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Bridgestone J33 Cavity Back


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The Bridgestone J33 Forged Cavity Back Irons are a product of a collaborative effort between Bridgestone Golf engineers and Bridgestone staff players Fred Couples and Stuart Appleby.

 

For instance, the new irons’ cavity back design helps to push weight to the club head perimeter providing everyone from TOUR pros to mid-handicappers with more forgiveness, added consistency and a higher moment-of-inertia. The J33 Forged Cavity Backs feature a Progressive Muscle Cavity, creating a descending weight concentration through the set from thinnest in the 2-iron to thickest in the pitching wedge. This means that the greatest amount of feel and control are in the short iron scoring clubs.

 

The Progressive Horizontal Center of Gravity, ranges from closest to the heel in the 2-iron, to closest to the toe in the pitching wedge making long irons easier to square at impact and helping to prevent premature shutting of the face on short iron approach shots. In addition, the new irons also are designed with a tapered sole design ranging from widest in the toe section to thinnest in the heel. This sole design allows the club to travel through any turf condition with ease and great consistency.

 

“The Progressive Muscle Cavity and Progressive Offset are features that make our new irons great for a variety of players,” said Mike Moxie, Golf Club Marketing Manager, Bridgestone Golf. “By giving players forgiveness where they need it most, without sacrificing feel and precision in the shorter irons, we expect these clubs to be a hit with not only TOUR pros, but also a wide range of amateurs.”

 

Some other features that give the J33 Forged Cavity Back Irons their easy-to-hit, yet precise performance are the following:

 

* A progressive offset design inspires confidence at address.

* The Blunted Leading Edge reduces digging and skipping making the clubs more playable from a variety of lies.

* Similar to the rest of the J33 family of irons, the Forged 1020 Mild Carbon Steel construction provides a high degree of feel and playability.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Went to demo clubs, not even thinking about Bridgestone’s. I was taken by complete surprise by the J33 Cavity Backs. Great looking clubs with very little offset with a very thin top line. Sole grind is very nice, also thin. All traits that you don’t usually see in clubs that target mid handicappers.

 

Hit them in direct comparison with my Mizuno MP 60’s. They are extremely soft yet have a clicky feel and seem to give more feedback than the Mizuno’s, though that could be a result of the difference in sound. Either club could be faulted in that area. Ball flight is mid to high, maybe slightly lower than what I was getting from my Mizuno’s. They offer a lot more forgiveness than their looks would have you believe. More forgiving than the MP 60’s and to me on a par with X Tours. Overall I had to give the nod to the Bridgestone’s in the way of feel, consistency, trajectory, forgiveness – everything was just a little bit better.

 

I went out to demo hoping to like Titleist 695's, which turned out to be nice clubs that just didn't work for me. Came away surprised and with a new set of clubs in my bag. Overall I think the J33's are a great offering, worthy of a trial for anyone looking for a players cavity.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Well I just had the best ball striking round with any irons in over 2+ years......and this is not an overstatement. I love how they set up behind the ball and they are very solid irons. However I think the most important thing is that these are .25" shorter than the current standard and they feel the perfect length to me.

 

They are a great buy and a great club!!

Ping 410 Lst 9 w/ Black Rdx smoke 6.0

Cally Sub Zero 15 with Fuji Xlr8 Pro 73 TS
Cally Big Bertha Alpa 816 5wd 18 Aldila Rogue 70 R
Cally Epic Tour issue 4 Hybrid w/KBS Proto 65s
Cally X-Tour (1st gen) w XP/95 R-300 5-pw
Cally Pm19 54/58 w/KBS Hi Rev 115
Taylor Spider Tour black with white T
 

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  • 1 month later...

How about a direct comparison J33 forged cavity back vs. J33 forged combo vs. J33B ?

I am trying to make a decision and welcome any advice.

So far, I have demo'd the combo's. They didn't look as good to my eye as I had hoped.

I like a thinner top line and sole width. I am leaning more toward the cb.

Cavity Back or Blade?

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  • 2 months later...

A little about me: Play to a 6 index. Don’t do anything particularly well, hot and cold short game, driving is erratic. Average length – driver SS around 95 – 100mph. If I have strength, it would be my iron play in general.

 

I recently purchased these and have now played a couple of rounds with them. I am very happy with my purchase.

 

I changed from MP60s to these. It's true about the Mizuno's having a softer feel than these, but these do have a pleasant feel regardless. Compared to the Mizunos, the sound is definitely less of a "thud" and more of a "crack" - I guess this is what people mean by "clicky".

