Bridgestone J40 Fairway Woods and Hybrids
- Staff
- #352
Love the look. How they wrapped that top of the face over on the crown to make it look more like you are hitting an iron. For me it gives me confidence that I can just go at it from any lie and not worry about messing up the club.
With the VTS silver shaft I really like the ball flight. The ball jumps off the face, gets up in the air and just seems to carry forever. The flight seems much stronger than the one I got from my mashie. Plus with the way the ball flight is when I hit to a green the ball usually hits and and lands softly. I don't have to worry about it spring boarding off most of the time.
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
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Man Dean. I need some lessons from you man. I don't feel the confidence like I do with other hybrids.
- Staff
- #354
I've never really been one to struggle or be worried about hitting a hybrid. These ones have just seemed to click with me quite well. But you and I are the opposite in that I don't feel the confidence in the fairway wood like you do.
Do you wish the FW wood had the "iron" gray on it like the hybrids do wrapped from the face to the topline? Would that make a difference to you?
It is a very shallow FW wood that I always definitely feared catching the top line with off the tee or deeper rough.
- Staff
- #357
I'm not sure that would work the same way for me. Reason why is I try to hit my hybrids more like an iron rather than a FW. So by giving it a little more of an iron look with that topline it's kind of like a nice reminder as to what the heck I'm doing out there.
The 4 wood and I struggled most of the time it was in my bag. Messing around with people on the range at Media Day I found something that seemed to work for that weekend. Of all the shots I hit with it, 1 was a really bad pull which left me in that tall wispy crap you saw in the coverage. Other than that I was happy with it. Perhaps I just needed to spend more time practicing with it, I don't know. Everything about the way the FW sets up I like. It's clean, it has no alignment aid, it's shallow, but kind of long from heel to toe. I just struggled with it.
Tmex
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Good feedback deano. I'm gonna try hitting it more like the irons and see if that helps. Just seems really a shallow hybrid for me and I don't know why it fits my eye like that.
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- Staff
- #359
Thanks buddy. Now teach me to hit the crap out of a 4 wood please
One-T
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sounds like you paid attention to Josh(the bstone rep)
- Staff
- #361
him and the guys on BFit prior to ordering them.
Tadashi70
Well-known member
Did the Bridgestone rep say to hit the hybrids like irons for best results? Sounds like you need to spend some alone time with the 4wood.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
- Thread starter
- #363
I don't know exactly what happened or why but prior to going down to MB I struggled with my hybrid and my 5 wood both. I could not keep the ball flight down to save my life. I got down there and things started working better for me, I had to sort of make a conscience effort to focus on keeping the flight down some but man now it's just second nature and I can count on these clubs more than ever. My 5 wood bailed me out a million times over the weekend of my club championship, my buddy who I ended up playing with both days was about to steal it from me.
I still do struggle a little bit from the light rough with my 3+, 5 wood and hybrid. If the ball is sitting up a bit which would usually lead me to think perfect setup for a FW off the light rough I still sky shots, even with that 14 degree. I think a lot of that is because of how shallow it is. If I make sure to focus on picking the ball clean out of the rough I can usually hit it well but there are times where I catch it just a hair fat and from the rough that spells trouble. A little fat from the fairway is totally fine, but if there's grass under the ball and I do that it goes HIGH!!
All in all though I really do like the J40 FW and hybrid and I see no change in my future. (for now anyway :wink
I still do struggle a little bit from the light rough with my 3+, 5 wood and hybrid. If the ball is sitting up a bit which would usually lead me to think perfect setup for a FW off the light rough I still sky shots, even with that 14 degree. I think a lot of that is because of how shallow it is. If I make sure to focus on picking the ball clean out of the rough I can usually hit it well but there are times where I catch it just a hair fat and from the rough that spells trouble. A little fat from the fairway is totally fine, but if there's grass under the ball and I do that it goes HIGH!!
All in all though I really do like the J40 FW and hybrid and I see no change in my future. (for now anyway :wink
- Staff
- #364
Not sure. I just usually always hit them more like irons than a fairway wood. We have spent some alone time. It's out of the bag ATM, but that doesn't mean it won't go back in anytime soon.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
- Thread starter
- #366
That was the best I had hit it leading up to the MC and I think that must have carried over because now I practically can't miss with it.
- Staff
- #367
Only had a few shots with my hybrids yesterday but I hit them good. My favorite was on hole 10 I had 196 to the pin from the rough going uphill. The green was a two tiered green with the pin on the upper level. Took out 3h and put a nice swing on it. The ball jumped up out of the rough and soared towards the green. It landed just on top the 2nd tier and rolled out about 15-20 feet, setting up a 20 foot birdie putt. It's just good to have a hybrid in the bag that I can count on when it's needed and these have certainly been that way for me.
It's funny how your thoughts change on things over time. Initially, I was so set on getting distance out of the hybrids and was a bit disappointed due to the high launch I was seeing and now I have a hard time not relying on these.
Perfect case in point: hole 10 yesterday playing at about 390. Push my tee shot WAY right into the number 18 fairway and am then looking at 170 to the flag with some enormous trees just short of the green that separate the 10 fairway from the 18 fairway/tee box area. Not carrying a 5 iron right now so decided to choke down on a 4H instead of trying to kill a 6 iron. Been doing a bit more thinking with my approach to setup and treating it more like an iron like ddec has mentioned several times.
