After we final noticed Bridgestone irons, we had been an odd compilation of units that may greatest be described as meshuggah. Whereas beautiful forgings had been the rhyme, there seemed to be no cause. We had tremendous game-improvement forgings, blades, one thing that sat between participant’s distance and game-improvement and even a head-scratching packaged set.
Bridgestone has all the time had excellent cast irons. The issue was that the lineup hadn’t made sense for the reason that J15 line. There was no sample or consistency aside from the truth that they had been Japanese forgings.
You might say Bridgestone didn’t have its geese in a row however that may be underestimating the confusion. A few of these geese weren’t even geese.
It’s no marvel Bridgestone determined to take a couple of years off in North America.
It now seems these geese at the moment are, in truth, all geese. And they seem like getting in a row. Or not less than a line.
Right here’s what you must learn about Bridgestone’s new line of premium cast irons.
#1: Bridgestone has by no means made a foul cast iron
Even through the meshuggah years, Bridgestone’s irons had been fairly darned candy. And if you wish to return to the J33 in 2005, you possibly can even name a few of them “classics.” The brand new line alerts an intent to return to these halcyon days.
On the very least, it seems Bridgestone is off to a strong begin.
The Bridgestone 220 MB harkens again to the beautiful J33, a single-piece cast muscle-back blade. The 221 CB can also be a single-piece forging however, because the identify suggests it’s a extra forgiving participant’s cavity-back.
The 222 CB+ may be essentially the most attention-grabbing of the bunch. It’s a cast participant’s distance iron, compact for the class however with sufficient know-how to make it attention-grabbing.
The brand new line additionally contains the BRM2 cast wedges.
“We needed to place collectively a set of golf equipment that had efficiency but additionally had place and function within the market,” Bridgestone Advertising Supervisor Elliott Mellow tells MyGolfSpy. “We’re talking to the man who desires to play a muscle-back blade however we’re additionally talking to the aspirational participant with the CB and the CB+. We’re hitting a large swath of {the marketplace}.”
#2: These are real Endo forgings
For those who’re a gear geek, you’ve little doubt heard the phrase, “Endo cast.” Bridgestone is a longtime OEM buyer of Japan’s legendary Endo Forging foundry. Endo has produced among the recreation’s best-loved cast irons for everybody from Titleist, Srixon and Callaway to NIKE and its home model, Epon. The traditional 1999 Hogan Apex blade was Endo-forged.
For you historical past lovers, Endo was established in 1950 in postwar Japan. It made screwdrivers and stitching machine needles however shortly expanded into auto and plane engine components, medical gadgets and golf golf equipment.
Though Bridgestone has been out of the U.S. tools market since earlier than COVID-19, it has remained a serious participant in Japan and Asia. This new line is already in play on the PGA Tour.
“Chris Gotterup put them in play a month or so in the past,” says Mellow. “A couple of different gamers are working with them and can put them in play quickly so we have now some momentum.”
#3: If you wish to recreation the brand new Bridgestone irons, you higher be a “playah”
You gained’t discover something game-improvement-y or super-forgiving within the new Bridgestone launch. These are premium irons for good ball strikers.
The 220 MB is a traditional muscle-back blade and it isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. The loft construction isn’t fairly what a purist would name “traditional” however we’re speaking a few minimal four-degree loft hole from the 33-degree 7-iron by way of the 46-degree pitching wedge. Bridgestone additionally touts a precision-milled Tour Groove Design to optimize spin.
They’re beautiful, however deliver your A-game, matey.
The 221 CB encompasses a small cavity for a barely larger MOI. It additionally has a barely wider sole than the 220 MB for higher stability and sharp main and trailing edges for a modified, Srixon-esque V-Sole for smoother turf interplay. Moreover, the 4- and 5-irons function a twin pocket cavity design that strikes the CG down, making them simpler to launch larger and spin much less.
The 6-iron by way of PW within the set have what Bridgestone calls Gravity Management Design. It’s a design function you’ll discover in most irons the place the CG will get progressively larger because the golf equipment get progressively shorter. That creates decrease launch and better spin as you transition up by way of the set, offering extra stopping energy on the inexperienced.
Your typical game-improvement irons, alternatively, attempt to shove the CG so low it’s rattling close to subterranean. That creates larger launch and decrease spin. Steep descent angles are needed to carry greens.
#4: The 222 CB+ irons may be the star of the present
As attractive as single-piece cast blades and cavity-backs are, the Bridgestone 222 CB+ irons would possibly discover a broader viewers.
“It’s form of a continuation of the J40 Twin Pocket irons we had,” says Mellow. “Relative to the market, it’s a bit smaller than different cast participant’s distance irons.”
