rafdo
Active member
These look really, really, really nice... dare I say prettier than my de-badged MX-300's. If they can provide the same buttery feel and forgiveness of the 300's they might be a contender for eventual replacement.
Bridgestone J40 Cavity Back Irons Review
thedue
Another Day in Paradise
Great job on the review here. Those irons are drop dead beautiful, I'm sure they were the hit of the driving range.
Hanks
On the Fringe
- Thread starter
- #82
Had these at the range again today and while I struggled mightily with my swing again I managed to squeeze a few good swings with these.
The pairing of the club head with the shaft (PX 6.0 flighted S flex) is a great combination that is really something that you have to hit for yourself to understand. While the club face isn't 'hot' the ball seems to get up in the air pretty quickly. I'm still seeing a higher ball flight but it's by no means a balloon ball. This should come in handy for those who may play a harder ball where the the trajectory may actually help that harder ball hold the green better and not have it come in too hot.
The one thing I was able to do with some fair bit of success was chip and chipping with PW was fun. I'd expect a bit of roll out though as the grooves don't seem to grab the ball too much but the feeling is a solid one and not 'clicky' by any stretch which was nice to see. I could see either the 8i, 9i, or the PW being used for a nice knockdown shot or being used to execute a nice bump and run shot where you've got some nice room to run it up to the pin.
Since I've had a ton of mis-hits the past two range sessions I think I can really speak to the forgiveness and feedback that these clubs have. So far, no matter how bad the mis-hit these clubs feel great. There's little to no vibration in the shaft or up into the grip at all. The ball still feels solid coming off the face and while there is distance loss the ball flight is still relatively the same and your target line is still held for the most part.
The pairing of the club head with the shaft (PX 6.0 flighted S flex) is a great combination that is really something that you have to hit for yourself to understand. While the club face isn't 'hot' the ball seems to get up in the air pretty quickly. I'm still seeing a higher ball flight but it's by no means a balloon ball. This should come in handy for those who may play a harder ball where the the trajectory may actually help that harder ball hold the green better and not have it come in too hot.
The one thing I was able to do with some fair bit of success was chip and chipping with PW was fun. I'd expect a bit of roll out though as the grooves don't seem to grab the ball too much but the feeling is a solid one and not 'clicky' by any stretch which was nice to see. I could see either the 8i, 9i, or the PW being used for a nice knockdown shot or being used to execute a nice bump and run shot where you've got some nice room to run it up to the pin.
Since I've had a ton of mis-hits the past two range sessions I think I can really speak to the forgiveness and feedback that these clubs have. So far, no matter how bad the mis-hit these clubs feel great. There's little to no vibration in the shaft or up into the grip at all. The ball still feels solid coming off the face and while there is distance loss the ball flight is still relatively the same and your target line is still held for the most part.
Tadashi70
Well-known member
Hanks, not that I want to know but as the temp drops you may feel those mis-hits a little more. Again I hope you get your groove back cuz I don't want that feed back, just thinking out loud.
Are you hitting of mats or turf? How is the turf interaction? Are these diggers or shallow divers?
Kongfrontation
Are you hitting of mats or turf? How is the turf interaction? Are these diggers or shallow divers?
Kongfrontation
the_paulo
Euro target practice
Great start on this one Hanks. These are definitely some lovely looking irons.
Wicked Cool Bearded Man
4thegolf+4thefriends
Nice thoughts. I'm interested to hear about how much the shaft combo grows on you. I personally love the PX lines. It seems like a really good pairing with this club head.
Hanks
On the Fringe
- Thread starter
- #87
I think it's a good combo for sure. Hoping to see some better results witht hem over the next few days.
Just giving full disclosure. People can do what they want with that info.
I've hit them off both so far. I'm not a divot taker/maker so my turf interaction experience is limited. But when I have come in on the steep side I can say that these have no issues with getting into the turf
Just giving full disclosure. People can do what they want with that info.
