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2019 Official Forum Member Review- Bridgestone Tour B XW-1 Wedge


Golfspy_CG2

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I'm really curious to know if there's a difference in feel between last year's 1025 forging and this years 1020. I play 1020 forged CB's. They're just butter with gravy on top. There is a definite difference in feel between those and last year's XW-1's. That said, last year's wedges still feel very nice and are extremely versatile clubs given their simplicity.

Any of you able to determine if these will be permanent or do you have other wedges that you like better? So far I'm not even considering anything different and don't foresee them being replaced until I wear the grooves into a spoon.

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

   PXG 0311 Gen 5 9°/ Fujikura MotoreX F1 6X
:cobra-small:  F6 3 Wood 14* / Kuro Kage Silver 65X
:cobra-small: F8 6 wood 20* / Fujikura MotoreX F3 6S

:cobra-small: RADSpeed Hybrid 24*
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg TS1 4-GW / FCM Precision 6.5 Rifle
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg  TSW Wedge - 56/12
:edel-golf-1:  EAS 1.0 / Grip master 2.0 

MAXFLI  Tour CG

 

 

 

 

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I'm really curious to know if there's a difference in feel between last year's 1025 forging and this years 1020. I play 1020 forged CB's. They're just butter with gravy on top. There is a definite difference in feel between those and last year's XW-1's. That said, last year's wedges still feel very nice and are extremely versatile clubs given their simplicity.

Any of you able to determine if these will be permanent or do you have other wedges that you like better? So far I'm not even considering anything different and don't foresee them being replaced until I wear the grooves into a spoon.

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..


I see you shanks!

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

   PXG 0311 Gen 5 9°/ Fujikura MotoreX F1 6X
:cobra-small:  F6 3 Wood 14* / Kuro Kage Silver 65X
:cobra-small: F8 6 wood 20* / Fujikura MotoreX F3 6S

:cobra-small: RADSpeed Hybrid 24*
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg TS1 4-GW / FCM Precision 6.5 Rifle
post-76102-0-38507100-1525284411_thumb.jpg  TSW Wedge - 56/12
:edel-golf-1:  EAS 1.0 / Grip master 2.0 

MAXFLI  Tour CG

 

 

 

 

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I see you shanks!

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..



You caught me. I have been using my old TM wedges to practice in the yard, but I took the X-Wing 1 Rogue 56° to the beach. I don’t think I can ever hit those TM wedges again, hard as concrete.

Can’t wait for the Stage 2’s here.

BStone wedges are highly underrated IMO, be curious to see what the fine fellas reviewing these ones have to say.
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Well, I got my 54 holes in this weekend (though not quite as expected - I'll explain in a bit). While they still have their faults, these Bridgestone wedges are an absolute pleasure to play with!!! My swing finally broke loose of all the off-season rust and I was really able to give the clubs a decent test out on the course - I even pulled my SM5's out of the bag for my club's season opener on Saturday just to test my comfort level with them! There's not a shot I can hit with my SM5's that I can't hit with these. 😁

I started out on Friday morning with a one hour drive to Springfield to see my preferred fitter and have him verify loft and lie were still good on my irons and wedges - I also had him check the Bridgestones to verify the OEM's ability to deliver on specs. Everything checked out okay and in fact - it went so fast that we really didn't need to get me on the launch monitor for anything. 😔 After I was done at the fitter, it was off to Windmill Ridge located in Monett, MO. It's a fun course that I've only played once before and was on the way home. Conditions were very soft after receiving rain a day or two before, but I played well minus a few hiccups and having to take a few penalty strokes for lost balls. I was still struggling a little with my swing so contact was literally hit or miss until I pulled out the 54 on #6. I was playing through a foursome in front of me and had the misfortune of spraying my drive into the trees down the right side of the fairway. After punching out with my 4i, I had just 74 yards left to the hole. This seemed to be about the perfect distance for a flighted 3/4 wedge and it was the best I had clipped any of these wedges up to that point. The ball traveled exactly pin high and hopped left - probably from the punched greens - then I proceeded to drain the ensuing 8-10 footer for par! That shot was monumental in transforming the way I feel about these XW-1 wedges. The contact was just so pure and soft, and the sound was so muted. From then on I hit a lot more quality wedges (and irons) and had myself a good time.

