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Bridgestone Balls Review


GolfSpy WD

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As I agreed with the Member of the Month prize, I'm writing a review of the Bridgestone ball fitting process, starting with the online fitting. I'm going to make this a multipart review and keep updating this post:

 

  • Part 1: Online ball fitting, see what I'm told initially
  • Part 2: Going to get fit, test the Black Ops shaft in my driver, and get a recommendation for which ball I should use from the fitter
  • Part 3: Initial results first time on the course, if I can I'll hit an extra shot with another ball to compare with whichever Bridgestone I get.
  • Part 4: End of season recap, hopefully I haven't gone through all the balls by then!

 

Part 1: Online Ball Fitting

 

 

BFit Selection 1.jpg

 

The ball I use most is the Maxfli Tour since I bought a bunch before they were discontinued, but I'm horrible with balls and will use pretty much any urethane ball I have. The driver distance is based on my old driver, and I know the shaft wasn't a very good fit for me, so Part 2 of this review may change things.

 

 

BFit Selection 2.jpg

 

I'm pretty happy with my distance and short game is what kills me more than anything, so the first choice was a no brainer for me (plus I think most of my distance is lost by not making good contact, no ball can help with that). Same for hitting the ball in the air, I probably get too much height, which is why I'm so excited about the Black Ops shaft.

 

I did ask how much of a difference there was in driver spin between the B330 and B330-S and the online rep said it really depended on your swing, so there's no good way to make this comparison without going to one of their fitting sessions. Unfortunately, the next one is a month away, and I'm too impatient for that. Hopefully I can get a good tip when I go to a fitting. I'm just waiting on a call back from the fitter to schedule a time. I may still go to the Bridgestone ball fitting just to see what they have to say, but hopefully by then I've already ordered the balls.

 

 

BFit Selection 3.jpg

 

I'm pretty happy with the choice it made. I can stop a ball dead with my wedges, but I'd like to control how much backspin I get a bit better. Can't wait to try it out! Hopefully I can get scheduled for a fitting soonish.

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Part 2: Bridgestone Ball Fitting

 

And the winner is...

 

b330-rx-yellow.jpg?v=12

b330-rx-yellow-2.jpg?v=12

 

http://www.bridgestonegolf.com/product/balls/tour-b330-rx

 

I couldn't recommend the Bridgestone fitting more. It was the exact opposite experience I had with Nike's Speed trials. The fitter made sure the shots I hit with the Maxfli were good and likewise for the Bridgestone. Plus, there wasn't an annoying sales pitch, it was an actual fitting. At the end, he gave me a sleeve of two balls and didn't seem too concerned about selling anything. My kind of salesman!

 

My ball for comparison was the Maxfli Tour, which spun a lot more than the B330RX. The final numbers with the B330RX were 102mph swing speed and 2400 backspin for roughly 250 yards. We also tested the e5 and B330-S. Both spun way too much for me, though the e5 does live up as a high launching ball, definitely a good ball for anyone looking to add height.

 

Compared to the BFit system, the real fitting blew away BFit for obvious reasons. Still, kudos to Bridgestone for at least trying something online. If the entire point of the BFit system is to get people to try the real fitting, then it works well.

 

My real issue with the BFit system is on monitors my driver goes 240-260, which is beautifully right in between the B330 and B330RX lineups. The other thing I wouldn't have thought of is my sidespin. A ball intended for high spin is going to turn my draws into hooks, and my hooks into really bad hooks :D.

 

As a side note, I have real issues with spin. Before the ball fitting, I went in for a club fitting that morphed into a 2 hour lesson because I flip the club. More on that in a another post though. That said, I was swinging pretty well during the Bridgestone fitting even if I didn't make perfect contact.

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Part 3: Initial Results and Impressions

 

Alright, I finally went out on the course with these things. They are fantastic balls and everything they're advertised to be.

