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

[buckpillar]

 

UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL Final review - BRIDGESTONE TOUR B_ RX MINDSET -- Final Score (81 out of 100)

First Impressions (19 out of 20)

 Unboxing the Mindset balls was very nice, graphics, product information and how to use the mindset process. The balls appeared to be top quality and ready to be put into play.

Aesthetics (8 out of 10)

The ball overall is nice looking, but for me personally the mindset graphic was a deterrent, weather teeing it up or lining up a putt, I felt as though, I felt as though it was cumbersome visually and took my focus away from the shot/putt at the time.

The Numbers (8 out of 10) PUTTING with the Odyssey AI#1 CH putter

The Center strike test – roll and distance control were good,

The Heel test – Inconsistent distance control

The Toe Test – Similar to the heel testing results, but averaged about a foot shorter than the Heel test.

On-Course (16 out of 20)

Driving- Overall distance was comparable with my gamer Callaway Chrome Tour X, usually within 5 yards of one another feel and sound though were inconsistent, at times the Mindset felt a little hard and produced a hard plastic sound from the Taylormade SIM2 MAX driver.

Iron play- for the most part the mindset felt good overall, still felt at times on the harder side especially with the long irons. Was able to consistently control shot shape, ball flight and spin. Compared to the Chrome Tour ball, it was on average 2 yards shorter, not a big deal for me.

The Good, the bad, the in between (15 out of 20)

The Good- Distance control with the irons, short game spin and control.

The Bad – The cover of the mindset I felt needs to improved, I have used multiple balls over the rounds that I have played with them and the quality is just not there, I noticed after a few iron shots the surface is easily ruffed up, hitting into and out of bunkers mars the surface and over all durability needs taken to the next level.

The in Between – I’m not a big fan of the mindset process, even though I feel it will help many golfers develop a routine and improve putting, for me I felt that as if the ball was looking back at me, taking my thoughts off the putt.

Play it or trade it? (15 out of 20)

After playing the ball, I would trade it and keep playing my current ball.

Conclusion

My personal feelings toward this ball is that if it was the only ball I had to play, it would be an adequate replacement for my gamer, Driver and iron distances were consistent and comparable to my current ball. Durability I question, cover seemed easily scuffed or Damaged during normal play and not from cart paths or tree trimming.

Final Score (81 out of 100)

 

[buckpillar]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:48 PM, BreakfastBall15 said:

Played the other day doing some ball testing. Played the front 9 with the Wilson Triad and the back 9 with the Bridgestone BX. Took the Bridgestones out of the sleeve and teed off on 10. Got to the green, marked my ball and noticed the paint was coming off the ball. Not sure if the paint came off when it landed in the rough or off the wedge shot but I checked the used ones I had in my bag and there was no scuffs whatsoever. Not sure if just an anomaly but this was in the same box as the other ones. Any of the testers/samplers notice this at all? 

WOW, is all I got to say!

[MIGregB]

I want to thank My Golf Spy and their incredibly supportive forum staff, for this, my first, testing opportunity! I know it’s a substantially different test than most in that there are two phases being documented in this one thread with lots of participants: the Mindset sampling opportunity and the Shot Scope data/Mindset opportunity. I have been selected to be one of 29 for the Shot Scope/Mindset phase, and that means that my contributions will be far more ‘final Shot Scope data changes’ than you’re used to seeing with the typical testing process and protocols. Hopefully that in-depth testing opportunity will come for me.

In the meantime, I just received my 2 doz Tour RXS balls so I have a lot of ground to cover quickly, mostly getting enough rounds in to complete the test. As there have already been many-many sampling reviews with excellent unboxing posts, ball condition reports and much more, I’ll try to not increase reading volume with redundant observations. But there are a couple of things that I’d like to share.

I physically examined and like @buckpillar, salt-water balanced all of the balls. None of them had any surface irregularities and only two were anything less than perfectly balanced (see the circled areas below). Those two happened to come from the same sleeve, and really only rotated back to a general area and not the same spot as other out-of-balance balls have for me in the past. Toney Covey would be in a much better position to say whether that would result in any flight abnormalities, but I tend to doubt it. So those two will go into the rotation along with the others.

