Tiger intends to chase distance and use Bridgestone’s Tour B X ball for the following few occasions.
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Tiger Woods has been extra keen to make tools changes in recent times. But if there’s one piece of gear he’s not often touched, it’s the golf ball.
Going all the way in which again to Woods’ time with Nike within the early 2000 — when he made the swap from a wound ball to strong building — he’s traditionally performed a softer ball with extra spin in an effort to work the ball each instructions and get the required zip across the inexperienced.
It’s a golf ball recipe that’s served Woods properly for greater than twenty years, however based on Bridgestone Golf, all indicators level to the 15-time main winner altering the recipe and switching away from the Tour B XS and into the Tour B X for not less than The Match and PNC Championship.
“These are more of an exhibition-type situation, and I think that’s factoring into his decision,” Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s golf ball advertising supervisor, advised GOLF.com. “So he’ll be a Tour B X player at least for the next few events. He’s been looking at distance and the greenside spin is where it needs to be.”
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In the run-up to the following version of The Match, which pits Woods and Rory McIlroy in opposition to Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, Woods started testing the Tour B X on his at-home simulator and seen an uptick of practically 10 yards of further carry, which quantities to roughly one much less membership into the outlet on strategy pictures. (The Tour B and Tour B XS are each three-piece balls geared for swing speeds over 105 mph, however the firmer X is constructed to decrease flight and spin.)
From there, Woods examined the ball across the inexperienced, to make sure it nonetheless had the required shot-game spin, earlier than taking it to the Bahamas for on-course testing within the wind.
“The real test was [in the Bahamas during Hero week] where it hit it into different winds and liked the ball flight,” Mellow stated. “The comments we’ve heard from Tiger and his team is that it’s really cool that if he’s looking for something different, we don’t have to go out and build him a specific ball. He can just go to something we’re already making that’s on the retail shelf.”
Tiger Woods and the golf ball that (nearly) modified all of it
Jonathan Wall
Indeed, Woods plans to play the identical retail Tour B X discovered on retail cabinets. The solely factor that might differentiate Woods’ ball from the retail mannequin is the addition of a “TIGER” aspect stamp — however even that’s up within the air.
Mellow confirmed they’re presently within the course of of making Woods sufficient balls along with his common aspect stamp and 1 play quantity for each occasions.
“We’re trying to figure that out as we speak,” he stated with a chuckle. (*1*)
As far as Woods’ plan for Tour B X after The Match and PNC, Bridgestone isn’t anticipating he’ll follow the firmer providing. Assuming Woods makes his means again to Augusta in April, anticipate him to have his common Tour B XS in tow.
“The Tour B XS is still a ball he helped co-design, and it’s a ball he’ll probably go back to in those situations where he needs more playability and workability in the golf ball,” stated Mellow. “We don’t get the impression this is a permanent thing. It’s more situational. He’s chasing distance more than spin for all the obvious reasons.”
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