Bridgestone Golf 2024 Tour B
Although Cape Canaveral is less than an hour away, the annual PGA Show this week in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center is a traditional pad for the latest and greatest in golf ball design. Here’s a look at at what’s on the floor and what is – and will be soon – in retail stores.
Bridgestone Golf today introduced its new generation 2024 TOUR B family of golf balls. Designed to deliver the ultimate combination of distance and greenside spin and control, the company says the latest TOUR B golf balls feature the new REACTIV X System that takes Bridgestone’s Contact Science to a new level. The 2024 TOUR B family comes in 4 distinct models, TOUR B X and TOUR B XS (for swings over 105 mph), and TOUR B RX and TOUR B RXS (for swings under 105 mph).
Bridgestone Golf says the newly developed REACTIV X System, which combines a REACTIV IQ cover with an EXCLRNT mid-layer, is the result of years of development and multiple iterations of REACTIV technology. In the initial version, REACTIV utilized impact modifiers in the urethane cover of each TOUR B model to create a cover that reacted to the impact velocity of every shot. On aggressive swings off the tee, the cover became firmer for faster ball speed and more distance, while on scoring shots with wedges and short irons, it became softer for more spin and shot-stopping control.
In the second iteration of REACTIV, called REACTIV IQ, the “smart,” cover of each ball in the TOUR B lineup was specifically tailored to optimize performance for the different players types of each of the four TOUR B models. Now, with the REACTIV X System, not only is the REACTIV IQ cover of each TOUR B model optimized and “smart,” due to the use of impact modifiers, but a denser XCLRNT mid-layer acts as a backboard at impact to create even more shot-stopping spin around the greens. The new XCLRNT layer in the REACTIV X system also contributes to a more efficient energy transfer from the core at impact for increased ball speed and distance and a slightly deeper sound at impact.
“Any time you have Tiger Woods contributing to a golf ball design you’ve got a major advantage over the competition,” said Elliot Mellow, golf ball marketing manager. “When you combine Bridgestone’s 900 polymer engineers and Contact Science with Tiger’s knowledge and feel, the results are impressive, and that’s what we have with the new TOUR B lineup. Tiger’s insights give our engineers feedback that allows them to push the design envelope beyond what we originally thought was possible.”
Woods, according to Mellow, Tiger played a significant role in helping develop the new TOUR B balls, paying particular attention to the TOUR B X, which he switched to from the XS model due to ongoing sessions with Bridgestone ball fitters. Though Woods played a version of the XS model for nearly 20 years, his desire for a bit more distance off the tee led him to make the permanent switch.
“I love working with Bridgestone’s engineers and fitters, and really enjoyed the R&D process of the latest TOUR B,” Woods said. “Since I now play the TOUR B X, I’m partial to that model, but all four new balls sound, feel, and play better than ever. Once you get fit for the right model, regardless of your skill level, you’ll know you have the best Tour ball made today.”
Bridgestone’s latest TOUR B family of balls will hit retail on Feb. 16, February 16, 2024, and feature a street price of $49.99 per dozen.
