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2012 Bridgestone Golf Ball Forum Review Thread

SuperStroke
Looking at these balls some more, i gotta say im not a big fan of the triangles/arrows at each end of the TOUR B330 and TOUR B330-S. They dont do anything for me, they just look out of place. If they are supposed to be a putting alignment aid like most of the manufacturer's are doing now then i dont find them very effective. They are too short to really align with anything. Might work for some, and based on comments so far they do, just dont work for me. I actually like the way the gamer and zip look better in runpuddrun's pictures.

Ill see how i like them better on an actual green when i am lining up some longer putts, but i anticipate drawing a line with my sharpie on this ball.http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/member.php?6720-runpuddrun
 
marshallucf said:
Looking at these balls some more, i gotta say im not a big fan of the triangles/arrows at each end of the TOUR B330 and TOUR B330-S. They dont do anything for me, they just look out of place. If they are supposed to be a putting alignment aid like most of the manufacturer's are doing now then i dont find them very effective. They are too short to really align with anything. Might work for some, and based on comments so far they do, just dont work for me. I actually like the way the gamer and zip look better in runpuddrun's pictures.

Ill see how i like them better on an actual green when i am lining up some longer putts, but i anticipate drawing a line with my sharpie on this ball.
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While I agree that the arrows kind of look out of place, I do like that they are blocky and stick out, almost like a thick blocky line to aim with. I usually mark my balls with a line anyhow. I do like the arrows on the Gamer V2's a lot though.
 
For me personally, I don't ever pay much attention to the alignment aids on the ball. I mark it, clean it, set it back, then pick my line. I know this may not work for all, but as long as I know where I want the ball to go, I don't worry about the markings on the ball.
 
crazygolfnut said:
The Pro's say the new ball does great in the wind. Nebraska gets very windy in the spring so these may be a good ball to try out.
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Last years B330 does great for me in the wind. My course is VERY windy this time of year, so I will be able to give good feedback on this subject... stay tuned.
 
Haven't read what's happened so far in this thread today so I'm just putting in my info from my round today then will catch up.

Played on the practice area for a bit before the round to see how the new balls felt in the short game.

Older B330RX and 2012 B330RX felt similar when I was putting and chipping. I personally couldn't tell a significant difference in this small amount of activity. Happy with both balls in this arena. I pulled out one of the B330RXS balls, and tried it, and immediately saw how it grabbed a bit more on some of the chips. They mowed the greens for the first time this year yesterday, so they are fairly quick, yet grab well. The S model didn't roll out as far on shorter chips. I could try and hit it a bit closer towards the hole, and it stopped. (Something to remember on the course.)

Putting, the 2 RX models were fairly similar, with the S model feeling a bit softer off the face. No real "click" sound....just a different sound. It seemed to roll the same, so maybe I was just trying to make it different. Too early to really tell.

It was about 38 when we tee'd off, not much wind. About 5 mph or less. Not a factor at all. Air was very heavy though. 80%+ humidity which is just crazy for us in SW Idaho. We got to play 5 wide today as there wasn't much activity on the course, so that gave me a chance to hit multiple tee shots at times without disrupting play. With the dense air the ball was going nowhere. Everyone had to adjust for distances, so today was really a guessing game. I ended up alternating each hole with the 2 new B330's and one of the previous models to see if I could tell a significant difference. Distance off the tee, nothing significant today for me. All 3 balls seemed to just die in mid air, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, but then I saw where everyone else was, and we all struggled with the ball not going anywhere near as far as it should. That being said, on to some good points.

I had the nasty snap hooks today, all day. I never hit a shot that went right. All went left, or left of left. Probably wasn't the best of conditions to be trying anything to tell you guys about, but I played 6 holes with each ball...the new versions of the B330, and last years model. One thing that seemed to keep coming up was, the new model did seem to spin a bit less sideways than the previous model. I had a few really hard misses left with the 2012 model, but several shots did seem to curve a bit less with these balls. I only hit 8 fairways, but all were with the newer version. All shots with the previous version were off the fairway. The newer one does seem to have a bit less sidespin.

