Bridgestone e7 Review

103,489. No that was not the score of my last round or the number of golf balls I’ve lost in my golf career. At the time that I’m writing this review, that is the number of actual LIVE launch monitor ball fittings that Bridgestone Golf has conducted. Staggering number isn’t it? What’s more staggering is the number of people that still haven’t been fit for a golf ball. Its the only piece of equipment that you use on every shot on the golf course so why wouldn’t you want to make sure that you’re playing the right ball for your game? There are plenty of options from Bridgstone Golf available to golfers of all skill levels and THP recently tested the latest e7 ball for 2011. The ball says it delivers ‘pure distance.’ Does this ball do just that? Check it out.

From the Company

  • High speed gradational compression core
  • Inner layer for boosting velocity
  • Reactive Surlyn cover
  • Dual Dimple Technology
  • 330 Seamless Cover Technology (SCT)

Look
The first thing you notice when you pop open a sleeve of these balls is, well, dimples. The dual dimple design does certainly take a little getting used to especially if this is your first time seeing this kind of technology. However the look is quickly assimilated into your mind and it’s nearly forgotten when you look at the ball at address. The look is radical yet practical. Cutting edge yet classic. I bet you’d never associate these terms with a golf ball right? Golf balls are anything but ‘just golf balls’ any more and some are as unique as a finger print. The dual dimple design found on the 2011 e series golf balls are the kind of fingerprint that’s easily identified and could put the mark on your game.

Technology
The big change for the 2011 e7 is the new Dual Dimple Technology. It’s as simple as it sounds and looks. Look at the picture below to see how this new technology works. Essentially it allows the ball to act like a bullet piercing through the air after being thrust forward off the club face at launch. This reduces drag which means when Flight e7 is ready to begin its shallow descent, you’re going to get some serious roll when the ball finally hits the ground. These dimples are a part of a surlyn cover that is durable and should give you plenty of life even after a few bouts with the cart path.

The surlyn cover holds the two layers of this golf ball together. The high speed gradational compression core and the velocity boosting inner layer. The core is designed to give the golfer greater acceleration off the club face when hit even if you don’t fully compress the ball (that nice soft feeling you get on a well struck shot). When paired with the inner layer which boosts ball speed as well and you have yourself quite a distance ball that can actually perform tasks beyond ‘just going long.’

The Seamless Cover Technology (SCT) is a technology shared by all Bridgestone golf balls and the e7 is no exception. This cover is designed to promote a more uniform ball flight with less resistance as it goes through the air. Add all of this up and the Bridgestone e7 does the job its intended to.

Testing
Reviewing golf balls is one of the tougher things to do sometimes. Why? Because you know what you already like, what you want in a ball, what you expect in a ball, etc. However in this instance I was excited to see what this ball could do as I’ve never played with or tested a ball designed specifically to give the golfer added distance. It’s important to note that the majority of testing was done in fairly windy conditions which I think offered a true test for what the e7 can and can’t do. That being said I’ll break down my thoughts into specific areas:

Driver- The ball seemed to spring right off the face of the driver. Not quite hard but more of a firm feeling as it leaves the club face. It didn’t feel like the ball would allow itself to completely compress on a well struck drive but perhaps that’s the core and the inner layer working together to get the ball moving as fast as possible to begin it’s journey to more distance? The trajectory is noticeably lower than my traditional ball flight with my current ball so the technology found on and in this ball does appear to work as advertised. More piercing ball flight? More distance? Yes please!

Irons- The e7 didn’t feel particularly ‘playable’ off irons. I know it’s not designed to be a softer, spinny ball but the surlyn cover does have a certain click to it that doesn’t seem to want to sit on the club face for very long no matter what iron you use. The performance of the longer and middle irons was long and straight but where I think the ball fell short in terms of performance was in the scoring irons. These irons sometimes are needed to get some higher launching shots that will come down nice and soft but the way the e7 is designed it can be harder to get these results. The ball wants to launch a little lower and gradually come down with some roll to it so take this into consideration.

Wedges- The surlyn cover offers a ‘clicky’ sound when struck and a slightly firm feeling off of wedges. If you want a ball that will have a little action to it or has ‘hop and stop’ capabilities then this ball may not fit your style. The e7 wants to roll out and then stop no matter what kind of shot you hit so plan accordingly when you want to get your inner flop shot on.

Putter- The e7 felt good of the putter for me. Granted I use a putter that has an insert that can make a rock feel good too but I noticed that the clicky or firm feeling that was felt on the wedges wasn’t as prevalent coming off my putter. Depending what your putter is you may feel differently than me but regardless the ball rolls straight and true despite the dual simple design. If you’re fearful that the dimples would upset the path of the ball on the way to the hole have no fear, dimples are here!

Overall
Still think ball fitting isn’t important to you and your game? If that’s the case then I think you are doing yourself and your equipment that you’ve spent your hard earned money on a real disservice. That’s like buying a new car and putting the wrong kind of gas in it! At the very least look into using Bridgestone’s ‘B Fit’ online fitting option on www.bridgestonegolf.com or by simply clicking the widget just to the right of this review and never have to leave THP. It’s free and doesn’t cost you anything but 10 minutes of your time. If your game isn’t worth that then keep playing whatever ball you have now and don’t come to me when you keep losing those dollar bets to your buddies on those par 3’s at your local muni.

A dozen Bridgestone e7 golf balls retails for $26.95 which represents good value and fantastic bang for the buck when you look at the technology of this ball. you can find these in stores and online at retailers such as Blind9Golf. This ball, or any of the e-series line of Bridgestone golf balls, are a great option for those who don’t want to splurge on a premium ball but feel that they’re ready to move onto something other than those rocks that you currently have. If you get a ball fitting done and the e7 is your ball of choice, hit them long and straight. Just as they were designed to help you do!

T. Hanks

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