NXT tour or Bridgeston B330 RX or e6?

[Birdman2]

I've never paid much attention to the type of ball I play until recently I've been hearing how important it is to stick with one ball that works for you. I usually just grab whatever is cheapest. I'm about a 20 handicap with a swing speed between 95-105mph shoot in the low 90's on a good day. The guy at one of the golf stores I went to suggested the Bridgestone B330 Rx. He then said a cheaper but similar option would be the NXT tour ($20 for 12 as opposed to $30 for the Bridgestone). Any thoughts on the ball comparison and do you think that a ball will have that much of an impact on a player of my level's game?

[LuciusWooding]

If you can get NXT tours for 20$ then stock up. They're an OK ball, I didn't really like them better than most others, my main problem was that they were overpriced.

[mvmac]

I've been playing the B330 RX for the past couple weeks after I got fit and love them.  I have not tried or hit the NXT tour or e6 but $20 seems like a really great price

[PhillyMac]

I tried the B330 RX a week ago, I liked them alot. Great Distance, spin and feel.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Started out playing Srixon AD333's. Recently decided to try out Bridgestone e6's and Titleist NXT Tours. Didn't get along as well with the e6 as the NXT Tour so that's my ball of choice now.

[Gresh24]

I was pretty much in the same boat last year.  I tried several different balls - e6, NXT Tours, and Diablo Tours.  All were solid performers with not too much noticeable differences.  I then bought a dozen Top Flite Gamer V2's for $10.  That is going to be my ball going forward.  A great 3 piece ball that does everything the others I tried did.

[chipanaputt]

Played the B330 RX for a while and absolutely nothing wrong with the ball. Went back to the Srixon Z-Star as it just seems to putt better for me. Of course that's personal choice and will depend on putter type as well, but for me the Srixon just tipped it on the putting feed-back.

Again, can't fault the Bridgestone overall, but the Srixon just won out on the putting.

[nickel_aTm]

Birdman,

I've played each of the three balls you mentioned -- a lot.  The Bridgestone B330RX is easily my favorite ball to play.  Unless you have plenty of cash to burn, however, I think the e6 or NXT Tour provide better value when you consider price vs. performance.  I found the e6 to be slightly longer but the NXT Tour spins more, which I especially like around the greens.

[Birdman2]

Sounds like I should buy a sleeve of a few different types and just try them out puttting around the house and chipping in the yard to get a feel for what balls I can control. Thanks for the ideas

[abraxas]

i actually just played a round using the B330 and e6

the B330 feels so much better and softer, esp off the driver

the e6 was almost 5-10 yards longer tho

[B-Con]

I've never paid much attention to the type of ball I play until recently I've been hearing how important it is to stick with one ball that works for you. I usually just grab whatever is cheapest. I'm about a 20 handicap with a swing speed between 95-105mph shoot in the low 90's on a good day. The guy at one of the golf stores I went to suggested the Bridgestone B330 Rx. He then said a cheaper but similar option would be the NXT tour ($20 for 12 as opposed to $30 for the Bridgestone). Any thoughts on the ball comparison and do you think that a ball will have that much of an impact on a player of my level's game?

You sure it was the NXT Tour and not the plain NXT? Because that's the price of the NXT. If you can get the NXT Tours for that price I'd go for it, that's a great bang/buck ratio. As far as impact on your game, frankly, I think that sticking with the same ball for a high handicapper is over-emphasized. If you can't control the ball, you won't notice the subtleties of how it behaves. It's unlikely you'll notice the higher/lower ball flight differences, driver spin, greenside spin, etc, without serious testing. By all means, stick with your favorite ball if you want to (I stick with my favorite myself), but I wouldn't worry about it. Most mid-priced balls perform similarly. There are a few outliars, but most are pretty close to each other. I tried a bunch of mid-priced balls (see my signature) and my final conclusion was that, after testing at least a dozen of each, usually 2 dozen, it's really hard to see any actual difference and I'd play any of them if they were free. I do have a favorite, but it's just because of a slight edge on wedge spin and a lower price. Anyway... I think the B330 Rx and NXT Tour are supposed to be relatively comparable, but the B330 Rx is going to be a bit softer. The e6 is oriented more at keeping long shots straight so it reduces driver spin. I hear it also doesn't spin as much around the greens. Of the 3, the e6 is probably going to be the most different. It all comes down to what you're looking for from a ball and what your priorities are. If you can control a part of your game to the point where you'd notice subtle differences in behavior, try out several different balls and see which one works the best.

[Derek02]

I would suggest the B330rx even if the NXT Tour is cheaper.  The urethane cover really does make a difference in the short game that the NXT Tour can't compete with.  If your main concern is improving your scores, using a ball with the ability to hold greens is very important.  All just my humble opinion.

[Derek02]

Originally Posted by B-Con

Anyway... I think the B330 Rx and NXT Tour are supposed to be relatively comparable, but the B330 Rx is going to be a bit softer.

I respectfully disagree.  Of all the mid-priced balls you tested, I do believe that they performed in a similar manor for various shots.  And I also agree that for a high handicapper, they will not really notice a difference in ball flight characteristics between the B330rx and NXT Tour; to a degree.  But I do believe that they will notice a difference in shots from 100 yards and in.  The B330rx will definitely check up better than the NXT Tour, and, if you hit 20 wedge shots with each ball from 60-80 yards, you will notice a tendency for the B330 to have a lower trajectory than the NXT.

Go with whatever ball gives you more confidence since golf is hugely mental, but I believe that even a high handicapper can tell the difference if they test them both side-by-side.

[B-Con]

And I also agree that for a high handicapper, they will not really notice a difference in ball flight characteristics between the B330rx and NXT Tour; to a degree.  But I do believe that they will notice a difference in shots from 100 yards and in.  The B330rx will definitely check up better than the NXT Tour, and, if you hit 20 wedge shots with each ball from 60-80 yards, you will notice a tendency for the B330 to have a lower trajectory than the NXT.

You're right. You noted in your post above that the B330rx has a urethane cover, which I was unaware of when I wrote my post. If a ball is urethane, it's automatically in a different class from the non-urethane balls, particularly for the short game. It looks like the entire modern B330 family has urethane covers, so I don't know why I didn't know that... Thanks for pointing that out.

[GaijinGolfer]

Id go with the B330-RX.  Its the best ball of the bunch, IMO and give the most performance for someone with an average swing speed.  Ive never been much of a fan of the NXT.  Ive found plenty of them on the course, usually play them for a few holes before tossing them into the trash and have never seen what all the fuss about them is.

[Precis1on]

I would have to say the B330-RX is the best out of that bunch. I used to play the NXT, but it just doesn't have the same feel as the Bridgestone. I was not a fan of the e6 when I tried it a couple years back, but if they've changed the ball recently, I would still put it into consideration.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Never tried B330-RX. May have to find a sleeve to try.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Precis1on

I would have to say the B330-RX is the best out of that bunch. I used to play the NXT, but it just doesn't have the same feel as the Bridgestone. I was not a fan of the e6 when I tried it a couple years back, but if they've changed the ball recently, I would still put it into consideration.

The E6 is fine, its just meant to always go straight and because of that, you arent going to get a ton of spin and its not going to check up all that well on the greens.  I pull the E6 out of the bag when Im struggling with my swing and just play shorter shots that roll up to my intended target.