Fred Couples New Bridgestone J33 Prototype iron PICS!

[easyyy]

Well these were spotted at the British Open. For years Fred used the Taylor Made 300 forged. Even after signing with Bridgestone. We spotted him playing a new Bridgestone J33 Prototype has looks simular to his old irons...

 

 

 

 

 

[sigmamason]

So essentially Fred Couples has a ball, hat deal? He is still playing a TM driver, hybrid and fairway (possibly) and his irons are essentially TM 300s with a BS Golf stamp???

[steve81]

i think Fred still plays that old Callaway 3 wood.

 

Those irons look sweet!

[bucco09]

those irons like tight! i realize this is new info and pics and all, but any word on whether these will come to retail?

[steve81]

those irons like tight! i realize this is new info and pics and all, but any word on whether these will come to retail?

 

good golly i hope they do come to retail! To be honest, they are probably just custom exclusively for Fred because they look identical to the 300's aside from the BStone stamps.

 

If they do come to retail, ill have to sell the wife or something to buy those!!!!!

 

:drinks:

[BCULAW]

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if those are Fred's old 300s (or another set) with some custom cavity work done to get rid of the TM logos. Not sure how it would be done, but pretty sure someone could do it. In any event, the lines are identical. I'd be curious to see if bridgestone got Miura to do the forging, or if Endo made a die out of Fred's old irons.

 

I'd also bet money that they will NOT be coming to retail. if they do, then 300 fans rejoice.

[BogeyTrain]

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

[slicer365]

He wants to play TM so bad. poor guy. I always liked Couples!!!

[Langlands]

Wasn't he using these at the Masters?

[steve81]

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

 

BOO BOO BOO!!!! :man_in_love:

[bjmessingham]

Anyone notice the cally wedge? Wasn't he discussing this with Mickelson during the practice rounds at the British?

[binneguru]

i think after the X-tour irons there is pretty much no innovation left for a forged iron.

[Boba]

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

 

My friend the point of playing a forged iron is to play something that is traditional looking & soft feeling. Take a look @ the best forged irons (imo) of the last couple of years. Miura cb 201, nike split cb & taylor box toes. They are forged heads on a shaft, milling has been around for a while & cavity backs have been around since ping made them back in the day. If you want to play a club with screws, bells, whistles & ozik iron shafts go ahead, Perhaps new classics like boob boom's sticks are not for you. Why do I have a feeling you used to play a wilson invex?

[Asleep]

:man_in_love:

[wedgehound]

So essentially Fred Couples has a ball, hat deal? He is still playing a TM driver, hybrid and fairway (possibly) and his irons are essentially TM 300s with a BS Golf stamp???

 

 

Those were 1 of only a few sets Bridgestone made for FC. I think its great that they have the ability to make great, Miura forged irons to a players specs.. regardless of what they look like...

[vthokie1157]

those are some ok irons, but did u notice the interesting looking cleveland wedge towards the bottom of the pic??

[easyyy]

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if those are Fred's old 300s (or another set) with some custom cavity work done to get rid of the TM logos. Not sure how it would be done, but pretty sure someone could do it. In any event, the lines are identical. I'd be curious to see if bridgestone got Miura to do the forging, or if Endo made a die out of Fred's old irons.

 

I'd also bet money that they will NOT be coming to retail. if they do, then 300 fans rejoice.

 

BCULAW-

 

You arent the first person to assume this. Wonder how much is true. ;)

 

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

 

They are basic "player cavity back" frorged iron heads. Same as the TM 300 by the looks of them. Slightly oversized head, thin topline and sole, forged, and a small amount of offset. Guys eat these up. Simplicity. :man_in_love:

[HipCheck]

Wow! Those irons are like Jennifer Garner. Kind of plain looking, but somehow hot as hell! :man_in_love:

[title]

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

 

 

exactly

[arkstorm]

...his irons are essentially TM 300s with a BS Golf stamp???

 

 

My thoughts exactly. These are suspiciously similar to the TM 300's

[shoe295]

Wow! Those irons are like Jennifer Garner. Kind of plain looking, but somehow hot as hell! :man_in_love:

 

 

Marvelous analogy, made even more significant as I agree completely. No bling, no flash, just something that makes me do a double take, stare, and say Whoa.

[sandy]

Gee those don't look anything like the TM 300 series irons I've got. Look more like a set of MacGregor PCB Tours. I love the concept of them machining off the muscle bar and the Taylor Made stampings (that would screw up the feel so bad it wouldn't be funny--that bar is what made the 300s feel almost like a muscle back). Easy to tell people that have never been around casting, machining, or precision die creation. What we used to call Home Economics Physics (bullets don't go around corners etc.) or Wishful Thinking Engineering---everyone has a PHD in those.

