Golf Ball Compression Numbers
jman2407
Members Posts: 262
Here are the compression numbers for the Bridgestone line of golf balls. Please add other ball manufacturers numbers if you are certain of what they are.
B330: 90
B330-S: 75
B330-RX: 70 - softest compression of any urethane ball on the market
e5+: 75
e6+: 55
e7+: 80
B330: 90
B330-S: 75
B330-RX: 70 - softest compression of any urethane ball on the market
e5+: 75
e6+: 55
e7+: 80
Comments
You can take a 100 compression golf ball and make it feel as soft as a baby's bottom, or a 30 compression ball feel like a rock.
it's all about what the ball's layers are made out of, and how they interact.
edited to apologize for the fact that my answer comes off sounding like I'm talking to a 3 year old. My apologies. I get this question in the store everyday, and I didn't realize until I read what I wrote how patronizing my answer sounds.
This post was not started to see if the numbers mean anything or to argue that point. The numbers mean something to me and that is why I am trying to get other manufacturer's numbers if someone knows them. Obviously nobody posts their compression numbers on the packaging any more for the basic reasons you stated above, but there is some basic information to be inferred from the numbers, and that is all I am trying to ask people for.
What do the numbers mean, and what are you inferring from them?
The numbers are extemely close, even for a ball say of compression 90 versus a compression 50 ball, the difference in ball velocity may only be 1 m/s. However, other things can be inferred from this based on the compression number, such as its tendency to sidespin (ie. slice or hook), its trajectory height, and though not always as mentioned before, its feel off of the clubface.
I don't know about any of this but I did hit one of my all-time longest drives with one - 292 measured yards with a slight tail wind. fairway was quite soggy and the ball was within about a yard of its pitch mark. imagine if it had rolled....
I've only played three rounds with this ball but I get the impression that more of them are finding the fairway. and it seems to work just about the way I want it to around the green. its my ball from now on...
The layers you mention interacting with each other does affect the feel of the ball but only to a small degree. The mantle layers are there to provide additional characteristics each manufacturer is trying to achieve; ie. less spin, more spin, faster restoration, etc. The softer the core compression, the easier it is for players to compress the ball. The mantle layers help with restoration which leads to ball velocity. When a player hits a driver and compresses the core, a soft core will feel softer than a harder core regardless of layers b/c they're compressing to the center of the golf ball. A 70 compression ball will feel and sound softer than a 90 compression ball off a driver because of core softness. But it might feel different off a putter because of cover material and the core is not utilized.
I'm not an engineer, so all I know is what I've been told by the ball designers, and core compression has nothing to with anything.
You are still using old school thinking with new school balls.
I also know that anything else I say from here on out, including what I just posted, I know you are going to think is crap, so you guys can discuss this all you like, drawing all kinds of wrong inferences from numbers that you think mean something and they don't mean anything, and I'll leave you all alone to discuss.
If a golfer uses a ball that is too hard for his or her head speed, the ball will not deform adequately and will fail to store a sufficient amount of energy from impact. Conversely, if the golfer uses a ball that is too soft for his or her head speed, he or she will expend a lot of energy deforming the ball, and will not achieve sufficient distance. For example, if an average golfer hits a ball that has been designed for professionals or advanced players, the result is likely to be, not greater distance, but instead a loss of carry because the player will not be able to deform the ball adequately. The key to selecting balls is to find one which provides maximum restitution for one's particular head speed.
If that is right, which it isn't, why do the "ball designers" build pros their own golf balls with a different compression than retail golf balls?
A lot of times, the SOFTER the core is, the MORE ball velocity you'll get.
There is a very linear relationship between golf ball compression and ball velocity. The harder the compression, the higher the ball velocity. It is a rare occurence to see a softer ball produce a higher ball velocity with any swing speed over 85 mph.
Scratch Don Whites
Scratch Jeff McCoys
WITB Link
GolfWRX: Can you tell us the compression numbers of the TP Red and TP Black?
Dean Snell: I can. I’d like to give one comment to some people - I think this is an interesting discussion. For me, compression is probably the most overrated discussion in golf. I’ve done presentations in front of PGA Professionals and a lot of technical presentations with media. One of the things I’ve offered is a box of balls or a case of balls to anyone who can tell me what compression is. I have yet to have someone even tell me what the units are. It’s an old measurement that was used a long time ago that true 90 and 100 compression balls used to be 2-piece golf balls. But you don’t see compression ranting on any golf balls anymore. The reason for it is that probably 70% of the golf balls sold today are 80 or less. Back then if you were to put 80 on a ball, it would have been considered a women’s ball. So the compression number kind of disappeared from packaging because nobody wanted to write 80 and then not be able to sell golf balls. It’s truly a designers tool. We use it in R&D to control sound, to control spin rates, to help obviously with the COR and velocity of the ball. Really, I’ll give you an example. Everybody remembers the old Tour Balata wound golf ball and everybody remembers the old DT which is a hard Surlyn ball. Both of those golf balls had a 75 compression. If you had any player hit them of any caliber, the feel of those golf balls was completely different. So feel is not compression of ball. It’s part of it but it’s not compression. Those two balls have the same compression number but feel completely different. I think today when you look at it, the Tour Balata used to be in the 60’s and 70’s. The Professional came out in the 90’s. The HX Tour golf balls, B330 today are closer to 100, maybe over 100. So the compression of golf balls today is between 80 and 100. The new TP Red is in the low 80’s probably 82 or 83 and the TP Black is in the mid 90’s 96 or 97. Falls similar to the Pro V1 which is also in the 84 - 85 range while the Pro V1 X is in the mid 90’s as well. So the balls are separating themselves out today more than they used to but compression is not all feel. The construction, the layers, the material, the sound, that’s a bigger part of feel than compression. So for players that are choosing balls according to when it’s warm out I’ve got to use 100’s when it’s cold out I’ve got use 90’s - that old story is long gone and not really true any more.
