The thin black line on either side of the TaylorMade logo acts as an additional alignment aid.
Taylor Made
Appliance manufacturers are constantly looking for feedback on new products from consumers. If something works, they want to know about it. Right after TaylorMade’s Tour Response Stripe was released in 2022, feedback began to flow in on the visual technology – and virtually all of it was positive.
Golfers had no problem using the 360-degree fairway alignment aid to zero in on the target. If anything, players who spoke with Mike Fox, TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation, wanted to see more of the visual technology beyond the Tour Response, especially in the TP5 and TP5x.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had someone ask for Stripe on the TP5 and TP5x,” Fox told GOLF.com. “It’s the most requested product I get when I give presentations. Although it wasn’t originally released on TP5 and TP5x, I can assure you if it was a gimmick or overkill, the best players inside and outside of our organization would have had no interest in it.
Taylor Made
“Stripe is designed to make it easier for golfers — especially from distances over 12 feet — to be able to see their line more easily. The feedback we get is when you move that 22-millimeter line around, it locks onto your line much clearer than it was before.”
As demand for the Stripe continued to grow, TaylorMade considered the idea of expanding its footprint beyond the Tour Response to other models. But the process of bringing another Stripe ball to market wasn’t as easy as slapping the same visual technology on another ball.
“What we didn’t want to do was release a new product with the same hardware, because the hardware that makes the Stripe product doesn’t exist anywhere in the world,” Fox said. “It would take a year to develop, cost seven figures. And every time we ordered more gear, the Tour Response Stripe would take another massive jump up. What we didn’t want to do was release both products and have golfers want them and then not be able to keep them in stock. We continued to rely on the product that was already on the market and continued to push the TP5 and TP5x until it was ready.”
TaylorMade TP5x Stripe
Pre-order TaylorMade TP5x Stripe golf balls through Fairway Jockey.
After years of discussions and behind-the-scenes work, TaylorMade believes TP5 Tape AND TP5x Tape are ready for public consumption. The 22mm clear digital tape wraps around the center of the ball with a thin black line on either side of the TaylorMade logo that is meant to match sight lines and be an additional aid to alignment.
“Clear Stripe will be our Tour-proven visual alignment technology,” Fox said. “This is the position it will take in our product line. Pix will move a bit more into the personality space. We will have our white and yellow products for our top players, and you will have our visual technology that will soon be proven on the Clear Stripe tour.”
Tommy Fleetwood, who is embraced pix technologyand Dustin Johnson have started using Stripe during practice sessions. The hope is that the two pros will give Stripe a shot at competition next season, along with other TaylorMade staffers who will be watching the ball later this year.
Taylor Made
As for why TaylorMade chose to go with a black and white version of the Stripe on the TP5 and TP5x, as opposed to a multi-color option, Fox said it made sure the visual technology matched what top players preferred to see on their tour. – level offers.
“The clear version is tailored for the best and brightest player,” Fox said. “This is knowledge-driven. The TP5 and TP5x customer was looking for the stretch benefit, not the visual benefit you would get from the color version.”
TaylorMade’s TP5 Tape AND TP5x Tape The ball is currently available for pre-order through Fairway Jockey for $57.99 per dozen.
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