 

Must be the same group that believes that Tiger's Nike irons are just restamps of his Titleist irons that were restamps of his Mizuno irons that were originally just restamps of MacGregor VIPs from the 60s. Who was it that killed Kennedy, I forgot?

[mr_divots]

I think Freddy has had these in the bag since the Masters as someone already pointed out.

This sort of OEM "rework" is done all the time. The Adams ATours are another set that looks an awful lot like the TM 300's. Furyk has "I-506" irons that are suspiciously similar to his old Hogans. The list goes on and on. Tour players and contracts are about perception, not reality. ;)

 

If you want innovation in a Bridgestone head, they'll have some new sticks coming to market very shortly, but will be cast and have "weight pods" in the cavity.

 

These are classic cavities, just like the TM 300's. It's not about "flash." Personally, the cleaner, the better for me. :man_in_love:

[mobonic]

Bridgestone had these and a few other sets made just for him to leave his old trusty 300's. I talked with a Bridgestone rep and no matter if he liked the new Bridgestone prototypes, he just felt more comfortable with the feel and look of his trusty clubs.

 

So Bridgestone had Muira forge this set for them and a few other to look and feel like his old set......but possibly be a bit better....and when they were done. Freddy liked them more than his old set...and put them right into play.

 

Now Bridgestone is ahppy that Freddy is playing irons with their stamp on them even thought they will NEVER come to retail and perhaps NEVER make another set like them ever again.

[yannechyba]

Those irons look A LOT like a combination of Alpha C1 Pro forgings and Maltby's Logic Tradition M05's!

[HipCheck]

Wow! Those irons are like Jennifer Garner. Kind of plain looking, but somehow hot as hell! ;)

 

 

Marvelous analogy, made even more significant as I agree completely. No bling, no flash, just something that makes me do a double take, stare, and say Whoa.

 

Ahh Shoe old friend, great minds think alike. :man_in_love:

[sigmamason]

So essentially Fred Couples has a ball, hat deal? He is still playing a TM driver, hybrid and fairway (possibly) and his irons are essentially TM 300s with a BS Golf stamp???

 

 

Those were 1 of only a few sets Bridgestone made for FC. I think its great that they have the ability to make great, Miura forged irons to a players specs.. regardless of what they look like...

 

Not slamming the irons or FC or Bridgestone...just that a lot of pictures that I have seen and the talk on some of the other golf boards always has show Freddie with a TM club of some sort, most notably irons. I know that much of the scuttlebutt was that he just never really got comfortable with the current crop of irons. I know that they are great sticks (J33CB, J33B and the combo set are great clubs) and Bridgestone has made great clubs for quite sometime.

To me, in spite of the commercials and what have you, it just seemed like he was bound and determined to play a TM stick (in this case, the old TM 300s)...

I would definitely try them if they came to market, but based upon what you said, probably won't seem them at PGA Superstore anytime soon...

[CSR]

This is old news. :man_in_love: Pics have been out since the Masters on these irons. B'stone had Miura forge this set just for Fred and only Fred. This made news since B'stone is forged by Endo for other tour players and the retail sticks. FC wanted the Miura 'feel'.

Mobonic is 100% right. I know the B'stone TOUR rep (not the mom and pop store traveling salesman rep) and was told this by him and the other reps while I held the 2 iron from this set in my hands.

And they DO NOT look like the 300's in the cavity. How in the heck do you guys think that? ;)

They will NOT be in retail stores.

Old story but nice pic. :cheesy:

[Jhale]

I know one thing they look sexy!!!!!!!

[binneguru]

Those are the most blandest, boringest irons that I have seen, seriously.

 

I don't see any innovation in design or ground breaking technology here.

 

My friend the point of playing a forged iron is to play something that is traditional looking & soft feeling. Take a look @ the best forged irons (imo) of the last couple of years. Miura cb 201, nike split cb & taylor box toes. They are forged heads on a shaft, milling has been around for a while & cavity backs have been around since ping made them back in the day. If you want to play a club with screws, bells, whistles & ozik iron shafts go ahead, Perhaps new classics like boob boom's sticks are not for you. Why do I have a feeling you used to play a wilson invex?

 

you are nuts...I am a 3.2 and I don't try nor need to work my irons so forged clubs are pointless for me. I also have a high swingspeed and although I have access to a loft/lie machine I don't want to be constantly second guessing if the lofts/lie angles on my clubs moved around. Oh and i hate iron covers.

 

Besides I need the forgiveness for that 1 in 30 shot where i catch a 4-iron 3/4" out on the toe. Some of us are mere mortals :man_in_love: