Introducing the 2024 Bridgestone Tour B Golf Balls.
Any time Bridgestone Golf announces their newest version of their flagship Tour B golf ball, it is an exciting time to see just what they have up their sleeve. Some of the most impressive innovations in golf balls over the years have been part of the Tour B series as well as its predecessor B330 lineup.
Last time, it was all about REACTIV. This time, we see the next evolution of that, and then some.
2024 Bridgestone Tour B Golf Balls
Right out of the gates, the Tour B release will remain four different golf balls, with Bridgestone still using their speed classification system. The Tour B X and XS models are aimed at players who swing over 105 MPH, while the RX and RXS are for the under 105 MPH segment. Of course, the issue here remains the same in that this cannot be treated as gospel, since individual fitting can differ, which makes it interesting with as much emphasis as Bridgestone puts on fitting that they continue to use speed as the baseline.
A significant part of the story for the newest Tour B golf balls though is a familiar name, in fact, the most recognizable name in golf history, Tiger Woods. You see, Bridgestone is adamant that combining Tiger and his knowledge as well as feel with their over 900 polymer engineers has pushed their R&D like never before. This time, the Big Cat has specific impact on the Tour B X, which is the ball he has switched to for added distance after playing a version of the XS for over twenty years. Yes, you read that right.
Not only was he involved with the Tour X, but all the golf balls as well. If you recall, the key design feature last time around was the introduction of REACTIV. By introducing “impact modifiers” to the urethane, Bridgestone developed a cover that would react differently based upon the speed at which impact took place. When hit harder, it got firmer and thus faster off the face, but when impact took place at lower speeds with scoring clubs it became softer which increased spin as well as shot stopping capabilities.
That technology has not gone away, but it has evolved to be part of the “REACTIV X System” which consists of a REACTIV IQ “smart” cover and new mid-layer called XCLRNT. Besides being a whole lot of consonants, there is also a lot of science behind the names.
The base premise of the REACTIV IQ cover is the same this time, it reacts differently to how hard it is hit, allowing for more speed off the tee, and more spin off scoring clubs. Last time though, the same modifiers were used in all four golf balls, despite them being intended for different kinds of golfers. In 2024 that has changed so each ball has its own “smart cover” which uses modifiers to tune the way the cover reacts for each golf ball individually.
That isn’t all. Under the REACTIV IQ covers is a new XCLRNT mid-layer. Bridgestone describes this as the “backboard” for the cover. Essentially, in another advancement of their contact science, this layer creates more spin around the greens while being more efficient at the energy transfer/rebound off the tee. One interesting comment from Bridgestone about this is also that the new XCLRNT layer has “created a deeper sound at impact”.
As you can see, the next evolution of Bridgestone’s Tour B golf balls should certainly create some intrigue for golfers who have experience with the prior versions. Just how much change will there be? Keep an eye on the forum testing on the THP community which will be ongoing with every single ball in the lineup represented.
The Details
All four models in the 2024 Bridgestone Tour B golf ball lineup will be at retail everywhere starting on 2/16/24. As always, there will be Bridgestone fitting opportunities across the nation as well. The golf balls will be priced at $49.99 per dozen.
For more information, check out their website at www.bridgestonegolf.com.
February can’t get here soon enough, a lot of new ball releases. Might just be me but the Bridgestone golf balls always felt heavy at impact anyone else experience that?
Great write up [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] . I’m really hoping I like that deeper sound, not a big ‘ting’ sound fan in general. I also like the backboard talk and love that they continue to develop all parts of the ball not just what you can see / feel.
Funny that I feel a little happiness any time I see a urethane golf ball hover at the $50 mark. I’m sure I’ll try these out eventually.
Tiger switched to the Tour B X because of distance?! My goodness!
Great write up [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] ! I can’t wait to hear what you and the forum testers have to say about these golf balls!
Liked what I saw with the past X ball. Look forward to trying this one.
Really looking forward to the testers opinion! I enjoyed playing the B XS for a bit and saw really good results especially around the green.
I’ll take the new B RXS into my comparison for this years ball.
Thanks for another great write up James. Looking forward to the tester feedback on these. As a longtime Bridgestone golf ball user since the beginning of the B330 series, I will definitely be giving these a try.
Great write up [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] . I like this evolution and how the cover reacts differently in the various balls. A good ball that has gotten better.
I’ll be one of the BXS testers, looking forward to putting it through the trackman gauntlet! Will have plenty of thoughts for you guys soon, should be getting them shortly
Great writeup! Really cool evolution of this line. Very interested in the fact that sound has changed due to the changes. Got me intrigued.
Great write up. Loved the previous model. The new RX and RXS are a must try. Be grabbing these as soon as they are available.
