While Bridgestone holds a relatively small share of the golf ball market, the product it releases is always of the highest quality. The Bridgestone Tour B RSX golf ball is new this year and is one of four new golf balls into their lineup for 2024. The Tour B X and XS for driver swing speeds over 105mph and the RX and RXS for those wanting a premium golf ball that will perform best for driver swing speeds under 105mph.
I took the Tour B RXS out onto the golf course to test by hitting different shots and from different lies to see if this golf ball could be considered one of the best golf balls on the market.
From the tee I was impressed straight away with the performance of this golf ball, seeing really good distance when sending a drive down the fairway. A new Reactiv X system means this golf ball has been cleverly designed so it performs well throughout the bag. Through the use of Reactiv IQ Smart Cover technology, Bridgestone has created a ball that springs from the clubface with ease and promotes a powerful yet high launching ball flight. I did find when the wind picked up, this ball wavered off-line more than I would normally see, which is probably due to the higher spin rate, but this is worth bearing in mind if you tend to play your golf in windy conditions or already have a higher trajectory.
Anyone seeking a little extra carry from the tee should check this ball out, however because of the high spin, I did see a little drop-off in terms of my roll out on the fairways. While a 105mph driver speed is still fairly quick, especially within club golfers, I think the soft feeling, high spinning nature of this ball will see it become quickly recognized as one of the best golf balls for slow swing speeds.
This ball feels soft from the club face when striking iron shots and this soft feel also made controlling the ball around the greens seem very easy. I often struggle with some of the best soft feeling golf balls when it comes to distance control on the green but that didn't seem to be an issue with this ball.
One thing that may sound a little odd but something I love about these balls is the simple ‘B’ Bridgstone logo. I think this gives the ball a really premium look without being too distracting by only covering a small portion of the ball. Another thing visually I think Bridgestone has nailed with this golf ball is the addition of MindSet technology. This cleverly designed visual cue on the golf ball ensures you have a specific and repetitive process over the ball before hitting your putts. It has been co-designed by Jason Day, a Bridgestone ambassador and a golfer who is widely known as one of the best putters in the game of golf. I certainly found this helped me with my putting from inside 10ft by making me stick to a process while taking any other negative thoughts away from my brain.
Overall this golf ball is superb and one that I urge any golfer to try. At $49 a dozen, the performance as you would expect was solid from tee to green but I would say it’s on and around the green where the Bridgestone Tour B RXS golf ball stood out to me. The soft feel and visual technology on offer made getting up-and-down a much more regular occurrence than with other golf balls I have been testing.
