When we last saw Bridgestone irons, we were looking at a strange compilation of bands that could best be described as Meshuggah. While the rhymes were elaborate forgeries, there seemed to be no reason. We had super game-enhancing fakes, blades, something that stood between player distance and game-enhancing and even a boxed set for head scratching.
Bridgestone has always had outstanding forged irons. The problem was that the lineup didn’t make sense from the J15 line. There was no pattern or consistency other than the fact that they were Japanese fakes.
You could say Bridgestone didn’t have its ducks in a row, but that would be understating the confusion. Some of those ducks weren’t even ducks.
No wonder Bridgestone decided to take a few years off in North America.
Now it seems those ducks are now, in fact, all ducks. And they seem to be going in a row. Or at least one line.
Here’s what you need to know about Bridgestone’s new line of premium forged irons.
#1: Bridgestone has never made a bad forged iron
Even long Meshuggah years, Bridgestone irons were very sweet. And if you want to go back to the J33 in 2005, you could even call some of them “classics.” The new line signals an intention to return to those halcyon days.
At least, it seems Bridgestone is off to a strong start.
The Bridgestone 220MB connects to the awesome J33, a muscle forged one-piece blade. The 221 CB is also a one-piece fake, but, as the name suggests, is a more forgiving player’s hollow.
The 222 CB+ may be the most interesting of the bunch. It’s a distance forged iron for golfers, compact for the category, but with enough technology to make it interesting.
The new line also includes forged BRM2 wedges.
“We wanted to put together a collection of clubs that had performance, but also had place and purpose in the market,” Bridgestone marketing manager Elliott Mellow told MyGolfSpy. “We’re talking to the guy who wants to play a muscle blade, but we’re also talking to the aspiring CB and CB+ player. We’re hitting a broad part of the market.”
#2: These are real Endo fakes
If you’re a hardware person, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “Fake Still.” Bridgestone is a longtime OEM customer of Japan’s legendary foundry Endo Forging. Endo has produced some of the game’s most popular forged irons for everyone from Titleist, Srixon and Callaway to NIKE and its house brand, Epon. The classic 1999 Hogan Apex blade was forged by Endo.
For you history buffs, Endo was created in 1950 in post-war Japan. It made screwdrivers and sewing machine needles, but soon expanded into car and airplane engine parts, medical equipment and golf clubs.
Although Bridgestone has been out of the US equipment market since before COVID-19, it has remained a major player in Japan and Asia. This new line is already in play on the PGA Tour.
“Chris Gotterup played them for a month or so,” says Mellow. “A couple of other players are working on them and will be putting them into play soon, so we have some momentum.”
#3: If you want to play with Bridgestone’s new irons, you better be a playah
You won’t find anything game-enhancing or super-forgiving in the new one Bridgestone release These are premium grips for good ball strikers.
The 220MB is a classic muscle blade and is not for the faint of heart. The loft structure isn’t quite what a purist would call “classic,” but we’re talking about a minimum gap of four degrees from the 33-degree 7-iron to the 46-degree lift wedge. Bridgestone also offers a precision-milled Tour Groove design to optimize spin.
They’re awesome, but bring your A-game, dude.
The 221 CB features a small cavity for a slightly higher MOI. It also has a slightly wider heel than the 220MB for better stability and sharp leading and trailing edges for a modified Srixon.esque V-Sole for smoother terrain interaction. Additionally, the 4 and 5 irons have a double pocket cavity design that moves the CG down, making them easier to launch higher and spin less.
The 6-iron through the PW in the set has what Bridgestone calls Gravity Control Design. It’s a design feature you’ll find in most irons, where the CG increases progressively as the clubs get shorter and shorter. This creates lower launch and higher spin as you move up through the set, providing more stopping power on the green.
Your typical game-enhancing irons, on the other hand, try to get the CG so low that it’s too close to underground. This creates higher launch and lower spin. Steep angles of descent are necessary to hold the greens.
#4: 222 CB+ irons may be the star of the show
The one-piece forged blades and hollow back are so sexy Bridgestone 222 CB+ irons may find a wider audience.
“It’s kind of a continuation of the J40 double pocket irons that we had,” says Mellow. “Compared to the market, it’s a bit smaller than other golfers’ distance forged irons.”
