e12 Contact - one month experience.

[jjfcpa]

This ball continues to impress me.

 

Played a rather tough course for the first time - Woodland Hills, Eagle, NE - and shot a season best of 78.  That despite the fact that my putts were 1.8 per hole for the round, but my GIR's were an all time best of 56%.

 

Followed up yesterday with a 9-hole 38 at Miracle Hills, Omaha, NE.  And that score could have been much better if I would have made any of 3 holes which I had putts for par and settled for a boggy.  

 

As mentioned by others, this ball does not seem to veer off track very much due to side spin so I've been finding myself in the fairway much more often.  And the increase distance, while not significant, is definitely allowing me to get on the green with more consistency.

 

Every time I think about the fact that it's not a urethane covered ball and I might do better with the Maxfli Tour or Titleist Tour Speed, I have a great round and bury the thought of changing.

 

This is definitely a ball that would help a lot of amateur golfers achieve better results.  

[MMB1500]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:47 PM, jjfcpa said:

As mentioned by others, this ball does not seem to veer off track very much due to side spin so I've been finding myself in the fairway much more often.  And the increase distance, while not significant, is definitely allowing me to get on the green with more consistency.

 

This is definitely a ball that would help a lot of amateur golfers achieve better results.  

 

You're definitely onto something here. For a lot of golfers, me included, hitting fairways and avoiding penalty shots is going to do much, much more for my score than being able to stop a ball slightly quicker if I'm short-sided. Therefore, playing a ball that is going to reduce sidespin and minimise my misses makes a lot more sense, even if it runs out a bit more on short game shorts. 

 

For the better player, Tour balls do offer more benefits, but for those of us with a tendency to get wild off the tee, personally I just want a ball that goes long and straight and that has a respectable amount of control around the greens. This ball would seem to tick those boxes. 

 

I'm currently playing the Tour BX which is also an excellent ball, and I'm planning a head-to-head comparison in the next few weeks to see if, for my game, the extra CAD $20 per dozen is worth it.

[North Butte]

If you truly believe a slightly lower spinning ball (maybe 10 or 15 percent compared to a Tour ball?) is going to result in your hitting significantly more fairways and avoiding penalty shots then surely you ought to be looking for something even lower spin than that so you never hit an offline shot at all. Why stop with a Surlyn ball that's at the high end of the Surlyn-ball spin spectrum? 

[Jeff58]

6 hours ago, North Butte said:

If you truly believe a slightly lower spinning ball (maybe 10 or 15 percent compared to a Tour ball?) is going to result in your hitting significantly more fairways and avoiding penalty shots then surely you ought to be looking for something even lower spin than that so you never hit an offline shot at all. Why stop with a Surlyn ball that's at the high end of the Surlyn-ball spin spectrum? 

The Contact’s potential advantage has nothing to do with its overall spin rate. The advantage is in reducing the effect of spin axis offset on the ball’s flight path due to the dimple design.

Being antagonistic isn’t going to change anyone’s mind, only cause confusion to those who might actually come here looking for some semblance of intelligence.

[munichop]

As someone who switched full time to surlyn over six years ago I can attest that there is a wide variation in different types of surlyn  balls when it comes to curving them. The e12 contact is very straight.  If you are playing a course with some firmer fairways and it is slightly windy this ball is hard to beat.  For me it has been very consistent in how it reacts off the club face. 

[Justsomeguy]

Although I criticize this ball for not holding greens, I can't ding it for straightness without sacrificing the things the super straight surlyns usually lack.

In other words, there aren't any other balls in the same space that are this straight without being short or too soft or have some other deficiency.

It's probably best in class for length.

We just have to live with the extra runout on irons and wedges that aren't perfectly struck.

 

[pup142]

Tried the ball yesterday and I was really impressed with the distance and the straight line the ball traveled. Bridgestone has a great ball for the mid handicapper there.

[jjfcpa]

Play 18 today with soft fairways and medium soft greens.  I had no problem holding greens with the e12 Contact and once again, great distance.  Swing was off a little bit today so I missed some fairways only because I hit them wide of the fairway.  Didn't see a lot of sidespin that would result in missing fairways.  

[Justsomeguy]

2 hours ago, jjfcpa said:

Play 18 today with soft fairways and medium soft greens.  I had no problem holding greens with the e12 Contact and once again, great distance.  Swing was off a little bit today so I missed some fairways only because I hit them wide of the fairway.  Didn't see a lot of sidespin that would result in missing fairways.  

Man, for as much as you love this ball, you need to buy as many as you can get.

[jjfcpa]

17 minutes ago, Justsomeguy said:

Man, for as much as you love this ball, you need to buy as many as you can get.

 

Just trying to share my experience.  I've actually got a couple dozen and don't really lose a lot any more.  Hit the cart path with one today and it got a little nicked up so I hit it into the lake.  I don't like playing with balls that have major scuffs.  Too bad the MGS guys didn't include it in their ball tests.  The only Bridgestone balls they included were their tour balls.

