Confidential Bridgestone Golf Balls Review Thread

Finally getting a chance to sit down and put some things down as to my early thoughts on these balls. I spent time at my home course with them on the putting green and also doing some chipping around the putting green. I have not put them in play on the course yet but will be working on some more chipping and pitching and maybe a few approach shots with them in the next week.

I had an assortment of other balls with me when I went out to the green so I would have a base line to compare them to. I used my Cleveland HB#1 for all testing. I had with me a ProV1, Chrome Soft, Z-Star, and a Q-Star. Putting was done with some close and then moving back working on lag putting and just trying to get an overall feel for them. I play the Z-Star quite frequently and also play Chrome Softs from time to time. I have played the Q-Star in the past and also ProV1 from time to time. I have always really liked the feel of the Z-Star and Chrome Soft with all my clubs including the putter.

For me, putting is mostly about feel. I have never particularly cared for the ProV1s when I am putting. The BLUE Bridgestone ball was like that for me. It just felt a little harsh but of course rolled just fine and I could easily be happy with the end results. The problem I really had with it was the sound. It just had a sound I can only describe as hollow and dull. I find the ProV1 to be that way as well but this was a bit worse for my taste. I had a really hard time with it and it felt a bit clunky to me as well off the face of my putter. Putting is a game within a game to me and even though the ball rolled just fine, I don't think it is something I would get used to as far as sound and feel. To me it was a bit of a turn off from the first putt and I never could get over it.


The RED ball was a different story. Again it rolled great and I was seeing the results I expected based on my game. The sound and feel though were much better then the BLUE ball. I love the soft sound and feel of the Chrome Soft more then anything else I have played on the greens. The Z-Star is a close second. The Q-Stars are not horrible either but not as good for my taste as the others. This RED Bridgestone fell somewhere between the Z-Star and the Q-Star in these regards. It was something that felt nice off the putter and did not have an off putting sound. Between the two Bridgestone balls, the RED easily takes the gold in regards to putting.

All chipping was done from the fringe with my Cobra King Black 50* wedge. I tried some shorter and some longer and again had the other balls as well. I was really trying to work more on getting the ball to release to the hole and not so much one hop and stop. I typically use a 54* for those types of shots but was limited in my time to try and work on that. I will be making more trips to the range to do so soon. Again, I always prefer Chrome Softs and Z-Stars around the green. I had the same comparison balls with me while I was chipping.

I have always found the ProV1 to release a bit too much for me and was having the same results yesterday. It just kept wanting to roll right on past the hole. Generally this is not a problem as its not that much of a difference but usually I wind up 2-3 feet past the hole. The BLUE Bridgestone was the same. I could not get it to stop at or just before the hole as I could with the Chrome Soft and Z-Star. The Q-Star was stopping a little short of the hole for me. The RED Bridgestone ball was very similar to the Chrome Soft and Z-Star in these regards but just a hair less release. I could certainly game any of them for this type of shot as I had them all within a few feet of the flag. I did prefer the feel of the RED ball again vs the BLUE ball. It wasn't a huge difference in feel but the BLUE does feel a bit more firm.

So far in a BLUE vs RED competition I would have to vote RED. It just feels and sounds better to me and while I was happy enough with the results I was seeing from both balls, the RED was much closer to what I am used to playing. I honestly think a guy looking for a cheap ball that is used to a ProV1 may have a bit more success with the BLUE ball and may prefer that ball. I am excited to see some more results when I do some longer chipping from the rough, pitch shots from the fairway and rough, and some full on iron approach shots. I am guessing both will perform fairly well but the RED is going to be a better feeling ball for me off the irons as well.
 
Nice review Stryker!

Did they mention if these are 3 or 4 piece balls?


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Nice review Stryker!

Did they mention if these are 3 or 4 piece balls?


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No, we didn’t get any info on the balls, it’s a very blind testing process.
 
Really enjoying the feedback so far and looking forward to more as you guys get some more time with them.
 
Played another few holes with the red balls today, unfortunately I lost my last one.

