anyone interested?

Yup at the parkson store at Kuantan megamall

palm resorts is selling at RM43.80 (member price) per sleeve

i've just found out that MST outlets in Malaysia are selling them already. Found some at Tebrau Jusco yesterday. I believe the Jusco at Bt Indah should have also. RM175 per box after discount.

saw it at golf house yesterday, S$90

saw in Far East.. $72..

golf house will give 20% discount, so it's also $72

Was in los Angeles recently and played a few rounds with the penta ball. For me, it played better than the pro v1x I have been using. Gives better distance and very nice sound at contact. About US$63/box of 12 balls inclusive tax.