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2020 Official Member Review: Bridgestone White Box Ball


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Bridgestone Tour BX – Official MGS Forum Review by dalejbrass

 Hello everyone and thank you Bridgestone and MyGolfSpy for selecting me to test the new Tour BX golf balls.

 I was born and raised in Tulsa, OK and moved to NE Florida in August of 2017. I live and play golf in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, just a short drive from TPC Sawgrass. I turn 50 years old this July and will finally be eligible for the Champions Tour (just kidding…but, can qualify for some of the old man tourneys at my local club).

 Picked up my first golf clubs (garage sale Ping knockoffs) at 19 years old and instantly fell in love with the game. Can’t really put a finger on why it was love at first swing, as I was the only member of my family who played. I’ve always been drawn to a challenge, so I guess that’s it…. because who really conquers this crazy game called golf?

 After 22 years being self-employed, I’m finally at a stage of life where I get to play quite a bit and practice a lot (My house is a short walk from the driving range). Took a few years off golf dealing with and ultimately healing from a complete replacement of my right hip. Prior to the surgery, I was playing to a 7 handicap at my old club, The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso, OK. Post-surgery and 3 years later, I started my 2019 season as a 13 handicap. My current handicap is 5.8 on a tight private golf course in the middle of a marsh. Finding fairways and greens is at a premium here! In other words, my game is much better than it was prior to the surgery.

 My strengths are short game and iron play. As my golfing buddies would say, “he chips and putts like a scratch golfer”. On those rare days when the golf gods are smiling down upon me and tempo is right, I can play really good golf.

 My carry distance is above average, hit the ball relatively high and I generate lots of spin throughout the bag (7 iron averages 175 yards of carry). I need a golf ball with a penetrating flight, low spin, that is responsive and feels good. I do not like balls that feel hard and sound clicky off the club face.

 I can duck hook a driver or lay the sod over an approach shot just like the rest of you knuckleheads. But my weaknesses typically reveal themselves off my Driver and gap wedges. I have the tendency to slide a touch with my driver, which causes me to get a little too far in-to-out on the downswing (unfortunate reality of my new hip), which can cause the club to get stuck behind me a bit, which results in a block or pushed ball that flies very straight but right of my target line or a snap hook. I can get steep with my wedges, which also results in misses to the right (working hard on this and seeing good results).

 I’ve gamed several balls over the past few years: Titleist ProV1, TP5, Bridgestone, Snell Black, Vice. My current ball is the Titleist AVX. I was drawn to this ball based on its characteristics to fly lower with less spin. When my game tights up and log a few rounds in the 70’s, my tendencies are more stringent with ball purchases. I’ve also been intrigued with and tried several of the “direct-to-consumer” brands out there i.e. Snell and Vice. Even though money is not always my priority, I’m relatively frugal with purchases and can’t stand paying $50 for a box of balls when there’s good balls out there for ½ the money, hence, the Snell MTB Black. I'll often buy several dozens of balls when they go on sale.

 If the new Bridgestone or any other ball can carry as long or longer than my current gamer (Titleist AVX), spins low off the driver and finds more fairways, it will find its way into my bag!

My gaming and review tools:

Driver – Taylormade SIM MAX 9* w/Hazardous Smoke Stiff Shaft 75 gram

Fairways – TM SIM Titanium 3w 15* w/Diamana 75gram stiff shaft

Fairways – TM SIM Titanium 5w w/Diamana 75gram stiff shaft

Irons – Srixon Z785 4 thru A w/ 120 gram Nippon Modus stiff shafts

Wedges – Callaway Jaws 54* and 58* w/Steelfiber i95 stiff shafts

Putter(s) – TM TP Collection Ardmore 2 & Evnroll ER5

 

 Looks & Durability (15 out of 15 points)

I’ve always liked the big, bold “B” on the Bridgestone balls and the new balls are no different. I wouldn’t classify myself as a minimalist by any stretch, but I prefer a less “busy” ball. I usually use a line tool and draw a blue line on the ball, therefore, the extra real estate on these balls is a good thing. 

I can’t speak towards Bridgestone’s packaging for the 2020 balls, as these came in white sleeves. I just hope they and every other ball manufacturer would do a better job of indicating the differences between ball characteristics between offerings on the packaging. In other words, if your driver swing speed is 109 mph DON’T buy this ball.

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Speaking of ball fitting, this would be my first negative regarding the Tour B X and the VFIT ball fitting tool. VFIT gauged my swing speed at 107 mph, which is pretty accurate, as I was averaging 109 mph with my driver during my driver fitting at The Performance Center at Sawgrass. The VFIT software recommend the Tour BX ball. Unfortunately for me, I’m at the upper limits of a stiff shaft and lower end of an extra stiff shaft. I believe the Tour BX is designed more for swing speeds in excess of 110 mph. At my current swing speed, the ball feels hard and is “louder” than other balls I’ve played.

I do need to mention that most of my ball testing was done with my M6 driver with 65gram Tensei shaft. About three quarters through my testing, my M6 broke and was replaced with the new SIM Max with a 75gram Hazardous Smoke shaft. I’m sure it’s the heavier shaft and difference between heads, but the Tour BX does not feel or sound nearly as hard and loud as it did with the M6.

Just wrapped up my last “testing” round with the new driver today and must say that I liked the ball more than other round I’ve played since receiving the balls. I was also seeing significant increases in distance with the Tour BX vs my Titleist AVX. The BX ball was 23 yards and 20 yards longer off the driver on a couple holes and 2 to 5 yards longer on the others.

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After multiple practice sessions and rounds the durability seems to be as good or better than any other “premium” ball on the market. Until or unless you hit a tree or cart path, the BX should last as long as you want to play it!


Sound & Feel (8 out of 15 points)

Upon opening my first sleeve and handling the ball, I was impressed and intrigued by the feel of the cover. It feels sticky and rubberish. The dimple design has changed vs prior versions.

As previously mentioned, I’m not a fan of the sound of this ball off all clubs in my bag. It’s a hard ball designed for high swing speeds. The sound and feel off the clubs is a big turn off for me. Albeit, it did perform well with my new driver and fairway woods.

On-Course Performance (30 out of 40 points)

Again, the sound and feel of the Tour BX was not nearly as harsh off my new driver (SIM Max) today as it has been prior rounds with my M6. However, I’m still not a fan of how hard and loud the ball is on all clubs.

There’s definitely a noticeable “click” sound off the putter with the Tour BX, but not enough to be irritating or cause me not to like the ball.

 

 

I didn’t have any issues chipping and pitching the Tour BX. I was able to hit a wide variety of shots around the green with this ball. Even though it’s hard and low spinning, I didn’t have any issues stopping the ball.

 

 

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Played 9 holes with the Tour BX against my Titleist AVX today. Below is the break down, hole by hole. Note, I played the approach shots from the same location in an attempt to get side-by-side comparisons: distance, ball flight, and spin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3134 Yards

#1 330 Par 4

#2 355 Par 4

#3 171 Par 3

#4 375 Par 4

#5 392 Par 4

#6 480 Par 5

#7 145 Par 3

#8 495 Par 5

#9 402 Par 4

AVX

4

3

3

4

4

5

3

5

4

FIR

Y

Y

N/A

L 8 yrds

Y

R 5 yrds

N/A

Y

Y

GIR

N

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Putts

1

1

2

1

2

2

2

1

2

Tour BX

4

4

2

6

4

5

3

5

4

FIR

Y

Y

N/A

L 5

Y

R 10

N/A

N

Y

GIR

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Putts

2

1

1

2

2

2

2

1

2

 

 

 

 

Note: The ball referenced in the next video isn’t correct. My ball mark was left and further up the green from the one identified in the video. Ball released approximately 15 ft vs the 30 or so in the video.

 

Here's a clip from a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I don't have footage of the Drive.

 

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)

 I feel bad only allotting 5 out of the 10 points in this section. But, live and die by the sword right? If Bridgestone is going to fit and recommend a ball, it should be the correct ball.

 As cool as the VFIT technology is, there’s no substitute for an actual ball fitting. I’d highly recommend hitting each ball before purchasing. Most private and semi-private clubs have club and ball fittings throughout the year.

 Game Bag or Shag Bag? (12 out of 20 points)

 Even though I was seeing added distances off the driver today, this ball will not replace my current gamer. I just can’t get over how hard it feels and how loud it is throughout the bag.

 If you’re a big ole boy and swing like an ape, this might be your ball. I wouldn’t recommend this ball for anyone with Driver swing speed under 105 mph.

 I did purchase a sleeve of Tour BXS balls and played it against the Tour BX on my last 2 holes on the front nine today. I am very interested in the BXS and will definitely give it a chance to get in the bag.

 Conclusion

I’m a Bridgestone fan. I like their tires, I’ve liked multiple balls (prior versions) and I love that their balls are manufactured in the good ole USA!! I also love that my favorite golfer, Tiger Woods, plays a Bridgestone Ball. However, I won’t buy and play a ball based solely on these things alone. My golf balls must be affordable, and they must perform. I’m also impressed with their technology, VFIT. The directions were easy to follow, video was easy to upload and the results were returned within 24 hours. However, the Tour BX will not be replacing my gamer. It’s just not the right ball for me. Sound and feel are a BIG part of my decision.

 

Final Score: 70

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Edited by dalejbrass
Final Ball Review

 :titleist-small: TSR2 - Ventus Red, 6X

 :titleist-small: TSR2 3W - Ventus Red, 7X

 :titleist-small: TSR2 5W - Ventus Red TR, 8X

 :mizuno-small: JPX 223 Tour PW-7i/JPX 223 Forged 6i-4i - Nippon Modus 130X

 :taylormade-small: MG3 - 50, 54, 58* -  Nippon Modus 130X

 :scotty-small: Scotty Cameron Circle T Futura X5 

 :titleist-small: Titleist Prov1

 

 

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2020 Official Member Review: Bridgestone White Box Ball

 

Bridgestone Tour B RXS prototype ball testing by daviddvm

My name is David Kleck I’m a sixty-one-year-old veterinarian in Houston Texas. I play golf at least once a week and my Arccos charted overall handicap is currently 12.7. When I am playing well my ball flight is high with a slight fade. I work hard at keeping my transition as smooth as possible to avoid the dreaded over-the-top move. Based on tour analytics tracked by Arccos caddie putting is the strongest aspect of my game. I recently (the day before receiving the prototype ball) broke 80 by shooting a round of 77 at my local club!

