Bridgestone MindSet Golf Ball Testing - (Sampling and Shot Scope Ops)

[AAHead7]

After trying out the Tour BXS it is definitely a ball worth mentioning. The mindset factor reminds you to have a game plan, and for me it really helped on thinking what shot I want to take, where I want to land, and where I want to miss. Lower handicaps may not need this as they probably do it more automatically. The feel is pretty similar to a high quality tour ball, but it may not have as much spin as a Tour X or Prov1X but still plenty of spin. Ball speed seemed to be very comparable. Sometimes I felt like the mindset graphic was a little distracting to look at, but as long as you focus on the mindset “process” it really doesn’t affect much. Overall I would give the ball an 8.5/10. If you struggle focusing on having a game plan or pre swing process this would be the ball for you. 

[fozcycle]

5 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Love the JD hat!!! 

Thanks, my wife is a patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. 

Edited April 13 by fozcycle

[Erin B]

Hi Spies! Added some more content to my evaluation of the Mindset balls. Feel free to read and ask any questions.
 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63748-bridgestone-mindset-golf-ball-testing-sampling-and-shot-scope-ops/?do=findComment&comment=1046248

 

[buckpillar]

On 4/12/2024 at 10:36 AM, Rob Person said:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQXcNkcqSJYQepMosCy7aolhrr6p1EyEX&si=lwAF5ZD3es6oHFum

 

This is the Playlist again. New videos are labeled Mindset hole, final days thoughts,  etc.

There are most of the holes from the back 9. They were busy, so missed the first 3 holes. Front 9 was packed. No video. Sorry

 

And a tip of the cap to the gallery on 9, Good stuff in the videos @Rob Person, how is the feel of the Bridgestone off the face of the irons and driver? I havent had a chance to hit full shots yet but to me it sounded a little plasticeeee

[buckpillar]

On 4/6/2024 at 5:31 PM, Erin B said:

Hi MGS Troops!!! I’ve been testing these balls exclusively on the course and comparing them to the Callaway Chrome Tour X triple track and the Pro V1.

Let the carnage begin.

First Impressions:

I opened the box and was greeted by Jason Day and a QR code. Good marketing tool. There is quite a bit of information for a dozen balls which is good. 

Once opened I looked at the sleeve. Good information here as well. Not bothered by the data. They look professional. This however bothers me:

These balls are higher end balls. This should not happen. Plus, there’s a coating on them that feels a little grainy. In the dozen balls I received, this is the only ball that has this defect. Still, these balls aren’t Top Flights, they’re Bridgestones and are competing in the high dollar ball market. I’ve never opened a Pro V1 sleeve and found this defect or a coating that feels like sandpaper. 

I guess the $5 difference gives leeway to defects??? Other than that, the balls look great.

All the marks and labels look great and minimal to me. That’s a good thing. 

First impression Score: 8/10

Defects on one ball and rough feeling from the lacquer were this ball’s cause of rating

Aesthetics: 10/10

The ball looks fantastic! All the markings are professional and minimal.

Numbers:

I did not take this ball to the sim. I played it and saw that I’m not losing any real distance off the tee. I also was happy to see there is not a lot of side spin for me. The ball was predictable and unless I screwed up by a horrible swing, the ball was straight. 

18/20

Playability: The ball plays very well. Follow along below for more information.

Off the tee:

While playing these balls, off the tee I didn’t notice a vast difference between them and the Pro V1 or the Chrome Tour X.

No distance advantage, I did use the Mindset technique and it did help, not so much that I’d switch though. So off the tee I’d rate it

9/10. 

Irons: I like this ball with my irons. Straight and true; holds the green.

10/10

Wedge play:

Same as off the tee, didn’t get an advantage. It does hold the green and I can get them to spin fairly easily.

10/10

Putting:

So this is where this ball shines!

I putted pretty well with this ball. The Mindset technique is unique in its formulation. I used it, remembered it, and it helped, but I’ve always done something similar to Mindset.

I actually looked forward to the long putts. The Mindset technique and markings were in my mind and nothing else. The green dot was easy to focus on. However, again I’ve already been doing something very similar to the Mindset technique, and I’m going to keep doing what I do, but the Mindset technique does help. 

10/10

Durability:

This picture says more than I can say. This ball lasted 14 holes. I hit a tree and wow! 

