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Bridgestone Golf MINDSET Visual Technology

SuperStroke
On the course, I really focused on Mindset while putting. Some observations:

As I've mentioned before, usually my eye wanders when I take the putter back. But with Mindset, this was eliminated during the first round. Directionally, my putts were really good. If my distance control was better, I would have had a really good round putting. 3rd hole had a 20 footer that lipped out, but it was tracking the whole time. I didn't judge the downhill well, so it was moving too fast, and rolled out 8 feet, and I missed the comeback. 3 putt, but it was really close to a 1 putt...golf haha. Short game was good, so I had a couple of tap ins, then came hole #7. Put myself on the green with a 16 footer for birdie. Downhill a bit, pretty straight. Hit my line, hit my speed, and it dropped. Hole 8 and 9 I had longer lag putts. Hit my distance and read on both, and finished with easy taps in.

This was really the story of the day. Directionally I was really good. My contact was also in the center of the face. I could feel the solid contact. Speed needs some work, but that's on me. But more importantly, as the round progressed, the better I got. I think the green dot really does help. I like having it a bit further back, closer to where the putter hits the ball. Still fully visible, but towards the contact point.
 
I could see the mindset logo being decent for lining up tee shots, maybe I'll try that this afternoon. I will not be using it on the greens though, just not worth it to me. All of my practice over these last few days since receiving them has not proved to be very effective at lining up putts.
 
Forgot to follow up after my round this past weekend. When I got home yesterday I checked the the RX ball I used. Barely a scratch on it. one teeny tiny scuff mark, but that's it. A very durable ball. Round 2 with the same ball this weekend.
 
Bridgestone Tour B XS Mindset Golf Ball: Likes and Dislikes​

As I have had more time playing and testing the Bridgestone Tour B XS Golf ball, I wanted to breakdown so far what I like and what I dislike. I’m going to combine thoughts on both the ball performance and the Mindset technology.

What I Like​

This golf ball has performed well for me. I currently game the Mizuno RB Tour X golf ball, and this Bridgestone has been fairly similar as far as ball speed and overall performance. It has performed best for me in the short game area. I see a good amount of spin and feel like I can hit all the shots I want and can have a lot of control while doing so. I also feel like it’s a pretty speedy golf ball off the tee as well.

Mindset really fits my style. I have it facing me if I stand behind the ball on the tee and on the putting green. I’ve never used an alignment aid while playing so it’s a good reminder as I go through my pre-shot routine and approach the ball to remain consistent. Before testing, I had a routine like what Mindset is trying to remind to you to do, but I feel like it’s a great visual for those moments where maybe your mind wanders or you need to lock back in after a blowup hole or something like that. If it can help save a shot or 2 per round by re-gaining focus, then I think that’s a success.

What I Don’t Like​

I have not had the best luck with durability of the cover. At least compared to my gamer, I feel like I need a new ball once or twice per round with the Bridgestone because of scuffing and damage after a full wedge. I don’t totally mind because, hey, it’s grabbing good and spinning, but when we are buying golf balls at full price, we want them to make it a full round if possible.

I know unless it’s lift, clean, and place that I can’t line up the Mindset every time. But I really wish I could make it consistent. I know there’s no way to solve this, but I wish it could.

I feel like Mindset fits my game well like I mentioned above. But I could see Mindset not working as well for people who aren’t playing tournament golf, or who are just out there to hit it and have fun. Mindset takes commitment. And I could see it taking some buy in from golfers to really put the full effort in. And without doing some studying of what it’s intended to do, people may gloss over the technology without giving it the effort it deserves. I do think it works, but I could see people saying it doesn’t simply due to not putting the required effort in.



Excited to keep testing this golf ball and bringing you my thoughts!
 
TRyan said:
Previous Review Posts:
Bridgestone Golf XS Mindset Review #1 - Intro and Initial Impressions

Bridgestone Golf XS Mindset Review #2 - First Round

THP - I am back to try and speak about my first on-course experience with this ball. I got my first 18 holes with the MindSet XS on Saturday, May 18th. We played early, and the temperatures and wind were fairly mild for this time of year. 80-85 degrees, and little wind to speak of.

I played at a course I am familiar with, which I always think is helpful when it comes to reviewing stuff, as you mostly know your landing spots, etc.

When it came to the review, I wanted to make sure I was as prepared as I could be for the round, so I went out early and stretched, hit balls, and most importantly did some putting and chipping.

Putting was one of the biggest things I was worried about - Keep in mind I am coming from the Triple Track, so anything without 3 lines is going to feel a bit odd to me.