It seems reasonable to me that considering the number of sampling opportunities Bridgestone is providing, they believe Mindset to be a tremendous concept and want to get it into the hands of as many players as possible. And since I don’t know of other Spys in my general area to share them with, I plan on sharing a few with some of my league partners to see if they find it helpful. I’ll let you know their feedback as well.

I’ve got at least 36 holes planned this week, assuming rain doesn’t alter those plans. And while there has already been robust Mindset reporting and questions & answers, if anyone has a question or would like me to try something specific, please let me know.

5/7/2024 Update: Well, it's only been one round so there's no good Shot Scope data to point to. But so far, I'm pretty impressed overall with the Mindset RSX.  First, the Mindset feature took a bit of getting used to even though I already have a pre-shot routine. It’s a matter of using the circles and arrow (why do I suddenly feel like eating turkey and listening to lengthy anti-war songs??? (too dated???)) instead of a line on the ball or the model name, and then trying to visualize my shot. I haven’t been consciously visualizing shot shape, probably more hoping for a certain shot shape, so that took effort to incorporate. And I’ll admit that it threw me out of my normal cadence a bit. I’m not exactly blaming that on my crappy play yesterday, but still!!! It’s certainly a worthy addition to my routine so I’ll try to keep at it.

It was a mixed bag of opinions for the 3 league partners with whom I shared a sleeve. One didn't like it at all even though he should have embraced it more than any of us since he has little in the way of a pre-shot routine. One liked it quite a bit as he already has a pre-shot routine but felt the added thought process (positively) slowed him down and helped him focus a bit. The third liked it, but felt it was of little benefit over his usual process. Kinda sounds like porridge, doesn’t it! NO supporting data for any of this. But as nearly every Most Wanted test demonstrates, players often ‘dislike’ things in spite of the fact that data suggests it’ll help them. Perhaps those who embrace Mindset will be those who are more disciplined to begin with.

What I am surprised at is the fact that I quite like the performance of the ball. The balls I usually play are much firmer (over 100 compression) and the Bridgestone ball selector tool fit me into the RXS which apparently is in the lower 80’s. So, I expected it to feel mushy and fly shorter. What was that I said about not liking something in spite of data to the contrary?? Of those drives that I actually managed to hit well, distance was at least as good or better than my gamers. In fact on one hole, a short but narrow par 4 with a distance penalty if hit middle-right of the fairway, I just swing smooth but full with little umph into it. But RSX went my Performance Average! On 3 approach shots, a 136 yard soft 9i, a 132 yard softer 9i and a 153 yard soft 7i, they all stopped within a few feet of the carry distance, easily matching my gamers. On the green, I was surprised how similar the RSX felt to my gamers and since putting kept me from have a totally disastrous round, I’ll have to say that Mindset helped me there as well.

BTW, there was more than one occasion that could have resulted in damage to the cover, but there was nothing I could see. Definitely no scrapes and only smudges that wiped off with a wet towel. Not sure why these seemed so good when other have obviously had damage. 

Again, just one round and lots of subjectiveness. But I’m pleased so far. I just hope I don’t end up liking them too much; I have about 7 doz -ProV1-X and MaxFli Tour X balls to use up before I can go buying more!

5/15/2024 Update:

Bad weather and schedules have conspired to keep me off the course, but I finally got another round in yesterday. Not that I would say weather cooperated exactly. Temps were in the low 50s with totally cloudy skies, a bit of wind and occasional rain. Just 5 miles north of where we played, literally 7 degs warmer with totally sunny skies, sheesh!!! 

As I intimated above, yesterday wasn't a particularly good day to do performance comparisons between the RXS model and my gamer(s).  Drives were definitely well short of my PA, so I found myself over-swinging and making matters worse. But as @deattle and some others have opined, I'm beginning to think this ball has been designed from the green back (huh, that's exactly how Dean Snell says you should evaluate a ball!). As with the 1st round, shots into the green performed terrifically; good flight and checked up nicely. I was also pleased with some longer 2nd shots (6i & 7w) with regard to flight and distance. 

