Whilst it's all well and good hearing the stories about top of the range golf balls made for the tour pros which are low-spinning off the tee, gain distance with the irons, and stop on a dime on the green, the fact of the matter is that 99.9% of amateur golfers cannot hit the ball like a tour pro.
Therefore, why not focus on a golf ball which is actually suited to your game? That's exactly what TaylorMade has done, having gained feedback from thousands of golfers, to come up with the new Soft Response and Tour Response models.
TaylorMade Tour Response Golf Ball
The headline feature of this ball is that it uses a premium, 100% cast urethane cover, which performs much better than ionomer covers usually seen in these affordable, lower compression balls. Urethane covers are used in the TP5 and TP5x for example, because they provide the best results.
Delving a little deeper, this cover allows club grooves to grip the ball better, increasing wedge spin noticeably for better control. It is also more durable too, so you should get more usage out of each ball provided you don't lose it!
TaylorMade say that they are the only one of the major equipment brands to use a urethane cover in a mid-level ball of this category. So they're essentially saying that you get all the materials and quality of a premium ball, but with the performance that will suit you.
Inside, there's a firmer second layer called Speedmantle inside the soft inner core, which improves energy transfer and therefore helps to produce faster ball speeds for maximised distance. An ultra-low 40 compression helps with this rebound at impact, whilst the 3-piece construction produces a soft feel whilst maintaining distance.
Eric Loper, Golf Ball Director of R&D for TaylorMade:
Urethane is simply the best performing cover material you can use on a golf ball. That's why it's found on 100% of the balls used on the PGA Tour. It's that good. We're bringing that same innovation to our Tour Response line - essentially making a softer version of our TP5/TP5x that utilises multiple Tour technologies.
TaylorMade Soft Response Golf Ball
The Soft Response ball utilises a special Extended Flight Dimple Pattern in order to maintain distance in a softer golf ball. The u-shaped dimples help to minimise drag whilst improving lift, allowing the ball to stay in the air for longer with lower spin rates.
In practise, this means that golfers with average swing speeds will find it easier to launch the ball, and they may also pick up a few yards too.
The soft ionomer cover gives the Soft Response a soft feel (yes, the clue is in the name...) and TaylorMade says that it also improves 'scuff resistance, shear resistance and overall durability'.
There's an ultra-low, 35 compression ZnO Flex Core which helps to deliver soft feel without any loss of distance for golfers with slower swing speeds.
Eric Loper, Golf Ball Director of R&D for TaylorMade:
Soft Response is a multi-layer golf ball designed for even softer feel, and with our new Extended Flight Dimple Pattern the player can obtain explosive distance.
Tour Response has an RRP of £39.99 and Soft Response has an RRP of £24.99.
Tour Response will be offered in white and yellow, whilst Soft Response comes in white, yellow and matte red.