The Unusual Ball Graphic Proving To Be The Secret To Success On Tour

After a thrilling end to the 3M Open on Sunday, Kurt Kitayama picked up his second PGA Tour title, just two weeks after Chris Gotterup triumphed at The Renaissance Club, winning the Genesis Scottish Open. While at first glance you may not think these two wins are linked in any way, shape, or form. However, after closer inspection, there is one common denominator - both players used a Bridgestone Tour BX Mindset golf ball to help get across the line and pick up valuable Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup points, respectively.

The Tour B X ball itself is already regarded as one of the best golf balls on the market, and we loved it while conducting our testing, but it’s the Mindset color graphic on the side of these recent tour winners' balls that we think could get fellow touring professionals to sit up and pay attention.

Bridgestone created this ball with help and feedback from former PGA Championship winner Jason Day. The idea behind the ball is a three-step system that is designed to aid golfers with a pre-shot routine - Identify, Visualise, and Focus.

The red circle prompts the player to identify their target and gather information, the yellow circle encourages visualization of the shot's path, and the green dot provides a final, focused point of concentration before execution.

There is little to no preparation that can prepare you for the pressure you’ll face when competing in a golf tournament on the biggest stage, so having a consistent pre-shot routine and pattern you can revert to can help you remain in the moment, and is what Bridgestone is trying to achieve with their Mindset Technology.

Both Gotterup and Kitayama officially joined the Bridgestone team at the beginning of 2025 and the decision to put the Tour B X Mindset ball into play has paid immediate dividends.

Gotterup recently spoke on social media about how the Mindset golf ball helped him remain calm and focused under the pressure in Scotland “It just provides a lot more clarity on what I’m trying to achieve” said Gotterup “Rather than just hit it down the left, I’m going to do this, this and this and then I focus on the green dot when I’m ready to go”.

With both Gotterup and Kitayama winning using the same ball and the same technology in a matter of weeks, it leads to the question: Is this a ball that more golfers should be using to focus the mind, or are we likely to see other manufacturers pay attention and look to start incorporating similar technology on their golf balls?

A lot of tour players are very particular about their golf equipment, especially with the golf ball, and so while a single victory may not have raised any awareness, two wins in the last 3 events could very well raise some eyebrows.

As we enter the business end of the season and the final regular event of the PGA Tour schedule, it’s highly unlikely to see those in a good position heading into the playoffs make any kind of equipment change. However, as some players' seasons end next week, all eyes will be on the equipment lists heading into the FedEx Cup fall series to see if more players adopt this ball, especially if any more wins are picked up in the meantime.