UPDATE 2014: Titleist Pro V1 vs. Pro V1X vs. Bridgestone B330 vs. B330-S vs. B330-RX vs. B330-RXS

[Emccance79]

[quote name='backtees' timestamp='1385910852' post='8232552']
[b]UPDATE BRIDGESTONES 2014 AT THE BOTTOM[/b]

Hi folks!

Over 4 months I tested the premium balls from Titleist (Pro V1, Pro V1x) and Bridgestone (B330, B330-S, B330-RX, B330-RXS) and it’s a pleasure to share the outcome with you.

About me:[list]
[*]In my early 40s, from Europe (Switzerland), HCP 4
[*]Avg. driver SS 103 mph, avg. driving-distance 265 yards, avg. distance 8-iron 160 yards
[*]Strength: iron play, short game. Weakness: definitely wood 3 from the deck
[*]I would describe myself as a „feel-player“
[/list]
Test environment:[list]
[*]About 10 session on the range and practice area
[*]A dozen rounds on different courses with different layouts in the US and Central Europe
[*]On course I played mostly all balls side by side
[*]Conditions during the on-course testing covered it all : dry / wet, high humidity / low humidity, high temperatures (90F plus) / low temperatures (60F), sun baked and fast fairways / soaked fairways, shaved greens / blunt greens, courses at sea-level / courses at 1800 feet
[/list]
[b]Feel[/b]

[i]Remark: This is very subjective of course, just like art. I tried to describe how it felt hitting / putting the ball, how I felt I was able to compress the ball.[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] With one word: Pro V1! Great feel, not too hard, not too soft. Very smooth and a pleasure to hit. Unique of his kind.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Noticeably firmer than all the other balls tested aside here as it is the ball with highest overall compression. Comparable to Callaway Tour I, Nike One Tour or to the Srixon Z-Star ZV.

[u]B330:[/u] Comparable to the Pro V1 and the B330-S but not exactly as soft as them. Nevertheless a very pleasant and confidence-inspiring feel. Taylor Made TP3 or TP5 comes to mind.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Very soft and pleasing with all clubs. It feels like it merges with the clubface for the split of a second and gives the impression of more control. Somewhere in between the Callaway Tour i(S) and the Srixon Z-Star and not too far from the Pro V1.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] Together with the RXS the softest ball due to the lowest overall compression. Comparable to Callaway HEX Chrome, Taylor Made Burner TP or Nike One Vapor Speed. Nice.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Great feel and as soft to play as the ultra smooth Wilson FG Tour but also as some of the better 2-piece balls like the Srixon AD-333.


[b]Putting[/b]

[i]Remark: Blade putter with no insert.[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] Simply a delight to putt this ball. So soft and responding truly. Like a hot knife going through butter and confidence inspiring.

[u]Pro V1X: [/u]When hit purely this ball accelerates greatly and rolls like on rails, ignoring pitch mark and goes for the hole.

[u]B330:[/u] Almost as soft and true as the Pro V1. But not as long. It seems like you have to push her a bit more than the Titleists which doesn’t have to be a bad thing as it is a question of practicing and getting used to that. And a slight advantage on very fast greens.

[u]B330-S: [/u]No big difference to the B330 – a pleasure to putt this ball. True roll.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] Tremendously soft and fantastic to putt with no clickiness at all. Very true roll and holds the line perfectly. One of the most confidence-inspiring to putt with.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Same as for the RX – just great. This ball is hunting for the hole.


[b]Chipping[/b]

[i]Remark: Chipping with PW and iron 8. Different shots from 5 to 20 yards[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] Spins and checks beautifully. But not always – to repeat the same shot again and again was harder than with all the other balls in this test. A bit unpredictable, mainly for bump and run.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Clearly less spin than the Pro V1. A disadvantage for hop & stop shots but easier to control for bump and runs when landing the ball a few yards in front of the pin and let her roll to / in the hole.

[u]B330:[/u] She behaves great around the green. Not as spiny as the Pro V1, B330-S or B330-RXS, of course, but easy to play all kind of different shots. More the kind of ball to rolls to the hole.

[u]B330-S:[/u] This is where the B330-S shines. If you want her to land and check, she does. If you want her to bump and run, she does. Much more predictable than the Pro V1.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] Clearly the ball with the least spin of all. She is landing, bouncing 2-times and then rolls softly toward the hole. That ball plays differently than the other ones (exception B330).

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Very comparable to the B330-S, though a touch softer and with a bit less spin, it seems. A pleasure to chip with.


[b]Bunker[/b]

[i]Remark: Sandwedge 56* and lobwedge 60* from 8-15 yards. Very comparable results as for the chipping-sessions.[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] When hit purely a simply marvelous hop-hop-check. But again she’s a bit unpredictable every now and then with a hop-hop-roll which didn’t encourage me to aggressively attack the flag at the far end of the green.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Two hops, a very short roll and stop. In a funny way she behaved a bit ”heavy” and “inert”, but in a very positive sense. Like the force of gravity was higher. Therefore very easy to control and calculable. Lovely!

[u]B330:[/u] Comparable to the Pro V1X – a bit of spin, some roll and check.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Easy to controll. Lots of spin for close pins and the ability to let it roll when there’s plenty of green to work with. I hit her with a lot of confidence.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] With more green to work very easy to play. She lacks spin for the really short and close pins which were not so easy to play.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Comparable to the B330-S – she runs when you want her to run and hop-hop-stops when you want her to freeze.


