Why this is the golf ball used by the GOAT

The Bridgestone Tour B X golf ball is one of the best Tour-level golf balls you can play with. If you don’t believe me, just ask 15-time Major Champion Tiger Woods.

Every golfer has aspired to play with the same equipment as the GOAT at some point in their lives, whether that’s a driver, putter, or even golf balls. While your skill and ability might deter you from playing with the tiny irons Tiger has gamed over the years, there’s not an awful lot stopping you from picking up the Bridgestone Tour B X golf balls and seeing if they’re the best golf balls for your game.

You never know, you just might find the ball of choice for the GOAT is the perfect model for you!

It’s much easier to play with the same golf ball as Tiger Woods than it is with the same set of irons. That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to many of you, you’ll know how small Tiger’s irons are. The golf ball, on the other hand, is exactly the same as the one you can pick up at your local pro shop, golf retailer, or Amazon, and it’s much easier to get to grips with than a set of butter knives!

The Bridgestone Tour B X wasn’t Tiger’s first choice; the 15-time Major winner helped with the production of the Bridgestone Tour B XS. In 2024, Tiger switched out of the Tour B XS in favor of the Tour B X because it’s slightly firmer and places more importance on distance over spin.

I’ve tried my very hardest to play with the Tour B X and make it work for my game, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t force it. For that reason, I entrusted my 4 handicap golfing buddy to test out the Tour B X, not only because he has the game to suit this golf ball but also because this is his ball of choice.

Stay tuned to see how the Bridgestone Tour B X performs in our 2025 golf ball robot test.

Versatility

Being the golf ball of choice for the GOAT, you might be thinking this can’t be a very versatile golf ball, but you’d be surprised. I know I’ve already mentioned this golf ball doesn’t suit my game, but I’d say I’m in the minority. The majority of golfers will enjoy all the Tour B X has to offer because it’s one of the best premium golf balls, and it travels very far. In the same breath, it produces highly competitive spin numbers – not enough to challenge the best high-spin golf balls, but the Tour B X doesn’t pride itself on that.

I could easily game the Tour B X from a feel (I’ll touch on that later) and short-game spin and control perspective, but the reason I can’t justify putting this ball in play is because it launches too low and doesn’t spin enough off the tee. However, my playing partner loves the Tour B X for its performance off the tee – I’ll expand on this now.

Tee to Green Performance

The Tour B X is designed to launch low off the tee and generate less spin than the Tour B XS – one of the reasons Tiger switched. This is the main reason why my playing partner enjoys using Tour B X golf balls. He naturally has a high ball flight, so for him, the Tour B X is a great option because it prevents him from losing out on distance by generating too much height and spin. If you’re someone who struggles with the golf ball launching too high, so much so, that it’s punishing how much distance you’re able to produce off the tee, then switching to the penetrating Tour B X could help you eke out more yardages and result in you having less club into the green.

As you go through the bag, like any of the best premium golf balls, spin naturally increases. Although this isn’t a high-spin golf ball, you can still expect the Tour B X to hit and hold greens with a scoring iron and wedge in hand. The ball will still launch lower, and that will reduce spin, but not drastically.

Around the greens, the Tour B X is an incredibly well-behaved golf ball. One of, if not the strongest parts of my playing partner’s game is his short game, and he has a lot of success playing around the greens with the Tour B X because it has the ability to grab and stop very quickly.

Feel and Response

As I’ve already mentioned, the Tour B X is a firmer-feeling golf ball than the Tour B XS, which means it feels more solid off the club face. A firm-feeling golf ball isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say this is a firm golf ball. Personally, I would still class it as a soft golf ball compared to other firm golf balls on the market – especially the Wilson Staff Model X.

I know it’s not the firmest golf ball because my mate who enjoys playing Tour B X isn’t as keen on firm-feeling golf balls as I am, so he wouldn’t use these golf balls if they were too firm. They aren’t firm, they’re just firmer than the Tour B XS.

Whether you’re smashing a drive or trickling in a difficult putt, the response from the Tour B X, throughout the bag, is highly satisfying. Feedback is very important for my playing partner because it indicates whether he’s nailed a shot or – in his case – air-mailed a shot. When he nails one, the feedback is very strong, but when he mishits one, the ball will almost always jump on him, and he’ll know through feel but also by how the ball is flying higher and spinny.

Durability

Like all premium golf balls, the Tour B X has a limit to how many holes one ball can endure. My playing partner easily plays an entire round with one golf ball, but he’d never tee it up next time with the same one. That’s not to say the golf ball couldn’t handle being played with for another few holes or an extra 18, but the urethane cover definitely starts to wear over time.

The biggest issue was with one of the golf balls fresh out of the pack. As you can see from the image below, the paint had peeled off one of the golf balls, and there was a blemish elsewhere on the same golf ball. This was only the case with one of the golf balls, and it didn’t hinder its performance. However, it’s far from ideal for a premium golf ball.

Final Verdict

I don’t want to end this review of the Bridgestone Tour B X golf balls on a negative note because overall, these are amazing golf balls – just ask the GOAT. The tee to green performance is close to perfection. If I’m nit-picking, they don’t spin high enough with scoring clubs. However, that might be perfect for your game. They probably aren’t as versatile as the Tour B XS because they’re harder to launch, but they feel good off every club face and deliver amazing performance, especially off the tee.

I’m not someone who gets on with the Tour B X, but I’m not going to score them down for that because I understand that what doesn’t work for me can still (and will) work for other golfers. There’s a reason the Tour B X is trusted by a 15-time Major Champion – give them a go and find out for yourself.

Alternative options

Bridgestone Tour B X Golf Balls

RRP: $44.99 / £45.00

Colors: White; Yellow

Construction: 3-Piece

Cover: Urethane

Dimples: 330