Next up, I decided to go play the municipal course in Neosho, MO - still on the way home. I called ahead just to be sure they weren't closed or busy with an event or something and the girl on the phone told me to come on out. It wasn't until I got there and had given her my payment for the round that she informed me holes 12 thru 16 were all closed because they had just been punched that morning and I soon discovered the remaining holes had a heavy layer of top-dressing that made things nearly unplayable. Soon enough, pace became a real issue - it was cart path only for all holes - and I opted to quit after 9-holes. Upon requesting a rain-check, the girl at the desk said she was handing out several. Clearly, I was not the only person unhappy with course conditions. I went home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Saturday, I got up early and drove off to my home course in Carthage, MO for our club's season opening scramble. We started with a free breakfast and rules discussion at a local church before driving to the course for the event. It's a fun tournament as they (somewhat) randomly select the teams based on handicap or known ability. I had never met any of the guys on my team before and I think two of them had only just joined for the first time this year. We had a lot of fun and shot -6 on the front 9 before losing steam and posting a mere -2 on the back. Again, I was able to hit some quality wedge shots - and some quality iron shots as well. We wound up using my approach shot on 6 holes which wasn't bad at all considering I was listed as a "C" player. After the tournament was over and results posted, I hung around and worked with the wedges in the short-game practice area for a bit. I had a buddy of mine who's a scratch golfer (or close to it) come out and take a look at the wedges as well. He pretty much had a very similar opinion of the wedges as I did in my Stage One - just going off of looks. I let him hit a couple shots and he remarked about how soft they felt as well. 

Eventually, I went out and played another 9-holes at my home track to try and ingrain some of what I had worked on in the short game area and continue testing the clubs. Minus a series of flubs on #4 that had me score a +3 for the hole, I struck the ball really well and wound up being +6 for the 9. Considering half of those strokes lost to par came on one hole, I didn't think it was bad at all. While I'd love to say the highlight of the day was one of the many wedge shots I hit - some very good wedges shots among them - I have to give credit where credit is due. On Saturday, that credit belonged to my hybrid which came within 1-1/2"-2" of giving me my very first hole-in-one! I couldn't believe just how close it was - and with 6 of my buddies on the next tee box to witness!

Needless to say, I had a very fun weekend. I have plenty of comments to add about the wedges themselves and how they performed, but consider this my (very long) teaser for what lies ahead. I'll be back on at some point tomorrow to talk a bit more about versatility, sound and feel, distance, spin, and trajectory. 

Goodnight Spies!

Screen Shot 2019-04-07 at 8.22.02 PM.png

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Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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I've got some time this morning so I'll go ahead and share some thoughts on the wedges thus far...

The first time I got the clubs out on the range I was struggling with a toe strike on nearly all my clubs which revealed something rather interesting I think. Unfortunately for Bridgestone, the XW-1 still has a very "clicky" sound when struck towards the toe - though heel strikes are muted and much more in line with what I'd expect to hear and feel. Curiously, the SM5 sounded better when struck on the toe and was really quite consistent across all parts of the face. This surprised me because Vokey wedges are cast carbon steel whereas the Bridgestones are forged. Having been told for years and years that cast clubs should sound and feel noticeably different from their forged counterparts, it seems clear that Titleist has some magic up their sleeve. Regardless, we don't typically play shots from the toe of the club so apart from raising an eyebrow, this distinction between wedges doesn't carry much weight.

When hit well the Bridgestones do have an improved sound over the SM5's - though not markedly so - and feel is better too. Ball flight is very predictable and hits my flight window just fine. Unfortunately, I've not yet placed myself in a good scenario to get a feel for actual distance on full shots. I've basically been operating off known yardages for the Vokeys and made adjustments in my head based on the difference in loft. It's worked well enough so far, but I haven't checked to see how the 50-degree fills the gap between my wedge set and my iron set. In theory, it should work just fine, but that's just a theory and you never know until you test - something I'll have to do very soon.

As for spin, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was at least somewhat worried I'd be ripping the covers off of golf balls and spinning shots off the green based on how the SM5's with worn grooves perform. I'm happy to report that is not the case and these wedges are very playable for me - so far spin seems to be very similar. I'm anxious to get on a launch monitor and verify this, but it seems as though these would be good wedges for someone who has concerns about creating too much spin.