[b]Pitching[/b]

[i]Remark: from 40-100 yards with LW, SW and GW[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] Outstanding and great stopping power, she checks quickly and generates a remarkable amount of backspin. Sometime more than requested and she was running back a few yards to front of the green.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] For me the right amount of spin as the ball comes to rest close to the pitch-mark. The perceived higher density of the ball allowed her to rest sooner than others.

[u]B330:[/u] As for the Pro V1X the B330 generates good spin to hold on fast greens, too.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Plenty of spin, for sure, but not as excessive as the Pro V1 and therefore easier to control. She always came to rest within 3 foot close to the pitch mark. Always.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] The ball with the fewest spin of all. She behaved well, but as I had some troubles to generate enough backspin she was running out a yard or two on sun baked and fast greens. No issues as for that on normal / soft greens.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Comparable to the B330-S – plenty of spin but she does not exaggerate it and the ball comes to rest close to the mark of impact. Nice!


[b]Irons[/b]

[i]Remark: Shots with iron 6 to 8 from the fairway and first cut.[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] High ball-flight with lots of spin. A great ball to shape shots and a delight to attack the pin as she checks almost immediately. A bit of sidespin and she lands where you definitely don’t want her to rest. Ok in windy conditions.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Mid-launching she’s a lovely ball to go (straight) for the green with the irons. Pin point accuracy. Behaves great in windy conditions.

[u]B330:[/u] Comparable with the Pro V1X. Straight shots are done easily and the ball is very predictable. Even on slight miss hits she flew dead-straight to the target with almost no loss of distance.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Very solid. The ball flight is very predictable and even with an iron 6 you go for the pin without fear as she will hold even fast and hard greens. Easy to shape the ball and with fewer risk compared to the Pro V1 that spin might excess and that she becomes unmaneuverable.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] A nice mid to high ball flight. But as for pitching it cannot be expected that she stops very close to the pitch mark but runs out a bit.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Comparable to the B330-S but with a softer feel, of course. She gets high, lands steep on the green and comes to rest quickly and close to the pitch mark with a bit of backspin.


[b]Woods / hybrids[/b]

[i]Remark: Shots from the tee, fairway and first cut with 19* hybrid, 3- and 5-wood.[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] The ball departs higher than the others and lands softly. It is great fun to attack greens from a lager distance or to lay up for attacking the green with the next shot. The Pro V1 holds the green perfectly. Technically impure executed shots are penalized with unpleasant surprises and she might get wet or dirty or lost quicker than others.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Maybe the area where the X glares the most. It seems that with the higher swing speeds of hybrids and woods she releases her entire energy. With a boring trajectory and good amount of spin the ball darts towards the landing area to stop on the green within few yards from the pitch mark.

[u]B330:[/u] Again, very comparable to the Pro V1X. Outstanding performance in the wind and absolutely sufficient stopping-power on the green. I had to get used to the fact that the B330 is longer than the others and overshot the green two or three times. Not a bad thing when you get some extra yards on a long par 4.

[u]B330-S:[/u] A mid-high trajectory, a remarkable but not excessive amount of spin to stop quickly, paramount in windy conditions and easy to shape left or right. She has all the positive aspects of the Pro V1 but is less vulnerable to technical impure executed shots.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] Due to lower spin the ball flies easily, safely and mainly straight on a mid trajectory towards the target. I never had the feeling that something could go wrong hitting this ball with woods and hybrids. The downside is that she needs room to roll out after landing and shot-shaping isn’t as easy as with the other balls. The safest go-to ball during my testing.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Comparable to the B330-S she starts higher than the others (except Pro V1) and with a good and sufficient amount of spin to hold the greens more than well. In windy conditions the RXS performs smartly. Distance wasn’t an issue but she’s shorter than B330, B330-S or Pro V1X.


[b]Driving[/b]

[i]Remark: 10.5* driver. Over here in Europe accuracy, fairway-hits and bringing the ball into play is often more important than sheer length as the fairways are narrower and the rough definitely lives up to its name (see British Open – you definitely do not want your drive to land in the knee-deep thicket….)[/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] Medium-high ball flight, good distance, o.k. roll. Easy to work to ball but reacts also undesirably strong on (unwanted) fades/slices, draws/hooks such as for wind. Not the longest ball as her core-qualities shine closer to the pin.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Lower launch than the Pro V1 due to lower spin. Long. By far longer than her sister and she holds the line very good. A huge amount of roll, mainly on hard fairways. Relatively easy to control and cuts through the wind nicely.

[u]B330:[/u] Mid launch and low spin means this ball is really long and straight and easy to control. . The longest of all balls in the test. Not the easiest ball to shot shapes but that’s not what she’s made for. Cuts through the wind like a blade.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Higher launching than the B330, she stays in the air really long, holds her line and delivers great distance. Definitely longer than the Pro V1 and if not playing on superfast tarred fairways also a tad longer than the Pro V1X due to longer carry. Wind wasn’t an issue.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] More a mid-level launch with long carry and a not to bad roll. Distance wise on par with the Pro V1. Behaves fantastic in windy conditions and flies ruler-straight to the target.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] Higher launch than the B330, RX or Pro V1X, comparable with the B330-S. Easy to work the ball with no issues in windy conditions and barely vulnerable to sidespin. Not quite as longs as the B330 but close to the B330-S.


[b]Durability[/b]

[i]Remark: To be fair I kept in mind that tour balls with an Urethane cover for a softer feel and more spin are not as durable as Surlyn-covered distance balls. [/i]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] Some visible wear with woods and irons but my re-sharpened Taylor Made RAC TP wedges chew on her and shred off some of the cover.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] Same as for the Pro V1 but with less damage.

