ERC Soft vs. e12 Straight: Same DNA, Different Game

We tested both balls using our standardized golf ball testing protocol on the SkyTrak ST Max launch monitor.

Because we use human swings, not robots, our data reflects the performance differences you can actually expect to see on the course, not microscopic variances under perfect conditions. We use strict benchmarks for swing speed, shot quality, and delivery dynamics to keep results as consistent as possible.

Individual results will vary, but the patterns we see across dozens of shots are meaningful.

Learn more about how we test golf balls and see the complete list of every golf ball we've tested. You can also check out our complete Callaway ERC Soft test data here and see our full Bridgestone e12 Straight test data here.

Distance:

• ERC Soft: About 5 yards longer off the tee; our highest-ranked distance ball in the entire test
• e12 Straight: Solid distance, but clearly not the priority of its design

Stopping Power:

• ERC Soft: Significantly better; uses a steep descent angle and more spin to hold greens
• e12 Straight: Limited stopping power; lower spin and lower ball flight mean more roll

Accuracy:

• e12 Straight: Tied for the highest accuracy score of any ball we tested; actually does what it says on the box
• ERC Soft: Accuracy is the tradeoff for all that distance; won’t help you fix a slice or hook

Who It's For:

• e12 Straight: Players who primarily want to eliminate big misses
• ERC Soft: Players who want distance and short game performance

Ball Flight Comparison: 

The short game difference is more nuanced than the stopping power comparison.

ERC Soft generated more spin and a higher launch angle from 50 yards, but both were among the highest-launching of our entire 50-yard test. And neither reached the high spin category, either. With 6473 RPM of backspin ERC Soft showed a mid-spin profile, while e12 Straight’s 6175 RPM made it a low-spin ball, designations based on the spin output of our entire 43-ball test.

Around the greens, it’s all about getting the ball to stop, and ERC Soft actually did that exceptionally well. Its 1.6 yards of rollout was aided by that high launch, a high peak height, and steep descent angle. While many skilled players consider a lower-trajectory, higher-spinning greenside shot to be more in control, ERC Soft is the best-performing ball around the greens of any non-urethane ball. 

In other words, if you want the distance benefits of a low-spin non-urethane ball, none are better in the short game than ERC Soft.

Meanwhile, e12 Straight’s 8.3 in our wedge test is respectable, but not as strong around the greens.

Choose e12 Straight if:

You want to fly it straighter than almost anything else on the market. With the highest accuracy score in our 43-ball test, the e12 Straight delivers on its one big promise. If you fight a slice or hook, this ball will limit the damage. 

Just understand that the tradeoff for those benefits is limited stopping power.

Choose ERC Soft if:

You want everything the e12 Straight isn't. ERC Soft leads our entire test in distance and gives you really good short game performance for a non-urethane ball. 

The hybrid cover does improve stopping power with the irons, and wedge control rivals some urethane-covered balls. 

The catch is accuracy. ERC Soft produced the second-highest sidespin in our test, and its 5.8 accuracy score reflects that. If you play a relatively straight ball flight naturally, the ERC Soft's advantages are compelling.

ERC Soft was the stronger overall performer in our test. It won in every category except accuracy, and the margins in distance, stopping power, and short game weren’t particularly close.

But accuracy matters, especially for many mid and high-handicap players shopping in this category. If you fight a nagging ball flight issue, the ERC Soft's high sidespin is a problem. That’s where e12 Straight, with its 9.4 accuracy score, can change your game. It won’t turn huge slices into fairway-splitting drives, but it can be the difference between being safely in bounds and heading back to re-tee.

Both balls are good, they're just built to solve different problems. Identify yours, and the choice is easy.