Overall, the XW-1 seems like a pretty good candidate to supersede the SM5's I've been playing for a while. 🙂 

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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On 4/6/2019 at 7:53 PM, azstu324 said:

I'm really curious to know if there's a difference in feel between last year's 1025 forging and this years 1020. I play 1020 forged CB's. They're just butter with gravy on top. There is a definite difference in feel between those and last year's XW-1's. That said, last year's wedges still feel very nice and are extremely versatile clubs given their simplicity.

Any of you able to determine if these will be permanent or do you have other wedges that you like better? So far I'm not even considering anything different and don't foresee them being replaced until I wear the grooves into a spoon.

the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..
 

I can't speak to the prior year's 1025s, but I play 1025 forged irons so can give some thoughts here. Feel is pretty similar between the two, except on thin/toe hits. As @TR1PTIK mentioned there is a little clicky feel on thinned/toed shots with the XW-1, while my Cobra King Forged CBs still feel muted/softer even when I thin it. Not sure if that is a 1020 vs 1025 difference, or a Cobra vs. Bridgestone difference though...

Personally I still think the feel blows my old Vokey SM5 or current Ping Glide 2.0 Stealth wedges out of the water though, even on strikes that are not perfect.

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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great job guys on the on going commnentary.  Exactly what we are looking for in reviews this year!!  

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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I played over the weekend at Torrey Pines North Course. The greens were just installed a couple of years ago and are both fast and rock hard. The rough plays much shorter than when the tour stops here, but with our recent wet (relatively) winter it is still very thick for at least another month or two - the combination really puts your wedge game to the test. Overall I am still largely positive on these wedges, with a couple of lingering question marks that I need to figure out in the coming weeks before making a final decision.

First of all, this 54 wedge just gets me! When I have a full shot distance with this club it is point-and-shoot (albeit a few yards higher & longer than my Ping which I found out the hard way when I went after a back pin 🙄). It's also a great versatile grind for me around the greens, which was helpful because with the super thick rough I wasn't comfortable hitting the 60 for those chips just yet. Two open faced and one toe-down chip were all executed successfully, minus one missed 4-foot par save... It would be weird to keep just the 54 and trade the other two at the end of this, but I'm not opposed if that's what my results prescribe.

I like the 50 too - the grind is great for full swings and is better for bump-n-runs than the M-grind on the 54 & 60, provided you have some room. This flies 3-5 yards longer than my Cobra King Forged CB GW - it also flies a bit higher, likely due to the Modus 105 stiff shafts rather than my set's KBS $-taper 130g shafts. For the most part I am fine with that, but YMMV. For what it's worth, the custom options on the Bridgestone website allow for several no-upcharge shafts. If I were buying them now I would probably go with something heavier & lower launching than the 105s.

I'm hot and cold on the 60. Still need to figure out my distances. Again, these are going longer than expected and a bit higher than I would ideally like (missed another green long with a full 60 in hand). In addition to the previous comments about digging in sand & soft turf, shorter bunker shots have been a challenge for me as I think I'm still getting used to the weighting.

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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As a recent retiree with lots of time coupled with beautiful SC weather, I’ve had lots of time to put these wedges through their paces. The bottom line up front is I like the Callaway Mack Daddy Wedges much better than the Bridgestone.

 

Good Stuff- they are long and high providing me with a very step approach into the greens. I’ve gained about 10 yards on my current gamers.

 

The Bad - Bridgestone must have an endorsement contract with Shankapotamus. Lots of miss hits I’m not use too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

 

Miura MB 502 Irons

ping G400 Driver

Cobra F7 3 wood

Mizuno putter

Mizuno Wedges. 

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Hoping I'll be able to make it to the golf course on Friday, but this whole "bomb cyclone" thing that The Weather Channel's been talking about may derail my plans. Looks like a lot of rain ahead for next week too. 😞  I'm hoping that rain won't carry into next Friday because I'm signed up for another scramble to benefit a local charity...

In other news, I may be heading up to Kansas City in about a month to hang out with a buddy up there and go play some much better courses. Not 100% sure how it will work out, but so far we've talked about Shoal Creek and Dub's Dread. I played Shoal Creek a few summers ago on a buddies trip I planned and got my butt handed to me so I'm eager to see if I can manage something better this go around. I've never played Dub's Dread, but I've heard from a number of people that it can be a real challenge so we'll see how it goes.

