Junior golf has been booming for years, but one part of the equipment landscape has lagged behind: golf balls engineered specifically for developing bodies and slower swing speeds. This spring, Bridgestone Golf—the company that built its reputation on ball fitting—decided to change that narrative in a big way.
The brand has unveiled the BOOM IT JUNIOR, a purpose‑built golf ball designed from the ground up for kids who are learning the game, growing into their swings, and discovering the joy of watching a ball take flight. It’s a product that feels overdue in a market where junior clubs have evolved dramatically, yet golf balls have remained largely adult‑centric.
And Bridgestone didn’t do it alone. The company partnered with U.S. Kids Golf, the most influential junior‑development organization in the sport, to ensure the ball wasn’t just a scaled‑down version of an adult model—but a true performance tool for young athletes.
A Ball Built for Developing Swings
The BOOM IT JUNIOR is anchored by an extremely low‑compression core, a feature that allows juniors with slower swing speeds to generate more ball speed with less effort. Pair that with a high‑launch dimple pattern, and the result is a ball that gets up quickly, stays in the air longer, and maximizes carry distance—three things young players often struggle to achieve with standard golf balls.
Bridgestone president Dan Murphy says the company’s commitment to ball fitting made this project a natural next step, noting, “We take Ball Fitting very seriously and with junior golf seeing more than 50 percent growth since 2019, it makes perfect sense for us to create a ball to meet their needs. Our R&D team focused on the needs of junior players that require more speed and easier launch, and they knocked it out of the park. I am confident junior players will have more fun playing the BOOM IT JUNIOR because it is specifically designed to fit their game.”
That growth Murphy references is real—and it’s reshaping the sport. More families are playing together, more kids are entering competitive golf earlier, and more coaches are specializing in youth development. Yet until now, the golf ball category hasn’t fully reflected that momentum.
A Collaboration Rooted in Growing the Game
U.S. Kids Golf has long been the gold standard for junior equipment, coaching certification, and tournament programming. Founded in 1996, the organization now trains thousands of coaches, runs more than 2,000 tournaments annually, and has introduced countless young players to the game.
Their involvement in BOOM IT JUNIOR wasn’t symbolic—it was strategic.
“We were proud to work alongside the Bridgestone team to help create BOOM IT JUNIOR from the ground up, specifically engineered to provide young golfers with the distance, feel, and performance they need to enjoy every round,” said Dan Van Horn, president and founder of U.S. Kids Golf. “BOOM IT JUNIOR is a golf ball that meets the mission of U.S. Kids Golf by supporting the growth of and a true love of the game.”
A portion of every BOOM IT JUNIOR purchase will benefit the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, further reinforcing the shared mission between the two organizations.
MindSet: A Mental Game Tool for the Next Generation
One of the most intriguing elements of the new ball is the inclusion of Bridgestone’s MindSet graphic, a visual cue developed with Jason Day and performance coach Jason Goldsmith. The MindSet system is built around a simple three‑step process—Identify, Visualize, Focus—designed to help players separate analytical thinking from athletic execution.
For juniors, learning this mental routine early could be transformative.
The graphic on the ball serves as a reminder to slow down, choose a target, picture the shot, and commit. It’s a subtle but powerful way to introduce young golfers to the mental side of the game—something many don’t encounter until much later.
Bridgestone’s senior marketing manager for golf balls, Adam Rehberg, sees MindSet as a long‑term investment in player development, noting, “We’re proud of this ball and the fact that it addresses the needs of junior players to build a foundation of confidence in their game. As the #1 Ball Fitter in Golf, we strive to not only design and manufacture the best golf balls on the market but also fit as many players as possible to the right golf ball for them. With BOOM IT JUNIOR, we can now serve an even wider segment of players, staying true to our commitment to fit every golfer properly.”
MindSet is already being adopted across Bridgestone’s TOUR B lineup, and in 2026, staffers including Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, Kurt Kitayama, and Boo Weekley will compete using TOUR B models featuring the same visual system.
A Step Forward for Junior Golf Equipment
The BOOM IT JUNIOR isn’t just a new product—it’s a signal that the industry is finally recognizing junior golfers as athletes with unique needs, not simply smaller versions of adults. By engineering a ball specifically for their swing speeds, learning curves, and mental development, Bridgestone and U.S. Kids Golf are helping young players experience more success and more fun, earlier in their journey.
And for many kids, that early success is what keeps them in the game for life.
The BOOM IT JUNIOR will be available March 27 at retail and online for $22.99 per dozen.
Photo courtesy of Bridgestone Golf
