I’m not a huge country music fan, but there have been many times that I could relate my game off the tee to a certain country song. It’s called Trouble by a guy named Travis Tritt. You’re lucky, because you won’t have to listen to me sing it, but there is a line that goes something like, “I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” At one point, I could have just skipped my tee shot altogether and walked way off the right and put my ball down behind a tree and in the highest grass I could find and then hacked away from there. Things have smoothed out a bit from those days, but, like almost every golfer, I still have days where I struggle off the tee. Another issue I have struggled with is lack of distance. My swing speed averages around 95 mph on good days, which isn’t bad, but isn’t exactly going to produce that many long drives, especially when combined with a lower launch angle. So, aside from the obvious answers (more lessons, strength conditioning, etc), what else is a guy like me to do? The answer, at least in my mind, is to find equipment that maximizes the good things about my game and minimizes the bad things. Bridgestone Golf has a ball called the e6 that is designed to do just that. I’ve played this ball for about a year now, but Bridgestone has reinvented it for the 2011 season. You can check out some of the changes below.
Technical Info from Bridgestone Golf
- Softest multi-layer golf ball available reduces side spin for increased accuracy. The e6 is a three layer ball with a soft gradational compression core, anti side spin inner layer, and soft surlyn cover.
- New Dual Dimple Technology also provides improved distance performance. The inside dimple works to increase thrust power at launch while the outer dimple promotes a shallow angle a shallow angle of descent for increased roll.
- Also available in Optic Yellow and Orange.
Thoughts
The 2011 e6 certainly has a different look than previous versions. This can be attributed directly to the new Dual Dimple design. Up close, it almost looks like the existing dimples have been filled halfway in with another dimple. In all honesty, it took a bit of time to get used to the new look. I still don’t know if I’m a fan of the new design visually, but I am definitely used to it. The best thing about the looks of the Dual Dimple is that you can’t see them when you are addressing the ball. They just seem to disappear and all of a sudden you are standing over a very normal looking golf ball. Cover hardness seems to be on the firmer side of the spectrum, but typical of most surlyn covered golf balls. The color is very white and the ball features the e6 alignment aid, which is basically an arrow. I’m a big fan of this alignment aid and often use it on the tee to make sure I am set up correctly towards my target.
My initial time with the e6 was spent putting and chipping. I was pleasantly surprised right away when I noticed the sound of the ball off of the putter. The sound is deeper than I remember the previous versions being and I liked it. Some would use the word muted and say that it sounds less ‘clicky’. To me, it is a lower tone that sounds soft off the putter face and I quite liked it. Off of wedges, I found the e6 to be very predictable in the way it reacted to chip shots. I didn’t get much spin around the green with this ball compared to Tour balls, but then again, I’m not sure that I care too much about that. As long as I know what the ball is going to do around the green, I’m happy. The e6 tends to hit the green and start rolling straight and that fits in well with my style of short game. I found that the same tendencies are true when it comes to pitch shots, half swings, etc. You have to plan for the ball to roll a bit, so adjust your stroke accordingly. Ironically, I’ve found that I’m much better at getting the ball close to the hole with this ball than with Tour balls. Again, I’m used to the way the e6 reacts to my short game and I’ve become pretty proficient with it over time.
I think the place that the e6 really starts to shine for me is in the long game. I mentioned a couple of my biggest on-course weaknesses at the beginning of this review and the e6 is designed to help negate both of them. The inner anti-side spin layer has helped me more times than I could tell you. Will it turn your big banana slice or duck hook into a straight ball? Nope. Will it reduce your side spin to the point that a mishit may be playable or even in the fairway? Yes, it will. Since getting fit for this ball, I’ve discovered that I’ve not only found more fairways, but that my misses have been less severe. So, instead of behind a tree and in the tallest grass, I may find myself in the first cut of rough, which makes it much easier to get the ball on its way towards the green. The other feature of the e6 that has helped my game is the softness of the ball. What’s that you say? How can I call this ball soft when I just talked about the cover being on the firm side? Well, softness can mean different things. The core, and compression rating, of the e6 is very soft, which makes it much easier to compress for those of us that don’t have high swing speeds. That, coupled with the Dual Dimple design, has helped bring up my launch angle, resulting in more driver distance. I’m not just guessing on the previous statement either. This was info I learned during a ball fitting last year. I put the e6 head to head against the e5 that I was playing at the time, and for my swing, the results in terms of distance were pretty staggering.
