Bridgestone Golf Balls:  Something for Everyone

Too many Bridgestone golf balls? Bridgestone bills itself as the "#1 Ball Fitter in Golf." I've never been through the ball-fitting process, but there are certainly plenty of different Bridgestone golf balls to choose from. The company's current lineup includes the Bridgestone Tour B330, the Tour B330-S, the Tour B330-RX, the Tour B330-RXS, the e5, the e6, the e7, and the mysteriously-named xFIXx.

I often wish more golf ball companies would name their products in a more straightforward way. For example, it's easy to remember "Callaway Big Bertha" or "Pinnacle Exception." And, because it's easy to remember their names, it's also easier to remember their playing characteristics.

It's not as easy to remember "Bridgestone Tour B330-RXS," and it's even harder to remember whether you prefer the "Bridgestone Tour B330-RXS" or the "Bridgestone Tour B330-RX." All these "similar but different" names can make it confusing.

So, my goal here is to give you some basic information about the current Bridgestone golf balls.

Bridgestone Tour B330

This is one of the top-dog Bridgestone golf balls, designed for golfers with professional-caliber swings faster than 105 mph. It's optimized to maximize distance by reducing driver backspin and promoting faster ball speeds, but its urethane cover also delivers exceptional greenside control. In short, it's a direct competitor of the Titleist Pro V1x. The Tour B330 has a slightly firmer feel and is slightly longer than the Pro V1x, but overall, the two have similar playing characteristics.

Because it performs best with tour-type swing speeds, the Tour B330 might be "too much ball" for many amateurs. We're simply unable to generate the club head speeds it requires.

Bridgestone Tour B330-S

Also optimized for swing speeds faster than 105 mph, the Tour B330-S shares many characteristics with the Tour B330. But, while the Tour B330 emphasizes distance, the Tour B330-S is designed to promote maximum greenside spin control without sacrificing much distance. I'm guessing the "S" in its name stands for "spin."

Bridgestone Tour B330-RX (Available in White and "Optic Yellow")

Now we're starting to get into "my" territory. Bridgestone calls this ball the "first Tour Performance series ball designed for amateur swing speeds less than 105 mph." That's me, and I bet it describes a lot of you, too. It's not cheap, but I can vouch for its performance - this is actually one of my favorite balls. It's designed for average golfers but delivers performance that would please many golf professionals. It's one of the longest, softest and most accurate of all the Bridgestone golf balls. Its spin rates off irons are average, so you wouldn't call it a "spin ball." Still, though, it has a great combination of playing characteristics that would thrill most recreational golfers. I won my club's member-member with this ball.

Bridgestone Tour B330-RXS

There's that "S" again. Start with the Tour B330-RX, remove a little distance (not much) and add a little more short-iron spin, control and feel. Voila - the Tour B330-RXS. This is a very playable ball for mid- to low-handicap amateurs.

Bridgestone e5

Bridgestone says its e5 is the only two-piece ball with a urethane cover. The cover promotes greenside spin, but the ball also has a large, high-energy core and "Dual Dimple Technology" to help create more ball speed and distance. As a result, this "distance ball" won't disappoint you around the greens.

Bridgestone e6 (Available in White, "Optic Yellow" and Orange)

This is Bridgestone's "straight distance" ball. If your shots frequently stray right or left, the e6 could be a good choice - it's designed to reduce sidespin off the tee in order to control a tendency to slice or hook. Its Dual Dimple Technology promotes distance, so your shots will be longer in addition to straighter. The company says the e6 is the softest multi-layer ball on the market.

Bridgestone e7

If you already hit ‘em straight but you want more length, the e7 is Bridgestone's "pure distance" ball. Its multi-layer design and Dual Dimple Technology promote a lower, more penetrating ball flight for longer carry-and-roll.

Bridge xFIXx

Often just called "The Fix," the xFIXx is aimed at "fixing" the games of many recreational players. It's long and soft, and it delivers more short-game spin and control than weekend players typically get from other balls. It also promotes a higher launch and less backspin and sidespin off the tee to "fix" many players' drives. "Xtra" distance, "Xtra" spin, and "fixing" players' games. Now I get the name ...

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