Bridgestone B330-RX Yellow Review from Testers

[Bogey317]

Got another quick 9 in after work today. The course I played was really wet with all the melting snow. Again the RX amazed me and this is going to be my ball of choice once it is released in stores. After the first hole getting used to the speed of the greens, putting was a breeze even with them so saturated on the rest of the 9. I did lose my first one on the last par 3 of the day, right in the water too far in to try to retrieve (I didn't want fall in :silly. I want to again thank THP and Bridgestone for the opportunity to test these.

 

[Kmac]

Mid march appears to be the release.

Jb are you also playing the yellow version? And if so is there anything else you see different besides the color from last years B330 RX?

 

[JB]

Spent some more time with the yellow RX and each time I come away more impressed. The yellow was one of the reasons I had switched over to the Z-Star some of the time, and now that my ball of choice is available in the same color, I am extremely happy.

I wont get into all of my performance aspects of the RX, because frankly they have been written before in a review or 2. I believe in ball fitting VERY much so. I believe that it can be the difference in someones game as much as any equipment out there. Not compressing or over compressing a ball can really hurt a golfer. I also believe that too many golfers are concerned with spin and what they find out as they get better is that technique can fix that and reduced spin can sometimes be a great thing especially off the tee. It is all about fitting and finding a ball that is right for each person. Numbers really dont lie in that regards...(end rant).

The yellow delivers on everything I could want it to. It makes it easy to see for me both in the air and on the ground. Missed the FW twice in my last round and the ball was gleaming in the pine needles waiting for me. Ironically my playing partner hit his (white ball) in the opposite side and we could not find it in the brush. I love the visibility, but I also love so many other things about it.

I like not having to mark my ball in my foursome.
I like not having to wonder which one is mine when we move towards the FW after the tee shot.
I like that the yellow ball does not show as much wear (its there) as the white ball does.
I like lining it up on the green to putt

Most of all I like that I think I save an extra ball here and there by finding them and that saves me money. In the end, the RX is the ball I play by choice and fitting, and now that it is yellow, I might even play it exclusively.

Jb are you also playing the yellow version? And if so is there anything else you see different besides the color from last years B330 RX?

Clearly skimming.

 

[Chunkylover77]

LOL nailed!!

 

[Kmac]

LOL nailed!!

lol big time.

 

[KellyBo]

I played my 4th round with this ball today. I only have one left and luckily for me, the yellow ball held on for the entire round.

Pros:

As long or longer off the tee than other balls I play
My accuracy while using this ball was really good for me today (I had 10 GIR's & 11/14 fairways - if only I could putt)
Easy to stop on the green - good spin
Love the color - easy to identify my ball when playing with others using white ball, easier to find

Cons:

Price - I was recently fitted to a ball that cost $29 dozen and I think this ball will be over $40 dozen. Time will tell if its performance outweighs the price difference.

 

[Tmex]

I've been using this ball around the green while I've been waiting to get out and play some golf. Well I got to a simulator today. I'm about 95% sure this ball is going to be exclusive. I'm absolutely loving the feel off the irons and driver was spot on today. My ball stayed in play and was long. 274, 271 and 272 were the distances. I only used it 3 times because of my last time on the course. I was online for the most part without any slicing and just a little draw. THe carry distance was great around 260, 261 and 260. I say around because I didn't get the tenths. I was a bit surprised because I'm usually a tad longer but this is really one of the first times I've been able to get a good measure on the shorter shaft. I am extremely happy with the driver distance. My iron distances were good as well. I'm covering distance a bit because even though a ball can feel phenominal I do think distance matters somewhat. It's important to feel comfortable with club selection and distances imo. I never want to be too long into a hole, too many times during the round.

The ball took a serious beating from the Jaws wedges. But no more than any other premium ball. Once the ball gets broken in there isn't any issues.

How can I tell about spin on the monitor? Well I did hit the Zstar on some shots just to compare. A little more roll out but it really depended on the shot and swing.