I wasn’t expecting this amount of damage. The ball was immediately retired. If I had a gun I’d have put it out of its misery. Since this ball I’ve not had another durability issue. This may be a fluke, but still needs to be noted.

7/10

The Good the Bad and the Ugly: 

I like this ball. I like the idea of the Mindset technique. I’m concerned a little about some quality control and durability might be an issue. I’d still play it though. I do think that the Mindset technique takes some getting used to. As I played it I did find myself focusing more, though I was not focusing on the green dot, I was focusing on the ball.

Play it or Trade it:

8/10

I’ll play them, but I’m not going out of my way to buy them.

Final score: 80/100

I like this ball, like the concept, but I’m sold on the Callaway Chrome Tour and Titleist Pro V1 series balls. If I’m going to spend $50 dollars on golf balls, I’m going with my favorites. Happy Birdie Hunting!

Looks like Darth Vader to the light sabre to that ball

 

[buckpillar]

On 4/10/2024 at 1:22 AM, guillo2 said:

I’m back with some initial results. I want to start by introducing myself. I am originally from Rio Piedras, PR and currently live in the Tucson, AZ area. I played all kinds of sports growing up except golf, so I am a somewhat athletic person. I took up the game of golf while living in Orlando, FL back in the early 2000s and was hooked, playing and practicing my way down to an 8 handicap. After hurting my back, and ballooning to almost 300 lbs on my 5’8” frame, I decided to take up mountain biking and sold all my golf equipment. It was within cycling that I met my wife and we’ve been together ever since. Fate would have us moving to Myrtle Beach, SC where there was only one place to ride your mountain bike and road cycling is hazardous to your health, so I decided to come back to golf in 2021.

It didn’t start well at all.

Thankfully I stuck with it, continued to play and practice, and have started to bring the handicap down  and currently at 12.9, with a goal to get to single digits by years’ end. Biggest strength is my short game and putting, with my iron play being my Achilles’ heel.

As promised, here is the first part of my testing. I had a quick putting session at lunch time because of a client cancellation then finished it up after I was done at 5pm today. Above you’ll see 18 balls, broken down in groups of 3 as follows:

1. -Pro V1x “left dash” (gamer)
2. Tour B RX (fitted and sent to me by Bridgestone)
3. Tour B RXS (gift)
4. Pro V1
5. Chrome Tour
6. TP5x

I hit 3 rounds of putts with each and did my best to find differences in sound, feel, and line on a 20’ uphill, left to right putt. The evening putting session consisted of the same 3 rounds, but each round to a different hole. I also used the mindset system for the last round, taking a full pre shot routine for each putt. I did this with all 18 balls, not just the Bridgestones. Here’s what I found:

The Tour B RX has a similar click off the putter face to my Left Dash and the TP5x. They all felt very firm off the putter face, a feeling I am starting to realize I don’t like. The Tour B RXS was closer to the Pro V1, with a less noticeable click but still a solid feel. The Chrome Tour was muffled in both sound and feel, making it really hard for me to gauge preferences with it.

My take on Mindset for putting: it works! I only holed about 6 balls out of the 3 rounds of 20 footers (54 putts) while hitting the putts for sound and feel, but I holed out 8 of the 18 using Mindset! The putts felt more well struck, my lines were holding to what I’d visualized, and my misses were a lot smaller. 4 of those 8 holed putts were with the Bridgestones. I felt like the focus on that green dot really helps me automate the putting stroke and make a fluid swing that produces good rolls.

 

I’ll post more after Thursday and Friday when I take them to the sim!

 

 

 

 

That's some mighty good putting right there!

[Erin B]

55 minutes ago, buckpillar said:

Looks like Darth Vader to the light sabre to that ball

 

Yeah, it was weird. A tree no less

[Rob Person]

57 minutes ago, buckpillar said:

And a tip of the cap to the gallery on 9, Good stuff in the videos @Rob Person, how is the feel of the Bridgestone off the face of the irons and driver? I havent had a chance to hit full shots yet but to me it sounded a little plasticeeee

Full iron shots were about the same sound to me against the other 2 balls I put them against.  The maxfli felt the best off the face, but the TM had an equally good reaction on good shots compared to the bridgestone. Wedges were a bit clickier. Off the driver I couldn't tell the difference unless listening from the videos. Putting had a softer sound, but a great feel of connection. 

