Bridgestone J40 Review - THP Demo Day - Full Line
The J40 Dual Pocket Cavity Irons were simply incredible.
I don't care anything about playing forged irons nor intentionally working the ball, so I will continue to game cast, GI irons, but the J40 DPCs felt incredible. Decently thin top-line, and thin soles, but with a nice cavity back forgiveness that really made them stand apart from the couple other forged irons I swung. I do not remember the shaft flex (Project X) that was in these, but I was getting a mid-high flight (what I like) and considering the 6 iron is two degrees weaker than my current gamer, I felt like the distance was very similar.
I wanted to hit the J40 driver, but I think it was getting passed around a fair bit, and I don't remember swinging it.
I don't care anything about playing forged irons nor intentionally working the ball, so I will continue to game cast, GI irons, but the J40 DPCs felt incredible. Decently thin top-line, and thin soles, but with a nice cavity back forgiveness that really made them stand apart from the couple other forged irons I swung. I do not remember the shaft flex (Project X) that was in these, but I was getting a mid-high flight (what I like) and considering the 6 iron is two degrees weaker than my current gamer, I felt like the distance was very similar.
I wanted to hit the J40 driver, but I think it was getting passed around a fair bit, and I don't remember swinging it.
Tmex
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Man I feel like I'm just missing something with the J40 irons. I honestly didn't feel much of a forgiveness difference between the two. Nothing that would kill my rounds.
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that's what happens when you only hit the sweet spot broski
Tmex
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You were hitting this really nice man at the range. Definitely a great club.
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Wake
Active member
I'm with you Yoccos, there was a difference, especially thin, but it wasn't like they were a true blade. There was still some forgiveness packed in there. I feel like I could game them fine on my good days, but would suffer some on my off days.
I play the DPCs and really like them, and, well, you saw how well I was hitting the CBs.............
Wicked Cool Bearded Man
4thegolf+4thefriends
Nice thoughts guys. I really like the looks of the CB's
VA. Vince
SC bound...
J40 DPC's were amazing. Paired with the PX (first time hitting the PX ) ball flight was great. Looks, how can they get any better. I think its the best looking iron on the market today. Great lines and the club just feels good at address, thats a huge plus in my mental game. I thought the were very forgiving as I hit a few off the toe and didnt really notice a distance loss but slightly off target. Great job Bridgestone!
Playdough
Hi.
I know Hanks knows of the love affair that I have with the J40 CB's. This is the sole iron I had to hit this weekend. And i was so sad and upset when it began to rain during the chipping contest because I hadn't hit it yet and figured my chance was gone. So in the pouring rain, Yoccos (i think) said here go hit it. So off into the rain I went with the 7-iron on a Project X 5.5 Flighted shaft with a stock grip. Oh man, was I loving it. The ball flight was a little high for me, and the shaft felt soft to me but the feel from the CB's was sunshine in the rain. Looks wise they have the right amount of off-set, a nice thin top-line which I like, a narrow sole and pleasing hitting area to help with alignment. But the star of the show with these is the feel. What a great feeling iron! For them to call it a cavity back is really a lie, there very little cavity to it. Its more like a perimeter weighted muscle back. It has this lovely weighted triangle on the back that produces nice weighing down low in the head and I could almost feel it push the head through the turf cleanly. This weighting appears to get a little wider and taller on the scoring clubs, but seem to achieve the same swing weight through the set. Exiting cleanly from a shot it does, the small relief on the trailing edge of the sole does wonders for allowing the head to exit cleanly. Felt like i lost very little to no club head speed entering and exiting the turf. The ball was workable, I could control the flight if I wanted, I do what ever I wanted to the ball with this club. So what was it going to be like if I get it on the toe you ask? Forgivness you wouldn't expect. The preimeter weighting that they included allow for solid contact still, no twisting of the club and very little harsh feedback. You can feel it on the toe, but doesn't twist and sting your hands on them. I still felt that it stayed close to on the target line and wouldn't get me in trouble. A little thin? Still gets up and very little harshness. Can you tell I like these yet?
I would love to try these out with a KBS C-Taper Stiff. The stock Project X Flighted are nice, and the feel wasnt bad, but they did feel a little soft to me. I think in a Flighted 6.0 I would consider them a closer fit, but I like a constant taper shaft as that is what I have played for the last 12-13 years.
I would love to try these out with a KBS C-Taper Stiff. The stock Project X Flighted are nice, and the feel wasnt bad, but they did feel a little soft to me. I think in a Flighted 6.0 I would consider them a closer fit, but I like a constant taper shaft as that is what I have played for the last 12-13 years.
Playdough
Hi.