I've hit them off both so far. I'm not a divot taker/maker so my turf interaction experience is limited. But when I have come in on the steep side I can say that these have no issues with getting into the turf
Minarets
Well-known member
hmm, i guess i will have to hit both. Hanks, have you hit the cavity and DPC side by side by any chance to test forgiveness?
i prefer the looks of the cavity back, but assumed (i know, never a good thing) that since Sneads and Kuch were playing these, i did not need to be. and know, at least in the J38 line the DPC were touted as the more forgiving club of the 2. i have no issues looking at the DPC, in fact love them, but slightly perfer the looks of the cavity backs. it would really come down to forgiveness to me. i need/want all i can get.
i prefer the looks of the cavity back, but assumed (i know, never a good thing) that since Sneads and Kuch were playing these, i did not need to be. and know, at least in the J38 line the DPC were touted as the more forgiving club of the 2. i have no issues looking at the DPC, in fact love them, but slightly perfer the looks of the cavity backs. it would really come down to forgiveness to me. i need/want all i can get.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Hanks. I remember when I was testing a set of blades and while I found some difficulty with full shots I loved chipping and pitching with them. Keep up the good work man, that swing will come around!
Dr. Teeth
Well-known member
I am still in love with the way these irons look. I think in the aesthetics department Bridgestone hit it out of the park! I can't wait to put a few swings on these! Keep the info coming Hanks!
Hanks
On the Fringe
- Thread starter
- #92
I agree Doc...these are genuinely some of th esexiest irons I've ever seen in person. No matter that result you just want to keep hitting them
I hear ya man.....heading back out today after work with these so maybe third time is the charm. These reallydo feel good to chip and pitch with that's for sure
I hear ya man.....heading back out today after work with these so maybe third time is the charm. These reallydo feel good to chip and pitch with that's for sure
Buckjob
My Friend's Call Me Drew
i can't wait to see these in person. they look really nice!
Hanks
On the Fringe
- Thread starter
- #94
Just got in from a really good range session with the J40 CB's and some special guests. Tonight was all about getting back to basics and the returns were nice.
First I'll talk about the J40's. The J40's were a solid performer tonight where the ball flight was eerily similar across the entire set. Every shot had a nice, high, and boring ball flight to it that was also very accurate. You can immediately tell where you struck the ball on the face yet I wasn't overly punished for mishits again. The shaft has a little heft to it (more on that later) that helps you feel the club throughout your entire swing which I really like. The thinner topline makes you concentrate a little bit more on making nice contact and putting a good swing on the ball. I'm amazed that there's this much forgiveness in a club head that is noticeably smaller compared to other clubs (which you'll see later)
Second- I mentioned that I had friends along with the J40 CB's (Proj X S flex). I took the CG16's (KBS Tour S flex) along hoping to be able to do some comparisons and fortunately my swing cooperated tonight. In addition to this, I also met forum member Buckjob out on the range and he let me use his R11 irons (KBS shafts S flex) as a part of my comparison experiment. Here is what I was able to see:
I used both a 9i and a 6i for this little comparison:
Looks- the J40 flat out looks skinny and tiny compared to the other irons, the CG16's look clunky, and the R11's look 'normal' It's hard to argue with the elegance of the J40 an if there's a sexier iron out there I haven't had it in my hand yet. The ball almost looks big sitting next to the J40 but it still frames it up nicely. I'd love to see the J40 in a darker finish like its J40 wedge cousin because I think that would really help with alignment and frame the ball up that much better.
Weighting- I think the J40 is a little bit heavier than the R11 and I think I felt this difference mainly in the shaft while the CG16's were heaviest of the three sets. I could feel the CG16 in my swing th emost, followed by the J40, and then the R11.
Forgiveness- Relative feeling, I know, but the CG16's were the most forgiving followed by the R11's and then the J40's. The PX 6.0 shaft of the J40 felt like it was 'working' more on each shot to get the ball in the air compared to the KBS Tour shafts.
Distance- The CG16's were longer, then the R11's, followed by the J40's. The J40's were a good 5-10 yds shorter than the other 2 clubs. One interesting experiment I think I may try out is to see what kind of distance I could get out of the J40's if I had them bent to the same lofts as the CG16's?
Accuracy- The R11's were the most accurate of the bunch, followed by the J40's, and finally the CG16's. I was pleasantly surprised by the R11's distance and acuracy but I'll touch on that in the appropriate thread. The J40's werent a 'point and shoot' kind of iron tonight but I felt like I was consistently around the target with it's nice and high ball flight and a tight dispersion. .
Trajectory- The CG16's were the lowest launching, the J40's were the highest launching, and the R11's were somewhere in the middle. Compared to the other irons, the J40's were flat out high. This could cause some issues on a windy day.