 

Distance wise, I really have trouble comparing between different brands. My irons seem to go the same distance regardless of what ball I use. Same goes for my driver. My fairway and hybrids who the hell knows where it'll go, but I'm starting to suspect that's me, and not the ball :D.

 

Spin wise, these things are fantastic. Off the driver spin is reduced so I don't hit my horrid hooks. I can if I want to, but it's much better than the standard B330 or ProV1 and right on par with the ProV1x. On wedges, I can back these things up very easily which is great and makes people think I'm a good golfer for at least the first few holes before my inevitable collapse. Again, comparable to the ProV1x.

 

Feel wise these balls are firmer than others I have used. The recycled ProV1x's are noticeably softer. This is true for both irons and putter, so if you like a clickier ball, these may be perfect for you. When I really go after it, I can hit my 27* (5i) 190 yards. I can feel the Bridgestones are there, whereas with the ProV1x, I feel almost nothing. Personally I prefer a softer ball, but I wouldn't hesitate using these if I got a good deal on them :).

 

Durability wise these things are awesome. After 18 holes, they look like new, which is not something you get from recycled ProV1x's.

 

Conclusion? Well, golf season ain't done yet and I still want to do a side by side comparison hitting alternate balls with the ProV1x's I have. I'm hoping to do that in a month or so once the courses open up so I can do a true test of accuracy and distance. In the meantime, I'd say balls, like clubs, are really a personal preference and you should play what you enjoy. I will say without the Bridgestone fitting, I would never have known I should stay clear of the 's' type balls meant for more spin because I already generate too much, so going to their fitting has been invaluable.

 

I'll update Part 4 with my final thoughts and side-by-side comparisons.

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this app is crazy no matter wut i put in there it gives me E6. when i said iwant more spin than an e6 and more spin its still e6

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this app is crazy no matter wut i put in there it gives me E6. when i said iwant more spin than an e6 and more spin its still e6

 

Same here. I think anytime you say you want a reduction in side spin, E6 is the default.

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I was able to get the ball to change just with one setting on my selection. Spin setting on step two. It appears that the change is based on swing speed and step 2 green side spin. I tried different balls in step one to see if anything would change nothing did. Driver distance of 245-275 spit out either B330-S or B330-RX playing around with different settings in step two. It took me dropping driver distance to 215-245 to get B330-RXS. The only way to get into the e series is to pick a ball that is a medium line ball like Titleist NXT Tour.

 

Step 1: Your Game

Ball ~ TM Penta TP

Average ~ 70s

Driver Distance ~ 275+

 

Step 2: Performance

Which area of your game is most important to you? ~ Short Game Control

Do you struggle with controlling the shape of your shots? ~ No, I like my current ball flight

Would you like to change your current shot trajectory? ~ No, I would like to have a similar trajectory

What is your desired greenside spin performance? ~ Similar spin to my current golf ball (also selection for less spin)

 

RESULT ~ TOUR B330

 

 

 

Step 1: Your Game

Ball ~ TM Penta TP

Average ~ 70s

Driver Distance ~ 275+

 

Step 2: Performance

Which area of your game is most important to you? ~ Short Game Control

Do you struggle with controlling the shape of your shots? ~ No, I like my current ball flight

Would you like to change your current shot trajectory? ~ No, I would like to have a similar trajectory

What is your desired greenside spin performance? ~ More spin than my current golf ball

 

RESULT ~ TOUR B330-S

 

 

 

Step 1: Your Game

Ball ~ Titleist NXT Tour

Average ~ 80s

Driver Distance ~ 245-275

 

Step 2: Performance

Which area of your game is most important to you? ~ Short Game Control

Do you struggle with controlling the shape of your shots? ~ No, I like my current ball flight

Would you like to change your current shot trajectory? ~ No, I would like to have a similar trajectory

What is your desired greenside spin performance? ~ More spin than my current golf ball

 

RESULT ~ e5

Callaway Epic Max 12.0 (-1/N) @ 44.50" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 Stiff