The gap recipe for participant’s distance irons is straightforward: decrease the CG to extend launch and decrease spin. The Bridgestone 222 CB+ makes that occur with Twin Pocket cavities all through the set to get CG down, relative to participant’s cavity-backs and blades. Nonetheless, the CG will get larger because the irons get shorter to get spin up in your scoring sticks.
“Visually, it’s very interesting,” says Mellow. “If we are able to get the ball coming in with a steep descent angle and couple it with spin, we are able to create good management and assist that participant cease the ball.”
Stronger lofts for extra ball pace are additionally a part of the participant’s distance recipe. The Bridgestone 222 CB+ lofts are according to others within the class. Form of. The 7-iron is maybe a half diploma weaker than common at 31 levels. Moreover, there’s a five-degree hole unfold per iron from the 7-iron by way of the 46-degree pitching wedge so it probably gained’t take a look at out as one of many longer irons within the participant’s distance class.
#5: There’s a restricted wedge providing, too
How restricted? Very.
Bridgestone is together with the BRM2 cast wedges as a part of this launch. They’d really feel like an afterthought if it weren’t for an attention-grabbing groove and milling story.
As a line, the BRM2 seems ho-hum, with solely 52-. 56- and 58-degree fashions supplied. Bridgestone isn’t loading you down with grind choices, both. All three lofts can be found with the M Grind, a lower-bounce grind with a little bit of heel aid for open-face photographs. The A Grind is on the market solely within the 58-degree and has much more heel and toe aid for versatility.
The groove milling is the place issues get attention-grabbing. In accordance with the corporate, the milling sample is impressed by Bridgestone tire treads. There are seven rows of micro-channels between every groove to channel moisture away and permit for higher groove-to-ball contact.
It’s not an earth-shattering breakthrough, I do know. Nonetheless, should you’re going to be taken severely within the wedge recreation, moist situation spin retention is like jacks or higher to open.
#6: The brand new Bridgestone irons are surprisingly inexpensive, however there’s a catch …
Bridgestone could be very a lot taking a crawl-walk-run strategy to re-entering the tools recreation. To its credit score, the brand new iron units are coming in at very golfer-friendly costs for Endo forgings.
The 220 MB and 221 CB irons can be obtainable in seven-piece units (4-PW) with a inventory worth of $1,050. That’s a really affordable $150 per membership. The Nippon PRO Modus3 Tour 120 in stiff is inventory for each units.
The 222 CB+ is available in a six-piece set (5-PW) for $900, once more a really affordable $150 per membership. The lighter-weight Nippon PRO 950 GH is inventory. The BRM2 wedges are additionally $150 a chunk.
The catch is that this: at launch, the Bridgestone premium cast irons and wedges can be obtainable solely by way of a customized becoming at Membership Champion.
“Bridgestone Golf is all about getting shoppers into custom-made merchandise that greatest match their wants,” says Mellow. “We’re encouraging of us to go get match. As we ramp up down the highway, there will certainly be wider distribution.”
As of proper now, Bridgestone says the units aren’t meant to be blended which is unlucky, though comprehensible, given the crawl-walk-run strategy. It is going to most likely occur down the highway as will metalwoods.
#7: Why re-enter the tools recreation? Why the hell not?
As we talked about, Bridgestone hasn’t (in my reminiscence, anyway) made a foul cast iron. Bridgestone’s cast irons have traditionally been fairly good. The issue is that “fairly good” doesn’t kick down doorways while you’re outdoors wanting in.
Bridgestone’s scattered latest historical past in irons doesn’t assist, both.
“Our aim is to get again to being a full-line producer. It’s only a matter of discovering the precise time,” explains Mellow. “We’re specializing in the low- to mid-handicap cast iron participant. As we get traction, we’ll see what the longer term holds.”
You little doubt discover a numerology similarity between this providing and the Mizuno Professional line. Earlier than we begin screaming “copy,” perceive numbers can be found to everybody. Moreover, whereas this product line is new to North America, Mellow says it does have a worldwide presence and Matt Kuchar had a set of 221 CBs in play on the PGA Tour in 2022.
Bridgestone’s final complete product launch was the J15 line of irons and metalwoods in 2015. The place the Bridgestone J33, J38 and J40 strains had their followers, the J15 didn’t discover its area of interest. Bridgestone’s subsequent product strains, the JGR and Tour B irons and metalwoods, flew thus far underneath the radar that most individuals missed them fully.
Within the massive image, Bridgestone has nothing to lose by launching a brand new line of cast irons for 2025. It’s been a protracted six years or so however should you’re a golfer, there’s nothing mistaken with having one other cast iron selection.
For extra data on the brand new line of Bridgestone premium cast irons and wedges, try the Bridgestone web site.
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