The Loop

Giving amateurs short-game spin is goal with TaylorMade's Project (a) ball

February 21, 2014
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Dean Snell, TaylorMade's VP of R&D for golf balls, said a study the company conducted of golfers with handicaps of 10 to 27 found that players missed the green from 150 yards 17 of 18 times -- and by an average of 35 yards. That suggests short game determines their score, but less-expensive Surlyn-covered balls don't check as easily on short shots.

Snell says the Project (a) -- $32 a dozen, or about 25 percent less than most "tour" balls -- is a better solution because it has a similar cover to the company's Tour Preferred balls. "The soft urethane cover against that hard inner mantle layer creates a lot of spin," he says.