The flight on these is very solid, I saw no surprises except around the greens. I just couldn’t get these to stick or even slow down
The picture below was on a par three, 6 iron to a green well below the tee box, at least 1 club drop in elevation.

WXz8pJN.jpg



The ball hit into the face of an uphill slope and then erased and rolled another 15-20’ up the green. Normally I’d have expected the ball to hold or slow down some between the decent angle, and the receptiveness of the greens.

Otherwise this is a solid ball, if this ends up being on the cheaper end of the spectrum I think I could play it quite easily.
 
Played some holes with the blue today. Of the two this is my personal favorite, I’m definitely getting better spin around the green.

O4t6TG1.jpg


Same 6 iron as yesterday, but a slightly up hill green, and just seemed to react better.

I like the feel of this ball better, it feels softer off most clubs, but it’s a very narrow margin, these don’t feel night and day different to me.
 
Played some holes with the blue today. Of the two this is my personal favorite, I’m definitely getting better spin around the green.
Appreciate all the feedback from the testing going on. I will be waiting to hear what each of these balls turns out to be. I haven't really played Bridgestone a lot in the past but they are a solid ball. Just an observation, but it seems your experience and Stryker's experience seem to be exactly opposite. I'm guessing that is due to what ball each of you are used to playing?
 
Appreciate all the feedback from the testing going on. I will be waiting to hear what each of these balls turns out to be. I haven't really played Bridgestone a lot in the past but they are a solid ball. Just an observation, but it seems your experience and Stryker's experience seem to be exactly opposite. I'm guessing that is due to what ball each of you are used to playing?

I have not hit full shots yet either. The biggest problem I had with the BLUE ball was sound from my putter. Feel was not tremendous either but the sound was just terrible to me.

I will be out again soon with them and see how it goes. I am trying to keep an open mind.


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Appreciate all the feedback from the testing going on. I will be waiting to hear what each of these balls turns out to be. I haven't really played Bridgestone a lot in the past but they are a solid ball. Just an observation, but it seems your experience and Stryker's experience seem to be exactly opposite. I'm guessing that is due to what ball each of you are used to playing?

Lots of potential reasons, Possibly how we each generate spin, the ball we normally play is going to factor into that as well.
 
Nice feedback guys. It's really interesting seeing the different experiences with the same ball.
 
The joy of rural mail is always getting things a day later than predicted :laugh:

Set aside some time last night to head over the my home course to putt and chip but received notice I wouldn't get the balls until this afternoon so will have to push that back. I plan on going after my assessment much the same way as illustrated above. Starting with the short game and working farther out. With no convenient access to launch monitors most of my game will be spent with feel shots. I may try to see if I can spend some time in a booth at one of the local indoor shops for some monitor numbers. Can't wait to dive into these.

Any further updates?
 
Sorry all, got my balls mid week of a rainy week before we left for a 10 day vacation. My wife wasn't keen on me tugging around golf clubs for an anniversary trip :laugh:

I got out tonight and squeaked in a quick 9 before we got slaughtered with more rain, below is a small break down, nothing too extensive yet, hoping to get out for at least 18 in some decent weather this weekend. If not will just have to work with the weather I get.


Review Part 1
71* F -- 89% Humidity -- 0.5" of recorded rain in previous 24 hours, raining off and on during testing.

I have spent a couple days putting them around the house just to get an initial take away of any differences. Much like others there is definitely a difference in sound that is very noticeable off the putter face. The SFT (Blue) has a familiar feel and sound to a ProV1X and or Chrome Soft & Chrome Soft X. I can't depict a huge difference between either Chrome Soft. The SPD (Red) however has a noticebly more hollow/crisp sound much like a Titleist Velocity or Callaway Warbird. These results did not differ on the course.

Starting off with some 56* chip shots around the green and out of the rough, neither had amazing spin (to be expected with the lie they were placed in) but the SFT definitely checked up noticeably better than the SPD, which ran out 10 feet farther on a relatively similar shot. There isn't a crazy difference on feel with finesse shots, just the ability to check up.

