Over the past couple of months, MyGolfSpy Forum members had the opportunity to test and evaluate a series of unreleased prototype golf balls from Bridgestone, the VS series, including VS Blue, VS Black, VS Red and VS Green. These prototype balls ultimately evolved into the new 2026 Tour B lineup featuring new VeloSurge technology, reinforcing Bridgestone’s continued push toward speed, consistency and player-specific performance.
Bridgestone came to the MyGolfSpy Forum for a reason.
Our community is built on honest, unbiased, real-golfer feedback, and Bridgestone—a company deeply rooted in engineering, innovation and performance—wanted authentic, on-course insight from everyday players to help inform product development. Not robots. Not filtered feedback. Real golfers playing real golf.
And, as always, the community delivered. You can read the full breakdown of the test within this thread.
Across multiple rounds, launch monitor sessions, short-game testing and direct comparisons to gamers like Pro V1, TP5x and Bridgestone’s previous Tour B lineup, testers provided clear, thoughtful and detailed feedback.
More than 100 MyGolfSpy Forum members had the opportunity to put these golf balls to the test in a wide range of conditions and here is what they found.
VS Blue → Tour B XS — The Most Complete Performer
The VS Blue prototype, which became the new Tour B XS, received the most consistent praise and emerged as the most widely playable option.
Distance and speed
“I’m seeing half a club more through the bag.”
“Drives are 8–12 yards longer than my gamer.”
“Ball speed feels noticeably higher.”
“Carry numbers jumped without changing my swing.”
“Feels fast but still controllable.”
Approach and iron play
“Flight is strong and predictable.”
“Carry numbers are very consistent.”
“Holds its line really well.”
“Very stable through the wind.”
“I trust the yardages with this ball.”
Short game
“Soft, but not mushy.”
“One hop, check, and release.”
“Very predictable around the greens.”
“Great spin without being jumpy.”
“Confidence booster with wedges.”
Comparisons
“It does everything my Tour B XS does … and then some.”
“Feels very close to Pro V1 performance.”
“More speed than my gamer without losing control.”
Noted by testers:
“Driver misses can get spinny.”
“Doesn’t hide poor strikes.”
“On toe or heel strikes, spin jumps a bit.”
Expanded summary
The VS Blue prototype (Tour B XS) clearly focused on delivering higher ball speed without sacrificing greenside spin and feel. For many testers, this ball represented the best balance of performance across the bag—combining distance gains, reliable iron flight and predictable short-game control. While mishits could produce slightly higher spin, strong strikes delivered excellent results, making the Tour B XS one of the most complete and versatile balls in the lineup.
VS Black → Tour B X — Speed and trajectory (Fit dependent)
The VS Black prototype, which became the new Tour B X, produced some of the most measurable gains—and the most varied reactions. This is also the golf ball Chris Gotterup has used on his way to two PGA Tour wins already this year.
Speed and launch monitor feedback
“I was seeing 3–5 mph more ball speed compared to my TP5x.”
“Ball speed was up across the bag.”
“Very fast off the face.”
“This thing really jumps.”
“Speed gains were obvious.”
Flight
“Penetrating trajectory.”
“Cuts through the wind really well.”
“Lower launch, very strong flight.”
“Feels like it wants to stay down and run.”
Putting and durability
“This is where it really shines.”
“Played two full rounds with one ball.”
“Durability has been excellent.”
“Held up better than expected.”
Noted by testers:
“Launch was too low for my swing.”
“Lost some carry distance.”
“Had wedge shots come up 10–15 yards short.”
“Needs the right launch window.”
Expanded summary
The VS Black (Tour B X) focused on maximizing ball speed and reducing spin for players who generate excess spin naturally. For higher-spin players, the results were outstanding: faster speeds, flatter trajectory and strong wind performance. However, players already in low-spin windows occasionally struggled with launch and carry. The new Tour B X clearly targets players seeking speed and control through optimized launch conditions.
VS Red → Tour B RX — Short-game specialist
The VS Red prototype (Tour B RX) established itself as the feel-focused option in the lineup.
Greenside performance
“Best feel around the greens.”