[u]B330:[/u] No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

[u]B330-S: [/u]No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.


[b]Overall[/b]

[u]Pro V1:[/u] A ball like a very powerful sports car with manual gear change. With a decent and mature technique as well as sufficient experience and know how to drive her she’s performing excellently. Not the longest but when going for the green she really shines. But she’s a bit itchy every now and then, unforgiving when hit poorly and penalizes you immediately and harder than the others. In the feel department not in a class on her won but probably the best. Durability is still not really convincing.

[u]Pro V1X:[/u] A kind of overall-feel-good-ball, mainly for a player with a swing speed above average which allows releasing her cumulative energy. Really long off of the tee, confident-inspiring from the fairway and on approaches, with a good amount of spin attacking the green as well as around it and comfortable and reliable to putt with. Feel-wise the “hardest” ball, yes, but still enjoyable. Durability is quite o.k.

[u]B330:[/u] Simply put: The longer, softer, more durable and less expensive alternative to the Pro V1X. A great ball.

[u]B330-S:[/u] Long from the tee with great feel and response, superb but not exuberant spin and workable and durable. The B330-S convinced me in every single area, excels in the short game doesn’t show any weakness and great durability.

[u]B330-RX:[/u] An easy to hit and long almost-tour-level ball for a wide range of amateurs. You cannot go wrong with this ball when you do not want / cannot handle too much spin and if your game is not fully achieved yet. Maybe a tiny bit pricy for what she delivers but she seems to last forever and as long as she won’t get lost playable the entire season.

[u]B330-RXS:[/u] The softer and spinier version of the RX, the smaller sister of the B330-S. Very good distance off the tee, great accuracy and with superb abilities around the green. On the green there’s something magical with this ball as she comes with an inbuilt magnet. Great durability.


[b]Conclusion[/b]

Titleists Pro Vs might have been the reference and high-flyer for a decade or so. But there are new kids on the block and the Bridgestones really deliver. The most pleasant aspect: with all Bridgestones there’s not trade-off between feel and durability and with the S-models I do not have to give up spin for distance vice versa.

Not having a distinct brand preference [u]I made my decision and the Bridgestone B330-S found a permanent place in my bag[/u] as she performs greatly and suits my game best:[list]
[*]Long from the tee
[*]Long and straight but still workable with woods, hybrids, irons and wedges
[*]Superb but not excessive and therefore controllable spin
[*]Versatile and predictable around the green
[*]True rolling combined with great feel on the green
[*]Mid-high trajectory for longer carry
[*]Admirable in windy conditions
[*]Soft feeling and responsive with all clubs
[*]Extremely durable
[*]Less cost-intensive than the Pro Vs
[/list]
Interestingly the Bridgestone technician at their B-Fit chat recommended me this ball, too, when I contacted them after my tests. And this despite the fact that my driver swing speed is slightly below the 105 mph recommended for this ball.



[b]Update 12/12/2013 – Ball Compression / Cover Softness [/b]

As I posted above “feel” is an important factor during my ball selection. So I was surfing the net to find out more regarding overall compression and cover softness of the different balls and how they interrelate.

As a reference I took the Pro V1, indexed with 100 for compression & 100 for cover softness. All other balls are directly related to the Pro V1.
Example: Ball X 95 / 107 means ball X has a 5% lower compression and 7% higher cover softness.

And here are the results (without final guarantee, of course, as I refer to second hand data):

Pro V1: 100 / 100

Pro V1X: 113 / 100

B330: 106 / 100

B330 S: 105 / 99

B330 RX: 88 / 104

B330 RXS: 88 / 98

As you can see the cover softness of all balls is very comparable, only the RX is a bit less soft.

Regarding compression the Pro V1X is significantly harder than all other balls, B330 and B330S are a wee bit harder (or less soft) than the Pro V1 while RX and RXS are dramatically softer than all other balls.

I hope my review was interesting and look forward to hearing about your experience or to answer any of your questions.


[u][b]UPDATE BRIDGESTONE 2014 MODELS:[/b][/u]


[b]B330:[/b]

[u]Feel:[/u] The shorter the club the better I felt that the new version has a softer cover. Really a pleasure to play her around and on the green and real improvement compared to the previous model as the B330 was a bit too hard for me.

[u]Performance driver / woods / long irons:[/u] With the same characteristics as the previous model. This means that the B330 remains a beast with the driver, woods and longer irons. Great distance, as always.

[u]Performance around / on the green:[/u] Amazingly more green side spin and control than with the previous model. I am really impressed.



[b]B330 S:[/b]

[u]Feel:[/u] Same goes for the B330 S as for the B330 – if feels noticeable softer.

[u]Performance driver / woods / long irons:[/u] It seems that they injected a bit of the B330 DNA into the new S-model which means that the already long B330 S became even longer while the flight characteristics remained the same.

[u]Performance around / on the green:[/u] The new S produces great but always controllable spin, just like in the past. A big improvement was playing her with the flat stick: In the past I always had the impression that she was a bit shorter with the putter compared to other premium balls. Not anymore.



[b]B330 RX:[/b]

[u]Feel:[/u] It feels a little bit harder than the previous model. Which is not a bad thing at all because…

[u]Performance driver / woods / longs irons:[/u] …lower spin off of the tee and longer distance. She was always straight and not short in the past and remained straight but increased distance. .

