Bridgestone Tour B XS Golf Ball
The new Bridgestone Tour B XS golf ball is the “feel and distance” option for low handicap players, from the Tour B lineup. Oh yeah, and it’s also played by the GOAT, Tiger Woods.
With so many options from Bridgestone in terms of golf balls, it can be confusing as to who should play what. The Tour B XS is a “higher spin” option designed for low-handicap players who are already pretty accurate off the tee, and are looking for the ultimate in short game spin performance. With that, we tested this ball amongst a few golfers to get the most accurate results. The first is a scratch golfer with a 120+ mph (yes that’s not a typo) swing speed who typically plays a lower spin ball. The other two (Tommy and Bill) are high swing speed players (110-115 mph), that could use more accuracy, and have moderate short games.
How Does it Feel?
In terms of feel, all three players were on the same page with the Bridgestone Tour B XS. The ball is extremely soft, no matter what the shot. Off of the tee, it has a soft, cushiony feel on the hands. With irons, it feels almost airy, but pure. And off of the putter, it’s like hitting a pillow. You get what we are getting at here: this ball is soft no matter what you’re hitting it with. The exact classic feel you’d expect from a high spin ball. There’s definitely an influence from the shotmaker’s ball of yesteryear in the Tour B XS.
Off the Tee
I will reiterate here, the Bridgestone TourB XS is ball designed for maximum control through spin. With that, the ball does also tend to spin more off the tee than say, a Tour-level distance ball. Let’s start with the two single-digit players. Both of these folks (us) are pretty good drivers of the golf ball. We’re just not hitting every fairway out there. We’re also both fairly long off the tee. The one thing both of us found was that the Tour B XS more than held its own against any other ball on the market in regards to total distance. The drawback was that it tended to get a little squirrely on drives, and misses were a bit more exaggerated than usual. We’ll admit it – we sprayed it a bit (more than normal I should say).
The scratch player of the group noticed somewhat similar characteristics, but not to the same extent. He agreed that distance held up, even with the Tour-level balls geared towards distance, which is a huge plus. He also, however, felt that the ball leaked just a tad more than their drives would with their usual distance ball. This is why golf ball fitting is as crucial as club fitting. Through our research, we found the Tour B XS’s value truly shines for the player that is accurate and long off the tee.
On the Approach
Similar to the driver, iron shots with the Bridgestone Tour B XS gave us some added spin as well. For our scratch tester, they found some added spin, especially off of long irons, which led to more stopping power on the greens from distance. It also allowed them to work the ball easier than their gamer distance ball would, although it took some getting used to.
For Bill and myself, we also noticed better stopping power, which was great for mid-to-short irons. Both of us aren’t the most accurate long iron players, however, so misses were more exaggerated than normal. When we did hit them solid though, we were able to stop long irons on the green when they’d typically have more roll out. Again, proper fit is key here, and better, more accurate iron players are going to see the most benefits in long irons. There’s clearly a lot of benefit for a wider range of players in the mid and short irons.
Around the Green
Ah, now green side where the Bridgestone Tour B XS really shines. This is what the ball is made for – ultimate short game control. Let’s start with Mr. Scratch. He found the Tour B XS to have crazy-good stopping power around the greens. The bite on this ball was incredible compared to their gamer, so it took some adjusting to, but paid off big. He also found it to be predictable, and easy to control because it could stop so quickly but you can also still get run out if necessary.
For Bill and me, who don’t have the best short games in the world. With that, we found the added spin from the Bridgestone B XS to be a huge added benefit. I was personally able to stop the ball on shots I usually wouldn’t even dream of. My dispersion on pitches and chips was worlds better than normal. Bill also saw similar results. He was able to get his ball to hop-and-stop much quicker than his gamer. (That’s not going to stop his bladed wedges across the green though.)
Putting was mostly a case of personal preference. All players agreed that the Tour B XS was extremely soft but still had good feedback. You won’t feel like your putting with marshmallows. If you like a softer ball on the putter face, the Tour B XS is certainly it.
Overall, any better player can benefit from the crazy spin characteristics of the Bridgestone Tour B XS. Once you get used to the performance, it can really help your short game by making it more predictable.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Bridgestone Tour B XS is a great ball, when fit properly. We found that the Tour B XS will be best for a highly skilled player who is long off of the tee, but extremely accurate with woods and long irons. Players like Bill and myself sprayed the Tour B XS more off of the tee, and found the Bridgestone Tour B X and Tour B RX respectively to be better fits. However, a more accurate long game player, could be a great fit for the Tour B XS. Either way, we say you should get fitted/try a variety of options before picking a ball for this season. Heck, Bridgestone has four great options for a Tour Level ball, so what’s the harm in trying them all?!
