Response is, well, a response.

TaylorMade’s new ball, Tour Response, is a reaction to the growing trend of soft, low compression balls on the market that are aimed at the average golfer, not the PGA Tour pro with a 125 miler per hour swing speed.

“The goal with Tour Response is to create effortless compression with a soft feeling golf ball using three-piece construction,” says Mike Fox, TaylorMade’s global category director for golf balls. This is a golf ball that’s faster than TaylorMade’s now defunct Project(a) golf ball, offered at a mid-level price point.

It turns out the price point is key for many golfers. Fox says those who won’t pay for a premium ball, like TaylorMade’s TP5 for instance, won’t venture out of that price point regardless of the value or technology of the ball. That’s why TaylorMade has created Tour Response as a soft, urethane covered ball at a reasonable price.

“Everyone will tell you urethane is part of the best golf balls on the market,” says Fox. “Why would you want a ball that uses something else?”

Faster

The three-piece construction—an advanced mantle, and high-spring core—means Tour Response is about a mile per hour faster than Project(a). Part of that comes from using the same material found in TaylorMade’s premium TP5 ball.

Urethane

Used on tour-quality golf balls, the urethane cover is soft, allowing for more groove interaction on short shots. That also improves the feel of chips and putts, while urethane is a durable cover that you’ll find on the top balls on the market. Urethane also spins more than surlyn (the cover used on most less expensive balls)—up to 4,000 rpms on some shots. That means they’ll stop faster and be much easier to control.

Availability

Tour Response is available now in both a white and yellow versions.

Is it for you?

Value and technology—that’s what TaylorMade is bringing to the market with Tour Response. This is a long, soft golf ball that spins when you want it to spin, and feels great on short shots and putts. Value is another key with Response.

“You aren’t giving anything up by using this, and it’ll be very competitive with more expensive golf balls that are on the market” says Fox.