Titleist AVX Vs. Taylormade TP5X Golf Balls Comparison Overview
We really enjoyed this one. Every so often we get the opportunity to test two balls against each other that feel so nice, we have to stop and take a minute to regain objectivity. Such was the case with the Taylormade TP5X and the Titleist AVX balls.
An argument can be made that these are the best balls that Titleist and Taylormade make respectively. We have a lot of good things to say about both these balls but surprisingly, neither of them are perfect.
Titleist AVX Golf Balls Overview
The Titleist AVX balls are tour-grade balls that shine the brightest on the deck.
That’s because with the long irons, you get amazing ball speed and distance. They also have a low, piercing shot trajectory with the long irons that high handicappers will eat up on long par 4’s. Off the tee, the story is much the same: very low side spin rates with the driver.
However, some of our testers were unhappy with the soft feel of these balls. The AVX balls have a compression of around 80 which puts them in the softer range when compared to most tour-grade balls. Driver distance was still in the 270 yard range, though.
We also have to mention a common feature between these 2 balls: the cast urethane outer layer. This material makes the AVX balls a dream to work around the green.
Taylormade TP5X Gofl Balls Overview
The Taylormade TP5X golf balls also feature a cast urethane cover; but they offer even more for players around the green.
While the AVX balls sport a 3-piece design; the Taylormade TP5X balls are 5-layer balls. You will not want to stop chipping these balls in with your 9 iron and your wedges – we surely didn’t. We had to pry ourselves away from the green while testing these balls.
Once we did, we found that the Taylormade TP5X yielded a little less distance off the tee and the deck than the AVX balls. Long-game spin was a bit difficult to check with these balls. Off the deck, we really loved the sharp descent angles these balls were yielding.
The Taylormade TP5X had the superior greenside feel – no question. They lack distance though. The Titleist AVX balls did a bit better off the tee; but we were turned off a bit by the squishy feel off the driver face.
Taylormade TP5X Quick Facts
Compression: 90
Cover Material: Urethane
How Many Pieces: 5-Piece
Core Material: Urethane
Dimple Type: 322
Spin Level: High
Best Suited for: Low to mid handicappers
Titleist AVX Quick Facts
Compression: 80
Cover Material: Urethane (cast thermoset)
How Many Pieces: 3
Core Material: N/A
Dimple Type: Tetrahedral (352)
Spin Level: Low long-game spin, high short-game spin
Best Suited for: Low handicappers
Performance Off the Tee
The compression of these balls is significantly lower than the Titleist Pro V1X balls.
The core is also made of urethane which gives these balls a softer feel from the tee. This is good news for slower swing speed players but the faster swingers in our party were getting better distance with the Titleist Pro V1X balls.
Performance from the Rough
The Taylormade TP5X balls yield excellent launch even from the rough.
The soft urethane cover makes it easy to scoop the ball up and work it as needed so that you land optimally on the fairway.
Performance from the Fairway
With the longer irons and hybrids we were getting a bit more spin than expected from a tour-grade ball – great for long par 5’s but not so great on shorter approaches.
Performance Off the Tee
The Titleist AVX balls outplayed the Chrome Soft balls in terms of distance; but only for our faster swing speed testers.
Performance from the Rough
The low flight of these balls made getting out of the rough a bit challenging for some of our less experienced testers.
Performance from the Fairway
You get great distance with pretty much all your irons.
The problem was that these balls were a bit hard to work from the deck.
Taylormade TP5X Selling Points
- More affordable
- Softer feel
- Excellent launch
- Urethane cover
- Urethane core
- Tour-grade
Taylormade TP5X Cons
- Not as long
- Sometimes uncontrollable launch
- HIgher fairway spin
- Lesser short-game feel
Titleist AVX Selling Points
- Great for low handicappers
- Higher-quality urethane cover
- Excellent responsiveness
- Sticks to the club face very well
- Bites fast greens
- Longer overall
Titleist AVX Cons
- Not great for mid to high handicappers
- The low iron spin makes them a bit difficult to work
- Not great in the rough
- Pricey
Who are the Taylormade TP5X Balls for?
If you want an overall softer feel with tour-grade performance, then the Taylormade TPX5 balls would be a better fit for you.
The Taylormade TPX5 balls have a compression that is more congenial to the rest of us mortals. If you are swinging around 92 MPH, then these balls will fit you better than the Titleist Pro V1X balls.
How are They With Short Irons?
If you can typically work the ball the way you want to with short irons, the Taylormade TPX5 balls should feel pretty good to you. They yield moderate side spin with the short irons and launch high so you can shape short approaches pretty much however you want.
On the Green
The soft urethane gives you excellent control on fast, firm greens.
Overall Rating: 93/100
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Who are the Titleist AVX Balls for?
The Titleist AVX balls are certainly better for low handicap players with fast swing speeds.
They go farther than the Callaway Chrome Soft balls if your swing speed is up to snuff and deliver the kind of short game performance you would expect from a tour-grade ball.
How are they with Short Irons?
The Titleist AVX balls were also longer (for both our fast swing speed and slow swing speed testers) with short irons.
Low trajectory and low spin make for piercing ball flight even with your 8 and 9 irons.
On the Green
The real star of the show here is the cast thermoset urethane. You get exceptional feel and roll control from these balls on all types of greens: fast, slow, firm, you name it.
Overall Rating: 95/100
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