So happy I got out to give this ball another go round. I was fit for this ball and I can't see anything knocking it out right now. That was the best round I've had ball striking in forever and the distance was great. Driver not the longest but my irons/Mashie/3w were right on.

 

[Weezy]

Played another quick 9 this afternoon, and the ball stood up again as I expected!

I'm in love with the ball overall, but the trajectory is what has been my favorite attribute!

 

[JB]

Played another quick 9 this afternoon, and the ball stood up again as I expected!

I'm in love with the ball overall, but the trajectory is what has been my favorite attribute!

That is great news.

 

[Hanks]

for those testing already....how has the wear been? any more noticeable than a traditional white ball or is the wear 'hidden' better?

 

[coolbreeze]

for those testing already....how has the wear been? any more noticeable than a traditional white ball or is the wear 'hidden' better?

I've heard the wear has been way better than expected for a urethene ball.

 

[Tmex]

Good question Hanks. The Jaws wedges are incredibly tough on golf balls as you know and I did notice some yellow in my wedge grooves yesterday lol. But really, the yellow hides it extremely well. I'll take a pic and put it up today after the gym. After a couple more shots I didn't even see any more wear. Maybe it just needed a little intro to the Jaws? I feel I could definitely go another 18 probably more.

for those testing already....how has the wear been? any more noticeable than a traditional white ball or is the wear 'hidden' better?

 

[Hanks]

thnaks Yoccos....I thinkthe JAWS wedges are equal opportunity for chewing up any golf ball right off the bat until the grooves get broken in. But I like the idea of the wear not showing as much

Good question Hanks. The Jaws wedges are incredibly tough on golf balls as you know and I did notice some yellow in my wedge grooves yesterday lol. But really, the yellow hides it extremely well. I'll take a pic and put it up today after the gym. After a couple more shots I didn't even see any more wear. Maybe it just needed a little intro to the Jaws? I feel I could definitely go another 18 probably more.

 

[Tmex]

Yessir they are! Compared to other balls I've shredded up these held up great for the 18. Granted it was a simulator but still, that's a lot of strikes. The JAWS gave me my first unplayable ball (I didnt get a chance to lose it ha) with another brand and I was wondering how the Bridgestones would hold up. Concern no more.

My other concern with a yellow/color ball would be how deep does the color go? I think I might be distracted if there were white scratches everywhere. Not the case at all with B330 RX Yellow.

JB made an observation about lining up the putt with a yellow ball. To me it does make a difference as well. It just stands out more and imo is easier to line up. More confidence over a putt is something Ill take any day.

thnaks Yoccos....I thinkthe JAWS wedges are equal opportunity for chewing up any golf ball right off the bat until the grooves get broken in. But I like the idea of the wear not showing as much

 

[Bogey317]

I feel they are right up there with the yellow Z-Star. I can bounce one off the cart path, or off a tree and you really don't see any damage. After a day of play the ball looked brand new.

 

[Jman]

Well, I apologize profusely for the delay but the weather for me finally opened up enough to get out and about!

First, I’ve done Bridgestone’s online ball fitting more times than I can remember and have always either come up E6 or B330-RX, the selling point for me on even trying the E6’s was the color availability. I love the yellow. So, for better or worse I never really looked very hard at the RX’s even though they would be recommended by the Bridgestone site some of the times I took the online fitting (depending on where my game was at the time). The E6’s won me over wholeheartedly from my love affair with the Srixon AD333’s, its not even close, E6 by a landslide. Then this happened, but, we’ll get to all that.

Second, this particular round was actually played with my backup set as my Cleveland/Cobra stuff is not in yet and my 2.0’s were actually sitting in the corner ungripped (that is remedied, getting out with them and the RX’s today and/or tomorrow). So, the Nickents came out to play from Driver to PW so I’m curious to see differences in coming tests I get to do.

The Round:

Yesterday I was pretty much alone on the course so I played 2 ball, E6 yellow and B330-RX yellow. It was pretty enlightening to hit one and then the other and see the real differences for me personally. I actually managed to go 86/86 on the first true rounds of the year so it was a tie in that area.