On the 12th hole (our 3rd as we started on the back..) I hit two tee shots with the RX models. I was hoping to get them about the same, but the previous model went a bit left, so was about pin high, but 10 yards off, while I fatted the 2012 version to about 5 yards short of the green but straight. Greens were rolling good, so I tried to play the same shot with each model, even thought they were from different angles. Both balls seemed to roll out about the same. I also dropped one of the RXS models where the 2012 RX was and tried the exact same chip shot, and it really seemed to bite once it hit the green, Didn't roll out near as much. Something I needed to remember when I switched balls later on.

14th hole is a 550yard par 5, and I hit a great drive. Played the RXS model this hole, and the tee shot was very nice. There is a bridge out there at about 350, so I aim at that hoping to hit the fairway. This tee ball started down the right edge of the fairway, and turned back about 5 yards for a great layup. Not a lot of side movement on it. I had 268 left, and needed to find a good spot to layup the next shot as I can't get there. Hit a good 7 iron that had a slight draw, but again, did not move excessively. Middle of the fairway with 102 left, I hit a sand wedge just to the right of the green. This ball was really straight, which was unusual for me. :D on of my playing partners left his ball just outside of mine, and he chose to putt, and had a hood result, so I did the same. It lipped out, but I made the par, so was very happy with how things turned out. Again, this ball seemed to play a bit straighter on every shot.

One thing I really had to pay attention to was the fact that the S model did seem to grab a bit more on the green. I played a few of my normal bump and run type shots that seemed to stop a bit quicker with this model, whereas the RX model would seem to run out a bit more. But out of the bunker, the S model was great. I was in quite a few bunkers, and the S model really stuck well when I short sided myself.

And as a sidenote, the covers on both balls I played today still look brand new. I was in several greenside bunkers, along with a couple of waste bunkers, hit many wedge shots, and the balls look great. Cover seems very durable.

Since this is my first review, I hope the info isn't too convoluted. Just wanted to get something out while it was still a bit fresh in my mind. Any questions, just ask. I was hoping to play just one ball all day, but since we all were struggling with not getting the normal distance on any shot, I figured I'd try all 2 balls in my bag. Tomorrow is another day. :d
 
Great stuff Dogman, I can't wait to play tomorrow to see how well these balls play, glad to hear the cover is still durable despite the new dimples. Keep it up!
 
Great write up Dogman Dying to get mine in! Hopefully tomorrow. All the reviews and write-ups are great.
 
Great review Dogman.

Have told a guy at my club to get his butt on here and read the RX/RXS reviews as he is a real candidate for one of those.
 
Thanks guys. Hope to get out again today if the fog lifts.

Thechosen1 said:
Great stuff Dogman, I can't wait to play tomorrow to see how well these balls play, glad to hear the cover is still durable despite the new dimples. Keep it up!
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I was also glad to see this. I've only had a few balls get really scuffed during normal play, and it's never been a Bridgestone. Those usually take it off the cart path. :D
 
Great stuff dogman. I hope to get these out for some practice tomorrow.
 
Video I took on my Birdieball putting green.

 
So I got my Bridgestone 6 pack today. Like everyone else has said, the packaging is nothing short of spectacular.

A little bit about what I look for in a golf ball: Anytime I go to try a new ball the first thing I check is the feel of the ball in my hand. It has to have that soft feel that most premium balls have. The cover of the ball has to feel good in my hand or I probably won't buy it and just go grab what I'm accustom to. With that being said, if I do like the feel of the ball the next thing I am looking for is durability. There is nothing more that bothers me than hitting a good wedge and having a big scuff mark on a brand new ball. I will replace it right away, even if I know it does not effect performance. Third is spin. I want something that has the ability to stop on a dime, as if it were dropped out of the sky. I also want something I can hit a long way. Don't we all? With that being said here is the first part of my write up.

The Bridgestone ball is obviously different from my usual Penta or ProV1 that I am used to. First impression, I like it! It does not have the feel that I have talked about but it is not far off from what I am looking for. Like I have also said earlier the packaging is something that stands out to me and if I were browsing at my local Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy it would definitely draw me over to that section. The dual dimple technology is not as pronounced as I thought it would be but I don't necessarily mind that either.