Beyond that, I should be taking my family down to Gonzales, LA at the end of May for our annual trip to see relatives and old family and friends. The past couple of years, I've taken my clubs with me and played Santa Maria. It's a fun course to play and conditions are typically good even though our timing usually coincides with their aeration schedule.

Between all of my weekend rounds, I'm sure I'll make several trips to the range and I'll ask the head pro about Flighscope again. I really want to get some hard data on these wedges, but so far it's proving to be a touch more difficult than I originally thought. I'll check in again this weekend sometime if I'm not completely distracted by The Masters. 🙂 

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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Got out and played another round with the wedges. These things continue to perform well for me and I finally took the opportunity to see how the 50 & 54 do on full shots (I don't typically use LW for full shots). They were the predicted amount longer (6~ yards) plus a few more - averaging about 10 yards longer on full shots compared to the SM5. When hit full, it did seem like the ball got up in the air a little bit higher than what I'm used to seeing, but nothing I'm too concerned with honestly. I absolutely flushed the 54 on hole #6 and I cannot describe how soft that 1020 carbon forged head felt at that particular moment - probably the closest I could come is it was like hitting a marshmallow with a pillow. It really felt that good!

While I'm at it, I wanted to share some pictures I took the other day showing the XW-1s side-by-side with the SM5s.

3EA0B5B4-B2A7-407E-B6D2-2A161F3E24F0.JPEG.7a928f84f4239aadfb4633a888b763a7.JPEG

B1686D34-0B07-435C-BABE-2580D93C34D7.JPEG.63160b97192a42f0f07c049243bfbc09.JPEG

138D2B15-F339-4F3F-810A-B8935F006E3F.JPEG.37c8727f1aabe1dd27348cd2bad0ac37.JPEG

wedges2.jpg.327465e57f627292effafe283286119e.jpg

wedges3.jpg.28b73ee200932d207724839035d2371b.jpg

wedges1.jpg.3f3040ffa610829fc5ffc692ed8f01f3.jpg

After closer inspection of the soles, I was able to discern a few differences between the grinds. To start, I stated in my Stage One that the F grinds were very similar, but in actuality the Bridgestone F grind has a little more shaved off the trailing edge and is probably closer to the Vokey S grind. I also noticed a slight difference in the M grinds as the Bridgestone appears to take off just a fraction more in the heel and toe. Aside from that, you'll notice that the Bridgestone is ever so slightly thinner and has a more rounded toe section compared to the SM5. In all truthfulness though, these wedges are so close together in appearance that most people wouldn't know the difference if you removed all the superfluous shaping and badging. I'd expect this is why I've transitioned to these wedges quite well and no doubt was an intentional move by Bridgestone.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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Catching up on this one. Great start to the testers! Very nice comparison by @TR1PTIK because I was struggling to see the difference until he called out the blocky badge. These are still some very beautiful wedges so in thankful you three put together some quality photos for the write-ups. 

Wedges are tricky to test because there's just so many scenarios you have to use them. I'm most interested to see how they handle different grass textures around the green but also look forward to your assessments of ease with 50% 75% and full shots. 

Anybody dunk one yet? You know I'm a sucker for a good trick shot. 

In my ATumSBM.jpg Pisa, riding on a hXf3ptG.jpg 3.5+

:ping-small: G410+
:755178188_TourEdge: EXS 5W
:cobra-small: King F7 Hy

:ping-small: i500 5-GW
wxW5hk4.jpg Equalizer 56/60
:ping-small: Heppler Ketsch

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Catching up on this one. Great start to the testers! Very nice comparison by [mention=72813]TR1PTIK[/mention] because I was struggling to see the difference until he called out the blocky badge. These are still some very beautiful wedges so in thankful you three put together some quality photos for the write-ups. 
Wedges are tricky to test because there's just so many scenarios you have to use them. I'm most interested to see how they handle different grass textures around the green but also look forward to your assessments of ease with 50% 75% and full shots. 
Anybody dunk one yet? You know I'm a sucker for a good trick shot. 


Not during a round but I did hit a three pointer from the fringe of the practice green. Still I have yet to become a fan of these wedges. Full shots are ok but around the green the sharp leading edge has presented quite the challenge. I’m an Indian not arrow type of guy so to validate it was the wedge and not me I went back to my Callaways. The softer leading edge along with the increased bounce of the Mack Daddy’s pay tremendous dividends for me.