Hit them with a 3 Hybrid off the tee on the following hole, the SFT was able to check up on the green. I missed my second attempt left with the SPD which landed in the rough so hard to depict what kind of run out may have occurred. Would have played a second attempt but the rain was beginning at this point and was trying to squeeze in some other shots. Again on the green, both rolled true with similar paths and distances, nothing crazy in that regard.

Next followed up on the tee with a 3 Wood shot, there was a bit difference with feel at this point, with the SPD feeling a slight bit harder, both compressing nicely and the feeling could have been a mishit on my part but again same results I would expect if I was playing a Velocity. Roll out is hard to gauge as conditions were pretty damp at this point and my 3 wood can be a little inconsistant with distance. At this point I'm still all in on the SFT because its the familiar feel I'm used to with the Chrome Soft or Vice Pro.

Overall there wasn't a crazy difference to me initially when putting either ball, both felt true off the face. Even though the SPD sounds a bit crisper, it's not enough to feel like a rock off the putter face. Around the green with chips I'm sold more with the SFT currently due to its ability to check up slightly better. Off the tee either would play out fine with my initial results.

Hoping to follow this up later this weekend with 9 holes playing either ball, and then some practice comparison with other major balls. The rain came pouring quick on me tonight, thankfully I didn't push my limits trying to squeeze in anymore rounds. Really would like to see how these balls handle on a dryer green and fairways to see what kind of spin we can get with them. Would definitely play either ball if they were up for sale, but would be a little let down if the SPD were being lobbied up in the $40+ price range, definitely feels like a more budget friendly ball.
 
I had these in play yesterday and for the most part just alternated holes. There were some times when I hit a couple of shots side by side to see if there was any real difference in how they reacted, and for the most part, I didn't SEE a big a difference. Below is a highlight of a few shots.

Shot 1 - PW2(JGR HF1) - 127 yards. Both shots hit with a touch of right to left. The Red ball hit deeper in to the green whereas the Blue ball hit kind of on a downslope. I'd be happy with both shots to be honest, and on a firmer day I would venture to guess that the Blue ball shot would have been the better of the two. The Red ball hit and released some 7-10 feet, while the Blue ball hit and ran out more in that 15 foot range. Again that one hit on a downslope, so I would expect a bit more run from that.

Blue Number(Soft Ball) -
JBrddXZlrNhpA4UgXX2oFL_7G_DCEr_4Zl7J1S_xQSN4x7adiZalahGtff8DYZW_pzD1KIUgnWC6Amy0h9yh-yaJUblUnAZ_Wp0g9NW62sOVkHeyFfDOP159ubzrTPfrORMoJm7PuL4vipyroqB9NkRN6DNYeLvMuLMtrfds-hkhM8JplMfJN2jknD9rJItZ7tuPibVdX-ZbhfHNTa0FLN5m_t4pNcLBJYu_sQKjpOJ0wTvUBpu9L5XYTa70FtIc7VuxhSYnIEw8weefakvTk21g5lG-xQ2aeICA-qvXqzuke6atjX0d_IhU0uuU-EH1hZhkhlE6tRLE_3eh30h4Y2w1vCaN43RMnAvZB2AuEeRRdv8IN_JSaAZS-PT9u2d-4uZIJXCtYYgbLmyR3FSeY56GvLOXnNfysy7UDhrvjGjHCj0SHTWHoz_21mCvIhtpJr6ddPY4krI-DVX43HTEcwwCKhSye4WpSkszJjyhgcx9uxrFGODq2oBBcFauSBqsLJTDEpVWyjU9Y8moHLG1shc-w3Pc560QszAdIV3TOoL3hFkqInIN5jUNkJjEW_v-1fxqmqCK1_S6Kzt5jedtaRrQkkp0Dc8sFCKOJKqWye070ukY5gCEIGo0Hm2-WXKK=w1251-h938-no