I have been golfing since I was in Jr. High, but I have only played consistently (weekly or more) for the last 12 years. My understanding of the golf game and golf swing has improved greatly this year. Watching video of my swing has given me insight to my swing flaws. Watching teaching videos by Danny Maud and Clay Ballard have been helpful. MyGolfSpy has given me so many insights to understanding the importance of equipment and technology.

The 2019 MGS Golf Ball Testing was eye opening for me. I took out all my found balls and chose a ball to use consistently. The ball I chose was Titleist ProV1x because it’s long distance and tight dispersion during testing. ProV1 and ProV1x have been my favorites for a long time based on their feel and performance. “Find it Cut it” emphasized even more that the ball you play is extremely important.

So, it is my pleasure to participate in this ball review. Thanks to Bridgestone and MSG for the opportunity.

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I received three dozen Bridgestone Tour B RXS prototype balls January 17. I was eager to look at and feel the Tour B RXS and compare them to my Titleist ProV1x with AlignXL. I like the bold straight line as a putting aid. AlignXL is available on any make of golf balls through golfballs.com. My new B RXS did not come with AlignXL so I attempted to draw a bold straight line with a wide sharpie. Well my drawing of a line is not the same as AlignXL that’s for sure. The B RXS felt like the ProV1x but were slightly slicker when rubbed together. When dropped onto my tile floor the B RXS has a slightly higher pitched sound than the ProV1x. When dropped together from the same height the B RXS repeatedly would be still bouncing when the ProV1x would be rolling. The reactiv cover really is springy!

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My next step was to float the balls in concentrated Epson salt to test their balance. All the Tour B RXS prototypes and a dozen 2018 ProV1x balls past the test for balance. I also tested numerous balls I have recently found on course (most were in mud or water) some major brands and some off-brand balls and many of these balls were unbalanced. Also, balls were weighed, both B RXS and ProV1x were the same weight 40 grams. The collection of found balls weighed in at 40 grams except a Lynx Blackcat ball at 38 grams.

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I have played 5 rounds with the Tour B RXS balls and have on several occasions done extensive pitching, chipping, and putting drills utilizing both RXS and ProV1x balls in comparison.

 

Grading

Looks & Durability

Bridgestone balls have always had a good look with their trademark B. I do not like the small arrow marker along the Tour B RXS midline. I really like a bold straight line on my ball. The durability has been excellent.

9 out of 10 points

Sound & Feel

The sound of the Tour B RXS is slightly higher pitched off all clubs, where the ProV1x has a more muted sound. Feel is very similar for me on full shots but off the putter face the Tour B RXS has distinctive jump off the face that I don’t get from ProV1x and has been difficult for me to adjust to and my putting handicap numbers reflect that.

12 out of 15 points

On-Course Performance

Obviously, my highest priority is how this ball helps me play my best golf. To this point it has not but the conditions I have played this ball have been horrible (cold and very wet). I don’t feel I have been swinging the club well during this testing, but the numbers show only a slight rise in my overall handicap with my driving stats basically unchanged, approach, chipping, and sand stats are slightly improved but putting, my strong suit, has taken a big hit adjusting to the Tour B RXS ball. The B RXS appears to me to have a noticeable jump off the face of the putter compared to the ProV1x. Lack of distance control while putting has been the problem. Alignment and accuracy and dispersion have not been an issue.

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35 out 40 points

 Miscellaneous

The delay in receiving the prototype balls was over a month from all the testers submitting our individual Bridgestone Vfit video and resulting ball fitting results. This delay has negatively affected our collective results and shortened our testing time frame. That is the fault of Bridgestone. Mother nature here in Houston has not been kind either. Taking these factors into account and the fact that I got 28 Tour B RXS balls in my bag, thanks to Bridgestone, I will give them more time to prove their worth in my bag.

5 out of 10 points

 

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag

My club handicap association monthly tournaments have stated and I have 28 Tour B RXS prototype balls left and I plan on playing this ball until I run low and then I feel I will have enough feedback to know if they measure up to the standard the ProV1x has set. So far, I do feel the Tour B RXS compares favorably to the ProV1x but at the same price point the Tour B RXS still has some work to do if I’m going to switch balls in the long run.

9 out of 10 points

 

Conclusion

Playing the Bridgestone Tour B RXS prototype ball for the last six weeks I have been impressed with the quality and feel of the ball. The weather and course conditions in which I have been dealing with have been far less than ideal (cold and wet). I look forward to playing in better conditions in the future of playing this ball which I feel compares favorably with the ball I have exclusively since the 2019 MSG Ball Testing. From my experience with the Tour B RXS compared to the ProV1x is a slightly lower launch, insignificant loss of distance, less spin around green, and a pronounced jump off the putter face that I am just now getting comfortable with.

 

Final Score 85 out of 100

 

Thanks again to Bridgestone and MyGolfSpy for making member testing possible.

 

 

:cobra-small: SpeedZone Pars and Stripes 9.5* Driver 14gm weight in back, VENTUS Blue 6-R set to +1* draw.

:cobra-small: 14.5* Fairway,  18.5* Fairway, 22.5* Fairway.  All with Tensei CK Blue R set to +1* draw.

:titleist-small:  816H1 27* Hybrid w/ Diamana Blue Board 70 HY Stiff Shaft

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 5 + 6   KBS Tour 80 R

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 7, 8, 9  KBS Tour 90 R                                     

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE P, G, S  KBS Wedge

:cobra-small: King Black ONE 60*  VO8*      True Temper Dynamic Gold Black

 Lamkin Crossline Cord Connect Black Mid-size plus 2 wraps

:cameron-small:  Special Select Newport 2  34" :scotty-small: Matador grip               :Arccos:                                                                                                                                                               

:titleist-small:  -ProV1x  Align XL  

 All in a :cobra-small:  Masters Staff Bag  or  SpeedZone stand bag

#COBRACONNECT CHALLENGE 4  The ONLY One Length Contestant!

Tested :bridgestone-small: Prototype Balls       Tour B RXS                Tested:image.png.8e77a45b1fe8c9cfb7c2a61386f855a5.pngBlack Cat irons 5 - PW UST Mamiya Recoil Graphite Regular +0.5" 1* upright                

 BirdieBall Outdoor Putting Green                                 

 

 

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In My BELDIN Green Bay Packer 1999 Super Bowl Champions Bag  :  :ping: G410 Plus, Alta Red CB 55 SR Flex, GX-7 14º(acting as a 3 wood),  :ping:   G400 4H, 5H. Sr Flex,   :ping:  G400 6i Sr Flex, G-Max 7i. 9i Sr Flex , Glide 2.0  Wedges graphite SR Shafts (50º, 56º, 60º),  :ping: Putter: Cadence Mid-TR 350g :bridgestone: e12 for the items I try to hit on purposematte red, so I can see them. :footjoy: on my feet and hands, US Embassy-Singapore hat on my head (with PACKERS, Brewers or UW-Badgers hats as options).

 

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 2020 Bridgestone Tour B XS Prototype Ball Review April 18th 2020 

 Official MGS Forum Review by FiveGs

 

          I'm a 49 year old stay-at-home dad of 2 who tries to plays golf once a week. The game of golf found me at 15 when a couple junior high buddies said " Let's tryout for the golf team! " I made the JV team and the rest is history. I have always been passionate about golf, but I never really got serious about it until we moved to San Diego in 2015. I have a golf swing built by watching YouTube videos and a couple of lessons when I attended The Golf Academy of America in Carlsbad. I've alway hovered in the 20-25 hcp. area playing only 3 or 4 times per year prior to 2015. Then I started playing once a week and practiced 2-3 times per week on a mission to the single digit handicap world. I got it down to a 15 a year ago, then 12, and finally after an entire equipment change I reached 9.9 right before COVID-19 hit. I work for The Golf Mart in San Diego as a Club Repair Technician so I've been able to hit a ton of shots on a GC Quad launch monitor to dry ball test the Tour B XS against my gamer the Titleist Pro V1. I hope you find the information in my finding's helpful and answer any questions you might have about the new Tour B XS.

          I'm a high ball hitter that produces a lot of spin. I like a soft feeling ball that has a lower flight, low spin off driver, and mid-high spin off irons. My typical ball flight is slight draw, but I can work it both directions. My typical miss is a pull hook, usually when I decide to step on one. It's also very important that the ball feels soft off of the putter with a small amount of auditory feedback.     

 

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       My first impression of the product when it arrived is I thought the packaging looked minimal and clean. I liked the simple labeling with individualized serial numbers per 2-ball pack as it added that wow factor and exclusivity to having them in my possession, and made me feel a bit cooler than normal when pulling one out of the box to tee one up in front of others. The ball itself looked clean with simple graphics and a unique dimple pattern. The color of the cover is not as white as the Pro V1 which I thought was odd, but maybe it's the new REACTIV material. The cover was as grippy and soft feeling as the Pro V, so no real difference there which is a good thing for me.

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       My testing process consisted of 5 rounds of golf, several shots on the GC Quad launch monitor, several chips and putts at a practice facility. My clubs that I used for the testing are as follows.

Driver: PXG 0811X Gen 2 10.5 / Graphite Design Tour AD TP 6s 

7-Iron Titleist 718 MB / Project X 6.0 Rilfe

PW Titleist 718 MB / Project X 6.0 Rifle

56-10 S Grind Vokey SM7 with New Grooves

Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2

IMG_0771.thumb.jpeg.290f3f2251f38190083a3c38d051463d.jpeg

 

 

Looks & Durability (15 out of 15 points)

  I felt the Tour B XS was very durable for a urethane premium ball, but not bulletproof. It faired well against the occasional tree and cart path interaction. The B XS is very smart looking with it's honeycomb - like dimple pattern and simple graphics. I don't like to look at a bunch of busy branding on a ball, and with just the large bold B logo and smallish model labeling It checks the box for me. I would like to see thinner font for the XS and maybe longer alignment arrows, but that's just me being picky.

IMG_1140.thumb.jpeg.efbd44e76637e0c203edeab0a9c2d5df.jpeg

 

 


Sound & Feel (15 out of 15 points)

    I play the Pro V1 because of the soft/solid feel and muted sound it produces, and the Tour B XS is no different. It might even be a tad softer off the putter than the Pro V1, which is not a bad thing. When I would hit both ball off of the driver, irons, and  wedges, I couldn't tell you which ball I had just hit as they are so similar.

