Titleist is on a Small Roll...

Back in the day, one of my buds had a saying.... "I'm on a small roll". To the world, that meant "I managed to get a girl to talk to me more than once in a 72 hour period without slapping my face" - however, to Jim it meant " I am having a great deal of success with something that is my primary focus in life".

Well, based on the results thus far in 2010 on the PGA Tour, the folks at Titleist are "on a small roll"... Check This Out...

Event	Winner	Irons	Ball
Northern Trust Open	Stricker	Titleist 755	Pro V1
Farmer's Insurance Open	Crane	Titleist AP2	Pro V1x
Bob Hope Classic	Haas	Titleist CB Forged	Pro V1
Sony Open	Palmer	Titleist AP2	Pro V1
SBS Classic	Ogilvy	Titleist MB	Pro V1

No question, this is a pretty impressive showing. I've previously written about Titleist, and given them some grief for losing young players soon after they join the pro ranks (Danny Lee, etc.). However, in addition to the impressive list above, they have done a kick a$$ job in the last year snagging some real young guns....ponder this list:

• Rory McIlroy
• Rickie (Aerosmith) Fowler
• Michael Sim
• Nick Watney

They also migrated Geoff Ogilvy over from sister company Cobra (can Camilo,Ian, and JB be next ??). Hat's off to Titleist for keeping the pedal to the metal and setting the standard among the Tour players. Another thought provoking factoid:

- 2010 Results - 5 Winners, All played Titleist Irons and Balls

- 2nd half of 2009: 21 Winners, 4 played Titleist Irons, 9 Played Titleist Balls

For the Math nerds among us, that means that Titleist has improved their iron's success rate by more than 500%, and have ALREADY had more different Winners in 2010 than they had in all of 2009 ( 5 vs. 3). In addition, their ball success rate has improved by more than 2X.

Just curious about a couple of things...

(1) I wonder how long it will be until a ball made by anyone ELSE wins a 2010 event ? My guess... March.

(2) Could the new grooves have anything to do with Titleist's dominance thus far ? Are their balls performing better with the new grooves ? Are their "new grooves" somehow better ?

(3) Is this the Tiger effect ? (sorry, could not ignore that....)

And you thought Bushwood never did any real research....take THAT Waggleroom !

Bridgestone B330 RX - Product Review

In late 2008, Bridgestone introduced a new ball - the B330RX. According to the media hype, this marks the first attempt by a golf ball manufacturer to create a "Tour" caliber ball that is specifically made for amateur swing speeds (85 - 105 mph). Up to this point, the only way for the average duffer to get the distance, spin, and feel of a "Tour" ball was to play one which was manufactured for swing speeds of 105 mph+ (Pro V1, Pro V1x, TM Red & Black, Callaway Tour, etc)

Bridgestone says the DNA of the B330 Rx has the following genetic traits:

* Driver Distance - LONGEST (6 on a 6 point scale)
* Drive Spin - LOW (1.5 on a 6 point scale)
* Short Iron Spin - HIGH (5 on a 6 point scale)
* Feel - SOFTEST (6 on a 6 point scale)

The 330 RX is a urethane, multilayer ball with a soft gradational core. The softer core is the reason for this ball is better suited to "amateur" swing speeeds - as it allows for the right amount (read "more") compression. This is also engineered to allow for a higher launch AND less spin off the driver. The soft urethane cover provides both the high short iron spin, and (obviously) the soft overall feel of the ball .

Having played the Pro V1x, TM Red and Black, and the Bridgestone B330 S in the recent past, I was quite interested in giving this ball a try. I like Bridgetone products, but always drifted back to the Pro V1x as my preferred ball. All of this sounded too good to be true for me, which is a sure fire way to get me to try it out. Here are the results after playing the ball for the last 3 months:

Off the Tee: I compared the B330 Rx to a Pro V1x, and a Taylor Made Red for 6 rounds of golf - my swing speed fluctuates between 90 and 100 mph, so I figured to be a good test subject. In terms of distance off the tee, the Bridgestone was equal to or slightly longer than the Pro V1x, and generally longer than the TaylorMade Red. The ball flight of the Bridgestone tended to be more penetrating than either the Titleist or TM. The lower driver spin is where the Bridgestone really distinguished itself, as I found the 330 RX to be significantly straighter and less likely go astray than either of the other two balls. Another measure, albeit relatively crude, but nonetheless accurate - the B330 Rx was much harder to lose than either the Titleist or the TM. I play on a tight, tree and woods lined course with plenty of opportunities to hit one 10 feet off the fairway and lose it in the leaves - and I found that the B330 RX was much less likely to offline than either of the other balls. Oddly, I did not initially think to "measure" this - I just noticed repeatedly that I would be on the 15th or 16th hole and still be playing with the same ball that I started with...and it would be in good shape. Overall score off the tee: A +

