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Bridgestone J15 Cavity Back Irons

SuperStroke
I'm like a kid at Christmas right now...

D55643B7-BAE8-4C94-B438-45E7C3D3A759_zpso4udegbf.jpg


3-PW w/stock stiff DG Pro shafts, and 54*/58* J15 wedges in chrome with stock DG Spinner wedge shafts (50* coming, but back ordered). Eventually I will have my UST Recoil 125 F4's installed in all 11 clubs (probably the first week of June because of scheduling).
 
RadRob said:
All the great comments about these irons has me curious to try them, so I ordered up some demo irons on their Test Drive Program. The clubs arrive tomorrow. Left Hand five and seven irons, with DG PRO and KBS Tour shafts in stiff flex. A little worried that I don't really have the game for these, but we'll see. It's tough to find LH clubs to demo so I really appreciate Bridgestone for offering the Test Drive.
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The Test Drive Program is the real deal. Wish more companies would do it. These clubs aren't the most forgiving, but getting them on the range and on the course you can see what those misses mean for you.

-CRW- said:
I'm like a kid at Christmas right now...

D55643B7-BAE8-4C94-B438-45E7C3D3A759_zpso4udegbf.jpg


3-PW w/stock stiff DG Pro shafts, and 54*/58* J15 wedges in chrome with stock DG Spinner wedge shafts (50* coming, but back ordered). Eventually I will have my UST Recoil 125 F4's installed in all 11 clubs (probably the first week of June because of scheduling).
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Lol. I know exactly how you feel. Looking forward to your thoughts.
 
I toyed around with the idea of going dpf or df for the legacy but I think I am going to stick with what I know and go with the CB for sure.
 
I see a lot of people commenting that they don't think they have the game for these clubs. I think I've already said this once before in the thread, but I switched from Taylormade 2014 Tour Preferred CB's and the J15 CB's are considerably easier for me to hit. I wouldn't say the club heads looks much different in size at address, but I felt like the J15 CB 5 iron might have been a little longer (bigger) from heel to toe than my TP CB 5i. I no longer have the TP CB's to physically measure/compare. I also felt like I got much better/more consistent contact with the J15 CB's and really felt like the sure contact sole was meant for me/my swing. I hit the J15 CB 5i longer and straighter than my TP CB 5i, and did so with more consistency.

So long story short, if you are interested in these clubs go hit them.
 
I do think these clubs are much easier to hit than many think. I also don't notice much of a difference forgiveness wise in the df. The df do launch a bit higher but still I have no trouble getting the ball up with the cb.
 
I have a set of MB and a set of CB, all matched up specs wise. I'm hitting both extremely well but the CB offer me that extra bit of forgiveness that is just making the decision of which set ends up staying in my bag a difficult one.
 
I so want to order a set of these but don't want them in 4-pw, I want 5-pw but don't seem to be able to find anywhere that I can place that particular order? Wish I could remember the members name that works for bridgestone?
 
SaffaClint said:
I so want to order a set of these but don't want them in 4-pw, I want 5-pw but don't seem to be able to find anywhere that I can place that particular order? Wish I could remember the members name that works for bridgestone?
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Have you tried Discount Dan's? I haven't ordered from them, but I think some guys have gone through them and been happy.
 
lightningbolt44 said:
I do think these clubs are much easier to hit than many think. I also don't notice much of a difference forgiveness wise in the df. The df do launch a bit higher but still I have no trouble getting the ball up with the cb.
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I found them very easy to hit considering they are CB's
 
Jeff Spicoli said:
Have you tried Discount Dan's? I haven't ordered from them, but I think some guys have gone through them and been happy.
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Discount Dan's or Victory custom golf are the two places I would go through. Ken at victory is top notch and will take care of you.
 
lightningbolt44 said:
Discount Dan's or Victory custom golf are the two places I would go through. Ken at victory is top notch and will take care of you.
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Ken is top notch, glad to have him near by
 
SaffaClint said:
I so want to order a set of these but don't want them in 4-pw, I want 5-pw but don't seem to be able to find anywhere that I can place that particular order? Wish I could remember the members name that works for bridgestone?
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It may not be possible. I looked at TGW.com, which usually lists a ton of custom order options for everything, but even they list only 4-PW as an option on the custom order section for the Bridgestone J15 CB's. Then again, they don't have the hosel color options listed either.
 
A little bump for the J15. I've played a few rounds since getting the extensions in these and while I don't feel like my swing is really dialed in like it was last year around this time, I haven't seen any issues in terms of forgiveness. All misses are very acceptable when it comes to distance loss and being off target. Distance control and flighting the ball have not been an issue at all. I'm not getting the random shot that flies 5 or 10 yards further than I expected. Working the ball laterally and horizontally have been pretty easy with the CB. Anyway, I'm really enjoying these at this point.
 