[Rob Person]

5 hours ago, Erin B said:

Hi Spies! Added some more content to my evaluation of the Mindset balls. Feel free to read and ask any questions.
 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63748-bridgestone-mindset-golf-ball-testing-sampling-and-shot-scope-ops/?do=findComment&comment=1046248

 

Great review! I may have to recreate a tree impact to see if it does the same as yours did.

[Erin B]

22 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Great review! I may have to recreate a tree impact to see if it does the same as yours did.

I’d like to know. And thanks for the read and kind words!

Edited April 14 by Erin B

[Indy_Oz]

On 4/6/2024 at 5:31 PM, Erin B said:

Hi MGS Troops!!! I’ve been testing these balls exclusively on the course and comparing them to the Callaway Chrome Tour X triple track and the Pro V1.

Let the carnage begin.

First Impressions:

I opened the box and was greeted by Jason Day and a QR code. Good marketing tool. There is quite a bit of information for a dozen balls which is good. 

Once opened I looked at the sleeve. Good information here as well. Not bothered by the data. They look professional. This however bothers me:

These balls are higher end balls. This should not happen. Plus, there’s a coating on them that feels a little grainy. In the dozen balls I received, this is the only ball that has this defect. Still, these balls aren’t Top Flights, they’re Bridgestones and are competing in the high dollar ball market. I’ve never opened a Pro V1 sleeve and found this defect or a coating that feels like sandpaper. 

I guess the $5 difference gives leeway to defects??? Other than that, the balls look great.

All the marks and labels look great and minimal to me. That’s a good thing. 

First impression Score: 8/10

Defects on one ball and rough feeling from the lacquer were this ball’s cause of rating

Aesthetics: 10/10

The ball looks fantastic! All the markings are professional and minimal.

Numbers:

I did not take this ball to the sim. I played it and saw that I’m not losing any real distance off the tee. I also was happy to see there is not a lot of side spin for me. The ball was predictable and unless I screwed up by a horrible swing, the ball was straight. 

18/20

Playability: The ball plays very well. Follow along below for more information.

Off the tee:

While playing these balls, off the tee I didn’t notice a vast difference between them and the Pro V1 or the Chrome Tour X.

No distance advantage, I did use the Mindset technique and it did help, not so much that I’d switch though. So off the tee I’d rate it

9/10. 

Irons: I like this ball with my irons. Straight and true; holds the green.

10/10

Wedge play:

Same as off the tee, didn’t get an advantage. It does hold the green and I can get them to spin fairly easily.

10/10

Putting:

So this is where this ball shines!

I putted pretty well with this ball. The Mindset technique is unique in its formulation. I used it, remembered it, and it helped, but I’ve always done something similar to Mindset.

I actually looked forward to the long putts. The Mindset technique and markings were in my mind and nothing else. The green dot was easy to focus on. However, again I’ve already been doing something very similar to the Mindset technique, and I’m going to keep doing what I do, but the Mindset technique does help. 

10/10

Durability:

This picture says more than I can say. This ball lasted 14 holes. I hit a tree and wow! 

I wasn’t expecting this amount of damage. The ball was immediately retired. If I had a gun I’d have put it out of its misery. Since this ball I’ve not had another durability issue. This may be a fluke, but still needs to be noted.

7/10

The Good the Bad and the Ugly: 

I like this ball. I like the idea of the Mindset technique. I’m concerned a little about some quality control and durability might be an issue. I’d still play it though. I do think that the Mindset technique takes some getting used to. As I played it I did find myself focusing more, though I was not focusing on the green dot, I was focusing on the ball.

Play it or Trade it:

8/10

I’ll play them, but I’m not going out of my way to buy them.

Final score: 80/100

I like this ball, like the concept, but I’m sold on the Callaway Chrome Tour and Titleist Pro V1 series balls. If I’m going to spend $50 dollars on golf balls, I’m going with my favorites. Happy Birdie Hunting!

Great review! That tree damage is crazy. I hit a cart path and smaller tree branches with a BX today and it had scuff marks, but not enough to prevent me finishing the 9-hole round with it. The same ball has now played 27 holes and will be the ball I start an 18-hole round with tomorrow. Just trying to really test its longevity as tomorrow's round is a links style course with loads of bunkers and hazards. That said, last time I played there I only hit one bunker all day. Ha ha

[Indy_Oz]

You know the course is rather damp when a 270 yard drive checks back a few inches. Ha ha. Mud balls galore.