Callaway Epic Speed 18.0* @ 42.75" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-8 Stiff

Callaway Mavrik Pro 23.0* @ 40.00" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 HYB Stiff

Sub-70 639 Combo (5-P) w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Stiff, Standard Length, Weak Lofts (27-47, 4* gaps)

Callaway MD5 Raw 51-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 55-13 X-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 59-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 63-09 C-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Golf Swing & Putting -- Bruce Rearick (Burnt Edges Consulting)

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Looking at the product in the e series e5 = Spin, e6 = Straight, e7 = lower trajectory. All the B330 products are tour balls just depends on your SS and greenside spine which one you should play. It would make since why the ball selection is giving you the balls and not changing much regardless of what you select.

 

The entire thing narrows down the line based on your current ball. If you put in a rock ball like Pinnacle Gold Distance. Then it tosses out all B330 balls completely, as they will not match you price range and current ball. If you input say Titleist NXT Tour then it gives a mix between B330 line and E series line. If you put in a premium ball then it always goes to B300 and changes based on driver distance. Once it has it narrowed down to two balls after step one, then it will toggle based on green side spin a lot of time. I was able to get the e7 with the following input, e6 came up a lot in this case toggling other things in step 2

 

Current Ball: Pinnacle Gold Distance

Average Score: 80's

Driver Distance: 245 - 275 yards

Distance & Accuracy is important to me

I like my Current Ball Flight

I would like to have a Similar Trajectory

I would like Similar Spin

 

Current Ball: Pinnacle Gold Distance

Average Score: 80's

Driver Distance: 275+ yards

Short Game Control is important to me

I like my Current Ball Flight

I would like to have a Similar Trajectory

I would like Similar Spin

Callaway Epic Max 12.0 (-1/N) @ 44.50" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 Stiff

Callaway Epic Speed 18.0* @ 42.75" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-8 Stiff

Callaway Mavrik Pro 23.0* @ 40.00" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 HYB Stiff

Sub-70 639 Combo (5-P) w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Stiff, Standard Length, Weak Lofts (27-47, 4* gaps)

Callaway MD5 Raw 51-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 55-13 X-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 59-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 63-09 C-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Golf Swing & Putting -- Bruce Rearick (Burnt Edges Consulting)

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FWIW I'd rather talk to one of their agents on the chat then use the Web tool. The agents are really responsive and know their stuff quite well. They also understand that there are some blurry lines between the E and B series as to whom fits what ball better despite what the marketing says.

 

In my example I sit perfectly in line for the 330-RX but had nothing but terrible results with it. After talking with their online agent (I believe his name was Brad but it was some time ago) and explaning it he very quickly corrected my thoughts on the line and pushed me to the 330-S instead. Verified to be much better for me from both on course and trackman testing.

 

Moral of the story: Talk to their reps if you have the time rather then use the web fit tool. They're really good!

I laught at your claims to fight a zombie apocalypse when most of you can't stand up to a Spider

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FWIW I'd rather talk to one of their agents on the chat then use the Web tool. The agents are really responsive and know their stuff quite well. They also understand that there are some blurry lines between the E and B series as to whom fits what ball better despite what the marketing says.

 

In my example I sit perfectly in line for the 330-RX but had nothing but terrible results with it. After talking with their online agent (I believe his name was Brad but it was some time ago) and explaning it he very quickly corrected my thoughts on the line and pushed me to the 330-S instead. Verified to be much better for me from both on course and trackman testing.

 

Moral of the story: Talk to their reps if you have the time rather then use the web fit tool. They're really good!

 

I spoke with their reps and they are very helpful, but without seeing your swing or having another ball to compare against, there isn't much they can do. So I'm just in a holding pattern until May 10th when I can go to their fitting over at Golf Galaxy. I figure I'd rather wait and get fit properly. Plus I'm curious to see if the Bridgestone fitter recommends the same ball as their BFit tool.

