Interesting results when putting with 4 different balls

[McShank]

First this should have a BIG asterisk on it, as I am a high handicap and this was not done on an actual green.

The 4 balls used were a Nike 20XI-S, Bridgestone E6 (w/dual dimple), Tommy Armour Silver Scot and a Wilson Maximum.

Putter used was an Odyssey White Ice D.A.R.T. Blade.

I found that I was least accurate with the Bridgestone E6, followed by the Nike 20XI-S then the Wilson and most accurate with the Tommy Armour Silver Scot.

Doing this has intrigued me to do a full on Drive, Iron, Chip and Putt comparison between the 4. I'm going to take three of each to the course with me and tee off one of each on one Par 5, two Par 4's and one Par 3.

I am going to wait to do this until I get my Razr Hawk this friday for the driver portion, razr X irons will be used, the chip shots with a razr x approach wedge, razr x pitching wedge or an adams puglielli 56* and putting with my trusty D.A.R.T. blade.

Excited to see the results!

[cruzthepug]

I'm not sure "accurate" is the best description, unless your using some type of mechanical swing device to putt the ball the same every time. "Inconsistent" is probably the best word to describe what your experiencing and I found the same thing while trying out different balls this summer. I think the differences have to do with how the cover of the ball reacts with the insert on the Odyssey putters. Some like it, and some don't.

My theory on ball covers and the putter insert is only that, a theory and I could be completely off base but that how it seems to me, and like you, I found the E6 to be really inconsistent.

You may want to try the same test with a different putter to see what your results are.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by McShank

I found that I was least accurate with the Bridgestone E6,

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

like you, I found the E6 to be really inconsistent.

Same for me. The Bridestone E6 seems to feel lighter and harder than other balls on the surface and so it tends to bounce off the putter face and "skitter" a short way before biting and rolling. My remaining 3 sleeves of them are solely being used for days when my drives are way off target.

[The Tin Man]

This is why we can't change balls after teeing off, or I would use a Distance Ball from Tee, Ladies Soft for Wedges, and a Hard Ball for Putting.

[B-Con]

I've tried multiple mid-priced balls side-by-side on the putting green and found no describable advantage to one or another. I agree that there are slightly different feels and sounds, but they pretty much go the same distance with the same roll. Maybe a urethane cover would be softer and would go a little less distance, but I can't imagine anything else playing a significant roll. We hit the ball so slowly all that matters is the cover, and they pretty much all weight the same. Maybe different cores would make a difference in weight/resistance feel, but I'd have a hard time believing that anyone not super precise with their putting could claim their putting performance was altered by the actual ball. There's a difference when it comes to chipping, as some balls will bite a little more or travel a tad farther, and differences just get magnified from there as you hit the ball harder, but I've not found a discernable difference when putting.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by B-Con

I've tried multiple mid-priced balls side-by-side on the putting green and found no describable advantage to one or another. I agree that there are slightly different feels and sounds, but they pretty much go the same distance with the same roll. Maybe a urethane cover would be softer and would go a little less distance, but I can't imagine anything else playing a significant roll. We hit the ball so slowly all that matters is the cover, and they pretty much all weight the same. Maybe different cores would make a difference in weight/resistance feel, but I'd have a hard time believing that anyone over, say, a 10 HDCP could claim their putting performance was altered by the actual ball.

There's a difference when it comes to chipping, as some balls will bite a little more or travel a tad farther, and differences just get magnified from there as you hit the ball harder, but I've not found a difference when putting.

Bridgestone E6 = Cover hardness 85

Titleist ProV1 ("spin rate similar to the Titleist Pro V1" as I couldn't find the Penta on the website) = Cover hardness 76

The Penta TP can therefore be estimated to be around 11% softer than the Bridgestone.

Sources:

http://www.golfballtest.org/wp-content/themes/blixed/pdf/MPI_CompressionHardness_Test_GBSv2.08_FINAL_GBTversion.pdf

http://www.golfballtest.org/?cat=18

In regard to weight I have no access to digital scales, however in a hand-by-hand comparison, swapping balls over between hands, the Penta TP feels heavier to me.

In any event all I've done is express what I myself have found to be the case when putting with both the e6 and the Penta TP, even if I don't have a 10 handicap to allow me to tell the difference.

For me , the e6 tends to skip across the surface for a way before it 'bites' and starts to roll correctly. I've found that generally my putts with the e6 tend to be less correct on speed than playing with the Penta TP and a lot of putts drop short or go long. I can't be 100% sure but to me the skipping at the beginning feels like it's adjusting how far it rolls.

