Bridgestone GC Mids

# Midsize head design combining perfect amounts of control and forgiveness

# Gravity Disks are progressively placed through the set for ideal performance and feel

# High Moment of Inertia (MOI) reduces twisting at Impact

# Versatile sole design give players more forgiveness in all turf conditions

# New scoreline design to increase spin and control

# Soft, 431 stainless steel heads

# Nippon N.S.Pro 1050GH shafts: R/S Flexes

Anyone tried these yet?

I guess I get to be first. :(

This is totally a repost from FGI, but a review nonetheless.

Since I may not actually get another round in until the middle of November, I thought I would give some initial impressions on my new Bridgestone GC Mids w/Nippon 1050GH's after 1 range session and 1 round.

Over that past year or 2 when I was considering irons (which happened a lot ) I typically looked for something that matched what my mind considered "ideal" for me. These would be those traits:

Medium sole width

Sole that isn't so radiused, and leading edge that isn't so rounded that it would make it difficult to take divots on the hard AZ turf

Thin topline

Minimal offset

Wildly forgiving

After limited testing, it looks like the GC Mids nailed 4 out of 5. They aren't quite "wildly" forgiving but they are definitely forgiving (ask Baaab ). They set up great, almost like a Playahs Cavity back. Although they don't have a huge amount of offset, they appear to have even less than the specs state. Despite having old school lofts ( 47* PW) they are reasonably long... I hit 7 iron into a 160 yard hole on Monday and ended up near the back of the green where I sank my 15 foot birdie-bogey putt ( a birdie-bogey is when you make the birdie putt… with the pin in and should legitimately card a bogey). I only remember 2 ugly shots with the irons on that round… both with the 6 iron (the longest iron I carry), one pull and one misguided attempt at the "punch under the tree, rise 30 yards in the air and then fade 15 yards" shot. 2 bad iron shots in a round is something I can live with.

I was at the range last night with a handful of FGI'ers (2 of which already have dibs on the GC's) and despite really poor turf conditions I saw enough to determine they are moving to the main bag and will undergo further testing. (Any body need some Apex Edge Pros or Macgregeor M565's?)

My only dislike is the feedback they give on offcenter shots… there actually is some. I know most of you want to know when you make a poor swing, even if your ballflight is good. Not me. I want everything to feel like butta no matter where I hit it on the face. (I did log a lot of years with some pretty serious shovels)

On extreme toe & heel shots there is definitely feedback, I wouldn't say harsh but you can definitely feel it when you miss. On the upside, there's not a helluva lot of difference in where the ball ends up, the ball just seems to fly a bit lower and a bit shorter but they are nowhere near as penalizing as a muscleback or even many of the players cavity backs I have tried.

The shafts feel very nice (this is my first time with the Nippons). I went with regular flex because I tend to overswing and I always hope that a softer shaft will make me want to swing easier… that pretty much never works. They launch the ball at a medium-high trajectory which works really well for me.

Most importantly, they look sweet in the bag along with the J33R 460.

If you get a chance, definitely check them out.

Thanks for the review.

Just to give some backround, I've been playing Titleist 704's for the past three years. I wanted to move to a little more forgiving club while trying to keep the same general size/shape/offset .. . etc. I've hit the clubs three times now and played 9 holes once so they are still pretty new.

The clubs are really solid. Bridgestone has staked out some good middle ground between a more traditional game improvement iron (say X-20's) and a forged "player's" cavity back.

Looks - As stated in previous posts, from address, it doesn't look like a GI iron. Thin top line, small offset .. . . I'm getting used to the gravity disks in the chamber - at least there is practical reason as to why they are there. There are no fancy graphics or extra colors in the chamber - which I like.

Feel - Quite soft for a cast club. Feel is pretty subjective, but a big part of feel for me is being able to tell where on the club face I hit the ball . . and you can tell.

Forgiveness - Toe and heel shots are significantly more forgiving than the 704's. It is alittle easier to get the ball in the air but that's not the strength of the club. It is more for off-center contact.

Workability - I could still hit draws and fades on command but it does require alittle more work - especially with the longer clubs. I did get the stock Nippon 1050 Stiff shafts in the irons so I was alittle concerned about ballooning but I haven't had that problem. I've hit into a 10 to 15 mph head wind twice on the range and was able to knock down pretty much every club except the longest irons.

I know these are sleeper clubs but to be honest that is part of their appeal. I would definitely agree with a recent thread I saw here on WRX saying that most people felt that Bridgestone was one of the most underrated OEMs. Their marketing for these clubs has been almost non-existant. They are definetly worth checking out.

Thought I'd chime in and say that these are great irons. For those of us looking/wishing that we could consistently play blades, the GC Mids fit right in there. I was playing Mizuno mx-17s prior to this and as I became better, I realized that drawing everything is not the greatest shot in golf.

If you're looking for thin top line, great feel and workability, these should be on your list.

I hit mx-23/25, r7 tp, cleveland cg4 tour/cg2/ccg1. Actually seriously considered going cg1 black pearl but convinced myself that I don't practice enough for that.

