BRIDGESTONE J 36 PREMIUM forged irons

REVIEWED BY: Paulo Montoya
HANDICAP: 1

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Bridgestone J36 Combo 3-iron to pitching wedge fitted with with Project X 6.0 (stiff) shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I’m a blade player, so I certainly liked the short irons, which were full blades, and the mid irons, which were a player’s cavity back. The pocket cavity long irons were also OK, simply because of the nice shape of the toe.

VERDICT: I like the concept of the Combo irons, which I found to be very workable. The feel was impressively uniform across different iron models, even with an obvious change with the pocket cavity in the 3-, 4- and 5-irons. They felt more like a typical cavity, less responsive, but that’s not a bad thing in long irons. Even long-iron blades these days often feel like that.

The pitching wedge was a standout, compared to the pitching wedges you find in other sets. It played like a true wedge, particularly using it for chips and pitches. The distance control was good, but the trajectory less so. From the 7-iron down, the ball tended to fl y a bit high for me, although it may have been the shafts rather than the club.

The best thing about the concept is you can choose your own balance of clubs. I really liked the short iron blades and would add a 7- and 6-iron of those to the bag, with the player’s cavity for the longer irons.

FACTS AND FIGURES

SUITABILITY: Blades and Cavity Back for low-handicapped players; Pocket Cavity and Combo for low-to-mid markers.
SHAFTS: Rifle Project X.
GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet.
LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: No.
HOW MUCH?: $179 per iron.
BRIDGESTONE SAYS: “The J36 series offers three different models (J36 Blades, J36 Cavity Backs and J36 Pocket Cavity)
designed to meet the discerning preferences of low-handicappers and professionals.

“All of the new irons are premium forged from 1020 mild carbon steel for the ultimate in soft feel and feature U-grooves for the best in distance and spin control. “Standard across the J36 line is a tapered sole-design for more versatility in shot-making, allowing players to work the ball and more easily control trajectory. Another key feature is the trailing edge relief for better
performance from a variety of lies.

“With the launch of the J36 line, Bridgestone Golf will take golf club customisation to the next level, allowing consumers to fashion a set of irons from the three J36 models. “For instance a player that needs more height on his 3- and 4-iron shots may opt to choose the J36 Pocket Cavity model, but still want more
workability in the rest of his set, so choose the Cavity Back or Blades for the rest of the set.”

Call Bridgestone Golf on 1300 138 353 or visit www.bridgestonegolf.com

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