TaylorMade’s 2026 TP5 and TP5x Promise More Consistency Through Microcoating Tech
TaylorMade has rolled out its 2026 TP5 and TP5x golf balls, and while the annual ball refresh can sometimes feel like tinkering at the margins, there’s an interesting manufacturing story here worth paying attention to.
The headline innovation is what TaylorMade calls microcoating—a reimagined paint application process that addresses something you’ve probably never thought about: how paint pools unevenly in dimples on traditional golf balls. The company’s solution involves precision control of cure times, temperatures, and paint atomization measured down to one-millionth of a gram, according to the launch details.
What does that actually mean for your game? TaylorMade claims the ultrathin, consistent coating delivers optimized dimple peak height, tighter dispersion left-to-right, and better performance in wind. Translation: more predictable ball flight when conditions aren’t ideal.
What’s Different Between the Two Models
The TP5 remains the speed-focused option in the lineup. This year’s version features TaylorMade’s largest Tour core yet, which reduces contact time with the clubface and increases energy retention. They’ve also reworked the Tour Flight Dimple Pattern to minimize turbulence, producing a lower, more penetrating ball flight—useful if you’re fighting a ballooning trajectory or playing in firm conditions.
The TP5x, meanwhile, stays true to its five-layer construction with an emphasis on ball speed and low spin off the driver. New mantle layer materials and a firmer composition throughout the speed gradient are designed to maximize distance, while the ultrathin cast urethane cover still provides the wedge spin control you’d expect from a Tour ball.
Options and Pricing
Both models are available in white, yellow, pix, and Stripe editions, plus officially licensed NFL designs for those who like a little team pride on the tee box. The Stripe version now features a 360° Tour ClearPath Alignment system with a performance dot for better visual feedback on the greens.
Pricing comes in at $58 per dozen. Pre-orders are open now, with a full retail launch set for February 12.
Tour Validation
Worth noting: Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa have already made the switch to the 2026 TP5. When players of that caliber change equipment mid-season preparation, it’s usually a signal that the performance gains are real, not just marketing.
Whether microcoating technology translates to noticeable improvements in your bag is something only time—and rounds—will tell. But if you’ve been happy with the TP5 or TP5x platform and want the latest iteration, the refinements seem focused on consistency rather than reinventing the wheel. And in golf, consistency is everything.