 

On-Course Performance (40out of 40 points)

    This is were the B XS starts to separate itself from the pack. Ball speed has noticeably been increased, and spin has come down which for me translates into more distance off of the tee and full shots. The B XS is probably one of the best wind balls I have ever played. It holds its line and does not balloon like others in a head wind which gives me more distance by 5-10 yards depending on the situation. 150-100 yard shots are accurate and spin high enough to hop and stop without spinning off the green on front pins. This is where I had trouble with the Pro V1 spinning too high. 50-100 yard shots seem to hold the green well without spinning back too much. 50 yards in I didn't see any difference between the two, which isn't a bad thing. Putting wise the B XS was consistent and didn't show any distance issues with jumping off the face or falling short.

IMG_0659.thumb.jpeg.ea90398aac470a8556427053f40820e0.jpeg

5-Iron from 180 yards

 

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Driver - Pro V1

 

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Driver - B XS

 

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7-Iron BXS

 

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7-Iron Pro V1

 

IMG_0850.jpegMiscellaneous (9out of 10 points)

PW   B XS

 

IMG_0851.jpeg

PW Pro V1

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

  This was a great experience and I want to thank My Golf Spy and Bridgestone for providing us testers with this amazing opportunity to test and review their new product. Although I would of liked to have received the balls earlier than we did for both a lengthier test window, and while the info on this ball was still in it's mysterious phase and the hype was high, I feel Bridgestone made up for it with the generous 36 ball testing sample. The VFIT process was really cool and a great concept. I think it's a good way to get people engaged with trying out the ball by providing a starting point for which ball to start with, and it gets close to the golfers parameters, but in my opinion is no means a replacement for a true green grass ball fitting with a launch monitor.

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (20 out of 20 points)

      As a die hard Titleist fan, It would take an exceptional ball to de-throne the Pro V1. The Bridgestone Tour B XS has done just that. I will be my gamer and remain in the bag. This ball has ticked all the boxes for me and I think will for many premium urethane ball players.

 

     For someone looking for a ball that feels good, has that solid thud sound when struck well, flies true and straight even in the wind, and looking for a little extra ball speed but still spins a ton, then this ball is your next one. I hope you enjoyed reading my take on this ball by Bridgestone that for me is a real game changer. This ball has allowed me the confidence to hit my numbers with accuracy, hit more fairways, and ultimately lower my handicap to a 9.9. There are no surprises with the B XS as every shot flies as it should. Bridgestone is known for their superior quality in manufacturing golf balls, and the new Tour B XS is no different.

 

Total Score 99 out of 100 points


 

 

 

Edited by FiveGs

“I should of yelled Two!”

 

Driver: PXG 0811x Gen 4 / Tour AD TP6s

3W: PXG 0341x Gen 1 / Tour AD TP6s

3HY: :taylormade-small: GAPR / KBS Stiff

4-PW: :taylormade-small: P770 / Nippon Pro Modus 3 120 Stiff + 1/2”

Wedges: :taylormade-small: MG3 / Nippon Pro Modus 3 120 Stiff + 1/2” 50-09, 54-11, 60-10

Putter: :cobra-small: Grandsport 35

Ball: Pro V1

Bag: Sun Mountain C-130

Cart: Clicgear 4.0

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[placeholder]

------------------------------

Driver:   Titleist TSr2 11 - UST Helium 5F3

Fairway: Titleist TS2 16.5 and 21 - Evenflow Riptide CB R

Irons: Titleist U505 4U and T300 5-GW - Aerotech SteelFiber i80 R

Wedges:  Cleveland Black RTX ZipCore 54 and Full Face 58 - True Temper Dynamic Gold Wedge 

Putter:  Odyssey TriHot 5K TripleWide

Bag:  Titleist 15 Cart

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THE REVIEW: 2/28/2020

Bridgestone BXS 2020 Golf Balls - Official MGS Forum Review by jddaigneault

Intro: 

My game is a bit of an evolution right now. My swing speed is getting more efficient, so I’m trying to get that same 300 yard drive with a 80% swing instead of having to get after it. When I flush it, it feels better than just about anything (you know the feeling), but controlling tempo is a bit of a process right now. My handicap is a 14 and falling, mostly held back by my short game. My long game is significantly further along than the short game. Luckily, I live in SoCal and can work on my game a lot. 

 

As I went into this test, my goals were to find a ball that just felt great. Distance is not the problem for me, but control and feel. I tend to hit a bit of a medium high ball, so when I feel more in control I can get aggressive going after pins knowing it is not going to roll out. With my short game being the weakness, hitting and holding greens is key for my emotional wellness approaching the 18th green.

 

First Impressions:

My first impressions came before the balls even showed up, when Bridgestone had us use their video fitting program. I thought this was a bit ridiculous, and couldn’t picture how this would possibly work. To my surprise, it pretty much nailed my typical numbers. This gave me a lot of confidence that the ball that was on the way was going to be the best for my game. Having that confidence definitely doesn’t hurt when approaching a difficult tee shot. 

51AAC10C-721D-46F9-B6A9-2912E4BD6E04.thumb.jpeg.7a9cc6eb82f140b22fb852124ef5b7e7.jpeg

When the ball arrived, I was not disappointed. The feel was amazing. The slightly tacky surface definitely had a premium feel, and I was imagining some epic spin on the greens. I prefer the BXS logo of the prior generation, but who gets upset when THREE DOZEN golf balls show up at your door?!

0AE2BED9-E6DF-4410-97A8-B054B34D8B94.thumb.jpeg.91bb365b395cee5b02e163b1bd943a27.jpeg97F13AE3-82B1-4154-A2CD-07456C30899C.thumb.jpeg.1a04abdc6a5c1928899fafaf20ad91a2.jpeg789D3DD1-7E12-4201-A13F-A95FDB2D2A2F.thumb.jpeg.baa8e5e2b25313aa808c87ae5f5cbec5.jpeg8BC1DCD4-BEB0-49C6-A947-A335E9AFDC70.thumb.jpeg.fb49fe59d458e97e62b67e408f6c3a49.jpegF9C66071-22E3-4C91-A4DA-C0D659A56C39.thumb.jpeg.192c880aa9298aa7a7501067de58ac52.jpeg

Since receiving the balls, I have played over ten nine hole rounds (all with Arccos on my clubs). The results were awesome!

 

Grading

 

Looks and Durability:

Wow. The looks are great. I really appreciated when Bridgestone went to the ‘B’ logo. It looks sharp, and makes it far easier to identify the ball as you approach. As always with Bridgestone, the double dimple pattern is evident right from the start. My only complaint is the new BXS alignment aid. I prefered the old version.

 

Durability is a definite plus as well. It shows minor wear after a round of golf, and manages to hold up to the cart path bounce decently. The cart path mark is evident, but the ball is still very much playable afterwards. The only other issue I see is that the cover does shift a bit occasionally, especially when you crank an off center drive. 

329B83E2-8E65-4EB8-9519-D658A0809E63.thumb.jpeg.525cf6a4b9ba52d1411c86534b1cc6b4.jpeg0060C576-3DA5-4ACD-8E18-63D35966C814.thumb.jpeg.aacb8b9f0ac197036dfdd3f2ca37d4a5.jpeg

Score: 13/15

Sound and Feel:

Can I say perfect? This ball sounds and feels amazing. I said it in an earlier post, but I got that Harry Potter wand fitting feeling when I first hit this ball. Holy crap, it is good. I was lucky to hit some of the BX as well, and I was not as big on that one. The cover feels soft and responsive, but the compression feels similar to ProV1. Up and down the line of clubs, this ball feels absolutely fantastic coming off the clubs. Mishits are less punishing, but still provide the feedback you need to adjust. It is just...wow.

 

Score: 15/15

 

On-Course Performance:

Man, this ball goes far. I had been playing a few rounds with ProV1 after I got Arccos for Christmas. My driving average was 288 prior to playing the BXS. I’m now sitting at a 295 average. These things get out there. I can’t say dispersion has gotten any better, but that is 100% me. That outside-in swing path rears its ugly head more than a few times during a round. 

 

Spin has been really nice with these. Without getting on the launch monitor, I’d say these spin a hair more than ProV1. With full swing scoring irons, it will typically pop and spin back a bit. There have been times I wanted it to spin a little more, and some that I ran it off the front of the green from 15 yards on. I imagine that is more me than the ball. I’m not a completely consistent player. 

 

I have been having trouble getting it to bite hard around the green. Again, my short game is atrocious. That’s all me. I had some of my golfers take some chips with it, and they got it to hold really well. It is a responsive ball. Is it softer off wedges and firmer off the driver as advertised? No idea. It does what I ask it to.

 

I cannot say I have noticed anything in putting. It rolls true, just like most tour quality golf balls. I’ve had some great lag putts, and Arccos tells me putting is the best part of my game of late. 

 

The best thing about this golf ball...it is hard to lose! I haven’t lost many of these, outside of a few errant shots here and there. With fewer penalties, scores have dropped. 

 

Score: 38/40

 

Miscellaneous:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this ball (shocking, I know) is not a Titleist. Therefore, if I hit a ball into the middle of the fairway, someone is less likely to drive over and play “their” ProV1 from a location suspiciously similar to the exact spot I hit mine. Huge plus in my book. Having a non-ProV ball that games well allows me to experience less douchery on the course, increasing the enjoyment of my round. The major detractor, this ball is EXPENSIVE. At $44.99, this is still too rich for my blood. 

 

Score: 7/10

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag?

For sure, game bag. I will continue to play this ball until I run out of the sample Bridgestone sent. From there, I’d like to try the new Z Star from Srixon to see how they compare, and will settle into one of those. My birthday is right around the corner, so I know what I’ll start asking for! The price might eventually push me elsewhere, but for now it is for sure the gamer. 

 

Score: 18/20

 

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a premium ball that feels great and gets you out of the Titleist mainstream...GET FIT! Bridgestone’s video fitting software is awesome, and absolutely worth trying out. It isn’t about the name of the ball, or what it says it is supposed to do. Get the right one for your game. If you swing aggressively, and want more control and feel, this may just be the ball for you. It is one of the best I have ever played!