[u]Performance around / on the green:[/u] The RX has never been a spin-monster around the green. But why change something that suits a lot of amateurs (and LPGA players)? I found her a bit more responsive around the green but she remains absolutely reliable and predictable.



[b]B330 RXS:[/b]

[u]Feel:[/u] While the cover seems to be a tad harder the ball as such feels a tiny little bit softer.

[u]Performance driver / woods / long irons:[/u] What goes for the S goes also for the RXS: less spin off of the tee results in longer distance. She’s clearly longer than the previous model.

[u]Performance around / on the green:[/u] Nothing that I would miss compared to the previous model. Sometimes I had the impression to get a bit more greenside spin. Putting (with the a bit harder cover) was pleasant and I got a bit more feedback on the green.



[b]Overall:[/b]

[u]B330:[/u] As long as always, but a little bit softer and with more spin around the green

[u]B330 S[/u]: Great spin as in the past, but longer than the previous model, also on the green.

[u]B330 RX:[/u] Longer from the tee, more responsive around the green

[u]B330 RXS:[/u] Longer from the tee with the same characteristics around the green.



[b]Conclusion:[/b]

I’m glad that Bridgestone did not revolutionize their greatly performing Tour B330-Series for 2014. But there’s a clear evolution compared with the previous models.



[b]Does an upgrade to the 2014 models make sense:[/b]

Absolutely! Just make sure that you play both, the B330 and the B330 S, if you played one of them in the past. There’s still a noticeable difference between them but they are getting closer. While I could not imagine the play the B330 in the past it became more than just an option.


[b]How to they compare to Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1X:[/b]

Broadly speaking: I perceived the Bridgestone’s already better last year but with the new models the advantages are even more obvious to me.
[/quote]

Thank you this is very helpful... I have been looking for a ball that will give me just a "hint" of less spin and an extra 2 to 3 yards on my irons and it seems like I will get that with the RX.

Great comparison and much appreciated

[Milesy]

I've just moved to the 2014 RXS from the 2013 E6. I tried the earlier RXS and it didn't seem to have a significant amount to offer that I wasn't getting with the E6. Definitely a lower ball flight than the E6 which for me converted into less distance.

I'm happy to report that the 2014 RXS is a much improved ball for my swing. High trajectory and plenty of distance. On Sunday I was hitting drives "summer" length even though it is only the first week of spring.

I also feel more confident chipping the RXS than I do the E6, although it is taking time to accommodate the extra spin. Putting is also a bit different as the E6 needs a bit more of a whack than the RXS, but again it is just a matter of getting used to the new ball.

I'm really looking forward to what I can achieve with this new ball over the summer. Here's hoping I might finally break 80!

[wfrogge1]

I have been playing the B330-s and Pro V1x side by side for three weeks now and to be honest I don't notice too much difference. Distance is identical from both from tee to green but I give a slight edge to the V1x in the wedge spin department.

Both are fine balls and I could play either without issue. Depends on how you want the ball to feel off the club face IMHO.

[SUinPA]

Was having a poor round today although driving the ball well. Started comparing balls off the tee. Been playing the B330-RX. Hit 2 tee shots, one with the RX and one with Pro V1. I thought I hit the RX drive slightly better than the one with the V1 but both were on identical lines. The Pro V1 was easily 15 yards beyond the RX. Only one sample but certainly raises some questions. I've always thought the V1's have the best feel and also putt the best.

[rony]

This was an excellent review. I have played the ProV1 since it came out. ProV1x on occassion, and this year I have tried the B330S. The ProV1x is a bit too hard for my liking, so I basically played the ProV1 and the B330S this season. I'm retired and work on my home course as a Ranger, so I play around 50 Rounds per season. My experience with both balls gave the exact same results as yours. I almost feel guilty saying this, but the Bridgestone B330S is equal to the ProV1. I have about 6 Dozen Pro V1 balls in my golf closet and only a few B330S. When I run out of Pro V1 balls, switching to B330S would not be in any way detrimental to my game should I choose to do so. Thanks for a very complete and accurate review.

[NSCohen17]

Just stumbled onto this review. Thank you for an excellent job!

I am happy to see that your thoughts on these two great balls correlate with my own conclusion. I switched earlier this year from Pro V1 to B330-S and have not regretted the change one bit. Currewntly playing e5 for the winter (it gets cold here in NY!), and looking forward to the new hydrocore B330-S to start next season.

[gpleonard]

I like your review, but I went the other way from the B330RX back to the Pro V and Pro V 1X. Just have better scoring with those balls. and with the price drop on the Pro V line right now it is an affordable ball to play. I understand that the Pro V line is being revamped and will have new balls out for 2015 shortly. Will look to se how they perform, anticipation ...

[Jooma]

My vote goes to B330s, a great ball overall.

[buckI]

Has anyone had the chance in a warmer climate or a sunny vacation trip in the winter had a chance to compare the new 2015 Pro V1 and V1x to the Hydrocore Bridgestones?

[home0006]

Great review and comparison. Obviously balls perform a little differently for everyone based on their swing but I switched to the RX full time last year and couldn't have been happier with the switch. I'm sure some of it is psychological, but the RX performs more consistently for me with how I want the ball to behave on my shots.

[ashortgame]

[quote name='buckI' timestamp='1422821720' post='10863587']
Has anyone had the chance in a warmer climate or a sunny vacation trip in the winter had a chance to compare the new 2015 Pro V1 and V1x to the Hydrocore Bridgestones?
[/quote]

I'm currently in the process of testing the 2015 Pro V1x against the 2015 Srixon XV. My testing on balls involves 8 rounds playing the balls side by side. I'll post my thoughts here in a few weeks.
I'm in a pretty warm climate.

