Equipment
TaylorMade launches ultra-low compression Tour Response and Soft Response golf balls
TaylorMade Golf has introduced its new Tour Response and Soft Response golf balls – both of which feature an ultra-low compression.
The Tour Response ball contains a soft 100% cast urethane cover designed to allow grooves to better grip the ball for increased wedge spin. At the same time, a crosslinking chemical reaction forms the urethane material and creates an irreversible link in a bid to provide for improved shear resistance and maximum durability.
The new addition is the first non-Tour ball to offer this 100% urethane cover from a major manufacturer. Per the company, the use of a urethane cover also aims to provide golfers with effortless compression and Tour-quality performance at an affordable price.
Speaking on the new Tour Response ball, Eric Loper, TaylorMade Director of R&D, Golf Ball stated
“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 utilizes multiple Tour technologies.”
The Tour Response from TaylorMade contains an ultra low-compression of 40 and features the same technologies found in their TP5/TP5x pix balls. The brand’s Speedmantle with HFMq aims to produce faster ball speeds while the firmer second layer of the ball surrounds the soft inner core in a construction designed to deliver an explosive transfer of energy.
In the brand’s new Soft Response, the company utilized a specialized Extended Flight Dimple Pattern in a bid to protect distance in a softer golf ball. The shallow u-shaped dimples are designed to promote decreased drag and increased lift, ultimately allowing the ball to stay in the air longer at a lower spin rate.
Aimed at players who possess average swing speeds and who struggle to keep the ball airborne, the Soft Response balls contains a soft ionomer cover.
The soft ionomer cover aims to add to the feel of Soft Response, but also provide improved scuff-resistance, shear resistance and overall durability.
Equipped with an ultra-low compression ZnO Flex Core (a compression of 35), Soft Response is designed to meet the needs of golfers seeking an extremely soft feel without diminishing distance.
On the new Soft Response, Loper said
“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.”
TaylorMade’s Tour Response arrives in white and yellow, while Soft Response will be available in white, yellow and matte red.
Tour Response ($35/dozen) and Soft Response ($25/dozen) will be available at retail on 2/28/2020.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Christher
May 22, 2020 at 1:42 pm
How does this compae to the Bridgestone Tour B XS ball?
Kevin Ricciardelli
Feb 4, 2020 at 7:22 am
As Dean Snell has said: soft = slow.
Bushwood Caddie
Feb 3, 2020 at 9:20 pm
This is their replacement for the project (a). I like the project ball will definitely try this one out.
chisag
Feb 3, 2020 at 2:31 pm
… I am a fan of marketing getting our attention because it provides information that gets us in the ball park for any given product. It is obviously then up to us to explore further and find what works best. So I rarely point a finger at any OEM for engaging in misleading hype. But Taylor Made has gone off the rails with this one.
“Utilizing a technology similar to the hottest Tour ball in golf (TP5/TP5x), the 3-piece Tour Response ball is designed to deliver fast ball speeds.”
… You just can’t get more misleading than this claim. A 3 piece ball with a soft 40 compression core has almost zero in common with a 5 piece ball with a firmer core.
Michael
Feb 3, 2020 at 9:34 pm
What is misleading about The statement ““Utilizing a technology similar to the hottest Tour ball in golf (TP5/TP5x), the 3-piece Tour Response ball is designed to deliver fast ball speeds”? You have actual knowledge or proof they didn’t utilize a similar technology or design the ball as they said? I don’t think so.
Gunter Eisenberg
Feb 3, 2020 at 10:29 am
35 Compression? That is soft. Any softer you would put it on a stick and roast it over a campfire.