 

Final Score: 91/100

Taylormade M5 Driver

Cobra F9 3 Wood

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Iron

Srixon ZX7 7-PW

Taylormade MG2 Wedges 50/55/60

Taylormade Spider X Putter

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2020 Bridgestone Tour B X – Official MGS Forum Review by mr.hicksta


Intro

giphy.gif

 

Hello there fellow Spies! I’m currently living in Honolulu, HI and have been playing golf for around 20 years. Since the MGS Golf Ball test last year, I settled on playing the Pro V1x and prior to this test I had been trying out the Pro V1. I like a ball that performs tee to green, and both the Pro V1s fell into that category for me.

 

I’ve been playing to a 10 to 14 index the last three years, with last year actually resulting in a 3 stroke increase in my index. That’s golf for you! I hit a high ball and when things are clicking I’m hitting a nice draw. My miss, unfortunately, is a hard pull when I’m plagued by the dreaded double cross. Overall, I feel like I have a pretty well rounded game for the most part but of course my game is subject to the typical ebbs and flows most amateurs experience. 

 

Here’s the swing that was submitted for V-Fit and the ball recommendation I received from Bridgestone the following day. 

 

 

IMG_0492.PNG

 

First Impressions

I’ve always been a fan of Bridgestone golf balls and have gamed them on and off since 2016. I believe they make a consistent, high quality golf ball and their product lineup provides ball options for golfers at every level. The new Tour B line is as clean looking as its predecessor, with the most notable difference being the ‘Tour B X’ script. The 2018 model was in bold and the 2019 model is in a much more subtle script. The other thing that jumped out in the 2019 model was that  the dimples are not quite as pronounced as they are in previous models. I’d imagine the change serves a purpose, and from an aesthetic perspective I find the look to be clean and unobtrusive.

 

H7tGUunl.jpg

 

I prefer a golf ball that does it all: consistent distance and ball flight from the top of my bag to wedges and adequate performance around the green. Am I asking for too much? I don’t think so, and with all the golf balls available these days, it’s safe to say that there’s something for everyone from a number of manufacturers! 

 

The Bridgestone V-Fit paired me with the Tour B X, but I feel like I’m on the fringe of a couple different models. But I do feel like V-Fit is accurate enough for most, and I was impressed with the data Bridgestone was able to get from the swing video I submitted.

 

The majority of my testing took place on the course paired with some chipping and putting testing as well. From my perspective, I felt like on course testing would quickly tell me if the ball I tested was going to be one I gamed long term. While the chipping and putting was helpful, ultimately I saw more of what I was looking for (and some of what I wasn’t) on course. 


Looks & Durability (15 out of 15 points)

While the golf balls we received were in the fancy white sleeves, the retail packaging I’ve seen on social media is clean, with each model being represented by a different color. I’d say it’s simple yet effective, and clearly differentiates between the models, which is all that is really necessary. 

 

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*Source: Bridgestone Golf

 

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Durability is where this ball shines, and I’m sure the new REACTIV cover has something to do with that. The one benefit of playing like crap at times while testing the Tour B X is I was able to put the ball through the paces from a durability perspective. I hit trees and cart paths, and the ball was still playable, which I found quite impressive. Additionally when playing sand shots, my wedges did not shred the cover at all, which is an absolute win for a urethane cover.  

 

As I previously mentioned the dimple pattern is not as pronounced in the 2019 model and I would be interested to find out more about that change.


Sound & Feel (15 out of 15 points)

I thought the Tour B X sounded fine off all clubs. Solidly struck shots sounded the same as most other golf balls in the same category off woods, irons and the putter. I did not have any issue with the sound the Tour B X produced at all. Off woods/hybrids and irons/wedges, the sound is what I would describe as a ‘crisp crack’ and off the putter it’s more of a dull click. Certainly not anything that caused any sort of reaction and overall I’d say it’s acoustically pleasing.  

 

The Tour B X is a firm ball, and the cover is definitely not soft enough to press a fingernail in to. I know feel is really subjective, but compared to other golf balls, the Tour B X definitely felt firmer to me. Personally, I could tell the difference in feel more off the putter than any of the other clubs 

 

On-Course Performance (32 out of 40 points)

The Tour B X really shined off the tee. It is LONG, and in addition to distance, the other quality I noticed the most is how my good shots really held their lines. Seeing how it’s almost always windy out here, the Tour B X also performed nicely in the wind. I saw pretty consistent (for me) ball flight, which is mid/high when I’m playing competent golf. 

 

For approach shots, I saw similar attributes and I never had any issues holding greens in the 140-185 range. As a matter of fact, I had several shots that had some decent action on them from the aforementioned yardage range. 

 

Around the green is where I started to realize that, despite what V-Fit said, the Tour B X probably isn’t the best fit for me. 50 yards and in, I really wasn’t seeing the type of action I’m used to seeing with my gamer, and this issue became even more glaring on chips and pitches. I’d essentially have to account for roll out the majority of the time, because I was not seeing any of the hop and stop action you like to see most of the time. Now I’m sure part of the issue is technique, but even with that, my eyes did not deceive me and the Tour B X simply wasn’t checking up as much I would’ve liked it to. This picture was from a 65ish yard wedge shot, that actually held the green decent relative to some of the other shots I saw.

 

IMG_0928.JPG

 

For putting, I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. My putts typically held their line, and I attribute any issues directly to my technique. There’s no way I’m blaming a ball for my occasionally crappy putting, haha!

 

I’ve been playing really erratic golf so it’s hard for me to say whether the Tour B X helped me game. Based on the rounds I did play though, I’m playing better with my gamer so from that perspective, the answer is clear. 

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

The changes to the 2020 Tour B line are absolutely positive and leading up to the official release, you could tell that Bridgestone was really excited about the ball, and it’s easy to see why. I liked Bridgestone’s concise marketing approach around the REACTIV cover as well, and it indicated they’re very confident in the Tour Bs performance. 

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (15 out of 20 points)

The Tour B X is a great golf ball, but it’s not for me. I simply saw better results with my gamer, particularly around the green, and that’s where I need to know what to expect with my ball. I think this particular model is best for swing speeds over 110, and while I was just a tick under that, the performance around the greens was a major turn off for me. And with a price of $44.99 a dozen, they’re just slightly cheaper than Pro Vs, so there’s not a lot of cost savings if that’s what you’re looking for. 

 

Conclusion
While there is a lot I like about the ball, I am disappointed that the Tour B X was not able to replace my gamer. For sure, part of it is the indian and not the arrow as I think the Tour B X is a great fit for high speed players and the testing just validated that I do not fall into that category. For now, I’ll be sticking with the Pro V1, but I plan on trying the Tour B XS at some point this year.

Final Score: 87

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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28 February 2020

 

Bridgestone Tour B XS Review

 

Ships Log 2111....

 

Howdy Everyone -

 

Most of you know my back story by now. But I’ll give you a refresher.

 

Just moved to Maryland last July, coming from Michigan it was a bit of a culture shock for the whole Fam. All 7 of us!

 

I’ve been playing golf on and off for a very long time now. I’ll be turning 37 in May, and I really got into the game around 1997, shortly after the Goat won his first Masters... funny, since I am about to review the ball that he helped design. I really owe everything I know about golf to my Dad, he is the one that drug me out to the course for the first time.

 

So, I’ve been searching for a while for a swing that works for my body limitations which is a very inflexible lumber portion of my back, and a highly flexible thoracic. So my needs for what the golf ball should do have changed dramatically over the past few years. I’m finally back to 100% on my shoulder, and my knee is 95%. So be gone with the Moe swing and enter my old swing which my feel to get it right is “Swing Like Adam Scott, and Oosty.” So for the ball I need it to dance near the green. I love wedge shots, and watching a ball that should have some zip bound off the back is no good. Spin, soft feel, and good distance is what I want.

 

First Impressions of the Bridgestone Tour B XS was wow! I hit a 52° wedge about 65 yards and the first thing I noticed was the enhanced feel or sound. I played the XS in the last 2 model years, and I thought those sounded kind of like a cue ball. The dimple pattern is ever so slightly different than previous years. That feel/sound though!

 

IMG_7054.thumb.JPG.03cd5936566f9a8ef34a978bd0fa4ea7.JPG

 

 

Looks 10/15

 

I will say it was pretty neat to get the two sleeve “confidential” packs. I wish they had gone with just the white box instead of the retail version, the retail boxes are always a bit tacky. Durability is alright with these, I wasn’t overly impressed but I’ve seen worse. The alignment marker isn’t my favorite either, last model was nice and bold, these are lacking. I do like the dimple in dimple design, and the big B. It’s easy to recognize your ball.

 

IMG_7082.thumb.JPG.beb24fd7cf06d21186fe4c8b2fb2cbc9.JPG

 

Sound and Feel 15/15

 

Tiger Woods knows a thing or two about feel. Yeah, these things feel amazing, firm but soft and responsive. To me feel really doesn’t matter above the PW, so on the Wedges and Putter the feel needs to be “right”. These do not disappoint, most interesting feel off the putter I’ve ever encountered, like a Toasted Marshmallow covered in Chocolate, and sounds just the same. Off the wedges you get a nice Thwack that reminds me of an old Balata. Off the mid and long irons the ball sounds soft, no clicky sounds. Woods the ball does feel soft, but I feel like the sound is more pronounced, sounds harder off woods than irons/wedges/putter.

 

IMG_7064.thumb.JPG.e3b94312bbffe9471a38cbe08c46b880.JPG

 

On Course Performance 38/40

 

I haven’t gotten in as many rounds as I would like, but from the few that I did get in, I was impressed with the performance. The XS didn’t surprise me with extra or lack of spin. The control that this ball offers on lateral and horizontal ball flight is on of the best qualities. I wouldn’t have expected anything less than a ball designed for a guy like Tiger, a Master ball striker. I was getting drop and stop control from everything, the greens are super soft as of late, but I imagine I would have to plan for the extra zip off the wedges. After I get a few more rounds in with the new driver I’ll give you all an update on performance.

 

IMG_7087.thumb.JPG.744b988858c928b14f970470035048f1.JPG

 

Misc 10/10

 

It was pretty dang nice of Bridgestone to give us 36 of these bad boys. I really liked the prototype packaging. As some of the other testers mentioned the VFit was pretty neat, and I highly recommend sending in your swing to see what they say.

