Bridgestone e6

[hoosiervolunteer]

My take

I played the e6 this weekend on my golf extravaganza. 63 holes of golf in 4 days. I played the e6 exclusively the entire trip. Here is my take.

First off this is a mid-level ball and is marketed that way. It is not meant to be a "tour" ball replacement. It is a 3-piece ball with a Surlyn cover. It's competitors in the market are Titleist NXT Tour, Cally Hx Hot, Nike Ignite, etc. All can be had for $25 or less per dozen, and I paid $20 per dozen for the e6. This gives you an idea about the price point and performance level these balls are geared to. I'll hit the e6's features in point form to make it an easier read.

Distance: The e6 was just as long as the other balls it competes against. I found it just as long as most tour balls as well. This might be due to the fact that this ball flies so straight, but I'll get to that later. My swing speed is 110mph with the driver. Distance was good with irons as well as woods. I found the e6 to be above average in the distance category.

Accuracy: This is where the e6 really shines. This ball is "creepy" straight. Someone would have to really put a nasty swing on it to make it curve. Those who like to work the ball will probably not like the e6. This ball is just plain straight. I couldn't move it even when I tried. It is a real fairway and green finder. It has a lower trajectory and it worked well against the wind. The e6 was excellent in accuracy and someone who struggles with finding woods and hazards off the tee should really look at this ball. It is so straight it really kind of freaked me and my playing buddies out.

Spin: This is where the e6 really comes crashing back to Earth. Very little backspin at all. I think this is what makes this ball so straight. I never backed a ball up all trip long. I hit a 53* wedge from 115 yards in the fairway. The ball hit and rolled out about 5 feet. There is no backing this ball up on the green or checking it from greenside lies. Super high spin players might like the e6 due to this fact. Very little backspin equals very little sidespin and zero ballooning. I give the e6 poor marks in spin.

Feel: Feel is so personal I almost left it out, but I had to say something about it. This ball is very soft on all clubs. It really feels great. Softer than any other ball in this price point considering the distance. It is so soft that I still can't believe it didn't spin more. It is marshmallow soft off the putter. Almost too soft until I got used to it. I was leaving everything short for about 9 holes until I figured it out. After I dialed it in, I found it putted great. Full swing driver and iron shots felt great. Pitches and chips felt great too. I give the e6 great marks in feel, but a person has to like a soft ball like I do.

Durability: The e6 is a tank! These balls can survive nuclear war. After 18 holes with the same ball, I washed it in the ball washer and my buddies could not tell it from a new one. No kidding. The second day, I hit a cartpath and it left a very small blemish on it. A tree shot had no effect. Bridgestone will probably lose money on the e6. First, it flies so straight that they are impossible to lose. Second, they look brand new after 18 holes of golf. I put a new ball in play at the start of every round, but this dozen could last me well into the summer if I used the same ball until I lost it. This is probably the most durable ball I have ever used. Period.

Summary: This is a well-priced ball for it's performance. It goes just as far as it's competitors, but much straighter. Straightest ball I have ever played. It also has an extremely soft feel and can not be destroyed by mortal man. For $20 a dozen, I'm going to keep playing this ball until the greens get crazy dry and hard at the end of the summer. IMO, this is the best ball in the price range and anyone looking in this level should try it.

[jscw]

Thanx :)

[crew_138]

I totally agree, and that is why I play them myself.

[slicer365]

I agree with most of it, but I can't really say it's the straightest ball, I've hit.....that would have to go to the SRIXON AD333. The e6 is a good ball.

[lazyjc4]

Just a quick question on the spin issue: I'm a high ball hitter (so I like the comment about lower trajectory with this ball) who usually has no problem spinning even mid-irons with tour-calibur balls. I've had to quit playing the ProVI due to spinning it off of greens with any wedge. My question, what kind of check can I expect with a wedge in my hand? Does it at least have stopping power? Can I expect no check whatsoever from shots around the greens? Just curious, but all the other characteristics you've described have peaked my interest. Thanks for the review. :)

[Onebulldogs]

Playing the e6 in a 9 hole scramble last week as the "b" player, I hit the best drive on 6 of 7 driving holes. Back to back, I hit one 235 into a heavy wind and 280 downwind. Both were dead center in the middle of the fairway. If you count the 2 par 3's, I had the best tee shot on 7 holes as the "b" player.

 

Because of the lack of spin, I was able to hold my line in the gusting winds. The A player couldn't find the fairway with a map.

[Mapleleaf14]

I totally agree... the e6 is FANTASTIC for the money! It's definitely my ball of choice this season.

[phillypete]

Interesting, they were handing sleeves of those things out at the Masters. I got a holw bunch. I put them in my shag bag figuring they were dogs... I guess I'll have to give them a try before I declare them shags.