Round Results
8/14 Fairways
6/18 Greens
31 Putts (14 on the front)
Shot 81

For me - An overall solid round, where the score actually is better than I deserved, my putting and chipping carried me on the front 9 where I shot 40 even with a double on 9 which was the result of an OB drive on the easiest Par 5 on the course.

On the Front 9 I had 4 One-Putts, which is probably more than I have had all year to date.

My Thoughts After 1 Round

Going to try and break my thoughts down into multiple 'groups' after a single round

Durability - Durability seems solid. I had one ball that lasted the majority of the Front 9 (Until my drive on 9) and it saw fairway, rough, and a bunker - and it looked how I would expect. Given I am roughly a 15 handicap, not the best person to speak on durability, but through 9 holes it looked good.

Distance - Distance seemed on par with my gamer. Had an issue with my Shot Scope, which has not been resolved (Shout-out Gavin) so I cannot do a direct comparison, but I hit some bombs that I expect were every bit as far as the Chrome Tour

Spin - Spin seems close to on par with the Chrome Tour. Want to spend a bit more time with it to speak on it for sure.


My biggest concern is the entire 'premise' of the MindSet Technology - but let me explain.

I am typically someone who likes to pick a target, take a deep breath, and then swing - but with MindSet, I really committed to following the process on every shot (irons and wedges are different due to being unable to move the ball) - but I felt the process, and specifically the focus on the one spot on the ball, was a bit of a deterrent for me.

I know it seems odd to say that when I shot one of the best rounds I have shot in a long time - but it felt weird. I will continue to do this throughout my next couple of rounds, but for now - I am skeptical the MindSet process is for me.
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Did you feel like it helped you off of the tee and have more of a specific aiming point? That’s one of my biggest things I’ve seen it help me so far. Curious if you felt that way as well.
 
jayronmillz10 said:
Did you feel like it helped you off of the tee and have more of a specific aiming point? That’s one of my biggest things I’ve seen it help me so far. Curious if you felt that way as well.
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I think for aiming it did, but typically I pick out a point in front of the ball, so I found the ball actually distracted me in some ways. It is too hard to tell from one round, but I think I am more a fan of the idea than actually implementing the idea if that makes sense.
 
TRyan said:
I think for aiming it did, but typically I pick out a point in front of the ball, so I found the ball actually distracted me in some ways. It is too hard to tell from one round, but I think I am more a fan of the idea than actually implementing the idea if that makes sense.
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One hundred percent. I think it revealed to me I don’t have a good pre shot process. So when I did it, I realized it helps me a ton! But staring at the green dot almost mesmerizes me where I get into a stare. I don’t like the look of it in a ball. But I like the result off the tee
 
jayronmillz10 said:
One hundred percent. I think it revealed to me I don’t have a good pre shot process. So when I did it, I realized it helps me a ton! But staring at the green dot almost mesmerizes me where I get into a stare. I don’t like the look of it in a ball. But I like the result off the tee
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Ya I agree re: pre shot process, but staying focused on the ball almost feels 'distracting' but it is something I am going to continue to try and work with as that is the whole point of the technology.
 
TRyan said:
Ya I agree re: pre shot process, but staying focused on the ball almost feels 'distracting' but it is something I am going to continue to try and work with as that is the whole point of the technology.
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Correct. Am curious where I stand at the end of 4 weeks
 
GolferDad66 said:
@smgoldstein - I do. I use it as an alignment for my swing path. I have a tendency when not paying attention to allow an out-to-in swing path, aligning the bullseye and arrow for an in-to-out swing does help me reinforce the in-to-out path. that's how I use it.
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Do you also apply the mindset technique? How’s that going with the tee shots?
 
Put the Mindset Tour B RX in play for the first time. My first few posts will be dedicated on the Mindset technology with more of a traditional ball review down the pike. My sense is that the Mindset technology is the differentiator here and that the ball performs the same as a non Mindset TOUR B RX ball.

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For putting the ball is a home run.

Like others I use the mindset graphics to line up the ball. My current putter is a LAB 2.1 with a simple dot as an alignment aid. As you can see it sets up perfectly with this putter. Just connect the dots.

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I followed the protocol on every putt and went through the routine of: Identify the Target, Visualize Putt and then Focus on the dot. Easy peasy. Did not make a bad putt the whole day. Does not mean I made every putt but I felt I hit a good putt every time. For me this three step process, particularly the Focus part, helped to eliminate excessive thoughts and to just "focus" on the task at hand. As I get more rounds in under my belt I will see if this will continue or it it is just a "honeymoon" effect. Time will tell.