 

IMG_7065.thumb.JPG.0abe155eee7642e008faa1808b55008a.JPG

 

Bag or Shag? 19/20

 

It will be a heated competition between this ball and the AVX, and possibly the -V1x this spring. As I’ve mentioned I’m looking to get serious about playing the game as easily and efficiently that I can. If the BStone wins the starting QB position I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

IMG_7081.thumb.JPG.53abc7e04828afdaaffa97d86473a332.JPG

 

Is that all folks?

 

Well, it’s a great ball, unfortunately I haven’t had a lot of time with it in play yet. If you are looking for a easily flighted ball this one might be for you. If you back your 5 iron up on the green, this probably isn’t the right ball for you.

 

Total of 92/100

 

IMG_7086.thumb.JPG.d9615f91b2165da66d90ea44a04fb5b3.JPG

 

This was a shot today with a 56° wedge into around 20mph wind with a 100 yard swing on it. It carried about 75 yards and backed up 3... as I would expect on a green, but this was in a field.

 

IMG_7186.thumb.JPG.a1ce3839868067b602ea8722a2304598.JPG

 

When this grass gets a little greener, I will give you all a better on course assessment.... Stay tuned!

 

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The Review 02/19/2020

Bridgestone Tour B XS – Official MGS Forum Review by smellis745

 Intro

 A bit about myself…  My name is Chris and I play out of upstate SC.  Winters around here are a bit like a box of chocolates, one day it struggles to break 40 and the next it is approaching 70.  Rain, wind, snow, sun, you name it, we have it.  Lately, we’ve been getting pummeled with rain and my home course is saturated.  I don’t think I’ve driven a cart on grass since prior to Christmas.   

As far as my game, I'm currently playing to a 3.8.  I swing my driver on average around 113 mph with a neutral to -1* AoA.  Swing path is typically 1-2* outside to in and the face usually stays square to slightly open.  Let me iterate, that’s typical and what I strive for.  But there is this big letter “A” next to my name and it doesn’t always work out the way I intend.  My 7 iron average has usually been in the 92-93 mph range and -6* AoA.  Generating spin with my irons has never been an issue.  

Putting used to be the strength of my game, but lately it’s been a struggle.  Back during the summer of 2019, my handicap was dropping faster than Charlie Sheen can say winning after doing three lines of coke.  I had worked down to a 3.3 over the summer and that was due in large part to my putts per round average dropping down to 29.6.  This winter, that number has climbed to 33.7 putts per round.  I think most of this is related to putting on dormant miniverde bermuda greens.  I feel like my starting lines are as good as they’ve ever been, but my speed has been off and I’m either running the ball too far past the whole or coming up way short.

Anyhow, let’s get to the stuff you came here to see…

In doing this ball test, I did a direct comparison of the 6th gen Srixon ZStar and the 2020 Bridgestone BXS on an indoor Trackman 4 setup.  I’ll post those details further down.  I’ve also put a good many rounds in with the ball and several solo rounds where I was able to directly compare the Z Star and B XS directly.  I’ve posted all of this information in the thread so far, but the goal of my review here is to give you all of my thoughts in a single location.

First Impressions

Upon opening the box of goodness, the first thing I noticed was the tack of the ball.  It had a distinct feel to it.  Since at the time, this ball was a prototype and no details had been release about the design technology, I didn’t really have any preconceived notions.  All I knew was the Bridgestone had been working with Tiger Woods for the new ball.  With that in mind, I knew it had to be quality ball, but whether or not it would work for my game, I was in the dark.

I was excited, to say the least, to get these balls on the course and wasted no time in doing so.  The day I received them, I marked a few up and went to the course the next day, putting the ball straight in play.  Since I had no prior experience with them, it was a nice way to test them out purely on the performance I was seeing with no expectations.  Needless to say, I was blown away here.  I immediately noticed my drives carried longer.  Shots with irons and both full/partial wedges were negligible and performed almost identically to the 6th Gen Z Star.  Where I noticed a big difference was the feel off the putter. 

The best way I can describe the feeling is that it felt like the ZStar did on a White Hot 2.0 insert Odyssey putter, but this BXS does this off a milled-face Odyssey Black series.  This ball is soft off the putter and that took some adjustment.  As previously mentioned, my putting has been struggling this winter and the change in ball didn’t make a difference.  I still struggle with speed even though I'm acclimated to the feel of the B XS.  For giggles, I took my old putter out (White Hot 2.0 VLine) and hit some putts with this ball.  I felt nothing, absolutely nothing, with that combo. 

Since I actually got into golf, I’ve pretty much played the Srixon Z Star.  I love their irons and knowing a bit of their company history and being a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, I figured they had to make a great golf ball.  For my game, they outperformed or were close enough to where the price was the deciding factor.  I started with the ZStar XV, but I noticed that when good, the ball was very good.  When I missed, the misses were very bad.  Off driver, this ball was too low spin for me so I switched to the ZStar and have been playing it for the past 18 months.  The ZStar seemed to be a little more consistent and predictable as it made the big misses smaller. 

 All that is to say, I need a ball that is as predictable as possible in all situations, tee to green.  My other requirements for a ball to be put in my bag are feel and durability.  It’s as simple as that.  I’m human and I’m not near as consistent as a robot.  I’m not always going to clip a ball the same while chipping from shot to shot.  I’m not always going to have the proper swing path/face path ratio to make the ideal shot shape I’m looking for.  I need a ball that will minimize my misses and not punish me to severely for being imperfect. 

Grading

Looks & Durability (15 out of 15 points)

Describe the following:

  • Appearance/graphics/packaging
    • Since these were prototypes, they didn’t come in the atypical packaging.  They did come in these super sweet tour only prototype 2 ball sleeves though.
    • IMG_3230.thumb.JPG.e513a19a28f01372746d5605b077e8e2.JPG
  • Short term/long term durability
    • I’ve played other manufacturer’s balls in the past and it was a common event to drop a new ball in play simply due to irons and wedges chewing the cover up.  So far, so good with these Bridgestone B XS balls.  I had one in play for 41 holes.  On hole 42, I found the cart path.  It wasn’t particularly scuffed, the cover seems to be incredibly resistant to nicks.  I intended to finish the round with this ball, but on the 49th consecutive hole, I hit my tee shot through the dog leg and the ball got lost up under some leaves .  I may be weird in this, but after I finish a round I’ll wash them thoroughly and put it back in the bag.  The B XS cleans up nicely and is ready for another round.
    • This ball in particular has been played for 36 consecutive holes.  It’s now retired due to catching the cart path on hole 34.  I finished the round with it.  Here’s a before/after pic of the post round cleanup.  There is a small gouge one dimple over from the B.  If not for that, I’d keep this ball rolling.
    • BeforeIMG_3274.thumb.JPEG.5368ca9412d501517e0b4e469f10b997.JPEG
    • After   IMG_3279.JPEG
  • Other unique details (ie. dimple pattern, alignment aid, etc)
    • One thing I did notice almost immediately between the new ball and previous generation was the dimple pattern.  The smaller, second dimple is much smaller.  The alignment aid is also not as bold, but still serviceable if you were to ask me.  I don’t use an alignment aid when putting, but for those that do, this may matter if you use the OEM line for putting.  I like to look down at a big dot when putting, thus the reason I colored the B in.
  • How does it compare to other balls, beyond being round and white?
    • The two other balls I have primarily played since getting into golf are the Srixon Z Star and Z Star XV.  I have played rounds with the TP5/x and Pro V1/x as well.  What I love about the look of the B XS is the defining, large “B” logo.  I feel it’s a distinct logo that really separates them from the other big manufacturers.  I mentioned elsewhere, the alignment aid could be a little lacking for those who use the OEM aid for lining up their putts as it is not as bold as previous generations nor comparing to other balls.  I know other reviewers have mentioned this as well, particularly comparing against the previous generation Bridgestone B XS.
  • I gave the Bridgestone B XS a perfect 15/15.  For me, this ball hits everything I look for as far as the appearance and durability of a golf ball.  Bold logo, 41 straight holes with a single ball and 36 with another, and cleans up nicely post round because face it, nobody likes dirty balls.


Sound & Feel (13 out of 15 points)

Describe how the product sounds and feels

  • Is it soft, crisp, dull, clunky (feel free to use your own imaginative phrases)?
    • This ball does exactly what Bridgestone says it is designed to do.  The harder I swing, the firmer it feels.  The softer I swing, the softer the ball feels.  To me, this is a consistent feel.  It’s not a rock off the driver by any means, but I feel the contact with enough feedback to know where I struck the ball on the face.  It’s not a sack of wet taters off a wedge, but like the driver, I still know where I hit it off the face of the club.  The ball is very soft off the putter and this is where I did struggle initially, but after some practice acclimated just fine.  The ball is definitely more muted than the Srixon Z Star I did my head to head comparison tests with.
  • Do the sound and feel impact your performance in a noticeable way?
    • Initially with the putter, yes.  After a round on the course and some practice green time, I acclimated to the different feel and sound without any further issues.
  • How does the sound cause you to react?
    • Off the putter, I felt like I was having to hit the ball harder in the beginning.  I mentioned my putting woes this off season, but when I first switched to this ball, I was not leaving putts short.  The problem was running them too far past the hole and struggling with the comebackers.
  • Overall here, I scored the ball 13/15 simply because of the early struggles with putting due to the muted feel and sound.  If I was using an insert putter, I may have struggled even more.  I tested this ball using my old/retired White Hot v2.0 VLine and there was zero sound or feel.  This ball, on soft shots, feels very, very soft.  It’s going to be a love/hate issue for several people.  For every other shot, I love the feel and sound this ball provides.

