Whenever Tiger Woods makes his long-awaited return to professional golf, he’ll do so with a new golf ball.
Bridgestone Golf announced its new 2026 Tour B golf ball lineup on Tuesday, featuring a new VeloSurge core-mantle integration technology, which testing showed gave golfers 2 mph more ball speed and nearly 9 extra yards of distance.
“I am always looking for more pop off the tee, and this new ball absolutely delivers,” Woods said in a press release. “I’ve trusted Bridgestone for more than 25 years, and this one takes performance to a whole new level.”
Keep reading below for more on the 2026 Bridgestone Tour B golf balls.
What’s actually new with the 2026 Bridgestone Tour B — and why you should care
The new Tour B series was developed from the VS Proto Project (short for VeloSurge), which identified the new core material and began testing it with amateurs and Bridgestone staff pros.
According to the company, VeloSurge delivers a “seamless synergy” between the mantle and the core. The mantle layer is also denser, which increases the golf balls MOI, driving faster ball speeds.
“It took a tremendous amount of work to develop VeloSurge Technology and the new family of TOUR B golf balls,” Bridgestone president Dan Murphy said in a release. “The results speak for themselves, and I’m confident saying this is undeniably the most advanced iteration of the TOUR B golf ball we’ve ever produced. Anyone who gets fit for the new TOUR B will immediately see the difference in ball speed, distance, accuracy and durability.”
During VS prototype testing, which included Jason Day and Chris Gotterup, as well as amateur players, testers of all speeds experienced average speed gains of 2.3 mph of ball speed equating to 8.7 yards of distance.
Matt Kuchar used the VS Proto Black (Tour B X) to win the PNC Father-Son last December and Gotterup used the same ball this past weekend to win the Sony Open.
The 2026 Bridgestone Tour B lineup
2026 Tour B X
What is it: The firmest and fastest ball in the lineup and is played by Tiger Woods, Chris Gotterup, Kurt Kitayama and Matt Kuchar.
Who it’s for: Players with swing speeds over 105 mph seeking maximum distance from their golf ball.
2026 Tour B XS
What is it: While firmer than the RX golf balls, the XS is softer than the Tour B X and spins more around the greens.
Who it’s for: Players with swing speeds over 105 mph seeking additional spin.
2026 Tour B RX
What is it: A lower compression ball geared for lower launch and spin for maxium distance.
Who it’s for: Players with swing speeds under 105 mph seeking maximum distance from their golf ball.
