Bridgestone TOUR B RX Golf Ball Review

© Bridgestone Golf

Spin: High

Dimples: 338 featuring a dual dimple within each dimple design

Compression: Low

Category Comparison: Tour

Spec: (Three) 3 Piece / Layers

Cover: Urethane Cover, SlipRes technology, Seamless Cover

Core: Gradational Compression core

Price: $44.99

Introducing the Tour B RX from Bridgestone golf. This new golf ball has a low 66 compression rating and 338 Dual Dimple pattern with a softer urethane cover. This tour quality ball is a very good fit for golfers looking for Tour feel performance, and will be a better match for a golfer having a somewhat slower golf swing.

The Bridgestone Tour B RX Golf Ball retails for $44.99 a dozen (MSRP) and it’s built and designed to provide improved distance and accuracy, thus giving you the upper hand over the competition. Accuracy is everything you need in order to find the fairway and distance will help you outperform the competition; these are the two basic “philosophical” concepts behind the creation of the Bridgestone Tour B RX. The improved distance is due to increased speed ball, which results from the Bridgestone Tour B RX’s proprietary core composition, and also thanks to its excellent aerodynamics. The gradation core construction of the Tour B RX is patented by Bridgestone and results in lower side spin, hence great accuracy, which is a big confidence booster on the turf, regardless of one’s skill level. The mantle layer in the Tour B RX is specially constructed using a new chemical formulation, also the cover is firmer, which results in lower spin and greater repulsion, and that makes the ball excellent in terms of distance, bot with the long irons and with the driver.

Being aimed at low-mid handicap players accustomed with premium balls, the Bridgestone Tour B RX Golf Ball is focused on having less club on the approach shot, as it allows you to place it closer to the hole in the first place, due to its unprecedented accuracy and control. Unlike its siblings in the Tour B line, the Bridgestone Tour B RX features a simple 338-dimple pattern, yet the design of the dual-dimples was modified (the curves were softened basically) to improve distance via a more penetrating flight. To get you an idea about what’s up with this baby, in terms of shorter green shots, the Tour B RX has the lowest spin rate compared to the Tour B X, XS and the RXS, so keep that in mind when shopping for golf balls. Bottom line, each of the “four musketeers” in the Tour B line was aimed at replacing the company’s premium ‘330 family and each model has been built and designed to ideally suit a specific player. The Tour B RX is made for golfers looking to improve their distance and accuracy, and who regard the Tour B X to be too firm for their liking. The Bridgestone Tour B RX Golf Ball was engineered for slower clubhead speeds, i.e. it gives you more performance due to its softer urethane covers (compared to the X ball).

- Compression Video

- Spin Video

- Dimples Video

- Golf Ball Brands Video

- Titleist Video

- Understanding Spin Video

Bridgestone Tour B Golf Ball 2020 Edition is Here

©Bridgestone Golf

2020 seems to be the year of the golf ball, and to prove this point, Bridgestone unveiled its latest Tour B series, which, according to the Japanese company (and rather unusual), has a totally revolutionary design and the whole nine yards. Speaking of revolutionary design in a golf ball is a bold claim, to say the least, since basically all golf balls look and play the same, more or less, so what is Bridgestone Golf trying to tell us?

Well, since we live in the current year, with smart technology and smart appliances, it’s the golf ball’s turn to “turn smart” (pun intended), i.e. the new Tour B golf ball has a smart cover, which took Bridegstone years to develop and put into practice. Yes, you got that right, smart golf balls are here to stay. Here’s the deal: when it comes to golf ball design, and generally speaking product design, the engineers must make compromises in certain areas, as they’re basically forced to sacrifice one thing to gain another. For example, since we’re in the golf ball department, there’s always a trade-off between increased distance and, let’s say greenside spin.

The Tour B series is claimed to be free of such sacrifices, as in these balls are all about high performance and nothing else. There were no corners cut, no trade-off, just a pact signed in blood with the technological devil. Basically, the new golf ball Made in Japan boasts a revolutionary Reactiv urethane cover, that was developed by the combined know-how of over nine hundred rubber and polymer engineers. The Reactiv cover is said to offer quicker rebound at greater speeds, but in the same time, it offers excellent greenside control when it comes to lower speed shots, i.e. it’s the best of both worlds, just like Nissan GTR was back in the day, and needless to say, this new cover material is not available in any other golf ball on the market, since it’s proprietary to Bridgestone.

And yes, Bridgestone calls this urethane-thing to be the world's first smart cover. Here’s Dan Murphy, President & CEO Bridgestone Golf:

The REACTIV cover technology is the most dramatic step change to cover construction since 1999 when we led the industry from Balata to Urethane covered Tour balls.Combining Tiger Woods with 900 polymer engineers from Bridgestone Tire has proven an unstoppable formula. This new technology will redefine what pros and amateurs expect from a golf ball.

©Bridgestone Golf

Yes folks, the Tour B is Tiger Woods approved, and somehow that speaks more to us than fancy words and “900 engineers” working on a golf ball. We know that sometimes it takes a small army of scientists to develop a golf ball, since there are tons of strict rules enforced by the PGA in regard to equipment conformity, but 900 engineers working at a ball cover seems a little bit too much. However, Bridgestone is a huge company with multi-decades of experience when it comes to rubber compounds and polymers, hence we bet that the new Tour B is absolutely phenomenal.

There are 4 models to choose from, each of them being targeted to appeal to players at different swing speeds, and each of the four models offers distinct differences. There’s the Tour B X and the B XS, for golfers with driver swing speeds of 105 mph and above, featuring the Reactiv urethane cover, plus Bridgestone’s patented Gradational Compression Core technology and Active Acceleration Mantle.

Then, we have the Tour B RX and Tour B RXS, which are best for golfers with swing speeds below 105 mph, i.e. using these you’ll get a softer feel and more distance. Just like the others, the B RX and B RXS boast the Reactiv urethane cover, with the core powered by the Gradational Compression Core and Active Acceleration Mantle layer.

And here’s Tiger Woods himself praising the new Tour B golf balls:

“I’ve worked with Bridgestone’s R&D team for nearly 20 years now, so I know they are the market leader in golf ball innovation, but the last couple of years have been different. Working closely with the R&D team, I’ve been able to take ownership of this design more than any other ball spec in my career. We have taken it to the next level with the new REACTIV cover. It gives me the right feel and has short game spin that exceeds my previous urethane ball. Off the tee, ball speed is up and this new TOUR B XS is definitely longer while still being in my window.”

The new golf balls will become available to the general public starting with February 14th and they’ll be priced at $44,99/dozen, in classic whit and optic yellow (the RX and RXS only).

- Compression Video

- Spin Video

- Dimples Video

- Golf Ball Brands Video

- Titleist Video

- Understanding Spin Video