 

On-Course Performance (38 out of 40 points)

  • Off the Tee – Does the ball provide adequate distance? Is it responsive? How does it compare to your gamer? Is it easier or harder to find fairways?
    • I’m not sure if any other testers did any launch monitor testing.  I spent some time on an indoor Trackman 4 and was blown away at what I found vs the 6th gen Srixon Z Star.  Because of the improved performance (for my swing characteristics), I picked up 17+ yards carry with my driver and an additional 4 yards with my 7 iron.
    •   IMG_3232.thumb.PNG.188ab1323f66c88895dbd37eb30ea2fc.PNG
    • This was evident on the course as well. Below is a picture of two very well struck drivers, one with the 2020 Bridgestone B XS and the other a 6th gen Srixon Z Star.  
    • IMG_3258.thumb.JPEG.3513c709cbee846fcc42f0da5aa5caf7.JPEG
    • The ball, as mentioned in the feel section, feels firmer off the driver.  I know immediately if it was a good or bad strike, but it jumps off the face regardless of where it’s hit.  I haven’t noticed any negligible changes in my fairways per round.  I still average around 9/14 per round.
  • Approach – Does it adequately hold the green? Is it workable or difficult to control? 
    • I generate a lot of spin, so holding a green is not my concern, it’s how far the ball backs up.  To this extent, the B XS is nearly identical in performance to the Z Star.  On a full mid iron, I can expect the ball to be within a few feet of the ball mark.  Short irons and wedges do back up a little bit on me.  The ball itself is not difficult to control.  What’s difficult to control right now is the moisture from all the rain we’ve had and how soft everything is.
  • Ball Flight – Does the ball stay in the air forever and stop or do you hit low balls that roll forever? Which is better for your course? Is the ball flight consistent? Is it predictable and consistent while chipping and pitching? How does it handle in the wind?
    • I have to say, this is where I ding the ball for on course performance.  It does everything I need it to do, wherever I need it to do it, except into the wind.  Granted, the Z Star itself is not near an penetrating as the Z Star XV, but the Bridgestone B XS is not as good flying directly into the wind.  In a direct headwind, I lose as much yardage vs the Z Star as I gain with no wind.  This is due to the increase spin I see with the XS and your mileage may vary.
    • The ball does carry longer, which means it’s airborne longer, which means it has more time for the wind to affect it.  As long as you are comfortable taking an extra club and trusting the shot, it’s nothing to worry over too much.
    • I’ve yet to hit a big banana slice with this ball, and that’s a good thing.  I’ve had a couple swings where I thought for sure the ball should boomerang back to me.  Granted it wouldn’t hold the right side of a fairway, it wasn’t too far off.  With every club, it produces a nice boring mid-high trajectory (I’ve previously been a lower ball hitter) that just wants to go straight.
  • Around the Green – Describe your confidence level of playing the many shots required around the green (bump and run, hop and stop, flop, etc). 
    • Around the green, the Bridgestone B XS gives me the confidence to make any shot I need to make.  Because it’s been so wet here, I’ve shied away from chipping with more loft and went to a bump and run technique with my pitching wedge.  This has been easier as it’s not as likely to dig into the mud.  No fault of the ball, of course, but I just take my PW and make a putting stroke.  I’ve hit some flops as well and the ball stops, on level ground, near to where it lands.  Very little roll out there.
  • Putting – Describe how it reacts off the putter. Did you have to make any adjustments to your distance control? Are the markings on the ball adequate to use for alignment (if you do)?
    • I’ve mentioned this in other areas.  The ball is very muted and soft feeling off the putter.  This did take a little adjustment period but I was fine afterwards.  I would heavily recommend, based on my failure to do so, getting this ball on the practice green prior to taking it on the course.  If you use the OEM alignment aid, you may not like this one.  It’s a fine print, not very bold and not very long.
  • What factors were you pleased with? What factors did you find lacking?
    • I’m overall very pleased with this ball with pretty much every aspect.  What helps me gain distance, increased spin to keep the ball airborne, hurts when hitting shots directly into the win.  That’s not the balls fault of course, that’s with my swing and how I strike the ball.  It’s only going to do what I make it do.  My typical tee shot has always been a 15 yard fade.  This ball has reduced that to almost half.
  • Bottom line: did it help improve your scores? 
    • My scores have not improved since putting the Bridgestone B XS in the bag.  They’ve not gotten any worse either.  I’ve struggled putting since our greens went dormant.  Hopefully, once things come back to life in the next couple months, I can start putting better.

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

I don’t really have anything to say here other than Bridgestone customer service is awesome.  Their online VFit tool is surprisingly accurate. 

Bridgestone.jpg.fb5b382c702eaba6f82fcb545b26c5c9.jpg

They were late getting the balls out to us, for whatever reason, but I believe they more than made up for it.  When we committed to the test, we were expecting a few sleeves of a random no marked ball.  However, after the VFit, I was kind of expecting the new XS.  What I wasn’t expecting was 3 dozen of them to show up on my door step.  Not sure if that was them making up for the delay, or if they’re just that awesome, but it was an amazingly nice gesture.

 

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (18 out of 20 points)

I’ll let you guess based on my review where you think this ball went.  Yep, it’s in my bag and staying there.  I absolutely love this ball and the performance it brings to compliment my game.  My only complaint is shots against the wind, but that’s on me.  This product has cut a club off my approach shots and I think the price point of $44.99 is on point for premium golf balls.  It’s cheaper than Titleist, equal to Taylormade and Callaway, but more expensive than Srixon.  Considering I’ve been playing Srixon and love the $40 price point, and even cheaper when they offer their buy one get one or buy three get one specials, I have to knock the Bridgestone for that.  For a company trying to get back to the 2nd spot of golf ball sales, I think that would’ve helped them tremendously with the new lineup.  Offer a price point that will seriously make people reconsider paying $8-10 more per dozen vs others.

 

I think this ball is best fit to those who are low spin with their driver with more than adequate swing speed.  If you do not swing the club at tour speeds, check out the B R* series.  Regardless, Bridgestone offers their online VFit for absolutely free.  I’ve never felt like a manufacturer made a product just for me, but this ball does it.  I feel like it strengthens every aspect of my game, making what I’m good at even better and my areas of struggles manageable.  Maybe Tiger’s game and mine are more alike than I ever thought possible.

 

Conclusion

TLDR:  This ball is legitimate.  I’ll admit, I had previously fell under the belief that pretty much any premium ball will perform as long as I do what I’m supposed to do.  In previous testing to all big named premium offerings, I felt that was the case and I played the Srixon balls because for the price, I couldn’t tell a difference.  That was, until the 2020 Bridgestone B XS showed up on my door step.  You may be happy with the ball you’re playing, but I challenge you to do a legitimate ball fitting and give the 2020 Bridgestone lineup a chance.  Regardless of which ball you end up with, your game will thank you.

 

 

Final Score: 94

 

  • PXG 0811X Gen 4 7.5* - Graphite Design Tour AD-HD 7 TX
  • TaylorMade M6 15* - PX HZRDUS Green 80 TX
  • Titleist 913 Fd 18* - MCA KuroKage XMS 90 X /// OR /// Callaway XForged UT 20* - Aldila Rogue Black 105 TX
  • Srixon Z745 4-P - PX LZ 7.0
  • Vokey SM7 49F / 53F / 58K - DG TI S400
  • Odyssey Black #3 34”
  • Titleist AVX
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The Review 2/21/2020

Bridgestone Tour BX – Official MGS Forum Review by Trial&Error

I ntro

About me, currently 39 years old, grew up playing junior golf and such as a competitive young lad. Lost touch with the game more or less to some degree in college and in my 20’s. My handicap has been between 2-4 for the last several years and scoring average of 78 last 2 years.

 

For any readers looking to identify if my “game” is somewhat suitable to them as it relates for my ball review, my numbers are usually average of: Driver 108-112ss, 260 +/- carry with 160 ballspeed +/-, 7 iron 88-90ss & 165-170 carry, PW 127-130 carry.

 

To further validate the above statements, let me also include the Bridgestone V-fit results they sent, which I think was pretty impressive considering a single video being submitted to them.

 

 

V-Fit.jpg.7bc56545ce8a2cdb0423696d07c4cd15.jpg

 

I play out of the South Central area, Oklahoma & Texas mostly, so wind is often a factor and consideration. What I'm looking for in a ball is I need to fly long and straight (who doesn't!), get through the wind well as I tend to spin the ball to much from the tee with driver. That second point being key for me since I tend to fight spin, especially from the tee with driver (more on this point later in review). I usually play Srixon Z-Star XV, which I choose for 3 main reasons: 1) seems to be a quality ball with a cover a quite enjoy 2) I can get the premium model ball in a “colored” version (yellow) 3) cost is a few dollars less per dozen than the competition

 

FFirst Impressions

First Impressions were great. Arrived in little white boxes with “Confidentiality” written on the side, very Men in Black. I think to our surprise, we received more balls to test than was originally stated when signing up for this review, getting 3 dozen balls was just awesome!new.thumb.jpg.2547e4b300eef48afbb1ea49fcaaf5bc.jpg

 

They had what I would call a somewhat “tacky/sticky” feeling on the cover almost which intrigued me at first. The dimple design, for whatever reason, I think looks great and quite flattering.

What I’m usually looking for in/from a golf ball is something I can lean on around green side chips, and feel confidence in “skip skip check.” I also suffer from steep angles of attack so I also need a ball that buffer the wind a great deal as I can get balloon balls quite easily into the wind.

 

My focus initially was on greenside spin of 15-20 yd chips, I used my Mevo and put these Tour BX head to head against the Srixon Z-Star XV. I performed 39 chips with EACH ball (yes 78 total), cycling back and forth (using 54 degree wedge) and got these results:

Srixon Z-Star XV- Average spin of 7172, High of 8300, Low of 5390. Of those 39 chips, 22 of those all being in the 7400-7500 each. (*Note, all subject to strike but looking for any trends). Average carry distance measured at 15.30 yds

Bridgestone Tour BX- Average spin of 7076, High of 8700, Low of 5514. Of those 39 chips, 19 of those all being in the 7400-7500 each. (*Note, all subject to strike but looking for any trends). Average carry distance measured at 15.02 yds.

After this, putting the ball into play for a first 18 hole round I was not 100% I could see or tell the difference between this ball and my current ball. Although, given that I also took some piece of mind in that and felt like it performed flawlessly and was checking all the boxes and I was able to just “get on with it.” No surprises, no “oh man, what was that,” or dazed looks from me. It just worked how I’d expect. I will say I did think a few times that the ball flew with alittle less curve from what felt like a few otherwise awfully rotten swings.

Looks & Durability ( 15 out of 15 points)

      These balls look great, love the dimple pattern, they “look fast” for whatever that means LOL

      The durability, for me, is off the charts great. These are much more durable to me than ProV1x ever dreamed to be, and also more durable than the Spinskin on the Srixon Z-Star XV.