All in all it was a fun experiment to conduct and I learned a lot about the similarities and differences in these 3 sets all in the course of a little more than an hour.
First I'll talk about the J40's. The J40's were a solid performer tonight where the ball flight was eerily similar across the entire set. Every shot had a nice, high, and boring ball flight to it that was also very accurate. You can immediately tell where you struck the ball on the face yet I wasn't overly punished for mishits again. The shaft has a little heft to it (more on that later) that helps you feel the club throughout your entire swing which I really like. The thinner topline makes you concentrate a little bit more on making nice contact and putting a good swing on the ball. I'm amazed that there's this much forgiveness in a club head that is noticeably smaller compared to other clubs (which you'll see later)
Second- I mentioned that I had friends along with the J40 CB's (Proj X S flex). I took the CG16's (KBS Tour S flex) along hoping to be able to do some comparisons and fortunately my swing cooperated tonight. In addition to this, I also met forum member Buckjob out on the range and he let me use his R11 irons (KBS shafts S flex) as a part of my comparison experiment. Here is what I was able to see:
I used both a 9i and a 6i for this little comparison:
Looks- the J40 flat out looks skinny and tiny compared to the other irons, the CG16's look clunky, and the R11's look 'normal' It's hard to argue with the elegance of the J40 an if there's a sexier iron out there I haven't had it in my hand yet. The ball almost looks big sitting next to the J40 but it still frames it up nicely. I'd love to see the J40 in a darker finish like its J40 wedge cousin because I think that would really help with alignment and frame the ball up that much better.
Weighting- I think the J40 is a little bit heavier than the R11 and I think I felt this difference mainly in the shaft while the CG16's were heaviest of the three sets. I could feel the CG16 in my swing th emost, followed by the J40, and then the R11.
Forgiveness- Relative feeling, I know, but the CG16's were the most forgiving followed by the R11's and then the J40's. The PX 6.0 shaft of the J40 felt like it was 'working' more on each shot to get the ball in the air compared to the KBS Tour shafts.
Distance- The CG16's were longer, then the R11's, followed by the J40's. The J40's were a good 5-10 yds shorter than the other 2 clubs. One interesting experiment I think I may try out is to see what kind of distance I could get out of the J40's if I had them bent to the same lofts as the CG16's?
Accuracy- The R11's were the most accurate of the bunch, followed by the J40's, and finally the CG16's. I was pleasantly surprised by the R11's distance and acuracy but I'll touch on that in the appropriate thread. The J40's werent a 'point and shoot' kind of iron tonight but I felt like I was consistently around the target with it's nice and high ball flight and a tight dispersion. .
Trajectory- The CG16's were the lowest launching, the J40's were the highest launching, and the R11's were somewhere in the middle. Compared to the other irons, the J40's were flat out high. This could cause some issues on a windy day.
All in all it was a fun experiment to conduct and I learned a lot about the similarities and differences in these 3 sets all in the course of a little more than an hour.
c0ncept
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Nice review hanks! I love the looks of the J40s clean and simple is the way to go.
2Shoes
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Thanks for the work on these...I saw some comparison pics over on the R11 thread from Buckjob. I like the slim looks....looks more tour blade-ish from the pictures I saw. They look really good! Oh, and Bucks was throwin' you a little love over there!....Selleck
Buckjob
My Friend's Call Me Drew
As hanks said i met up with him at the range tonight to compare some great irons and ive wanted to get my hands on the J40s since i first saw the video JB posted cause they look HOT! I loved the sleek look and simple yet elegant design. They look just as nice in hand. Got a chance to hit them along with the same irons Hanks touched on. I thought they had a nice ball flight a little bit on the high side but still good. and i was getting a little distance loss but pretty good accuracy.
Ill go through and touch on the same things that Hanks did just what i thought. also ill add my thoughts for the burner 2.0s i only had my 6 iron in my bag tonight but ive hit them for a year so i have a good feel for those clubs.
Looks- The J40s were second only to the R11 for thinnest head which surprised me i thought the J40s would be thinner or just as thin as the R11s but they were thicker at the bottom and about the same, maybe a little thinner at the topline. then the Burner 2.0s then the CG16s were the thickest. I agree with the CG16 looking clunky next to the other clubs but didn't look as bad when i was just hitting them. I did like that the topline was thin and they had a little thicker bottoms on the J40s though. I thought the Cavity backs looked nice and the B that is im assuming laser etched into the back looks really sharp... im not gonna say what i thought looked the best cause honestly i liked all of them in their own ways and looks are relative to what each person likes.