[kauaigolf]

great review hoosier, i think i'll be picking up a doz. for my next round. i've tried the e5, and yes, its a very durable ball. the e5 does have some spin to it, i'm not a high spin hitter, and i was able to stick a few greens with it. looking for something that will hold the line better off the tee and irons, the e6 sounds like it'll do the trick.

[dukesweb]

I have played this ball this year as well and agree with your review. Very straight and very soft off of all clubs. Feel is like a ProV1 without all of the excess spin. I think the Srixon AD333 compares favorably to this ball. Long, soft and durable.

[ibex22]

Have you played the PWRDRIVE? Is so how does it compare?

[rookjs80]

Have you played the PWRDRIVE? Is so how does it compare?

 

Yes thats a great ball too. To me the E6 feels a little better on iron shots and wedges. I think the spin is pretty close to each other . Its a tough compare people did not like the pwrdrive I like them both! :) :ok:

[dcorun]

Thank you for a great review. I've been playing it for a couple of months and I agree that it's a super ball for the money. I used to play the NXT but, the e6 feels softer and goes just as far. The e6 is the ball for me in 06. :)

[millercg]

Had a chance to play a sleeve of these last night in my golf league. I normally play the NXT Tour, and HX Hot, so this ball was a good alternative to those balls. It was fairly windy out, so I felt it would be a good test for them. This ball is long. Even into the wind, I was hitting relatively long drives, and straight. Even had one drive that seemed to correct itself in mid air. Also hit one of my longest drives ever with this ball. My grade for distance, and straight accuracy is a A-/B+. If you like to work the ball, this probably won't play well for you, as this ball wants to go straight. I would say the e6 is as long if not longer than either the NXT Tour, or HX Hot.

 

The ball seems to have decent spin. Not in the same class as a ProV, Nike One, or B330, but it was better than a lot of 2 piece balls. My grade for spin on this would be a B-/C+. In the spin category, the e6 seems to play like the HX Hot. The NXT Tour seems to have better spin.

 

On the green, the e6 seemed to be a softer ball than the HX Hot, or even the NXT Tour. I can't really give grade on putting with this ball yet, as the greens I played on aren't in great shape yet.

 

Overall, I would play this ball again.

:)

[theothertwo]

Thanks for your review, I agree about this ball. Used it for the first time yesterday and again today, I never thought that there is such a thing as a very straight ball but yesterday, I hit 6 different iron shots ranging from 5 iron to a 9 iron and they were all dead on, I was swinging well but six good iron approach shots inside 12 feet is just way way above my average good iron shots so maybe the ball has something to do with it, of course I missed all the birdie putts. So I thought, it's a great driver and irons ball but maybe not a good putting or chipping ball since I am used to playing the ProV1 and the B330s. But today, my swing was off and had to scramble to score. The E6 performed very well with regards to the short game and today I made a lot of putts and had a few good chip shots, I actually scored better today.

 

 

 

Good ball for almost half the price of what I used to play.

[iuryan]

Thanks for the review...

[sidewinder]

I played a round of golf with a friend that was using the e6. His normal shot is a strong draw. With the e6 his normal shot was a strong draw. I have played the e6 and found it to be only slightly straighter than the 2007 Callaway HX Tour. It's a great ball in its price range but I don't like playing on hard greens that are difficult to hold.

 

Scott

[dac]

great review! i love the t.v. commercial for the e6 ball, where those japanese guys are blown away after one goes through the wall and they say almost "holy sh...." <---of course, a japanese word though... :drinks:

[iCollector]

Hoosier-

 

That was a very thoughtful, and thorough review! Its a model for anyone who wishes to do one. I play the e6 as well, and it is a best buy IMHO...

[ColinMB]

I found it humurous reading your review... Bridgestone losing money because no one loses a ball... hehe. I just came off of a short course with a lot of hazards. I usually lose 2 balls on average on this course. For the first time I pulled out the e6 (just bought them on a friend's advice) and I ended up with the same ball at the end of the day!

 

That was just about a first for me. While I'm not a big back spin guy, I can usually dial my short wedges in enough to stop a wedge shot on a dime, but I agree with you, I simply couldn't. I think it's a combination of the ball not wanting to spin, and my lack of ability. With 'normal' balls I can stop them though, so I think the E6 was just having fun with me.

 

Yea, I basically looked at the ball after the round, and aside from one, small compression mark ( really tagged the ball once with a wedge), it was nearly flawless looking! I showed it to my playing partners and proudly put it back in the sleeve with the other 2 (unused balls) like a trophy! lol

 

I don't think it's a 'super long' ball. I think some of the others I play have an edge on it distance wise, but the lack of side spin can't be understated. I would take 10 yards off of my drives easily to keep them straight (not that I'm saying I would lose 10 yards). The lack of spin is truly surprising.

