TaylorMade Rocketballz Soft Golf Balls Review

Let me start with what shocked me most about the RocketBallz Soft: this isn't your grandfather's rock-hard distance ball. With a compression rating of 60, we're talking about one of the softest balls TaylorMade has ever produced. I've tested everything from the ProV1 (around 90 compression) to the Callaway Supersoft (38 compression), and the RocketBallz Soft sits in that sweet spot where you get genuine feel without sacrificing ball speed.

The REACT core technology is the real hero here. Unlike traditional low-compression cores that feel mushy and dead, this proprietary formulation somehow manages to retain energy through impact. I'm not a physicist, but I can tell you that my 7-iron shots were carrying about 5 yards further than with my usual Srixon Soft Feel balls. That might not sound like much, but when you're hitting into raised greens, those extra yards matter.

What really sold me on this construction was a side-by-side comparison I did with my regular foursome. My buddy Mike, who swings about 85 mph with his driver (we've all been on the launch monitor), was hitting the RocketBallz Soft within 3 yards of his usual TaylorMade TP5. The difference? He paid $19.99 per dozen while Mike shells out $47.99. Sometimes the math just makes sense.

The two-piece construction keeps things simple, no fancy five-layer technology here. But honestly, for golfers with moderate swing speeds (and that's most of us if we're being honest), those extra layers are solving problems we don't have. The large core design enhances energy transfer, and the thin cover guarantees that energy gets to the clubface efficiently.

I've played enough cheap golf balls to know that "ionomer cover" usually translates to "plastic-feeling garbage that won't spin." The RocketBallz Soft's Iothane cover (TaylorMade's proprietary ionomer blend) completely breaks that mold. This isn't urethane, let's be clear about that, but it's the closest thing I've felt to tour-quality performance from a non-urethane ball.

Around the greens, I was genuinely surprised by the amount of grab I could generate. During a recent round at my home course, I had a delicate 40-yard pitch over a bunker to a tight pin. With a typical distance ball, I'd have to land it short and hope for the best. With the RocketBallz Soft, I could actually flight it higher and get it to check up, not tour-level spin, mind you, but enough to give me confidence to attack pins.

The durability factor is where ionomer really shines over urethane. After 18 holes, including several cart path bounces (I'm working on my slice, okay?), the ball showed minimal wear. Compare that to a ProV1 that looks like it went through a cheese grater after one round, and you start to appreciate what TaylorMade has accomplished here.

One thing I noticed during testing was how the cover performed in different temperatures. Playing in 45-degree weather last week, most ionomer balls would feel like hitting a rock. The RocketBallz Soft maintained its soft feel even in the cold, though I did lose about 8 yards of carry with my driver (pretty standard for any ball in those conditions).

The cover also seems to handle moisture well. During a particularly dewy morning round, I found the ball wasn't picking up as much water as some other budget options I've tested. Small detail, but when you're trying to control spin on approach shots, every bit helps.

The 342-dimple pattern might sound like marketing fluff, but there's real science here that translates to on-course performance. I'm old enough to remember when golf balls had 336 dimples, and we thought that was groundbreaking. The RocketBallz Soft's aerodynamic design creates what I'd describe as a penetrating ball flight that holds its line better than any sub-$20 ball I've tested. The LDP 342 design is specifically engineered to maximize driver distance while maintaining stability through varying wind conditions.

During that windy round at Pebble I mentioned earlier, I was paired with a scratch golfer playing ProV1x balls. On the iconic 7th hole (that tiny par-3 playing into a 20mph headwind), his ball was ballooning and getting knocked around. My RocketBallz Soft flew lower and more stable. I actually hit the green while he found the bunker. Now, that might have been the golf gods smiling on me, but the ball flight characteristics were undeniable.

What impressed me most was how the dimple pattern performed with different clubs. With the driver, I got a strong, penetrating flight with low spin (more on that later). With my wedges, the ball would climb appropriately without that floaty, out-of-control feeling you get with some distance balls. It's clear TaylorMade didn't just slap some dimples on this thing and call it a day.

