Was in the golf shop a while back, there was a promotion from Bridgestone if you purchase 3 dozen balls get a free jacket. I did it, the jacket arrived today and it is very nice! Antigua "Viper". The E-5 balls are not bad, not pro-v level but fine for me. I have two dozen left, am set up for golf balls for a while.

Those E5s are great balls. In my opinion, they are the best of the E series and one of the only mid-priced balls available with a urethane cover like the Pro V or B330 series or other high end expensive balls. I put these on a par with the Titleist NXT Tour, another great ball, but still more expensive than the E5, yet without urethane cover.

After a few weeks of playing/testing/losing the E5 balls I say yes I agree they are pretty darn good, and I agree with the NXT Tour comparison. They do not feel like urethane covers (like a Pro-V or even WS Tour FG) to me, however, likely due to the cover thickness. Honestly feels about like any other mid priced golf ball. But I believe ball performance to a level depends on the skill of the golfer if they utilize the spin on certain shots which I'm pretty sure I do not, so...

I still am happy about the deal I got on the dozens which were on sale for ~$23 plus the free jacket. The jacket has neat scorecard pocket on the right breast. I guess that is what it is for.

Scorecard or flask - whichever suits you best!!!

Seriously, guys, how the heck can you tell the difference between one ball and another when you're whacking it with a long, metal stick at high speed?

I'm not doubting that you can, I just don't understand how...

jpjeffery wrote:

Seriously, guys, how the heck can you tell the difference between one ball and another when you're whacking it with a long, metal stick at high speed? I'm not doubting that you can, I just don't understand how...

I have 3 criteria:

First, when i hit the ball. I have to like the way it sounds and the way it feels. I like what i call a "crunch" sound. it's between the click of the harder balls, and the "thwap" of the softer ones.

Second: it has to perform for me. Here is where i start splitting hairs. I will give up a little of the feel or sound if the ball performs well. I can get used to a new sound or feel eventually if it's going to do what i want it to do. I have found that in general i really haven't had to give up much of either when i switch balls. The softer balls don't fly as far with my speed, and the harder ones don't perform so they all fall into a nice mid-compression. That being said, material has a lot to do with sound and different ball manufacturers use different materials.

Lastly: i have to have confidence in the manufacture of the ball. I literally inspect the sleeve of balls when i buy them. Does the manufacturer mark the ball in the same spot every time? I've noticed this with Callaway VS. Titleist. When i played ProV1x, the marks were in the same spot right down to the dimple. For the callaway Tour IZ, they were in different spots. It's little, but how can i expect to line up a ball and expect to hit it the same each time if every time i change balls, i'm hitting a different axis? That's how i came to the ProV1x over callaway IZ. However, i found newer, cheaper callaway balls that have the same level of manufacture and perform just as well for me as the Pro V1x. So that's how i got with the ball i have now.

Ta.

I hear you jeffrey, If someone threatened my life to distinguish between balls in a blind contest. I'd have to say "just go ahead and shoot me". As you've no doubt heard before, It ain't the arrows, it's the Indian.

Hilarious.

First of all, the E5 is my ball of choice. I play an E6 occasionally when I'm struggling with a slice because it spins less, but I played probably 80% of my rounds last summer with E5's. And I've already stocked up on them for this summer.

But here is the deal on performance. I usually can't tell the difference either. However, I know that there is a difference because I can make the E5 stop (sometimes) when it hits the green. I played a Top Flite last year for a few rounds, and I just got frustrated because every time I hit a green, it would roll over.

merlin3driver wrote:

I hear you jeffrey, If someone threatened my life to distinguish between balls in a blind contest. I'd have to say "just go ahead and shoot me". As you've no doubt heard before, It ain't the arrows, it's the Indian.

yea but give that same indian 10 arrows whittled from a tree branch and 10 precision machined broadhead and see which one is more precise.

birdieXris wrote:

merlin3driver wrote: I hear you jeffrey, If someone threatened my life to distinguish between balls in a blind contest. I'd have to say "just go ahead and shoot me". As you've no doubt heard before, It ain't the arrows, it's the Indian. yea but give that same indian 10 arrows whittled from a tree branch and 10 precision machined broadhead and see which one is more precise.

Great point!

My wonderful mother, bless her poor departed soul, would inspect the labels on several several cans of green beans at the grocery store before deciding on which one to purchase. As if the label was an actual photograph of the contents of that individual can. I can only imagine what a dilemma she would have had selecting a sleeve of golf balls and finding out they were printed on the wrong axis.

merlin3driver wrote:

My wonderful mother, bless her poor departed soul, would inspect the labels on several several cans of green beans at the grocery store before deciding on which one to purchase. As if the label was an actual photograph of the contents of that individual can. I can only imagine what a dilemma she would have had selecting a sleeve of golf balls and finding out they were printed on the wrong axis.

lol...my dad does the exact same thing. He stares at the pictures trying to decide which one looks more delicious. And it's not like he's never bought the exact same brand of green beans before, either.

I like to examine the labels, but I'm looking at the nutritional content.

From a guy who spent my first career in marketing, advertising and branding, IMAGE IS EVERYTHING!

DougE wrote:

From a guy who spent my first career in marketing, advertising and branding, IMAGE IS EVERYTHING!

From a guy who is still in that industry... Don't ever buy anything because of what it looks like on the box.