But I still struggling with Mindset; not the concept, but with the graphic. I've used ball alignment aids (lines, model name if it's long enough) for many years so maybe it's still just a matter of getting accustomed to their graphic. But I actually dislike it vs lines/model name on the ball when putting. 

My current Shot Scope stats will definitely portray the RXS badly. But tomorrow promises much better weather for the planned afternoon round so maybe I can pull together some better comparisons to report.

5/28/2024 Update:

After a few more rounds, there's no doubt that the RXS is not as long with the driver as my gamers (-ProV1 X & MaxFli Tour X), but the performance into the green is every bit as good. Since a few people have mentioned concerns with spin and stopping on the green, I thought I'd share two specific examples. 

First is a 187-yard 6 iron from an elevated tee. It backed up the length of the putter grip.

Next is a sand wedge from 105 yards that backed up a couple of feet.

Full disclosure, the greens were pretty soft because of rain the previous 24 hours, but the balls definitely perform well into the green.

More to follow....

Edited Tuesday at 07:35 PM by MIGregB
Update

[fozcycle]

On 5/3/2024 at 7:31 PM, Preeway said:

Aren’t you able to finish the round manually after you get started?

I did but have not attempted to add the missing holes yet.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

29 minutes ago, MIGregB said:

I want to thank My Golf Spy and their incredibly supportive forum staff, for this, my first, testing opportunity! I know it’s a substantially different test than most in that there are two phases being documented in this one thread with lots of participants: the Mindset sampling opportunity and the Shot Scope data/Mindset opportunity. I have been selected to be one of 29 for the Shot Scope/Mindset phase, and that means that my contributions will be far more ‘final Shot Scope data changes’ than you’re used to seeing with the typical testing process and protocols. Hopefully that in-depth testing opportunity will come for me.

In the meantime, I just received my 2 doz Tour RXS balls so I have a lot of ground to cover quickly, mostly getting enough rounds in to complete the test. As there have already been many-many sampling reviews with excellent unboxing posts, ball condition reports and much more, I’ll try to not increase reading volume with redundant observations. But there are a couple of things that I’d like to share.

I physically examined and like @buckpillar, salt-water balanced all of the balls. None of them had any surface irregularities and only two were anything less than perfectly balanced (see the circled areas below). Those two happened to come from the same sleeve, and really only rotated back to a general area and not the same spot as other out-of-balance balls have for me in the past. Toney Covey would be in a much better position to say whether that would result in any flight abnormalities, but I tend to doubt it. So those two will go into the rotation along with the others.

It seems reasonable to me that considering the number of sampling opportunities Bridgestone is providing, they believe Mindset to be a tremendous concept and want to get it into the hands of as many players as possible. And since I don’t know of other Spys in my general area to share them with, I plan on sharing a few with some of my league partners to see if they find it helpful. I’ll let you know their feedback as well.

I’ve got at least 36 holes planned this week, assuming rain doesn’t alter those plans. And while there has already been robust Mindset reporting and questions & answers, if anyone has a question or would like me to try something specific, please let me know.

More to come….

 

I'm definitely interested in how the RXS Mindsets play for you. I have seen a lot of the BX and RX in the thread but not a whole lot on the RXS balls. No specific questions but keep us updated on what you think of the Mindset concept, it seems to be a pretty mixed bag so far.

[MIGregB]

22 minutes ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

I'm definitely interested in how the RXS Mindsets play for you. I have seen a lot of the BX and RX in the thread but not a whole lot on the RXS balls. No specific questions but keep us updated on what you think of the Mindset concept, it seems to be a pretty mixed bag so far.

Happy to!!!