Off the Tee:

Off the tee the E6 has been good for me when I was battling the left’s but since straightening my swing off the tee out quite a bit I’ve wondered if I could get more distance with another ball. Well, I did yesterday. I legitimately averaged 2 yards longer on tee shots with the driver through the 14 tee-shots I played it on. Now, I hit the ball pretty long already (NOT 300’s though lol, I’m talking average guy long) but the added distance was a pleasant surprise, obviously, and you could feel that off the face..I really think this has to do with the trajectory for me (more later). Dispersion stayed very, very, close to my E6 which was surprising to say the least, curious to see if that holds up. The feel was great and though its hard to put into words, there was a much more plush feel to it (I talk more about this in the putting review). The single A-number-one thing for me though off the tee was trajectory. I’m naturally a high-ball hitter (especially with the driver I was playing yesterday) and the RX actually brought my flight DOWN compared to where I was hitting the E6. Anything that can make my ball flight a little more penetrating is a major help to me, I look at it like even if it is only a small amount its better than none.

Iron Play:

Same thing with the driver on trajectory, brought me down a bit with a very nice flight and I really suffered no maladies with sidespin compared to the E6, but , with having not played these irons in forever my swing was nooooot as repeatable as I would have liked and we won’t even talk about my attempts at 3-iron shots. I actually did see less roll out from the RX compared to my E6 off the irons when shooting from the green from 150ish which is nice for me because I’m a roll out player, any gain in holding power is good for me.

Short Game:

First off, like I said above, I’m a roll out player, I can rarely stick a ball on the green and make it stop. A lot of this is due to my ball contact and not hitting down (being worked on, hard) so I’ve adapted myself to the roll I get with the E6 and it could be seen yesterday. My E6 wedge shots were closer all day whether form chips, sand play, flops, or normal approach shots. Reason for this? The roll out. It became painfully obvious I’m used to the E6’s attributes more (obviously since I use it more) especially putting many wedges in the same spot to test the theory, the E6 would roll WAY more than the RX. Now, don’t think I’m saying I like the rollout more because its quite the opposite, I love that I can make the RX hold better, that’s what allows a player to get more aggressive when you know you can stop it in a smaller space. I know I can’t suck the ball back all the time with wither ball, but I like more stopping power.

Putting:

For putting I legitimately got “more of the same” from my putting green review earlier, the RX just sounds better to me, its much more “plush” off my putter, so, here’s that earlier mini review for reference sake:

“I've spent two full days on the putting green having at it with multiple weapons and went at it with my current gamer ball the yellow e6 and the B330-RX yellow. I alluded to the feel difference for me in last nights post and used the word "plush" and I truly still stand by that. I've put these two balls up against carbon unmilled, carbon milled, stainless steel, v-groove, and inserts with the word "plush" still applying for me every time. Comparatively to the B330-RX the e6 is actually much much softer feeling to me than the RX not so much in the physical feel, but the auditory sound of it. I love the fact that the RX has this higher tone that the e6 lacks for me. That's what leads me to calling it so "plush", I love a nice softer feel on the putter but also strive for a nice audible tone that isn't an all out "click" like you get with some balls that sound almost plasticky (Wilson Staff Zip and tx4 are examples for me), instead the RX has that dull sound almost like drumming your finger off a table top whereas the e6 is way more muted. I myself need that audible tone, it lets me not only feel how I struck a put but hear it to. That huge for me on course.”

Huge indeed, when I get good feedback like the RX gave me, it changes my putting feel. From going back on holes and putting from the same distance on the greens yesterday (25ft, 15ft, 10ft, 5ft…the bliss of being alone on the course!) I was closer to and hit more putts with the RX from 25 and 15 while 10 and 5 were dead ties. I love it.

Durability:

Cart paths? Got it.

Pissing off arborists by shellacking a tree or two? Yep.

Crappies sand I’ve played out of in a long while? Heck yes.

Cart barn shingles? Don’t ask.

The RX held ups wonderfully, I still have all three balls and they all three look great, only a tiny tiny cart path scuff from the drive that went down the right side on 12. I truly wouldn’t have expected anything else form Bridgestone though after playing the E6, different balls yes, same great quality though.