I also did get a little time in with the J40 wedge 54* with the stock DG Spinner. I'm an admitted Vokey guy, and while I liked these, I don't think they will remove the Vokes. I really did like the feel and the size of them, the weight was little off for me. They felt a little light in the head to me, and that could be a product of the DG Spinner, as it seemed to move the balance point up some. There was a J40 with a KBS Hi-Rev, which I didn't get a chance to hit, and I wonder if that would have moved the balance point down some and gave it alittle more head weight and feel. I will say, this is probably the second best wedge I have ever hit in terms of feel. Given the chance to hit the Hi-Rev version I could have a little different outlook on them.
Tadashi70
Well-known member
I honestly think the CB are easier to play than the 588 MB. Having hit both I would choose the J40s because of the consistency I was seeing with my swings. I really felt like I had to bare down with the 588 to get my beat results. Granted I was pretty fresh at demo day and a bit tight early in my round on Saturday but I bet the 588 cost me 2 shots a side combined with my swing.
That being said, you still need to be swinging well to get the best out of the J40 CB. I'm not saying someone could game them for 18 holes and be pleased but I feel to get the most out of your golf ball and the course you have to be compressing the ball and moving it into various positions to score. If your swing is off then more then likely won't happen.
As demo day was coming to a close I grabbed a few drivers and a random iron at the range to use as an alignment club and headed out to the practice holes. I set down my alignment club and proceeded to blast tee shots until I ran out of balls. While walking down what felt like the longest hole ever I figured I might as well hit a few approach shots into the green while I'm out. I checked my club and it was a 9 iron. I got to about 150 yards out and gathered up some balls.
At address, this club looked great. I'm thinking wow, this head looks very sharp. The small head and thin profile really helped me line up my shot. I felt very confident standing over my first ball. First shot was P-U-R-E. Striped right at the flag. The ball flight was nice and high and very appealing to my eye. The feel of the club just skimming through the turf was unreal. I had a nice thin shallow divot in front of the ball. All could think was, "Did that just happen???". I immediately had to turn the club over to find out what I was hitting. Turns out I had picked up a Bridgesone J40 CB with a 6.0 Flighted Shaft.
Ok, was that just a fluke? Let's hit a few more balls. Same result every freaking time! I had a very tight grouping ON THE GREEN. I couldn't believe how good this club / shaft felt and the results I was getting. Ball contact was so nice. I had never felt such smooth contact before.
You've probably never seen anyone more excited to fix ball marks on the green than I was at that moment. I DO NOT HIT GREENS. This was a big thing for me. I promptly repaired the green and cleared the balls before heading to the next practice hole.
I hit a bunch of tee shots and walked out to ~150 again. I had the exact same results. My shots were just lasers. I couldn't believe how well this club worked with my swing.
By this time I saw that everyone had gone over to the putting green for the contest. I swung by and talked to a few people and told them about my results with the clubs. Everyone I talked to that had tried the J40s also seemed very impressed. I wound up sneaking back to the range to find the rest of the set and hit a few balls with them.
Once I had the whole set, I promptly grabbed the 6 iron. Again, I striped it right at the flag. Not only was it straight, but it was high!
I wound up hitting these things until the rain crept in. I grabbed my full set and put them off to the side so that I could try them out Saturday / Sunday. I was very surprised to see how many people were running around trying to grab J40s to take out on the course. They really seemed to be some of the most popular irons out there. The reviews in this thread to support it.
My first hole of the morning round on Saturday was a 190 yard Par3. My back was extremely sore and I could barely swing the club. I made sure I made a nice smooth swing with my 6 iron. Again, high ballflight! Not only that, but I was pin high on a 190 yard Par3! I hit the ball exactly where I was aiming, which unfortunately was a little to the right of the flag. It was simply amazing. The next Par 3 we played was a 180 yarder with wind our face. Again, I striped a 6 iron RIGHT AT THE FLAG. If not for the wind, this thing had a chance!
Sorry for the long post, but I am very excited about these clubs. I used the J40 on every single iron shot for 3 rounds. I simply couldn't hit a bad shot with them. What surprises me is that the other reviewers refer to this line as a players club. Well, I am far from a good player. I have an 18 handicap. Something about these clubs and my swing just worked.
I would really like to thank Bridgestone for sending so many clubs out to Demo Day. I NEVER would have considered hitting a Bridgestone iron, even if I somehow managed to come across one somewhere.
Bridgestone, if you are reading this, please read my next thread in regards to purchasing your product.
At address, this club looked great. I'm thinking wow, this head looks very sharp. The small head and thin profile really helped me line up my shot. I felt very confident standing over my first ball. First shot was P-U-R-E. Striped right at the flag. The ball flight was nice and high and very appealing to my eye. The feel of the club just skimming through the turf was unreal. I had a nice thin shallow divot in front of the ball. All could think was, "Did that just happen???". I immediately had to turn the club over to find out what I was hitting. Turns out I had picked up a Bridgesone J40 CB with a 6.0 Flighted Shaft.
Ok, was that just a fluke? Let's hit a few more balls. Same result every freaking time! I had a very tight grouping ON THE GREEN. I couldn't believe how good this club / shaft felt and the results I was getting. Ball contact was so nice. I had never felt such smooth contact before.