In terms of playing a shot in the fairway, or chipping, when the mindset is in different positions was not an issue for me. It is just like playing any other ball with the logos, Bridgestone, Callaway, Titleist etc. not lined up.

One downside. I was concerned on occasion about pace of play. Before Mindset I would place my ball down and do my thing. With Mindset I feel I take more time to line it up and go through the process. Is it that much more time-I'm not really sure. But I do know at times I was conscious of it.

I tried the Mindset off the tee with both drivers and irons and was not as successful as with the putting. I felt like I was manipulating my hands to get the club to the ball on the right path. Also with my swing, I tend to have a little head tilt to the right on the backswing and found it hard at times to focus on the dot when trying to hit a big drive.

For now the Mindset technology performs as advertised. Really helps me out mentally. Lets me perform with a more athletic motion and less analytical thoughts.

Will get more rounds in over the weekend but so far so good.
 
2nd round with the XS is complete. I’m calling it early: the XS is the Bridgestone Left Dash.

It’s all the same things:
mid/high ball flight
low long game spin
decent short game spin
hot off the face with solid distance

But it’s a little better on durability and it’s five dollars cheaper. Bottom line: if you like the left dash you will like this ball.



Quick durability update. This ball has 19 holes on it. The last hole of my last round plus all 18 holes today. There’s a scuff on it from a pulled drive that found the cartpath but other than that it’s in pretty good shape. If it didn’t have the scuff I’d tee off with it next round. I don’t typically get more than one round out of my Titleist balls as they tend to look a little more roughed up at the end of the day. I think this ball is going to be a real winner for some people. No wonder they were willing to put so many out there into circulation.

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Got to get out last night and play the Tour B RXS. I have played Bridgestone balls in the past, so I was familiar with their performance and durability. That being said, I have not played the RXS so I was looking forward to it.

Feel:
I liked the feel off of all clubs, kind of like Goldilocks, not too firm, not too soft, but just right! In my opinion, very similar to the Srixon Q-Star Tour.
Distance:
I did not see any additional distance gains compared to my normal gamer.
Spin:
Shots into the green rolled out a little less than my gamer. So that was a pleasant surprise.
Durability:
I played 9 holes with the same ball, I did not "introduce it" to any foreign objects, so it looks as good as it did when I took it out of the box.

My pre-shot routine has been somewhat similar to the mindset technology. I have always identified a target in the distance, taken a deep breath to relax, stepped into my shot and trusted my swing (at least that's the mentality of my current routine). With the Mindset approach, it helped me to focus more on trusting my swing and the process. This has helped me maintain my tempo. On a couple of swings, I did not use the mindset approach and I felt like I was rushed and didn't swing with any tempo. I do need to add, I did not use the alignment aide on tee shots but will incorporate that into my next round.
While putting, I did use the graphics to help align the ball. Having the green dot to focus on was a bit of a change from my normal approach. I usually concentrate on the back of the ball. When using the graphics, I had it set up to where the dot was on top of the ball. It felt somewhat awkward, but the results were pretty decent. What I plan to do on my next round is align the dot to the back of the ball, so my routine and focal point are normal.
Overall, first round was positive, I look forward to playing more rounds with these and get more comfortable with the process. I will probably tweak a few things along the way and update as I do.

Until next round.......
 
I am so encouraged by early thoughts from testers. As has been mentioned by several, I know that Mindset won't feel like a fit to some but I love that others are experiencing some of the positives that I was able to find while testing. Take this for what you will, but I'd encourage you to remain consistent with your process while testing. After early success I became complacent and allowed myself to get lazy with my 3 steps, causing my progress to slow. The more consistent you stay, the easier it is to be confident in the process and swing away. Very much looking forward to following your thoughts as you have more time with Mindset. I just picked up another box last weekend and plan to continue playing them for the foreseeable future.
 
I seem to be more successful using the process and using the name of the ball alignment aid than the Mindset graphic. It seems I get less "ball bound". It is interesting that it does not line up with the arrow, however.
 
I set up this morning for 100 yard shots to a practice pin. I had another 30 yards of usable turf past the pin.

After a little warm up, I hit each of the balls 3 times for 72 balls. 6 RXS, 6 e6, 6 super softs, and 6 e9.

I am swinging my clubs pretty well right now. The two changes I made (grip, stance) are begining to kick in nicely.

All the balls did exactly what my club head told them to do, which in turn did what my swing told the club head to do.

No one ball out did the others, although the e9 did seem to fly a few feet farther.