Third 9-hole round completed with the same Bridgestone Tour BX ball.

Today this ball hit a cart path (played for the 15mph winds, which were gusting stronger), but I pushed the approach shot right just as the right to left wind completely calmed down and the pin flag dropped. Ha ha. A couple of holes later I clipped upper tree branches with a 3-wood tee shot (trees guard front right green approach). So I'm definitely testing this ball's endurance! As you can see on the bottom photo, the coating does now have a couple of tears/ holes.

My plan was to use it to tee off the first hole of tomorrow's 18-hole round and see how long it lasts, but now I've noticed the little tears, I may just have to retire and start with a new ball.

I really liked playing with this ball. With strong winds, it wasn't too affected and flew well. Around the green I really liked the feel and played some really nicely judged chips. The ball definitely span enough to check well, but it was with the putter it really shone.

I found this ball worked very well with my Sik putter face. Not too clicky at all, but not too soft. It rolled very well and I found I was judging my putt distances really well. Lots of lag putts to within 18 inches of the hole on some challenging sloping greens.

Ahead of this test I didn't think it was likely it would challenge the Chrome Tour and TP5X, but around the green the BX is right up there! I need to get to a practice green with all three balls and really compare the feel and results, but so far so very good for the Bridgestone.

I'll get some sim data to add to previous data sets this week. I need to do a full driver comparison with this and a selection of other balls as the Callaway Chrome Tour comparison was with my old Callaway Rogue ST Max LS driver and I'm now gaming a Ping. I want to be fair to the Tour BX!

Tomorrow's round is on a challenging course, so I look forward to seeing how the BX holds up.

[Rob Person]

I have to say that I am not sure if it's a detriment to my skill level Increasing little-by-little, or the construction of the ball. But I can say that this is the first time i've played with the same ball over three rounds.

Edited April 14 by Rob Person

[Erin B]

4 hours ago, Indy_Oz said:

Great review! That tree damage is crazy. I hit a cart path and smaller tree branches with a BX today and it had scuff marks, but not enough to prevent me finishing the 9-hole round with it. The same ball has now played 27 holes and will be the ball I start an 18-hole round with tomorrow. Just trying to really test its longevity as tomorrow's round is a links style course with loads of bunkers and hazards. That said, last time I played there I only hit one bunker all day. Ha ha

I damaged another one today, but I’d been playing it a couple rounds now. 

[Erin B]

Had a below average round today, wind was gusting to 30mph with constant 16mph. Just couldn’t hit consistently. But I did putt well with the Mindset. I had 29 total putts and 7 one putts. Shot an 83. I also damaged another ball, but I’d been playing it for a couple rounds. I suppose I had a pretty good day all things considered.

[LinksgolfFever]

Shot scope and mindset balls have arrived.

super excited to get the V5 & Mindset going.  4 rounds are on tap for this week, including a 4ball match play tourney on Sunday.

I am very interested to see how the numbers for this week coming compare against my shot-scope history.

not entirely germane to this test but as a side note, my V3 got 3 years of use and 250+ rounds before it needed retirement.  While I was outside the warranty window shot-scope was really great about troubleshooting my V3 and getting me a great discount on the V5.

1st round is Wednesday, look for my 1st course impressions then.

Cheers,

 

[acatalano32]

Got a round in with the new mindset ball. It feels great off the driver and irons. It was gusting up to 30mph so I’m not going to blame the ball for anything. Getting back out this week, wind should be down quite a bit. I do like incorporating the identify, visualize and focus to my pre shot routine.

[Erin B]

Hi MGS troops! Just finished my review and here is the link.

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/63748-bridgestone-mindset-golf-ball-testing-sampling-and-shot-scope-ops/?do=findComment&comment=1046248

I am still going to use the ball for a while so I'll continue to update if any new data is noted. Thanks for your patience on this test and for reading my final review.

[Preeway]

On 4/6/2024 at 4:31 PM, Erin B said:

Final Review

Hi MGS Troops!!! I’ve been testing these balls exclusively on the course and comparing them to the Callaway Chrome Tour X triple track and the Pro V1. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves though... First, about me: I have been playing golf for about 30 years. I'm not an awesome player, but can hold my own. I am very good at putting, short game, and pretty good with irons. I'm from Wyoming and play about 100 rounds per year, and play on the VGA. I have already played 20 rounds since January, so I play a lot. Enough about me, here are the balls...

