New Tour B330-S and B330-RX

[TucsonGolfer]

Reviews on both

So I bought a dozen of each on friday and this weekend my dad and I played two rounds of golf.

He is a older guy now but he really knows the game since he has been playing for about 50 Years ( going to be 61 this december )

So He normally plays titleist Prov1 or the NXT tour ball because he likes it about as soft as it can get and he switches off because of the performance differences.

So anyways this weekend we played 2 courses around Tucson Arizona.

1. Conoa Ranch- great golf course, great facilities and DIRT CHEAP!!!! $20 a person.
Here is the best thing, the greens were rolling as a guess between 10-11 on stemp. Yet the greens were very soft and you could do wonders with the wedge shots and they were on call all day.

So overview of the B330-RX:
My dads point of view:
1.Very very soft, and noticibly softer than the Titleist Prov1 or NXT tour.
2.Cheaper than prov1's by about $5 a dozen i think.
3. Spin control on greens, my dad doesnt spin the ball much but today he chipped like a pro, lots of 40 yard, across green 2 hop stoppers which I havent seen him do that well in a long time.
4. Great feel off the driver and he was hitting his tee shots ( in the fairway ) about 245-250, normally he is about 235-240, but he was hitting long irons into these greens when normally he was hitting 3w and 5w at them.
5.In relation to #4 the driver spin must be quite low and he was getting a decent amount of roll. ( he always gets roll because he is old school and hits those low line drives )
6. very soft putting which must be magic because he uses one of those old Lead/copper inserts with the hichory shaft putters " old- billy baroo :rolleyes: " yes from caddy Shack "

Over all
On scale to 1-10 he said about a 9-9.5 only because he didnt like the Text of the " B330-RX " on the side.


Now to me:

I used to play the B330-S from 2007 for about 3 months, but the 1 major downfall for me is it did not spin enough around the greens and it felt a tad " heavy " off my driver, not hard just, It felt like it stayed there too long.

Differences:

1.They made it feel softer which is a plus but I was not expecting it.
2.Some how longer, not much maybe its just me havign a better day driving the ball but I was between wedges a few times when normall I would be right on my 52* I was contemplating hitting a 56* hard etc.. and same with some mid irons.
3.BUTTERRR off my putter! Just amazing, tiny little click and just rolled very well.
4. SPIN! IT SPINS MORE WITH THE SHORT CLUBS!
I was backing a few of them up today which was a big indicator because normally mine just hit and stick sometimes roll back up to a foot, but I hit a lob wedge 2 or 3 times that actually zipped back 10 feet. Part of this is due to the soft and fast greens, but I liked it and was able to control it most of the time.

Over all It looks like I am leaving the titleist balls again and going to grab a few dozen of the 2008 Tour B330-S.

Hope this helps anyone that was considering them.

and as far as a rating goes,
Before with 2007 i would have giving them an 8/10 now a very strong 9/10 if not 10. but I do agree with my dad, the text is a little large.

Oh and the other course we played is called Ventenna Canyon" Mountain course "

has one of the if not the most photographed holes in golf.
Its a par 3 104 yards.
Tee off on one cliff, all carry onto a green with 2 large tears. go down the path up a block on the street zig zag you way back up this outher cliff and your at the green.

Over all though, both courses are gorgeous, however ventenna I would say is prettier, but these greens were unfair.
the guys in the shop said a conservative 13 on stemp and i dont care what you were hitting, whether a chip or a wedge or a 7 iron, everything bounced as if it hit a steel plate underneathe the green. Not only this these pins were all on a slope, not one was down in a collection area. Plus if you hit a 12 foot putt to inside of 3 feet, your still looking at a putt that can break 6inches-1ft and a half.

Now I know somewhat what the US Open greens are like....

but the greens were fair as far as the putting goes, ball rolled true but if you werent putting well you could easily 3-4 putt every green. I played what I thought was a fantastic fron nine of 40 +4, and thenshot 42 on the back or 44 cant remember but it was ugly.

[WesleyD]

cool, nice review.

[lazyjc4]

What's their durability like? The only problem I've had with the 330 balls is the cover likes to stay in the grooves of my Vokey SM's, after any swing harder then a simple pitch.

[NYGOLF]

Thans for the review, good info.

[755]

Great review..thanks. Look forward to trying the RX.

 

Are they in stores yet?

[ihs]

Good review of both balls. Did you try out the RX at all and/or did your father try out the S? I'd be curious to get your opinion(s) of the differences between the two.

 

Are they in stores yet?

 

I saw them at my local shop last week. Didn't pick a box up; I was getting some clubs regripped and had a few days earlier picked up a couple boxes of TM Blacks ($25 each, on sale :rolleyes: ), so my golf funds were already gone for the week.