[cruzthepug]

This is from the USGA

2. Weight

Appendix III, 2 states that a ball must not weigh more than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois (45.93 gm). This is one of the simpler tests because all that is required is an accurate scale. There is no minimum weight, thus a ball can be as light as the manufacturer desires.

I weighed these ball on my scale and got 46 grams on all of them

2011 Bridgestone E6

2010 E6

Bridgestone B330 RXS

Callaway tour iZ

Nike Tour D

Nike Tour Speed

Srixon Q-Star

Titleist NXT tour

[MiniBlueDragon]

I'd assume then that the Penta is the same weight too. If the weight is playing psychological tricks on me then it stands to reason that the ball skipping could do too.

Would be interested to see if anyone else has both balls to hand to see what they think.

[cruzthepug]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

I'd assume then that the Penta is the same weight too. If the weight is playing psychological tricks on me then it stands to reason that the ball skipping could do too.

Would be interested to see if anyone else has both balls to hand to see what they think.

I had a Penta TP from the 6 ball sample pack I got from Taylormade......

I got my other scale from my re-loading bench and weighed again

E6 - 45.34 grams

Penta TP - 45.88

B330 RXS - 45.76

NXT tour - 45.89

Nike tour D - 45.68

Q-Star - 45.63

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

I had a Penta TP from the 6 ball sample pack I got from Taylormade......

I got my other scale from my re-loading bench and weighed again

E6 - 45.34 grams

Penta TP - 45.88

B330 RXS - 45.76

NXT tour - 45.89

Nike tour D - 45.68

Q-Star - 45.63

Thanks but I highly doubt that I can differentiate between a 45.34g ball and a 45.88g ball using only my hands so I highly suspect it's psychological.

Do you find that the e6 skips a short way before rolling when it's putted compared to the Penta or am I truely going mental?

[B-Con]

Bridgestone E6 = Cover hardness 85

Titleist ProV1 ("spin rate similar to the Titleist Pro V1" as I couldn't find the Penta on the website) = Cover hardness 76

The Penta TP can therefore be estimated to be around 11% softer than the Bridgestone.

Sources:

http://www.golfballtest.org/wp-content/themes/blixed/pdf/MPI_CompressionHardness_Test_GBSv2.08_FINAL_GBTversion.pdf

http://www.golfballtest.org/?cat=18

In regard to weight I have no access to digital scales, however in a hand-by-hand comparison, swapping balls over between hands, the Penta TP feels heavier to me.

In any event all I've done is express what I myself have found to be the case when putting with both the e6 and the Penta TP, even if I don't have a 10 handicap to allow me to tell the difference.

For me , the e6 tends to skip across the surface for a way before it 'bites' and starts to roll correctly. I've found that generally my putts with the e6 tend to be less correct on speed than playing with the Penta TP and a lot of putts drop short or go long. I can't be 100% sure but to me the skipping at the beginning feels like it's adjusting how far it rolls.

Well, the one stipulation I did make was with regard to cover hardness. I thought that urethane balls tend to be in a class of their own when it comes to softness, but I don't know for sure. Regardless of material, though, I wouldn't be suspicious of a claim that ball distance is noticeably affected by the hardness of the cover. The ball's roll [i]might[/i] be influenced by the core. A smaller, more dense core might revolve a tad more easily than a larger core, while both weighing the same, but that's a guess (it's probably more complicated than just thinking about the ball's inertia), and I wouldn't expect it to influence total distance noticeably.

[funkyfred72]

What else do you use that scale to measure in grams?  HAHA!!  I'm just kidding.

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

I had a Penta TP from the 6 ball sample pack I got from Taylormade......

I got my other scale from my re-loading bench and weighed again

E6 - 45.34 grams

Penta TP - 45.88

B330 RXS - 45.76

NXT tour - 45.89

Nike tour D - 45.68

Q-Star - 45.63

[cruzthepug]

Originally Posted by funkyfred72

What else do you use that scale to measure in grams?  HAHA!!  I'm just kidding.

LOL.....it's my scale for measuring gun powder to re-load ammo. It measures grams and grains.

[cruzthepug]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Thanks but I highly doubt that I can differentiate between a 45.34g ball and a 45.88g ball using only my hands so I highly suspect it's psychological.

Do you find that the e6 skips a short way before rolling when it's putted compared to the Penta or am I truely going mental?

I only used the Penta for 1 round and I really don't remember it skipping, but I did not like putting with it. Maybe it was skipping, don't know. I gave away the rest of the 6-pack.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by cruzthepug

I only used the Penta for 1 round and I really don't remember it skipping, but I did not like putting with it. Maybe it was skipping, don't know. I gave away the rest of the 6-pack.

Nah it was the e6 that skips for me. The Penta just feels solid and smooth.

[Gresh24]

Hmm.  I like the performance of the e6 putting...