[Timberwolfmadcat]

Did a quick test in the garage with the mlm2pro for ballspeed/launch angle
Prov1X Left Dash - Avg Ballspeed 148.9 mph, Avg Launch Angle -14.8 degrees
Bridgestone Tour BX - Avg Ballspeed 147.2 mph, Avg Launch Angle 14.9 degrees

Now, I hit the V1x horrendous on a couple swings and it still maintained speed. Dropoff from hot trash contact definitely noticed a much larger ballspeed drop off than the V1X. Thought that was interesting and worth mentioning

Overall though, confirms my previous suspicions that performance very similar to my gamer. Will do some spin rate tests, etc on hawk. Mlm2pro needs special dots to read it and I don't wanna wreck my impact screen when the goop comes off

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[Timberwolfmadcat]

I've gotten a couple rounds in recently with the Tour BX mindset balls.  I've really tried experimenting with the mindset aspect of it. I have found that I definitely like it better with the arrow pointing back toward the club for some reason.
The mindset has really seemed to help my putting recently compared to several pervious rounds with other balls, but I haven't noticed the same performance advantages off the tee.
 
 
Strokes gained with other balls

How do you get the breakdown graph? I'd like to do that...are you able to select specific rounds?

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[buckpillar]

12 hours ago, PhilM75072 said:

Just getting over Covid, which has kept me off the course since April 25th. Still feeling a little weak, so with all the rain and the expectation that it will be CPO tomorrow, I think Tuesday may be my first day back on the course and testing the Mindset process. I have removed all other balls from my bag, so any Shot Scope data accumulated won't be tainted by my throwing another ball into play. Really looking forward to getting started!

Hope your feeling a lot better and get stronger! 

[unccross]

2 hours ago, Timberwolfmadcat said:

How do you get the breakdown graph? I'd like to do that...are you able to select specific rounds?

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk
 

If this is the breakdown you are looking for, its on the dashboard on shotscope.com.  Go to performance, then click on scoring on the left. then strokes gained on the bar at the top.  where this picture says last 10 you can change to a specific date range .

[unccross]

Luckily I received my 2 dozen Tour BX balls for the shotscope test last weekend, because I had nearly lost the whole dozen from the sampling batch.  I really think the mindset is helping me focus on my putting and seems to be helping on the greens.  I didn't feel that it was helping at all off the tee, but numbers say otherwise I guess.  I know the ball travels farther in the warmer weather also but seems to be holding its own.  I can't remember all of the statistics the shotscope questionnaire had on it but here are the ones that I could remember and how the Tour BX has held up so far.  I still wish it was offered in a high visibility yellow.  Playing by myself, I lose balls off the tee just not seeing them in the air and have  not idea where they went.

Driver Performance Distance -

   

Fairways Hit:

Greens Hit %:

AVG Proximity to the hole:

Up and down %:

Putts per Round:

Average score:

[Big moose]

Well I tested the Pro v 1 against the bridgestone mindset ball, the first thing I noticed was the Pro v is at least 10 to 15 yards longer with the driver. I missed I fairway with the pro v it was on the first hole, I sliced it 10 yards off the fairway, luckily it was a par 5 and I still made par. The pro v felt a little nicer off the irons but my distances were really close. I don't put a lot of spin on my shots so both balls reacted about the same when they hit the green. As for putting, I like the bridgestone better, for some reason I would leave the Pro v short. I am just used to the bridgestone because that's the ball I usually use.

[fozcycle]

On 5/5/2024 at 3:57 PM, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

I'm definitely interested in how the RXS Mindsets play for you. I have seen a lot of the BX and RX in the thread but not a whole lot on the RXS balls. No specific questions but keep us updated on what you think of the Mindset concept, it seems to be a pretty mixed bag so far.

I have been playing the RXS Mindsets and I can solidly say that I like how they stop on the greens. Shot a solid 42/40:82 today. With my course Hcap of 9, that put me at +1 net. I am really liking the RXS.

Edited May 7 by fozcycle

[Michael.Sandoval33]

15 minutes ago, fozcycle said:

I have been playing the RXS Mindsets and I can solidly say that I like how they stop on the greens. Shot a solid 42/40:82 today. With my course Hcap of 9, that put me at +1 net. I am really liking the RXS.

Definitely a great round. I believe they have a lower compression than the BX and RX, how are you liking the overall feel off of the clubs throughout the round? I can definitely see the advantage of not having too many roll outs on the green.

[fozcycle]

1 minute ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

Definitely a great round. I believe they have a lower compression than the BX and RX, how are you liking the overall feel off of the clubs throughout the round? I can definitely see the advantage of not having too many roll outs on the green.