[TucsonGolfer]

1. Durability, better than last year 330-s Sorry for not making that point. I have a SM vokey 60 and i took no chunks at all, it produced a scuff mark, but one that was small, and shallow. Less damage than i put on a Pro V1x.

2. No I didnt try the RX, after talking to my instructor he recommended that I shouldn't bother as with my swing speed higher that I might produce more spin on drives so I already need to lower that. But I might snag a sleeve from my dad and play 9 or 18 with it to see how they play and I will give you my interpretation.

3. Thanks for the kind words if you have questions I will try to answer.

 

Btw the box is cool lol

 

 

EDIT: Yes they are in stores just got them in on thursday night locally.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Is the RX marsh mellow soft off the driver?

[TucsonGolfer]

Is the RX marsh mellow soft off the driver?

 

On the first swing my dad looked around as if he wiffed..

and he striped it down the middle, it was quite funny. Hope that helps, i will give you all my opinion on it later, maybe I will go play 9 in 45 min or so if my girlfriend cant get out of the house.

[TucsonGolfer]

Here is a picture of a wedge shot i was talking about. Did this on the 9th hole and just happened to forget to put it in play again. The other ball is brand new from sleeve not played same spot.

 

The shot was 72 Yards, I hit it 77 and rolled down the ridge, I usually hit my lob wedge about 85-90

 

 

EDIT: I loaded them wrong, what ever you will see the difference.

[non]

Looks like I'll have to try out the RX. Do you know how it feels/sounds off the Scotty?

[TucsonGolfer]

I would imagine very close to the b330-s.

 

Its very soft " when your hitting your putts well" and has a tiny click but its a little dull. perfect. but the sounds will always be different because scotts and other milled putters like these have 1 pin point sweet spot. unlike Odyssey and taylore made spiders etc. i really recomend at least a sleeve or 2. or go 1 sleever RX and 1 sleeve B330-s and play 1 sleeve for each 9 and see how you do.

[raymo]

Great Post!

 

Sorry my boys had to beat down the Sun devils this weekend:-)

[golfdad907]

Ventana Canyon is SWEEEET....love that place.

 

I got some 330RX, played couple of rounds:

 

Off driver, marshmellow soft, but flies longer (for me) than 330s. I hit a Tour i for comparison, RX is softer feel and about 5 longer than Tour i...that's pretty long.

 

Irons, nice soft feel, like can tell it's compressing, very stable in wind (25 mph first round, Ike was lurking), spins to tune of hit, stop within a foot, no unexpected suck backs.

 

Chipping, great feel, can pinch and check or will roll out....try that with a V1

 

Putter, it's money, softish click, rolls true, and great speed/distance control

 

I don't think spins quite as much as Tour i (more like iX)....

 

Overall a 9, quite durable, yeah can shred a few hairs with a pinched iron, but that's what tour balls are for....

 

Need to compare with Tour i a couple more rounds, really liking the new Cally's too.

[JoeF]

OK finally got to try out the new B330-RX. I Most definitely fit the profile that this ball is advertised for. My swing speed is 90. The ball I have been playing the last few years is the E6 and then the E6+. the E6+ was a nice improvement over the E6. Much better cover that did not shred. OK yesterday was not the bet day for a ball test as it was pretty foggy but not much one can do about that.

Distance was about the same between the E6+ and the RX (plus or minus a couple of yards). This holds true for the woods and the irons.

The difference come in when the ball hits the green. Where I had to allow for some release with the e6+ I found I had to carry further with the RX. No it's not the same spin as the B330s but with my slower swing speed I don't put those high spin number on a wedge. Partners also noticed that the ball was checking much better with the new ball. I really liked the feel of the ball off the putter face ( Byron Morgan a.s.s 007). On a couple of drive I made what I thought was not the best of contact and because of the fog we couldn't see the entire flight. But was surprised when I got to the ball that it went further then I would have thought. I know this is in no way scientific just the observation of one golfer. I Will be gaming these for a while.

[bub72ck]

I am a firm believer in the B330-S now. A customer gave me a dozen and I put them in the closet for a while and forgot about them. I pulled a sleeve out one Saturday for a round with my buddies and LOVED the ball. I played 36 holes with one ball and it looked a lot better than a Pro-Vx after 18 holes. To me the spin and feel was the same as a Pro-Vx and I was sold. I used the ball in my club championship and played very well with it. I have been a loyal Pro-V user since the 392 ball came out but I have officially made the switch. I bought 4 dozen of the old 330s balls and traded my 2 dozen X's in the closet for 2 dozen of the new 330s. I am a very satisified customer.

 

I haven't even played the new version of the 330s yet but I am so happy with the 2007 model that I am not worried about it.