I talked about the feel of this ball off of the putter, but I should also touch on the feel with the other clubs in my bag. I found the sound at impact to be similar to what I experienced with the putter, somewhat lower toned, or soft. With my irons, the ball felt incredibly soft and almost like hitting nothing at all. Off the driver, I swear I feel the ball compressing and just blasting off the face of the driver. In truth, I’m probably imagining all of that, but nonetheless I do enjoy the sound and feel that this ball makes when I hit it cleanly with my driver.
Overall
I just can’t say enough good things about the e6. Overall, I haven’t found a ball that works better for my game. Sure, there are some that spin more around the green, but that’s just a tiny piece of what I’m looking for in a golf ball. The first thing I’m looking for is something that helps me get to a position that I can actually get to the green. When I get there, I want something I can control enough to get the ball in the hole and I’m able to do that with the e6 as well.
So, now that I’ve professed my love for this ball, the question remains, would I recommend it to you folks reading this? The answer I would give is ‘maybe’, but I’m not the person you should be asking. What I would definitely recommend is that you take the time to get some professional advice on what ball would work best for you. If the best ball for you is the e6, then I’d say you have a great addition to your bag. Bridgestone is truly the leader when it comes to golf ball fitting and it just makes sense to take advantage of what is out there. You have the option of using a web questionnaire, speaking to a live rep via web chat, or getting on a launch monitor when they come to your area. I’ve done all three and the one that really opened my eyes was the live fitting. Numbers don’t lie and you will have access to the numbers you need to make an informed decision. We all have different needs and wants when it comes to the performance of our golf ball. Fortunately, we live during a time of unbelievable technology and selection.
You can check out more about the e6 and golf ball fitting at Bridgestone Golf’s website – www.bridgestonegolf.com. Or even easier you can click on the Bridgestone Widget to the right and get an online fitting without ever having to leave this site. You can purchase these golf balls in stores and at online retailers such as Blind9Golf. Thanks for reading and best of luck out on the course this year.
Ryan H.
Good review. I love last years model. I will make sure I try these soon.
Nice review Hawk! I’m a fan of the e6 ball, it’s a fantastic ball at a great price. I was a little leery of the dual dimple design when I first saw it, but after teeing it up the first time, the new design never bothered to catch my eye again.
Great review Hawk!! My biggest flaw off the tee was always a huge slice that no amount of anti-side spin tech would help. Now that I’m hitting the ball much straighter, I’m sure the e6 will do wonders for me. I’ve still got a few 2010 models to work through, but when their gone, you can bet I’ll be getting the 2011s.
Great review Hawk! This is a fantastic ball for the right people and I really hope a lot of people check out the Bridgestone fitting.
Thanks for the review – this makes me want to go through the fitting process with Bridgestone!
Great review, looking forward to trying out the 2011 version soon.
Excellent write up Hawk, thanks for not posting a video of you singing the Travis Tritt song! I’m very impressed with the non-tour ball offerings from Bstone, they barely make you sacrifice anything off tee or around the greens. Sounds like you found yourself a winner here buddy, congrats and again excellent review!
Awesome review hawk! Really really good read. I will definitely be picking up a sleeve to try out.
Great review. I like the older version of this ball and like you I can just fell it compress off the driver and it flies off the club face. I am now playing a ball with more spin but when it comes summer and the greens are softer at my club I will be giving the new e6 a shot again.
Great review. I will have to get a sleeve and try these out.
Awesome review thanks a lot, I went through the fitting on the website and this was the one recommended. I am picking up a dozen this weekend and really look forward to seeing the results.
Good review Hawk….the e6 was my first ‘real ball’ after learning the game with hard 2 piece balls and this ball is just a consistent performer. I like that Bridgestone is putting more tech and R&D into the e6 as well and contiues to improve on a solid ball
Very thorough review. I like the ball too.
I tried this ball and found it much harder to intentially draw or fade when desired. I guess the anti side spin worked in a detrimental way for me.