Red Number(Speed Ball) -
7uYA68KA1WA2Mm_p1psz4E3ASeiwaOkhEtt9xhEyk3_5Pfsm1FClImnOZwR3LPEky0hBqNvPPutgIyISRp04ru2df23v0UYy2bfeIB3bKUAXINE7_Yjwu1VYiagPQ7Z58WpSViEYcgQi297Xon4_KoZTSMnLfvpugNenGLtOck1QVh84FJcBd8mZTrcvFX6rW50NMjxUIxvpWCW0AV3N32vY-jkgkS2VrCfyd-f_LKhhWI0XtRnpKz4Wm-_fjY8b_RZ89DSsPUF8Lv9Sz-3M9pyfyP-ZNYdzcEohaBd00Xe5wJ5s4PlhdaMPA_Y_zDwnEy53tx-2Jyb9hsmQrWYWmeyMhTjAHvepH_q2w8TR_vfSada6sP5PO4l3t4nR77NKoeazYNUf-ZnnIQInEkJIwkk5VU6s-jKFIjn0QE7AKOb9OFN3VDCLH2dacUwyNdBkWHLF3AAaEErl-xJ3iAoueydYPbClYEibG6-FD-OIy3t23-VOCjh534mtht3JReB86fBt3t41vb6bOyvJQt7CRzkuKxggodQi1yj8oJ-UPa9DOblt3ivjEa9CzQo1IwYoKM6ZcsSD2r0vqnEUVNvQIsQMAev_L77fwKdnimul2-yNyFZ_V4cPnVPj3GyRo-vp=w1251-h938-no



Moving on now to a 47(thank you Bushnell laser) yard pitch shot hit with a 56 degree wedge. This one, the green is sloped back to front and the pin is on the upper back portion of the green. This time is was the reactions on the green where fairly similar, although one almost went in. What is kind of cool about this shot, is that the pitch marks are almost at the identical carry distance in to the green. The two main differences here are just the pure result, one was directly at the flag and stopped short for a tap in, while the other I needed to actually read a putt correctly for it to drop. It did, take my word for it. Just slightly more release on the ball on the left, which in this case was the blue ball.

54db0fhrT63LfcRkYTFR_f4qBjEYHQdEVMD52haZvxSKMYAdNu7Abt2sDhEde3yFAZVarsVN52ZP6CNlVs_Qc_x9rJ2-ElhsnFPuEhMh9D8_nYyivUbbUU89a3_q3lYNk3mtoIEO86XSzEbXl42ZhJZMRhpDcUPSpF1-x1ZmMWXWTImRe4C77rL9DHlLZgfl5LbE9fCwfzsJ_dtmpb_yYk2gbS1cE5Wtu7-1Kp-bR2DhZrG2SNOvY9h5JfTHw0XHl3rYBcPHs-bl_NYXj4Er6YOeQHIzZavSuA2or1YSkxsZEtceATY304sXwEEsASSOZv5vW17ubuxtWpsl6FcxeCbxv18sCk4Xn6TNBOdBOacHqeNjsH-VtItr3tQH7wVwfsUtULLVgky3FnvH3DpKhdfVwanrKF8Pwov_3ky5E_MZfcd0EGZL9rdUuWpYpZhX9h_CY3B57YbjMPcYYG2H0g2jRYDALhE47nOjj5DJTX8JDDsG8VtYB9cmD8y-d0g26uIIh1rlw0j2He4EaGl5NbLnNfCQbsj4jY8YeXjt58Uo-8iVq7o0cwD03jxxqz450jpaPCPuVZRFFjJgIn69BAukDdzZy1rynBe4sLH2-Eny7QClueFAkackAOVESk2r=w1251-h938-no


