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I recently had a chance to test out the new 2026 Tour B series from Bridgestone and found some success with the Tour B XS golf ball.
Bridgestone was kind enough to send me out some more balls for continued testing, and some of the boxes had their MindSet graphic printed on them. I had seen all the marketing of MindSet, which was developed in collaboration with one of my all-time favorite golfers, Jason Day, but I hadn’t put it to use until I was on-course testing just a few days ago.
The honest truth of my experience? I was pleasantly surprised.
I have to be straightforward: going into this test, I had zero faith that the MindSet graphic would actually make a difference for me. I’m a general skeptic when it comes to any “mental strategy assistance” on the golf course, and I also typically try to place my ball with zero logos, graphics or markings facing up when I hit my shot. I like to see a clean white golf ball, so I’m the exact opposite of a player whom the MindSet would be targeted at. However, I trust Jason Day, and I’ve made many equipment changes over the years because of his endorsement. But the steps seem so simple, how could fairly obvious reminders actually help you on the golf course?
The answer? Because they’re reminders. Let’s dive into each.
The 3 Steps of the Bridgestone MindSet
Identify your target
This may seem like a simple direction, represented by the larger red circle. Off the tee, we’re looking to hit the fairway, and then the rest of the time we’re on the course, we’re aiming at the flag, right? Not exactly.
In my effort to get way too into the weeds with each step of the MindSet process, I realized that identifying your target is a much more in-depth process than we may give it credit for. I am an Arccos user, and by pulling up the hole map on each tee box, I started using this first question to plot out the hole. I wasn’t just bombing it and hoping to hit the fairway. I was looking at specific start line targets. I knew where I wanted the ball to land, of course, but I found myself being much more specific about my aim. It wasn’t “the right side of the fairway,” it was “the second-to-last mowing line.” This became even more helpful when I was hitting approach shots, specifically with clubs that I felt I could really score with. I documented a case of this on my Instagram. Going back to my point about the reminders being the purpose. Do I need the MindSet golf balls to remember to do this? No. Will I do this every time I hit my normal golf ball? No. Will I do this every time I am using a Bridgestone MindSet golf ball? You bet.
Visualize your shot path
Now that we’re confident in our target, which for me is the starting and finish line, we can ask ourselves how we want the ball to get there.
This is represented by the smaller orange circle. I normally play a right-to-left ball flight, so I typically ask myself how much I need the ball to move to reach its target, or how much I want it to spin once it gets there. In the case of the above shot I shared on IG, I needed to make sure I hit the ball a bit higher than I normally would, but with some spin to try and get my draw shape to also spin towards the hole on landing. Again, checking my Arccos, it showed there wasn’t much room left of the hole, so with my shot shape, I was confidently aiming about 10 yards right of the hole and hoping to shape it in. Would I have done all this if I weren’t trying to go through the MindSet steps? Probably not. There’s about a 50% chance I would have aimed at the hole and ended up off the green on the left.
Focus on the green dot
The last step is to then focus on the green dot. The smallest feature of the graphic that’s meant to give your eyes a position to lock onto before beginning your swing. There have been plenty of studies on a theory called “Quiet Eye” that show a focal point can be a very valuable tool for repeated success on the course, and this has also influenced PING’s new Eye Q technology. This final step also confirms the first two. You’ve picked your target, and you know you want to hit the shot. You’ve done the work to get ready; now it’s time to focus and execute.
;)
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After a few holes with MindSet, I could genuinely tell a difference in my intention, and that’s the entire point of the alignment aid’s design. I’m the kind of golfer who will completely forget a pre-shot routine, so there is a distinct difference in having the aid on the ball and not. Unfortunately for me, that means I need to do some more ball testing to see if the Tour B XS can knock my Callaway Chrome Tour X out of the bag.
Even giving it a chance is proof of how confident I am that the MindSet graphic can actually help golfers shoot lower scores.
Bridgestone 2026 Tour B XS MindSet Golf Balls
Features:
UNBOUND DISTANCE: New VeloSurge core-mantle integration technology delivers breakthrough velocity for unmatched distance off the tee
TOUR CONTROL: The Reactiv iQ cover adheres to the clubface longer, generating tour-level spin and precision control on shots around the green
The NEW TOUR B XS with MindSet – the first golf ball scientifically designed to help players separate analytical thinking from athletic performance
MindSet is a visual cue printed directly on the golf ball, serving as a reminder of a simple three-step process: identify your target, visualize the shot path, and focus on the dot.
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