Well my first round with these clubs went horrible. The wedges weren't as bad, but I hit everything out on the toe of the clubs. It was very apparent on the iron set and so-so on the wedges. My TM 2014 TP CB's were shorter but had close to the same lie as the J15's. For example my old 3i was 38.5" and had a 60* lie angle. The J15 3i is 39" and has a 60.5* lie angle. If I set up where I felt normal I hooked the crap out of the ball. If I moved closer to the ball at address I moved the contact but felt crowded and couldn't always finish my swing and hit pushes.

So 1* upright with the J15's should set up the same as what I was playing before right? I was always told .5* for each .25" inch difference. Flatter for shortening clubs, upright for lengthening clubs. I think I will go to club champion when I have my recoils installed and have everything checked for best fit. BUT, I have access to a lie board and lie machine and was thinking about checking and adjusting them myself at first to see how it goes.

These clubs are also about a club longer than my TM clubs were on good shots. The wedges are considerably longer. All the Bridgestones are longer in length though and are stiff versus my previous X flex shafts, so I'm sure that is why I'm seeing the added distance. The loft on my wedges are similar as my old TM wedges but considerably longer. I hit my TM 60* wedge around 80 yards, but had 100 yard shots with my 58* J15 wedge. I hit my 52* TM wedge 115 and the 54* J15 120. My TM PW was my 125 yard club and the J15 was 135 today. I started losing the distance boost around the 5 iron though. It makes sense though because when I was reviewing the specs for both sets I saw that my TM club lofts started getting stronger after the 5i compared to the J15's. The lofts were 5i 25-24.5, 4i 22.5-21, and 3i 20-18 (J15-TM). So I think when I go to Club Champion I will have the lofts adjusted. I don't care that they match the TM clubs, but I want to make adjust them to make sure I have good distance gapping between the clubs.
 
SaffaClint said:
I so want to order a set of these but don't want them in 4-pw, I want 5-pw but don't seem to be able to find anywhere that I can place that particular order? Wish I could remember the members name that works for bridgestone?
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SaffaClint, I can hook you up. PM me.
 
I put the Test Drive clubs in my bag for a round yesterday. No range time first so it was just take 'em out and let 'er rip. My impressions were extremely positive.

I don't have a feeling yet for my preference between the DG Pro vs. KBS Tour shafts. Early in the round my preference was clearly DG Pro feeling more control able and perhaps feeling the head a bit better. Later in the round I started appreciating the liveliness of the KBS Tour and was elevating that one more with maybe 5 yards more distance.

Not everything was perfect as I was drawing these more than is normal for me. I played a lot from the right rough or maybe first cut, I'm a lefty. But the shots I hit well, I hit extremely well, and long. Downhill 203 yard par 3 and the J15CB 5 iron with DG Pro shaft gave me a GIR. A few holes later a 7 iron from 165 out on a par 4 was another GIR. Then on Hole 14 which is a short par 5 but all uphill. my drive left me at the 200 yard marker, and then I hit the second best 5 iron shot of my life, straight at the pin, maybe 5 yards of draw, and ended up about six feet short of the green. I tell you, the J15CB 5 iron is fast becoming my new favorite club.

Nothing but impressed with these irons. Bridgestone says they're suitable up to mid-handicappers and I'd say they have that right. I'm totally impressed.
 
golfdawg said:
Ken is top notch, glad to have him near by
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Sorry, quick off-topic: I've had Ken do some club work for me -definitely top notch in what he does, as well as his service level to customers.
 
Spent some range time with my demo J15CB 5 and 7 irons at lunch today. I don't have a lot different to add in addition to my comments a few posts above. I think the KBS Tour shaft feels smoother than the DG Pro, and sends the ball a tad higher. The DG Pro feels more solid than the KBS Tour. I wouldn't go so far as saying "harsh", but clearly it doesn't have that comfy KBS feel to it. My shots tracked towards the target a little better with the DG Pro, so that would definitely weigh favorably in my decision should I order these irons.

In my iron search this Winter and Spring, I've hit Callaway XR and XR Pro; Mizuno 850 Forged, TM RSI2, Ping i25, and now the J15CB. Of the six, I didn't get along with one of them, liked three others well enough to consider them, and was REALLY impressed with the Ping i25 and Bridgestone J15CB. Comfort at address, ball flight, sound, accuracy and distance were all there for me with the J15CB. The J15CB was longer than I thought it would be as the tech is more hidden vs. some of the others. Can't say it's the longest, but a 195 yard 5 iron works fine for me, and the sound/feel is terrific. I think Bridgestone has a winner here and it's on my very short list when it's time for new irons.
 