[Konklifer]

I could never compress the 07 B330-S. For me, it was the firmer of all the "soft" premium balls I've tried. When I would hit with my irons, I could feel the softness of the cover but not the core-if that makes any sense. With the B300-RX, I get an excellent flushed feeling when I hit with my irons. Easily feel it compressing. I love its hop & stop ability and, though it took me a while to get used to putting with it, really like the roll off the putter. Too bad golf season is almost over here in the NE.

[alb]

great reviews. Now, I might have to try this new B330-RX my self.

[bearclaw713]

guys, this is a GREAT ball. i've played with the demo sleeves i got from where i work, the things are amazing. not quite as sticky as the tour ix which feels better to me for some reason. great putting ball as well.

[mick0212]

I found a new looking RX this week and used it for 7 holes. Seemed like a decent ball, but I wasn't overly impressed - it didn't feel like it outperformed an '07 Pro V in any respect. I'll probably give it some more play, maybe some side by side.

[Hondabuff]

Played the new 330-S today. Spins about the same off the driver as the old B330-S maybe a tad more. Wedges spin like a Nike Platinum. Even half wedges would one hop and check on the firm greens I was playing. Nice improvement over last years version. Greatest iron trajectory I have ever seen from a tour ball. Smacked the flag stick from 163 with a 7 iron on the one par three. Putts the same as the older ones. Comparing the RX and 330-S, the S is by far the tour ball and the RX lacks alot of green side control. I thought ProV1s were soft but RX has it beat.

[guptown]

Played the Rx on Wednesday. Front 9 RX. Back 9 ProVx. Driver SS 90-94.

 

Putter: The Rx is very soft and feels great with the putter but so does the ProVx.

Wedge: ProVx had noticeably better feel and spin around the greens. Advantage ProVx.

Irons: Some have reported gaining 1/2 club with their irons when using the RX. I didn't find this to be true.

Driver: Distance was the same between the two when measured with a Sky Caddie. Best drive of the day was with ProVx.

Durability: Both had some scuffing but nothing that made me take the ball out of play for 9 holes.

 

With everything I had heard about the Rx I was hoping it would add some length off the tee as well as with my irons and still give me the greenside spin and putting performance of the Titleist. In limited testing it appears that the ProVx is still the better performer for me. I will continue playing the Rx to see if this continues to be true. :D

[BMH]

The best way I can describe the feel of the B330RX is that it feels similar to the Nike Powersoft. It's soft without feeling mushy. It doesn't have that "heavy" feel of a Tour iX. Springs off the club face really nicely. Durability is not an issue for me. I've played about four rounds with three balls. I eventually lost two of them, but the third is good to go again. That doesn't mean they are bomb proof or anything -- just saying that despite a very thin urethane cover, they hold up as good as anything else I play. For some reason, I can keep them in the fairway better than some other balls I play. I'm not ready to say that this is my "gamer" yet, but I know I haven't bought my last box. I still have a love affair going with ProV1x and Tour iX. I love the distance those balls provide even if the feel isn't as sweet as the RX.

[Tupperwolf]

I tried the RX (actually bought a whole dozen since I was so excited to finally see them in stores) and hated them the first time I went out. Usually I can't tell the difference between balls that easily - With some balls I say, okay, that one feels hard and goes straight off the driver - but most of the balls I play are so similar I don't notice much difference. With these there is an obvious difference. Every hit off the driver went super high and were 20-30 yards short of my usual drive distances. My iron shots also were a little weird and some well struck shots came up short. Butter soft off the putter though. Last time I was measured my SS was around 94 so I thought these were going to be perfect but I think I have gained driver swing speed and am just ballooning the crap out of the ball. I was so dissappointed I don't know what I am going to do with the whole brand new dozen I have sitting in my car.

[ColinMB]

I had similar results to QWKDTSN.

 

Basically I'm not a bomber, I hit about 100MPH. Last week I was clocked at 102. But I'd say on the course I'm more of an honest 97ish.

 

I am a higher spinner. There is no way this ball felt forgiving on the driver. It does have some redeeming qualities, but this is not a 90MPH driver swing ball. This is just my opinion, but if you hook or slice, come over the top, or too inside, kiss the ball goodbye... it's gone. I consider this a higher spin driver ball.

 

The upside is I thoroughly enjoyed 100 yards in with this ball, and putting. It does feel nice, and even at 60 yards I could get a hop and stop out of it with little roll (3 feet maybe).

 

I was so excited about these balls I too went out and grabbed a dozen. I don't know what was more surprising, the utter lack of distance or the high driver spin.... After my first couple of games, I decided not to post, and instead I've got 3 more games in with them.

 

Two of the last three games I had the distinct pleasure of playing with the course pretty much to myself. Awesome, so I pulled out other balls that I am fairly comfortable with. In damn near every case, my SkyCaddie showed me the ball was on average 10-12 yards shorter. And as mentioned, if I pushed it... it was punishing.

