Bridgestone TOUR B Golf Balls

[JB]

The B330 line of golf balls from Bridgestone Golf has a storied history with the brand, but as of October 2nd, 2017, they are dead. Introducing the new TOUR B golf ball line featuring what they are calling “their most innovative and performance oriented offerings in company history”.

THP has all of the details here.

https://www.thehackersparadise.com/new-gear-alert-bridgestone-tour-b-golf-balls/

 

[PhillyV]

I guess Tour BS wouldnt sell too well so the Tour BX and Tour BXs makes sense. I love the logo, love the ball and will be gaming the Tour BX going forward

 

[mikedean441]

hopefully the back of the packaging goes back to saying what kind of golfer the ball is designed for, used to be a big help.

 

[OITW]

Great write-up Josh.

I was a big Bridgestone fan in the past, but going away from the B330 line, that I had come to really like and appreciate is a bit tough, when it looks like they have not really changed much from the last iteration.

How much softer is the urethane cover than the B330 line? Is it still the slip res cover? That cover was the most durable cover in a golf ball that I had ever gamed.

Also the packaging seems very similar to me across all balls.

I will definitely be giving them a run though, as the B is one of my favorite logos in golf.

 

[McLovin]

i love my current gamer ball and have no desire to change at this time. if i get an itch, i would test the xs. i have loved the 330S in the past, so it seems like the xs would be the right fit.

 

[CBaker]

They are really going all in on the tour B line. I absolutely love the B330-s, and have been using it for years now. Hope the new version is just as good because that ball is basically perfect to me, will be interesting to see what the softer urethane they will be using will be like.

 

[JonD]

Will be interesting to see how much they do change. Huge fan of the RX.

 

[JB]

Great write-up Josh.

I was a big Bridgestone fan in the past, but going away from the B330 line, that I had come to really like and appreciate is a bit tough, when it looks like they have not really changed much from the last iteration.

How much softer is the urethane cover than the B330 line? Is it still the slip res cover? That cover was the most durable cover in a golf ball that I had ever gamed.

Also the packaging seems very similar to me across all balls.

I will definitely be giving them a run though, as the B is one of my favorite logos in golf.

We spoke about this this past weekend. Im not sure how many people actually read the whole article, but there are some interesting things in there. This is a very similar playbook to what we saw in 2017 and even in many ways 2016.

 

[Canadan]

There is not a ball on this planet that has performed for me as well as the Bridgestone B330 has over the years. It was the one true remaining connection I had to the brand I used to love. To hear it is dead feels like a knife to the gut.

I'm sure their new product will perform perfectly well, but this sucks. A lot.

 

[Jman]

There is not a ball on this planet that has performed for me as well as the Bridgestone B330 has over the years. It was the one true remaining connection I had to the brand I used to love. To hear it is dead feels like a knife to the gut.

I'm sure their new product will perform perfectly well, but this sucks. A lot.

I feel very similarly being totally honest. I'm positive the new line will be good and do great, but damn.

 

[Iceman!]

So I have read the article a couple of times.
I took from the article that major differences in this new release besides the renaming is:

1. New modified 338 Dual Dimple design for the RX and RXS
2. New urethane cover formulation for X and XS

I know it stated: "The entire lineup has been recreated from the ground up utilizing the data that they have received from more than 3 million ball fittings"

However the description only noted small changes.

 

[PhillyV]

There is not a ball on this planet that has performed for me as well as the Bridgestone B330 has over the years. It was the one true remaining connection I had to the brand I used to love. To hear it is dead feels like a knife to the gut.

I'm sure their new product will perform perfectly well, but this sucks. A lot.

I feel very similarly being totally honest. I'm positive the new line will be good and do great, but damn.

The good news is we can stock up soon on the current B330

 

[obedt]

Pasting my random blabbering from the comments section:

Thought a name change was important for the line, and Tour B makes sense. Still think there is too little differentiation from this line and the prior, as it looks to be a change in the dimple count.

