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JAN/FEB 08
TaylorMade – a company famous for its innovations in metal drivers and fairway woods – introduced its first line of golf balls in 1999, which means, among other things, that numerous other golf ball manufacturers had a huge head-start. But TaylorMade caught up quickly in recent years, and the company’s introduction of the TP Red and TP Black golf balls in 2006 represented a major step forward.
But a new golf ball era is dawning for TaylorMade at the beginning of 2008. TaylorMade now offers six golf balls which the company thinks will appeal to any sort of player, no matter where or how he or she plays the game.
The lineup includes the new TP Red and TP Black, plus new and improved versions of the Noodle+ and Noodle+ Lady. (TaylorMade acquired the Noodle brand with its purchase of Maxfli in 2002, but now the once-extensive line has been condensed to just those two types of balls.)
And 2008 will also usher in TaylorMade’s new Burner ball, and its cousin the Burner TP, as the company attaches the popular Burner name to golf balls for the first time.
All six golf balls – which range in price from about $20 to $40 a dozen – were available at retail outlets starting in January.
Perhaps the most important upgrade in the TP Red, TP Black and the two Burner balls is the addition of TaylorMade’s proprietary Low Drag Performance (LDP) technology, which delivers improved distance on the most common of off-center hits. LDP technology is based on some rather unsettling data which suggests that even the finest players in the world don’t hit the ball on the screws as often as one might think.
According to research conducted by TaylorMade on more than 80,000 golfers of varying abilities, professional tour players miss the center of the clubface about 30-40 percent of the time. And players in the 20-25 handicap range miss the sweet spot about 75 percent of the time.
“We’re not as perfect as we’d like to be,” said TaylorMade vice president Mike Ferris, who leads the company’s golf ball division. “So really what Low Drag Performance provides golfers is an ad-vantage. It gives them the ability to hit the ball almost as far on their mis-hits as it does for their sweet-spot hits.”
Most important, TaylorMade found that the most common of all off-center strikes were swings in which the ball hit high on the clubface, above the center of gravity. Those types of swings result in a reduction of spin and an increase in drag, often to such a degree that the ball cannot sustain lift. That means a loss of distance.
LDP is designed to counteract that problem. Thanks primarily to some revolutionary new dimple patterns created by the company, TaylorMade golf balls stay in the air longer on swings above the center of gravity, and they offer more forgiveness on hits toward the toe and heel of the club as well.
Of course, innovation by itself doesn’t guarantee success in the ultra-competitive golf equipment industry – even for a product in use by more than 100 touring professionals, as was the case for the TP Red and TP Black in 2007. Marketing plays a massive role, which is why the company has decided to align its golf balls under the TaylorMade flagship brand, and it’s also the reason for the popular Burner name being attached to golf balls for the first time.
“The reason we decided to go with the TaylorMade name was simple: Taylor-Made stands for relentless innovation,” Ferris said. “We’ve made a commitment to be in the golf ball business and part of that commitment under your flagship brand name means that you have to have a product line that matches up to the great success we’ve had with metal woods and irons.”
With approximately five million everyday golfers out there who play a TaylorMade driver, there’s little doubt the brand carries substantial weight. Now TaylorMade is hoping to find something approaching that level of success with its new line of golf balls.
“Really, the challenge we have is to make TaylorMade (golf balls) a legitimate choice,” Ferris said. “We think we’re going to be able to do that. We think with the product line we have, all we need golfers to do is try the product.”
TaylorMade Tour Preferred Red – This four-piece ball features a 360-dimple pattern which promotes a mid-to-low ball flight – ideal for higher spin players. Like the Tour Preferred Black, the TP Red utilizes TaylorMade’s new proprietary Low Drag Performance (LDP) aerodynamics, which promote longer distance on the most common of all driver mis-hits – those on the upper portion of the clubface.
Suggested retail price: $39.99 per dozen.
TaylorMade Tour Preferred Black – Designed for lower spin players who want more of it, the TP Black is a three-piece ball which promotes a mid-to-high ball flight.
Suggested retail price: $39.99 per dozen.
TaylorMade Burner TP – Burner golf balls are designed for players who swing hard and fast. The Burner TP combines a high-energy/low-compression core with TaylorMade’s HPF 1000 SpeedMantle to create a ball which reduces spin off the driver. But it increases spin off of short irons, resulting in more spin on approaches than any other TaylorMade golf ball.
Suggested retail price: $24.99 per dozen.
TaylorMade Burner – This ball features a soft but durable Iothane cover, but it’s really all about speed and distance. The new Burner ball offers V-Core technology which promotes extreme velocity and length for the hardest of swingers.
Suggested retail price: $19.99 per dozen.
Noodle+ – The new Noodle+ provides more of what the popular Noodle golf ball has always delivered. The two-piece ball is 29 percent softer than its predecessor, according to the company, and also 10 yards longer off the tee. Those attributes come thanks to the ball’s Impact Propulsion Core and a soft Iothane cover.
Suggested retail price: $15.99 per dozen.
Noodle+ Lady – Designed specifically for women, the Noodle+ Lady features a Live-Action Core which compresses easily at moderate swing speeds. That unique core, combined with a high-lift dimple pattern, results in longer distance with a variety of clubs. These balls look great, too, with highlights imbedded in the cover to produce sparkle and shine.
Suggested retail price: $15.99 per dozen.– Rick Pledl
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