There is a difference, my dear friends, between die-hard golf blog readers and normal people.
Normal golfers don’t focus on the details of the golf ball the way golf blog readers (and writers) do. Most of them would not know the difference between cast urethane and Polythen Pam. A core is what’s left after you’ve eaten an apple, a mantle is either Mickey or that thing on the fireplace, and dimples are what happen when babies smile.
Bless their hearts, some of these so-called “normal people play golf just for fun.
Yet they look at us as if we are strange.
All joking aside, there is something to be said for keeping the golf ball message simple. That’s the approach Bridgestone is taking with its new e12 golf balls. The 2025 e12 line features three ionomer coated golf balls, each with a specific purpose for a specific “normal person” golfer.
This is not terribly unique. The interesting part is twofold. First, three options give Bridgestone a decent story to tell that is rare for an ionomer ball. The second is the expansion of Mindset.
Bridgestone e12 Golf Balls: The Evolution of a Line
Bridgestone stakes a legitimate claim for inventing golf ball fit. Since 2006, it has collected data from more than four million golfers hitting not only Bridgestones, but competitors’ balls as well.
“One thing we’ve learned is that 85 percent of golfers who hit ionomer-covered distance balls are losing distance because their launch conditions aren’t optimized,” Bridgestone marketing manager Elliott Mellow tells MyGolfSpy.
“It could be a trajectory problem, it could be a horizontal (hook/slice) problem, or it could be a rotation problem. Either way, for that 85 percent, it’s not a ball speed problem. It’s a trajectory problem.”
According to Bridgestone, nearly half of that 85 percent is horizontally challenged. They are the ones who lose distance because they are hitting the ball crooked. Just over half of those left struggle with getting the ball in the air. The rest tend to have the opposite problem: they hit it too high and lose distance by ballooning the ball.
After ranking golfers into those three buckets, Bridgestone set out to engineer a solution: the Optimal Flight System.
Now before you start…
I know, I know,”GET THE LESSONS!!“”Golf balls will not fix a bad swing,” yada yada yada. No one, least of all Bridgestone, is claiming that the new e12 HiLaunch, e12 Speed or e12 Straight will magically turn a hook/slicer into a long, straight bomber. The Optimal Flight System was created for a nobler and simpler purpose: to help golfers have more fun on the course.
If you tend to hit the ball too low, it’s probably a swing speed problem. That’s why you’re seeing OEMs offering game-enhancing irons with an HL specification that feature weaker loft and lower centers of gravity to help get the ball in the air. The new Bridgestone e12 HiLaunch is also built to help. It is a two-piece ball with shallow dimples and the lowest compression in the new e12 line.
“Because it’s low compression, it stays on the driver’s face longer as you’re moving up,” says Mellow. “It gives you a high kick. The dimple package then helps keep the ball in the air longer.”
For the cheater/cutter, it’s the e12 Straight. It is the only three-piece ball in the formation. It is also a low compression ball, not as low as the e12 HiLaunch. The hard cover and mantle layer help reduce spin, and Bridgestone’s Contact Force dimples create more surface contact between the ball and the club. This also helps control tee rotation.
The E12 Speed has the highest compression of the new Bridgestone e12 golf balls. The combination of higher compression and a deeper dimple pattern promotes a more penetrating ball flight for players who need to get the ball down.
“We think 44 percent of distance ball players will fit the e12 Straight,” says Mellow. “That will be our horse, but we think HiLaunch has a chance to be the sleeper of the bunch.”
“I have my heart set on you…”
Also of note with the new Bridgestone e12 golf balls is the addition of MindSet.
Released last year in Bridgestone’s Tour B line, the MindSet is a unique notation system designed by Jason Day and his mental coach Jason Goldsmith to help players develop a consistent pre-shot routine. MindSet is a three-step, three-color process. First, the circle and red arrow ask you to identify your target. Second, the inner yellow circle prompts you to visualize the stroke. Finally, the green dot says focus on the shot and let’s rip.
It’s not just a tick on the ball for fun. There is a real science behind the design.
“By going through this process, you start by activating the analytical side of your brain,” says Mellow. “By the time you get to the green dot, the analytical side shuts down and the athletic side takes over to make the swing.”
The idea is to quiet the mind and keep it from getting in the way. To paraphrase Crash Davis, “Don’t think, Mish. It just hit him.”
Does it work or is it just a scam?
A fair question. And as with anything designed to help the mental side of the game, it depends on who is using it. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Bridgestone’s own testing shows that MindSet can be quite useful, especially for higher handicaps.
“We’ve found that the higher your hurdle, the more advantageous it is for you to use a technology like MindSet,” says Mellow. “You probably don’t have a pre-shoot routine, or the one you use could use some refinement. That’s where MindSet helps.”
Bridgestone studied dozens of players with a wide range of handicaps and found that 80 percent saw their scores drop by an average of three strokes after using MindSet for five rounds. Specifically, the test showed that MindSet helped players with higher handicaps more than players with lower handicaps. The bottom line was that higher handicap players typically do not have a pre-shot routine or mental visualization process of any kind.
Of course, this is a Bridgestone study of how effective an already released and marketed Bridgestone feature is, so a grain of salt or two may be in order. Last spring, MyGolfSpy conducted its own MindSet study with 30 Forum members. The study was less focused on scoring as it was on ball performance as well as MindSet’s impact on distance, accuracy and putting efficiency.
Distance data was unclear, given that it was early spring and several players changed from unsuitable balls. Accuracy (straight hitting) was also spotty, but, again, it was an early spring test. Testers found that MindSet helped as a setting and focus aid. As a group, all testers saw a reduction in shots per round and an overall reduction in three shots.
You can view the test thread here.
Final thoughts
Many people out there play golf just for fun. The new e12 golf balls seem to be Bridgestone’s way of saying that those people can have nice things too.
“These balls are fun for us to design because they’re really a blank slate,” says Mellow. “Going from one e12 ball in 2023 to three e12 balls now, consumer data drove it. It fits our ethos of being a relevant company.”
With the target golfer in mind, Bridgestone is also simplifying its appropriate e12 messaging. As we mentioned at the top, these are golfers who don’t read blogs and don’t bother with golf ball technology. They just want something round and pitted to hit. Bridgestone’s visual messages are designed to help the golfer choose the right e12 for their game.
“We’re not going to get into the nuances of dimple depth or core composition,” Mellow explains. “We want to avoid some of the traditional jargon that can get lost on that golfer and we want to simplify it in terms of what that golfer can expect on the course.”
Bridgestone e12 Golf Balls: Price and Availability
The new Bridgestone e12 golf balls will retail for $34.99. That might seem high for an ionomer ball, but Bridgestone is packing a little more technology into these golf balls than you’d find in a $22.99-a-dozen two-piece ball. It’s pulling a few different levers to deliver performance specific to each target golfer, who generally isn’t looking to pay the premium for a “tournament-grade” urethane ball, probably won’t buy a DTC brand online, and wants the comfort of a household name. . It might not be you, but Bridgestone believes there are plenty of golfers out there who feel that way.
Not surprisingly, the retail price of $34.99 is the same as the 2023 edition.
The new Bridgestone e12 HiLauch and e12 Speed will be available in standard white. The E12 Straight will be available in white, matte green and matte yellow.
They hit retail on February 14th.
For more information, visit the Bridgestone website.
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