Last year The Hackers Paradise had the opportunity to try out the Bridgestone B330-RX golf ball and we came away extremely impressed. For the first time it seemed as though a company was telling us that we should not be using what the pros use, but rather find a ball that is right for us amateur golfers. I played the Bridgestone B330-RX for most of 2009, outside of testing others, and felt it was a great ball for my golf game and helped quite a bit off the tee. If I had to nitpick and find something wrong with the ball, it was that it did not have quite as much spin around the green as I was used to previously. The B330-RX was not a rock by any mean, it has a urethane cover and spun fine, but I was used to seeing a larger amount of check up on the ball and the RX just did not have that.
Bridgestone Golf is a company that evidently listens to its customers and is releasing a new ball for 2010 called the Bridgestone B330-RXS. Last week on In the Rough W/ JB & Golfer Gal we got a chance to catch up with Bridgestone Golf and talk about the new ball and why it was created.
Technology
Rounding out the TOUR performance SERIES designed for amateur swing speeds is the new 3-piece, urethane Tour B330-RXS – giving Bridgestone the softest multi-layer urethane series on the market. The new B330-RXS fits moderate-swing speed players – less than 105 mph – who demand a slightly softer feel and more spin control. The B330-RXS features a SOFT urethane cover for higher spin control and enhanced feel on and around the greens. In addition, the slightly softer core and mantle formulation help to generate reduced spin off the tee for great distance performance.
“Just like our PGA Tour pros, amateur players with swing speeds less than 105 mph have different preferences when it comes to golf ball choice,” said Brandon Sowell Marketing Manager at Bridgestone Golf. “Some prefer a ball with a slightly firmer feel, while others demand a softer feel and more spin. With the addition of the B330-RXS to our line, we now have the most complete series of ball choices for amateur golfers looking for tour performance.”
The new B330-RXS is available at golf specialty stores and green grass retailers now and will feature a street price of $42.99 per dozen
Tee & Irons
We put the new RXS to the test for multiple rounds of golf and countless practice sessions. What we learned are a couple of things that we will break down into categories. We are going to start with Off The Tee…Off the tee, these may be in fact the best ball I have played to date. I was not getting the most distance or the straightest ball flight out of every swing, but what I was getting was the sum of all parts. Excellent distance, very straight, good feel and a great look. Not too “shiny and plasticy” and not too dull. Just a nice clean look that gave confidence at the tee box. Iron Play… The irons on approach shots had something unique about them that I could not put my finger on. It was not extra distance or checking power, and it hit me, it is the feel that they give off at impact with a full iron shot. The RXS has a very different feel in my opinion, softer, “pillow like” and something that I have really grown to love.
The feel is incredibly different and bare with me, because it is not easy to explain. It is soft and almost muted when you hit a ball well, but not artificially muted. The soft impact on a full swing reminded myself and a few others of when you hit the ball really well on the putter face. Just smooth impact and could translate into a great feeling club.
Around the Greens
We will start with the green and work backwards for this review. On the putting green and through our rounds, each person playing remarked at how great these felt. Soft at impact, with a great natural feeling. No “clickiness” at all and the ball has a nice roll on it. One tester remarked “every ball should feel this way on the green”. To have this kind of feel, without feeling “dead” was something pretty special. When we moved back to the pitching and chipping area around the green, our opinions changed a little bit. While the Bridgestone B330-RXS still performed extremely well, the bar was set so high previously on the green that we were a little let down.
We mentioned earlier that the only issue that the RX line from last year had was just not having enough spin around the greens. Outside of that, they had created the perfect golf ball for my game. I expected the RXS to fix that problem and it still did not really have the spin we were hoping for. It was most noticeable in the area of chipping where getting the RXS to check up was causing the same problems we had with the RX ball. Not at that level mind you, but similar issues. A little bit more in the spin department on that single shot, and this would get us nearly weeping with joy. But outside of chipping, the ball was performing quite well. Full flop shots, in the bunker, pitching, etc… everything we through at the RXS came back with that same thought, “this ball feels amazing”.
Breaking Down The Shots
Tee Box – Simply awe inspiring.
Full Iron Shots – Best feeling we have come across.
Half wedges & Chips – Great feel, but lacks the spin we would like to see.
Pitching & Bunkers – Tremendously soft at impact and does what it is supposed to.
Putting – Could make you think a brick had a soft insert. Great soft feel off the putter.
Overall
While we would have liked to see a some more spin around the greens, the Bridgestone Golf Tour B330-RXS won us over in every other department. Their entire B330 lineup will have a ball that will fit anybody looking for tour level performance. But the kicker is Bridgestone does not want to tell you what ball to play, they want every golfer to get fit for the right ball to match their game. For more information on the B330-RXS or any other ball in the Bridgestone lineup, check out their website at www.bridgestonegolf.com. You will also want to be sure to check out where they have their free ball fittings coming to an area near you.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
