REVIEW: Bridgestone J40 445 9.5* Project X 6.0

[SheriffBooth]

On Course and Launch Monitor Testing

TESTED:

Bridgestone J40 445 Driver
Loft tested: 9.5*
Shaft Tested: Project X 6.0 45”

PLAYER PROFILE

Age:35 Ht: 6’4” Wt: 185
Yrs Playing: 20
Hcp: 3.4

I was scratch as recently as 2007, but work, marriage and children are slowly eroding my handicap, as is want to happen. But this is mostly due to chipping and putting, not poor ball striking or driving.

WHAT BRIDGESTONE SAYS:

Features
• 445cc round shape with tour stability
• Improved Face Thickness design for additional stability and higher MOI
• 6-4 titanium construction with thin crown wall section allows discretionary weight to be moved to the perimeter for added forgiveness
• Stainless steel weight at heel and short hosel to optimize CG for mid to high launch with low spin
• Project X™ Driver shaft: 5.0/5.5/6.0/6.5 Flexes
• Golf Pride® Tour Velvet® Grip
• Available Right Hand Only: 9.5°, 10.5°, 12°

Target Player
Professionals to mid handicap amateurs

PROS

Very clean, classic black crown; no alignment aid, no graphics, clean as a whistle. More classic round head shape, but not pear shaped like the 430; reminiscent to me of the FT5 Callaway but without the cup face line, and somewhat similar to the current R11, except in clean gloss black. Test club sets up dead square. Comes with “real” Project X graphite that pairs very well with the head.

CONS

Not adjustable. Not very game improvement when compared to other modern drivers like the Ping G20 or Taylor Made Burner Superfast 2.0. This driver is stealth – all the tech is hidden except for a single visible weight in the heel – so if you like a wow factor or bling in your bag this might not be your cup of tea, but Bridgestone is working to raise its profile in the United States. Comes with what I would rate as an unattractive headcover, given the relative simple beauty of the club itself – the mostly black, with yellow and red piping, just didn’t do much for me; your mileage may vary.

ON COURSE TESTING

I’ve played 27 holes with this driver, with the most recent drivers in my bag being a Ping Rapture V2 with a Blueboard 63-s, a Callaway Razr Hawk Tour with a RIP 60-s and a Burner Superfast TP 1.0 with a Matrix HD6-s, all in 9.5. I took to this driver like a duck in water during warmups, the head and shaft seeming to be very well paired, and I needed almost no time to start hitting very solid mid-high launch drives with plenty of carry. The stock shaft is very smooth, not quite Blueboard smooth, but none of the harshness that I’ve experienced with my previous Matrix shafts, and nowhere near as unsorted as the RIP 60 in the Callaway. When hit on the face, the ball comes off very hot – my playing partner commented right away “That driver has a live face!” Sound is again classic – very old school titanium, not ear splitting like some all titanium drivers, and none of the thwock strangeness of composites.

In play, I generally found the driver to be very consistent, but when I tried to overswing it was possible for me to hit hooks, which is my mistake shot. I attribute this to the very square face and even weighting – it was almost impossible for me to hit hooks with my more open faced Rapture, Callaway and Superfast TP drivers. The upside of this fact is that the driver is workable. Not Titleist 983K workable, or even J40 430 workable, but you can move the ball if you’re so inclined. The tech in the driver doesn’t prevent this. But the downside is that you can also sidespin this driver unintentionally.

My best drives surprised me when I got out to them with their length. Easily 10 or 15 yards longer than my Rapture V2, but with what appeared to be very similar launch and carry time. Not to mention, the Bridgestone is a half inch shorter than my Ping. I very much enjoyed the sound, feel and results of my best hit shots, but I was not happy with the 4 sharp hooks over the 27 holes, as I’d gotten used to not having to worry about this.

Conditions were pretty damp for my playtest, and I generally got little to no roll. It was impossible for me to know if this was due to conditions or excess spin.

But, my bottom line with on course testing was very positive. Long high bomb drives, great sound, feel and appearance. Unquestionably superior to my Ping and Superfast TP that preceded it. Just learn to eliminate those mistakes and it’s a keeper.

LAUNCH MONITOR TESTING

First, much thanks to Jeff Yi and Golf Galaxy, Cary, NC for the assistance with the launch monitor analysis. I compensated them, of course, but Jeff was still very attentive and willing to let me compare a number of heads and shafts for a comprehensive test of the 445. We were on a Zelocity Pure Launch monitor. Balls used were Titleist ProV1x’s.

I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves, and I’ll work with the averages for each club tested. If and when I can get the printouts scanned, I’ll ask HipCheck to help me get them posted here. Hopefully your favorite or something close is on here.

Again, these are averages, generally over at least 6 swings, and throwing out the strikes that I could tell by feel were bad.