Is this the last “premium tour ball” under $50? I have no doubt the ball will be very good
Nice write up [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] !
Be interested to read how and where these balls differ from the previous version when it comes performance off of various clubs.
So its the same…but different? haha
Will be interesting to see how these do up against other new strong contenders
Played the various iterations of the RX over the years and has always performed well. Interested to see what this version brings to the table.
Another great iteration of a fantastic line of balls. So many new options to try soon, and these will surely impress. Looking forward to the feedback we will see here on the forum for these!
This is going to be an interesting one. Reactiv was a step up and with XCLRNT too it’ll be interesting to see how some THP’ers react to them and what the testers see. Fun!
Got lucky enough to be selected to test the Tour BX for Bridgestone and THP.
Can’t wait to get started and share feedback with you guys. It’s gonna be fun!
I assume this will be the thread to do that in?
Looking forward to hearing more about these balls, particularly the unique cover and backboard performance.
I’ve played the BX off and on with the Callaway XLS the last two years. I loved the feel of the reactiv cover and loved feel off the wedges. Sound off the driver was neither here nor there for me. My only issue was a little too much spin and launch off the driver. Irons were usually ok but could get a little high and spinney when fading it. Curious to see launch conditions of the new BX with driver and irons. For me, the XLS was longer off the tee and slightly faster than the BX, but short irons and wedges were better with the BX. Looking forward to seeing how these stack up this year.
No doubt the Bridgestone engineers know their stuff and I can’t wait to get my hands on them for testing. It’s cool that each model has it’s own ”smart cover” and that they’ve also improved the mid-layer. I’m lucky enough to to be one of the testers for the B RX and I’m very familiar with the older versions after having playing most of my rounds with the B X or B RX for over two years.
I’m really excited to try these. I like seeing the $49.95 price point.
Great write up [USER=1579]@Jman[/USER] and excited to hear what the testers think about these. I will always hold Bridgestone close to the heart as they were the first ball that I actually dedicated my allegiance to over 10 years ago. While times have changed I always enjoyed the Tour B RX ball and its predecessor in the B330.
great price point and I wouldn’t be surprised if a dozen ends up in my bag at some point this year.
What Callaway Chrome Tour ball would be comparable to a Bridgestone ball?
It’s no secret that I have been a long time believer in the secret sauce that goes into the Tour ball from Bridgestone.
They’ll absolutely get a shot with me. They probably always will.
But I need this one to crush.
Also thoughts:
1- XCLRNT sounds interesting. Mid layers are fascinating.
2- Can’t believe with all this Tiger stuff they still have his ball marked with blue. Just swap it already.
[QUOTE=”Canadan, post: 12092531, member: 2320″]
Also thoughts:
1- XCLRNT sounds interesting. Mid layers are fascinating.
2- Can’t believe with all this Tiger stuff they still have his ball marked with blue. Just swap it already.
[/QUOTE]
Vowels are out, all consonants all the time.
[QUOTE=”Canadan, post: 12092530, member: 2320″]
It’s no secret that I have been a long time believer in the secret sauce that goes into the Tour ball from Bridgestone.
They’ll absolutely get a shot with me. They probably always will.
But I need this one to crush.
[/QUOTE]
I’ll be curious to your response on the RX.
It, and the whole line are much…thumpier? The sound has changed.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 12092542, member: 1579″]
I’ll be curious to your response on the RX.
It, and the whole line are much…thumpier? The sound has changed.
[/QUOTE]
that is an interesting (and bold) change.
Always a B stone ball fan.. these sound fun..
[QUOTE=”Canadan, post: 12092554, member: 2320″]
that is an interesting (and bold) change.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I’m entirely mixed on it right now. Chalking some of it up to the cold temps, but, it is certainly different.
I will certainly try them out after spending some time with the Chrome Tour first. I played B XS most of 2023 and really love the feel. Great all around ball. (In spite of me not being over 105 swing speed.)
I do think it’s time for them to move on from the swing speed qualifications. It was once a differentiator in a positive way, now imo it’s becoming a roadblock.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 12092795, member: 1579″]
I do think it’s time for them to move on from the swing speed qualifications. It was once a differentiator in a positive way, now imo it’s becoming a roadblock.
[/QUOTE]
I should be in the RX ball with my swing speed but I’ve played the B X and B XS a lot the past few years.
The RX ball just doesn’t stop on the greens for me. RXS is too spinning and balloons off my scoring irons.
The X & XS ball always stop very well for me & do not balloon at all.
[QUOTE=”Jiffypop, post: 12092881, member: 17254″]
I should be in the RX ball with my swing speed but I’ve played the B X and B XS a lot the past few years.