Great review. I’m looking forward to trying these out in Florida. I can’t wait to hear how they sound when I hit them. It’s amazing how different golf balls can sound so different.
For the price, e6 is a good all around golf ball, it looks good in yellow too. It is not on the par with B330 RX or Srixon Z Star, but the diffrence is minimal.
Looking forward to hitting these this year. Thanks for your write up.
Great review. Read it this morning and decided to give these a try so bought a sleeve and went to the course. OK round for the 2nd round of the season but this ball really performed well. There is no doubt that it spins less around the greens than my usual zstar but that works for me because I tend to chip/pitch short rather than long. Outting it felt very soft yet solid and rolled true and I had a little 12 foot right to left slider for eagle that rolled in nicely.
Driving and long irons, these were great. I can say that these were, by GPS, 5-15 yards longer than the ZStar with the driver for my 90-95 SS. For instance the eagle on a 505 Par 5 that I’ve never hit in two before and thesese balls will hold a green. I landed a mid-trajectory 4wood from 225 on the front of the green and it rolled out about 15 feet. i also nailed several 170-185 approach shots with my 5i that hit, hopped and rolled about 5 feet, and both of these were from the rough. These will spin enough as two bunker shots showed today. Firt a short-sided greenside shot that hit 5 feet short of the pin on a downslope and ended up 4 feet past the whole and a 40 yard bunker shot that I hit right at the pin that came in high and soft and rolled about 6 feet.
I can’t really attest to the reduced side spin because I generally hit straight or push/pull if my timing is off. The pushes and pulls aren’t really side-spinning much.
Sorry for all the typos in the preceding post. Hard to write these things on a phone!
good review – i too loved the e6 when i had problems getting off the tee. Im curious to try the new one – as my biggest problem with the e6 last year was the chipping and greenside control.
This sounded like the ball for me. I used the Bridgestone ball fitting widget and it recommended this ball for me. Then I went to the Bridgestone site and discovered they were doing a Ball Fitting at the Golf Club where t I take lessons. I had my ball fitting with the Bridgestone techs and the launch monitor indicated that the e6 cut my side spin numbers in half, increased my launch angle, and gave me another 18 yards in carry distance. They even gave me a 2 ball sleeve of the new e6. It was a very interesting experience and this is the ball I will be playing this year. Thanks THP and Bridgestone.
After further testing and fitting I went with the RXS. However, if Bridgestone could take the e6 and put a urethane cover on it. 🙂
This is an awesome review. I recently did the online fitting for my dad, and this is the ball it recommended. After reading this, I think it may be the perfect ball for him, and I’m on my way to the online store I use to buy him a couple dozen.
GR8T Review ! Captured all the high points. I got fit for this ball and gave it a try, I agree with everything you say and my swing speed is slower than yours (86). Looking forward to continue using it and I also LOVE the other colours it comes in ’cause my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
I was using the 2010 E6 and absolutely loved the ball. I could at least stay in range of the heavy hitters on the course I played with. Gave these a whirl this year and the new dimple technology didn’t work for me and my swing style. I’m already a low flight hitter so the added dimple in dimple technology tended to just drive it even lower and I lost distance. I also feel the old model reacts better with shaping shots (which I admit is already limited with the anti-spin technology. Personally I’m sticking with the 2010 model. But my friend has fallen in love with the 2011 model and improved his game dramatically because of these balls. Although I’m sticking with the 2010 model for better trajectory with my natural swing, I still feel Bridgestone continues to innovate and produce a great line of golf balls for the variety of golfers and skill levels.
I have tested the E6 and do notice the lower launch angles. I am not getting anymore distance, it just doesnt seem to go as high. The misses are less and thats always a good thing.
I actually like the e5 ball better due to the urethane cover, but the e6 and e7 are very playable balls. Kudos to Bridgestone.
Just finished second round with these. I wrote it up in the forum, but I’ll say it again; NICE ball. I am really liking it so far and it has certainly helped keep me in the fairway and it feels good off every club. Well done, Bridgestone, but you knew that. 😉
Being playing the E6 for a month and am spending more time on the fairway and less in hazards. The ball snaps nicely coupled with my G20 Ping driver. The cover will scuff rather easily if any foreign object (trees, rocks, sand) comes in contact.