Somewhere I posted my thoughts of the Bridgestone Hydrocore's but I'm too lazy to look up where, but briefly the B330 is longer than the 2014 Pro V1x, but quite difficult to work if you need to move it left or right. The B330 S is shorter by about 7 metres off the driver but overall is an outstanding ball. The B330 RX is a great ball as well, similar to the B330 in trajectory and maybe 5 metres shorter off the driver than the Pro V1x, but again not as easy to move as the Pro V1x. The B330 RXS is not a ball I would recommend to anyone. The mantle (first layer underneath the cover) is too soft and hence not enough spin with 7 iron through to wedges.

This may interest some of you. I had the chance to test the new Foremost X3 and X4 over November, December and January. The X3 is a 3 piece, 95 compression that has a slighter higher trajectory than the X4. Similar trajectory to a Pro V1. (I'm not really a fan of 3 piece balls, but I did offer to test it). It was interesting as I gave a few to some other pros and in the main most preferred this ball.

I found the X4 (4 piece), 85 compression to be very similar to the B330 RX in every area, except slightly longer of the driver and able to be worked if needed. I really liked the ball and in my humble opinion is a better ball than the RX.
I'm not sure where these balls are available. Certainly they are in Australia and Asia. If you like the B330 RX I'm sure you would be impressed by the Foremost X4.

Price may be an issue as they were asking the same price as Pro V1x's. I offered my thoughts to them that they might want to consider lowering the price initially to get them out there. I doubt that they will listen to marketing advice from a humble golfer!! Time will tell.

The ball is made in Taiwan if that is of any interest.

Note: So you know where I'm coming from, my priorities for a golf ball in order are: Distance, greenside spin, trajectory, feel, consistency.

[phillygolf]

thanks for this excellent review, exactly what i was looking for, am thinking of trying B330-S

[gioguy21]

first off - very thorough write up...Thank you!

second - i completely agree with you on the wind performance of the bridgestone balls - hands down the best wind-ball i've ever played. you reminded me i have to pick up a few dozen of these...i always try something else but always come back to the stones.

[emansun]

Thanks for the complete review. Will be picking up a sleeve of the 330RX this afternoon to try.

[Sean2]

Very well done. :-)

[maskedman]

I'm playing the 2014B330 (not S, too much driver spin) this season and I am extremely pleased. Actually, I'm alternating it with the 2015 ProV1. They perform similarly for me, with the ProV1 being slightly softer. I hope the next B330 series iteration is incremental and not a total makeover.

[jbhawx]

I was always a budget ball player and was looking for a cheaper tour like ball over the ProV1. I simply don't wish to pay that much for a dozen balls that takes a lot of skill to get the max potential out of the ball. The biggest thing I was looking for was the pitching and chipping and getting the ball to stop on target. With your review I have found my ball of choice in the 330-S. Your review says it does everything I am looking for. Not to mention my local golf shop sold me 4 boxes @ $25 a piece so I was able to get twice the number of balls over a ProV. For those looking for a cheaper tour capable ball, bridgestone seems to have found that magic formula.

[seanpcalhoun]

UPDATE BRIDGESTONES 2014 AT THE BOTTOM

 

Hi folks!

 

Over 4 months I tested the premium balls from Titleist (Pro V1, Pro V1x) and Bridgestone (B330, B330-S, B330-RX, B330-RXS) and it’s a pleasure to share the outcome with you.

 

About me:

• In my early 40s, from Europe (Switzerland), HCP 4
  
• Avg. driver SS 103 mph, avg. driving-distance 265 yards, avg. distance 8-iron 160 yards
  
• Strength: iron play, short game. Weakness: definitely wood 3 from the deck
  
• I would describe myself as a „feel-player“
  

Test environment:

• About 10 session on the range and practice area
  
• A dozen rounds on different courses with different layouts in the US and Central Europe
  
• On course I played mostly all balls side by side
  
• Conditions during the on-course testing covered it all : dry / wet, high humidity / low humidity, high temperatures (90F plus) / low temperatures (60F), sun baked and fast fairways / soaked fairways, shaved greens / blunt greens, courses at sea-level / courses at 1800 feet
  

Feel

 

Remark: This is very subjective of course, just like art. I tried to describe how it felt hitting / putting the ball, how I felt I was able to compress the ball.

 

Pro V1: With one word: Pro V1! Great feel, not too hard, not too soft. Very smooth and a pleasure to hit. Unique of his kind.

 

Pro V1X: Noticeably firmer than all the other balls tested aside here as it is the ball with highest overall compression. Comparable to Callaway Tour I, Nike One Tour or to the Srixon Z-Star ZV.

 

B330: Comparable to the Pro V1 and the B330-S but not exactly as soft as them. Nevertheless a very pleasant and confidence-inspiring feel. Taylor Made TP3 or TP5 comes to mind.

 

B330-S: Very soft and pleasing with all clubs. It feels like it merges with the clubface for the split of a second and gives the impression of more control. Somewhere in between the Callaway Tour i(S) and the Srixon Z-Star and not too far from the Pro V1.

 

B330-RX: Together with the RXS the softest ball due to the lowest overall compression. Comparable to Callaway HEX Chrome, Taylor Made Burner TP or Nike One Vapor Speed. Nice.

 

B330-RXS: Great feel and as soft to play as the ultra smooth Wilson FG Tour but also as some of the better 2-piece balls like the Srixon AD-333.