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This tool just gives you starting point on your research. I've been playing e5, however recently changed to 330 RXS and love it much better than e5.

 

Feels great, trajectory is great, spin is great. Price, not so great compared to e5.

 

Before e5, was playing NXT tour...

 

Any online fitting are never accurate, however, should be used as a starting point.

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Hybrid 19*, Acer XF, FST 115 Pro, stiff

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Irons 4-6: Tommy Armour, 845c silverback forged, R300

Irons 7-P: Tommy Armour, 845m Silverback forged, S300

Wedges: 56* Eidolon; 60* Mizuno

Putter: SC - Monterey 35", stock weight

Balls: B-Stone B330RX-S

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I spoke with their reps and they are very helpful, but without seeing your swing or having another ball to compare against, there isn't much they can do. So I'm just in a holding pattern until May 10th when I can go to their fitting over at Golf Galaxy. I figure I'd rather wait and get fit properly. Plus I'm curious to see if the Bridgestone fitter recommends the same ball as their BFit tool.

 

Fair enough. I did have all my testing numbers at the time with me as well using my previous ball so they could dial in a meaningful change.

That said, I still think it's better to talk to them then the machine. If you tell them for example I'm have 105 club speed, a swinger not a hitter and need more carry because it's wet here all the time your going to get a better answer from them about where to start.

I laught at your claims to fight a zombie apocalypse when most of you can't stand up to a Spider

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The online fitting tools you see for various golf balls are all really good at what they do, but they are limited to assumptions about your game.

 

Assumption 1 ~ You want a ball in the same price range that you are currently playing but not drastically more. This is a selling point for some people.

--> this is where to will toss out e series or B330 series or give a mix depending on your current ball

 

Assumption 2 ~ Driver distance = swing speed

--> this is to help narrow down the 'less then 105mph' and 'more then 105 mph' in the B330 line

 

Step two is all about picking between the two types of balls it has already narrowed down the fitting for you in the previous two assumptions.

Callaway Epic Max 12.0 (-1/N) @ 44.50" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 Stiff

Callaway Epic Speed 18.0* @ 42.75" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-8 Stiff

Callaway Mavrik Pro 23.0* @ 40.00" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 HYB Stiff

Sub-70 639 Combo (5-P) w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Stiff, Standard Length, Weak Lofts (27-47, 4* gaps)

Callaway MD5 Raw 51-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 55-13 X-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 59-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 63-09 C-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Golf Swing & Putting -- Bruce Rearick (Burnt Edges Consulting)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently switched to the B330-RXS. I put them up against the Pro V1's that I've been gaming off and on for a few years now. Since I've went to the "always 80" (swinging at 80%), I've lost a little distance with my irons. When testing the driver with a 115mph SS, the Pro V won every time (RXS was about 7-10yds shorter and a little higher launching). My iron swing on the other hand is much slower and smoother than it has ever been, which is why I feel I've been getting "cheated" with the Pro V's. Switching to the RXS added 15yds to each iron in the bag, which basically gives me back what I lost with my new swing, plus a few additional yards, without any more effort. Picking up the extra iron yards more than covers the lost distance; I'm still hitting the same irons into the green that I would be with the Pro V distance off the tee. I couldn't really get a feel for spin on the course yesterday, because the greens were as firm as the cart path; I couldn't get any shot to hold the green, I hit a perfectly struck SW from the fairway and the ball ran through the back of the green, dropped a Pro V on the ground and got the same exact result from another perfectly struck shot (I hit a massive flop that went 30+ feet high and only carried 10yds and it ran 40', thats how ridiculous the greens were).

 

I'm going to stick with this ball for a while. The local store has 6 packs (3 RX, 3 RXS) on sale for $19.99 right now. BTW, the RX is a great ball for windy conditions or softer greens, because they don't spin near as much as the RXS.