“Really soft on chips and pitches.”
“Very easy to control rollout.”
“Great spin on scoring shots.”
“Excellent touch and feedback.”
Touch and feedback
“Great confidence on delicate shots.”
“Feels like it stays on the face longer.”
“Very responsive.”
“Easy to hit controlled chips.”
Durability notes
“Cart paths and sand are kind of eating them up.”
“Cover wear showed up faster.”
“Scuffs earlier than the others.”
Expanded summary
The VS Red (Tour B RX) focused on delivering maximum feel and short-game control for moderate swing speed players. While durability showed some premature wear, many testers accepted this trade-off for improved responsiveness and touch. The new Tour B RX remains the lineup’s feel-driven performer, emphasizing scoring performance and consistency around the greens.
VS Green → Tour B RXS — Balanced and predictable
The VS Green prototype (Tour B RXS) quietly earned strong respect for its balanced performance.
Flight and consistency
“Most neutral flight of the group.”
“Very predictable carry.”
“Nothing extreme—just solid.”
“Easy to trust.”
“Very stable ball flight.”
Spin
“Enough spin to trust wedges.”
“Not overly spinny or low spin.”
“Very controllable.”
Tester perspective
“The least surprising—in a good way.”
“If I had to play one without thinking, this would be it.”
“Feels very balanced.”
Expanded summary
The VS Green (Tour B RXS) emphasized balanced performance across speed, spin and feel, creating a stable, predictable ball for players seeking tour-level consistency without extremes. While it did not produce the highest speed or spin numbers, its reliability and control made it one of the most dependable performers in the test group.
Overall community takeaways
Across all four prototypes—now represented in the 2026 Tour B lineup—consistent themes emerged.
- Ball speed gains were real, particularly with Tour B XS (VS Blue) and Tour B X (VS Black).
- Greenside performance remained strong across the entire lineup.
- Driver fit varied significantly depending on player launch and spin profile.
- Durability differed slightly by model, not universally.
- Each ball clearly targeted a distinct player type.
As one tester summarized:
“This isn’t about one best ball; it’s about finding the right one.”
Closing thoughts
This testing opportunity represents exactly how MyGolfSpy Forum Member Testing works.
Companies provide equipment—but the community provides truth. Testers play real rounds, gather real performance data and share honest feedback that helps manufacturers refine and evolve their products. The VS Prototype program is a perfect example: real-golfer feedback contributing directly to the development of the 2026 Tour B lineup and VeloSurge technology, focused on improving speed, consistency and player-specific performance.
Bridgestone continues to gain momentum in the golf ball market through engineering-driven innovation, advanced materials and performance-focused design. From increased ball speed to improved consistency and optimized player fitting, the new 2026 Tour B lineup demonstrates how real-world testing and technology work together to push performance forward.
Thank you to all testers who committed time, rounds and insightful analysis throughout this process. Your feedback helps shape the future of golf equipment—and represents what makes this community truly special.
Doug Hansen
4 months ago
Thanks again Andrew and MSG!!!
I don’t know how you did it, but the fine folks at Bridgestone sent me not only a box of protos very late in the test but also awarded me a box of the production models afterward.
I am very grateful and stoked. I am also initially impressed with the superior paintless cover vs previous RX and RXS . My biggest objection to Bridgies versus Chromesoft in the 2025 (and earlier) iteration was cover durability. Just flying over a cart path seemed to scuff the Bridgies.
Chromies (which I was gaming just as my Protos arrived), on the other hand, don’t scuff until the cover takes on a micro-pebble divot. In earlier iterations I found Chromies to be superior to ~2003-4 around the greens but Bridgestone seemed to fix that around 2004-5.
Somehow I got the VSREDS (TourB RXS) for the test even though typically I game the RXS most often. What I found with my lower driver speed (~90) is that the driver trajectory was much lower and the distance didn’t seem all that great… certainly not a discernible gain. But I am intrigued by the “short game specialist” tout for the RED/RX version and will continue to test them vs. the RXS, as I too, with my lack of distance, am a “short game specialist”.
Thanks again!!
-=Doug