Mid Iron & Hybrid Play: The B330 RX performed comparably with both the Pro V1x and the TM Red on Mid Iron and Hybrid shots (3H thru 7I). Distance, trajectory, and feel were virtually the same, with the B330 RX feeling a wee bit softer than the Pro V1x. Overall Score on Mid Irons: A

Short Irons ,Wedges, and Spin: The B330 RX performed admirably on Short Irons and Wedbe Shots (8I thru LW). Trajectory seemed a bit flatter than the TaylorMade, and comparable to the Titleist. I was able to spin the B330 RX with all of my scoring irons, and I found the performance to be predictable. On "full" shots with my gap wedge through lob wedge (50 degrees to 58 degrees), the Pro V1x did a spin a wee bit more than the B330 RX - so if you value spin over all other things, the Pro V1x has a slight advantage here - otherwise, the Bridgestone is a great performer. Overall Score on Short Irons : A

Feel off the Putter : The B330 RX was comparable to both the Pro V1x and TM Red on the green, providing a great feel off the putter head. It has a nice alignment "line" , and felt nice on both long and short putts. I did not notice the cover to be susceptible to unusual wear - which is nice for a "Softer" ball. Overall Score on Green Performance : A+

Overall Analysis: I can't be anymore direct than this - I switched to the Bridgestone B330 RX as my preferred ball. I found that I gave up no performance, and gained greater accuracy (and perhaps some distance) off the tee due to lower driver spin. If you are a someone who is willing to pay for a "Tour" caliber ball ($38-$45 per dozen), and have a "normal" swing speed (85-105), I highly recommend these balls. Give 'em a try - I do not think you will be disappointed. Overall Score: A+

For more info on selecting the right ball, check out Bridgestone's online tool here.

Picking a Golf Ball - What is Important ?

Picking a golf ball today is pretty confusing. I've seen all of the Titleist commercials, and the PGA leaderboard that shows how many players use Titleist balls....but what is REALLY right for the Average Joe/Jane golfer ? Here are the factors that I think are important:

(1) Spin - Do you prefer a ball that spins a lot or one that spins less ? Do you even know how to tell ? One good way is from your tee shots - if you tend to favor the right side of the course (for righties) - I hate to say "slice", chances are that you hit shots that spin a lot - and thus would be best served by a low spin ball. However, the best way to determine this is to vists a golf shop and hit a few on the launch monitor and see what it tells you.
(2) SwingSpeed / BallSpeed - This is a topic that will require some professional intervention, but can really help in selecting the right ball for you. The same trip to the golf shop mentioned above can offer you insight into your swing speed and ball speed.
(3) Affordability - Let's face it - a lot of us just cannot stomach $45 smokes for a 12 kit of Pro V1s...what's a duffer to do ? Well, you have two options - select less expensive balls (there are lots to choose from) OR buy used high end balls from folks on eBay (this is a great option, BTW).
(4) Brand Loyalty / Perception: Let's face it, golf is a VERY mental game, and some of us just feel better playing a brand that we recognize or like.


At the end of the day, the best option is to make a visit to the golf shop of your choice (Edwin Watts, GolfSmith, etc) and let the pros there help you out. Explain to them that you need help selecting a ball, and want to get on the launch monitor to help identify the right one. Do not be afraid to tell them that you need to stay in a price range - remember that they are there to help you. BTW - you may have seen Bridgstone commercials lately where they are doing comparison with average Joe/Jane golfers hitting various balls to help them select the one that is best for them....clearly an indication that the industry is "getting it" as it comes to golfers selecting a ball that is right for them.

Here are some to consider:

High End Balls:

• Titleist Pro V1 (high spin, soft) and Pro V1x (less spin, a bit firmer)
• Taylor Made TP Black (high spin, soft) and TP Red (less spin, firmer)
• Bridgestone B330 and 330 s
• Nike One Black , Nike One Platinum (high spin, soft)

Middle Tier Balls

• Titleist NxT and NxT Tour
• Taylor Made Burner Red and Black
• Bridgestone e5
• Callaway Hot X
  

What do you play ?

ed note: Da Judge plays ProV1x, and chokes every time he has to pay full retail for them....