I am writing a review of the Bridgestone B-XS after using this ball for a good portion of my 2024 season
Player profile and overall thoughts.
I am a +1.7 right now with a 105mph swing speed, and i am fairly low spin player. With a ProV1 i will spin blade 7 iron ~5500 or so. I also don't hit the ball all that high.....my launch with 3 wood can hover around 12 degrees which is definitely not optimal. I hit a slight draw with every club. I'm a very good iron player and am a feel short game player. My putting is generally good but i don't make a lot of midrange putts. I started using the B-XS to try to increase my spin and launch
Well, did you increase your spin and launch?
Meh, somewhat but nothing noticeable. The clubs i really needed help launching, like 3 wood-- Consistently i only was getting maybe a half degree. Spin was a tad higher (like with driver, maybe 2300 vs 2200.....with 7 iron, maybe 5700 vs 5500). Nothing too crazy when it came to peak height. I'd say i did generate a bit more launch and spin than say a ProV, but it wasn't life altering or anything on a trackman, and in the real world, nothing i would even really notice. At least with full clubs ....This DOES NOT account for short game which i'll discuss later
Feel
i LOVE the feel of the ball. It's a very "Thumpy" feel. Even if we concede that the ball doesn't give you THAT much more launch or spin---you sacrifice NOTHING in the way of feel versus a typical "non X" ball. Most "X" balls feel like hitting a bag of rocks. It's why while they suit me so much better on a trackman, sometimes i'd rather gouge my own eyes out than hit a Prov1x in the real world (or a 2023 TP5x, blechhh). The B-XS feels nothing like this. It feels like a "non-X" ball in every way. It is thumpy and pure---and if it give you a tiny bit extra launch and spin for your trouble---nice!
Durability
It's not great.....While the 2023 Chrome Soft holds the title of "oops i dropped it and now half the cover is missing" . It's really not that great when it comes to durability. I've posted pics of 2 balls i used to shoot (passive brag coming in 3-2-1....) 70 with , and both of them looked like they'd been shot up with a Tommy gun. While the ProV1x feels like hitting a pile of rocks---it will last a lot longer without looking as beat up.....That being said not sure how much this really affects performance
Short game
I've heard some people say that this is all that matters.....and let me tell you----this is pretty much, maybe not every thing....but pretty much.....ALL THAT MATTERS. There are balls that i generally like that i find i just can't figure out in the short game (I hit the Seed SDX1 very well, but it just doesn't work at all with my putter). I hit the Chrome Tour well on the trackman, but it just wasn't super consistent off my wedge in the short game. As crazy as it sounds, my second favorite ball of 2024 is actually the 2023 Chrome Soft, which looks like Rocky after you've hit it twice---just because of how consistently it performs off wedges and putter....it is just so consistent off both.
The B-XS is a champ here. It feels great off wedges for pitches and chips. It comes out high and with spin off firm lies. The checks are predictable. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS!!!!. Not every ball is like this. I just have a lot of confidence chipping with it
Putting? Same. I feel it is very easy to putt with. I have gotten very comfortable with how hard i have to hit it at the various distances. There are other ball is like, where i will constantly leave 17 footers short, or run them by 4 feet. I just can't get the feel right----This may be a personal thing. But man, the B-XS is just so consistent and smooth for me. It feels soft yet confident off the putterface. I don't feel like i have to "whack" it.
This is really the nuts of it----I love the feel and consistency of this ball in the short game
Overall
This ball is supposed to give you a bit more launch and spin, and it kinda does.....kinda........So that's good? I mean it's not bad....it kinda does what is advertised. But beyond that, it feels NOTHING like a typical "X" ball---which i think is a great thing. It's such a nice compromise in that regard, you get a bit more of what you want---while sacrificing nothing. It's pleasant to hit, and pleasant to hit chips and putt with. And it performs great in the short game!
i mean---pray for the ball if you ever hit it with a new wedge, because it will shed its cover like a cat shedding hair in May. But .....balls don't last forever.....stop hitting them OB and this won't bother you as much LOL
Wonderful ball.....
