2020 Bridgestone Tour B XS

Hey there! Kris McEwen here! Some of you may know me from various high-quality productions such as “The Lockdown Golf Podcast” that I co-host with one Mr. Bill Bush. OR the break-out sensation YouTube series, “That Range Life: A Show Sometimes About Golf” that I also co-host with the very same Bill Bush. At any rate, on a previous episode of The Lockdown Golf Podcast, I mentioned that I had just received my annual “season’s worth” order of golf balls.  They were the 2020 Bridgestone Tour B XS golf balls to be precise. Bill, having recently reviewed the Tour B X on this site, asked if I would be willing to write a review for the XS. So, I said of course. I mean, how could I say no to such a genuine friend?

The great search for the perfect golf ball match began early in 2019 after I came back from the PGA Show loaded with a suitcase full of two and three-ball sleeves from a litany of the golf ball manufacturers. I ran each make and model through the usual paces. Testing spin rates off my driver, irons, and wedges in a simulator. Taking each of them on field trips to actual golf courses, splitting the course into thirds and rotating golf balls every six holes. And cutting each one in ha-

Just kidding, cutting golf balls is ridiculous and a total waste of time.

At the end of my testing process, I eventually landed on the Bridgestone Tour B XS as my one and only and haven’t looked back. So let’s get into some specifics of what I’ve experienced with the Tour B XS and you can decide if it’s a ball that could find its way into your own golf bag.

How Does it Feel?

The biggest difference between last year’s Bridgestone Tour B XS and the 2020 is the new REACTIV cover. Bridgestone calls it “a smart urethane” that will act differently based on the force of impact. In other words, the cover will act one way when hit with a driver (lower spin) and another way when struck by a wedge (higher spin).

Describing the “feel” of a golf ball can be a tricky thing considering if you asked five golfers what a “firm” golf ball feels like, you may get five different answers. Not to mention, we’re all using different drivers, irons, wedges, and putters with their own unique “feel”. However, to me, “firm” is exactly how I would describe the overall “feel” of the golf ball itself. The 2020 Tour B XS has enough reflex to get into it off the tee and send it but provides enough resistance for those wedge shots where you want it to hop and stop.

Off the Tee

Keep in mind, just as the Bridgestone Tour B X, this is a ball designed for the 105 mph or higher driver swing speeds. And despite what Bill will tell you, that would be me. The numbers don’t lie, William!

I can’t decide what I love more about the Tour XS, it’s performance off the tee or the way it performs around the green. I suppose, me being what one could describe as “not tall”, sending a golf ball into the ether off the tee, straight as an arrow, down the middle of the fairway probably wins out. Granted, that doesn’t happen all the time for me, but I at least have the confidence that when it does happen, I’m going to get the full performance out of my golf ball.

On the Approach

Despite my love for the way the Bridgestone Tour B XS performs off the tee and around the green, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t impress in between. Not to mention, I play fairway wood and a hybrid off the tee quite a bit without losing much of anything. I can describe the way the Tour B XS plays with irons in one word: control. Basically, the golf ball’s REACTIV cover, well…reacts to the swing speed you provide. Meaning, if you want to hit an “easy 8” or a “swing as hard as possible 9”, the ball will play accordingly. If you want to fade it into a green or draw it away from trouble (or, in my case, punch draw it around this tree that has no business being there), the ball will deliver.

Around the Green

There is little like being able to play a shot around the green aggressively because you know your golf ball will have the spin it needs to stop when it should. And as I mentioned earlier, getting a ball to check on a green is second only to obliterating one off the tee. But, as you know as well as I do, around and on the green is where strokes are gained and lost more than anywhere else on the golf course. To have a ball you can have confidence in and have that firm feel to it, can be a game-changer for a lot of us.

Whether it be with a wedge or having it come off smoothly from the putter face when putting, the Bridgestone Tour B XS leaves little to be desired. It’s consistent and provides you with enough feel to know it’ll do what it’s supposed. This ball has easy check for the player that likes to put a lot of bite on the ball around the greens. Putting is smooth and this is easily one of the nicest feeling golf balls off the face that I’ve seen.

Final Thoughts – 2020 Bridgestone Tour B XS

At the end of the day, my golf ball needs to fit my game, both the strengths and weaknesses, and the 2020 Bridgestone Tour B XS ball does just that.  If you have the swing speed that matches-up with the Tour B XS and want high-spin around the greens for those scoring shots, this ball is very likely to fit yours, as well.

One way you can find out which Bridgestone ball is best for you is through their new VFIT ball fitting process.  You can learn more about VFIT here.

Special thanks to Kris McEwen for contributing this review to our site during the COVID-19 quarantine. You can follow Kris at @KrisMcEwen on Instagram and Twitter, @KrisMcEwenGolf on Facebook, and subscribe to his YouTube channel here.

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