We’ve spent most of the summer talking about golf balls. Our golf ball test peeled back the curtain on performance differences while #FindItCutIt helped root out inconsistencies in both golf balls and the stories behind them. It’s been an eye-opening adventure, to say the least.
As we look for ways to keep the ball rolling (excuse the pun), we wanted to step back and listen to what you have to say about the golf ball. This 2019 Golf Ball Survey is an opportunity for us to learn about what ball you play and why you play it. We know with 100% certainty that ball manufacturers of all sizes will be anxious to learn more about you, their customer. This is your chance to weigh in. In addition to taking the survey, feel free to share additional thoughts in the comment section.
The survey is expected to take about 8 minutes to complete, and while I’ve almost certainly written stories that demanded your attention for longer, we think this survey is important, and so we wanted to offer some incentive for you to share your feedback. To that end, we’re giving one lucky participant six dozen Bridgestone Golf balls. Tour B X, Tour B XS, B RX, B RXS, even E12. Whatever Bridgestone ball you want, it’s your choice.
Here’s your requisite fine print: Winner will be chosen at random from all completed surveys and announced when we post the survey results. Void where prohibited and whatnot.
Please note: The email question at the beginning of the survey is for prize notification only. Your address won’t be shared with any 3rd parties or used for any other purpose.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Joel
5 years ago
I filled out the survey, but just wanted to add another .02 about your recent choice to dig deeper into the golf ball.
Since you published the result of your ball testing, I’ve only been playing the Pro V1x (Except in a few scramble rounds I played this summer when I was cutting stupid corners. Then it’s shag bag distance balls obviously).
There were a few balls on your list of most consistent that suited what I was looking for, the results impressed me, and I was able to get a few dozen right after the results were published that were still at a discounted spring price. I wasn’t playing them before because I felt it likely wasn’t worth the cost, but ultimately, the consistency shown in your test from ball to ball, and swing to swing really impressed me. I’m an engineering student, and so I get the value of hitting a tight tolerance, clearly, a few manufacturers do as well.
A few hours of lessons and a few dozen hours of practice this summer have dropped my handicap maybe 5 strokes, because for the first time in 4 or 5 years, my driver misses have almost all stayed in play. I’ve really seen how massive the difference is between a 15 yard and 30 yard miss, and I’m not willing to play a ball that could occasionally be responsible for adding 15 yards to a 15 yard miss and a couple of extra strokes.
I appreciate the ball testing, especially for things like consistency. To me it’s the most valuable test you’ve ever done. I check out, and enjoy, your club tests and use them to help form my shortlist when I’m looking for new clubs, but ultimately you have to swing them yourself, and biomechanics play such a big role in how each individual interacts with a golf club (as you yourselves always say that you still encourage fitting)
The ball on the other hand, only cares about 3 things. Face angle/orientation, clubhead speed, and swing path at impact. (Grooves, too, I guess) While different balls suit different launch conditions, or styles around the green, I feel like the evaluation of a ball is both far more objective, and far more difficult to evaluate by a player with a swing that is anything less than perfect. A guy like me might hit that off center callaway into the bush on his first swing with it off the tee, think “hmmm, I thought I actually put a good swing on that”, do a few practice movements from my lessons, and hit the next one really great, and walk away going “oh well, guess I just got my hips too far ahead” and think nothing of it, without actually knowing that I just hit the 1 ball out of the 12 pack that was a bit iffy. But we would have absolutely no idea without experimental data. Obviously the swing is still the most important club in the bag (and I’ve certainly invested more into lessons than clubs) but its nice to know I’m not shooting myself in the foot with a golf fall.
Anyway, much appreciated!