A Brand Story: The Bridgestone Golf Ball Journey

Your are correct however that is the chance you take to increase your exposure.
Bridgestone has some money to risk - If you are in the Golf Ball Business, your are in the Commodity business. Bigger Volume, Lower Margins.
Take a shot, Shake it up - Make yourself noticed.

Heck, I've seen Wilson sponsoring some younger players on European Tour.
Interesting. I can't imagine the likes of Hudson Swafford or even Sneds winning paid dividends, but I guess golfers will decide that with their wallet.
 
Good stuff JB. Been an on/off again Bridgestone player over the years. They do have a ton of great options. I'll definitely be keeping up with their upcoming activity.

You don't need to dig it up, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I find that fascinating. Wouldn't you think the majority of golfers would "fit" into the RX line?

Saw JB's answer and I get the thought there. Realistically, I think the vast majority of golfers would be a better fit for the e6 or e12 contact lines than anything in the $40+ range. I get that people want to play the same balls the pros do, but seems to me most people don't need the spin in their short game nearly as much as directional forgiveness. I find just as many premium balls as I do the cheaper models.
 
Good stuff JB. Been an on/off again Bridgestone player over the years. They do have a ton of great options. I'll definitely be keeping up with their upcoming activity.



Saw JB's answer and I get the thought there. Realistically, I think the vast majority of golfers would be a better fit for the e6 or e12 contact lines than anything in the $40+ range. I get that people want to play the same balls the pros do, but seems to me most people don't need the spin in their short game nearly as much as directional forgiveness. I find just as many premium balls as I do the cheaper models.
I’ll go a different way and say that there aren’t a ton of drawbacks to a urethane covered ball in regards to direction. Many soft models exist like RX that are low spin.
 
Really looking forward to their 2022 product. I’ve struggled a lot with their balls for the last few releases, so I’m hoping the tweaks here and there make whatever I’m fit for something where I feel like I’m not dreading a shot into the wind anymore.
 
Really looking forward to their 2022 product. I’ve struggled a lot with their balls for the last few releases, so I’m hoping the tweaks here and there make whatever I’m fit for something where I feel like I’m not dreading a shot into the wind anymore.
Why have you struggled?
 
Why have you struggled?

Wish I knew, but I know it hasn't been great for me since the Hydro core tech came out. It's been a struggle with both the RX and the B line though and that's when I started to suffer.
 
Great write up and I learned some things about the company. I have played several of their products and honestly like em. It seems to me that the ball market at number 1 is not changing anytime soon. I could be wrong on that but it seems that company has followers much like Apple. Being number 2 is a big deal I’d think. Even 3 would be pretty darn good. Cutting into number 1’s numbers would be a great target. Here is my opinion and it’s just how I buy. The top 3-4 ball companies all make excellent products that I could easily game. That said price is a factor, so I buy what I get on sale or special. Trying to get a piece of their market share could be easier by being $5 less maybe?
 
Wish I knew, but I know it hasn't been great for me since the Hydro core tech came out. It's been a struggle with both the RX and the B line though and that's when I started to suffer.
Did the HydroCore series end your relationship with it?

It's come a long way since then.
 
Did the HydroCore series end your relationship with it?

It's come a long way since then.

Sort of. It did not end it in the sense of I will never try the product again. The problem is, better products ultimately came out, so now why play something that proves inferior?
 
Sort of. It did not end it in the sense of I will never try the product again. The problem is, better products ultimately came out, so now why play something that proves inferior?
What products are better than Tour B right now?

Is that just a perspective that you have? So, you've moved on?
 
What products are better than Tour B right now?

Is that just a perspective that you have? So, you've moved on?

I think Srixon, Callaway, and Titleist make a better product. They’ve gotten better with each release and I’d be surprised if market share and sales can’t back that up.

It’s moved on, but I wouldn’t be like UGH A BRIDGESTONE and hit it into the woods like I would a Kirkland or a Top Flite. Bridgestone just should do so much better than they’re currently doing all things considered.
 
I think Srixon, Callaway, and Titleist make a better product. They’ve gotten better with each release and I’d be surprised if market share and sales can’t back that up.

It’s moved on, but I wouldn’t be like UGH A BRIDGESTONE and hit it into the woods like I would a Kirkland or a Top Flite. Bridgestone just should do so much better than they’re currently doing all things considered.
That's pretty wild. I don't think anything about Bridgestone is inferior to the others mentioned.

Funny how perception works, and curious for the company moving forward to change the minds of people like you.
 
That's pretty wild. I don't think anything about Bridgestone is inferior to the others mentioned.

Funny how perception works, and curious for the company moving forward to change the minds of people like you.

For me, they made a product that was inferior to the release they had before. If there’s another word for it, I’d love to know it.