 

 

Putting

 

Remark: Blade putter with no insert.

 

Pro V1: Simply a delight to putt this ball. So soft and responding truly. Like a hot knife going through butter and confidence inspiring.

 

Pro V1X: When hit purely this ball accelerates greatly and rolls like on rails, ignoring pitch mark and goes for the hole.

 

B330: Almost as soft and true as the Pro V1. But not as long. It seems like you have to push her a bit more than the Titleists which doesn’t have to be a bad thing as it is a question of practicing and getting used to that. And a slight advantage on very fast greens.

 

B330-S: No big difference to the B330 – a pleasure to putt this ball. True roll.

 

B330-RX: Tremendously soft and fantastic to putt with no clickiness at all. Very true roll and holds the line perfectly. One of the most confidence-inspiring to putt with.

 

B330-RXS: Same as for the RX – just great. This ball is hunting for the hole.

 

 

Chipping

 

Remark: Chipping with PW and iron 8. Different shots from 5 to 20 yards

 

Pro V1: Spins and checks beautifully. But not always – to repeat the same shot again and again was harder than with all the other balls in this test. A bit unpredictable, mainly for bump and run.

 

Pro V1X: Clearly less spin than the Pro V1. A disadvantage for hop & stop shots but easier to control for bump and runs when landing the ball a few yards in front of the pin and let her roll to / in the hole.

 

B330: She behaves great around the green. Not as spiny as the Pro V1, B330-S or B330-RXS, of course, but easy to play all kind of different shots. More the kind of ball to rolls to the hole.

 

B330-S: This is where the B330-S shines. If you want her to land and check, she does. If you want her to bump and run, she does. Much more predictable than the Pro V1.

 

B330-RX: Clearly the ball with the least spin of all. She is landing, bouncing 2-times and then rolls softly toward the hole. That ball plays differently than the other ones (exception B330).

 

B330-RXS: Very comparable to the B330-S, though a touch softer and with a bit less spin, it seems. A pleasure to chip with.

 

 

Bunker

 

Remark: Sandwedge 56* and lobwedge 60* from 8-15 yards. Very comparable results as for the chipping-sessions.

 

Pro V1: When hit purely a simply marvelous hop-hop-check. But again she’s a bit unpredictable every now and then with a hop-hop-roll which didn’t encourage me to aggressively attack the flag at the far end of the green.

 

Pro V1X: Two hops, a very short roll and stop. In a funny way she behaved a bit ”heavy” and “inert”, but in a very positive sense. Like the force of gravity was higher. Therefore very easy to control and calculable. Lovely!

 

B330: Comparable to the Pro V1X – a bit of spin, some roll and check.

 

B330-S: Easy to controll. Lots of spin for close pins and the ability to let it roll when there’s plenty of green to work with. I hit her with a lot of confidence.

 

B330-RX: With more green to work very easy to play. She lacks spin for the really short and close pins which were not so easy to play.

 

B330-RXS: Comparable to the B330-S – she runs when you want her to run and hop-hop-stops when you want her to freeze.

 

 

Pitching

 

Remark: from 40-100 yards with LW, SW and GW

 

Pro V1: Outstanding and great stopping power, she checks quickly and generates a remarkable amount of backspin. Sometime more than requested and she was running back a few yards to front of the green.

 

Pro V1X: For me the right amount of spin as the ball comes to rest close to the pitch-mark. The perceived higher density of the ball allowed her to rest sooner than others.

 

B330: As for the Pro V1X the B330 generates good spin to hold on fast greens, too.

 

B330-S: Plenty of spin, for sure, but not as excessive as the Pro V1 and therefore easier to control. She always came to rest within 3 foot close to the pitch mark. Always.

 

B330-RX: The ball with the fewest spin of all. She behaved well, but as I had some troubles to generate enough backspin she was running out a yard or two on sun baked and fast greens. No issues as for that on normal / soft greens.

 

B330-RXS: Comparable to the B330-S – plenty of spin but she does not exaggerate it and the ball comes to rest close to the mark of impact. Nice!

 

 

Irons

 

Remark: Shots with iron 6 to 8 from the fairway and first cut.

 

Pro V1: High ball-flight with lots of spin. A great ball to shape shots and a delight to attack the pin as she checks almost immediately. A bit of sidespin and she lands where you definitely don’t want her to rest. Ok in windy conditions.

 

Pro V1X: Mid-launching she’s a lovely ball to go (straight) for the green with the irons. Pin point accuracy. Behaves great in windy conditions.

 

B330: Comparable with the Pro V1X. Straight shots are done easily and the ball is very predictable. Even on slight miss hits she flew dead-straight to the target with almost no loss of distance.

 

B330-S: Very solid. The ball flight is very predictable and even with an iron 6 you go for the pin without fear as she will hold even fast and hard greens. Easy to shape the ball and with fewer risk compared to the Pro V1 that spin might excess and that she becomes unmaneuverable.

 

B330-RX: A nice mid to high ball flight. But as for pitching it cannot be expected that she stops very close to the pitch mark but runs out a bit.

 

B330-RXS: Comparable to the B330-S but with a softer feel, of course. She gets high, lands steep on the green and comes to rest quickly and close to the pitch mark with a bit of backspin.

 

 

Woods / hybrids

 

Remark: Shots from the tee, fairway and first cut with 19* hybrid, 3- and 5-wood.