More specifics will follow in Phase II.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Miura MB 502 Irons

ping G400 Driver

Cobra F7 3 wood

Mizuno putter

Mizuno Wedges. 

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9 hours ago, GolfSpy STUDque said:

Catching up on this one. Great start to the testers! Very nice comparison by @TR1PTIK because I was struggling to see the difference until he called out the blocky badge. These are still some very beautiful wedges so in thankful you three put together some quality photos for the write-ups. 

Wedges are tricky to test because there's just so many scenarios you have to use them. I'm most interested to see how they handle different grass textures around the green but also look forward to your assessments of ease with 50% 75% and full shots. 

Anybody dunk one yet? You know I'm a sucker for a good trick shot. 

Thanks!

I've found these to move quite well through most grasses. The only weakness I've yet to really notice is that the M grind on the 54 means I don't have a good club for fluffier lies unless I move to the 50 which might take off too much loft in some cases. This is where the Bridgestone A grind would have been helpful I think. It's just too easy to slide under the ball in some scenarios. I've hit several 1/2 and 3/4 wedge shots with these and they seem to do exactly what I need them to. I can flight them pretty much however I want. 🙂 

No dunks yet. I have hit some quality chips and pitches with these wedges though - no issue controlling distance or spin so far.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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7 hours ago, SteddyGolf said:

Full shots are ok but around the green the sharp leading edge has presented quite the challenge.

 

I hadn't paid much attention to this, but looking at the pictures I posted it does appear the leading edge is a touch sharper on the 50 & 54 compared to my SM5 52 & 56. Perhaps, the lighting could be playing tricks on me, but the 52 certainly seems to have more bevel on the leading edge than the Bridgestone 50.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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I hadn't paid much attention to this, but looking at the pictures I posted it does appear the leading edge is a touch sharper on the 50 & 54 compared to my SM5 52 & 56. Perhaps, the lighting could be playing tricks on me, but the 52 certainly seems to have more bevel on the leading edge than the Bridgestone 50.


I think what I’m discovering is how important wedge fitting is to execute an effective short game.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Miura MB 502 Irons

ping G400 Driver

Cobra F7 3 wood

Mizuno putter

Mizuno Wedges. 

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9 hours ago, SteddyGolf said:

I think what I’m discovering is how important wedge fitting is to execute an effective short game.

 

Good point. I wish we had been given that opportunity. I'd be very curious to see how different our specs and experience with the clubs would be in that scenario. For me, this has definitely been a case of good fortune based on my preference for blade-ier type golf clubs. I learned the game with a set of MacGregor Blades, and I've played multiple sets of Titleist irons from the players category - 670MB, DCI 990, & 735 CM. The Nikes I game now are definitely the most forgiving irons I've had in the bag since I first started playing.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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I am also still getting used to the sharper leading edge when chipping, as mentioned in a couple of my comments about digging in sand/soft turf (better golfers might appreciate this though). I've shifted to chipping more with my 54 and the face slightly open whenever possible, whereas with my Pings I usually chipped with the 58 ES and the face close to square. 

@GolfSpy STUDque on the pitches and out to 50-75 yard shots, aside from still honing my distances, these wedges are standouts for me. I am getting more spin than with my Pings, which is nice because most places I play have hard & fast greens. I also will flush these shots more often, and the feel when you flush these is amazing (blows the Pings out of the water IMO, and I don't mean that as an insult to Ping - these Bridgestones just feel that good). 

The other main question marks I still have are around the shafts, as my ball flight is really high with these Modus 105s. They feel really smooth, I just wish I could've gotten a heavier version that might be a little more low launching. Seems like a peculiar choice of stock shaft when they are marketing to better golfers who tend to have higher swing speeds, but that's obviously just one man's opinion and buyers are free to choose other options when getting these.

I am playing tomorrow, hopefully I can report back on a dunked chip!

 

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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1 hour ago, hartrick11 said:

The other main question marks I still have are around the shafts, as my ball flight is really high with these Modus 105s. They feel really smooth, I just wish I could've gotten a heavier version that might be a little more low launching. Seems like a peculiar choice of stock shaft when they are marketing to better golfers who tend to have higher swing speeds, but that's obviously just one man's opinion and buyers are free to choose other options when getting these.