FPVFkyreR-49HJtOnd-gopfddPR3UV7I7Vx_-vRkVJvQo0qeimHN5DEuq5PQbwOKjlvzqmEcKj6agvXrvwbZTH9JOJnZtIuARKSxVsU8BpflUPtX9Rj1UP6Hk0L4wa9uE-FKqPglm9O8uFipLGS9bMJHAB65w9hFvkMAz6i-pBRrB3Be0Uq1E0AuXcQdXTKv0Xl2YDcPGTUSvYIZOIedn2BvU2ZFtwr3ZTL78B7mJiN9l2gmrfECEeS0iOl8Lh9CqanZ8SkSii_oOXYWNFRlqL7MaIRhl0VpgAL9iJxNQdxsUrRskvdFE7ksFPQ0Gr3yRI0YgrusJ5z4UsICARwAn6Y4Sk27NbsPZ-OY83LHU0gubg1I3MWUy90ou0SKS-i-UwO4GnCMTvGERhYZ44lLYzTfZUV_FgVSOyMNBc-crZu9dN5ilMRlONPROnTSYKqesfWAPnxQNHj_cxD35JHekFllw7-f612WU1MuilWXuxBDbD1KR-RYNYGuElZJDFujvYKIQpcT3SR4qMyMRXSNDHQgGeQJuR5rUfpXtC0ii9P6jGFz7y7B32LkHvCS0Bij9T__GYRXeCaYS8q0kFT--rh77alwdP4ta92IGNchp2e2U0Zy3o_uwXWrauHH0Qyy=w1251-h938-no


7GKic5ftnUaUQ7aOM6Eji5mutzEF1tMLYSCfk53yfXqwwH4RPZo84Ei6ZGk1kr11s22fPCFhDDWB54nRgvwCemFwFNYMTYaKXQhQZMJBR6m6TdRRkk2q10hGdmzJpijYkH5D_HVaEmUoPbPmOIFdN3HFIoJ1LyiHw9jwNTb_SY2uOgzc1SLhX0208VGtljVfLRclfWSrZYui68gJHpg0TjS-l2HIOmKwLDd-Dh-1ollaYBQQs8DV-GKUSHeB_Un4cMdJEa0B2VNb0svE8X7xOhCx2Yw1VIBURUnDPY1sDVvzsWE4Kl7CGIGMVo5LBRTGczlaFDdYA9BqNWwmLoTrDSmXuIZ90F96ivfuaY6-PUw05SuV6ov2Qc1TgRDjXWhpjwqzga93IIJqB2CPOY0h1fStEoJQ-YX5A1g5J3jdtkL54dTvwG1SIyJxCM637HV_vid8Y2lDIdQdDqROlJibcTwKgTj1wLB5fsA1XYKmIT37-YawruGeqnDNhEtFqp83ybCAl3HAPEWxRmcNxXnh6UznknAsANiDUjsIQCShopUyIBIekWtu6YNQC-NlFAPUSRjykQNGoezkJK3ZeCcNEuNoEJqzw8H_bK2mFHC47xLK0x6oWnRV3ZZoSJx614Xh=w1251-h938-no



Finally the shot of the day, which I posted in the NL Wedge thread, was this short sided flop shot. This was done with the Blue ball.

6L-sPvoDZaa1dK1nx89FUoxey1tg9dKgQUeMiBgLJyaDoE-2cDQ80zvd00bw0wpL8R6Zo1oCuUZ5YzjbiPtkEWtUnbhuQKQhUtgvSRF68_8sTVUNi5UtqVtlEVIMETe_ifIuQdXKnuIFWlcFApzZk6O8zG5hfoxwuWNsX1huFRNbk_1e1c1ATKLBWS6Q8U1et3gQdkvXvNI5m54ZCsUadqsnMVjXY1Fku4tienRgQavmK5r6CT1juqDok1s7Re_sUQ7qjGGQBqzWsBWoEkk4pX6aNTlYfHvn30C7lKyFfXCcLK9MwMzLD20k5r26oWVysZLK_j8Lm-MW73ZAlpo5JZNEy06n7kKcNN_Oepak3TrkMNVc00Z_UW60BLZgcCbM9VAB8kSBXBaZ7m3paCUhOmw00AJFv1I-H_7mZJQAMYI8v-PY61xqAn61lmI259LoHIQNBmcfpeAQzXaAdahrT03qaIgn_3fwFJUcSIEm7ibM9ggBctwvsBjB_KPjRbjx3jkI8bF-KfS1ekg349L24UXahlZRaajNaDRPmUxHEuMkrLIguzFwVxO-u5HQgOh2_qUIYNIoUgpndW5dbYEYE79ar6VJUEcBaTQN5njaZGfh83NM6eDLRqPbvTU_C3Yn=w1251-h938-no


