The forged iron marketplace is becoming very competitive these days with companies like MacGregor, Titleist, and TaylorMade all bringing quality products to market.

Although it lacked main stream acceptance, the original J33 Cavity gained an ardent and cult following for its classic looks, soft feel, and performance. With its newest introduction to player’s cavity market, Bridgestone’s J36 Cavity has retained the best parts of the J33 while incorporating some design changes to suit better ball strikers even better.

Technology

Bridgestone Golf has always prided itself on the quality of its product. The J36 Cavity is produced at the Endo manufacturing plant out of soft 1020 carbon steel. Bridgestone uses a warm forging technique and 1600 tons of forging pressure. The end product of this is a more uniform, consistent grain in the metal and a more accurate initial forging which requires less grinding to round into its finished shape.

One of the most prominent features of the J36 cavity is the progressive cavity which lowers the center of gravity from the short irons to the long irons allowing for trajectory control in the short irons with a higher ball flight in the long irons. To further enhance this trajectory control, progressive offset is also used. However, these irons depart from the J33 in their overall size. The J36 has a smaller, more compact head shape which helps the club glide through thicker rough with less resistance as well framing the ball in a way that’s more pleasing to the better player.

The most noticeable change is the move to a progressive taper sole. In the J36, the sole of the short irons is the same width throughout, while in the long irons it is narrower in the heel. Added trailing edge relief helps the club perform well from the thinnest lies.

Aesthetics

When the J36 irons were first introduced, many were shocked to see blue and black graphics on the clubs. Although Bridgestone has been a traditional company from a looks perspective, they sought to include a point of difference with the J36. Something to catch a customer’s eye and separate it from the sea of clubs on a retailer’s wall. According to Bridgestone Golf’s marketing manager Danny Le,

"We wanted something that gives it a little more curb appeal and makes people say, ‘There’s a product, let me go see this.’ Once they put the product down at address, that’s where we get the consumer. It’s a beautiful product, it feels great, and it was just a matter of getting it in their hands. That was the reason for the blue wave."

To anyone who might be put off by the graphics, I would strongly urge you to go see the product in person. The graphics are far more subtle in person than in any pictures and once the club is in playing position you will forget all about colors.

From address, the J36 is everything a golfer could want. The thin top line and small clubhead frame the golf ball perfectly. The club is finished in a bright nickel chrome while the cavity has a satin treatment for a clean appearance. More players clubs seem to be moving to a rounded shape, the high toe throughout the set is really a welcome look from address.

Topline views of the 9, 7, and 3 irons.

Performance

Whether it is distance or trajectory, it is important for golfers to control their irons. This is an area where the J36 Cavity shines. The J36 will allow you to move the ball high to low, or left to right and all points in between. The compact head shape makes it very easy to align and it is very easy to work the ball left to right. The progressive center of gravity makes trajectory control easy. The long irons are not overly difficult to elevate for maximum carry and stopping power on hard greens. However, the short irons still retain a penetrating ball flight for greater accuracy even in heavy winds.

The tapered sole design is really a tremendous asset. Better players tend to be aggressive with short irons, taking a substantial divot while sweeping long irons with more of a shallow swing. The wider soles on the short irons promote stability through the turf so a divot can be taken even in soft conditions without fear of digging. As the set progresses to long irons, the soles narrow towards the heel helping shallow swings cut through the turf easier. It is a simple idea that works very well. The tapered sole combined with the slightly blunt leading edge prevents digging in soft conditions. However, the trailing edge relief makes it easy to play off firm, tight lies.

The tapered sole design can be seen comparing the 9, 6, and 3 irons.

Feel is another area where the J36 excels. Endo forgings are well known for their distinctive feel that is soft, but still crisp. The muscle on the J36 enhances the feel - a minimal cavity and plenty of mass behind the ball provide a very solid feel at impact. On misses, the feedback is perceptible, it is easy to know when you miss towards the toe and heel. However, the feedback isn’t the stinging hands feel other traditional cavity backs can have. Even the most discerning forged iron users will have no problem switching to these cavity backs.

As far as forgiveness, looking at the cavity (or lack thereof) gives you an indication that these irons will cost you some distance and accuracy on misses. Such is the price golfers have to pay for a small club head that retains the ability to work the ball. This is right in line with the typical miss for a better player which tends to be high and low on the face rather than away form center. So better players who can consistently hit the center of the club face should have no trouble handling these irons. The J36 is just as forgiving as any other player’s cavity set on the market and will be a perfect option for the muscle back player wanting a touch more forgiveness without sacrificing control.

Conclusion

Bridgestone has made major strides in the club market with their first offerings in the J33 line. The J36 is the next logical step, retaining the same classic style but with some added tweaks that produce noticeable performance benefits. One important factor I neglected to mention is the ability to combine the cavity back with the rest of the Bridgestone line. Bridgestone’s J36 Blade and Pocket Cavity were designed in concert with the Cavity to provide golfers with the ability to design their own perfect combo set. So a golfer who wants more control in the short irons can add the J36 blade while someone seeking more forgiveness and higher launch in the long irons can add the Pocket Cavity. Entering the market at $799 price point, the J36 is a steal compared to other forged iron which sets creep towards the $850-999 range. The J36 is a perfect player’s iron, easy to control while still providing the soft feel and traditional looks golfers love.