Bridgestone e12 Splash is Golf's First Hydrophobic Golf Ball

Wet golf balls are like wet tires - they just don't offer that much grip. But, Bridgestone is looking to change that with the introduction of the new e12 Splash, which features a new RPL-X coating to improve wet ball performance and reduce the likelihood of the dreaded mud-ball.

How Does Golf Ball Traction Affect Shots?

Less grip means less control because water between the ball and the clubface reduces spin. Now you might be thinking to yourself, "But doesn't less spin help make a drive fly straighter?" You're right and wrong depending on the circumstance, because as we learned this year at The Open Championship, when the conditions are wet, players want to maintain control by adding spin.

Too little spin also causes another major issue: distance control with approach shots, and if you're trying to score thats the last thing you want!

"We’re thrilled to launch the first ball that delivers truly superior performance in wet conditions," Adam Rehberg, Sr. Marketing Manager of Product for Bridgestone Golf said. "The RPL-X Coating on the new e12 SPLASH is the result of years of dedicated development and represents another breakthrough manufacturing innovation from Bridgestone’s world-class engineering team. For golfers who play in wet or muddy conditions, the e12 SPLASH is a performance game-changer.

What Is The e12 Splash?

The e12 Splash is an extension of the e12 ball and features a soft, low-compression core along with a sidespin-reducing mantle to help produce a straighter ball flight.

As for the aerodynamics, the golf ball also includes Bridgestone's proprietary Contact Force Dimple pattern to stabilize ball flight and maximize energy transfer at impact.

Mindset

One more technology included with the e12 Splash is Bridgestone's MindSet visual technology which was developed in partnership with Jason Day and his performance coach Jason Goldsmith to help golfers focus in preparation for each shot (specifically, where the ball can be placed), on the tee and when putting.

The three-step color-coded process is desiged to help golfers: Identify, Visualize, and Focus,

Bridgestone’s testing research, has proven MindSet is especially beneficial for those golfers who generally score above 90, a group that represents roughly 75% of recreational players.

The new Bridgestone e12 SPLASH will be available at retail on October 10 and will be priced at $34.99 a dozen.