I've got a rough draft ongoing for my stage two and this is exactly what I said at one point. The Modus 3 105 just doesn't make sense as a pairing with this particular club head IMO. Any of the other shafts in the Modus lineup (including Modus Wedge) would be a better fit.

Picture1.thumb.jpg.a50cfb3f38d6b938494430e8160ed16b.jpg

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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All three of you are killing this test 👏👏.

I asked last year as well but do you feel comfortable trying to open the face for a flop shot or manipulate the head for different shot shapes?

 

In my :titleist-small: cart Bag:

Driver:    :cobra-small: King F9 9° - LH - Atmos Blue TS 6 Stiff
Woods:   :cobra-small: King F9 - LH - 3/4 Wood - Atmos Blue 7 Reg
               :srixon-small: Z U85 2 Iron
Irons:     :titelist-small: T200 4 Iron AMT White S300
  :titelist-small: T100S - LH - 3-48* - AMT White S300
Wedges:               Indi FLX- LH - 52° 56° 60° - True Temper Spinner Wedge shafts
Putter:    :rife-putters-1: 2 Bar Hybrid
Ball:        :titelist-small: Pro V1x

Testing: Haywood CB/MB Combo Iron Set, 4-7 Cavity backs, 8-PW Muscle Backs, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 Stiff, 2 Degrees stronger lofts.

Tracked By: :Arccos:

Follow me on Twitter @ham12_hampton and on Instagram @Nunfa0 

 

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You guys are doing a great job on this review!!  I was able to hit the Bridgestone wedges last year and I agree with @hartrick11 in that the feel was just amazing!  Would you think Bridgestone could benefit from different grind options?  Also, have any of you had to play the ball out of a bird's nest of a lie around the green?  If so, how did they do?  That was the one thing my Ping's blew everyone out of the water in.  There wasn't a bad lie they couldn't go through.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max
3 Wood: Taylormade SIM
3 Utility Iron: Srixon U85
4i – 5i: Taylormade P790
6i – AW: Taylormade P770
SW: Taylormade MG3 TW Grind
LW: Taylormade Hi-Toe 3 Low Bounce
Putter: PXG Battle Ready One & Done

 

 

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On 4/18/2019 at 4:10 PM, Nunfa0 said:

All three of you are killing this test 👏👏.

I asked last year as well but do you feel comfortable trying to open the face for a flop shot or manipulate the head for different shot shapes?

Thank you! Yes, I feel very comfortable opening the face, hooding, toe down. Only thing I still am not comfortable with is closing the face of the M grind on chips out of tighter lies, which is I think due to how sharp the leading edge is. 

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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On 4/18/2019 at 8:48 PM, goaliewales14 said:

You guys are doing a great job on this review!!  I was able to hit the Bridgestone wedges last year and I agree with @hartrick11 in that the feel was just amazing!  Would you think Bridgestone could benefit from different grind options?  Also, have any of you had to play the ball out of a bird's nest of a lie around the green?  If so, how did they do?  That was the one thing my Ping's blew everyone out of the water in.  There wasn't a bad lie they couldn't go through.

Yes they would benefit from different grind options, but given limited budgets and the fact that this is still essentially a niche club, their choice is understandable IMO. Knowing what I know now, I would’ve been interested in their “most forgiving” A grind on a 54 if available, and then M grind for the 60 (or 58 even). 

I’ve had the birds nest lie a few times and these can get through the lie with no issues, and in fact I think the sharper leading edges help here. The only thing I have had to get used to for these is the weighting which is lighter than what I prefer, and caused some distance control issues at first. 

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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I played on Friday at a course that had lush, thick grass throughout, which made for perfect fairway lies and penalizing rough. I shot a 78 with 12 pars and 6 bogeys, which is a strong round for me. The interesting part was that I only hit 7 greens, so I had 5 up-and-downs, and none of those were on a crazy long putt - hellooo Bridgestone! The versatility and stopping power of the 54 and 60 shined during this round.

I still haven't made up my mind on keep vs. trade, but I do think there are certain golfers out there who would really appreciate what these wedges have to offer.

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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On 4/18/2019 at 6:10 PM, Nunfa0 said:

All three of you are killing this test 👏👏.

I asked last year as well but do you feel comfortable trying to open the face for a flop shot or manipulate the head for different shot shapes?

No problem manipulating the club for different shots with M grind - it's very versatile. I feel every bit as confident opening the face on a tight fairway as I do in the sand.

