Bridgestone e12 Splash ball: What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Bridgestone’s e12 lineup of low-compression ionomer-covered balls designed to improve average golfers full-swing shots (both off the tee and into the greens) expands to include the new e12 Splash aimed at improving another trouble area: wet conditions. The e12 Splash employs a TK coating that’s hydrophobic so it repels water, as well as mud and other debris for a more efficient aerodynamic flight. The end result is more consistent performance in wet, dewy and even rainy conditions.
PRICE: $35 (dozen), available Oct. 10.
3 COOL THINGS
1. Splash plays. The object of the e12 Splash is getting predictable results when playing conditions are at the least predictable. Any moisture can lead to an inefficient contact to varying degrees, and since players generally can’t clean the ball in the fairway (particularly average golfers playing their usual casual rounds), the e12 Splash looks to eliminate the variability of moisture. It uses a coating, called RPL-X, that is hydrophobic. The materials alter the contact angle for moisture so droplets more easily bounces off the surface.
“When there’s moisture on the ball, the ball tends to slide up the face and the ball is not being compressed at impact,” said Bridgestone’s Adam Rehberg. “With moisture between the ball and clubface, it’s creating more of a glancing blow. You’re also getting a higher launch angle because of that more solid strike, and that’s going to help average golfers, too. But the biggest thing, of course, is more consistency whether you’re playing in the rain or just the morning dew.”
2. Distance tech. The e12 lineup generally has been about creating more distance and accuracy for average golfers, and the e12 Splash continues that trend. The multilayer design includes the hydrophobic ionomer cover that works with a soft, resilient rubber core to create more ballspeed and less spin. An intermediate mantle layer further reduces spin, particularly side spin, much like the e12 Straight ball. The unique dimple design, called Contact Force dimples, features a raised area in the center aimed to create more contact with the clubface at impact than traditional dimples for better energy transfer.
3. Mind games. Like the other models in the family, the e12 Splash will come standard with Bridgestone’s Mindset graphic, which is designed to improve focus and build a consistent pre-shot routine. Developed through input from Bridgestone staffer Jason Day and his performance coach Jason Goldsmith, it creates a three-step visualization cue—Identify, Visualize, Focus—to breed mental game consistency.