First Impressions:

I opened the box and was greeted by Jason Day and a QR code. Good marketing tool. There is quite a bit of information for a dozen balls which is good. 

Once opened I looked at the sleeve. Good information here as well. Not bothered by the data. They look professional. This however bothers me:

These balls are higher end balls. This should not happen. Plus, there’s a coating on them that feels a little grainy. In the dozen balls I received, this is the only ball that has a defect however all the balls have the grainy texture to them. These balls aren’t Top Flights, they’re Bridgestone and are competing in the high end ball market. I’ve never opened a Pro V1 sleeve and found this defect or a coating that feels like sandpaper. 

I guess the $5 difference gives leeway to defects??? Other than that, the balls look great.

All the marks and labels look great and minimal to me. That’s a good thing. 

First impression Score: 8/10

Defects on one ball and rough feeling from the lacquer were this ball’s cause of rating

Aesthetics: 10/10

The ball looks fantastic! All the markings are professional and minimal.

Numbers:

I did not take this ball to the sim. I played it and saw that I’m not losing any real distance off the tee. I also was happy to see there is not a lot of side spin for me. The ball was predictable and unless I screwed up by a horrible swing, the ball was straight. 

18/20

Playability: The ball plays very well. Follow along below for more information.

Off the tee:

While playing these balls, off the tee I didn’t notice a vast difference between them and the Pro V1 or the Chrome Tour X.

No distance advantage, I did use the Mindset technique and it did help, not so much that I’d switch though. So off the tee I’d rate it

9/10. 

Irons: I like this ball with my irons. Straight and true; holds the green.

10/10

Wedge play:

Same as off the tee, didn’t get an advantage. It does hold the green and I can get them to spin fairly easily.

10/10

Putting:

So this is where this ball shines!

I putted pretty well with this ball. The Mindset technique is unique in its formulation. I used it, remembered it, and it helped, but I’ve always done something similar to Mindset. Still, in one of my rounds I had 7 one putts, zero 3 putts, and 29 total putts. Not bad if you ask me.

I actually looked forward to the long putts. The Mindset technique and markings were in my mind and nothing else. The green dot was easy to focus on. However, again I’ve already been doing something very similar to the Mindset technique, and I’m going to keep doing what I do, but the Mindset technique does help. 

10/10

Durability:

This picture says more than I can say. This ball lasted 14 holes. I hit a tree and wow! 

I wasn’t expecting this amount of damage. The ball was immediately retired. If I had a gun I’d have put it out of its misery. Since this ball I’ve not had another durability issue. This may be a fluke, but still needs to be noted.

7/10

The Good the Bad and the Ugly: 

I like this ball. I like the idea of the Mindset technique. I’m concerned a little about some quality control and durability might be an issue. I’d still play it though. I do think that the Mindset technique takes some getting used to. As I played it I did find myself focusing more, though I was not focusing on the green dot as much as I was focusing on the whole ball.

Play it or Trade it:

8/10

I’ll play them, but I’m not going out of my way to buy them.

Final score: 80/100

I like this ball, like the concept, but I’m sold on the Callaway Chrome Tour and Titleist Pro V1 series balls. I think the Mindset balls and technique are great for a player struggling to focus on putting and driving the ball, they helped my putting. But if I’m going to spend $50 dollars on golf balls, I’m going with my favorites. Happy Birdie Hunting!

 

Great write up, @Erin B. I haven't received mine yet and am curious now after seeing multiple report about the cover whether I will have any blemishes as well. Also very much worth noting about the cover durability. I don't hit a lot of trees but I do put a lot of wear and tear on my balls with my iron play. Will be very watchful to see how they hold up. Managed to get 18 holes out of a Pro V1 yesterday with only minimal wear and tear by the time I putted out on 18. I really should have swapped somewhere between 9-12 but I wanted to see how well the cover held up if I was able to go an entire round. 

[IndyBonzo]

I played my first round with the MindSet Tour B RX ball yesterday, in incredibly windy conditions, and I have to say I was very impressed!  The low spin ameliorated the wind's impact on ball flight, and distance was excellent.  Around the green, I got plenty of spin and strokes gained with approach shots was +3.45 (versus a 5 handicap standard)!  

Ok Bridgestone!  Nice work.  Let's keep this up, and maybe a full change will be in order.