On 4/18/2019 at 10:48 PM, goaliewales14 said:

You guys are doing a great job on this review!!  I was able to hit the Bridgestone wedges last year and I agree with @hartrick11 in that the feel was just amazing!  Would you think Bridgestone could benefit from different grind options?  Also, have any of you had to play the ball out of a bird's nest of a lie around the green?  If so, how did they do?  That was the one thing my Ping's blew everyone out of the water in.  There wasn't a bad lie they couldn't go through.

I'm not sure they need more sole grinds as much as they just need to offer the grinds they have in more lofts (primarily A grind). Also, they need to offer some more bounce options. All they offer currently is 8 or 10-degrees of bounce dependent on loft. A couple of 12 and even 14-degree options would be a welcomed addition. I understand why Bridgestone's current offering is so limited, but if ever they gain any momentum with these wedges and want to continue that trend, this is what will need to happen IMO.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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Another quick update on testing:

I think it's safe for me to say that these wedges will be going in the bag based on how they've performed so far, and I will certainly go into more detail about that decision when I post my Stage 2. So far, I've tested these wedges on a variety of surfaces and have not had any trouble other than that of my own making (as mentioned previously, my wedge game is not the strongest - though it is getting better).

@GolfSpy STUDque will be happy to hear that I did manage to hole a chip this past Saturday. It wasn't anything overly impressive - just a short chip from the rough - but it was a perfectly played shot that carried onto the putting surface and rolled right into the center of the cup for birdie. 😁

I do need to spend some more time on the range and in the short game area at my local course. I need to build up some confidence with the wedge game as my achilles heel is most definitely when pitching/chipping onto a green where my playing partners are standing. Rightfully so, I get very nervy over these shots because all I picture in my head is that I'm going to catch it a bit too thin and too fast then nearly take off someone's head or something. This thought process almost always results in a flubbed shot that barely leaves my shadow. 😞 Again, this is no fault of the wedges, but purely that of my own making. When the green is clear of innocent bystanders, it frees me up to be more aggressive and occasionally (like Saturday) I will hit a shot that far exceeds what I currently expect from my short game.

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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I played this weekend at a course that was wet and not in great condition. You know when the rough around greens is patchy, and when you take practice chip swings the grass & dirt/mud below just gives way really easily? Not ideal! And not ideal for me with these wedges in particular. The sharp leading edges dug in on several shots from chips out to pitches. It didn't really burn me on the pitches as I was able to catch ball first, but on the chips in these conditions, when you're even a fraction off, it's chunk city. 

In fairness there is probably a good chance that the bad chips would've also been bad with other wedges given the conditions, but in my head I was mad at the clubs! 

Bigger picture as I think back on the last handful of rounds, it seems like my good chips & shots with the Bridgestone wedges are better (and feel better) than my good shots with the Pings, but the flight on full shots is higher, and the margin for error on chips is lower, and as a result my mistakes are more frequent/penalizing. My challenge now is to determine if I will just stick with the Bridgestones and plan to get better/more precise to take advantage of the versatility & enjoy the forged feel, or go back to what is basically a solid, if unspectacular, performer for me in the Pings. 

I've got one more round scheduled this weekend and two more practice sessions over the next week. I will plan to post the stage 2 review toward the end of next week.

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/10/2019 at 2:30 PM, Shankster said:

Got any updates for us fellas? How are they wearing?

I'll have my Stage Two up sometime this evening, but they are working great for me! I'll offer up my detail in my official review post, but these have officially replaced my Vokeys. 🙂 

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
Bag: :titleist-small: Players 5 Stand Bag
Ball: Maxfli Tour

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On 5/10/2019 at 12:30 PM, Shankster said:

Got any updates for us fellas? How are they wearing?

I'm wrapping up my review as well and will include pics, but they've worn better than I expected for forged clubs. I thought the AZ desert courses I played would eat them up and I had plenty of errant shots into waste areas to test the durability, but they came out of testing looking close to new.

Driver:  :titelist-small: TSi 3 10* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X 

Fairway/Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSi 2 15* & 18* w/ Graphite Design AD IZ 7X, AD IZ 95X

Irons: :taylormade-small: P790 4i, P770 5-7i, P7MC 8-P, $ Taper 120

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM7 52F/54 S, 58 M w/ Modus 125

Putter:  :cameron-small:  California Hollywood 34" Circle H

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