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A couple of weeks ago I took the online fitting and got the e5. I planned on comparing them to a bunch of balls I have played in the past year (I was on a hunt to find the perfect ball for me) but I didn't have to. It was visually OBVIOUS that this was the ball for me. I have never been happier with a ball. I agree that the online fitting tool is just a starting point, but there is still a good chance, like in my case, that it is the right ball for you. Even though I am happy with the ball, do you still think I should talk to a Bridgestone rep? My plan right now is to do with WD does because he is the reason why I got fitted online in the first place. So, if his ball changes after further testing, I guess I will do the same. Like I said though, I am currently VERY HAPPY.

Inside My Blue Callaway Warbird X Golf Stand Bag:

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3W:Cobra S2 14*

4W: Nike SQ Dymo 17*

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5H: Cleveland Mashie 23*

6H: Adams a3os Hollow-Back

7Iron-Sand Wedge:Callaway X-20 Series with Callaway Steel

Lob Wedge (60*):Cleveland CG-12 Black Pearl with Cleveland TRaction Steel Wedge Flex

Putter: Odyssey Versa #9

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've posted Part 2 now that I had a fitting with Bridgestone. I highly recommend it even if you're happy with your BFit results, it doesn't take long and would still be worth it even if they charged for it.

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/5741-bridgestone-balls/page__view__findpost__p__55990

 

The person in front of me was a fucking long drive champion. He was hitting with clubhead speed of 140mph and talking about XX shafts. It was *loud* when he hit the ball, but was very fun to watch. When it was my turn I had remind myself to not try to achieve 145mph clubhead speed. Turns out I'm not a long drive champion :D.

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You mention in your part 2 that the salesman did not press too hard to make a sell. When you have a really good product, like Bridgestone balls, you do not have to press too hard. It helps if your customer tells you that he is is getting 6 Dozen or how ever many balls you are getting.

 

Now that my spin issues are coming under control I may revisit the RX line later in the summer. I have almost no side spin, 200 to 300 rpms but 6000 rpms of back spin. I only have two wedges and a putter (and the putter just got reshafted today and no grip yet.) that are the same as I played a month ago. I have had my new irons for 7 days now, and had three different shafts in them. I can now change out a set of shafts in 45 minutes while watching TV. I guess if my day job does not workout I could get a job in a tour van. But we all know that the "Tour Issue" stuff is so much better that what we can get.

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You mention in your part 2 that the salesman did not press too hard to make a sell. When you have a really good product, like Bridgestone balls, you do not have to press too hard. It helps if your customer tells you that he is is getting 6 Dozen or how ever many balls you are getting.

 

Yeah, that definitely helps :D. I just requested the B330-RX in yellow. I figure people are less likely to steal yellow balls :D. Plus you can see them better and what not.

 

Now that my spin issues are coming under control I may revisit the RX line later in the summer. I have almost no side spin, 200 to 300 rpms but 6000 rpms of back spin. I only have two wedges and a putter (and the putter just got reshafted today and no grip yet.) that are the same as I played a month ago. I have had my new irons for 7 days now, and had three different shafts in them. I can now change out a set of shafts in 45 minutes while watching TV. I guess if my day job does not workout I could get a job in a tour van. But we all know that the "Tour Issue" stuff is so much better that what we can get.

 

I forgot to add it to the post, my side spin with the B330-RX was -120ish, so the ball was dead straight for me with a slight draw.

