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Bridgestone Golf MINDSET Visual Technology

SuperStroke
I like the mindset advantage on the greens it really helps me focus on the ball to the hole. I have a experience post but need a little more testing before I post it and will prob discuss with Jman before posting to see if I can word it any differently.
 
Played 9 Friday and managed to do a pretty good job using the MindSet process throughout the round. I ended up shooting 41, which is pretty darn good for me. I felt pretty good through the entire round and was hitting the ball pretty well. I had a couple shots I rushed myself and ended up with not ideal results, but I was able to settle myself and recover pretty well. I feel like the MindSet process really helped keep me steady through it all. Putting was the only area I didn't do too great.I think mostly just poor reads, as my speeds weren't too bad. I did make a couple longer ones, but most I missed and ended up with a short second putt. Except 9 which I had like a 60 foot putt and didn't get anywhere close to the hole and ended up three putting. that's all on me though. Still a work in progress, but feels like it's helpful so far.

The ball itself has performed great for me. I had several approaches that one hopped then stopped, with the ball ending up less than 2 feet from the ball mark. The ball feels good to me on any shot and a good amount of spin around the green. All around happy with the performance of the Tour B RX.
 
Played 18 today in the on and off rain. The ball, I used B X and XS, because I lost a few , performed really well before being donated to the course. As for MindSet, I dig the logo and will continue to use it as an alignment off the tee and on the green, but outside of that it’s not really for me. I don’t need it or the ball to practice the internal and external cues to play. I feel like I can do that with any ball. I actually still prefer the balls I’ve played before, Srixon Z Star and XV, slightly more than the Bridgestones, though I would not hesitate to play these at all. Just feel like I get a touch more distance out of the Srixon’s. I really want to test Callaway’s newest offerings as well, to see how those measure up.

MindSet, cool logo and idea. However, needing a visual guide to follow through…. Ehh, not for me.

Super thankful again for this opportunity. Will continue to test, who knows, my mind may change by the time all of these balls are gone.
 
Two rounds in with the mindset ball and I just cant get comfortable putting with it yet. This most recent round was better than the first, but its still missing.... something? Im not sure what it is but it might be how far forward it pulls my eyes compared to my normal routine. In order for me to get the graphic pointing towards the hole its almost over the middle of the ball and normally I am looking at the backside of the ball, closest to the putter face
 
I think MindSet is messing with my mind. Every drive I tried to hit with the MindSet B RX today was a pop up. My 3w and UW got a workout today because I was constantly needing to recover after a 100 yard straight up shot. It happened on the first three tees straight, so I benched the MindSet and it went away. After a few more holes I brought the MindSet back out and it came right back. I will add, I wasn't using the process with the non-MindSet balls like I've been trying to do because I was so intent on eliminating the pop ups. And then I would bring the MindSet back out and the logo would remind me to do the process. So in that regard, the logo does it job very well. But it wasn't working for me today for one reason or another. It could also be the B RX itself. I've been getting my speed back and it was a hot day over 90º so it could be the ball itself was jumping up. When I pulled a different ball it was either a Left Dash or a Srixion XV, both of which are much higher compression balls.

The testing continues though.
 
I've been using the Bridgestone Tour B RX for about 4 weeks now. I find them to perform about as well as other balls of the same price point. They are no more or less durable than other balls with a similar cover. What I really like is the logo and the idea that I trained myself to stop and apply the mindset thinking before every shot. Let's be honest, you can use the same principles on any ball and focus on any logo, marker spot or text. But I kind of like the big dot and I think the mindset idea is becoming a habit for me - just to slow down, visualize the shot, and focus.

I do understand that some people say the graphics are distracting. Yet I see people hitting balls with big goofy drawn initials and sharpie blotches all over them. So probably it's not what is drawn on the ball but what's bouncing around between your ears.
 
I played with the Mindset BRX on Saturday and then not on Sunday.

It is strange, but I really feel myself thinking way too much when I play the Mindset ball. Just having a hard time switching from visualizing to swinging freely. Also, I am having a harder time forgetting about bad shots. I am a headcase, but there were multiple times on Saturday that my visualization of what I wanted to hit had visual flashbacks of what I had done a few holes earlier. I definitely think the process can help many, but I have struggled with it.

I really do like the actual BRX ball performance, but I am struggling with the Mindset process and not having some alignment help with the ball on the greens.
 
Unfortunately the balls I had coming for the big testing were apparently lost on their way overseas. But I really want to test the concept and the new Bridgestone balls.