You have got to try the new B330-RX. It is the softest urethane ball on the market and was specifically designed for a player such as yourself. (good player with a swing speed of 105 or less) It spins less off the driver than the B330-s and ProV1 giving you extra distance, it is softer than both of those balls, and it still maintains its spin around the green because of its urethane cover and 3 piece design. I am assuring you, try it and you will not be disappointed!!
Then why would anyone play a soft compression ball? Feel might be one reason, but how much ball velocity would a player give up to get better feel? I would think a softer compression ball would be easier to compress, or could be compressed more completely, and produce more ball speed.
To anyone who does not believe in these facts, go here:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin...195072/PDFSTART
It is a very interesting and dynamic paper written by one of Bridgestone's lead engineers.
For example - say a balls compression is 90. Does that mean it is 90 units of 1? In order to have a compression of 83 or 75 or 100, then what is 1 compression unit?
Is it something like the amount of turns needed to close a the jaws of a vice by 5mm? (really leftfield guess).
Anyone got the gouge on this??
The post above from Bridgestone does not say anything about compression that is remotely scientific.
So the compressive load must be a constant then. So the load is what? 10kg,100kg, 1ton? What?
TM Burner is 60
Noodle+ is 60
I am new to this forum so pardon me.
As much as the discussion is, everyone are right to a certain degree because of their angle of approach....
Lets take clothier's angle..
He is a store keeper at a golf store and he advices his clients on how to pick a golf ball based on information from designers. His main objective is to help to select a golf ball for their needs.
Let us note that there are some terms we need to take note. Core compression and PGA compression.
When we are talking about core compression, it means the centre of the ball. i.e the rubber piece. PGA compression would be the compression as a whole.
With the modern technologies and chemicals that we have nowadays, we can create outer layers that feel hard or softer depending on the impact. Harder impact you can create a softer feel and softer impact it would be hard. Some materials have the ability to reduce its COR upon a certain load. Hence the soft feel.
So there are many points and angles which all of you guys are coming from. In fact it is too complicated to focus on because YOU can definitely make a ball work just for your style of play.
Bottom line is it is true that compression ratings are not that big deal anymore if you are talking about just core compression alone. Compression can definitely lead to different feels depending on the materials and the layers. But at the same time from the designers point of view, it means a great deal as they need to create the ball for their target market.
What we need to understand is let the designers deal with the compression. It is more a designers game than a golfers.
For golfers, just stick to the balls that are more suited to your needs and situations. That would be good.
Just a few cents worth of thought over here.
Cheers!
Hello - does anyone have an updated chart? Thank you
The original compression rating for wound balls was a conforming ball was placed between two metal plates and then compressed with a weight of 200 lbs/ 90.7 kgs and measure the deflection/compression of the ball. 0.1 inch was considered a 100 compression ball, with some variance to allow for manufacturing intolerances. A compression of 0.11 inches was a 90 compression ball, again with some variance to allow for manufacturing intolerances. What made me unhappy was a dozen balls were tested in a batch and whatever the testing resulted in then applied to the entire batch of balls manufactured, allowing for mislabeled ball compression ratings for many balls within each batch. Today golf balls are made of ultra consistent polymers and the compression can be manipulated to be whatever the manufacture wants it to be. In college I played the Titleist 384 Black number 100 compression balls, later the Titleist Tour 100 balls. Carry with my 43 inch Ben Hogan Speed Slot Persimmon Driver and later with my 43.5 inch J's Professional Weapon was 270 yards, measured Swing speed of 116 mph with the 43.5 inch club, no technical swing speed measurement available to me with the steel shafted Hogan. 1995 through 2001 I played the Titleist Tour Balata 90 compression red number ball to achieve slightly more spin to work the ball and to stop the ball on the rock hard green surfaces at amateur qualifying sites I entered. But early in 2001 I discovered that the New Pro V1 was 20 yards longer off the tee with the same or better spin rates with the diamond or star sub cover Shore D ratings, much like the Tour Balata, Professional, Tour Prestige. I successfully bought the inventory for March and April keeping them out of my competitors hands, giving me a short time advantage. But the inventory quadrupled and I could no longer purchase the entire shipment. Anyhow Compression is still important for individuals with different swing speeds and personal preferences. Today I went out and played 7 holes with a Titleist Tour Balata 100, driver distance was within 5 yards of current 3 and 4 piece solid balls, but iron distance was 18 yards short of same modern balls. Once this was compensated for I shot even par with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys, but run out of daylight before I could finish 9 holes.915 D3 driver, Pro Com 95 stiff tipped 1.5 inches. 712 AP2 irons, DG S400s SS1x, Scotty Cams Newport 2 with 2 40 gram weights in head and Fatso 5.0 grip.