They are “softer” than the Maxfli Tours. They have a nice squishy feel off my irons when well struck. Took awhile to get used to the putter as we have fast greens.

[MIGregB]

Update bump for @Michael.Sandoval33 and those interested. 

 

 

[Michael.Sandoval33]

34 minutes ago, MIGregB said:

Update bump for @Michael.Sandoval33 and those interested. 

 

 

Great read, and I agree that you're either going to embrace the Mindsets or let it pass you by. How did the balls hold up over the round damage-wise?

[MIGregB]

24 minutes ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

Great read, and I agree that you're either going to embrace the Mindsets or let it pass you by. How did the balls hold up over the round damage-wise?

Oh! I meant to talk about that. Actually very well. There was more than one occasion that could have resulted in damage, but there was nothing I could see. Definitely no scrapes and only smudges that wiped off with a wet towel. Thanks for reminding me!

[Preeway]

Should have my formal intro post up tonight. Will be sharing my current shots gained data using my Srixon Z Star diamond and my first impressions of the ball. Should be able to get the balls on the course in another week or so.

[nupezb]

Regrettably, my work schedule hasn't afforded me as much time on the course as I'd like. With a 15 handicap and a focus on refining my swing while breaking in new clubs, my initial impressions of the Bridgestone TOUR B RXS MindSet balls are positive. Across two nine-hole rounds and an abbreviated six-hole stint, I found them to deliver commendable distance, particularly off the tee when finding the fairway, and impressive control around the greens.
The mindset feature’s impact has been notable. It's proven invaluable when teeing off and putting, prompting the development of a pre-shot routine and encouraging my composure after bad shots. While it's too early to conclusively attribute changes solely to the mindset feature versus swing adjustments and equipment upgrades, I've observed improvements in approach shots and par-three approaches, coinciding with my mindset routine.
The mindset markings have notably aided putting alignment, though I wish they could also help me control putting speed.
 
With hope, I anticipate logging more rounds this week and weekend to further evaluate the Bridgestone TOUR B RXS MindSet's performance.
Sticking a par three:

Great alignment aid for putting:

Great alignment aid for driving too:

Edited May 7 by nupezb

[Timberwolfmadcat]

Luckily I received my 2 dozen Tour BX balls for the shotscope test last weekend, because I had nearly lost the whole dozen from the sampling batch.  I really think the mindset is helping me focus on my putting and seems to be helping on the greens.  I didn't feel that it was helping at all off the tee, but numbers say otherwise I guess.  I know the ball travels farther in the warmer weather also but seems to be holding its own.  I can't remember all of the statistics the shotscope questionnaire had on it but here are the ones that I could remember and how the Tour BX has held up so far.  I still wish it was offered in a high visibility yellow.  Playing by myself, I lose balls off the tee just not seeing them in the air and have  not idea where they went.
Driver Performance Distance -
   
Fairways Hit:

Greens Hit %:

AVG Proximity to the hole:

Up and down %:

Putts per Round:

Average score:

How does one get a breakdown like this? Did you just export data to excel? I feel the need to do breakdowns like this

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[unccross]

53 minutes ago, Timberwolfmadcat said:

How does one get a breakdown like this? Did you just export data to excel? I feel the need to do breakdowns like this

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk
 

Yes I just put the data into an excel spreadsheet and made the graphs from that. 

[unccross]

One more round with the Bridgestone tour bx mindset last week. The time at the beautiful Pete Dye The River Course at Virginia Tech. 
 

Putting is still improving with the mindset focus I believe. Driver is still everywhere, can’t seem to get it figured out. 
 

 

[Bohnson]

I am digging the mindset. Golf is so mental so it is nice to have the reminder. I tested them out this past weekend. Spin with wedges was great! I was surprised. Seems like the ball is a little shorter than the ProV1. Will have to get it on Trackman to get some official numbers. Launched a little higher than the ProV1 from what I could tell on the course. 