      I don’t use an alignment aid, so no input here. HOWEVER, the fact the Tour BX is NOT offered in a colored option does affect me as a customer. I do like the single bold “B” of the logo on the ball, I think it looks nice but also you know exactly what brand the ball is and that is in play. It looks premium

      Attached here is a picture of the same ball, after being played for 27 holes, again I say these wear quite nicely. Much better I think than my V-Star

2130687341_Used1.thumb.jpg.7327beb60d9519c9b561b01168d0a21e.jpg

 

660797290_Used2.thumb.jpg.b1eb5de18d894ff6d7c3a93d7dc64450.jpg

 

 

SSound & Feel (10 out of 15 points)

      Sound and feel of these for me, is….well….as expected. I can’t ascertain any feel difference but I can say with 100% certainty it does everything it needs to for my game, no surprises.

      The cover had a slight “tacky” feel to my fingers

      This ball did not seem to impact me in any way as awesome nor offensive for a feel or especially “sound.” I know “clicky” sounds are a thing but for me this just rolled right into what I can tell a premium ball to be for feedback

O n-Course Performance (35 out of 40 points)

      Off the Tee – off the tee from Driver, these ball are really nice. Maybe somewhat longer than the Z-star but it’s just hard to quantify subjectively without concrete numbers and loyts of data to back it up. But antidotally they appear long

      Approach – Adequate stopping power, stops and spins like what I would expect of a premium ball.

      Ball Flight – now here I “think” that this ball excels. For me the flight “appeared” very stable and seemed to not get moved about by wind much. Headwinds and side winds the ball usually stays on the line as it began, it just did not seem to wander much. I enjoyed that and have it flagged as a key ingredient for me in future windy conditions as a ball to put in play.

      Around the Green – See my data backed numbers above as far as spin vs the Z-Star XV. Again I’d say it performs just like you’d expect a premium ball in this department. I can get the “skip skip check” from this greenside just like I’d intent to play.

      Putting – I do not use any font/text alignment as a tool but I think some other testers stated they would like something more prominent or bold. For me the ball feels nice off the putter and no surprises in this department.

      Bottom line: did it help improve your scores? Well, let’s see, but I reflect back to a phrase “correlation is NOT causation.” Reason to state this……was this ball being played when I set my best personal round at my home club of 73? Yes, why yes in fact it was, shot +1 73 playing the Tour BX. BUT…….was it also in play and being used when shooting an abyssal 87 the previous day? Why yes, yes sir it was. All things told, I think some discretion need be used before crediting just the ball with this merit.

M iscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

I’ll give a full 10 here based on I don’t have anything in the random department to knock this ball for and also to again give Bridgestone a kudos for the V-Fit analysis, which I still think is fascinating stuff.

 

G ame Bag or Shag Bag? (15 out of 20 points)

I’ll give the Tour BX a 15 of 20 here based on just a couple main considerations: 1) The price is still higher per dozen than the Srixon Z-Star XV’s I play so I’ll save the couple dollars 2) It will NOT be fully replacing my current ball largely as I already have a couple dozen sitting and ready for play, BUT the Tour BX DID and WILL find it’s way into a playing “rotation” this year as one of only two balls I will put in play in 2020. Last year I would only play the ProV1x and the Z-Star XV, this year however, given the spin and flight characteristics of the Tour BX it will be bumping ProV1x out of the bag. So for this year in 2020, Z-Star XV and Tour BX will be rotated in and out as sole options. 

Conclusion

Closing thoughts, the Tour BX in 2020 is a great ball. It plays strong in the wind, “floats” less in flight than the ProV1x for me (being a steep swinger and higher spin player) so it will be bumping the ProV1x out of my bag as an option. But the Tour BX is joining (not replacing) my Z-Star XV as I really enjoy that ball and have many left to play from my closet.

Which brings another point of consideration, I enjoy playing a yellow or colored ball and at this moment there is no yellow option in Tour BX, thus another reason why I will remain in the Srixon Z-Star XV as I can play something besides white.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to test these, thank you Bridgestone. It’s a very nice ball and I look forward to continue playing and testing it as I go through the rest of the year with this ball and the Z-Star, I think I can refine my findings and thoughts further as we go and get along into the warmer months. I have a feeling I may be singing another tune and really seeing the Tour BX come into “full flight” when the summer hits and I play it more.

Final Score: 85 out of 100

 

 

Edited by Trial&Error
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2/19/20

Bridgestone Tour B X – Official MGS Forum Review by yungkory 

Intro

Thanks to MGS for the opportunity to provide another review for my fellow spies! My name is Kory and I am fortunate enough to be playing out of Honolulu, HI. I’ve been playing golf for most of my life, though I didn’t play much after high school until about 4 years ago and shortly joined MGS after my first round back. Between 2004 and 2016 I maybe played 5 times and sprinkled in a couple of range sessions. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been absolutely hooked with all of the new tech and data that’s out there (I’m a stats nerd kind of person). What I look for in a ball is something that launches high with enough spin to stay in the air on the medium to longer clubs. I’m not a power hitter swinging around 105 on average and topping out around 108 on my best swings. Due to this, I need a little bit more spin to maximize my distances on the longer clubs, and I don’t spin the ball enough on the shorter stuff to need to worry about zipping back shots off of the greens. Further, I really need a ball that feels “sticky” off wedges around the greens and can check up quick on chips and pitches. Call it an aggressive style, or just a lack of talent to land the ball in the right spot/control distance, but I like stopping the ball as quickly as possible rather than trying to run the ball and cozy it up to the hole. 

 I’m currently gaming the Prov1x and have been for the better part of 18 months. As previously mentioned, I like the ball to launch higher and spin a little off the long stuff and react off of the faces of my wedges around the greens, and the V1x does both of these for me. Currently I’m an 8.8 and flirt with the high 70s until the inevitable double bogey knocks the train of its tracks. My strengths are usually with driver and short irons/wedges. Between that, and with the flat stick I’m average at best. Lately I’ve gotten back to hitting a nice high draw with my irons, and fight an over-draw/hook when I get “stuck” and swing too far out to the right. I’ve gone to as much as 8* in-to-out on launch monitors on two separate occasions. 

First Impressions

 

IMG_4avr3j.jpg

 

My first impression of the ball was that the cover looked different than the previous iteration. Prior to receiving the 2020 Tour B X, I won an IG contest for a dozen Bridgestone balls of my choice. Obviously, I picked the same model I would review for this thread, to be able to provide a comparison to that ball in addition to my gamer. 

covers.jpg.26d2014c9ddaa32d8cab29f14269ab90.jpg

 As you can (hopefully) see in the pictures, the famous dimple within a dimple looks less pronounced this time around. Is this part of the new Reactiv™ cover? In the hands, the ball feels similar to last year’s B X, not quite as sticky feeling as other covers, they almost feel like they’ve rolled through the dirt.  

Off of the putter and wedges they feel firm, and definitely have a more audible sound compared to the V1x. I don’t really care about the sound off of my clubs, it could make a clown nose honk for all I care, as long as it performs. On performance, for this ball to kick the V1x out of the bag (especially being the same retail price point) it would have to maintain the short game performance that I require while doing something more like being a few yards longer. 

Having played the B XS a few years back, and most recently the prior year’s B X, I found that these balls don’t give me the “zip” I require around the greens. I’ve had numerous occasions where I’ve felt the ball should’ve stopped earlier than it did/does. Where this ball has shined in the past though? Distance. Everyone I’ve seen put a Tour B in play is always shocked at how much further they go, usually after sailing a green LOL! I’m expecting much of the same, but really hoping that the new cover surprises me. My final reservation is in the actual v-fit suggestion for my testing choice. I’m often a “tweener” for things like shaft flex, and I feel like the same can be said for these particular balls since Bridgestone recommends them based on driver SS. Discussing with @mr.hicksta, I was sure I would be fit into the RX, but was surprised to see the results said B X. 

I’m going to keep my testing organic, since I don’t have any easy access to a launch monitor, and because I believe real performance for balls is much more valuable than LM data. I want it to be a superstar on the golf course, not on Trackman! 

Grading 

Looks & Durability (15 out of 15 points)

In terms of appearance, the ball hasn’t changed much from the last version other than what I previously mentioned about the double-dimple being more subtle. The alignment line is slightly different, where Bridgestone opted for some white fill in the arrows vs. solid black paint fill. I still love the simple “B” logo with the playing number above it and to the right like it’s “B to the power of X” and x is the number. Like I said, I’m a math/stats nerd.

This ball is absolutely amazing in terms of durability, and that’s why I rated it a perfect score. This ball has at least 27 holes on it, and aside from meeting a cart path twice (I like to use them to my advantage obviously) could absolutely still be played. You can visually see the scuffs, but running your finger over them? Nada.

 durability1.jpg.d4162972412cc5baeb09dbe9ec8456d2.jpg

durability2.jpg.bec50680ec01c6f6f2a31590ea44a6e6.jpg


Sound & Feel (10 out of 15 points)

I find the ball lacking in terms of feel. I don’t like a marshmallow, but I also don’t like a rock. This leans more towards a rock, but without feeling cheap like it should be on a range, or cost $20/doz. The covers feel firm enough where you wouldn’t be able to press your fingernail into them. I don’t feel like you could with a V1x either, but the BX cover does feel firmer to the touch than the Titleist and definitely doesn't feel like it "sticks" to your club for as long when chipping. 

Sound wise, I mentioned that when chipping and putting, they sound firmer/clickier than my gamer. It’s especially noticeable off of putters without inserts. Where my V1x makes a muted “thunk” the BX is higher pitched and more of a “click.” This doesn’t bother me at all, and I believe it attributes to better distance control on the greens, but that’s purely mental and I have no data to validate it. Off of the other clubs, I found this ball to just feel firmer over all than V1x, but no different than last year’s B X. 

On-Course Performance (25 out of 40 points) 

As I said numerous times in the thread while testing, this ball is longer than any ball I’ve played. I believe at least 5 yards off of every club. Off the driver, it’s a long, boring mid-trajectory flight for me. Not to say boring is bad, I’ll take boring and in the fairway all day, which is pretty much what B X has done for me on good swings. 

