Member Review Roll Call: Bridgestone E Series Golf Balls

[Fromthecoast]

Is this opportunity  still available? I've played the e5 and e6 somewhat before. Really like the spin with irons on e5 without having to give up on some distance characteristics

[mvmac]

  Fromthecoast said:

Is this opportunity  still available? I've played the e5 and e6 somewhat before. Really like the spin with irons on e5 without having to give up on some distance characteristics

Unfortunately it's not, balls have already been shipped out.

[trickyputt]

  Fromthecoast said:

Is this opportunity  still available? I've played the e5 and e6 somewhat before. Really like the spin with irons on e5 without having to give up on some distance characteristics

Those are the characteristics I like as well. I have never taken the opportunity to closely look at the ball, because I just play for fun and it is definitely fun to smash them off the tee. Breaking them down will probably ruin it for me though and I will end up chasing after some detail after learning what really makes them tick.

[cmbrown33]

Would love to try but these are too hard for me. Won't help you out too much haha

[trickyputt]

Here is the thing...the compression numbers we all hear are numbers like 60, 80 or 90, and we may even have a preference. The problem is the scale runs from 0 to 200. So...when i hear some one say its too hard, and I know they are less than half on the scale, I sorta see this idea of 1/10 of an inch deflection (which is half) being to stiff, and at the same time I know that the more compression a ball has the more spin it has, which is bad from the tee, but better for green shots. I actually want to ask why a compression of 150 or so isnt a good idea? I know feel is important, but if the energy of a tee shot could be significantly conserved and expressed in greater distance, why would one not learn to hit it?

[Club Rat]

I don't know if ball with a compression of 150 or so would hold together very well or very long.

Think about the many balls which burst, years ago.

Found an article which may enlighten your thoughts.

Golf Ball Compression - The Squish Factor

Golf ball compression is a word or a term that applies to the density of your golf ball. What it really means for the average golfer: is a form of measurement that tells the player how hard or soft the golf ball really is.

How Do You Tell the Compression?
Some golf balls will have little number tattooed or marked on the side of the golf ball. Other golf ball manufacturers have gone a head and listed the compression right on the packages of the balls when you purchase them along with an explanation. These numbers or compression measurements range form 70 to 110 depending on the type of ball.

What do these numbers mean? Well, a ball with a number 70 marked on it means it is one of the softer balls on the market. Vice versa for the ones marked with 110. These number listings were more prevalent in the 1990's and no so much now due the advancements in technology in the golf balls.

When the golfer hits the ball with the club it is basically squished flat at the moment of impact. That golf ball then springs back into its original shape. This type of ball would have a lower or softer compression rating. (Squished easier at impact) A golf ball that is harder or has a higher compression number will take more energy and strength to squish the ball at impact.

A general rule of thumb about golf ball compression is that players with a lower swing speed should use a lower compression ball to take advantage of the added spring affect. A golfer with a higher swing speed should use a higher compression golf ball so they don't squish it to much and loose the effect of the ball.

Myths About Compression
A myth about compression is that higher compression balls will travel further. That is not true or all balls would have the highest number possible to get the added distance. One other thing to remember is that outside air temperature can have an effect on which ball you should be using. When its colder outside a higher compression ball will feel like a rock because of its density mixed with cold weather. You might loose a little feel under these conditions and prefer going to a lower compressed ball.

Don't let the density number on the ball determine which ball you use, you have to try each type out to see which one suits you better. The golf ball compression is actually there to help you maximize your game. So take advantage of it when you can.

Club Rat

[trickyputt]

I have read articles with that thesis but I have two disagreements. One is the transfer of energy being absorbed and thus wasted in what this article expresses as a spring effect fails in my mind because the ball polymer has less spring than the face and is thus a net absorber of energy. Two is the idea of bursting, which would be cool actually as far as bragging rights go, but with modern polymer balls inside 150 compression probably outside the capacity of anybody except iron byron plugged into a high tension tower. Extraordinairely stiff materials do not lose as much human energy as springier material. Examples are the efficiency people find in extremely stiff high end bicycles and in a really extreme example the gossamer condor, a bicycle powered airplane capable of extended flight. Springs, in short, waste energy in the act of bending. It is expressed in the form of heat which is lost by the material to the environment. Bursting is more interesting, but modern balls are polymers and polymers are plastic, which by definition have plastic properties, the predominate of these properties being a material capacity to be deformed into diverse dimensions yet return to its original shape. Wound balls, like a wound baseball with a leather cover, could have the dissimiliar layers separated with force, but the modern ball is laminated with much more similiar materials at a molecular level, all polymer, and less likely to suffer delamination at the boundary layer even under pressure as a result.

[Club Rat]

  trickyputt said:

I know feel is important, but if the energy of a tee shot could be significantly conserved and expressed in greater distance, why would one not learn to hit it?

How long would a ball last and would a limited number of golfers use a ball made with high compression?

Ball manufacturers are targeting specific products for a wide variety of swing speeds.

Also, USGA has guidelines, could 150 compression exceed the limitations?

Club Rat

[trickyputt]

That may be it. I read about a gadget they use for testing acceleration forces that looks like a pitching machine, and the balls are limited in distance so at least that lays the groundwork for an internet rumour.

[meenman]

First impressions on the E6 were good today - lets see if it continues the next couple of rounds

[trickyputt]

I cant get out until Sunday morning. Kinda green about it.

[WUTiger]

I received my e6 golf balls a couple of days ago. I'll do the launch monitor test next week, and the field test the following week at Myrtle Beach! (Sometimes you have to go to the sunshine).

[No Mulligans]

Just got mine.  Since I don't play one ball, just play balls I find...  I'm going to compare to a ProV1.  For the next month I'll alternate rounds between the E6 and the ProV1.

I'll also practice putting, chipping and short pitch shots with those two balls side by side.

[drifterdon]

I played a round Saturday with the e-5 balls  and like them a lot. I will be playing again this week and concentrate on the feel off of the tee and flight characteristics.

[dkolo]

I've also been playing with the e5 balls for a few weeks now. I'll put together a review soon but it's an interesting ball.

[Shindig]

Darn, now I'm starting to worry the balls may have been nicked; package security at my building isn't perfect. I have dug out my remaining older model e6s and thrown a few sleeves into my bag. Now I really want to play them again.

[mvmac]

Please post your e5 reviews here

http://thesandtrap.com/products/2015-bridgestone-golf-e5-golf-ball#

Your e6 reviews here

http://thesandtrap.com/products/2015-bridgestone-golf-e6-golf-balls#

Everyone post your review here

http://thesandtrap.com/t/80512/tst-2015-bridgestone-ball-testing-e5-and-e6-golf-balls

[Kchauv]

I got my balls late last week. I'm playing Thursday and hopefully again next week. After that I'll post my review. Thanks again for the chance to test e6