RadRob said:
Spent some range time with my demo J15CB 5 and 7 irons at lunch today. I don't have a lot different to add in addition to my comments a few posts above. I think the KBS Tour shaft feels smoother than the DG Pro, and sends the ball a tad higher. The DG Pro feels more solid than the KBS Tour. I wouldn't go so far as saying "harsh", but clearly it doesn't have that comfy KBS feel to it. My shots tracked towards the target a little better with the DG Pro, so that would definitely weigh favorably in my decision should I order these irons.

In my iron search this Winter and Spring, I've hit Callaway XR and XR Pro; Mizuno 850 Forged, TM RSI2, Ping i25, and now the J15CB. Of the six, I didn't get along with one of them, liked three others well enough to consider them, and was REALLY impressed with the Ping i25 and Bridgestone J15CB. Comfort at address, ball flight, sound, accuracy and distance were all there for me with the J15CB. The J15CB was longer than I thought it would be as the tech is more hidden vs. some of the others. Can't say it's the longest, but a 195 yard 5 iron works fine for me, and the sound/feel is terrific. I think Bridgestone has a winner here and it's on my very short list when it's time for new irons.
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Appreciate your thoughts. Glad you are liking them. I have KBS Tours in my J40s and they seems to launch higher/fly higher than my DG Pros in the J15.
 
A couple things to add that I just thought of. First, they don't have the yellow grips any longer. My demo clubs came with black Tour Velvet grips. Second, I've hit the Titleist AP2, Cleveland 588 Forged CB and Mizuno MP54 that I would consider comparable forgiving "players' clubs. The J15CB was the easiest to hit of these for me. I was able to achieve center contact and they go far and high with a slight draw bias for my swing. It might be that slightly wider sole that is the key, but when Bridgestone says they're playable for the mid handicapper, that's not just hype from the marketing department.
 
RadRob said:
A couple things to add that I just thought of. First, they don't have the yellow grips any longer. My demo clubs came with black Tour Velvet grips.
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The demo clubs I recieved when they first were available on the program didn't come with the yellow either. I think that was a smart move. The yellow sure feels different to me although I actually like the look. I switched my shafts out before even gaming them when I got my set. Glad your enjoying them!
 
I figured out that I needed to adjust my J15 CB's 1* flat to match my previous TM TP CB's that were fit for me. I bent the clubs myself at my club and was surprised to find that at least half of them were off 1-2 degrees in loft and/or lie. Lofts are all to factory spec except the 3&4 irons. I didn't like the 2.5* gaps from 5-3 and the lofts on the TM CB's were stronger in those clubs. If I find the distance gaps too big or don't get the ball up high enough I'll adjust them again. But I don't expect it to be a problem.

After bending them I was getting 100% better contact than I did Saturday. I was still over drawing them, but wasn't flat out hooking like before. And I recently checked the TM clubs so I know the lie angles on them were good. So I think I'm releasing the club a little early causing the over draw. I have a lesson Thur if the weather cooperates and will know more about the source of the problem. But I'm pretty confident that it's a swing issue and not a lie issue.

I do like the distances I'm seeing with these clubs over my TM CB's. I set up a few balls at 195 yards from a pin and ended up pin high in the left bunker with 1, pin high right of the green in a lower rough area with one, and landed pin high with another that rolled out to about 200 yards me stopped at the back fringe/bumper of the green. And one other that I put a bad swing on, hit the ground first, and sent rolling 30 yards down the fairway. But we won't worry about that guy.

So I'm much happier and relieved now that the clubs have been adjusted. I just need to learn my carry and rough total distances. There is a range near me that offers outdoor hitting on trackman for $30 an hour or $45 if you hit their Pro V1's. I need to go out there.
 
J4U said:
The demo clubs I recieved when they first were available on the program didn't come with the yellow either. I think that was a smart move. The yellow sure feels different to me although I actually like the look. I switched my shafts out before even gaming them when I got my set. Glad your enjoying them!
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I really don't like the look of the yellow grips. I've hit my clubs twice now and they are already starting to look dirty too. I haven't tried cleaning them, but I don't like that I'd even have to. I'm ready for them to be gone when I have time to get the clubs re-shafted.
 
Orange Hog said:
Has anyone hit these against the DF's? Really wondering what the big differences are between those two irons.
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Hope you get some good feedback here. I can't help though, due to my Leftyitis.
 
Sorry for skimming but has anyone compared these to the TM TPCB irons? Are these more forgiving? Thanks
 
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