You've probably never seen anyone more excited to fix ball marks on the green than I was at that moment. I DO NOT HIT GREENS. This was a big thing for me. I promptly repaired the green and cleared the balls before heading to the next practice hole.
I hit a bunch of tee shots and walked out to ~150 again. I had the exact same results. My shots were just lasers. I couldn't believe how well this club worked with my swing.
By this time I saw that everyone had gone over to the putting green for the contest. I swung by and talked to a few people and told them about my results with the clubs. Everyone I talked to that had tried the J40s also seemed very impressed. I wound up sneaking back to the range to find the rest of the set and hit a few balls with them.
Once I had the whole set, I promptly grabbed the 6 iron. Again, I striped it right at the flag. Not only was it straight, but it was high!
I wound up hitting these things until the rain crept in. I grabbed my full set and put them off to the side so that I could try them out Saturday / Sunday. I was very surprised to see how many people were running around trying to grab J40s to take out on the course. They really seemed to be some of the most popular irons out there. The reviews in this thread to support it.
My first hole of the morning round on Saturday was a 190 yard Par3. My back was extremely sore and I could barely swing the club. I made sure I made a nice smooth swing with my 6 iron. Again, high ballflight! Not only that, but I was pin high on a 190 yard Par3! I hit the ball exactly where I was aiming, which unfortunately was a little to the right of the flag. It was simply amazing. The next Par 3 we played was a 180 yarder with wind our face. Again, I striped a 6 iron RIGHT AT THE FLAG. If not for the wind, this thing had a chance!
Sorry for the long post, but I am very excited about these clubs. I used the J40 on every single iron shot for 3 rounds. I simply couldn't hit a bad shot with them. What surprises me is that the other reviewers refer to this line as a players club. Well, I am far from a good player. I have an 18 handicap. Something about these clubs and my swing just worked.
I would really like to thank Bridgestone for sending so many clubs out to Demo Day. I NEVER would have considered hitting a Bridgestone iron, even if I somehow managed to come across one somewhere.
Bridgestone, if you are reading this, please read my next thread in regards to purchasing your product.
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
Great write-up.
TC
Keg Thrower
Truefx, sounds like demo day was a pure treat for you. I'm glad you got to experience it and use it to make some educated purchases.
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
TrueFX that post is what demo day is all about dude. Fantastic
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Tmex
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That wasnt your fault! Haha, yeah man I agree they're not for everyone.
Exactly dude but I'm getting the impression that some are putting the DPC's on another level of forgiveness, which is something I didnt see at all. You're going to suffer with any club on an off day and I couldnt see the DPC's saving a round for me. If that makes sense, Im not mad.. just seems like Im missing something.
Tmex
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Thats an awesome review write up right there man! Glad you found something that worked for you!
StillMyShot
New member
When I went to demo day, my main interest was trying out drivers. The Bridgestone J40 was in my top 3. I loved the feel of the ball coming off that head. It felt like the spin was right. The rain came up before I could get actual numbers from the launch monitor, but it sure felt good.
Ive hit and owned the J40 DPC irons and think they are fantastic sticks. They offer a little bit of everything in a great package. What surprised me were the J40 CB's. And the driver. Not that I hit either all that well but saw THP after THP dude hit them fantastic. I got to play with Bridgestone staffer / rock star TourMex on Sunday and he put on a J40 clinic. He punished the golf ball with that J40 driver so well I wanted one. And he hits the irons so well I think he should play them in the MC over the DPC's. Those CB's are a fantastic iron that are a lot more forgiving then I gave them credit for.
Chunkylover77
Proud JakeNation Member
TourMex gets the coveted KMac seal of approval! I really want to hit this entire lineup
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Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
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KMac, let me just say this.. after hitting the DPC I was thinking to myself.. man what a fantastic iron do I really want to go CB?!?!?!! But taking the CB's out showed me a few things about them. They're not imtimidating and I think they are some of the best, if not the best irons I've ever hit. Not I20 forgiving but neither were the DPC's for me. I just think you gotta play whatever floats your boat when it comes to this line of irons. So thankful that bridgestone sent as many sets as they did and thought it was a great thing they did it.
It just made my day dude! Its just illustrates how everyones swing is different man!
Tadashi70
Well-known member
I have to agree with Kmac, I watched Tmex pure several different 'player'
Irons on the range. I think he could game the cb with some success but I would guard against the long irons. 6-pw might be the way to go. Maybe 5-PW and a 4hyb to fill that gap.
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
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Agreed Freddie (lol I wasnt really puring that much until you showed me the whats up with my swing!!), the 3,4 with the CB wouldve been a lot for anyone and I agree with you there completely. The other thing I should mention was how much the shaft pairing played a role. I think if you're gonna go with a "players" iron but have too stiff a shaft, it could be disastrous. Bridgestone did a tremendous job pairing the PX flighted with these clubs.