So I just ordered a dozen of each model to compare them for my needs (I played the B XS a bit last year and liked it).

Exited to finally jump in with the testing once they get here.
 
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Another 3 rounds in the books since my last post and I am sold on the Mindset and the Tour B XS. One of the 3 rounds was very disjointed as we had to kind of skip around some holes and double back due to a scramble tournament so I ended up not keeping score, but over all it was a decent round. I did alternate using a non Mindset XS during that round, but tried to use the same process with my own marking. I think it went okay overall, but I didn't play as well as I did the other two rounds when I used the Mindset ball exclusively.

The other two rounds (Last Sunday and this morning) were very solid rounds posting an 85 on Saturday and an 81 today. If I could have made a putt today I would have been in the upper 70's or even better. I had putter in hand on 10 of the 18 holes (sometimes just barely off the green and others on the green) for birdie, but nothing would drop. I will take a 81 with no birds every time!! And I still have half of the dozen I was sent to test which is a great indication of keeping the ball in play. I usually lose several balls over the course of a round or two.

The XS Mindset checks all the boxes for me. It keeps me engaged, plenty of distance off the tee (had a drive on Saturday of 264 and that rarely happens), the feel of the ball is just like I want it. Not to hard, not to soft. I am getting as much check into the greens as I probably ever have and the performance with chipping/pitching as well as putting has been great as well. I don't know what else I can say about the ball other than it is the ball for me. Heck, my wife gave me another dozen for Father's Day so I should be set on these for a while.

Thank you to THP an Bridgestone for allowing me to test the Mindset!!
 
Got out today for 18 on a course I'd never played and put the Tour B RX MindSet balls in play as well as the three step process, as much as I could. I managed to do a lot better on the process this round than the last time out. I remembered more times than I didn't. A couple of the times I didn't, I hit really poor shots. Those shots were rushed, tense, and off balance shots that ended up poorly (OB). However, I was able to get past those shots and end up recovering pretty well for the most part. I can't bring myself to use the visual, even though I keep wanting to try. I get too focused on the ball when I do, and it adversely affects my swing.

Overall though, I ended up shooting a 93 on a new, and more difficult, course. So it was a decent outing. I really feel that, for me, the MindSet process is helpful. As someone that tends to have a lot going in his head while he plays, it helps me clear out the thoughts and just focus on the shot in front of me. This has been something I've struggled with in the past and my scores have been on the better (for me) side since I've been trying to use MindSet. I can totally see this being hit or miss, but would highly recommend anyone that struggles to clear their mind when hitting to give it a try at least.

The ball performs well for me across the bag. I've been happy with performance from tee to green with the balls. I've seen some of my longest drives in recent rounds playing this ball, and spin on shots into the green has been fantastic. I have a lot of shots one hop then stop and some wedges spin back a foot or two. All around solid ball.

I've still got 3 of the balls left, so will continue to try things out and provide feedback as I can.
 
Another few rounds in. I've been using the mindset process more than thenlgof itself. I still find that if I focus on the dot off the tee, my swing is off. Mental I'm sure.

But on the green I continue to use the logo. Love the focus the dot brings, and feel like the small arrow is still enough for alignment. I prefer the bigger alignment aids, think Triple Track, but Mindset has still been good.
 
cmon man said:
I am wondering where all you fellow testers are at this stage of the process. I don't see any way to add a poll in the thread (even after use of the search function and finding a thread on the subject; Let's play golf...how many pops do I get?) so will ask based of what I have ready to-date:

Do you like the Mindset logo?
1. Yes 2. It's ok 3. No
Do you follow the Mindset Process?
A. Yes 2. Only on certain shots 3. Not on a consistent basis 4. No
Do you like the Mindset Process?
W. Yes, it changed my life X. It's similar to what I already used Y. It's slow and messes me up a little Z. What's Mindset?
Click to expand...
1- No I think it is to busy
2- I try to follow on the tee shots but not approach shots or putts
3-I don't think it is for me. I am trying to not overthink things when stepping up to the ball.

The Bridgestone ball is really good and I could see using that ball without Mindset. I didn’t have a durability issues at all with the Tour B RX.
 
I played my second round with Tour B RX Mindset on Monday. When struck well, Tour B RX performs as well if not better than the ball I normally play (CS). Sadly, Monday was not a particularly good day for me. Front nine was pretty good, but the back nine was a freaking disaster: irons were horrible, plus I lost a few B RXs. Normally I have been using Mindset just off of the tee, but next round I'm going to make more of an effort to utilize it on approach shots: I can't do any worse! I definitely don't like Mindset for putting.