[Justsomeguy]

2 hours ago, jjfcpa said:

 

Just trying to share my experience.  I've actually got a couple dozen and don't really lose a lot any more.  Hit the cart path with one today and it got a little nicked up so I hit it into the lake.  I don't like playing with balls that have major scuffs.  Too bad the MGS guys didn't include it in their ball tests.  The only Bridgestone balls they included were their tour balls.

That's a shame. I think it's the best of its category.

[jjfcpa]

I wanted to see how well the Bridgestone Tour B RX compared to the e12 Contact and so I played 9 holes with one at an Executive course (par 3 and 4's only).

 

I was a little disappointed.  I played two different RX's just to make sure I wasn't experiencing an anomaly with one of the balls.  

 

First off, it was not quite as long as the e12 with the driver.  About the same with the irons, but not quite as nice feeling.  

 

It did seem to hold the greens a little better but nothing I could definitively and conclusively say.  

 

Putting was about the same.

 

So, performance wise, I would have to give the edge to the e12.

 

However, and here is the most significant thing that I noticed.  The RX did not seem to hold up as well as the e12 did.  By the time I finished the 9 holes, both balls had noticeable scuffs on them and some were significant enough on one ball that I would probably retire the ball.  I did not hit any cart paths although it may have struck a tree on one shot.

 

As far as durability is concerned, the e12 wins hands down.

 

I don't need to tell you about the price, because you probably already know that the e12 is about $ 18 cheaper than the RX.  

 

In summary, I saw nothing that would make me consider switching to the RX over the e12.

[jjfcpa]

Once again, I decided to do some comparison shots on my 9 hole round today.  This time with the Maxfli Tour, which is my prior game ball.  

 

Driver was pretty even, but the feel of the e12 was noticeably softer and just felt more reliable, if that makes sense.  I did notice that the e12 tended to go straighter than the Maxfli.  Now whether that was me or the ball... I can't say, but I had more drives that ended up in the fairway with the e12 than with the Maxfli.  Distance was pretty much the same... perhaps a little longer with the Maxfli.

 

Off the irons... well, this is a tough one because I found that the Maxfli Tour performed well with good strikes but it was more difficult to put a good strike on the ball.  That probably means is was me and not the ball, but for some reason, the e12 just seemed easier to get a quality strike.  I didn't really notice any significant difference on distance or spin into the green.  The e12 did a nice job of hold the green on well struck shots and released a little when I expected it to.  

 

Putting was a push.  

 

All in all, I think I will continue with the e12 because of the feel and consistency I'm having with it.  I'm getting the distances I expect to get off every iron in my bag.  

[NoTalentLefty]

1 hour ago, jjfcpa said:

Once again, I decided to do some comparison shots on my 9 hole round today.  This time with the Maxfli Tour, which is my prior game ball.  

 

Driver was pretty even, but the feel of the e12 was noticeably softer and just felt more reliable, if that makes sense.  I did notice that the e12 tended to go straighter than the Maxfli.  Now whether that was me or the ball... I can't say, but I had more drives that ended up in the fairway with the e12 than with the Maxfli.  Distance was pretty much the same... perhaps a little longer with the Maxfli.

 

Off the irons... well, this is a tough one because I found that the Maxfli Tour performed well with good strikes but it was more difficult to put a good strike on the ball.  That probably means is was me and not the ball, but for some reason, the e12 just seemed easier to get a quality strike.  I didn't really notice any significant difference on distance or spin into the green.  The e12 did a nice job of hold the green on well struck shots and released a little when I expected it to.  

 

Putting was a push.  

 

All in all, I think I will continue with the e12 because of the feel and consistency I'm having with it.  I'm getting the distances I expect to get off every iron in my bag.  

Have you had any issues with the dimple within the dimple being a dirt magnet?

[jjfcpa]

1 minute ago, NoTalentLefty said:

Have you had any issues with the dimple within the dimple being a dirt magnet?

 

No, not at all.  One thing I can say is that it appears that this cover is much more durable than the urethane covers on the Maxfli Tour and the other urethane balls that I've compared it to.  I'm sure that because urethane is softer than the ionomer covers on softer balls, such as the e12, but I'm still a little shocked that it is as durable as it is.

[jjfcpa]

A few more rounds with the e12 Contact and my opinion has not been deterred.  This is a very underrated ball and performs well in all aspects of the game.  I'd really like to see some of the Youtubers do some comparison testing with the e12 and some comparably priced balls as well as some mid-priced urethane balls like the Chrome Soft, Maxfli Tour, Snell MTB Black.

 

 

[chippa13]

I wouldn't call the Chrome Soft at $48/dozen mid priced. I'm thinking you meant to say Tour Response?

[petachiu]

I played 9 hole with TP5X and 9 with e12, besides e12 feels a bit clicky with putter I see no reason to spend more for TP5X. Yes , the e12 does not hold the green as well as TP5X but I can adjust once I get familiarize with the ball.