It if fairly nice he in Philly today and I am going to try and get to either Golf Galaxy or the short game area and try and compare this ball to my normal Penta from last year.
 
runpuddrun said:
Video I took on my Birdieball putting green.
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What order did you putt the balls rpd? I am guessing from the sound it was the RX's 1st and then the RXS's, is that right, or do you remember?


Dogman, Nice write up buddy, appreciate the great effort and look forward to reading more of your thoughts.
 
DawgDaddy said:
What order did you putt the balls rpd? I am guessing from the sound it was the RX's 1st and then the RXS's, is that right, or do you remember?


Dogman, Nice write up buddy, appreciate the great effort and look forward to reading more of your thoughts.
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Sorry, should have posted that. If I remember correctly and I think I am, First 2 were RX, then next 2 were RXS, then RX then RXS.
 
runpuddrun said:
Sorry, should have posted that. If I remember correctly and I think I am, First 2 were RX, then next 2 were RXS, then RX then RXS.
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Did they seem to feel slightly different to you how they came off the head?
 
Dogman said:
Did they seem to feel slightly different to you how they came off the head?
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Definitely curious about this too as when I put with the ones I have, it feels likeI can tell the difference between the two right away. RXS makes a 'duller' (not sure if that's the right word) at impact than the RX. I haven't gotten them out on a real practice green yet though so I can't say anything solid about performance until I roll them on some grass.
 
Mine arrived in the mail today. And wouldn't you know it, it's Oklahoma's coldest weekend of the year!! I have to work Saturday thru Monday and the lows will be in the teens with windchills around 0. But it's supposed to warm up by the middle of next week (50s) and that's when the balls will actually see the course.

First impressions: the balls have a "soft" feel to them and the dimple pattern is quite striking. I tried a few putts across the kitchen floor. The balls have a very nice "click" sound when putted. The roll out of the B330Rx is suprisingly long and straight. I went to the belly putter to cure some awful putting but just by first impression this ball may help more than the putter (couldn't be my lack of talent).

As everyone has said before the packaging is stunning. And you've got to love the phrase: TO BOOM THE BALL COMPRESS THE BALL..........

This is my first testing session for THP and I hope to do a good job. I'm not going to be an expert on spin and such, but what I will tell you is how these ball affect my game, one that is sometimes quite good and other times just awful. If these balls bring me consistency they'll do it for anybody.
 
I finally got my bundle of joy from THP and Bridgestone yesterday. Seem like it took ever! Wonderful looking packaging! I won't bother with pics of package and balls as this has been done, but I will say the dimple in dimple design is odd to look at first. It seems to make the ball "busy" when looking at it in hand. But at address i couldn't tell a difference between the old 330's and the new 330's. The little dimple seems to disappear as you get a little away from the ball. The basic large dimple pattern seems to very close to the same, if not the same between the old and new versions of the two balls. Although the new 330's seem to maybe be a bit more white, but that may come from the extra little dimple in dimple just reflecting the light a little different. But its a very bright white. Easy on the eye. The feel in hand of the two balls seemed very similar between the 330 and 330-S. Not a big difference of in hand feel. The new series did seem to offer a little firmer cover, but very little. Now on the data...

A little background on the data and how I got it. My neighborhood course has a Full Swing Golf Sim in the club house. I decide to base all my testing from there, because I can usually get in the sim in the morning time with no issue. I tested several balls for this round of testing to get baseline numbers. My next round of testing which will probably happen next week will focus on just the 330 and 330-S, both old and new. I tested 9 balls total including the new 330-330S, old 330-330S, Bridgestone Fixx (my current winter ball) and E6, Titleist ProV1 and ProV1x, Srixon Z-Star. Couldn't find the TaylorMade Penta TP I have. I tried to get a decent cross section of balls to baseline test. All testing was conducted using Adams SpeedLine Fast 10 9.5* with stock Wasabi stiff flex shaft. (I bought this driver unfit, regret that choice, but it is what it is) Swing speed is roughly 107-111 mph. So I fall in to the B330-330S rating. I would say that about 85% of the shots fell on the sweet spot or within half a ball based on feel. I took 4 numbers and made a five swing ave. Total distance (TD), Carry (C), Launch Angle (LA) and Ball speed (BS) in MPH. Heres what I found...(these are in order I hit them)

