Got my ball fitted today!

[thr33]

Hi! I went to the driving range today and the Bridgestone guys were there fitting people for balls. They had me hit in front of a launch monitor (first time ever doing that) and told me that my main problem was that my backspin is too low (~2100 rpm), and that I should switch to a different ball. What other factors besides the ball affect backspin generated? Is it in the driver/shaft? Thanks in advance!

[paperclip]

Could be one or all of - shaft, driver head design, driver loft, swing path. Which of their balls did they suggest for you?

[gogolfing]

I've had clubs fit on a launch monitor but would love to give it a try to be fitted for a ball. Sounds like a cool experience. What was their recommendation for you?

[Grndslmhttr3]

I bet it was their most expensive ball on the market.

[EquipmentJunkie]

I bet it was their most expensive ball on the market.

That's possible but when the rep came down to our local range he fitted most of the guys into the E5, especially those with hook/slice issues, since it's an anti-spin ball.

[Shindig]

That's possible but when the rep came down to our local range he fitted most of the guys into the E5, especially those with hook/slice issues, since it's an anti-spin ball.

A while back, I was fit into an e6 by a similar process (Bridgestone at the Anaheim Roger Dunn range). It worked great. I've since found balls that I hit farther, but none that I hit as accurately.

[st0wgolf08]

That's possible but when the rep came down to our local range he fitted most of the guys into the E5, especially those with hook/slice issues, since it's an anti-spin ball.

Do you mean the E6? The E5 is the spinnier one, the E6 is the straight.

[HarrowGolfer]

That's possible but when the rep came down to our local range he fitted most of the guys into the E5, especially those with hook/slice issues, since it's an anti-spin ball.


The e5+ has a spin rate of 12,140 RPM
The e6+ has a spin rate of 7,651 RPM

I can't see how they would recommened the e5+ for slicers, if so I'm playing the wrong ball.

[thr33]

Yes, I was actually fitted for the Bridge B330s which happens to be the most expensive ball that they make :P There were also guys there who had other Bridgestone balls along with people who were advised to stick with their normal ball, so I don't think it's a marketing gimmick.

[thr33]

Oh, and wow! The new B330s balls feel really really nice compared to the range balls I was hitting before my fitting session :P

[kurtwainwright]

I had the same type of Bridgestone sponsored ball fitting.
You use your own driver and the ball you are currently using. You hit 5 or 6 drives into the net and they gather all the appropriate data.
Next, they have you hit one or two different Bridgestone balls.

I was using a Callaway Hot Bite at the time. It was working ok for me. When I'd hit a good drive, it flew straight. But when I hit a bad drive.... it sliced like CRAZY. They had me hit both the e5+ and the e6+ and the anti-spin properties of the e6+ increased my drive by 15 yards and reduced side spin off the tee by about 1500 RPMs. I don't recall the exact side spin data.

From what I've read, Bridgestone is the #1 ball in Japan whereas Titleist is the #1 in USA. I've yet to find a Titleist ball that has the side-spin reduction properties of the e6+.

Case in point. Recently, me and a buddy took a golf vacation out to Bandon Dunes. I didn't know it before I departed, but apparently the entire resort has a contract with Titleist to supply them with all of the balls they sell in their pro shops. So it was impossible to find other brands. I didn't pack any of my own balls for the trip because they tend to make my bag weigh more than the airlines will allow without having to pay an excess fee. My game suffered from it, but I still had a good time.