And I think there's a free 6 dozen ball offer from bridgestone now. Of course, after I purchased my set.

Bridgestone may be the best kept secret in golf.

I took these irons for a 48 hour demo this weekend and after 36 holes I am buying them.

I've been trying to make the game a little easier of late and tried Cally X12, X14, X14 PS, and i5. I didn't like the unconventional look at address. Think topline, lots of offset, etc.

The GC Mids look more traditional at address with a thinner topline and not too much offset. I don't like the black knobby things in the cavity. I wish they would've kept those the same color as the clubhead so they aren't so noticable but they are not visible at address anyway. The head is just what they advertise-midsized. Pleasing to my eye.

I thought the feel was very similar to the Titleist 962, one of my favorites. Kind of a dull but powerful sounding "thud". Shafts are Nippon 1050 which I've never played before but feel nice. Ballflight is a little higher than I'm accustomed to with S400 or PX but still penetrating. No ballooning but I did leave a few short into the wind but I think that is just an adjustment I'll have to make.

I don't really try to work the ball and these seem to want to go straight. I did turn a few over on the range just to see and it can be done but 99.9% of the time a straight shot is the call for me anyway. The soles are not as thin as a traditional blade but not as wide as the Callaways. The sole appears to have a nice camber to it. I can't think of more than a couple shots I caught fat with these and that is my biggest miss.

Distance was average compared to the 962 or blades I've played. The X14 and the i5 are probably longer but I don't understand why people care about distance in irons anyway. The distances were consistant most importantly.

All in all a playable club that is a nice middle ground between blades and ultra game improvement irons.

these irons are of the chain. Best cavity iron out there. feel, perfomance, and looks! These irons have it all. If you are higher than an 8 handicap you should play these for sure! and even some lower handi's can use them!

I just bought a set of these from Austad's (on sale #399.99 and a 6 dozen ball offer from Bridgestone). So far I am liking them a lot. They are forgiving, but you definitely can tell the difference between pure and off center contact. Hitting them feels very similar to the Titleist forged cavity backs my uncle plays (IMHO), the results are much more forgiving on mis-hits with the GCs though. Not sure how the ball offer works yet, still waiting to get mine back. So far, they are definitely reccomended and hard to beat at the price I found them.

I just got a set and really like them. I played the original DCI's since they were released then went to MP-37's. The Bridgestones have some qualities of both sets. The long irons are forgiving like the DCI but you still get a lot of feedback from them. The short irons seem a little dead compared to the Mizunos, but I was expecting that. Overall, I am very pleased with them. I am going to replace the 8,9,PW with a more blade like clubs to regain the feel.

I am just wondering why these irons are selling so cheap, they look great with great NS Pro shafts and seem to be forgiving even with the player's profile. Could it be the design of the cavity back that make people stay away from these irons?

[quote name='theothertwo' post='852803' date='Jan 7 2008, 06:28 PM']I am just wondering why these irons are selling so cheap, they look great with great NS Pro shafts and seem to be forgiving even with the player's profile. Could it be the design of the cavity back that make people stay away from these irons?[/quote]

I would guess it is because Bridgestone still hasnt a big reputation in the maketplace and buyers stick with the big name OEMs thay know.

This model is actually also pitched at a pretty small market segment- as witnessed recently with the number of Ping i10 irons that came onto the market second hand very quickly after they were released onto the market- the players cavity is perhaps too much club for many

Wow, these irons are great. Got them for $249 3-PW because I'm thinking of switching to a mmore forgiving CB with low offset and thin topline. Tried them last night at the range, they set up well, soft for a cast club and very forgiving. I wish they did not have the 2 discs in the cavity but maybe that is the technology that makes them work.

Update, here's a photo with the black discs painted over with a silver Sharpie.

Coming from Cobra 3100 I/H, I wanted an iron set that was low price, good looking, smaller than 3100, and forgiving. GC Mids pretty much satisfied all the criteria I was looking for. It is almost a steal of a price thesedays if you look online. :russian_roulette:

I've got almost 6 rounds with these sticks and I forsee them staying in my bag for a long time.

Strongly recommend for Mid-High cappers on budget.

I have had these irons for about 10 rounds now. I bought them on a whim, and they have since stayed in the bag. The Callaway X-Tours I had before are now the back-up irons. I have played very well with them, and dropped my handicap by 4 so far this season. I see them staying in my golf bag for a long time.

I suggested these to a friend on a budget and he loves them. I took a few swings, nice sticks. Just the slightest bit of a clicky feel to me. The grips he had were nice, midsize they felt like. The shafts were NS Pro 1160GH, nice for stock shafts. The clubs at address remind me of a Titleist 981 or 762. Good sticks and can be had for under $200

I suggested these to a friend on a budget and he loves them. I took a few swings, nice sticks. Just the slightest bit of a clicky feel to me. The grips he had were nice, midsize they felt like. The shafts were NS Pro 1160GH, nice for stock shafts. The clubs at address remind me of a Titleist 981 or 762. Good sticks and can be had for under $200

Just received mine, haven't had a chance to hit them, and I probably won't have 'til after Christmas :( .