[Timberwolfmadcat]

Keep reading all the posts here....man I just want the balls to get here so I can test

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[Erin B]

2 hours ago, Preeway said:

Great write up, @Erin B. I haven't received mine yet and am curious now after seeing multiple report about the cover whether I will have any blemishes as well. Also very much worth noting about the cover durability. I don't hit a lot of trees but I do put a lot of wear and tear on my balls with my iron play. Will be very watchful to see how they hold up. Managed to get 18 holes out of a Pro V1 yesterday with only minimal wear and tear by the time I putted out on 18. I really should have swapped somewhere between 9-12 but I wanted to see how well the cover held up if I was able to go an entire round. 

Thanks! I try to avoid the trees as well. That hit was off the tee with a 5 iron. It had a draw and blasted a tree dead center. I've never seen a ball do that until that one and the one yesterday. I hit it, it hit one of those round posts that some courses put up as barriers when they don't want carts there, this one was in front of the green off to the side. It cut out a 1/8 inch out of the cover. No I don't have pictures I just threw the ball away. That one had been through a couple rounds though.

[MajorCavalry]

On 4/5/2024 at 3:28 PM, MajorCavalry said:

Good morning all,

I am excited to have been chosen to test the new Bridgestone Mindset golf ball.  I wanted to introduce myself and give everyone a bit of information about me and my game.  I am 71 years old and a semi-retired dentist.  I still enjoy going into the office and treatment planning complex cases with my younger partners.  For hobbies I golf (duh), ski and distance bike.  I have been playing golf since I was 9 or 10 but never took lessons until I was an adult.  I am still trying to break well ingrained bad habits LOL.  My handicap index is currently 12.9.

I walk 18 holes twice a week using my MGI Zip x5 caddy.  I started using Shot Scope last year for the ease of distance measurements and the analytics.  I used to use Arccos sensors, but prefer no annual fee.  My clubs are Callaway Paradym X Driver, 3 wood, 5 wood and 4 hybrid.  Irons are Miura CB 57 5-PW.  Wedges are Edison version 2 51, 55, 59.  Putter L.A.B. Mezz 1.  

I just finished 18 holes at my course, Simsbury Farms.  A brisk New England day... 45*, overcast with gusting winds.  Was nice to get inside!

 

Haven’t yet received the golf balls for testing.  Anyone else chosen to test these that haven’t gotten them yet?

[MIGregB]

26 minutes ago, MajorCavalry said:

Haven’t yet received the golf balls for testing.  Anyone else chosen to test these that haven’t gotten them yet?

I don't think any of us in the full Shot Scope/Bridgestone test have received them yet. @GolfSpy_APH got them order a week ago today so we probably have at least a few more days before they arrive.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

So I forgot to mention that I did end up receiving a box of the Bridgestone Mindset RX balls last week and today I was able to roll some putts with them. I will preface this by saying that I am not the biggest alignment aid fan as most of the time I do forget to even use them, but today I made an effort to.

Using a sleeve of 3, I rolled putts from various distances and actually saw success with the line on my putts Unfortunately the speed was hard to gauge as the greens have been punched recently. Still, the fact that my line was where I wanted says a lot for the mindsets. This was a quick hour long putting session as I was a bit tired from the range (They had actually had a grass range!!!!) but I consider day one a success and will continue sampling these on the course.

Edited April 15 by Michael.Sandoval33
Typo

[Javs]

My balls arrived this is my final assessment of them. Thank you to My Spy and Bridgestone. I am only testing the balls and not the Shot Scope.
First Impressions were 10 out of 10:

The balls look great and are packaged nicely.

Aesthetics were 10 out of 10:

I wasn’t sure what to expect out of the MindSet version of the Bridgestone Tour B X. However, the balls were clean looking and the MindSet design is well done and is not at all distracting. I chose the Bridgestone Tour B X based on the ball selector for a swing over 105 that desires less spin. Also the Bridgestone Tour B X is a firm ball with compression around 94 which I prefer. 
The next step was to research the MindSet process and then attempt to apply it in practice and on the course. Bridgestone Golf states “free your mind to improve your golf swing and putting stroke. Mindset is a breakthrough approach that enables you to separate analytical thoughts from athletic performance.” Ok, but what does that really mean to us? Well according to Bridgestone MindSet is based upon a simple three step process. First identify the target. Then visualize the desired shot and ball path or flight. Finally step in get set and focus on the green dot and execute the shot. I have a pre-shot routine that is similar so, this seems like a match. I like the concept. 