(CS=club speed, BS=ball speed, LA=launch angle, S=Spin, D=Avg yards deviation from center)

B’Stone J40 445 PX 6.0

CS=104.4 BS=152.6 LA=12.6 S=2573 D=8.3

Rapture V2 9* Blueboard 63

CS=104.7 BS=151.6 LA=13.1 S=2636 D=7.6

Titleist 910D2 9.5* PX-7C3 6.0

CS=101.8 BS=151.5 LA=14.5 S=2299 D=7.7

Titleist 910D2 9.5* RIP alpha 60-s

CS=101.13 BS=151.7 LA=14.8 S=2212 D=6.7

Titleist 910D2 9.5* made for Ahina 72 stiff

CS=103.6 BS=153.3 LA=13.5 S=2435 D=9.1

TM R11 10.5* Blur TP 65x

CS=106.2 BS=151.4 LA=14.6 S=2586 D=7.2

TM R11 9* Blur TP 65x

CS=106.2 BS=151.7 LA=10.7 S=2929 D=7.9

Razr Hawk Tour 9.5* Stock RIP 60-s

CS=104 BS=152.1 LA=13.9 S=2470 D=7.0

Ping G20 9.5* TFC 169D Tour stiff

CS=104.6 BS=150.4 LA=14.6 S=2515 D=7.8

Nike VR Pro Limited made for Ahina stiff

CS=105.08 BS=153.0 LA=13.0 S=2574 D=8.9

Basically, the Bridgestone is competitive with any of the current major OEM drivers on the market. For me, on looks and feel I would choose it over the Nike, Callaway, Ping and TaylorMade drivers. I will say that I was very impressed with the Ping stock TFC shaft – great feeling combo with the G20 head. But to me the G20 sat a degree closed at address and just appeared very big…I’ll look forward to the I20. I was also struck by the outrageous spin numbers on the 9* R11 head – lowest launch of the drivers tested but nearly 500rpm more spin.

Launch monitor champ was the Titleist 910D2 with either the PX-7C3 or the RIP-60. Just awesome launch and crazy low spin when compared with all the other clubs. A stark enough difference that I will have to get my hands on one for on-course tryouts.

Why was my swingspeed nearly 4mph lower with the Titlests? Swingweight. On the Maltby scale the Bridgestone clocked in at D1 (with a midsize grip), while the Titleist with the PX-7C3 came in at D-6.5 (standard size grip). The Titleist was noticeably heavier than all other drivers tested. Yet the Titleists still brought similar velocity, higher launch and lower spin.

As you can see, though, the Bridgestone is a very well sorted head on a good shaft. I would think that for most players with a similar profile to mine, it will come down to feel and appearance, and you might be able to eek some slightly better numbers with a shaft swap.

BOTTOM LINE

The Bridgestone J40 445 is in my bag, unseating its predecessors with a combination of classy looks, great sound and feel, and competitive results. It will, however, be facing a showdown with a 910D2 in its near future. But, it will not be facing a showdown with TaylorMade, Ping or Callaway, which says a lot for this somewhat ‘under the radar’ driver and company. If you just want a plain, clean, black titanium driver, that also happens to smash the ball, this should definitely be on your list.

Feel free to ask questions and I will try to answer them as I check in with this thread. I am a terrible golf club photographer, but I hope these photos give you an idea of the J40 445. The other clubs in the photos are a Ping Rapture V2 and a Callaway FT-Tour.

[Johnny T]

Nice write-up, especially the comparisons with other drivers. I may have to give this a look over the G20 (although I'm not sure either can unseat the 910D2 with HD6 combo).

And the J40 fairway cover is the same as the driver cover...very subdued with no "J40" anywhere on it.

[SheriffBooth]

Thanks, Johnny. I'd be very interested to try the J40 445 in 10.5 but with something like a Whiteboard or Kiyoshi. I was getting consistently higher ball speeds with the Bridgestone over the Ping G20, even though my clubhead speed was consistently faster with the Ping.

[CBJ]

great write up! I have the j40 driver, 3 wood, and 5 wood. J40 irons and wedges are on the way!

can't wait to get some rounds in with them...

[Harob11]

Not allowed because of spam awarded this driver the best they've ever tested. Took out the Adams 9015D that was atop their list for something like 600 days or something...

[Harob11]

Oops, sorry.

[Splitter]

Nice write up SB. Neat to see you go the extra mile with the launch monitor data. Did you make sure to swing hard?

Looking forward to your D2 cmaro. Just got done pitting a RAZR Hawk against my D2 and the D2 is still the king of my bag.