The distance recipe for putter distance irons is simple: lower the CG to increase launch and less spin. The Bridgestone 222 CB+ does this with Dual Pocket cavities throughout the set to lower CG, relative to the back of the player’s cavity and blades. However, the CG will increase as the irons get shorter to roll into your point clubs.
“Visually, it’s very attractive,” says Mellow. “If we can get the ball coming in with a steep descent angle and put that together with spin, we can create good control and help that player stop the ball.”
Stronger lofts for more ball speed are also part of the player’s distance recipe. The Bridgestone 222 CB+ tires are in line with others in the category. A kind. The 7-iron is perhaps half a degree weaker than average at 31 degrees. Additionally, there’s a five-degree gap per iron from the 7-iron to the 46-degree lift wedge, so it likely won’t test as one of the longest irons in the player’s distance category.
#5: There is also a limited wedge offer
How limited? A lot.
Bridgestone includes forged BRM2 wedges as part of this launch. They would feel like an afterthought if it weren’t for an interesting and run of the mill story.
As a line, the BRM2 looks ho-hum, with only 52-. 56 and 58 degree models available. Bridgestone isn’t burdening you with grinding options either. All three lofts are available with the M Grind, a lower bounce grind with some heel relief for open face shots. The A Grind is only available in 58 degrees and has even more heel and toe relief for versatility.
The groove mill is where things get interesting. According to the company, the grinding pattern is inspired by Bridgestone tire tread. There are seven rows of micro-channels between each groove to wick away moisture and allow for better groove-to-ball contact.
Not an earth-shattering discovery, I know. However, if you’re going to get serious about the wedge game, keeping the spin in the wet is like a jack or better.
#6: Bridgestone’s new irons are surprisingly affordable, but there’s a catch…
Bridgestone is taking very much a crawl-walk-run approach to re-entering the equipment game. To its credit, the new iron sets are coming in at very golfer-friendly prices for the Endo forges.
The 220 MB and 221 CB irons will be available in sets of seven (4-PW) with a stock price of $1,050. That’s a reasonable $150 per club. Nippon PRO Modus3 Tour 120 stiff is stock for both sets.
The 222 CB+ comes in a set of six (5-PW) for $900, again a reasonable $150 per club. Lighter weight Nippon PRO 950 GH is stock. BRM2 wedges are also $150 a piece.
The catch is this: at launch, Bridgestone premium forged irons and wedges will only be available through a custom fit at Club Champion.
“Bridgestone Golf it’s about getting consumers into personalized products that best suit their needs,” says Mellow. “We’re encouraging people to get fit. As we move down the road, there will definitely be wider distribution .”
At the moment, Bridgestone says the groupsets aren’t meant to be mixed, which is unfortunate, though understandable, given the crawl-walk-run approach. It will probably happen down the road as will the metal woods.
#7: Why get back into the hardware game? Why the hell not?
As we mentioned, Bridgestone has not (to my memory anyway) made a poorly forged iron. Bridgestone forged irons have historically been pretty good. The problem is that “very good” doesn’t knock down doors when you’re out looking in.
Bridgestone’s recent scattered history on irons doesn’t help either.
“Our goal is to get back to being a full-line manufacturer. It’s just a matter of finding the right time,” explains Mellow. “We’re focusing on mid-range forged iron. As we gain traction, we’ll see what the future holds.”
You no doubt notice a numerological similarity between this offering and the Mizuno Pro line. Before we start screaming “copies”, understand that the numbers are available to everyone. Additionally, while this product line is new to North America, Mellow says it has a global presence, and Matt Kuchar had a set of 221 CBs in play on the PGA Tour in 2022.
Bridgestone’s last comprehensive product launch was the J15 line of irons and woods in 2015. Where the Bridgestone J33, J38, and J40 lines had their fans, the J15 didn’t find its place. Bridgestone’s later product lines, the JGR and Tour B metal irons and woods, flew so far under the radar that most people completely missed them.
In the big picture, Bridgestone has nothing to lose by launching a new line of forged irons for 2025. It’s been about six years, but if you’re a golfer, there’s nothing wrong with having another iron choice. forged.
For more information on Bridgestone’s new line of premium forged irons and wedges, check out Bridgestone website.
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