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I recently switched to the B330-RXS. I put them up against the Pro V1's that I've been gaming off and on for a few years now. Since I've went to the "always 80" (swinging at 80%), I've lost a little distance with my irons. When testing the driver with a 115mph SS, the Pro V won every time (RXS was about 7-10yds shorter and a little higher launching). My iron swing on the other hand is much slower and smoother than it has ever been, which is why I feel I've been getting "cheated" with the Pro V's. Switching to the RXS added 15yds to each iron in the bag, which basically gives me back what I lost with my new swing, plus a few additional yards, without any more effort. Picking up the extra iron yards more than covers the lost distance; I'm still hitting the same irons into the green that I would be with the Pro V distance off the tee. I couldn't really get a feel for spin on the course yesterday, because the greens were as firm as the cart path; I couldn't get any shot to hold the green, I hit a perfectly struck SW from the fairway and the ball ran through the back of the green, dropped a Pro V on the ground and got the same exact result from another perfectly struck shot (I hit a massive flop that went 30+ feet high and only carried 10yds and it ran 40', thats how ridiculous the greens were).

 

I'm going to stick with this ball for a while. The local store has 6 packs (3 RX, 3 RXS) on sale for $19.99 right now. BTW, the RX is a great ball for windy conditions or softer greens, because they don't spin near as much as the RXS.

 

What is interesting is that I normally get a little more spin from the Pro V1x (I haven't compared this years models), The Pro V1x is supposed to be their 'tour distance' type of ball and the Pro V1 'tour spin' type of ball, I kind of found them to be reversed a little bit.

 

You and I sound to have about the same swing speeds I like the B330-S a lot, again haven't tested this years model as I said before, It still allows good spin off the irons and not completely over compress the ball off the tee with a 113-115mph SS.

Callaway Epic Max 12.0 (-1/N) @ 44.50" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 Stiff

Callaway Epic Speed 18.0* @ 42.75" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-8 Stiff

Callaway Mavrik Pro 23.0* @ 40.00" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 HYB Stiff

Sub-70 639 Combo (5-P) w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Stiff, Standard Length, Weak Lofts (27-47, 4* gaps)

Callaway MD5 Raw 51-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 55-13 X-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 59-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 63-09 C-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Golf Swing & Putting -- Bruce Rearick (Burnt Edges Consulting)

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I've posted Part 2 now that I had a fitting with Bridgestone. I highly recommend it even if you're happy with your BFit results, it doesn't take long and would still be worth it even if they charged for it.

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/5741-bridgestone-balls/page__view__findpost__p__55990

 

The person in front of me was a fucking long drive champion. He was hitting with clubhead speed of 140mph and talking about XX shafts. It was *loud* when he hit the ball, but was very fun to watch. When it was my turn I had remind myself to not try to achieve 145mph clubhead speed. Turns out I'm not a long drive champion :D.

 

Yea I saw a Senior LDA guy at one of the stores in Myrtle Beach before they switched launch monitors, That guy was putting it up around 135mph club head speed and goal was to get a 400 yarder on the machine, he got a 399.7 one time it was impressive.

 

I mean 110-115 is pretty easy to reach with proper sequence and lag, noticed you said something about flipping, I looked at your video you posted saw a couple things but didn't want to say nothing since you really didn't ask for tips in your swing.

Callaway Epic Max 12.0 (-1/N) @ 44.50" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 Stiff

Callaway Epic Speed 18.0* @ 42.75" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-8 Stiff

Callaway Mavrik Pro 23.0* @ 40.00" w/ Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 HYB Stiff

Sub-70 639 Combo (5-P) w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Stiff, Standard Length, Weak Lofts (27-47, 4* gaps)

Callaway MD5 Raw 51-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 55-13 X-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 59-11 S-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Callaway MD5 Raw 63-09 C-Grind w/ Nippon Modus 125 Wedge

Golf Swing & Putting -- Bruce Rearick (Burnt Edges Consulting)

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Yea I saw a Senior LDA guy at one of the stores in Myrtle Beach before they switched launch monitors, That guy was putting it up around 135mph club head speed and goal was to get a 400 yarder on the machine, he got a 399.7 one time it was impressive.

 

I mean 110-115 is pretty easy to reach with proper sequence and lag, noticed you said something about flipping, I looked at your video you posted saw a couple things but didn't want to say nothing since you really didn't ask for tips in your swing.