[Timberwolfmadcat]

So...I need my work machine to get the spreadsheet done up from my test on GC Hawk on Tuesday. But some very interesting stuff of the BX vs a pro v1
- 50 yard wedge - V1 spun more by about 700rpm or more from comparing what I felt were sim shots.
- 80 yard wedge - Bridgestone spun more by around 700rpm
- Driver - Ballspeeds were lower with the BX than the V1. V1 seemed to have an extra 2 mph or so when I really tagged one. Distance looked to be 7-10 yards shorter with the BX


Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[Rob Person]

Pulled out a new mindset ball and put it  through its paces today. I will say my driver left miss was definitely more minimal with the new ball. Bit for some reason I lose launch height with it no matter where I tee it from. I put it up against a yellow prov1x for a couple of holes too. The yellow ball averaged 20 to 25 yards longer for me. Which is weird because usually I only lost 5-10 yards prior.

The IVF process is definitely alot quicker to snap up in my head too. It has become automatic for me no matter what ball I use, regardless of the visual aid.  I did try putting the logo facing the club face as much as possible on the tee and green. I usually don't use any lines for putts. I did not find it distracting either though. 

I did have a turtle stop my ball from rolling back into the sand on one hole.  It landed almost at the top edge of the green, but jumped backwards and rolled into it.  I waited 4 minutes for the turtle to wake up and move away from the ball.

Still having an issue with the ball rolling out to far on greenside chips too.

 

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Played the front 9 today using the Maxfli Tour X with the alignment arrow vs the back 9 with the Bridgestone RX Mindsets, and while I had 3 less putts (17) with the Tour X ball vs the Mindset ball (20), it was a rough day overall and I cannot say that either had any effect on my game.

Durability is the only thing I can truly comment on after this round and the Mindset ball won that category.

One more round is in order before I post an unofficial review

[PhilM75072]

Looks like I am finally recovered enough to put these in play today! Again, my focus is going to be solely on the Mindset process. Can I realistically employ it on every shot? Can it improve on what I see as two weaknesses of mine, visualizing my shot and focusing on a specific spot on the ball instead of just the ball "in general"? If I am successful utilizing the process, do I perceive that I am playing better golf and will my Shot Scope data bear that out with improved accuracy off the tee, more successful approaches, closer proximity to the hole, more putts made?

[davidhibler]

Alright! I genuinely thought the post office lost these. 

38 days from GA to SC

 

Sadly, no golf for me this weekend. My son is graduating from college and commissioning into the army. 

 

on course testing starts NEXT weekend!

[PhilM75072]

4 hours ago, PhilM75072 said:

Looks like I am finally recovered enough to put these in play today! Again, my focus is going to be solely on the Mindset process. Can I realistically employ it on every shot? Can it improve on what I see as two weaknesses of mine, visualizing my shot and focusing on a specific spot on the ball instead of just the ball "in general"? If I am successful utilizing the process, do I perceive that I am playing better golf and will my Shot Scope data bear that out with improved accuracy off the tee, more successful approaches, closer proximity to the hole, more putts made?

This was my first round of golf today in two weeks, and my first opportunity to put these balls and the Mindset process into use. At this point, let's just say I'm intrigued. I hit a few chips and a few putts before the round started, no full shots of any kind. I stepped onto the first tee and aligned my ball, something I do no matter what ball I am playing, tried to visualize my shot and focused on the green dot. I then striped my first drive down the middle of the fairway, and it was one of my best drives of the day.

I aligned every tee shot and first putt (not bothering to line up short tap-ins of less than roughly 3 feet). I always picked a target, tried, sometimes successfully, to visualize my shot, being more successful doing that on tee shots, and then tried to focus on that green dot or some other marking when the Mindset graphic wasn't showing. When I kept that focus on the ball, eliminating all extraneous swing thoughts, I hit some very good shots, my best shots of the day. When that focus waned and swing thoughts intruded, I tended to hit my poorer shots.

I didn't score any better or worse than my usual round. I did hit a higher percentage of fairways than is typical for me, about the same number of greens and same number of putts. Though I didn't drain any "makeable" putts of any length, I did find, for whatever reason, that my distance control was really very good.

I think if I can apply the process, all steps, more consistently, the results will show. Tomorrow will be another round with these balls, weather permitting.