Golf Ball Question

[Brian W]

10 hours ago, 1badbadger said:

Sorry I'm late to the party...just noticed this thread and thought I might be able to provide some information. I'm an equipment tech and worked for Bridgestone for over 9 years up until a few months ago, so I have some insight that might be helpful.

The B330-RXS is a 3-piece, urethane covered ball designed for good players who swing under 105 mph with their driver. It's a very high spinning model and will have great control around the green.  It's very different from the e6.  They are both 3-piece balls, but the e6 has a Surlyn cover which is more durable than urethane and less expensive, but doesn't create as much spin.  The e6 is a low spin ball by design though, so a Surlyn cover is perfect. Typically, less spin = more distance and straighter shots, so for most players the e6 will be longer and straighter than the RXS, but for players who like to shape their shots and who want maximum control around the green, the RXS is a great choice.

I would caution against purchasing refurbished or reconditioned balls.  I know the price is attractive, but there are a few things to consider...  

The majority of second-hand balls are recovered from water hazards. Contrary to what some people think, golf balls do absorb water. The amount adsorbed varies among different types of balls and how long they are submerged, but even drying at high temperatures will not completely rid the ball of the water.  It's impossible to know how long each ball in a batch was laying at the bottom of a pond, so the performance will be different from ball-to-ball. Submersion in water will result in the permanent adverse effect on the performance of a golf ball.

To save some money, I would suggest buying new "prior gen" balls (prior generation) which are discounted.  You'll still be playing a good ball at a lower price.  Hope this helps!

Thanks for the info.  I think the ones that I tried out were AAA and have very slight issues.  For me, that works out great.  When I am playing competitively, I use the out of the box balls and these for just regular weekly play

[natureboy]

On 1/2/2017 at 10:54 PM, 1badbadger said:

I would caution against purchasing refurbished or reconditioned balls.  I know the price is attractive, but there are a few things to consider...  

The majority of second-hand balls are recovered from water hazards. Contrary to what some people think, golf balls do absorb water.

To save some money, I would suggest buying new "prior gen" balls (prior generation) which are discounted.  You'll still be playing a good ball at a lower price.  Hope this helps!

X-outs are also an option. Generally cosmetic issues with high end / high quality control products.

[dbuck]

I also like the Bridgestone 330 series, and also the Titleist ProV1. I think they are pretty equal in terms of performance, at least for me.

I will concur with badbadger in that I would stay away from refurbished balls. You don't always know what that repaint is covering up. On the other hand, I don't think you would notice the difference in performance of "practice" or "x-outs" from the original manufacturer.

In a $20 street price point, I like the Titleist DT SoLo, and they have a new one at about $25 I intend to try.

I don't generally go for the $30 price point balls, as you can get the pro-line "practice" or "x-outs" for that to use in casual rounds, and I will splurge for the new ones for the occasional tournament.

One thing that makes me splurge a bit is that my home course is not too bad of a ball monster--I don't lose too many.