Approach shots have been great with this ball, and probably my favorite “feature” aside from the slight distance gains. From 100y and out, I don’t find much difference in performance over the V1x, or the prior generation B X. The ball flies nice and high, and stops within an acceptable distance from their pitch marks 

stoppingpower1.jpg.1f349ea53562af5834c765506ca4bcd6.jpg

According to Arccos this was a 54* wedge from 82y that spun back a little mostly due to it landing into the up slope. Definitely no issues stopping the ball on full shots.

stoppingpower2.jpg.33daf9e6ff496ec59e05f7e19680e0f0.jpg

Ended up pin high just left of the flag. 8i from 140 into a breeze this is basically how I try to play my shots, hit them to a number and hope they stop within a couple of feet. I don't try to fly flags and pull shots back -- our greens are always relatively firm and honestly I'm just not good enough, LOL! 

Around the green is where most golf ball companies will tell you to fit your ball to your game, except for Bridgestone. Unsurprisingly, this is where the ball falls short for me, or rather rolls way too far! I legit can’t get this ball to spin enough within 100yards, and my scores depend on my success getting up and down when I miss greens. Not sure what secret sauce Bryson found claiming to get 1000 extra RPMs around the green, but the Reactiv™ cover isn’t doing anything for me. If I was someone who could execute bump and run shots, and judge the distance on them, I could probably have more success with this ball, however as I mentioned I have an “aggressive” chipping style aka lack of distance control and require my ball to check harder to compensate. Since I seem to live and die by my ability to get up and down, this ball doesn’t benefit my score in any way – regardless of the extra distance I saw from it. 

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)

I’m going to speculate a little bit here. It’s no secret that we had some logistics issues for this test. I believe we all mentioned it on social media, in the private messages, and in this thread as well, but we got these balls almost a month later than we were supposed to. It was so late that the “white box” part didn’t even make sense because the marketing info had come out when these were landing on our doorsteps. Where I’m speculating is instead of getting only 2 sleeves to test (not sure if this was going to be literally four golf balls since the test sleeves only have 2 in them) we all got 3-dozen. I’m going to say this was Bridgestone’s way of making things right after all of the mixups. It’s a good thing they did send more than 4 balls, I probably wouldn’t have had much to say otherwise. For this, I’m giving Bridgestone a 5/5. 

I’m giving them a 0 for v-fit though. It was cool and easy to use, and it was decently accurate in terms of what I remember from the shot that I submitted, and what numbers their algorithm spit back at me. With that said though, their recommendation of 105 MPH swing speed being the determining factor is an over estimation IMO. Playing it at 105-107 SS, and watching people play it at ~110 and 120, I think it really shines once you get above 110. I believe that I would’ve fit better into the RX/RXs in all honesty. 

Game Bag or Shag Bag? (17 out of 20 points)

Bottom line, this is a great ball, just not FOR ME. If you’re a high-speed player with an honest 112+ MPH driver speed, I believe this ball could absolutely be in your bag. It might seem weird that I’m scoring the ball so high when it isn’t making its way into my bag, but that has nothing to do with the ball itself, and more to do with how it matches my game, and my on course performance score more accurately reflects that. 

I’d give this ball a perfect 20 points because I do believe it’s a great product for a lot of golfers, but I took points off because for the same price, you could play the gold standard, ProV1/x. I wanted to like this ball so bad, because I have a weird counter-culture kind of mentality where I get satisfaction from playing things that aren’t the most-popular, but I just can’t get it to perform, and especially wouldn’t buy it at this price point. ProVs are even cheaper when you buy them during that 3-for-4 deal they run (I think) bi-annually… in what world does that make sense? Maybe I don’t understand business, but if you’re trying to capture market share from number 1, wouldn’t you try to price yourself lower to provide yourself that little edge? 

Conclusion

In conclusion, or if my review was too long to get through, the Tour B X is a great ball if you have the speed to get the most out of it. At an equivalent price point -- even cheaper depending on the time of year -- I'll be sticking with the ProV1x as it suits my game better. 

If that’s even too long:

Ball go far; ball no stop for me -- same as previous edition 

Final Score: 60/100

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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  • GolfSpy MPR changed the title to TESTERS ANNOUNCED: 2020 Bridgestone White Box Ball Review

Congrats boys! Should be a really fun test, I have only heard really interesting things on this new ball

In my bag:

Driver: :callaway-logo-1: Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS 10.5* (set to 9.5) UST Lin-Q Gunmetal 6f5

Wood: :titleist-small: Tsi2 15* Project X RDX Black 70 6.5

Hybrids: :cobra-small: King Utility 19.5* Diamana Tensei White Pro 90TX

Irons: :cobra-small: Cobra King Tour MIM 4-PW Dynamic Gold 120 X100

Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 3 50*, 54*, 58* Tour Issue S400

Putter: :seemore-small: Nashville Z1C 34"

 Ball: :titleist-small:  Pro V1x

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Incredible, thank you for the opportunity. I've been doing lots of work in the recent past weeks with wedges and my Flightscope Mevo, so looking forward to throwing these in the mix and build out some feedback and results.

 

Thanks Mygolfspy!

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As always, super thankful for the opportunity. Even cooler that I get to test them with a fellow spy/playing partner @mr.hicksta

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Congratulations everyone !

Good group of folks, looking forward to working with you all🏌️‍♂️

Related image

:cobra-small: SpeedZone Pars and Stripes 9.5* Driver 14gm weight in back, VENTUS Blue 6-R set to +1* draw.

:cobra-small: 14.5* Fairway,  18.5* Fairway, 22.5* Fairway.  All with Tensei CK Blue R set to +1* draw.

:titleist-small:  816H1 27* Hybrid w/ Diamana Blue Board 70 HY Stiff Shaft

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 5 + 6   KBS Tour 80 R

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE 7, 8, 9  KBS Tour 90 R                                     

:cobra-small: SpeedZoneONE P, G, S  KBS Wedge

:cobra-small: King Black ONE 60*  VO8*      True Temper Dynamic Gold Black

 Lamkin Crossline Cord Connect Black Mid-size plus 2 wraps

:cameron-small:  Special Select Newport 2  34" :scotty-small: Matador grip               :Arccos:                                                                                                                                                               

:titleist-small:  -ProV1x  Align XL  

 All in a :cobra-small:  Masters Staff Bag  or  SpeedZone stand bag

#COBRACONNECT CHALLENGE 4  The ONLY One Length Contestant!

Tested :bridgestone-small: Prototype Balls       Tour B RXS                Tested:image.png.8e77a45b1fe8c9cfb7c2a61386f855a5.pngBlack Cat irons 5 - PW UST Mamiya Recoil Graphite Regular +0.5" 1* upright                

 BirdieBall Outdoor Putting Green                                 

 

 

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Congrats 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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Congrats to all selected! I am really curious about what the results will be, especially since I already bought 4 dozen Bridgestone Tour B X when they went on sale this fall, thanks to MGS’ ball test. When I read about this new tech on the forum I was both intrigued with the potential they might have while simultaneously being a bit bummed out that I might have 4 dozen balls that were not quite optimal for my game. Ah, the irony of it all. Read MGS in order to be well informed about equipment only to discover I’m still behind the curve. 🤣 

What would be really interesting would be to have El Tigre’s insider’s comments to compare with those of our own testers. I expect there would be very similar observations.

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Thanks for the opportunity MGS! I’m really excited about testing these and comparing them to my current gamer. I’ve always liked Bridgestone golf balls so I suspect this will be another solid offering!

:cobra-small: LTDx Black 10.5º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 6F4
:cobra-small: LTDx 3W 15º | UST LIN-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F4
:ping-small: G425 3H 19º | UST Recoil Proto Hybrid 85F4
:srixon-small: Z785 4-PW | UST Recoil 125 Proto F4
:cleveland-small: RTX ZipCore Tour Rack 50
º Mid, 54º Mid, 60º Mid | UST Recoil Wedge Proto F4
:EVNROLL: ER5BV | BGT Stability Tour

:bridgestone-small: Tour B X

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Congrats gents!!!! Can’t wait to see the results!   Now go play some golf!

Gameday
Vessel Sunday 2.0/ Ogio Silencer
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Dynapwr Carbon | Hzrdus Smoke Black
:callaway-small:  Mavrik 3w | Evenflow Riptide
Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png FG Tour F5 Hybrid(20,23) | MCA Fubuki

Wilsonlogo20Clemson.png.eee77a65568179cdcfb783c9a3e68f4b.png Staff Model CB 5-PW |  DG 120
:titleist-small: Vokey SM7 (50, 54, 58) | DG 120
bettinardilogo2MGS.png.3b311f05930da73872d3b638ef39f51c.png Studio Stock 15
:titleist-small:-ProV1x (left dash)

Romans 10:9


Classic Bag
Jones Collegiate Clemson Stand Bag

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngEye 2 Laminate
:wilson_staff_small: 1973 Staff Dynapower 4-PW

pinglogo_clemson_MGS.png.f64aa10b6e73d4f55a61d78f590addca.pngAnser

:wilson_staff_small: DUO

 

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Congrats to you all! This is going to be really awesome and I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s findings. I work for a major golf shop and have access to launch monitors for dry ball data and then compare that to real world on the course experiences. 

“I should of yelled Two!”

 

Driver: PXG 0811x Gen 4 / Tour AD TP6s

3W: PXG 0341x Gen 1 / Tour AD TP6s

3HY: :taylormade-small: GAPR / KBS Stiff

4-PW: :taylormade-small: P770 / Nippon Pro Modus 3 120 Stiff + 1/2”

Wedges: :taylormade-small: MG3 / Nippon Pro Modus 3 120 Stiff + 1/2” 50-09, 54-11, 60-10

Putter: :cobra-small: Grandsport 35

Ball: Pro V1

Bag: Sun Mountain C-130

Cart: Clicgear 4.0

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Congrats everyone! I'll be one of those following along while snowed in 🤣

In my  :wilson_staff_small:  carry bag:
:mizuno-small: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex
:mizuno-small: ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex
:cleveland-small: Launcher 5h
:cleveland-small: Launcher CBX 6i-PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 54* & 58*
:cleveland-small: Huntington Beach #10
:bridgestone-small: e12 Contact
CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game

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Y’all have fun! If the conversation on the podcast is true, and increased spin on chip shots, or shots around the green, are what distinguish this from other B-Stone offerings, good luck at getting measure of those numbers! That’s gonna be a tough one to validate. I can’t wait to see, though!!! Have fun!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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Congratulations all. Interested in seeing your thoughts and what version these balls actually are.

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

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