 

Pro V1: The ball departs higher than the others and lands softly. It is great fun to attack greens from a lager distance or to lay up for attacking the green with the next shot. The Pro V1 holds the green perfectly. Technically impure executed shots are penalized with unpleasant surprises and she might get wet or dirty or lost quicker than others.

 

Pro V1X: Maybe the area where the X glares the most. It seems that with the higher swing speeds of hybrids and woods she releases her entire energy. With a boring trajectory and good amount of spin the ball darts towards the landing area to stop on the green within few yards from the pitch mark.

 

B330: Again, very comparable to the Pro V1X. Outstanding performance in the wind and absolutely sufficient stopping-power on the green. I had to get used to the fact that the B330 is longer than the others and overshot the green two or three times. Not a bad thing when you get some extra yards on a long par 4.

 

B330-S: A mid-high trajectory, a remarkable but not excessive amount of spin to stop quickly, paramount in windy conditions and easy to shape left or right. She has all the positive aspects of the Pro V1 but is less vulnerable to technical impure executed shots.

 

B330-RX: Due to lower spin the ball flies easily, safely and mainly straight on a mid trajectory towards the target. I never had the feeling that something could go wrong hitting this ball with woods and hybrids. The downside is that she needs room to roll out after landing and shot-shaping isn’t as easy as with the other balls. The safest go-to ball during my testing.

 

B330-RXS: Comparable to the B330-S she starts higher than the others (except Pro V1) and with a good and sufficient amount of spin to hold the greens more than well. In windy conditions the RXS performs smartly. Distance wasn’t an issue but she’s shorter than B330, B330-S or Pro V1X.

 

 

Driving

 

Remark: 10.5* driver. Over here in Europe accuracy, fairway-hits and bringing the ball into play is often more important than sheer length as the fairways are narrower and the rough definitely lives up to its name (see British Open – you definitely do not want your drive to land in the knee-deep thicket….)

 

Pro V1: Medium-high ball flight, good distance, o.k. roll. Easy to work to ball but reacts also undesirably strong on (unwanted) fades/slices, draws/hooks such as for wind. Not the longest ball as her core-qualities shine closer to the pin.

 

Pro V1X: Lower launch than the Pro V1 due to lower spin. Long. By far longer than her sister and she holds the line very good. A huge amount of roll, mainly on hard fairways. Relatively easy to control and cuts through the wind nicely.

 

B330: Mid launch and low spin means this ball is really long and straight and easy to control. . The longest of all balls in the test. Not the easiest ball to shot shapes but that’s not what she’s made for. Cuts through the wind like a blade.

 

B330-S: Higher launching than the B330, she stays in the air really long, holds her line and delivers great distance. Definitely longer than the Pro V1 and if not playing on superfast tarred fairways also a tad longer than the Pro V1X due to longer carry. Wind wasn’t an issue.

 

B330-RX: More a mid-level launch with long carry and a not to bad roll. Distance wise on par with the Pro V1. Behaves fantastic in windy conditions and flies ruler-straight to the target.

 

B330-RXS: Higher launch than the B330, RX or Pro V1X, comparable with the B330-S. Easy to work the ball with no issues in windy conditions and barely vulnerable to sidespin. Not quite as longs as the B330 but close to the B330-S.

 

 

Durability

 

Remark: To be fair I kept in mind that tour balls with an Urethane cover for a softer feel and more spin are not as durable as Surlyn-covered distance balls.

 

Pro V1: Some visible wear with woods and irons but my re-sharpened Taylor Made RAC TP wedges chew on her and shred off some of the cover.

 

Pro V1X: Same as for the Pro V1 but with less damage.

 

B330: No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

 

B330-S: No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

 

B330-RX: No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

 

B330-RXS: No shredding or shearing or peeling off. Only slight visible wear.

 

 

Overall

 

Pro V1: A ball like a very powerful sports car with manual gear change. With a decent and mature technique as well as sufficient experience and know how to drive her she’s performing excellently. Not the longest but when going for the green she really shines. But she’s a bit itchy every now and then, unforgiving when hit poorly and penalizes you immediately and harder than the others. In the feel department not in a class on her won but probably the best. Durability is still not really convincing.

 

Pro V1X: A kind of overall-feel-good-ball, mainly for a player with a swing speed above average which allows releasing her cumulative energy. Really long off of the tee, confident-inspiring from the fairway and on approaches, with a good amount of spin attacking the green as well as around it and comfortable and reliable to putt with. Feel-wise the “hardest” ball, yes, but still enjoyable. Durability is quite o.k.

 

B330: Simply put: The longer, softer, more durable and less expensive alternative to the Pro V1X. A great ball.

 

B330-S: Long from the tee with great feel and response, superb but not exuberant spin and workable and durable. The B330-S convinced me in every single area, excels in the short game doesn’t show any weakness and great durability.

 

B330-RX: An easy to hit and long almost-tour-level ball for a wide range of amateurs. You cannot go wrong with this ball when you do not want / cannot handle too much spin and if your game is not fully achieved yet. Maybe a tiny bit pricy for what she delivers but she seems to last forever and as long as she won’t get lost playable the entire season.

 

B330-RXS: The softer and spinier version of the RX, the smaller sister of the B330-S. Very good distance off the tee, great accuracy and with superb abilities around the green. On the green there’s something magical with this ball as she comes with an inbuilt magnet. Great durability.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Titleists Pro Vs might have been the reference and high-flyer for a decade or so. But there are new kids on the block and the Bridgestones really deliver. The most pleasant aspect: with all Bridgestones there’s not trade-off between feel and durability and with the S-models I do not have to give up spin for distance vice versa.

