Better than Pro-V1*?

With many of the major golf retailers having sales on golf balls, I took the pleasure in trying out a new brand and model recently. I finally got to play it Sunday at the Wilds in Prior Lake.

The ball I tried is the Bridgestone B330-S. I've been pretty loyal to the Titleist Pro-V1* over the years, but am always willing to try new ones. I like the Callaway Tour i and Tour i-x line, among others, but always seem to go back to the Pro-V1*.

I may, however, stick with the B330-S for a while. I had a nice round going with my Pro-V1*, but after back-to-back doubles on 14 and 15 (two of the three most poorly designed holes on the course, IMHO), I found my nice round turning into an average round.

So I pulled out the B330-S on the drive-able par four 16th, drove the greenside bunker left of the green, and got up and down for bird. On the par five 17th, I hit what should have been a dreadful, low, snap-hook OB, but the ball didn't hook nearly as much as I was expecting after I hit it. I was able to lay up on my second shot, knock a wedge to the green, and two-putt for par.

On the tough finishing par four 18th, a flushed a 3-wood about 290 (slightly aided by a soft breeze), and knocked a wedge to ten feet, which I made to complete the round birdie-par-birdie, and finish with a nice 77.

What I loved about the ball, as evidenced on all three holes, was the lack of spin on the driver and 3-wood (for example, the 290-yard 3-wood was probably only about 250 yards of carry). The wedges I hit with it felt wonderfully soft, and they grabbed the greens perfectly. Further, unlike with the brand-new Pro-V1* on the very first hole, the grooves on the wedges didn't mutilate the cover.

This ball is designed exactly for my game. On the Bridgestone site, it says it is for swing speeds between 103 and 115 mph. The Pro-V1*, on the other hand, may actually be better suited for longer hitters than I normally am, and I've found the regular Pro-V1 to spin too much for my taste. My average driver swing is 105-110, depending on the wind. ("When it's breezy, swing easy.")

(I top out at 120 when I really go for it, but that's about once every four rounds; 125 on the range is the absolute best I can do, but I look awfully silly doing it.)

I recommend going to the site and trying their online ball-fitting resource. I give a huge thumbs up for this ball, but of course, like the guy who is batting .500 after 72 at-bats, it's too early to get too excited. I'll keep you updated.