Bridgestone Golf has released a new range of Tour B golf balls for 2024 including the RX, RXS, X and XS. In this review we will be assessing the Tour B XS and seeing if it sits amongst the best golf balls of 2024.
The previous iteration of the Tour B XS was a very popular ball, so I was interested to see how the 2024 version had moved on.
Bridgestone says that the new Reactiv X system creates more rebound on tee shots to increase distance and stays on the face longer on approach shots which provides more spin and a softer feel on shorter, more precision shots.
Bridgestone also says that this ball is designed for players who produce more than 105 mph of driver speed and as someone who fits into that category, I was keen to explore the performance.
On my long shots, I found the ball speeds to be consistent albeit a little bit slower than the Tour B X version, averaging around 1.5 mph slower throughout the bag.
Spin numbers were most definitely on the higher side for me throughout my long game testing, with the driver coming in at around 2400 rpm, 7 iron producing approximately 6800 rpm and pitching wedge spinning around 9650 rpm. This predictably produced a significantly greater peak height, and as such a sharper descent angle which would be ideal for those playing on generally firm greens. The downside I found was a good 8-10 yards of distance loss on my driver which for me nullifies the benefit. I may be able to hit my approach slightly higher and spin it a touch more, but I would likely be hitting one more club from where my tee shot ends up so the additional spin would be canceled out by the significant less loft in my hand.
Around the green is where the Tour B XS really shines. I don't know if I have tried a spinnier ball around the greens since the balata days, and I seriously enjoyed my short game session with this ball. Feeling the cover grip on to the club face was a real throwback and the reactions on the greens were exceptional. Off well struck pitch and bunker shots, the Tour B XS would dig into the green like it was pitching into Velcro! I actually felt my technique improving as I could freely and aggressively attack the ball knowing that it wouldn’t get away from me on the first bounce, allowing me to throw the ball further up the green and check it up obediently.
As my short game session was so much fun, it went on for quite a while so I did put these balls through quite a lot of punishment during testing and they stood up really well from a durability point of view. Just some tiny blemishes to the cover were apparent after a few mid-range bunker shots but nothing that you wouldn’t see on any of the other best premium golf balls.
Bridgestone has also introduced a new concept which it refers to as MindSet. Essentially this is a new logo that has been printed on the side of the ball, scientifically designed to help you separate analytical thoughts from athletic performance. It is designed to provide a visual cue to remind you of a three step process to get your mind ready to perform the shot at hand. These steps are; identifying your target, visualizing the shot path and finally focussing on the dot to clear your mind and help you execute.
It may sound a bit complex when reading this, but in practice it is actually very straightforward, and although I was initially skeptical I actually found it quite an effective way of adding a bit of structure to my pre-shot routine.
At $49.99 a dozen, the Tour B XS is sensibly priced and is a ball certainly worth testing for the higher swing speed player looking for maximum control around the greens.