 

So with the rest of the dozen, they've become my water balls. Again, this is just personal opinion, so take it for what it's worth. I really did want to like this ball, but if I had a friend who wanted this 'type' or 'description' of ball, instead of an RX I'd recommend:

 

Non-premium:

Titleist NXT Tour. Cheaper, still soft, much, much more distance. Not quite as much spin, but very respectable, and consequently, a forgiving driver ball.

 

Nike Powersoft. Super cheap, and this will give you far more mileage out of 100MPH<. Nice feel ball, ultra forgiving, but lowish spin. Play for more roll out. But these are still the most underrated 'discount' ball on the market.

 

The Bstone e5+. I'd say the e6+ but it just has too little spin. I much prefer the e5+ for the price over this RX ball. I have little difficulty stopping an e5+.

 

Premium:

Cally IX: I don't know how they did it, but this is such a low spinning driver ball, it's unmatched. Also it seems remarkably adaptable to swingspeeds. Downside, it's less spinny than a lot of 'tour' balls. But you have to sacrifice some (not all) for that driver forgiveness.

 

TM LDP Red/Blk: Very similar to the IX. I'd say you might get a bit more distance out of an LDP. Another great ball for a wide range of swing speeds.

 

 

Those are my findings on this ball. I know we're all different or their wouldn't be so many successful ball companies/brands out there. I find it disappointing to say it, but the RX was a massive let down for me. As a final thought, I will confess especially in the games I had the golf course to myself, and I hit a plethora of spare balls with my Skycaddie.... I started wondering if the golf industry in general thinks we are complete suckers to marketing or what?

[golfmasta69]

totally agree with you. I got a sample sleeve from the pro shop and played two balls.. .. the rx vs taylormade tp black. Distance wise off the driver, i hit it ok, many cases shorter than the tp black by 10 yrds or so.. Ball flight also tended to be flatter than tp black. With putting it definitely felt good, but given the lower spin rate compared to the tp black, not sure if it's worth it.. I think all in all, it's ok, but surely not the holy grail as many claim...

[BankerGolfer]

Definitely agree with your review on the premium balls. The Red LDP is my gamer. Game on!

 

I had similar results to QWKDTSN.

 

Basically I'm not a bomber, I hit about 100MPH. Last week I was clocked at 102. But I'd say on the course I'm more of an honest 97ish.

 

I am a higher spinner. There is no way this ball felt forgiving on the driver. It does have some redeeming qualities, but this is not a 90MPH driver swing ball. This is just my opinion, but if you hook or slice, come over the top, or too inside, kiss the ball goodbye... it's gone. I consider this a higher spin driver ball.

 

The upside is I thoroughly enjoyed 100 yards in with this ball, and putting. It does feel nice, and even at 60 yards I could get a hop and stop out of it with little roll (3 feet maybe).

 

I was so excited about these balls I too went out and grabbed a dozen. I don't know what was more surprising, the utter lack of distance or the high driver spin.... After my first couple of games, I decided not to post, and instead I've got 3 more games in with them.

 

Two of the last three games I had the distinct pleasure of playing with the course pretty much to myself. Awesome, so I pulled out other balls that I am fairly comfortable with. In damn near every case, my SkyCaddie showed me the ball was on average 10-12 yards shorter. And as mentioned, if I pushed it... it was punishing.

 

So with the rest of the dozen, they've become my water balls. Again, this is just personal opinion, so take it for what it's worth. I really did want to like this ball, but if I had a friend who wanted this 'type' or 'description' of ball, instead of an RX I'd recommend:

 

Non-premium:

Titleist NXT Tour. Cheaper, still soft, much, much more distance. Not quite as much spin, but very respectable, and consequently, a forgiving driver ball.

 

Nike Powersoft. Super cheap, and this will give you far more mileage out of 100MPH<. Nice feel ball, ultra forgiving, but lowish spin. Play for more roll out. But these are still the most underrated 'discount' ball on the market.

 

The Bstone e5+. I'd say the e6+ but it just has too little spin. I much prefer the e5+ for the price over this RX ball. I have little difficulty stopping an e5+.

 

Premium:

Cally IX: I don't know how they did it, but this is such a low spinning driver ball, it's unmatched. Also it seems remarkably adaptable to swingspeeds. Downside, it's less spinny than a lot of 'tour' balls. But you have to sacrifice some (not all) for that driver forgiveness.

 

TM LDP Red/Blk: Very similar to the IX. I'd say you might get a bit more distance out of an LDP. Another great ball for a wide range of swing speeds.

 

 

Those are my findings on this ball. I know we're all different or their wouldn't be so many successful ball companies/brands out there. I find it disappointing to say it, but the RX was a massive let down for me. As a final thought, I will confess especially in the games I had the golf course to myself, and I hit a plethora of spare balls with my Skycaddie.... I started wondering if the golf industry in general thinks we are complete suckers to marketing or what?