Product Spotlight: 'Contact Science' propels new Bridgestone advances

Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau assisted with the development of the new Bridgestone Tour B series of golf balls, and with Jason Day signing on to play the company’s Tour B X ball earlier this year, Bridgestone — with its renewed focus on the moment of impact — is clearly producing a product that resonates with the game’s best players.

However, the fruits of Bridgestone’s exploration of “Contact Science” — superior driver performance and greenside control — are also available for players who don’t swing the club with a PGA TOUR pro’s swing speed. Bridgestone’s Tour B RX and Tour B RXS are uniquely designed for players who swing the driver less than 105 mph.

Bridgestone’s new Reactive IQ cover is at the heart of the Contact Science effort. The Tour B’s reformulated cover utilizes unique impact modifiers to rebound quickly on tee shots for more distance. Around the green, the new Tour B stays on the clubface longer — or to use a Tiger Woods term: gets more “face time” — for more spin, and the impact modifier recipe is maximized for each ball in the Tour B lineup.

“When you combine 900 polymers engineers and layer in feedback from Tiger and Bryson, it’s a recipe for innovation,” said Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s Golf Ball Marketing Manager. “These guys are hands-on with R&D which really helps push our designs to the next level. Our R&D focus the last few years has been the study of contact science, optimizing the moment of impact for the needs of each shot. With Reactiv iQ, we have made great lengths to do just that.”

Tour B XS

The Tour B XS is designed for players with swing speeds over 105 mph who want additional spin while maintaining a flatter trajectory (at Tiger Woods’ request).

“I have been with Bridgestone a long time,” said Woods, who has been playing a Bridgestone golf ball for more than 20 years. “But these last few years I have had a more active role in R&D. With the Bridgestone team, we have been able to perfect the recipe for the cover which has yielded Reactiv iQ, which is an amazing engineering feat. For my game, the new Tour B is more consistently in my window off the tee while also giving me more feel around the green.”

Tour B X

Bryson DeChambeau was keen for more greenside spin, and Bridgestone engineers delivered with the Tour B X ball, which also delivers more distance than the Tour B XS.

“The reason I am with Bridgestone is we share the drive to always innovate and look for ways to improve,” DeChambeau said. “In fact, I really like being part of their R&D team. Over the last couple years, we have optimized the recipe of impact modifiers in the cover to develop the new Reactive iQ material. Its constant innovation that is allowing me to increase ball speed off the tee while also increasing control and consistency.”

Jason Day, who was interested in testing the Bridgestone ball after playing with Tiger Woods’ Tour B XS, found that he fit better into the Tour B X after working with Bridgestone engineers. Day saw more distance with the X as well as plenty of bite and check on his short shots, according to the company.

Tour B RXS

Fred Couples will be playing the new Tour B RXS on PGA TOUR Champions. It’s a ball that brings all the technology of the Tour B lineup into a sub-105 mph package that is designed for maximum spin.

Tour B RX

Lexi Thompson, meanwhile, fits into the Bridgestone Tour B RX, which features all the technology of the Tour B lineup in a sub-105 mph package that is maximized for distance.

The Bridgestone Tour B family of balls retail for $49.99 per dozen.

According to the company, consumers who are interested in selecting which Tour B model is the right ball for them should try V-FIT for a free video ball-fitting consultation, or visit bridgestonegolf.com. There, they will find more information on OTTO, Bridgestone’s new Autonomous Ball Fitting Cart, and can use Bridgestone’s online golf ball selection tool.

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