To answer @cmon man 's questions:

Do you like the Mindset logo?
1. Yes 2. It's ok 3. No

Do you follow the Mindset Process?
1. Yes 2. Only on certain shots 3. Not on a consistent basis 4. No

Do you like the Mindset Process?
W. Yes, it changed my life X. It's similar to what I already used Y. It's slow and messes me up a little Z. What's Mindset?
 
So lost my final test golf ball this week. Pretty good run considering some of the game I've brought with me throughout the testing. Some overall thoughts:

First the ball itself. The Tour B RX is a good fit for my game. I'm a fan. Off the tee, approach shots and around the greens it does what I need it to do. Plenty of spin for me, and the distance is in line with what I expect. I could easily game this ball, and probably will again at some point this year.

Visually for me, it's a mixed bag. I definitely saw some success on the greens using the graphic on shorter putts. This is something I've taken with me to the other balls I put in play as well. I'm focusing on a spot on the top of the ball, whether it's the logo, one of the spots on the Trutrack CS or my identification mark on the ball. I feel like it's been helpful freeing up my stroke a bit, and is something I'll be taking forward with me as I exit testing. I'm also now using whatever alignment aid is on the ball for short putts where I need to keep the ball inside the hole, which has worked out pretty well across the board. I had some middling success with using the graphic off the tee and putting the green dot in the back. Wasn't perfect, but it definitely was a good reminder that I hit it more efficiently off the tee when I'm focusing on where I want to hit the ball with driver. As for the graphic itself, I guess I don't mind it but I also don't think it's super critical for me personally. I will say it generally makes it super easy to identify my ball as no one I play with has grabbed these yet. Also no yellow means no long term play for me. I need the help tracking the ball in the air.

As to the process, I think it's a great visualization for the process that they're trying to convey here. I still think that this is a great starting point for people who are trying to build a pre-shot routine. It also helped me expose the failures/weaknesses in my own routine. I clearly struggle with the third step (way too many mechanical thoughts) and that is something that I've been working on and will continue to work on moving forward. I kept the card from the box and will probably toss it in my bag or on top of my golf organizer as a reminder of the process so I don't lose track of it as I progress forward.

Overall, this was a very positive experience for me. While I don't necessarily love the look of the logo on the ball, I think it's a good reminder for those that need it and the process itself is solid. I definitely exposed a few things to work on, which is pretty impressive for testing a golf ball when you think about it. I will continue to follow along with this thread if there are any questions, and if I get in a pinch where all that is available are white golf balls there's a solid chance I'd choose these over one without it.
 
I'm out of the Mindset balls. Ran out over this past weekend. Some continued thoughts:

The process does work but I can't really say it's new for me. My routine already has this built in. I identify where my landing spot is, then I identify or visualize where I need aim in order to hit it there. So for example, I always try to play a cut so for Tee shots, I identify my landing spot then visualize/identify where I need to aim on the left side of the hole so that my cut brings it back the 20-30 yards I "try" to have. I say try because my Driver and I have a unique relationship where it doesn't actually listen to what I want. :(. That's a story for another time...

Back to the review..

Having the system on the ball isn't a big deal, seeing it and odd angles when I look down at it is no different that seeing my Triple Track askew when I look down. It doesn't bother me at all.

Would I buy this for the Mindset logo? No, I would not specifically buy this ball just for the mindset logo but I would buy the ball itself. It's a really great ball. Will it replace my TT? No, unless I start not liking the TT striping and that's highly unlikely. It just works for me.
 
cmon man said:
I am wondering where all you fellow testers are at this stage of the process. I don't see any way to add a poll in the thread (even after use of the search function and finding a thread on the subject; Let's play golf...how many pops do I get?) so will ask based of what I have ready to-date:

Do you like the Mindset logo?
1. Yes 2. It's ok 3. No
Do you follow the Mindset Process?
A. Yes 2. Only on certain shots 3. Not on a consistent basis 4. No
Do you like the Mindset Process?
W. Yes, it changed my life X. It's similar to what I already used Y. It's slow and messes me up a little Z. What's Mindset?
Click to expand...
1. Yes, I like it. Could be smaller maybe.
2. Yes. All swings, not putting.
3. I like the mindset process, but its similar to what I do already. I could see it messing with people, especially if the don't see results from it.
 