Still, they had a stellar product before. The critical issue is marketing and connecting with consumers. Name change is a little bit of a move. Hope they push forward.

I'm pro-name change, but there has to be a strong marketing push alongside it. I liked their "fun" ads, reminding everyone that golf is a game. Hope that kind of focus comes back. I'm sure the product will be solid - not revolutionary, but very solid.

Not sure everyone agrees, but this commentary feels impersonal and already stale:

However, that is not the case at all, as the entire lineup has been recreated from the ground up utilizing the data that they have received from more than 3 million ball fittings.

Their ball fitting database really shouldn't be a centerpiece of a marketing scheme imo.

 

[Canadan]

The good news is we can stock up soon on the current B330

The silly part is, I already have a crazy amount of them. Something like 13-14 dozen sitting in my office waiting to be used.

Kind of wish I didn't right now, honestly.

 

[Pjtime84]

Interesting I will be giving them a try see if I like them

 

[JB]

So I have read the article a couple of times.
I took from the article that major differences in this new release besides the renaming is:

1. New modified 338 Dual Dimple design for the RX and RXS
2. New urethane cover formulation for X and XS

I know it stated: "The entire lineup has been recreated from the ground up utilizing the data that they have received from more than 3 million ball fittings"

However the description only noted small changes.

Much of that is because most of what has been created is on the proprietary side with ingredients. The "press copy" was...What is the best way to say this..."Interesting". It took testing to really gather much of what was happening and I am fortunate to do have done that.

My hope is that the company goes back at the core golfer with a message, and some fun.

 

[PhillyV]

The silly part is, I already have a crazy amount of them. Something like 13-14 dozen sitting in my office waiting to be used.

Kind of wish I didn't right now, honestly.

I hear ya. Its an industry where everyone feels if you arent making changes your going to get passed up, no matter how good of a thing you have going. Look at TM and how they trashed the Penta line

 

[obedt]

Much of that is because most of what has been created is on the proprietary side with ingredients. The "press copy" was...What is the best way to say this..."Interesting". It took testing to really gather much of what was happening and I am fortunate to do have done that.

My hope is that the company goes back at the core golfer with a message, and some fun.

Better said than what I posted and I agree. Think they made golf and golf balls fun for a good while. Hope that's their focus going forward

 

[Jman]

The good news is we can stock up soon on the current B330

Oh for sure, I'm just not sure if my desire is there or not yet.

And I ADORED the B330-S.

 

[Yahash]

I will be curious how these line up against the TP5 line.

 

[CBaker]

One thing that stuck out at me when going back through the article - So the XS is going to be the higher compression ball? With the X being lower spin? Isn't the current line the B330 higher compression and lower driver spin compared to the S?

What I take from that is - the current specs we've come to expect out of the 330 and 330-s really are dead, and these are two completely new golf balls. Is that fair to say?

 

[mikedean441]

JB, can we assume they are maintaining their existing price points with all of these?

 

[#Cookie]

Name change makes sense since it no longer aligns to the dimple pattern. I did watch the video and was a tad surprised, didn't really address the social media other than to say get info directly from other sources. Is the below really true? I can only assume that they are indicating the below facts as compared to the Pro V1.

7 yards longer?
40% more accurate?

 

[McLovin]

One thing that stuck out at me when going back through the article - So the XS is going to be the higher compression ball? With the X being lower spin? Isn't the current line the B330 higher compression and lower driver spin compared to the S?

What I take from that is - the current specs we've come to expect out of the 330 and 330-s really are dead, and these are two completely new golf balls. Is that fair to say?

i'm not following you. it looks to me like the b330=bx and b330s=bxs. it didn't seem to me like anything had drastically changed, but of course i could be wrong.

 

[CBaker]

Bridgestone TOUR B Golf Balls

i'm not following you. it looks to me like the b330=bx and b330s=bxs. it didn't seem to me like anything had drastically changed, but of course i could be wrong.

The B330 has always been the higher compression lower spinning option of the two. At least that is always what i thought.

But the article states the XS will be higher compression.