 

Trajectory does appear to be just a little lower than the MP60, while distance appears to be the same. I am not sure if this is the clubhead or the shafts, as I ordered these with DG SL S300, and the MP60s had the standard DG S300. I went for the lighter shafts because I heard that these heads were very heavy, and I did find that the normal S300 can feel too heavy at times. These clubs play at D1 and I am very happy with this set-up.

 

In terms of forgiveness, I find these to actually be a little more forgiving than the MP60s throughout the set, except maybe in the longer irons where they would be on par. They set-up well and have very little offset, and while they may look daunting especially in the longer irons, this is deceiving as they are more forgiving than they appear. On their website Bridgestone state that these are suitable for anyone from scratch right through to mid-handicappers. I was skeptical of this at first because I have previously owned the J33 Combos and found these very difficult to get along with, especially the blade-like short irons. As such I was weary of the forgiveness of the CB but can happily report that these are much easier to hit than the Combos.

 

I find that these clubs really shine in the shorter irons - the 8 – PW are fantastic to hit. The shorter clubs are also great for chipping and pitching.

 

They are workable in terms of direction and height, but perhaps not as much as some other irons I have owned i.e. 2002 TM rac MBs.

 

I think it goes without saying that the appearance is drop-dead gorgeous and the satin finish is a standout. These are the nicest looking set of irons I have owned, and at current prices you could do much worse than these!

 

Overall an excellent iron that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a player’s cavity.

TaylorMade Qi10 10.5* 
Callaway BB Alpha 816 16*
Srixon Z H45 Hybrid 19* 
Srixon ZX Utility 23*
Srixon ZX5 Mk II 5-AW

Callaway Jaws Raw Black 54 & 58
TaylorMade Spider Tour Black
Bridgestone Tour RX

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Anth,

Superb review!

I just got a set today!

I ordered them with the Aldila NV multi Pro graphite shafts.

Will post a review here after enough rounds with them to do a fair evaluation. Know somehow already they will knock the Tour Dept. Taylor Mde r7 TP's out of the bag.

Have those shafts in my Titleist 535 Hybrids, and love the "steel like" playability.

Again thanks for the bet review on this thread. "Caused me to Ho again.

 

 

Lawrence "LP"

kgputters.com

Callaway        Paradym  Hzrdus Silver 

Callaway        Epic Flash 3 & 5 fw  Even Flow Green   
TM                   M4   4 & 5 hybrid  Atmos 

TM                  P790  6-PW Recoil ESX

PING               Glide 3.0  50, 56, 60  

TM                  Spider cs  Golf Pride P Only Blue Star 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I've been playing these irons since last August. Bridgestone really got it right with these irons. I'm a 3-4 handicap, hit my irons solidly on most days, but by no means am I a "shotmaker." The only time I really try to work the ball is knockdowns into the wind, and hitting shots over/under obstacles when the driver gets erratic. Trajectory control with these sticks is comparable to other cavity backs in this category. The J33s' trajectory (for me) seems to be mid trajectory in the 6-PW and high in the 3-5 irons. The smallish heads, slight offset, thin toplines and skinny soles belie a surprisingly forgiving iron. What separates these irons from other players' cb's is the sole design. I know that virtually no one on the internet hits fat iron shots :drinks:, but for those one or two folks who do, these irons do not have the digging tendency that I've experienced with Mizuno (MP 30/32), Wishon (550c) and Hogan (Apex FTX) irons. Although I haven't had the opportunity to play them off bent fairways, I've played them off firm/hardpan surfaces, lush old style fairways with thick grass and fluffy lies, swampy springtime conditions, and fairway bunkers. In all cases the Bridgestones excelled. Flushed shots feel great (I agree with the Mizuno comparisons), and shots slightly toward the heel, toe, or high on the face lose very little distance or trajectory. The satin finish has proven to be a lot more durable than forged/chrome finishes. Not as showy (or pretty), but very nice in an understated way. Great irons.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Has to be in the top three players irons there. I hit a 6 iron on the range at our course and I was astonished at how forgiving it was for looking very blade-like at address. I like these better than the j33 combos because of looks and the fact that they provide excellent feedback without out being too mushy like the combos. I was so sure about this club that I got a set after only hitting a six iron twice on the range.

I should say that we have Bridgestone staffers at my club, and so I knew about these clubs. It was really the posts on this site that convinced me to go with the j33 CB's over the 755's.

The trajectory, the looks, the responsive solid feel. They are just amazing.