The RX ball just doesn’t stop on the greens for me. RXS is too spinning and balloons off my scoring irons.
The X & XS ball always stop very well for me & do not balloon at all.
[/QUOTE]
A good example of why, imo, it’s past time for them to evolve beyond that 105 threshold. It’s too easy for people to take as gospel, and then not have an optimal experience.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 12092887, member: 1579″]
A good example of why, imo, it’s past time for them to evolve beyond that 105 threshold. It’s too easy for people to take as gospel, and then not have an optimal experience.
[/QUOTE]
Impact has to play a role there though, right? If RXS is ballooning and XS is not, something else is happening.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 12092893, member: 3″]
Impact has to play a role there though, right? If RXS is ballooning and XS is not, something else is happening.
[/QUOTE]
Is this where compression comes into play? I probably have a little hard hit at the ball that many, but nothing crazy.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 12092893, member: 3″]
Impact has to play a role there though, right? If RXS is ballooning and XS is not, something else is happening.
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely, I was just speaking as a whole, fitting is always more complex than just basing it off of above 105 or below 105. There was a time that was game changing for how people chose golf balls, I just think we are past that now and it could end up short sighted for some.
I am looking forward to giving the Tour B X a run. I loved the prior model, so hopefully this new model builds on what was done right in the last version.
[QUOTE=”JB, post: 12092893, member: 3″]
Impact has to play a role there though, right? If RXS is ballooning and XS is not, something else is happening.
[/QUOTE]
I get a little (lot) confused on statements like this. I’m trying to learn more about how things happen with the swing and strike, or whatever else it might be. Help me out on what the something else could be.
[QUOTE=”Parrot, post: 12092930, member: 48815″]
I get a little (lot) confused on statements like this. I’m trying to learn more about how things happen with the swing and strike, or whatever else it might be. Help me out on what the something else could be.
[/QUOTE]
Without some data or description the idea that something is ballooning is not always the case. Sometimes people get confused between high ball flight and an actual ballooning ball flight. High ball flight, good, ballooning, that can be corrected and you can usually get a lot more distance by getting rid of it.
Speaking in generalizations only, a firmer ball will spin more. With that said, as cores have begun to add things like gradual firmness, even that changes things to a degree.
Looks like Bridgestone got their “X” models to spin better in the Short Game area:
From Golf.Com:
While Woods and Day stayed in the Tour B X, [B]Fred Couples swapped the Tour B RXS for the Tour B RX[/B] [B]following extensive testing[/B] — and a few conversations with Woods.
“He originally switched into the lower compression last year,” said Mellow. “But with all of the balls spinning more around the green, he’s able to get into the RX and still have it perform at a high enough level on the approach shots. He talked to Tiger to fact-check things when he first moved into the RXS. They definitely talk about the different balls in the lineup.”
[QUOTE=”jdtox, post: 12092315, member: 5944″]
So its the same…but different? haha
Will be interesting to see how these do up against other new strong contenders
[/QUOTE]
Kinda how I feel about this, not a whole lot of buzz about this release. Biggest thing I learned was that Tiger plays the BX now over the BXS.
[QUOTE=”MWard, post: 12093054, member: 3474″]
Kinda how I feel about this, not a whole lot of buzz about this release. Biggest thing I learned was that Tiger plays the BX now over the BXS.
[/QUOTE]
I do think the new REACTIV IQ cover and XCLRNT mid-layer is a good story, same with how they have now optimized the modifiers in the cover for each of the four golf balls. I do also wish they had given a bit heavier info on the tech/nerd side of it though.
Played the Tour B X line for the last several years and really enjoyed it. Will be interesting to see some tester feedback on the new version. Based on what I’ve seen in sim testing I’m kind of leaning Chrome Tour X this year. I really like Bridgestone’s yellow but also interested to try some of Callaway’s unique alignment options.
I’ve played Bx last year. I will certainly continue playing Bridgestone in 2024, I will have to find the right one!
Nice writeup! It’s impossible not to be intrigued with all the tech talk in this lineup. Will be interesting to see if longtime Tour B players switch to a different model or stick with the same one they’ve been playing.
Looking forward to trying the new B-RX ball and hearing from our THP testers.
I’ll be buying a few of current model to test side by side with new. Curious what numbers look like. Be a great reason for [USER=2320]@Canadan[/USER] to get to Florida to test some clubs and ball comparisons soon.
But what about the weird circle alignment thingy?!?!?
[QUOTE=”Terrya22, post: 12093885, member: 14201″]
Looking forward to trying the new B-RX ball and hearing from our THP testers.
[/QUOTE]
Yes mainly up against the AVX. Which one has less side spin…and longer drives…