The latest iteration of the TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball has an overall compression rating of 70. This places it firmly in the 'soft' category, sitting in a performance sweet spot that many everyday golfers are looking for. This article will break down exactly what that 70 compression score means for you, how it affects feel and performance, and help you decide if the Tour Response is the right ball to put in your bag.
Before we can truly appreciate what "compression" means, we need to understand what "compression" means in the first place. You can think of it as a measure of the golf ball’s softness or firmness. It’s a number, typically ranging from 30 to over 100, that quantifies how much the ball deforms or "squishes" against the clubface at the moment of impact.
The simple translation is this: the lower the compression number, the softer the ball will feel. The higher the number, the firmer it will feel off the clubface.
Your swing speed is the most significant factor in choosing the right compression for your game. It’s not about ego, it’s about physics. To get the maximum distance out of a golf ball, you need to be able to compress it effectively at impact. When the ball compresses and then rapidly expands back to its original shape, it creates a "rebound effect" that shoots it off the clubface.
If you're swinging your driver over 105 mph (which often translates to a driver carry distance of 250 yards or more), you have the power to fully compress a high-compression, firm ball. Using a very soft ball would be like hitting a marshmallow with a sledgehammer, you'd “over-compress” it, and the energy transfer would be inefficient, sometimes even costing you distance. A player with this speed needs a firm core to push back against their force, maximizing ball speed.
This is where the vast majority of amateur golfers live. It's the sweet spot for the TaylorMade Tour Response. If you swing in this range (roughly a 210-250 yard carry with the driver), a compression of 70 is ideal. It’s low enough that your swing speed can easily compress the core, generating excellent ball speed and that satisfying, soft feel. You get the benefit of a lively golf ball without needing superhuman strength. You get to feel the ball "grab" the face, which gives you confidence and control, especially on your iron shots.
For golfers with slower swing speeds, typically carrying their driver under 210 yards, finding the softest ball possible is usually the best strategy for distance. A 70-compression ball like the Tour Response will still perform well, but an even lower compression ball (think 40-50 range) might help eke out a few extra yards. Players in this category often find that they gain more distance simply because they can fully activate the core of an ultra-soft ball.
While the 70 compression rating defines its feel, the single most important feature of the TaylorMade Tour Response is its 100% cast urethane cover. This is a massive deal, and it's what separates this ball from almost every other ball in its price range.
Here’s why that matters so much for you:
Most mid-priced golf balls use an ionomer cover. Ionomer is a durable material that is great for distance but has one significant drawback: it offers very little greenside spin. Shots hit into the green with an ionomer ball tend to hit and release, rolling out quite a bit.
Urethane is the premium material used on high-end tour balls like the Pro V1, Chrome Soft, and TaylorMade’s own TP5. It's much softer and "grabbier" than ionomer. When you hit a wedge or short iron, the urethane cover grips the grooves of your clubface, generating dramatically more backspin. This is the magic that allows you to:
The Tour Response gives average golfers access to elite, tour-level spin performance without needing a tour-level swing speed or paying the premium tour-ball price. This is what makes it such a phenomenal value.
This golf ball is a perfect match for a very specific, and very large, group of golfers. You are the ideal Tour Response player if:
Seeing how the Tour Response fits within TaylorMade's own lineup can really clarify its purpose.
The TP5 and TP5x are TaylorMade's tour-level, 5-piece golf balls. The TP5 has a compression of around 85, while the TP5x is even firmer at about 97. These are designed for the best players in the world and high-speed amateurs. For a player with 95 mph swing speed, the Tour Response will likely feel better and may even be a touch longer because it's easier to compress. The Tour Response offers 80% of the TP5’s performance for the average player, at a much friendlier price.
Don't be confused by the similar names. The Soft Response is built for a different player. Its compression is much lower (around 50) and it has an ionomer cover, not urethane. It is designed for slower swingers or those who want the absolute softest feel possible and don't place a high premium on greenside spin. If you want maximum shot-stopping control, the Tour Response's urethane cover makes it the clear winner.
Think of it this way:
- Tour Response: Tour-like spin (urethane) with a soft feel.
- Soft Response: Softest possible feel with less spin (ionomer).
The TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball, with its 70 compression and tour-caliber urethane cover, is a truly fantastic offering for the majority of amateur golfers. It provides an exceptional combination of soft feel, impressive distance, and the high-spin greenside control that's usually only found in much more expensive balls.
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