[Johnny T]

[quote name='SheriffBooth' timestamp='1325302917' post='4008099']
Thanks, Johnny. I'd be very interested to try the J40 445 in 10.5 but with something like a Whiteboard or Kiyoshi. I was getting consistently higher ball speeds with the Bridgestone over the Ping G20, even though my clubhead speed was consistently faster with the Ping.
[/quote]



I was a little surprised by the ballspeed numbers as well. But it is great data to see.

I do have a question for you - you mention that the J40 isn't quite as game improvement as some other drivers on the market. How much less 'game improvement' would you say it is? We talking i15 less? My typical miss with the driver is on the toe.

[SheriffBooth]

This was my first comprehensive launch monitor experience, and it was pretty fun. What I learned was that all of the OEM's are making a pretty good driver, and it's mostly a matter of finding what suits your eye and ear. But if you truly want to feel optimized, I can't imagine spending $300 or $400 on a new driver and not going the extra mile and dropping another $80 for the launch monitor fitting.

[SheriffBooth]

[quote name='Johnny T' timestamp='1325343134' post='4009301']
[quote name='SheriffBooth' timestamp='1325302917' post='4008099']
Thanks, Johnny. I'd be very interested to try the J40 445 in 10.5 but with something like a Whiteboard or Kiyoshi. I was getting consistently higher ball speeds with the Bridgestone over the Ping G20, even though my clubhead speed was consistently faster with the Ping.
[/quote]



I was a little surprised by the ballspeed numbers as well. But it is great data to see.

I do have a question for you - you mention that the J40 isn't quite as game improvement as some other drivers on the market. How much less 'game improvement' would you say it is? We talking i15 less? My typical miss with the driver is on the toe.
[/quote]

No, not I15. Definitely a larger sweet spot than that. But the head is not as deep front to back as say the 910D2 or the G20 or the Superfast TP 2.0. In size and shape it is very similar to the R11, but with the black finish it appears smaller, and of course it doesn't have the adjustability.

If I could get a degree or two higher launch, but lower the rpms by 100 or so, I think it would be a monster. That's why I'm wondering about the 10.5 with a Whiteboard or maybe an Xcon6 or Motore. But without a Bridgestone fitting cart (do these exist?) it's impossible to test.

I also wonder if this 9.5* head with a higher launching AD-DI6 might do the trick?

[Johnny T]

Good to know. Being a ho, I've had a bunch of different drivers, including the R11. I liked it but I bought the 9* model which is too low of loft me. I have a similar ss, but I am significantly shorter (5'10") and am fairly low spin with the driver (my 910D2 set at 10.5* with an Ozik HD6 gave me +/- 2200 rpm).

I'm not sure if the B-stone fitting carts exist, but I know none of the shops around me have one (although you can demo a stock J40 at one shop).

Have you played with a DI-6 yet? I had one in my 910 for a while and just never got along with it. It felt very smooth but my dispersion wasn't the greatest with it. But then again, I like the Oban Devotion which doesn't have the reputation as being very smooth. If you decide to go that route, please post up about it.

[nice1]

Thanks for this information. Very good, informative post with data. I'm curious if you have ever tested any of the previous Bridgestone drivers. I currenlty use their J33r 8.5* (420cc) with a proforce v2 76g stiff shaft which is a great combination for me. Like you, my miss is a hook when I overswing. I've tried many clubs over the years; but nothing beats my 33r. I'm wondering if you think the j40 has the potential to unseat my 33r. Any comments or data you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks again for the great post.

[SheriffBooth]

[quote name='nice1' timestamp='1326325621' post='4067975']
Thanks for this information. Very good, informative post with data. I'm curious if you have ever tested any of the previous Bridgestone drivers. I currenlty use their J33r 8.5* (420cc) with a proforce v2 76g stiff shaft which is a great combination for me. Like you, my miss is a hook when I overswing. I've tried many clubs over the years; but nothing beats my 33r. I'm wondering if you think the j40 has the potential to unseat my 33r. Any comments or data you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks again for the great post.
[/quote]

I hit the J33 several years ago, but at the time I was pretty locked in with a 905R Titleist. I don't really remember enough about the J33 to be able to compare it to the J40. If I was gambling, I'd bet that the J33 and J40 430 play very similarly. If you're looking to sacrifice some of the J33's workability for a little more forgiveness, then the 445 should be right up your alley. It will be rounder than the J33, but is still very clean at address. It's the least busy head out there right now.

ps - What a great shaft that V2 76 is. Dollar for dollar, can't go wrong with a V2 if you're looking to cut spin.

[Mitro]

I just purchased a 445 with this same set up. I have had them all, Razr Hawk, R11, Tour edge Exotics XCG-4, 910 D-2 and several others. Non of them give me the launch and slight draw that I get with this driver. It truly is a bomb and what a nice look at set up. I have a swing speed of about 103 and with the Project X 6.0 shaft it give me a medium high launch with just enough draw to keep it in the fairway. Love this thing and it looks great along side my J40 cavity back irons. Bridgestone is really making some quality equipment, too bad they have no marketing to speak of.

