Collin Morikawa ball change decision explained

Collin Morikawa has made a ball change to help adjust to the altitude at Castle Pines Golf Club, home of the 2024 BMW Championship.

Morikawa has opted to switch out his standard TaylorMade TP5x balls for the TP5 variant.

This was done to achieve greater control over the ball given the enhanced flight experienced at altitude.

Morikawa has been using the low-spinning TaylorMade TP5x golf ball throughout 2024, but he is transitioning to the higher-spinning TP5 model in Colorado at Castle Sands.

Morikawa has experience with the TP5, having used it for around four years earlier in his career. Since then, he has converted to the lower-spinning TP5x, although he is no newcomer to TP5.

During Monday’s practice round at Castle Pines, Morikawa saw that his usual ball flight was a little bit off. Because of the elevation the ball was travelling much farther, but he wasn’t happy with the flight.

“(I’m) thinking about going to the TP5,” Morikawa said on the range earlier in the week (the switch has now been confirmed).

“Look, my first three and half to four years, I played the TP5, and I’ve played the spinnier ball. I noticed the (TP5x) just fit the perfect windows for me a lot. (With the TP5x) I lived in the lower end of spin, but I’ve just noticed with my swing, it’s teetering on the low end. We’re at 6,000 feet, a lot of elevation changes. If I hit some of these balls with low spin, it’s not going to look like a pretty flight.

“I’m debating going back to the spinnier ball. It’s something I’ve played for awhile, so it’d be a change, but it’s something I think I’d be comfortable with.”

Morikawa was questioned if he thought that the TP5’s slightly greater spin than the TP5x would hurt his game around the greens. He seemed unconcerned.

“I think the balls are so similar around the greens that it’s not even a factor,” Morikawa said. “They both spin around the greens really well, you get spin with wedges, they come out nice.

“The only thing with the X ball compared to the TP5 would be a little bit different launch. The X launches a tick higher, which could be good, but if I don’t have spin, it’s that balance trying to figure out where that is.”

Morikawa would head into the BMW Championship ranked fourth in the FedEx Cup standings.