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Bridgestone J36 Lineup Preview

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16 years ago

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New for 2008, Bridgestone Golf has just announced the new J36 lineup of irons, hybrids, and wedges.

Ever since Bridgestone announced they would begin making golf clubs in the U.S. under the Bridgestone brand, they have maintained better players as the primary focus. The J33 Blade, Combo, and Cavity were all solid products that became favorites among better players for their performance and clean looks. Rather than attempt the "all things to all golfers" mentality of its Tour Stage sister brand in Japan, Bridgestone has embraced it’s niche category in the U.S. and the J36 line will seek to compete in the industry in a new way, while still paying homage to their 36 years of innovation as a company. The new line includes three sets of irons, the J36 Blade, J36 Cavity, J36 Pocket Cavity, a new J36 Hybrid, and new West Coast Designs Wedges.

Irons

Bridgestone has continued their commitment to forged irons and the J36 irons will be forged by the Endo Golf Manufacturing facility. The unique forging process utilizes a warm forging and then presses the irons four times at 1600 tons producing a precise initial forging which requires less grinding and finishing along with a more uniform grain structure in the metal. Designed with input from tour players like Fred Couples and Stuart Appleby, all the irons feature a sole that progressively widens from heel to toe making it easier to work the ball. Also, trailing edge relief on all the irons allows the club to drag less through the turf making it easier to play in a variety of conditions. The standard shaft for the line up will be Rifle Project X Flighted. The big change with the J36 line will be complete customization available from Bridgestone. Whatever combination of clubs, shafts, and grips a golfer wants will be possible. Also, since the the club heads were designed in tandem, the specifications were all designed to work in concert with each other. As a result, a golfer wanting a custom set of J36 Blade in PW-8, J36 Cavity in 7-5 J36, and Pocket Cavity in the 4-3 will have no problems doing so.

J36 Blade

The J33 Blade was a direct import from the Tour with input and approval from PGA Tour players like Stuart Appleby. The J33 Blade’s long hosel and heel biased center of mass gave better players the control they desire, but also required a tour caliber swing to achieve results. The new J36 blade will still provide players all the control they want, but in a much more playable package. Gone is the long hosel, replaced with a standard sized one making it much more playable.

However, traditional blade players will be glad to know that the muscle is still placed high on the club without cutouts other companies use to make their clubs more forgiving. This club will still be a great option for players looking to control ball flight and maintain accuracy. The topline of the J36 blade is still very thin and frame the ball very will for better players thanks to minimal offset. The thin sole has a slightly blunted leading edge to prevent digging accommodating players who like to hit down on the ball. With a center of gravity located more towards the center of the face, golfers will find a more playable J36 Blade that still provides them all the control they need.

J36 Cavity

A silver medal winner in Golf Digest’s 2008 Hot List, the J36 Cavity has recieved some updating. It also has the same trailing edge relief and tapered sole design as the rest of the line. With a slightly wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the blade, it is more forgiving, flies higher, but still provides control for better players and allows the golfer to work the ball in either direction.

 J36 Pocket Cavity

The new addition to the J36 line is the Pocket Cavity, so called because of the cavity cut into the back of the club. The cavity moves the center of gravity lower and deeper than any of the other clubs in the line. While this provides the most forgiveness of the entire lineup, it still retains the looks even the most ardent traditionalists will like. Even in the longest irons, the cavity is not visible from address and provides quite a bit of forgiveness while still retaining the feel people have come to trust in other one piece forgings.


The Pocket Cavity is the highest launching club in the line. Although it has a slightly thicker topline than its brothers, it still flows well for those who might be interested in including it as part of a combo set.

J36 Hybrids

The J36 Hybrid is an extension of last year’s Gravity Chamber hybrid. The J36 shares the same channel in the sole which increases MOI by moving weight to the perimiter. However, it improves upon the previous version with an updated CAD designed sole, a completely neutral weighting and face angle. The hybrid’s deep face and short length make it very playable off the tee and rough as well as from the fairway. The hybrid comes standard with the eighty gram Aldila VS Proto shaft standard. The top line of the club has been fully painted, a look most better players prefer.

West Coast Liquid Copper Wedges

The Satin West Coast Wedges were a big hit for Bridgestone, and the newly updated version capitalizes on the basic design but adds a fully milled face and a raw oil can finish. The milled face allows for a perfectly flat hitting surface for accuracy and the addition of milling marks allows for increased spin on short shots.

Variable Bounce Technology is used on the sole to allow the club the play with full bounce when square and less when the blade is opened or closed. The wedge also has the same long hosel as previous versions giving the club a high center of gravity to help control ball flight height on full swings.

 

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. PWW

    Apr 18, 2009 at 11:28 am

    My son is a junior golfer and recently selected the J36 Blades over the Titleist ZM1’s. He was impressed with the ability to work the ball better and felt that he ended up having more confidence. Terrific feel also.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Brent Gerreyn

    Oct 5, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    The new J36 pocket cavity irons are fantastic!
    Its like hitting a ball of butter and I think I will be aiming toward getting a set of these in my bag.
    They feel tough and solid at address, while at impact the feel is a sence of pure balance.
    Congratulations to Bridgestone on releasing a club that is a pleasure to use.

    Reply Report comment

  3. Atlas0_6

    Dec 29, 2007 at 12:44 am

    I am glad that Bridgestone is making a niche style push in the U.S. market. There are a great many choices for game improvement irons and only a handful of the more accomplished player equipment manufactors. I like the look of the new wedges as well as the Blade and pocket cavity designs.

    I guess finally we will see some of the more innovative and creative items coming from Asia to the U.S.

    Bravo Brigdestone.

    Reply Report comment

  4. Rich Hetzel

    Dec 26, 2007 at 9:11 pm

    I think Bridgestone should make a major push into the US market. I was at Golf Galaxy to today and all they had 1 one set of J33cb irons. The new hybrid and wedges are really sparking my interest. Great review Kiran, and thanks to Bridgestone!

    Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)

Published

10 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4

More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.

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Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?

Published

11 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.

The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?

Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.

When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.

To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.

Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.

“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.

“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”

Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.

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Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird

Published

13 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.

On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.

Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?

Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’

So that’s why I went back.

 

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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?

It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.

Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.

It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.

Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.

Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.

So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?

Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play? 

Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.

There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.

It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.

Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.

And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?

Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’

If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’

My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’

I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”

And you’re going with it this week?

Hundred percent.

Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week. 

Thanks, man.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

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