Gear: Bridgestone Tour B X, Tour B XS, Tour B RX and Tour B RXS golf balls
Price: $49.99 per dozen
Specs: Three-piece, urethane-covered golf balls in white and yellow
Available: February 16 (White and Tour B X TW), March 15 (Yellow X and RX
Who It’s For: Golfers who want more distance off the tee and tour-level greenside spin.
The Skinny: Bridgestone has modified the casing layer of the Tour B balls to help them generate more speed while complementing the unique urethane cover that provides more spin around the greens.
The Deep Dive: For golfers who may not be aware, Bridgestone has been making solid-core, urethane-covered golf balls as long as any brand in the industry, and the Nike golf ball that Tiger Woods used to win four consecutive majors (the Tiger Slam) was manufactured by Bridgestone. Nick Price won the British Open and PGA Championships using a Bridgestone ball, Nick Faldo won at Augusta National with a Bridgestone, and, more recently, Tiger won the 2019 Masters, and Bryson DeChambeau won at Winged Foot in 2020 using a Bridgestone ball.
Since 2020, the Japanese brand has focused on contact science, studying how different combinations of materials can enhance speed and distance off the tee while also providing more greenside spin and control for different types of players. The addition of impact modifiers to create the Reactiv cover of the 2020 Tour B X, Tour B XS, Tour B RX and Tour B RXS four years ago was the first fruit of that labor, followed by the ReactivIQ covers that were uniquely created for each ball in the 2022 Toru B lineup. Now, for 2024, Bridgestone is claiming it has taken another step toward creating the Holy Grail of golf balls by developing the new ReactivX system.
The ReactivX system is comprised of two parts: an Xclrnt mid-layer (pronounced accelerant) and a ReactivIQ urethane cover.
Instead of using multiple cores inside each of the four Tour B balls, Bridgestone has designed a gradational core that is very soft in the center and gradually gets firmer toward the perimeter. A firm mid-layer (mantle) is then applied over the core, but in the 2024 Tour B balls, that casing layer does a better job of transferring energy into ball speed.
The new Xclrnt mid-layer is also more dense, so golfers like Tiger and Jason Day, who started testing and using the ball in 2023, reported it has a lower, deeper sound at impact.
A ReactivIQ urethane cover encases the Xclrnt mid-layer, with the exact cover-material blend for each ball being slightly different. By using different combinations of impact modifiers, Bridgestone designers can make the urethane behave differently under different conditions. The cover behaves and feels firmer when hit with your longer, faster-swinging clubs like your driver and long irons but feels softer when you hit it with wedges.
Here is a breakdown of the four Tour B balls for 2024 and who each has been made for:
Tour B X
This is the firmest-feeling Tour B ball in the family and is designed for golfers who have a driver swing faster than105 mph. For heavy hitters, this ball transfers energy more efficiently off the tee for increased distance.
In 2023, Tiger Woods switched to the Tour B X ball to get more distance, and in 2024, the 15-time major winner will be using the updated Tour B X ball as well. Bridgestone is making a Tiger Woods Edition of the Tour B X available at retail, with each ball having TIGER printed on it. All of the Tiger Woods edition balls are 1s and are identical to the standard Tour B X.
Tour B XS
Like the Tour BX, this ball is meant for faster-swinging players, but this ball spins more off the tee for players who want to work the ball more easily around the course. The soft urethane cover can be easily grabbed by the grooves in short irons and wedges to create more spin on approach shots, chips and pitches.
Tour B RX
Golfers who have a drive clubhead speed below 105 and who want more spin were targeted with the Tour B RX. It has a lower compression and softer feel than the Tour B X, so more recreational golfers should be able to activate the core and generate more ball speed.
Tour B RXS
This ball is designed for golfers who have a driver swing speed below 105 and who are looking for a ball that feels soft at impact and creates more spin.