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I was looking for a more forgiving set of irons since I rarely have time to practice these days due to my 5 month old son. I bought these clubs off Ebay without even trying them due to all the high praise and played with them on Father's day (my first btw!). I am a 6 handicap and was previously using the Titleist 690MB because I loved the feel of the club so much....however, after switching to the J33, I could care less how the club feels bc I feel better after shooting a great round. Keep in mind that I had not practiced or hit a ball in almost four months. So I hit a bucket of balls with them two days before playing to get used to them and I immediately noticed how forgiving and straight they flew...anyways, that being said, I was 1 over after 12 before the rains came and I hit 10/12 greens that day. I played again this month, once again with no practice, no hitting balls this time though, and shot a solid 79 (bad putting was to blame (3 three putts)). I hit almost all the par 3's greens in regulation. That being said, these clubs are awesome. I hit the MP60 but couldn't really fall in love with them..plus for 350 bucks brand new, I can't complain!

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i bought this set in Jan of this year right after shooting a career round of 74, 2 over the front and level inward, with my hogans apex +s. this was the 1st time i ever played par on a nine...btw i play to usga 6.2

 

day after the round i went shopping for a new driver J33 460 but they didnt have any in Thanyia Plaza(bangkok thailand)...but the guy was opening a box of bridgestone j33cb for display and on an impulse i got them straight away

 

heres the thing...love the feel, love the forgiveness...more forgiving than the hogans, love the trajectory, but flight was less "draw-y" compared to the hogans...missed everything right for a month till i trusted my new alignment

 

NOW everythign is great. i have them shafted with PXs high launch 5.0 soft stepped once exactly like the hogans

feel; like what every1 is saying comparing to the mizunos

traj; better for me than the hogans, high but strong(i am i high ball hitter)

traj control; the absolute best. i can hit it high, higher and low

spin; heres the thing, i have backed up a 7 iron more than once...anomalies...but 8 iron and below one bounce and stop. no ballooning.

forgiveness; better than the hogans less zing on sculls, more correction on toes biased hits, on heel hits if you dont catch the hosel, its really good

distance; longer than what i'm used too

 

smooth swinger 95-100 having probs with my woods currently

normal 7iron 36* 1* up standard length 150m

j33cb 7 iron 37* rest it the same 150m and if i am puring my iron i can get 155...

this is what might be affecting my driver...taking it too easy to match my iron swing right now

might weaken the cbs another 1*...any thoughts on this?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have been playing the J33 CB's for 6 months now. I love them! I got fit with 6.0 Project X and the shaft head combo has been perfect. I also got the WC Design wedges with PX 6.0, what a great set of wedges. I also play the B330, the B330s and E6. Bridgestone products are top quality and they perform. I wish they would release new woods though, its time.

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  • 3 months later...

I have both these and the MP57's (among others). I keep trying and buying new sets (the MP57's among them), but keep coming back to these.

The MP57's are great, but they spin too much for me and go too high. I can control the trajectory of the J33's much better.

I agree with the Mizuno's are softer sounding/feeling (more of a thwack), and that the J33's are clickier. Both however are pleasing to me (I guess this is relevant only if you prefer a thwack over a click) in the feel department.

Forgiveness and distance (when the wind isn't taking my MP57 balloons to the stratosphere) is comparable.

I'll let you make your own call on their looks (my vote goes to J33's in topline, short irons size, and overall appearance).

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Great set of sticks. Very, very under rated and for those of us in the know, it's proably a good thing (very cheap compared to other big brand names), i'm looking for another new set as a stand by. If you search my threads you can find that I gave these a head to head with the Titty 755's. For my game they provide enough shot making and playablity without all the "training" wheels of some other cavity backed "players" clubs. I'm going on 6 month with these and they continue to impress me. I have had to have the lies redone a few times, but that comes with the territory, especially with softer forged clubs. They are not as soft as my buddies Mizzy 57's but they feel allot better than my Titty 690's. As far as the above Tour Stage question, I'm not sure if these are the same but I do now that Bridgestone is "Tour Stage" in Japan. It makes the proablity that the forging process is proably the same. Abet not the same design.

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I just got a set this week. I am moderatly happy with them. No knock on the clubs quite yet as I don't have them quite set up to my preferred standards. Right now I have TTR300s as shafts and they are not cutting it. I am upgrading to Prj X 6.0s shortly.

My question and only complaint is in the feel department. I have been playing Nike blades for the last 3 years and I am in love with the feel that the irons give. I am not as in love with the feeling coming off of the J33s.

My question is: Is it the difference in feeling due to the difference is Muscle backs versus Cavity Back forged or is it that the J33s are not quite as soft as the Nikes (or the Mizuno as some are saying).

Thanks

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  • 10 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Hey everybody! Been looking for some forged irons and I would really like to know how everbody feels about these. I typically shoot somewhere in the range of low to mid 80s and occasionally in the mid 90s. How do you think the J33 CB's would work for me. I have a set of X-18 pro series now and I would like something forged with a thin top line. I have been looking at the Macgregor MT Pro C irons but i love the look of the J33 CB's. I want something that is forgiving, has good feel, and not to pricey. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

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