Player profile and overall thoughts.
I am a +1.7 right now with a 105mph swing speed, and i am fairly low spin player. With a ProV1 i will spin blade 7 iron ~5500 or so. I also don't hit the ball all that high.....my launch with 3 wood can hover around 12 degrees which is definitely not optimal. I hit a slight draw with every club. I'm a very good iron player and am a feel short game player. My putting is generally good but i don't make a lot of midrange putts. I started using the B-XS to try to increase my spin and launch
Well, did you increase your spin and launch?
Meh, somewhat but nothing noticeable. The clubs i really needed help launching, like 3 wood-- Consistently i only was getting maybe a half degree. Spin was a tad higher (like with driver, maybe 2300 vs 2200.....with 7 iron, maybe 5700 vs 5500). Nothing too crazy when it came to peak height. I'd say i did generate a bit more launch and spin than say a ProV, but it wasn't life altering or anything on a trackman, and in the real world, nothing i would even really notice. At least with full clubs ....This DOES NOT account for short game which i'll discuss later
Feel
i LOVE the feel of the ball. It's a very "Thumpy" feel. Even if we concede that the ball doesn't give you THAT much more launch or spin---you sacrifice NOTHING in the way of feel versus a typical "non X" ball. Most "X" balls feel like hitting a bag of rocks. It's why while they suit me so much better on a trackman, sometimes i'd rather gouge my own eyes out than hit a Prov1x in the real world (or a 2023 TP5x, blechhh). The B-XS feels nothing like this. It feels like a "non-X" ball in every way. It is thumpy and pure---and if it give you a tiny bit extra launch and spin for your trouble---nice!
Durability
It's not great.....While the 2023 Chrome Soft holds the title of "oops i dropped it and now half the cover is missing" . It's really not that great when it comes to durability. I've posted pics of 2 balls i used to shoot (passive brag coming in 3-2-1....) 70 with , and both of them looked like they'd been shot up with a Tommy gun. While the ProV1x feels like hitting a pile of rocks---it will last a lot longer without looking as beat up.....That being said not sure how much this really affects performance
Short game
I've heard some people say that this is all that matters.....and let me tell you----this is pretty much, maybe not every thing....but pretty much.....ALL THAT MATTERS. There are balls that i generally like that i find i just can't figure out in the short game (I hit the Seed SDX1 very well, but it just doesn't work at all with my putter). I hit the Chrome Tour well on the trackman, but it just wasn't super consistent off my wedge in the short game. As crazy as it sounds, my second favorite ball of 2024 is actually the 2023 Chrome Soft, which looks like Rocky after you've hit it twice---just because of how consistently it performs off wedges and putter....it is just so consistent off both.
The B-XS is a champ here. It feels great off wedges for pitches and chips. It comes out high and with spin off firm lies. The checks are predictable. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS!!!!. Not every ball is like this. I just have a lot of confidence chipping with it
Putting? Same. I feel it is very easy to putt with. I have gotten very comfortable with how hard i have to hit it at the various distances. There are other ball is like, where i will constantly leave 17 footers short, or run them by 4 feet. I just can't get the feel right----This may be a personal thing. But man, the B-XS is just so consistent and smooth for me. It feels soft yet confident off the putterface. I don't feel like i have to "whack" it.
This is really the nuts of it----I love the feel and consistency of this ball in the short game
Overall
This ball is supposed to give you a bit more launch and spin, and it kinda does.....kinda........So that's good? I mean it's not bad....it kinda does what is advertised. But beyond that, it feels NOTHING like a typical "X" ball---which i think is a great thing. It's such a nice compromise in that regard, you get a bit more of what you want---while sacrificing nothing. It's pleasant to hit, and pleasant to hit chips and putt with. And it performs great in the short game!
i mean---pray for the ball if you ever hit it with a new wedge, because it will shed its cover like a cat shedding hair in May. But .....balls don't last forever.....stop hitting them OB and this won't bother you as much LOL
Wonderful ball.....