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Bridgestone J36 Lineup Preview

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New for 2008, Bridgestone Golf has just announced the new J36 lineup of irons, hybrids, and wedges.

Ever since Bridgestone announced they would begin making golf clubs in the U.S. under the Bridgestone brand, they have maintained better players as the primary focus. The J33 Blade, Combo, and Cavity were all solid products that became favorites among better players for their performance and clean looks. Rather than attempt the "all things to all golfers" mentality of its Tour Stage sister brand in Japan, Bridgestone has embraced it’s niche category in the U.S. and the J36 line will seek to compete in the industry in a new way, while still paying homage to their 36 years of innovation as a company. The new line includes three sets of irons, the J36 Blade, J36 Cavity, J36 Pocket Cavity, a new J36 Hybrid, and new West Coast Designs Wedges.

Irons

Bridgestone has continued their commitment to forged irons and the J36 irons will be forged by the Endo Golf Manufacturing facility. The unique forging process utilizes a warm forging and then presses the irons four times at 1600 tons producing a precise initial forging which requires less grinding and finishing along with a more uniform grain structure in the metal. Designed with input from tour players like Fred Couples and Stuart Appleby, all the irons feature a sole that progressively widens from heel to toe making it easier to work the ball. Also, trailing edge relief on all the irons allows the club to drag less through the turf making it easier to play in a variety of conditions. The standard shaft for the line up will be Rifle Project X Flighted. The big change with the J36 line will be complete customization available from Bridgestone. Whatever combination of clubs, shafts, and grips a golfer wants will be possible. Also, since the the club heads were designed in tandem, the specifications were all designed to work in concert with each other. As a result, a golfer wanting a custom set of J36 Blade in PW-8, J36 Cavity in 7-5 J36, and Pocket Cavity in the 4-3 will have no problems doing so.

J36 Blade

The J33 Blade was a direct import from the Tour with input and approval from PGA Tour players like Stuart Appleby. The J33 Blade’s long hosel and heel biased center of mass gave better players the control they desire, but also required a tour caliber swing to achieve results. The new J36 blade will still provide players all the control they want, but in a much more playable package. Gone is the long hosel, replaced with a standard sized one making it much more playable.

However, traditional blade players will be glad to know that the muscle is still placed high on the club without cutouts other companies use to make their clubs more forgiving. This club will still be a great option for players looking to control ball flight and maintain accuracy. The topline of the J36 blade is still very thin and frame the ball very will for better players thanks to minimal offset. The thin sole has a slightly blunted leading edge to prevent digging accommodating players who like to hit down on the ball. With a center of gravity located more towards the center of the face, golfers will find a more playable J36 Blade that still provides them all the control they need.

J36 Cavity

A silver medal winner in Golf Digest’s 2008 Hot List, the J36 Cavity has recieved some updating. It also has the same trailing edge relief and tapered sole design as the rest of the line. With a slightly wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the blade, it is more forgiving, flies higher, but still provides control for better players and allows the golfer to work the ball in either direction.

 J36 Pocket Cavity

The new addition to the J36 line is the Pocket Cavity, so called because of the cavity cut into the back of the club. The cavity moves the center of gravity lower and deeper than any of the other clubs in the line. While this provides the most forgiveness of the entire lineup, it still retains the looks even the most ardent traditionalists will like. Even in the longest irons, the cavity is not visible from address and provides quite a bit of forgiveness while still retaining the feel people have come to trust in other one piece forgings.


The Pocket Cavity is the highest launching club in the line. Although it has a slightly thicker topline than its brothers, it still flows well for those who might be interested in including it as part of a combo set.

J36 Hybrids

The J36 Hybrid is an extension of last year’s Gravity Chamber hybrid. The J36 shares the same channel in the sole which increases MOI by moving weight to the perimiter. However, it improves upon the previous version with an updated CAD designed sole, a completely neutral weighting and face angle. The hybrid’s deep face and short length make it very playable off the tee and rough as well as from the fairway. The hybrid comes standard with the eighty gram Aldila VS Proto shaft standard. The top line of the club has been fully painted, a look most better players prefer.

West Coast Liquid Copper Wedges

The Satin West Coast Wedges were a big hit for Bridgestone, and the newly updated version capitalizes on the basic design but adds a fully milled face and a raw oil can finish. The milled face allows for a perfectly flat hitting surface for accuracy and the addition of milling marks allows for increased spin on short shots.

Variable Bounce Technology is used on the sole to allow the club the play with full bounce when square and less when the blade is opened or closed. The wedge also has the same long hosel as previous versions giving the club a high center of gravity to help control ball flight height on full swings.

 

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. PWW

    Apr 18, 2009 at 11:28 am

    My son is a junior golfer and recently selected the J36 Blades over the Titleist ZM1’s. He was impressed with the ability to work the ball better and felt that he ended up having more confidence. Terrific feel also.

  2. Brent Gerreyn

    Oct 5, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    The new J36 pocket cavity irons are fantastic!
    Its like hitting a ball of butter and I think I will be aiming toward getting a set of these in my bag.
    They feel tough and solid at address, while at impact the feel is a sence of pure balance.
    Congratulations to Bridgestone on releasing a club that is a pleasure to use.

  3. Atlas0_6

    Dec 29, 2007 at 12:44 am

    I am glad that Bridgestone is making a niche style push in the U.S. market. There are a great many choices for game improvement irons and only a handful of the more accomplished player equipment manufactors. I like the look of the new wedges as well as the Blade and pocket cavity designs.

    I guess finally we will see some of the more innovative and creative items coming from Asia to the U.S.

    Bravo Brigdestone.

  4. Rich Hetzel

    Dec 26, 2007 at 9:11 pm

    I think Bridgestone should make a major push into the US market. I was at Golf Galaxy to today and all they had 1 one set of J33cb irons. The new hybrid and wedges are really sparking my interest. Great review Kiran, and thanks to Bridgestone!

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BK’s Breakdowns: Cameron Young’s winning WITB, 2025 Wyndham Championship

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Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!

Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX

Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X

Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype

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Whats in the Bag

Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

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Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X

7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X

Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow

Check out more in-hand photos Malnati’s clubs here.

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GolfWRX Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best driver of 2025

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We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here

What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.

Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.

Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.

Best driver of 2025: The top 5

5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%

Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”

You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.

4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%

Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”

You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.

3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%

Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”

@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”

You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.

2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%

Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”

@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”

You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.

1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%

Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”

@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”

You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.

Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote

Driver Vote percentage (%)
Cobra DS Adapt Max K 4.85%
Ping G430 Max 10K 3.85%
Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond 3.68%
TaylorMade Qi35 3.51%
Callaway Elyte 3.18%
Cobra DS Adapt X 2.34%
Cobra DS Adapt LS 2.17%
TaylorMade Qi35 LS 2.17%

 

 

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