They are beautiful to look at, set up very nicely behind the ball.

These irons are THE midsize cavity back for all those who want a slightly bigger head with a thin topline and almost no offset.

Stock grips are definitely midsize, which means I'll probably have to change them. But the set only cost me $ 129, so who cares?

Too much offset. I tried them after hearing comparison to size and shape of rac LT originals. They feel similar and hit a ball well but I wasn't expecting so much offset in the mid-long irons. Sold them and got R7 tp's.

Too much offset. I tried them after hearing comparison to size and shape of rac LT originals. They feel similar and hit a ball well but I wasn't expecting so much offset in the mid-long irons. Sold them and got R7 tp's.

Interesting. I have both the R7 TPs and the GC Mids and prefer the GC Mids. Not sure what you are talking about as far as offset is concerned. The offset is nearly identical to the R7 TPs, which is to say its negligible on both sets. Overall the Bridgestone is a better looking and better performing iron in my opinion. And at the prices they can be picked up for these days, there probably isn't a better iron set out there for the price.

I picked up a used, but in great shape, set of these on ebay for like 120 buck I had been playing some mizuno mp something or others and really liked them but you know ebay, " oh I'll just bid and won't win it" well I won and I love the clubs they have a great top line and I hit them high and as far as any other Irons I have played, all for just over 100 bones, lucky me.

Morton golf sales, and their local actual shop (Haggin Oaks) is having their dirty dozen clearance and part of that sale was these irons. I picked up a 4-PW set for $149.00!!

Took em out this morning and wow am I impressed! they feel so good. Only thing that I miss is having a 3 iron. Other than that, I am super impressed. great clubs at an AMAZING price

I just got them off ebay for $150 and i'm really impressed. good feel, really forgiving and looks as good as some of the player CBs out there. only downside is that i hit these really high compared to my old mizunos but thats a small price to pay for a good set of irons. for the price you cant beat them. i just wonder why Bridgestone discontinued them. with all the mid-cappers out there looking for a set that looks like a players CB yet plays like a GI, these are dead on.

> Morton golf sales, and their local actual shop (Haggin Oaks) is having their dirty dozen clearance and part of that sale was these irons. I picked up a 4-PW set for $149.00!!

Drat... just called Morton Golf direct and thought I'd nabbed their last set with Regular flex steel shafts, only to have them call me back and say that it was missing the 7-iron.

Still looking...

OK... a question.

It appears that Regular Flex steel shaft sets of the GC Mid are scarce. On eBay, proshopwarehouse is selling 4-PW sets of the GC Mid, with Nippon NS Pro 950 GH STIFF steel shafts. I did a little research and found the following:

1. I ran through the Shaft Fit survey at the True Temper site, and it recommends Dynamic Gold Lite R300 shafts for my swing. A Dynamic Gold Lite R300 weighs 109 grams and has a torque of 1.9

2. A Nippon NS Pro 950 GH Regular shaft has a weight of 95 grams and a torque of 2.0.

3. A Nippon NS Pro 950 GH Stiff shaft has a weight of 98 grams and a torque of 1.9.

Based on this, it looks like the GC Mids with the STIFF Nippon Pro 950 GH would be OK for me.

Thoughts/opinions?

Update: I ended up winning a 4-PW set with Nippon NS Pro 950GH stiff shafts earlier today on eBay from proshopwarehouse.com for $117.50 + 19.99 S/H. I'm happy.

Will post a review once the snow melts. ;)

Has anyone tried these out with the Aldila 85g graphite shafts?

I just bought a set with the graphite for a friend. He's on here now but it just snowed where we are!! I'll get him to post a review after a bit of range time.

Well after reading these reviews -1, I just snagged a set with the NS Pro 950GH stiff from PSWH for $122.50. No shipping as I live down the highway from them and they let me pick my stuff up. Let's just say I'm a repeat offender...er..uh..customer, yeah that's it a customer. There's about 10" of snow and ice down so I'm gonna have to wait to try them, but if the reiviews here and elsewhere I've read prove true, my P2's finally have some competition.

Oh and I actually love the way they look!

Mine showed up Friday; I think they look great.

Has anyone tried these out with the Aldila 85g graphite shafts?

yes, recieved them under 200 cdn including shipp on ebay. I have used steel all my life in irons, and found these were pretty good in the stiff aldila 85's . the trajectory was high, but there was no flimsiness in the shaft... a little light, but you can still feel the clubhead. Shots were high and boring through the wind, about 1/2 club more distance than my taylor made lt 2's with s400 stiff tt gold . Overall, I feel these are pretty good in graphite, and they seem to land right on top of the target and stop.The great part is you don't have to kill it to feel the ball take off from the club face.you can't go wrong, and they are so light in the bag compared to 130g per steel s400.(d2) just get these clubs, for the price, you can't go wrong, my lt 2 taylor mades were 1000 bucks, and these feel sweeter on a good shot.Blades are way better for shot shape, but if you only get out once every two to three weeks,like me, you want a forgiving club. Truly these feel like a good

players cavity