Bridgestone Fixx; Max total 292, max carry 277. Ave: TD 272.8, C 259, LA 13*, BS 167
Bridgestone B330; Max total 297, max carry 282. Ave: TD 268, C 258, LA 14.2, BS 171.2
Bridgestone B330S; Max total 296, max carry 281. Ave: TD 291.4, C277.8, LA 12.2 BS 172
Titleist ProV1x; Max total 296, max carry 283. Ave: TD 286.6, C 274.8, LA 13, BS 172
Titleist ProV1; Max total 300, max carry 284. Ave: TD 281.8, C 268.6, LA 12.6, BS 167.6
Srixon Z-Star; Max total 291, max carry 275. Ave: TD 283.4, C 269.6, LA 12.2, BS 167.8
Bridgestone e6; Max total 293, max carry 276. Ave: TD 286, C 269.8, LA 11, BS 167.6
Bridgestone B330 (2012) Max total 292, max carry 278 Ave: TD 284.6, C 267, LA 10.6, BS 169.2
Bridgestone B330S (2012) Max total 294, max carry 277, Ave: TD 282.6, C 267.8, LA 10.6, BS 169.5

What I found interesting was that even though the ProV1 and V1x both had great numbers, there ball flight was awful. Every ball to the right with cut spin. I couldn't draw that ball. Didn't have that issue with any other ball. The Z-Star was the least impressive. It felt dead. No pop to it. The 2009 version of the B330S felt the most alive followed by the 2012 version even though the ball speed numbers don't really show it. For me the 330 both the 2010 and 2012, felt hard. Not much feedback from them. The e6 really suprised me alot, I felt that it was going to be just another ball, but great distance from a lack of ball speed, but I feel this ball would be short off my irons and could lack spin. The Fixx is what it is, softer ball, lower compression, and quite a bit of side spin as well. I'v actually got a review of this ball posted in another thread.

Overall my feelings are mixed. I felt like the the 2009 version of the B330S was the perfect ball. I haven't played anything better and the sim numbers backed it. The 2012 version I think has what it takes, but i need more work and more data behind it. I want the 2012 version to be better, but right now, I can't say it is. I want to get it back to the sim and work with just those 4 balls. I also look forward to getting them in real life and playing them, hopfully next week as well, as our weather has turned for the worse.

I hope someone find this long post helpful and gets some good info from it. I have all the raw data so if anyone wants more let me know. Will probably work on some putting numbers tonight to post tomorrow.
 
Great write-up and comparison Playdough!
 
Enjoyed the write up and comparisons PD, look forward to your on course findings next week.
 
Just got back..

Weather 45-50 and sunny
Winds: 7-15 mph
Played: Both balls on select shots(Tour B330 and Tour B330-S)

Driver Feedback: I put three balls against each other(the 2011 Tour B330) with these two balls and saw little to no difference in the three. They were actually the same exact distance but I did not see any changes in the distance compared to say my Prov1 and another ball. The sounds were pretty much the same and I certainly enjoyed the feeling of a Bridgestone ball coming off my 910 it's a soft yet solid feel-if there was a difference I didn't notice much.

Iron Feedback: I had some great shots with the B330 and did notice some extra spin from the B330-S I had a few shots where they would hit the green and roll out another 2 feet compared to my Prov1 or even the 2012 B330. Like my driver is had a soft yet solid feel to it- something I certainly prefer. All through my irons felt that same and even when I did have some thin shots it was a solid feel(in this weather it hurt a bit haha) but overall there was a difference in the two balls and did not notice any changes in distance.

Wedge Feedback: I am normally a digger and for some reason with that swing I don't get much spin. My normal hit on the green is a hit and roll out a few feet- unless it's my 60* I will normally get a spin back three feet. So like I can be honest I'm not much of a spinner with the ball. The balls themselves didn't scuff much for me and I did get some more spin(not much though) on the S compared to the B330.

Overall Feedback: The balls themselves had a great cover and I actually had my B330 hit the cart path three times on a hole and actually showed no wear and tear, absolutely nothing to make the flight of the ball or affect it. I did not see anything different with the wind although there was only a few shots where the wind had little to no effect on the ball at all. I can't wait to get back out on the course to play these balls again. I can say after the first round with them they wouldn't make me change from my Prov1 but certainly is an improvement from last years edition.
 