 

Not having a distinct brand preference I made my decision and the Bridgestone B330-S found a permanent place in my bag as she performs greatly and suits my game best:

• Long from the tee
  
• Long and straight but still workable with woods, hybrids, irons and wedges
  
• Superb but not excessive and therefore controllable spin
  
• Versatile and predictable around the green
  
• True rolling combined with great feel on the green
  
• Mid-high trajectory for longer carry
  
• Admirable in windy conditions
  
• Soft feeling and responsive with all clubs
  
• Extremely durable
  
• Less cost-intensive than the Pro Vs
  

Interestingly the Bridgestone technician at their B-Fit chat recommended me this ball, too, when I contacted them after my tests. And this despite the fact that my driver swing speed is slightly below the 105 mph recommended for this ball.

 

 

 

Update 12/12/2013 – Ball Compression / Cover Softness

 

As I posted above “feel” is an important factor during my ball selection. So I was surfing the net to find out more regarding overall compression and cover softness of the different balls and how they interrelate.

 

As a reference I took the Pro V1, indexed with 100 for compression & 100 for cover softness. All other balls are directly related to the Pro V1.

Example: Ball X 95 / 107 means ball X has a 5% lower compression and 7% higher cover softness.

 

And here are the results (without final guarantee, of course, as I refer to second hand data):

 

Pro V1: 100 / 100

 

Pro V1X: 113 / 100

 

B330: 106 / 100

 

B330 S: 105 / 99

 

B330 RX: 88 / 104

 

B330 RXS: 88 / 98

 

As you can see the cover softness of all balls is very comparable, only the RX is a bit less soft.

 

Regarding compression the Pro V1X is significantly harder than all other balls, B330 and B330S are a wee bit harder (or less soft) than the Pro V1 while RX and RXS are dramatically softer than all other balls.

 

I hope my review was interesting and look forward to hearing about your experience or to answer any of your questions.

 

 

UPDATE BRIDGESTONE 2014 MODELS:

 

 

B330:

 

Feel: The shorter the club the better I felt that the new version has a softer cover. Really a pleasure to play her around and on the green and real improvement compared to the previous model as the B330 was a bit too hard for me.

 

Performance driver / woods / long irons: With the same characteristics as the previous model. This means that the B330 remains a beast with the driver, woods and longer irons. Great distance, as always.

 

Performance around / on the green: Amazingly more green side spin and control than with the previous model. I am really impressed.

 

 

 

B330 S:

 

Feel: Same goes for the B330 S as for the B330 – if feels noticeable softer.

 

Performance driver / woods / long irons: It seems that they injected a bit of the B330 DNA into the new S-model which means that the already long B330 S became even longer while the flight characteristics remained the same.

 

Performance around / on the green: The new S produces great but always controllable spin, just like in the past. A big improvement was playing her with the flat stick: In the past I always had the impression that she was a bit shorter with the putter compared to other premium balls. Not anymore.

 

 

 

B330 RX:

 

Feel: It feels a little bit harder than the previous model. Which is not a bad thing at all because…

 

Performance driver / woods / longs irons: …lower spin off of the tee and longer distance. She was always straight and not short in the past and remained straight but increased distance. .

 

Performance around / on the green: The RX has never been a spin-monster around the green. But why change something that suits a lot of amateurs (and LPGA players)? I found her a bit more responsive around the green but she remains absolutely reliable and predictable.

 

 

 

B330 RXS:

 

Feel: While the cover seems to be a tad harder the ball as such feels a tiny little bit softer.

 

Performance driver / woods / long irons: What goes for the S goes also for the RXS: less spin off of the tee results in longer distance. She’s clearly longer than the previous model.

 

Performance around / on the green: Nothing that I would miss compared to the previous model. Sometimes I had the impression to get a bit more greenside spin. Putting (with the a bit harder cover) was pleasant and I got a bit more feedback on the green.

 

 

 

Overall:

 

B330: As long as always, but a little bit softer and with more spin around the green

 

B330 S: Great spin as in the past, but longer than the previous model, also on the green.

 

B330 RX: Longer from the tee, more responsive around the green

 

B330 RXS: Longer from the tee with the same characteristics around the green.

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

I’m glad that Bridgestone did not revolutionize their greatly performing Tour B330-Series for 2014. But there’s a clear evolution compared with the previous models.

 

 

 

Does an upgrade to the 2014 models make sense:

 

Absolutely! Just make sure that you play both, the B330 and the B330 S, if you played one of them in the past. There’s still a noticeable difference between them but they are getting closer. While I could not imagine the play the B330 in the past it became more than just an option.

 

 

How to they compare to Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1X:

 

Broadly speaking: I perceived the Bridgestone’s already better last year but with the new models the advantages are even more obvious to me.

Awesome testing info, my mph , ball speed and distances are very close to yours and I am beginning to wonder if the b330s should be the ball in my bag, I just bought a dozen to try out. I have been a titleist player for over 30 years and excited about playing the B330S.

 

Thanks

[lil'mike]

Great review! Just read it again! lol

 

Have you had a chance to review the newer Bridgestone "B" marked ball, specifically the RX one? I think they just released it late last year or earlier this year but could be wrong on the release date. It is newer than the 2014-2015 version.

 

Thx.

[Oknows]

Picked up a dozen B RX this afternoon. Working on trying to find a consistent ball to remove one more variable. Going to start with the RX and see how it goes.

[woods991]

I would love an update to this post including the new balls have been playing the rx since I read this originally but have been tinkering with the prov1x lately.