E5 /e6 vs dt solo

[lajito64]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will try the E6 soon. Once it warms up.

[teed off]

When playing in cooler weather, you may want to compare the E6 with the Wilson Staff DUO. Both are lower compression balls and both are lot cheaper than the Pro V! or B-330.

[gbdoc]

MimiBlueDragon,

I’m certainly no technical expert, but I can’t quite agree with your disagreements. Surely, you can hardly be arguing that 1. balls don't vary with regard to compression - some lower, some higher; or 2. there’s no difference between stiff shafts and more flexible ones, senior, or ladies’, for instance. Nor can I believe you think swing speed has no bearing on choice of this equipment. C’mon. Aside from manufacturer’s published specs and other reports, my own experience, however unscientific, is hardly meaningless. Shafts: when I hit woods and long irons today with a stiff shaft, it’s like swinging a 2x4, and balls go nowhere. When I was 40-50 years younger and tried senior flex (I then played stiff), I had to slow everything down, really wait for the clubhead to come through, and everything was spongy and shorter. Balls: ProV1x’s, a very good high-compression ball, feel to me on full swings like hitting a heavy rock, even though their cover makes them fine for putts and touchy-feely shots around the green. Sure, the cover contributes a great deal to “sound-feel”, and perhaps to ball roll off putts, but what’s underneath that plays a far larger role to overall ball compression. Take a look at this other thread: http://thesandtrap.com/t/70556/what-golf-ball-goes-the-furthest-really >

All that notwithstanding, I suspect that scientific data plays a far smaller role in these things than personal taste, preference, and expectations – especially for not-scratch golfers. A lot of things in life are like that.

[MiniBlueDragon]

@gbdoc,

I believe the amount of compression required to get the best possible return on your shots is governed by the number of cores and the density of those cores? The firmer the cores are the more clubhead speed is required to compress them and for then to uncompress and travel. The outer of the ball is primarily for generating spin, hence a softer ball will spin more than a harder ball (which is another reason why "distance" balls are harder). When I hit a ProV1 as an example it feels heavy and soft whereas a distance ball feels light and hard.

Regarding shaft flex I'm saying that the comment of "nobody with a handicap in the double figures can use a stiff shaft" (to paraphrase) - If a player has a handicap of 28 and is just starting out but has a swing speed with their 6i of 86mph they're immediately better off with a stiff shaft irrelevant of their handicap or skill level. As you said above you had to manufacture a slower swing speed to be able to hit the regular flex shaft accurately which is exactly what I was saying but in reverse; faster swing speed = stiffer flex.

Yes there's an argument to say that the player should be slowing their swing down to perfect the movements of the swing but in reality most people have a swing speed which feels natural to them and they will always gravitate back to that swing speed so why fight it and have an incorrect flex?

[gbdoc]

I think we agree on this, after all. When I talk about "soft" or "hard", I'm generally thinking about a ball's compression, rather than the consistency of the cover. And compression's dependent on what's inside the cover - 2-piece, 3 or 4-piece, wound (remember "wound"?), and what these are made of. Of course a lot of things about the cover make a big difference, too (balata?), but that generally has less to do with distance (on good hits). As for shafts, I guess I was thinking more about people like me, older, 12+ hcp, who can't (any more, maybe never could) generate whiz-bang clubhead speed. But sure, anyone who CAN swing it really fast WILL swing it really fast, and will be best off with a stiff(er) shaft, regardless of age or hcp. Those who can't are better served if they faced that reality, and stopped trying to play the clubs and balls the young, strong pros are using. For me, senior graphite shafts (and no more Miura blades, much as I loved them once upon a time) and softer balls have been a big benefit, and keep me smiling on the course more often.

[MiniBlueDragon]

I think we agree on this, after all. When I talk about "soft" or "hard", I'm generally thinking about a ball's compression, rather than the consistency of the cover. And compression's dependent on what's inside the cover - 2-piece, 3 or 4-piece, wound (remember "wound"?), and what these are made of. Of course a lot of things about the cover make a big difference, too (balata?), but that generally has less to do with distance (on good hits). As for shafts, I guess I was thinking more about people like me, older, 12+ hcp, who can't (any more, maybe never could) generate whiz-bang clubhead speed. But sure, anyone who CAN swing it really fast WILL swing it really fast, and will be best off with a stiff(er) shaft, regardless of age or hcp. Those who can't are better served if they faced that reality, and stopped trying to play the clubs and balls the young, strong pros are using. For me, senior graphite shafts (and no more Miura blades, much as I loved them once upon a time) and softer balls have been a big benefit, and keep me smiling on the course more often.

Ah I see. Probably a terminology disconnect then methinks. Hitting a heavier-feeling 3 or 4 piece ball with a soft urethane cover feels 'soft' for me despite the 'heavier' feel to it whereas a lighter 2 piece ball feels hard to me. Confusing or what? :)

Altogether, my opinion is that most of us who aren't single-handicappers - and that's probably most of us - can't use balls like the V1x effectively, any more than we can use stiff shafts, and probably would do best with balls even softer than the V1.

I think the above was what threw me with shafts as it reads like you're saying nobody can use a stiff shaft except for a professional or single handicap player.

When I went for a fitting with Mizuno the Swing DNA device they use put me smack bang in the middle of the "stiff" band of shafts even though I was playing off 24 at the time because my instinct is to try and kill the ball (something I still try and rein-in now!)

I agree about people wanting to use shafts stiffer than they should be solely for kudos though. :/

[KyleAnthony]

i switched from prov1x to E5 and love it. they are cheaper and i can still spin the ball back on the greens. driving distance isn't so different where i have taken notice. good luck out there