 

Once my Nike One Blacks are gone, this might actually be my new ball. I want to play some more in case it was pure luck, but I doubt it.

[guit80]

I played the E6 side by side for a round with the NXT Tour.My findings were that there was little if any distance difference E6 was a bit straighter..But as you got closer to the hole the NXT outplayed the E6 with better controlability and feel on the green.The E6 is an ok ball but overall there are better in that price range.

[ringside1975]

I've been playing these off and on, and I actually like the lack of spin on shots around the green, at least at this time of year. Slow, wet greens around here right now, seems to work fine. As the weather gets warmer, I'll probably move on to something with more spin.

 

Last week I overshot a Par 3, and wound up having to come back to the green uphill over a line of short trees. Knowing that this ball isn't designed to spin was a bit terrifying on that shot. Anyway, I went after the poor thing with my 58* wedge, and it did what I told it to do. When I got to the green, the ball had an Abe Lincoln beard. Lesson learned: (brand new) Mack Daddy grooves and a touch of rage can make anything spin.

 

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

[diablojoe]

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

It's against the rules. So, no.

[ringside1975]

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

It's against the rules. So, no.

 

Sorry, just meant in casual play. I'm a little too...terrible...for tournament play.

[jscw]

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

It's against the rules. So, no.

Based on my memory, as long as the same ball is played in each "hole". It's OK. Namely you can use tour ball for par 3 and distance ball for par 5, some senior guys are in that way.

 

BTW, I played e6 exclusively recently. Yes, it's really long and durable. BUT, a big but, if you want back spin, forgot it. The best I've done is one hop and stop by 60 wedge.

[Ken_In_CA]

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

It's against the rules. So, no.

 

 

Out of curiosity, does anyone tee up a ball based on the situation and course conditions, rather than just playing the same one the entire round? Ie., e6 on a tight Par 4, and then HX Tour on the following, downhill Par 3?

It's against the rules. So, no.

Based on my memory, as long as the same ball is played in each "hole". It's OK. Namely you can use tour ball for par 3 and distance ball for par 5, some senior guys are in that way.

 

BTW, I played e6 exclusively recently. Yes, it's really long and durable. BUT, a big but, if you want back spin, forgot it. The best I've done is one hop and stop by 60 wedge.

 

I believe that is correct, as long as you "finish" each hole with the ball you teed off with... UNLESS the rule committee puts the "one ball rule" into play.

 

 

 

On another note, how does the ball compare to the B330? I'm guessing pretty much the same until you reach the green with the stopping power. I think this ball with be good for me, cuz I don't hit many GIR and my chipping is too inconsistent. I will hit a chip where it'll hop & stop, then others release too much.... so if I know that it won't hold and run a PREDICTABLE distance...hmmmm, anyone want to buy slightly used B330? :drinks:

[brew4eagle]

I just teed up the e6 ball for the first time a few days ago. I had found a nearly new one last time out and thought I'd give it a try. I usually play NXT Tour or Nike TA2 LNG.

 

The results were awesome- I played 45 holes in one day, with just ONE ball. It does look beat up now, but I never came close to losing the ball, and I usually lose one or two per 18. Oh yeah, I shot my best scores of the season and the best I had scored in years- 84 the first 18, 80 the next 18, and 38 over the last 9. (Played the last 18 in 74, which would have been my best ever by 5 shots; but it was the last 9 of my second round combined with my final 9 holes, so I can't count it as a "round"). A good part of the lower scores was that I had 0 penalties the entire day, usually I have at least one lost ball penalty a round, which is a dagger. I think I'll try the e6 next time out!

 

I didn't notice a lack of spin, but the greens I was playing were very receptive at the time. My ball was usually w/in 5 feet of its pitch mark on full shots, and was barely running out on pitches. I also had no problem controlling chips.

[jasba]

Never played the E6, but I am a huge fan of the urethane covered E5. Spins great, good feel, and good distance. I may have to consider the E6 when the greens finally get some rain......

[theboom]

This will be my new ball!

 

I usually play the Pro V1x. I feel confident teeing it up, but after losing the last 3 I had today after 9 holes, I switched to a E6 I had found. So, I played the back 9 with this ball.

 

I went on to shoot the best 9 holes of my life. I shot a 37 with 3 birdies! I am a 12 handicap and usually hit my drives 280-300. I had three 330 yard drives with this ball! All tee shots were straighter than normal. I did not notice a huge drop off in greenside spin.

 

I will be loading up on these balls, and feel great buying 2 dozen for what I used to pay for 1 box of V1x's.

[Diesel]

i thought you hit 3 330 yard drives today...? :bad: