Bridgestone Tour B Golf Balls Review
Bridgestone Golf’s new Tour B golf ball family consists of four models to fit as many golfer profiles as possible: the Tour B X, Tour B XS, Tour B RX, and Tour B RXS. We had the chance to try out each recently and were very impressed with how they complemented one another while remaining truly unique.
Background and Tech
Officially announced at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show, the new Bridgestone Tour B Series is an upgrade to an already stellar line of golf balls. The biggest story in this release is the fact that Tiger Woods had years of direct input into the design of the B XS, which Bridgestone put front and center in their trade show booth in Orlando.
Bridgestone Tour B X golf balls.
As far as tech goes, Bridgestone’s new REACTIV cover featured in the Tour B Series promotes more distance and more spin across the board. As was discussed in a recent podcast episode, this is a tricky combination that very few brands have been able to perfect over the years. How do you find the balance of enough spin (but not too much!) on approach shots and around the green while maintaining optimal spin off the tee for more distance?
The short answer: it’s really damn tough. But somehow, Bridgestone succeeded.
The swing speed recommendations for the new series is simple to follow:
If you swing over 105 mph, you’ll want to try either the Tour B X or Tour B XS.
If you swing under 105 mph, you’ll want either the Tour B RX or Tour B RXS.
All four models offer similar benefits in spin and control thanks to REACTIV technology in the cover, so you’re pretty safe from making an “incorrect” choice based on swing speed. It all boils down to feel and performance for your game.
First Impressions
Our tester has a swing speed under 105 mph with his driver, so using Bridgestone’s recommendations, we focused on the Tour B RX and Tour B RXS golf balls.
Off the tee, total distances with each ball were 5 to 10 yards further than his gamer. This was true pretty consistently throughout the test and measured using SkyTrak technology. Spin rates were slightly lower than average, with launch staying within the 14 - 18-degree window.
On approach shots, both golf balls tested similarly to one another in terms of distance and spin. Our tester already plays a relatively high-spinning golf ball on the regular, so he didn’t see any significant change when compared to the Tour B golf balls. This was seen as a positive since more spin would have been a dissatisfier.
In terms of feel, our tester preferred the Tour B RXS. While difficult to measure aside from subjective feedback, our tester believed the feel of the RXS was “softer” especially around the greens and while putting. This ball felt very similar to his gamer, which caught his attention — and ultimately his preference — right away.
Overall Impression
While our tester did not see a significant change in spin on approach shots or around the green, he did appreciate the boost in distance off the tee. Cover durability with extended is yet to be determined, but first impressions are very positive of the new Tour B RX and RXS golf balls.
As a quick aside, our tester did try a few shots with the X and XS models as well. Neither golf ball out performed his current gamer, nor did they perform better than the RX or RXS balls. This is a very important observation as it validated what Bridgestone recommended for his swing speed.
The entire Tour B Series golf ball line is available to pre-order now on their website, and all models retail for $44.99.
