Golfers around the world can now play the same version of the Bridgestone ball Tiger Woods uses, complete with TIGER stamping.
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Many Tiger Woods fans were sad to hear the 15-time major winner did not enter this week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, but Bridgestone, the maker of the golf ball that Woods uses, has given those fans a reason to cheer up. The Japanese equipment maker announced Monday that it is releasing the Tour B XS-TW.
In a release, Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s golf ball marketing manager said, “Tiger Woods has proudly stated that he has never been more involved with the design of a golf ball from birth of concept to final model, than he has with the new 2020 Tour B XS golf ball, so it is only fitting that we offer a version to consumers with the same TIGER sidestamp that Woods himself uses.”
Aside from the sidestamp, the Tour B XS-TW, which will cost $44.99 per dozen when it arrives in stores in the coming days, is identical to the standard 2020 Tour B XS. As with Bridgestone’s other ball made for tour-level swing speeds, the Tour B X, the Tour B XS is ideally suited for players who have a driver swing speed over 105 mph, but it has a softer feel than the Tour B X and spins more around the greens.
Like all the 2020 Bridgestone Tour B balls, the Tour B XS-TW has a Reactiv urethane cover that rebounds more quickly than other urethanes Bridgestone has used to help golfers generate more ball speed and distance off the tee. However, on pitches and chips, it absorbs shock and helps the ball stay in contact with the face to enhance spin and increase greenside control.
Bridgestone used a new urethane blend in the new Tour B balls to increase distance off the tee and improve greenside control.
Gear: Bridgestone Tour B golf balls (2020) Price: $44.99 per dozen Specs: Three-piece urethane-covered balls Available: Feb. 14
What happens when you take 900 engineers who specialize in polymer and rubber, and combine them with expert golf ball designers and the feedback of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods? The answer is the new family of Bridgestone Tour B golf balls, which the company said will give golfers the best combination of distance off the tee and greenside spin.
The key technology in the second generation of Tour B balls is a new type of urethane used in the cover. Bridgestone calls it Reactiv urethane, and it contains an impact modifier that helps the material do some unique things.
Off the tee, the urethane rebounds more quickly than other urethanes Bridgestone has used to help golfers generate more ball speed and distance. However, on softly hit pitches and chip shots around the green, it absorbs shock and helps the ball stay in contact with the face for a longer period of time. That should help the grooves in wedges generate more spin and greenside control.
The Tour B balls have an updated cover that helps produce more distance off the tee while boosting greenside spin. (Bridgestone)
In addition to the new cover material, Bridgestone’s updated Tour B balls feature the company’s gradational compression core design. Instead of using multiple cores, Bridgestone has engineered the core of each Tour B to be very soft in the center and become gradually firmer toward the outer areas. Bridgestone said this type of core helps generate consistent compression time for increased ball speed.
Like the previous generation Tour B golf balls, there is also a firm mantle layer to create more ball speed, as well as a dual-dimple system on the cover. The outer dimple is designed to create more height and speed off the tee, while the inner dimple promotes a shallower descent angle for increased roll in the fairways.
There are four Tour B models designed for different types of players and individual preferences.
Bridgestone Tour B X and Tout B XS (Bridgestone)
The Tour B X and the Tour B XS are designed for golfers who have a driver swing that is 105 mph or faster. They are both three-piece balls, but the Tour B X (Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau’s choice) has a firmer feel while the Tour B XS has a softer feel at impact and generates slightly more greenside spin. Tiger Woods is expected to use the updated Tour B XS this week at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
In a release, Woods said, “(The Tour B XS) gives me the right feel and has shortgame 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.”
Bridgestone Tour B RX and Tour B RXS (Bridgestone)
For golfers with driver swing speeds below 105 mph, Bridgestone is offering the Tour B RX and Tour B RXS. Again, both balls are three-piece designs, with the RX ball being the firmer of the two. The cover on the Tour B RXS is slightly softer, so it should provide more greenside spin.