Those guys are ridiculous. Theres a local LD guy around here and he was consistently between 135-138mph. I decided I was going to try to rip a few and I was around 128mph consistently, however the contact was not consistent at all. I caught about 1 of 15 flush and it carried 340........his mishits were carrying 360.

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I mean 110-115 is pretty easy to reach with proper sequence and lag, noticed you said something about flipping, I looked at your video you posted saw a couple things but didn't want to say nothing since you really didn't ask for tips in your swing.

 

Please do! Half the reason I posted that was for better players to point out what I was doing wrong.

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Yellow balls are great right up until October or so. Once the leaves turn and start to fall their benefit quickly becomes a huge liability. As far as I know, only Srixon is currently making a premium ball for my swing speed (I'm right on the edge between the standard lineup and the RX lineup, but the fitter recommended the 330. I'd love to see a yellow 330 & 330-S. The same is true for a handful of other premium balls I'm experimenting with.

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Yellow balls are great right up until October or so. Once the leaves turn and start to fall their benefit quickly becomes a huge liability. As far as I know, only Srixon is currently making a premium ball for my swing speed (I'm right on the edge between the standard lineup and the RX lineup, but the fitter recommended the 330. I'd love to see a yellow 330 & 330-S. The same is true for a handful of other premium balls I'm experimenting with.

 

I've never tried Srixon, how are they?

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I've never tried Srixon, how are they?

 

I've really only played the Z-Star XV for any period of time. It's the Srixon equivalent of the Pro V1X or Nike 20XI-X. It feels a bit firmer than the others too me. I'd probably be happier with the regular Z-Star. I would have liked to spend some more time with the Srixon lineup, but unfortunately Srixon/Cleveland declined to participate in our ball review series.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Updated this thread with Part 3 of my Bridgestone review

 

Part 3: Initial Results and Impressions

 

Alright, I finally went out on the course with these things. They are fantastic balls and everything they're advertised to be.

 

Distance wise, I really have trouble comparing between different brands. My irons seem to go the same distance regardless of what ball I use. Same goes for my driver. My fairway and hybrids who the hell knows where it'll go, but I'm starting to suspect that's me, and not the ball :D.

 

Spin wise, these things are fantastic. Off the driver spin is reduced so I don't hit my horrid hooks. I can if I want to, but it's much better than the standard B330 or ProV1 and right on par with the ProV1x. On wedges, I can back these things up very easily which is great and makes people think I'm a good golfer for at least the first few holes before my inevitable collapse. Again, comparable to the ProV1x.

 

Feel wise these balls are firmer than others I have used. The recycled ProV1x's are noticeably softer. This is true for both irons and putter, so if you like a clickier ball, these may be perfect for you. When I really go after it, I can hit my 27* (5i) 190 yards. I can feel the Bridgestones are there, whereas with the ProV1x, I feel almost nothing. Personally I prefer a softer ball, but I wouldn't hesitate using these if I got a good deal on them :).

 

Durability wise these things are awesome. After 18 holes, they look like new, which is not something you get from recycled ProV1x's.

 

Conclusion? Well, golf season ain't done yet and I still want to do a side by side comparison hitting alternate balls with the ProV1x's I have. I'm hoping to do that in a month or so once the courses open up so I can do a true test of accuracy and distance. In the meantime, I'd say balls, like clubs, are really a personal preference and you should play what you enjoy. I will say without the Bridgestone fitting, I would never have known I should stay clear of the 's' type balls meant for more spin because I already generate too much, so going to their fitting has been invaluable.

 

I'll update Part 4 with my final thoughts and side-by-side comparisons.

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Good stuff wd. I use Bstone balls with pride. Best on the market.

What's In The Bag:

 

Adams 9064LS

Ben Hogan Edge CFT Ti

Ben Hogan Apex Edge 4-PW

TaylorMade ATV 50* 54*

Mizuno Bettinardi BC3 Tour Issue

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