[aaronpoling]

5 hours ago, jjfcpa said:

A few more rounds with the e12 Contact and my opinion has not been deterred.  This is a very underrated ball and performs well in all aspects of the game.  I'd really like to see some of the Youtubers do some comparison testing with the e12 and some comparably priced balls as well as some mid-priced urethane balls like the Chrome Soft, Maxfli Tour, Snell MTB Black.

 

 

TXG did a compare on the ball

[A.Princey]

Test the e12 against Pinnacle Rush. I find them very, very similar for my game. It’s been my ball of choice since dabbling in the surlyn realm.

[A.Princey]

16 hours ago, aaronpoling said:

TXG did a compare on the ball

Launch conditions are the only real comparison here, actual ball flight with dimple pattern contribution is missing due to indoors on GC Quad.

[jjfcpa]

22 hours ago, chippa13 said:

I wouldn't call the Chrome Soft at $48/dozen mid priced. I'm thinking you meant to say Tour Response?

Actually, in the case of the Chrome Soft, I should have said, comparable compression.  Both are around 70.  I've actually compared it to the Tour Response and I'd take the e12 every time.

[ShowMe]

On 9/2/2021 at 2:09 AM, aaronpoling said:

TXG did a compare on the ball

If nothing else, the test proved that the e12 Contact IS a straighter ball, as advertised.

[Moby]

Love this ball.

[Dvabe1541]

I’m a big fan of this ball as well. Definitely a little more roll out on greens, but nothing crazy. I don’t generate a ton of spin with any ball. For whatever reason, these seem so easy to hit with irons.

[jjfcpa]

I think there is something most good golfers, as well as amateurs, will appreciate about this ball.  It has a very predicable release when needed.  

 

I think you can generate plenty of spin with this ball when needed, but you can also create a very predicable and repeatable release that will help amateur golfers get closer to the hole.  Yes, like any ball, it takes some time to adapt to it, but with just a little practice time, you'll be able to do whatever you need to with this ball.

 

In addition, for the senior golfer who might be losing some distance, you'll very likely recover some of that distance loss, or minimize it, by playing the e12 Contact.  

 

I think Bridgestone has created a really good ball that is less expensive than the tour level balls, but will perform almost as well in all aspects of the game.  The soft feel is addicting as is the distance that I've gained by playing this ball.

 

From driver to putter, the feel of this ball is really good and remarkably durable.  The one benefit to the non-urethane cover is that it seems to wear much better.  In the comparisons that I've done, that soft urethane cover does scuff easily even when hit with a wedge out of a bunker.  

 

I'm pretty price insensitive to the ball that I choose, but when it comes to feel, I am much more selective and this ball just ticks all the right boxes.

[NoTalentLefty]

Jif thanks to you on your experiment. I switched from a two piece ball to e12 contact as my primary golf ball after reading your posts and trying them for myself. I tried the Vice 3 piece inomer ball a year ago and got excellent distance but it seemed hard to me. So I shelved going any further with the ball. But the e12 has been soft enough for my taste with the very good distance and better stopping power than my current 2 piece balls I use(Callaway SuperSoft/Titleist TruFeel) . Thanks again.

Edited September 6, 2021 by NoTalentLefty

[jjfcpa]

2 hours ago, NoTalentLefty said:

Jif thanks to you on your experiment. I switched from a two piece ball to e12 contact as my primary golf ball after reading your posts and trying them for myself. I tried the Vice 3 piece inomer ball a year ago and got excellent distance but it seemed hard to me. So I shelved going any farther with the ball. But the e12 has been soft enough for my taste with the very good distance and better stopping power than my current 2 piece balls I use(Callaway SuperSoft/Titleist TruFeel) . Thanks again.

I'm glad you found it to your liking.  Also glad someone else validated my opinion of this ball.

 

Played another 18 with it today and scored a personal best of 76.  Not sure how much the ball contributed to my score, but I felt like it was reliable and consistent.

[SUITS]

Some final thoughts on this ball for me. I’ve played a little more with it and am swinging better. 
 

if you are a higher spin player who loses balls off the tee or misses a lot of greens due to curving shots, sacrifice the chipping spin and some distance off the tee and play this ball. It’s incredible how straight it flies off of all clubs. 
 

HOWEVER, if you are a player who can hit it in play and swing somewhere in the 105+ range, you are going to lose distance off the tee with this  ball compared to a firmer offering. You may be closer to the middle of the fairway though. 
 

I also find this ball at least a half club longer on irons off the deck, sometimes a full club off the tee. So take that as a positive or negative. If you wanna hit nukey boy mid irons  this is also your ball. It may make up for the distance lost off the tee.

 

It’s a solid ball, feels soft and springy to me. That’s a love or hate thing. I will keep the rest of my dozen for winter.  

[grm24]

On 9/6/2021 at 2:39 PM, jjfcpa said:

I'm glad you found it to your liking.  Also glad someone else validated my opinion of this ball.

 

Played another 18 with it today and scored a personal best of 76.  Not sure how much the ball contributed to my score, but I felt like it was reliable and consistent.

Congrats on a great round. No more wedge issues?