Overall:

I want a couple more rounds still before coming to a verdict but put a gun to my head and I think I’m taking the RX based solely on the around and on the green aspects. Those are huge for me.

I cannot wait to get out more this week and weekend to put em’ through the ringer (and my luck lose them) so I’ll definitely have more to add.

Thanks so much again the Bridgestone and THP for taking a chance on me to test these, it means a lot to me and for that I again apologize profusely for the delay.

 

[Tmex]

JMan excellent review! Once you get used to the roll out I'm sure they will just deadly for you. I'm looking forward to how the RX and 2.0's get along. Have some personal interest in that one.

 

[Hanks]

very comprehensive review Jman! sounds like the greenside performance is where it's at for you with this ball.

 

[Jman]

JMan excellent review! Once you get used to the roll out I'm sure they will just deadly for you. I'm looking forward to how the RX and 2.0's get along. Have some personal interest in that one.

JMan excellent review! Once you get used to the roll out I'm sure they will just deadly for you. I'm looking forward to how the RX and 2.0's get along. Have some personal interest in that one.

Thanks Yoccos, I hope its not too long winded (started to sound llike one of my classroom lectures when I read over it in my head lol, that may not be a good thing!).

I'm stoked for the 2.0 test as well, these irons have me infatuated. On the range with crappy range balls it was a wow moment, I cant wait to be on course with them.

very comprehensive review Jman! sounds like the greenside performance is where it's at for you with this ball.

Thanks Hanks, I'm coming to realize I need to stop worrying about the tee ball as much and focus on my short game more. Trying to come out of that whole its all about the long ball phase. The RX achieves around and on the green for me for sure.

 

[Tmex]

Not long winded at all! Hopefully the next few rounds give you the info you need to see if you want this as your ball on a permanant basis.

Thanks Yoccos, I hope its not too long winded (started to sound llike one of my classroom lectures when I read over it in my head lol, that may not be a good thing!).

I'm stoked for the 2.0 test as well, these irons have me infatuated. On the range with crappy range balls it was a wow moment, I cant wait to be on course with them.



Thanks Hanks, I'm coming to realize I need to stop worrying about the tee ball as much and focus on my short game more. Trying to come out of that whole its all about the long ball phase. The RX achieves around and on the green for me for sure.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Really good review Jman! I really like these balls a lot! They are straight and deadly! I was definitely getting more roll out as well, but it is something that you can plan on and adapt to.

 

[JB]

Yessir they are! Compared to other balls I've shredded up these held up great for the 18. Granted it was a simulator but still, that's a lot of strikes. The JAWS gave me my first unplayable ball (I didnt get a chance to lose it ha) with another brand and I was wondering how the Bridgestones would hold up. Concern no more.

My other concern with a yellow/color ball would be how deep does the color go? I think I might be distracted if there were white scratches everywhere. Not the case at all with B330 RX Yellow.

JB made an observation about lining up the putt with a yellow ball. To me it does make a difference as well. It just stands out more and imo is easier to line up. More confidence over a putt is something Ill take any day.

I agree they are holding up really well. I think I said previously, I am not sure if it is more about the durability, or more about that wear does not show much on the yellow surface, but either way, I like it.

 

[Tmex]

Something about playing a ball that looks almost new just seems a little more inviting imo.

This ball definitely has a special place in my bag haha.

I agree they are holding up really well. I think I said previously, I am not sure if it is more about the durability, or more about that wear does not show much on the yellow surface, but either way, I like it.

 

[SW]

Wear is actually quite good, I've been beating these around the lawn as well as in a simulator and compared to my test ball (vapor) I'm noticing better wear, both in appearance and feel of the cover. I am not a big spin number guy with my wedges (avg around 6000's) though so take that with a grain of salt.

for those testing already....how has the wear been? any more noticeable than a traditional white ball or is the wear 'hidden' better?

insert witty sig line here. Tapatalk

 

[coolbreeze]

Great review Jman that was very informative.