3-nHP-PlhmIRMeuSgP9BGyaZ1S6VlObunOOrtkaTToJ4Ocm14OlDWbaSddXDGbeDe1ssI0u3WKWCp1c-Pi-sxAcvBJ43xNt41Zj50DsVnG6OrBeQUW6NmicOFnboH8GeZuzaDXyIk_2Rss_p4yUHAWhCojrx5Whet_7UgJ1INcebpPYu9TdqHa6AVOuQrJTS23FPJbnY-gH0wWEg46buqfwKSUqoIGwkLVxIldcKM2zBSPXLRSPtWzrt5f0CyZefgLPRgql5veERPTWbsM7IVYTklY2HZ1wjG7rsT8PHeZMUwxatw-2oRIIyPJCMdIvbJJNpC_BOA7CHCDyadFpS6nuuSbkNeuUNkUENndY4SLew7ktMSQBLlYUjA_uQbmuppctNAtf0IWELTMqsrNSXqESXw9u4YTjtBBR3UheHz0NwHBtUjrGrUq0sD3kvb7YI8U9SDK_PCbixiLrX-YJCct5K556qnel3TxQCzrxyO-PiEg6OCZj6I2p1wCFPUrfsB6tSa5khg3DguWEn-Kisaxsywf3bMZZ4q9qNHziQzDGJntb7lD87bVwYnsV2kl-qWvNuAGp2tMl4WCWhUypBQpQDAigThIO48GrtVRIvAGHnbzSdDo9RsvstKw-KYIbv=w1251-h938-no



Overall: I'm having a hard time distinguishing which ball is which when I just look at the performance, which to be honest, I kind of expected. I find the Red ball to be slightly louder or clickier off of my putter face. But outside of that, it's hard for me to hit them back to back, look at the performance, and then tell you for sure which ball is which.
 
Some good stuff so far guys. Looking forward to more.
 
Lots of rain here lately but planning an afternoon outing tomorrow and should have some more updates then.
 
Review Part 2
50* F -- 90% Humidity -- 0.21" of recorded rain on the day. It stopped raining about 30 minutes after we finished our round

Notes
Due to my wild inaccuracies off the tee, balls were played where misses would not result in a lost ball.

Front 9
I started playing with the SPD on the front. Off the tee on 1/5/6 with a 3 Wood, the ball felt a touch harder, but good contact gave better than expected distances. Nothing was flying or traveling as far as it normally does, with the temperature falling into the 40s overnight. Wet conditions lately meant everything was all carry. I average about 220yd with my 3W and was hitting between 215-220 even with the conditions, virtually all carry.

The feel off irons was much better than I anticipated. While harder than a Chrome Soft or other 3/4 piece ball, this ball plays like many of the 2 pieces I've come across over the years. Around the greens I couldn't get things to check up like I would have wanted, especially considering that it was wet. The ball would run out an extra 5-10 feet, leaving me long often. Had to adjust my targetting a bit to allow for the extra roll. I have no complaints when putting the ball, rolling true and any hard contact lost on the putter face. Again, the sound is a little different but if you aren't playing two balls side by side it's not as prevalent.

Back 9
After the turn I put the SFT ball in play. My distances seemed to drop a little bit, but because I tend to play a 3 piece ball these distances are closer to what I would see in these conditions. Soft feel with great compression off my 3 Wood was noticeably better than the front.

The ball had great spin on approach shots, often times better than I wanted leaving me short. This is where I choose to play a 3 piece ball over a 2 piece. I am not a long hitter, so often times I'm hitting longer irons into the green, and need the spin to keep me in play. Chipping around the green, flight and feel were incredible. Control isn't something I'm often known for on a course, but around the green with this ball its hard not to feel it. Off the putter face the SFT has everything I come to expect in a ball like this. True roll, soft feel breeds confidence, even when you leave them a little short or run them by.