The drag coefficient (yeah, I went down the physics rabbit hole) is refined for slower swing speeds. If you're swinging over 105 mph, you might actually be leaving distance on the table. But for those of us in the 70-95 mph range, this aerodynamic package is perfectly tuned. During launch monitor testing, I was seeing ideal launch angles of around 14 degrees with my driver, exactly where my fitter wants me to be.

I also noticed the ball maintained its flight characteristics even when scuffed or dirty. Some balls lose their aerodynamic properties the moment they get a grass stain, but the RocketBallz Soft kept flying true even after some abuse.

Here's where things get interesting, and where my preconceptions got completely shattered. A 60-compression ball has no business performing this well off the tee, yet here we are. With my driver (I swing about 92 mph, measured on a proper launch monitor), I was averaging 237 yards of total distance. That's only 4 yards shorter than my usual TaylorMade Tour Response balls.

The key is the low spin characteristics of the driver. I'm talking 2,100-2,300 RPM of backspin, which for my swing speed is absolutely perfect. Most soft compression balls I've tested spin like crazy off the tee, leading to that balloon ball flight that costs you 20 yards. Not the RocketBallz Soft. The ball launches high (great for enhancing carry) but doesn't climb excessively.

During a recent member-guest tournament, I decided to put these balls to the final test. On our course's longest hole (a 465-yard par 4), I normally need a driver and a 5-iron to reach in regulation. With the RocketBallz Soft and a little helping wind, I was hitting driver and 7-iron. My partner, who's about a 15 handicap, noticed the difference immediately and switched to them mid-round (probably not technically legal, but nobody was checking).

The forgiveness factor is something that doesn't get talked about enough. When I catch one on the heel or toe (more often than I'd like to admit), the ball still goes relatively straight and maintains decent distance. With a firmer ball, those mishits are punished severely. For amateur golfers who don't find the center of the face every time, this forgiveness is worth its weight in gold.

What really sealed the deal for me was consistency. Over 54 holes of testing, my driving distance varied by only about 12 yards (excluding obvious mishits). That's tour-level consistency from a ball that costs less than a sleeve of ProV1s.

The short game is where most budget balls fall apart, but the RocketBallz Soft holds its own surprisingly well. No, you're not getting ProV1-level spin rates, but for a $20 ball with an ionomer cover, the performance around the greens exceeded my expectations by a mile.

Chipping from tight lies, I could actually feel the ball compress against the clubface. That might sound basic, but most distance balls feel like you're hitting a marble; there's no feedback, no sense of control. With the RocketBallz Soft, I could judge my distances better and had confidence to play different shots. During a recent round, I successfully played a bump-and-run with a 7-iron, a flop shot over a bunker, and a low spinner that checked up on the green, all with the same ball.

Putting feel deserves its own mention. On the greens, the RocketBallz Soft provides a soft but responsive feel off the putter face. It's not mushy like some ultra-soft balls (looking at you, Wilson Staff Fifty Elite), but it's not clicky either. I found myself making more putts in the 6-10 foot range, probably because I could better judge the pace. The ball comes off the putter face predictably, which is all you can really ask for.

From the bunkers, the performance was adequate but not spectacular. You can get the ball to check up from greenside bunkers, but you're not going to get that one-hop-and-stop action that tour players get with urethane balls. For the average golfer who's just trying to get out of the sand and onto the green, it's more than sufficient. I'd rather save $30 per dozen and work on my bunker technique anyway.

The responsive feel extends to partial wedge shots, too. Those awkward 50-70-yard shots that plague amateur golfers became more manageable. The ball would fly appropriately and land softly enough to control distance. During a recent round, I had five shots inside 75 yards and got up and down four times; that's tour-level scrambling for me.

Absolutely, while the TaylorMade Rocketballz Soft Golf Balls is a great product, there are a few pros and cons that you need to be aware of:

Pros:

• Exceptional value at $19.99 per dozen, performs like balls costing twice as much.

• Low driver spin combined with soft feel, a rare combination that actually works

• Surprising greenside control for an ionomer cover ball

• Available in unique matte paint finishes, including Peach and Purple, that resist UV damage and enhance visibility

Cons: 

• Not suitable for fast swingers (over 105 mph driver speed)

• Limited color options if you prefer high-visibility balls

• Short game spin still can't match premium urethane balls