Bridgestone Enters Premium Club Market

Over the course of the last decade, Bridgestone Golf has focused on growing its golf ball business—an effort that received a significant boost in December when Tiger Woods signed a five-year deal with the company to play the ball division’s products. After much testing, the 14-major champion put the B-330 into play at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

The deal specified golf balls only, so Tiger, a former Nike user, teed it up at Albany with a mishmash of TaylorMade, Nike, and Scotty Cameron clubs, making 24 birdies and finishing a respectable 15^th.

The Japanese tire giant, which has been part of the golf industry since 1935 when it began producing golf balls, also makes top-quality clubs, of course, and recently announced a new line of ultra-high-end drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and irons that will be made in limited quantities and be available in mid-spring.

 

We’ve known for some time (well, since the arrival of PXG) that a market for premium, top-dollar clubs exists and, though Bridgestone certainly wants to be part of it, the company insists this does not represent a fundamental shift in its business model.

“Similar to the way we cater to players of all skill levels with our golf ball lineup, we wanted to do the same with our complete line of golf clubs,” says Zack Kupperbusch, Bridgestone Golf Club Marketing. “We wanted to provide a limited supply of an ultra-high end option for our consumers who want the ultimate in craftsmanship and technology. While we are excited to introduce the TourB, we are still dedicated to providing equipment to players of all skill levels, and will continue to do so through our JGR line of clubs which offers greater forgiveness than the TourB.”

Three TourB drivers will be offered—XD-3, XC-5, and XD-7—each featuring a matte finish, adjustable hosel that allows eight face-angle/lie configurations, Flex Action Speed Technology (FAST) that increases ball speed, and Power Ribs in the clubhead’s base which promote stability and dampen vibration for excellent feel. Both Power Ribs and FAST tech have been an R&D concept since 2013.

The face of each of the TourB woods feature the company’s Power Milling which, Bridgestone claims, stabilizes the ball at impact to increase quality compression and reduce surface slipping or skidding.

The XD-3 has a round, 455cc head with a deep face to promote medium launch and neutral shot shape. The XD-5 has a flatter, shallower 460cc head to promote high-launching draws, and the XD-7 has a 45cc pear-shaped head and encourages low-launching drives with a fade-bias.

All three drivers come with a set of interchangeable weights (2g, 4g, 6g, 8g, 10g, 12g) to help players dial in their preferred trajectory and shot shape. They’re offered with a variety of stock premium shafts—including models from Mitsubishi Diamana, Fujikura, UST Mamiya and Aldila.

“To launch the product, we will be working with a select group of authorized fitters, who will custom build each club to perfectly suit customer needs and preferences,” says Kupperbusch.

The XD-F fairway woods feature a shallow-face to encouraging solid contact from both the fairway and tee box and are available in 15° and 18° lofts. Designed with the compact shape preferred by better players, the XD-H hybrids are available in 18°, 21° and 24° options.

The forged, cavity-back X-CB irons and X-Blade complete the line-up, and feature 1020 Endo forging (Endo produces stainless steel products and forged components for the golf and medial industries. Epon is its own golf club brand), 15 premium shaft options, and minimal offset “for a clean address and excellent workability,” according to Bridgestone.

The irons also have a forged mass strategically placed behind the impact zone for a more solid feel and response. The X-CB is engineered with a wider sole to prevent digging and encourage smooth turf interaction, while the X-Blade has a narrow sole, preferred by many Tour players, to help shape shots of all varieties.
Drivers – $700
Fairway woods – $400
Hybrids – $250
X-CB and X-Blade – $1200 (4-PW).
bridgestonegolf.com

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