Coming in 18
I played both balls to finish the round up and get some side by side judgement. This is where the distance of the SPD was most evident. After a solid shot with the SFT on the tee (208yd), I was able to send SPD nearly 12 yards (219yd) farther with a touch more fade. The SFT landing center fairway while the SPD came to rest near the right edge. Second shot on the SFT left me a 6i on the approach looking at roughly 167 uphill. Chunked it a little fat, coming in short of the green at 151 yards. A good second shot with the SPD and a 7i put me on the left edge, about 15 feet below the hole, after a good amount of run up the hill. Due to poor putting, I finished up with a Bogey on the SPD. A little bump and run with SFT left me what should have been a great attempt at an up and down, but ran the ball 3 feet by on the putt.

Thoughts
SFT - Would purchase and play in the future. While I did not see as much spin as I've had lately with the Vice balls, everything about this ball gave me confidence around the green. My miss with chipping is typically a hard blade on about 3-4 holes a round, I've only experienced 1 of these misses with the ball thus far. No idea if this is a mental game my mind is playing with the ball, but I love the way it feels on a wedge face. I'd probably expect these balls to sell around $45 price point.

SPD - To me, this ball comes off as more of a budget friendly ball. I have compared it to a Velocity and Warbird, so would expect it to be around the $20-25 price point and be a great ball for most people looking for added distance but not needing the feel. Not my favorite of the two, but definitely a solid ball all the way around.

Hoping it will stay dry the rest of the week so I can get out and get some more time with these, but we will see. To the people at Bridgestone, these balls have been a delight to play around with and I'm excited to see what is to come in the future from them.
 
Good stuff dude! I'm with in you that if I had to classify a feel difference, the SPD would feel slightly firmer to me. Some of that to me is the sound difference as I think it's clickier.
 
I am not 100% sure if I am playing next week or not as I will be away in Ireland and Scotland, but I am going to pack the two sleeves I have and perhaps these can get a little bit of a test on a links layout.
 
I am not 100% sure if I am playing next week or not as I will be away in Ireland and Scotland, but I am going to pack the two sleeves I have and perhaps these can get a little bit of a test on a links layout.

Your going to Ireland and Scotland and your not sure if your playing???
 
Your going to Ireland and Scotland and your not sure if your playing???

going to try and walk on a pretty special place. If that doesn't work out, I have some other ideas for a day, but this trip is more a vacation for my wife as I've been on plenty of golfing trips.
 
Good stuff dude! I'm with in you that if I had to classify a feel difference, the SPD would feel slightly firmer to me. Some of that to me is the sound difference as I think it's clickier.

Definitely the closest description I could think of for the sound. My playing partner (9HC) hit both off the tee on Saturday and said he thought it felt like a rock on the driver face, but he often plays with a soft ball.
 
Definitely the closest description I could think of for the sound. My playing partner (9HC) hit both off the tee on Saturday and said he thought it felt like a rock on the driver face, but he often plays with a soft ball.

I really didn't get that rock feeling, maybe I will pay a bit more attention during my next session. But certainly the firmer of the two IMO.
 
Well I went to play this afternoon and had full intentions of really getting after these balls but after a catastrophe on the range warming up(won’t get in to that here), I figured I was going to be too distracted to play well and would just end up losing them. It was also extremely windy which would have made it difficult to give good evaluations. I am glad I made that call as it was the worst outing I have had in at least 6 months.

I would have lost them all and had terrible feedback. I am going to try and get out on a course while at the beach this weekend if I can find a THPer or 3 to join and hopefully have a better opportunity to get some good feedback.


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Review Part 2
50* F -- 90% Humidity -- 0.21" of recorded rain on the day. It stopped raining about 30 minutes after we finished our round

Notes
Due to my wild inaccuracies off the tee, balls were played where misses would not result in a lost ball.

Front 9
I started playing with the SPD on the front. Off the tee on 1/5/6 with a 3 Wood, the ball felt a touch harder, but good contact gave better than expected distances. Nothing was flying or traveling as far as it normally does, with the temperature falling into the 40s overnight. Wet conditions lately meant everything was all carry. I average about 220yd with my 3W and was hitting between 215-220 even with the conditions, virtually all carry.