[Puppetmaster]

Nice review, any longer term thoughts? Also, how does the driver appear at set up - square, open, or closed? I know that's very personal, just curious is all. From the picture it appears square. Thanks.

[BNich0622]

Great write up/review. I have loved the looks of this since the first pictures surfaced. Hoping to get the chance to hit one soon. Have you made any changes since posting your review, installing the whiteboard or Kyoshi you mentioned? If so what are your thoughts?

[73monte]

I bought the 445 a few months ago, and played it for the first time the other day, (here in the northeast).
Since I haven't swung a club since last Fall, you can imagine that I had some pretty inconsistent swings. Considering that, I was extremely accurate. The ball went exactly where it should have gone on every swing. I hit a mid-high draw to straight, all day. An occasional hook, but never lost one right, unless i blocked it.
Center strikes went longer than usual for me, but misses were punished more.
Current gamer is a Mizuno MP-630 (non FT), and the j40 has a similar feel/sound, but is deeper and a bit shorter heel/toe.
The Mp-630 is the best feeling driver I personally have ever played, but that's subjective. I'm very partial to Mizuno woods, so I will hopefully get to try and compare with the Mp-650 when available.
Hope this gives somemore insight. I'll know more when my course opens, where I know the usual spots I hit it to.

[SheriffBooth]

My long term update is that the square face and the weighting of the head tended to cause occasional hooks for me that I couldn't tolerate. I still have the driver, and it's possible that a heavier gram weight shaft would slow things down enough to fix that problem - hard to know. But as of this week I have a Rapture V2 in the bag that I had built with a V2 76, and I'm murdering it.

[73monte]

Just want to update from my previous post. I got a chance to put the 445 in play at my own course this week.
I can give a little more insight into distance now, knowing the course so well. I would say that center strikes are at least as long, but generally longer than anything I've used the last couple of years. I also hit a couple of very long drives with this.
I will reiterate that this driver is not easy to cut. I know my swing is maybe different since it's the beginning of the golf season here in the northeast, but considering that, I could still typically fade any other club.
I find myself laying this driver open, and still hitting draws.
All in all an extremely good club. Will likely stay in play for sometime. Only other driver I would try this year is the new Mizuno Mp-650.
I'm not a fan of adjustability at all, so it that's your pleasure you might not like this one.

[SheriffBooth]

[quote name='73monte' timestamp='1333102638' post='4611679']
Just want to update from my previous post. I got a chance to put the 445 in play at my own course this week.
I can give a little more insight into distance now, knowing the course so well. I would say that center strikes are at least as long, but generally longer than anything I've used the last couple of years. I also hit a couple of very long drives with this.
I will reiterate that this driver is not easy to cut. I know my swing is maybe different since it's the beginning of the golf season here in the northeast, but considering that, I could still typically fade any other club.
I find myself laying this driver open, and still hitting draws.
All in all an extremely good club. Will likely stay in play for sometime. Only other driver I would try this year is the new Mizuno Mp-650.
I'm not a fan of adjustability at all, so it that's your pleasure you might not like this one.
[/quote]

Sounds like your experience is mirroring mine. Something in the design and weighting of this driver favors straight to draw ballflight.

Still love the clean look and sound and it definitely goes, but if your mistakes are hooks you might want to look at the 430 or something else first.

[Whispering Eye]

[quote name='73monte' timestamp='1332151169' post='4534471']
I bought the 445 a few months ago, and played it for the first time the other day, (here in the northeast).
Since I haven't swung a club since last Fall, you can imagine that I had some pretty inconsistent swings. Considering that, I was extremely accurate. The ball went exactly where it should have gone on every swing. I hit a mid-high draw to straight, all day. An occasional hook, but never lost one right, unless i blocked it.
Center strikes went longer than usual for me, but misses were punished more.
Current gamer is a Mizuno MP-630 (non FT), and the j40 has a similar feel/sound, but is deeper and a bit shorter heel/toe.
The Mp-630 is the best feeling driver I personally have ever played, but that's subjective. I'm very partial to Mizuno woods, so I will hopefully get to try and compare with the Mp-650 when available.
Hope this gives somemore insight. I'll know more when my course opens, where I know the usual spots I hit it to.
[/quote]

I bought a used MP-630 Fast-Track version (with an Oban Devotion shaft) from my local shop about a month ago and am really liking it. I would be interested to hear your further thoughts on the 445 and the MP-650 if you end up getting a chance to try it out.

SheriffBooth, nice review, but sad to see the J40 445 didn't last that long!

[The GreekGrind]

Awesome review SB; great work on the comparisons especially.

[Joe9977]

Anyone still playing this?