Bridgestone e12 Contact Ball Review

Bridgestone e12 Contact Ball Review

Having the right golf ball for your game can really make a difference to your score. Golf balls are not a “one size fits all” solution and there are golf balls for every skill level and swing speed.

Whether you are looking for the best distance golf balls or the best golf balls for beginners, at Golf Monthly we have you covered with guides to cover all of your needs, from the best value golf balls to the best golf balls for seniors or slow swing speeds.

Bridgestone golf balls are some of the best on the market and the great Tiger Woods himself has been playing them for several years.

While Tiger uses a Tour B XS TW Edition golf ball, Bridgestone makes balls to suit every level of golfer. One of their most popular is the e12 Contact so I was keen to see how it performed in testing.

The first thing you notice when you unbox a Bridgestone e12 Contact golf ball is the dimples, which are wide, hexagonal and deep with raised circles set into them. These Contact Force dimples are the inspiration for this new ball which replaces Bridgestone’s e12 Soft and e12 Speed balls and which the brand says will increase the surface contact between clubface and ball by 38 percent.

The effect of increased ball-face contact is significant. According to Bridgestone it means better energy transfer, straighter flights and longer shots. I pegged one up at Slaley Hall, a former European Tour venue, to test Bridgestone’s claim that the e12 Contact can deliver “straight distance.” 

The feel at impact is reasonably soft, especially for a ball that is marketed for its distance gains. Off the tee, e12 Contact proved itself as long as some of the best premium golf balls and launched fairly high promoting better carry distance.

It was also noticeable that the ball flight had less shape on it. I’m battling an open club face at impact at the moment and I was interested to note that on two occasions I hit high straight pushes with my driver. With my usual ball that would be a high blocky slice.

Iron shots had a solid mid-level trajectory with plenty of stopping power and control going into the greens and less draw than my usual shot. When I tried to work the ball with a gentle fade, the e12 stayed straight. This lack of sidespin is good for higher handicap golfers but better players may find it frustrating. If you do want to straighten up your ball flight though, clearly the Bridgestone e12 Contact ball could benefit your game as it undoubtedly has a straightening effect. 

I found that the e12 seemed to stay on the face fractionally longer than my usual golf ball, while it was genuinely soft and responsive when chipping and pitching. For a mid-price golf ball there was a good level of feel.

On the greens it comes off the putter face nicely with a sharp click and I found it to be pleasant enough to putt with, although it isn’t as butter soft as the Bridgestone e6 ball. With a softer core and longer face-ball contact, Bridgestone is targeting increased ball speed to power longer, straighter shots. During this on-course test, the e12 held its own against more expensive balls and was longer than other mid-category distance balls.

This ball is generously priced and comes in a good range of colors including white, matte green, matte red, and matte yellow.

It will certainly help golfers who want to hit it longer and find more fairways so if you're struggling with accuracy and need a straighter ball flight, this could be just the ticket for you.