Except for a few fatty mishits, the horizontal dispersion was decent. With in 20 feet on either side of the pin. A few of the different brands were with in 5 feet.

The RXS ball still continues to hold its own. Nothing spectacular is jumping out at me so far when hitting it. This was to be expected, since I have slower senior swing. My slower swing is beginning to make me think the RXS ball may need a faster swing for optimum results.

For me, its always going to be a playability vs price point deal for me. I'm not a cheap guy. I worked hard for 30 years to retire comfortably. When you are in business for yourself, you quickly learn the value of a dollar. My ego will always win out over the seller's.

I will be playing the RXS again, later today. I will be using the same two RXS balls I used on Tuesday's 18 hole round. Putting this ball into actual play is going to form probably 80% of my opinion. The fact that I was able to avoid losing one of those RXS balls is a plus for this ball.
 
CBaker said:
I could see the mindset logo being decent for lining up tee shots, maybe I'll try that this afternoon. I will not be using it on the greens though, just not worth it to me. All of my practice over these last few days since receiving them has not proved to be very effective at lining up putts.
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For me it's been more about focusing on the ball, specifically the green dot, then lining up the ball exactly right. Coming from Triple Track, where I feel the alignment aid really helps get me on the right line, I still struggled with that focus on the ball. But I've really liked what I've seen so far with Mindset, keeping my eyes focused on the ball, and not wandering when I take the putter away.
 
gkeller813 said:
For me it's been more about focusing on the ball, specifically the green dot, then lining up the ball exactly right. Coming from Triple Track, where I feel the alignment aid really helps get me on the right line, I still struggled with that focus on the ball. But I've really liked what I've seen so far with Mindset, keeping my eyes focused on the ball, and not wandering when I take the putter away.
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I also really enjoy using the mindset side of the ball when lining up putts, even if that wasn't what it was intended for. I've never been one to lineup the ball perfectly anyway but I think the mindset steps still work really well with a putter in your hand. How many times do you stand over a putt and start to question your line and stroke which then causes problems. Confidence and commitment to the shot is always key in my mind. That said, it has been working for me, but everyone is different. I would at least give it a try.
 
Played 18 using the RXS MindSet today.

Driving: I like the visual aid of the M/S, as it's better than the one I was using before. The ball felt a bit softer than the ProV1x. With regards to distance there was no real difference between the M/S and the X. My home course is tight and littered with hazards, as a result, I find a lot of golf balls, and have probably played most every kind manufactured. Whether it's a budget ball, or a premium ball, driving distance is pretty much the same with all of them. As to dispersion, there was no real difference between the M/S and the X.

Approach: Nothing really stood out, they both performed pretty much the same. The only difference was in wedges, and here the ProV1x outperformed the M/S. For example, on one short par three, with the pin located in the front I hit the X well past the whole but it spun back pin high. The same shot with the M/S didn't give me the same amount of spin. Though one could argue that you don't want too much spin either.

Durability: I found the M/S to be quite durable and didn't notice any marks or blemishes.

Overall Impression: There are two things that stood out for me with the MindSet: first, the ball has a softer feel, and second, the alignment aid is very useful. In my short game review of the M/S I pointed out I have been doing something similar for a number of years, i.e., I've always used the alignment aid to line up putts and tee shots, but I had to pick a dimple on the ball to focus on. With the M/S the arrow is nice and big, and the green dot is a lot easier to focus on than one specific dimple. While the M/S doesn't spin as much as the ProV1x, the soft feel and the MindSet alignment aid more than makes up for it.
 
Finally got to get out and play 9 with the ball yesterday. The Mindset method though it sounds pretty simple, was a bit of a struggle for me to put into play. As a matter of fact I shot way over my normal 9 hole score. I'm a 20 handicap so my normal score isn't that good to begin with. But I'm not giving up on the process, and will play 18 on Saturday.
That being said. On the practice green and during the round I putted a bit better than I usually do. I believe the Mindset helped me focus on the the ball and stroke really well.
 
cnl390 said:
Finally got to get out and play 9 with the ball yesterday. The Mindset method though it sounds pretty simple, was a bit of a struggle for me to put into play. As a matter of fact I shot way over my normal 9 hole score. I'm a 20 handicap so my normal score isn't that good to begin with. But I'm not giving up on the process, and will play 18 on Saturday.
That being said. On the practice green and during the round I putted a bit better than I usually do. I believe the Mindset helped me focus on the the ball and stroke really well.
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It has taken me a bit to get used to it as well. Keep at it!
 
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