Weighting- This is where Hanks and i disagree... i believe the J40s are lighter than the R11s but honestly they are pretty close to each other. i think the heads of the J40s were lighter and the shafts were heavier compared to the R11s. then the Burner 2.0 and the CG16s were close to each other in weight with the CG 16s being the heaviest.
Forgiveness- This is hard to say only hitting a small amount of balls with each club. but if i had to rate going from most forgiveness to least i would go- CG16, Burner 2.0, R11 and J40... but i didn't hit enough to get a good idea at what was the best in this category.
Distance- Burner 2.0s are the longest closely followed by the CG16s then the R11s and then the J40s i noticed i was losing about 5-10 yards per club with the J40s but noticing a much similar flight and consistency like the R11s.
Accuracy- the R11s are at the top of this category closely followed by the J40s then the CG16s and Burner 2.0s were close to each other but there was a pretty large gap between the 2 groups.
Trajectory- i honestly thought they all had a nice high ball flight. the 2.0s and the R11s were very close in the middle and the J40 seemed to have the highest out of the bunch which may have been why i was losing some distance with them. the CG16s were prob the lowest but they weren't as low for my shots as they were for Hanks.
All in all the J40s were a decent iron. They are def more of what i am looking for in my game where they have great look at address with the thin topline and although you might lose some distance the accuracy is a lot better than the GI irons. Anyway as hanks promised i took some photos of the 4 clubs at address so here they are.
from left to right All are 6 irons.
J40s
CG16s
R11s
Burner 2.0s
Again from Top to bottom
J40
CG16
R11
Burner 2.0
Ill go through and touch on the same things that Hanks did just what i thought. also ill add my thoughts for the burner 2.0s i only had my 6 iron in my bag tonight but ive hit them for a year so i have a good feel for those clubs.
Looks- The J40s were second only to the R11 for thinnest head which surprised me i thought the J40s would be thinner or just as thin as the R11s but they were thicker at the bottom and about the same, maybe a little thinner at the topline. then the Burner 2.0s then the CG16s were the thickest. I agree with the CG16 looking clunky next to the other clubs but didn't look as bad when i was just hitting them. I did like that the topline was thin and they had a little thicker bottoms on the J40s though. I thought the Cavity backs looked nice and the B that is im assuming laser etched into the back looks really sharp... im not gonna say what i thought looked the best cause honestly i liked all of them in their own ways and looks are relative to what each person likes.
Weighting- This is where Hanks and i disagree... i believe the J40s are lighter than the R11s but honestly they are pretty close to each other. i think the heads of the J40s were lighter and the shafts were heavier compared to the R11s. then the Burner 2.0 and the CG16s were close to each other in weight with the CG 16s being the heaviest.
Forgiveness- This is hard to say only hitting a small amount of balls with each club. but if i had to rate going from most forgiveness to least i would go- CG16, Burner 2.0, R11 and J40... but i didn't hit enough to get a good idea at what was the best in this category.
Distance- Burner 2.0s are the longest closely followed by the CG16s then the R11s and then the J40s i noticed i was losing about 5-10 yards per club with the J40s but noticing a much similar flight and consistency like the R11s.
Accuracy- the R11s are at the top of this category closely followed by the J40s then the CG16s and Burner 2.0s were close to each other but there was a pretty large gap between the 2 groups.
Trajectory- i honestly thought they all had a nice high ball flight. the 2.0s and the R11s were very close in the middle and the J40 seemed to have the highest out of the bunch which may have been why i was losing some distance with them. the CG16s were prob the lowest but they weren't as low for my shots as they were for Hanks.
All in all the J40s were a decent iron. They are def more of what i am looking for in my game where they have great look at address with the thin topline and although you might lose some distance the accuracy is a lot better than the GI irons. Anyway as hanks promised i took some photos of the 4 clubs at address so here they are.
from left to right All are 6 irons.
J40s
CG16s
R11s
Burner 2.0s
Again from Top to bottom
J40
CG16
R11
Burner 2.0
Buckjob
My Friend's Call Me Drew
they are a good bit smaller.