So I'm back from playing nine and I have to say the IMO the B330 RX and RXs outperformed my OLD Penta ball in every aspect I can think of. I played with both Bridgestone golf balls and pitted them against my TP Penta ball. On the first hole I played both the Bridgestones. I sliced the RXs so didn't really get much feedback from that other than the fact the it felt just as good as any other premium ball on the market, which was a huge surprise. The RX was next and I BOMBED it. Dead straight, boring ball flight that ripped through the wind! On the ball that went right I played a 9 iron and landed pin high just left of the flag in a bunker and short sided. I thought to myself, "Yes" awesome chance to try it out of the bunker. I drove up to my RX and played a knock down wedge and afterwards thought that I probably scuffed that one pretty well. To my shock there was not a scratch on it! Played the RXs out of the bunker and it had virtually no check to it due to the fact that I didn't catch it perfect. When I lined them up to putt I couldn't have been more shocked! The 330's felt AMAZING, like I was putting a rubber ball. Virtually no sound at all.

Over the next 8 holes I played all three balls and noticed that the 330 line had a better ball flight and was probably 3-5 yards longer for me off every club. I also noticed that on mishits the dispersion was a lot tighter also. The Penta has a great feel to it IMO but where it lacks is it's durability. I was not seeing a great difference in wedge spin and if anything I think the TP and Prov will probably outperform the 330 line but I could be wrong. I think the conditions had a lot to do with it today but hopefully I can get better weather to play in. I was not keeping score and was playing shots that I normally wouldn't want. When I hit wedges I tried to scuff the 300's but I just couldn't.

I didn't notice much difference between the Bridgestone balls when comparing the two. Very similar feel off all clubs. Like I said above though this ball is the truth and I think I may have found my new golf ball. I was beyond shocked at how this ball has performed and have never really considered Bridgestones best ball anywhere near close to the ProV1 or Penta lines. What shocked me most was the way it came off the putter head. It was like cutting butter with a red hot knife. So smooth and virtually no sound. I believe I found my new golf ball!!

Hopefully next time I can do this in a simulator and get actual numbers like Playdough did!
 
Got mine in the mail today! As has been said dozens of times, the packaging is spectacular. I LOVE the design of the sleeves. The balls feel about as soft as a 2011 ProV1 to the touch. I couldn't tell the difference if it was a blind test. The dual dimple technology adds a little spice to a great looking ball. About an hour ago, a random snowstorm flew in and it's been a whiteout since then. So no outside today. I'm going to putt with them (very thin carpet) and chip into my net. No full swings yet guys. Thanks THP and Bridgestone!
 
Alright I'm back with my initial thoughts after putting around a little.

I started by just tapping the two BStone balls with my Cleveland 2 a little. The RX was soft off the face and gave me a nice roll. I wasn't stunned, but it did give me a good impression. Then came the RXS. Wow. This thing is SOFT off the putter face. I immediately took all three balls out of the sleeve and hit them about 6 times each. I can't get over the softness of them! From there, I threw in the ProV1 and ProV1x. The V1x was comparable to the RX and the RXS was slightly softer than the V1. Bottom line. RXS is the softest ball I've ever used off a putter face. I will be buying sleeves of the 330 and 330S to compare to the RX's.

From there, I grabbed my White Ice Mini-T, which many of you know has a very soft insert. Making contact with the ProV1 with it is like landing a feather on your hand. You barely feel it. So I hit each of the four balls a few times with it, and got the same results: RXS, V1, V1x/RX for softness. The dual dimples really give the 330s a good look at address. I have a feeling that they will instill a great deal of confidence for me.

Lastly, I took each of the four balls and placed them in a random order which I did not know, lined myself up with my eyes closed by toeing the ball in front of the putter, and hitting all four blindly to try and guess which one was which. Tje first one was super soft, I figured it was the RXS. Cha-ching. Second one was not as soft, I guessed RX. It was the ProV1x, which like I said I can't tell the two apart with the putter. Next was ProV1 and RX, both guessed correctly.

They definitely feel softer off the White Ice putter, but still great off a milled face. Bottom line, very soft balls off the putter which I think will come in very handy for me. I'll try to get a write up of the chipping up tonight.
 
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