Edit: That doesn’t mean I find the company inferior. Not by any means.
 
For me, they made a product that was inferior to the release they had before. If there’s another word for it, I’d love to know it.

Edit: That doesn’t mean I find the company inferior. Not by any means.
The current Tour B is as good as their ball has ever been though.
 
The current Tour B is as good as their ball has ever been though.

I haven’t had the same experience with it, having tried the RX, and B series. I thought maybe I needed the RX like I wasn’t getting the Hp needed for the Tour B. Had similar results with both, so that was nice to see from a consistency standpoint.

But it was still behind the others, for me. :/
 
I haven’t had the same experience with it, having tried the RX, and B series. I thought maybe I needed the RX like I wasn’t getting the Hp needed for the Tour B. Had similar results with both, so that was nice to see from a consistency standpoint.

But it was still behind the others, for me. :/
Wait, are you talking about other companies, or their previous versions? You're sort of mixing the two.

Obviously there is a ball that fits everyone out there, but I don't really buy the idea that these balls are inferior to the other big brand premium balls right now. Their durability, QC, and performance are all on par at minimum.
 
Wait, are you talking about other companies, or their previous versions? You're sort of mixing the two.

Obviously there is a ball that fits everyone out there, but I don't really buy the idea that these balls are inferior to the other big brand premium balls right now. Their durability, QC, and performance are all on par at minimum.

Let me word it a different way.

Do they make a premium quality ball? Yes. Is that the best ball out there? IMO no. Their product performance wise for me is behind the results of the competition.

It hasn’t been very good for me for a few years.
 
the e6 is a good senior ball or very slow swings ... the precept budget ball ain't bad either ...

good golfing ...
 
the e6 is a good senior ball or very slow swings ... the precept budget ball ain't bad either ...

good golfing ...
One of the most interesting parts of this lengthy story is the blending of the brands Precept, Tour Stage and Bridgestone.
 
Great article. I found that last couple of paragraphs talking about the upcoming release to be intriguing to me. Especially this sentence:

"...significant technological improvements and a consumer benefit that golfers can easily understand..."

Something good is coming down the pipeline.(y)(y)


I liked the previous e6 from Bridgestone... and they lost me to confusion when they went with their ball fitting app and 4 models. I didn't bother to swing my driver in front of a box with my phone and I didn't know which of the 4 models to buy so... I went cheap and bought Kirkland, and Cut, and Srixon because they have that cool divide.

The only Titleist ball I play is found. I'm not dropping their asking price for a Prov1x.


But... give me customization of my golf ball and Katie bar the door. I'm not talking putting a few words on the ball. I'm talking color. Give me a way to color my ball or pattern my ball like no other and I think it'd sell well. Maybe something like a Bridgestone Golf ball custom shop.
 
The B330 has always been my fav...looking forward to January!
 
One of the most interesting parts of this lengthy story is the blending of the brands Precept, Tour Stage and Bridgestone.
And CHALLENGING, surprisingly.

It's weird how that transition came about the time my love affair with their irons fell off, in the J15.
 
This is an awesome write-up. I remember hearing about Tiger playing Bridgestone balls long before the official switch after Nike closed up shop. I am a fan of Vice golf balls for the performance and price. Their dupont cover has a certain grabby-ness or tackiness that reminds me a touch of the Reactiv cover. I love the dimples of both the Tour B line and the e12 contact. Really hoping we get the e12 contact dimples on the Tour B line next year. I go back and forth between Bridgestone and Vice. I give up some distance with the e12 contact but make up for it (generally) in accuracy and my desired ball flight.

I've played seemingly everything these last few years: Vice Pro, Pro Plus, Soft; Chromesoft, X, Supersoft, Superhot, Hex Soft (not the X LS yet), TP5 and TP5x, ProV1, x, left dash, AVX, Tour Speed, Tour Soft; Bridgestone Tour BX, Tour BXS, BRS; Mizuno RB, RBX, Srixon Z Star and Q Star, Snell MTB, X, and various and sundry other models from Wilson to Pinnacle to Top Flite and Maxfli. I do love my Vice golf balls, but the performance of the Bridgestone B series and the e12 contact has been phenomenal.
 
You can always see how much work goes in to these so thanks for doing them JB. Always great reads

Before I was playing CS, I was all in on the Tour B line. Can't wait to see what 2022 is going to bring with the tour pros already wanting the ball in their bags
 
You can always see how much work goes in to these so thanks for doing them JB. Always great reads

Before I was playing CS, I was all in on the Tour B line. Can't wait to see what 2022 is going to bring with the tour pros already wanting the ball in their bags

I mentioned it on Off Course a few weeks ago, but I love learning. These Brand Stories have been a learning experience for me that I have really enjoyed. This one was super long, but it was something that was a story that was fun to tell.
 
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