The feel off irons was much better than I anticipated. While harder than a Chrome Soft or other 3/4 piece ball, this ball plays like many of the 2 pieces I've come across over the years. Around the greens I couldn't get things to check up like I would have wanted, especially considering that it was wet. The ball would run out an extra 5-10 feet, leaving me long often. Had to adjust my targetting a bit to allow for the extra roll. I have no complaints when putting the ball, rolling true and any hard contact lost on the putter face. Again, the sound is a little different but if you aren't playing two balls side by side it's not as prevalent.

Back 9
After the turn I put the SFT ball in play. My distances seemed to drop a little bit, but because I tend to play a 3 piece ball these distances are closer to what I would see in these conditions. Soft feel with great compression off my 3 Wood was noticeably better than the front.

The ball had great spin on approach shots, often times better than I wanted leaving me short. This is where I choose to play a 3 piece ball over a 2 piece. I am not a long hitter, so often times I'm hitting longer irons into the green, and need the spin to keep me in play. Chipping around the green, flight and feel were incredible. Control isn't something I'm often known for on a course, but around the green with this ball its hard not to feel it. Off the putter face the SFT has everything I come to expect in a ball like this. True roll, soft feel breeds confidence, even when you leave them a little short or run them by.

Coming in 18
I played both balls to finish the round up and get some side by side judgement. This is where the distance of the SPD was most evident. After a solid shot with the SFT on the tee (208yd), I was able to send SPD nearly 12 yards (219yd) farther with a touch more fade. The SFT landing center fairway while the SPD came to rest near the right edge. Second shot on the SFT left me a 6i on the approach looking at roughly 167 uphill. Chunked it a little fat, coming in short of the green at 151 yards. A good second shot with the SPD and a 7i put me on the left edge, about 15 feet below the hole, after a good amount of run up the hill. Due to poor putting, I finished up with a Bogey on the SPD. A little bump and run with SFT left me what should have been a great attempt at an up and down, but ran the ball 3 feet by on the putt.

Thoughts
SFT - Would purchase and play in the future. While I did not see as much spin as I've had lately with the Vice balls, everything about this ball gave me confidence around the green. My miss with chipping is typically a hard blade on about 3-4 holes a round, I've only experienced 1 of these misses with the ball thus far. No idea if this is a mental game my mind is playing with the ball, but I love the way it feels on a wedge face. I'd probably expect these balls to sell around $45 price point.

SPD - To me, this ball comes off as more of a budget friendly ball. I have compared it to a Velocity and Warbird, so would expect it to be around the $20-25 price point and be a great ball for most people looking for added distance but not needing the feel. Not my favorite of the two, but definitely a solid ball all the way around.

Hoping it will stay dry the rest of the week so I can get out and get some more time with these, but we will see. To the people at Bridgestone, these balls have been a delight to play around with and I'm excited to see what is to come in the future from them.
Nice write up! More and more I find myself favoring the softer golf balls.. I reflect back on how I bit on the l advertising pushine the budget 2 piece harder balls for distance and being straight, but that feedback off the clubs, approaches, and putting is what makes the bigger difference.

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I really didn't get that rock feeling, maybe I will pay a bit more attention during my next session. But certainly the firmer of the two IMO.

I hit both balls with Driver / 3 Wood / 3 Hybrid yesterday and did not get the rock feeling either. Was actually pretty impressed at how well each felt off the face. I didn't see any drastic number differences on these however cold and extremely wet conditions I wasn't so surprised. Finally lost my final SFT which I'm a bit bummed out about. Hooked it into the water coming up 18, then bolted the SPD out in the middle of the fairway. Fitting, I suppose.

Last little bit I have of any formal review would be to reiterate that while the SPD feels like the harder ball, it felt fine off the face on good contact so it's still definitely a great ball to play. I wouldn't make the change from a supersoft to it, but it has good enough feel. I loved playing with the SFT and would be interested to have seen the yardage differences with both in warmer weather. Picked up a a Bridgestone Tour BXS while playing as well, and must say they've been great balls all around to play with. The Bridge logo also makes for a great clean face on the ball from an aesthetics perspective.

Would love to see what others have to say with their experiences.
 
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