TaylorMade TP5x Stripe Golf Ball Review

TaylorMade TP5x Stripe Key Features:

• 22mm 360-degree Clearpath alignment aid: ideal for lining up putts and tee shots
• Speed wrapped core: delivers low spin with the driver while maintaining exceptional greenside control
• 5-layer progressive construction: ½ club longer while delivering a softer sound and better feel 

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As each day passes, visual tech becomes increasingly popular among golfers, from the touring professional to the average weekend hacker.

And now, due to overwhelming consumer requests, TaylorMade has put the stripe on the ever-popular TP5 and TP5x — with a twist.

The TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x can now be purchased with 360 degree Clearpath alignment. The TaylorMade Tour Response Stripe features the same 22mm wide markings but is also available with a wide range of stripe colours.

With TP5x Stripe, the Clearpath alignment is being pushed towards the more serious golfer. Despite there being no colour, TaylorMade has reaffirmed that the stripe will still identify true roll towards the hole with putts.

Michael Fox, the Senior Director of Production Creation for golf balls at TaylorMade, has said

“The reason golfers have fallen in love with the 360°ClearPath Alignment Stripe is because it really allows them to lock in on their line from behind the ball.The immediate feedback about how the golf ball rolls is pivotal as well.”

We’d been hoping that TaylorMade would release something like this for quite some time, and we weren’t the only ones. This is said to be their most requested product ever! Does it live up to the hype? We took the TaylorMade TP5x Stripe (our ball of choice) to Mannings Heath to find out.

Let's get into it

TaylorMade TP5x Stripe Performance

First of all, the TaylorMade TP5x ball itself needs to be mentioned for the quality that it has for every facet of the game. TaylorMade has claimed that the TP5x is ½-club longer based on robot iron testing at Tour launch conditions showing 2024 TP5x to 2021 TP5x. With hundreds of prototypes and hours of robot testing, the TP5x is clearly one of the best balls in the market for 2024.

The Clearpath stripe itself is a much less aggressive visual tech tool for any golfer. Upon previous testing for the stripe, we noticed pros and cons for all weather seasons, and can understand why the colour has not been moved onto the more premium TP5 and TP5x.

Off the tee was our first true test to see if the visual tech was an eyesore, or an eye-catcher.

Now, everyone is different. Some golfers might tee it up with no placement of the stripe itself. We liked to place the ball with the stripe either facing the target (like an alignment line) or circling around the ball, such as the rings of Saturn. Although our initial tee shot may have been a shank off the planet, we started seeing some improved results from there.

Having played a white golf ball for several decades, this visual tech is a lot easier on the eye yet still carries exceptional performance for alignment. The alignment itself is not basic. Hours of testing has gone into the production of this tech, and we noticed that on the course.

When in the rough, fairway, bunker, any position whereby you can’t line the ball up, the Clearpath alignment did not interfere with our sensitive eyes.

When we made it onto the green, that’s when this ball really showed the performance of the visual tech.

The Clearpath alignment still provides a very prominent sightline for any length putt, although we noticed it aiding our putting woes more when it was 10ft and in.

You can clearly see when a putt is mishit, and true roll is not achieved. An accumulative score of 1 under par on the first hole speaks for itself, with a lovely putt sunk from just over ten feet.

The TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x Stripe has allowed the serious golfer to play a premium, serious ball with visual tech that is very easy on the eye, and feels more relaxed than other visual tech options out there. This aid may work for one golfer but not for others. The best thing you can do is test out several options for yourself.

For GolfMagic, we’ve put the TP5x Stripe in the bag for the foreseeable, due to the performance of the TP5x itself coupled with this new aid for alignment.

Should you buy the TaylorMade TP5x Stripe Golf Ball?

If you're a long term user of the TP5 or TP5x but have always wanted some additional alignment help, the new Stripe model could be just what you're looking for.

The Clearpath alignment aid is subtle enough not to distract, but comes in clutch especially on the greens for helping you line up those important putts.

Personally we're huge fans of the new ball, and we think you will be too.