It is abundantly clear that Bridgestone Golf has rounded back into form and are hitting a groove of bringing revolutionary golf ball technology to golfers. The TOUR B release with its REACTIV cover has been a game changer across its four different golf ball designs, but even still, Bridgestone believes there is more to do in order to create a complete assortment of offerings across the spectrum.
So, with that in mind, it is time to look at the eSeries with the release of the 2021 Bridgestone e12 CONTACT golf ball.
Bridgestone e12 CONTACT
First, this new e12 will remain true to much of what we have come to expect from Bridgestone, as it will be a 3-piece design with a surlyn cover focused on distance, forgiveness, and the softer impact feel that golfers who fit into this segment prefer. Whereas previously there was a “Speed” and “Soft” model of the e12, the CONTACT will be a single release which is actually made possible by the namesake
“CONTACT force dimple” design.
What is CONTACT? Well, before we dive into that it’s worth pointing out just how forward thinking and on the cutting edge that Bridgestone Golf has always been when it comes to cover and dimple designs with the goal always being increasing efficiency and performance. With CONTACT, the design centers around the new “Force Dimple” which has a raised area in the center and outer portion of each dimple. This has increased the amount of golf ball surface area coming into contact with the clubface by an eye opening 38%.
What that means, according to Bridgestone, is that more surface area impacting the clubface allows for a more consistent energy transfer. Translation? More ball speed and distance from driver all the way to wedges. Additionally, the internal design of the ball combined with the CONTACT Force dimples should mean helping to tame the big right or left misses which amateurs can be plagued with. It also bears mentioning that Bridgestone is adamant this will help golfers who fit into the e12 when it comes to short game as well, as the dimple design will keep the ball on the clubface longer and actually help increase the spin and control compared to other surlyn golf balls.
The Details
The new Bridgestone e12 CONTACT is set to hit retail on February 26, 2021 and will come in with a $29.99 price point. As has become the custom with the eSeries in recent years, the golf balls will also be available in several color and finish options including white, matte yellow, matte red, and matte green. Upon release, the e12 CONTACT will also enter Bridgestone’s VFIT matrix as an option in their video fitting consultations.
Plan on picking the new e12 CONTACT golf balls up for a tryout? Be sure to let us know how it goes both below as well as on the THP community!
I’d like to see 15 ball packs at a better price than $30 per…
I also saw good distance, no drop off for me, and man they are soft feeling.
Virtually exactly the same thing I saw. I just don’t know how much is greens being receptive vs firm for me, but man they felt great.
Golf ball design is more than cover though, not all non-urethane balls are the same, nor are all urethane balls.
That was my only thing, we got a lot of rain this week so it’s soft for our typical winter. That said, I really did see enough to want to hit them more in the spring, and I’m totally comfortable putting several of my HS kids into them this year.
What did you all think of ball flight? I felt they might be a bit higher than the other balls in the blind test. Of course I have not gotten them on a sim or anything and that was just outdoor testing, but I play the same 5 or 6 holes next to my house so much my eyes can pick up things with a few repetitions. I especially noticed it off the driver as these seemed to really get in the air.
On the launch monitor they were similar for me but outside it was a tough test due to the wind at Hammock Beach that day so I’m not sure. I can say one thing though, they are long for me when missed, which is something I enjoy.
I didn’t put them on monitor yet, but I did elevate them easily. What I didn’t see was distance loss, which is exciting as heck to me.
Yes, I had some really nice carries with them as well especially with the high fade I hit. They were getting to where I normally get. They were not ballooning into the wind either, the height between into the wind and with the wind was only varied slightly.
My distance has been a bit longer off the tee, but noticed that my irons are about the same as other balls I have played.
Careful, that would mean there is something to all this R&D companies do and its not just marketing like some want to believe
FWIW, on a serious note, I saw much the same. Very impressed off the tee.
The bold part has me intrigued that maybe someone could have ideas about.
How a ball could be longer off the tee and driver, but similar in distance on the irons. I would have thought similar in both or longer in both.
My initial thought is it’s due to the claim of 38% more ball face contact, but again why wouldn’t you see similar on irons then.
Could be a lot of reasons, one biggie being that irons are not contacted at the same speed as drivers/woods so there is less overall impact on how much ball is contacting the face comparatively.
1. These balls fly high, at least for me. Seemed to have a decent amount more initial launch than the balls I usually play (Tour B RX, AVX, MTB Black).
2. DIstance – I honestly thought this was a little lacking in these balls. I found I needed to hit about 1/2 club more to hit my distances I am used to with irons and wedges. Same off the tee. I was 5 – 10 yards shorter than what I expected to be with the strikes.
3. Dispersion – very good IMO. I did not see near the amount of draw/hook that I am accustomed to when playing my usual urethane balls. Definitely had to adjust my normal aim points to account for the reduced right to left movement of the ball in the air.
4. Spin – I was honestly surprised how well they stopped when being hit into greens. Very comparable to the urethane balls I normally play.
5. Feel – I was a little iffy on this aspect on full swing shots. Definitely felt softer than my normal balls and just didn’t give me the feeling of the ball launching off the clubface with a lot of speed. As JMan wrote in the preview, I did get the sensation of the ball staying on the clubface an instant longer that what I am used to. No issue with the feel of the balls in short game or putting.
6. Durability – thought this aspect of the ball was quite good after one round with it. I did bang it into some trees on a few occasions due to my expecting a draw and the ball staying straight. The trees left a yellowish mark on the ball but no stuffing from the tree or wedge strikes.
Not a bad ball overall IMO. It is not going to replace a Tour B for me, but I would have no issue playing it again. Heck, I made 3 birdies with it, including the first hole I put it into play.
From what @rehbirdie tells me they are selling like crazy, and the company had to up production to keep up with demand. Not a bad problem to have.
Then next week we will be giving away some more exclusively for Albatross Club members here
I do remember liking the test balls feel off the irons.
Going to go grab some for @PackersGirl tomorrow because she loved them.
What color did you grab?
White
Golf Galaxy had all the colors in OKC yesterday.
I may wait until the yellow is available.
They doing red on these?
I believe so. Gonna go scope it out this afternoon
Let us aka me know.
Edited – confirmed on the internets!
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I may look at the red also. Have never played that color.
Spin is clearly lower then other balls I have played which I like off the tee. I do wish there was a bit more spin on the wedges.
W
i was seeing mid to upper 9ks yesterday in sim.
Yup..
The green actually looks more yellow to us. @PackersGirl went with the red though.
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Green for me is a let down on this edition… Other brands do it better. Red is best
I have been testing these on a simulator and have well over 500 swings on the same test balls I was given. I spent a good deal of time testing different wedges on the E12 ball and with over 100 swings and hits the ball has virtually no marks at all. The simulator isn’t going to show what a tree, rock, or golf path does to the ball, but I am very hard on balls.
I took a picture of the test ball I have been using for the last few weeks and from the picture of both sides of the ball, you can see how good the durability holds up. I really think this ball would hold up for multiple rounds and would probably be lost before wearing out for sure.
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Just finished playing a round with the red e12 Contacts. Loving the red…as you can see, it’s very visible, even stuck in the bunker ?
Out of this launch I too, love the red they used.