Choked down about 3/4 of the way down the grip, smooth swing, and you could tell by the sound just how perfectly I caught it - gets up in the air immediately, clears the trees without issue and lands 12 feet short right of the flag leaving me a legit look at birdie when I would have been happy with bogey after the tee shot. This was really my shot of the day and I am starting to see more consistent results with these by using them more like an iron and less like a FW wood or hybrid. What I mean by that is a ball position closer to center with an attempt to compress the ball, not sweep it.
So, thanks for that tip Dean, I am digging it!!
Perfect case in point: hole 10 yesterday playing at about 390. Push my tee shot WAY right into the number 18 fairway and am then looking at 170 to the flag with some enormous trees just short of the green that separate the 10 fairway from the 18 fairway/tee box area. Not carrying a 5 iron right now so decided to choke down on a 4H instead of trying to kill a 6 iron. Been doing a bit more thinking with my approach to setup and treating it more like an iron like ddec has mentioned several times.
Choked down about 3/4 of the way down the grip, smooth swing, and you could tell by the sound just how perfectly I caught it - gets up in the air immediately, clears the trees without issue and lands 12 feet short right of the flag leaving me a legit look at birdie when I would have been happy with bogey after the tee shot. This was really my shot of the day and I am starting to see more consistent results with these by using them more like an iron and less like a FW wood or hybrid. What I mean by that is a ball position closer to center with an attempt to compress the ball, not sweep it.
So, thanks for that tip Dean, I am digging it!!
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
I had an longer than normal range session today and had a shootout between my J40 3+ and the J40 4 wood. The 4 wood was the winner and in the end it wasn't even that close. I seem to hit the 4 wood just as long with much better trajectory and far more consistant. Maybe not a fair fight as the shafts are different and my 3+ is a full inch shorter but it was clear which one should get the spot in my bag.
I like the idea of dropping the 5 iron as the 4h is so versitile. Thinking about adding something at 18*. Not sure if I want another fairway or hybrid at this point.
I like the idea of dropping the 5 iron as the 4h is so versitile. Thinking about adding something at 18*. Not sure if I want another fairway or hybrid at this point.
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
I am really enjoying my time with the these clubs. I am getting very predictable and consistant results. The 4 wood has been a fairway finder for me on the dog legs and short par 4's. Due to the layout of my home course I don't get much of a chance to hit it from the deck but it sets up great off the tee. The hybrids give me a nice mid-high ball flight and confidence to be able to hit and hold the green. I even used my 3h like a belly putter from off the green and put a 40 footer w/ in inches yesterday.
Pkielwa
New member
I was able to demo a J40 4 wood and also the 4 hybrid, sent from Bridgestone. I put them head-up to my Cally fwy and hybrids. In summation, I did like the 4 wood more than than my three from the deck, but I definitely liked my three better off the tee. As far as the hybrids, I didn't see much distance or directional difference between the Cally and J40. A little more weight, which I like, in the J40, but I wasn't any straighter or longer. I think, if I had to choose, I'd pick the J40 just for more heft.
I can't thank Bridgestone enough for letting me demo these for two weeks. I'm a definite homer now!
I can't thank Bridgestone enough for letting me demo these for two weeks. I'm a definite homer now!
- Staff
- #372
Decided to throw the 4 wood back in the bag for my 9 hole round tonight. Haven't hit it on the course in a few weeks so I wanted to see if the same success I was seeing with my other fairway wood would carry over to this one. My miss with this club has always been a high ball that drifts right and has nothing behind it. Tonight it was different.
Hole 2 I had punched out from behind the trees and was still over 300 yards to the green. Hit 4 wood from the fairway and hit a medium flight ball that curved from right to left. Ended up going about 220 so that was nice. Pretty good shot. Something new!
Hole 4: off the tee hit a straight ball down the middle. Absolutely perfect ball.
Hole 6: pulled it a touch and got a horrible bounce leading to a shot from the trees. Ball was hit better than the ending result.
Hole 8: Off the tee missed the fairway left. Once again it was hit well and was a better ball flight than what I had been seeing 6 weeks ago.
Hole 9: off the tee again and found the right side of the fairway. This one not hit as well as others as there was a little left to right ball flight.
Overall very happy with what I saw from this club tonight. Might have been the best round with it all year. It will be back in the bag tomorrow for 18.
Hole 2 I had punched out from behind the trees and was still over 300 yards to the green. Hit 4 wood from the fairway and hit a medium flight ball that curved from right to left. Ended up going about 220 so that was nice. Pretty good shot. Something new!
Hole 4: off the tee hit a straight ball down the middle. Absolutely perfect ball.
Hole 6: pulled it a touch and got a horrible bounce leading to a shot from the trees. Ball was hit better than the ending result.
Hole 8: Off the tee missed the fairway left. Once again it was hit well and was a better ball flight than what I had been seeing 6 weeks ago.
Hole 9: off the tee again and found the right side of the fairway. This one not hit as well as others as there was a little left to right ball flight.
Overall very happy with what I saw from this club tonight. Might have been the best round with it all year. It will be back in the bag tomorrow for 18.
Tmex
Paul Casey, WINNER!
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Gosh dang Dean. That's some good results. I can't wait to get back out with some of these clubs in my hand.
- Staff
- #374
Thanks buddy. It was back in the bag again today. I think the 4 wood and I have reconciled our differences. Pulled off some good shots with it today too.
These hybrids are the best that I've hit! They cut thru the rough nicely. Have solid weight in the head which gets the ball in the air quick. From the fwy they are green finders. 4 times yesterday I stuck the green from 200 yds out with the 3h. Color me red with love. From a tee they are long and straight. I have yet to hit any of the Bridgestone equipment and not come away impressed!
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