difference btwn TP black & TP black LDP or am I crazy?

[persona_non_grada]

Approximately a month ago a friend of my father's gave me an older, (but new from the sleeve) Taylormade TP Black to try out. I played the ball for just over 36 holes until it was so scuffed that I decided it earned a retirement. I really loved the ball off EVERY club. It was long off the driver, soft off the putter and I could get it to stop on a dime. (which i usually have a hard time doing. Thinking the TP Black LDP would be about the same I bought a dozen. I put one into play on the first hole. Immediately after hitting it with my driver, I noticed it sounded louder. No big deal, I just figured I hit it off center. My second shot was off my rescue. It felt a tad harder but no big deal. My third shot was a 60+ yard shot with my sand wedge (a Mizzy black ox 56) and it was miserably hard...like rock flite hard (no, not the gamers or feels...the old 2000's) but with gripping power. I played the rest of the day with the same ball but it never got softer and felt hard off every club.

Just for $hits and grins, I broke old ugly and whacked it with a 8 iron on 1 154 par 3. it seemed to travel a litle further than the ldp! It sure as hell was softer but I took another chunk out of it.

Can someone far more experienced than me tell me what's going on here? Did they change the compression? Did they change the cover? (it did look a little whiter than the older Black). Do golfballs not go as far in high humidity? (when we teed off at 1:30 pm, the real temp was 97 but the heat index was 112. It only got worse as the day went on). Or was i just too tired from the heat to hit it well? (it looked good based on the spot on my irons and driver)

Any suggestions from the board gurus would be greatly appreciated. If not I'll trade the 11 for a doz 333's

P.S. the LDP is still a stupidly long ball but i seem to have lost a couple yards off my 8,9 pw gw sw and lw.

[wint_O_green]

you should try the red ldp. as far as i know they switched the branding: the old black became the new red and the old red became the new black.

[Dei3Nascar8]

you should try the red ldp. as far as i know they switched the branding: the old black became the new red and the old red became the new black.

 

This is the correct answer. If you are looking for spin the TP Black is the higher spinning, firmer version of the balls where the red is softer feeling version. I did not like the spin from the Red ball and choose to play the black when playing the TP balls.

[RyanMunro]

I have been playing the TP red ldp for a while now and they are good but as i have a low flight anyway they arent helping me so i have switched to the TP black ldp and it feels firmer but flies much better :clapping:

[persona_non_grada]

I've been reading the posts about the differences between the reds and blacks and can't seem to get a definative answer. So the new reds are softer off all clubs but don't spin as much as the black nor do they go as high? The new blacks spin more but are harder? I want a ball that will stop on hard fast greens but does not sting off forged irons. so will the red work? According to the feb 2008 golf mag ball comparison, the spin levels arent that much lower. It does not state they are the LDPs though.

[manbearpig]

The black is supposed to be firmer and higher spin. Red softer and less spin. I bought a sleeve of reds and haven't hit them yet but putting is phenomenal. Good soft feeling ball.

 

If you look at golf digest ball test charts both balls have virtually the same spin rates off wedges. They just have different launch angles.

Golf Digest 2009 ball test

 

and Today's Golfer testers rated the Red as almost having to much spin.

[wagsgt]

Black spins more = ProV1

Red less spin= ProV1X

[Ed Settle]

I haveplayed the TP Red for over a year now and it has a great over all feel. The Black is to hard for me.

[persona_non_grada]

was given a new black LDP by a friend to replace the one I hit. Then put it in the sleeve and returned the balls for the red LDP. The cover already feels different to the touch but not sure it really is. I'll try it if the temps (not the heat index) get out of the 100's. looooove golfing in Tallahassee in the summer.

[hack]

I'm a bit confused :black eye: ...so, the consensus is:

 

TP Black (non-LDP) ≈ ProV1x

TR Red (non-LDP) ≈ ProV1

 

TP Black w/LDP ≈ ProV1

TP Red w/LDP ≈ ProV1x

 

???

[manbearpig]

TP Black w/LDP ≈ ProV1

TP Red w/LDP ≈ ProV1x

 

Black has higher rated green side spin, but amazingly the red is the softer ball.

 

Honestly though I think the TP balls are just different all together. Been playing the Red last few weeks and for me I find that they are soft like a V1, launch in between the two proV's and have different spin characteristics all together. I find the spin more consistent to where I know they will either hop and stop or back up some if I really crunch down and roll out if I want it to.

[P3R3]

You cannot compare the TP to the Pro V on a 1:1 basis

 

Black TP = High Launch High Spin

Red TP = Low Launch Low Spin

 

Pro V1 = Low Launch high spin

Pro V1x = High Launch Low SPin