The Bridgestone test:
I did not use the ball on a monitor, but I played it and this is what I witnessed. The average distance off the tee was around 277. This is equal to the Titleist Left Dash and about 5 yards shorter than the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS. I also was happy to witness low side spin. I desire to play a ball with less spin. The Bridgestone Tour B X ball was predictable and flew straight with a medium launch. With a 7 iron, the Bridgestone Tour B X flew a predictable 168. Again, similar to the Titleist Left Dash and 3 yards less than the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS. 
Numbers: 8/10
On the course:

Driving: 9/10
As stated above the Bridgestone Tour B X was equal to the Titleist Left Dash and slightly shorter than the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS. The Bridgestone Tour B X had less side spin than the Titleist Left Dash and about equal with the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS.
I did not find that the MindSet technique made any real impact on my overall driving. The loss of distance from the Callaway cause a slight mark down in score. 
Iron play: 9/10
Again, the Bridgestone Tour B X played well off the irons. The ball had a medium and predictable flight. It stopped when it hit the green with a one hop and stop. However, the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS was slightly longer.

Wedge play: 10/10
I put my new Edison Wedges into play along with the Bridgestone Tour B X. I did chip in twice and holed out a shot from 75 yards out. The ball was predictable off the wedges and was easy to flight. The spin was just right. It did not spin back as much as the Titleist. It was more of a hit and stop. 
Putting: 10/10

The Bridgestone Tour B X putted great. This is a firm ball and I like that feel off the putter. Putting is where the Mindset logo and technique does help. I found it easy to line up my putts. Also the MindSet technique slowed me down and helped me really focus on each putt. I had all my rounds in the 28 to 30 putt range. However, when you are chipping in the putt count will also drop!
Durability: 10/10
I found no quality issues or durability issues with the Bridgestone Tour B X. I was able to get at least two rounds out of each ball. Even after hitting a cart path and several trees the ball held up. Also the new wedges did not overly scar the ball. 
The Good the Bad and the Ugly: 8/10
I like the Bridgestone Tour B X. The ball was predictable and easy to flight. I also liked the low spin. However, I was not completely sold on the Mindset concept other than in putting. I also didn’t care for the loss of distance off the driver and irons. However, I did really like the ball’s performance with my wedges.
Play it or Trade it: 8/10
I would play the Bridgestone Tour B X. I also like the price point of the Bridgestone Tour B X over the price of the Titleist Left Dash. However, I still liked the Callaway Chrome Soft X LS ball and price point better. Especially since I purchased the Callaway ball in bulk. Unfortunately, Callaway has discontinued the Chrome Soft X LS. So, when my supply runs out the Bridgestone Tour B X could be in play. 
Final score: 92/100

 

Edited April 23 by Javs

[Skibum]

I have gotten to try the Bridgestone RXS balls a few times in the past week. I played the ball twice in dry conditions and once when it was wet and drizzly.  I like the feel of the ball off the club. The ball goes a comparable distance to the Callaway Chrome Soft. They were within of 10 yard of each other. The RXS was a little softer than the Chrome Soft.    The control around the green is good. Most times it was 1 bounce and the ball stopped on the 2nd bounce.  The putting of the ball is a little softer than what I’m used to. I had to hit the ball a little harder to get the ball to the hole. I really enjoyed playing the ball. It may be my new ball. 

[Big moose]

I haven't had a chance to test these on the course yet but I was reading some of the other testers comments so I looked at every ball and I only found one with a little blemish on it. As far as feel mine feel nice and smooth to me. I have been chipping in the yard with them and since I  play these anyway I feel great to me.

First impressions 9/10

Just because one ball had a mark on it.

Aesthetics 10/10

All the printing is perfect and the feel is good. 

I took a picture of the one that has a mark on it. I am going to try to get a sim session this week, if I do I will post results. More rain this week so I probably won't be able to get a real round in until I get back from vacation. Can't wait to try these on the course. 

[Preeway]

3 hours ago, Javs said:

My balls arrived and I will be working my assessment of them. Thank you to My Spy and Bridgestone. 

Now I’m wondering if I should have gone with X instead of the XS. 

[Javs]

9 minutes ago, Preeway said:

Now I’m wondering if I should have gone with X instead of the XS. 

Maybe……..