Tried these once again yesterday. Still didn't work for me. :unsure: well, honestly nothing worked
 
amarkabove said:
I think MindSet is messing with my mind.
Click to expand...
This is a great opening line for this post, and I've had similar thoughts.

I've watched the videos and honestly try to replicate the process. Still, the Mindset method doesn't totally get along with my habituated process. They tolerate each other, but are not friends yet.
 
Since my Mindsets mainly ended up plugged in sudden fairways, I just kept buying the Tour B RX in yellow. Because for me it performs very well off any club and especially in the wind. I haven't had enough firm conditions to actually give the RXS a true test. The Mindset feature stays in mind even when playing non mindset balls. And that does help me keep from losing focus in the heat and humidity.
 
Do you like the Mindset logo?
Yes, but it took me a while to like get use to the colors and they still aren't my favorites.
Do you follow the Mindset Process?
Yes, almost always off the tee and I have started using it more on the green as well, but didn't to begin with. Of course seeing the logo after the ball is in the fairway (or rough :rolleyes:) the logo is often not visiable, but I still try to go through the process.
Do you like the Mindset Process?
Yes!! I think it helps me stay engaged and keeps me focused.
 
So I have gotten concerned about losing all my Mindset without giving full thoughts... so I went on Amazon and a dozen is $49.99. About what a tour level ball costs... but then I see that they have trial packs (2 sleeves) for about $18.00 (depends on the model of Tour B). So I click on that option and there is a save 6% if you buy 2 trial packs (aka a dozen). So grabbed 2 trial packs for 35.34 before tax. Can't beat that deal!

So if you have interest in trying out mindset to see if it floats your boat, you can grab 2 sleeves for less than $20, or a dozen for under $40.
 
(Will add back links later as I'm on the phone now)

I'm late in posting this due to some personal issues this past week, apologies for that.

Played most of a round with the Tour B X on Sunday. It was a solid round for me for what I was able to finish - +4 through 14, 2 birdies, no doubles (though a few too many bogeys), 50% GIR, and about 1.8 putts per hole (4 1-putts and only 1 3-putt). The performance of the B X was definitely an asset throughout. After some work on chipping and pitching lately, I was seeing even more of the benefits of the great spin performance around the greens. It's enough spin for me to be able to hit chips and pitches that check up, without being so much that I feel like bump and runs want to check up too much, as that's a favored shot for me. Iron distance and spin continue to be exactly what I expect. The ball is long too, though I don't think it's quite as long as the Chrome Tour for me. On par with ProV1x there I'd say.

Mindset wise, I'm not sure how much of this was the decal or the specific approach, but I tried to consciously clear my head a bit during the round and not let bad holes get to me. That definitely helped my recovery and scrambling, as well as my focus in putting, which is where I definitely do use the decal. I think it's great for alignment when putting and second only to the Triple Track. On other shots though, I hid it off the tee and didn't pay attention to it elsewhere. I tend to use an intermediate target on the ground to align to after standing behind the ball briefly, and I find the decal distracting to that end.

I likely won't get out for another round this weekend, but hoping for some post work round/practice time this week and will report back more. Good news also is I still have 7/12 balls left so you guys will continue to get review thoughts from me for a while!

Lastly, as previously promised, here is the condition of one of the Tour B X balls after about 1 full round. It's honestly pretty flawless, and it did hit a couple trees, though no cart paths or other really hard surfaces.
1000002793.jpg
1000002792.jpg
 
I gave up! I've never lost so many balls and had so many poor shots in a round as when using this ball and the Mindset process. I applaud those who have had great success with it! It just doesn't "fit" me and the way I address the game.
 
I have Been using the Tour B X exclusively for the last month. I play in a Mens group, MGA, and we have tournaments each month for stroke play and then other par 3's or wed evening plays, Horse race, 2 man scrambles etc sprinkled in...My hdcp has gone from 11 something to 7.9 in the last 6 months. I worried about changing balls during this time.
I have putted better, hit more fairways and not changed clubs or anything else. Like some others, I notice more scuffs and cuts from maybe a tree hit than i ever did on the Chrome Tour. Now, Most of the time in the last 3 months I was leading the points list, so changing balls was a stretch.

Focusing on the ball and seeing the shot on drives, helped. Focusing one the dit for putting, helped more. I am out of my original box, not sure if i will buy more and the ability to last more than 9 holes with not scarring or scuffing when i normally play a ball for 18, may not be my choice
 
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