Equipment Review:
Bridgestone J33 Fairway Woods,
Bridgestone Tour B330 Golf Ball
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

Bridgestone Golf has quickly become a favourite here at LondonOntarioGolf, thanks to company innovation and performance. Clever marketing, thanks to TV spots featuring Bridgestone PGA Tour player Fred “Boom Boom” Couples and an attractive sidekick haven’t hurt, either, especially in the über competitive world of golf gear marketing. But when the game is on the line, Bridgestone comes through in our eyes, and that’s what matters most.

Late last year, after posting a 60 at my home course, I switched balls. Why? It was part of the ongoing effort to better my overall game. Listen, I’m not getting any younger, so when a golf ball offers me extra yardage off the tee, like Bridgestone’s B330S (read that review here), I stick with it.

Enter the Bridgestone Tour B330 golf ball. We review it this month. As well, we take an in-depth look at the Bridgestone J33 fairway wood. This year, I searched for a new fairway club, and was pleasantly surprised with the performance of Bridgestone’s J33 3-wood. Like Bridgestone’s balls, this club is a winner.

Bridgestone Tour B330 Golf Ball

The Tour B330 is a premium four-piece ball – a Tour-calibre ball for highly-skilled players with varying swing speeds. It’s optimized for fast swings of 112+ miles per hour.

Boasting a slightly harder feel than the B330S, the B330 still gets the job done from anywhere on the course – off the tee, from the fringe and on the green. The secret is the four-piece formula: a gradational core for explosive initial velocity and reduced driver spin; inner mantle for smooth power transition and maximum distance; outer mantle for high repulsion and workability; and a urethane cover with seamless 330 dimple design for pinpoint accuracy.

The Tour B330 is one heck of a ball – I rank it as good as or better than any other premium Tour ball. It’s crazy long, yet offers terrific spin-and-stop effort from the wedge, and is deadly accurate with long- to mid-irons. I actually find it a little longer than the B330S – and that’s a good thing for today’s modern game.

If you are playing balls like the Titleist Pro V1X or Nike One Tour D, I suggest you give the Bridgestone Tour B330 golf ball a try. And to make sure you are using the best Bridgestone ball for your game, take the online ball fitting test at http://www.bridgestonegolf.com/product/ball-fitting/online .

Bridgestone J33 Fairway Wood

The key, I believe, to creating an ideal fairway wood is to offer a large, flat sole, deep face and some type of sole cut or indentation for cutting through the nastiest of lies plus offering an additionally lively face. The Bridgestone J33 fairway metal provides all of this – and more.

Available in 15°, 18° and 21° models, the Bridgestone J33 is one heck of a fairway metal. I tested the 15° 3-wood, and found it to be almost as long as a 14° strong 3-wood which used to have a permanent place in my bag.

The J33 features 17-4 stainless steel construction, plus a tungsten weight in the sole for optimal Centre of Gravity. This club is a little heavier than my old 3-wood, but it does not disappoint. The pill was constantly airborne with authority during my range test and following round. Combined with an Aldila VS Proto 85 shaft, a medium-trajectory ball with very little spin was the order of the day. This club is extremely long, yet lands the ball softly.

I really like the size of the J33 clubhead – smallish compared to most, in order to suit professionals and low-handicap amateurs. The face is lively, and offers great MOI for outstanding forgiveness in a Tour-quality club.

The Bridgestone J33 fairway metal offers a number of shaft options, but the Aldila shaft I tested fit the bill. At 43 inches, the shaft was cut a half-inch for my personal liking and, after some custom work, it produced some of the sweetest landing 3-woods I have ever hit.

Two thumbs up for the Bridgestone J33 fairway wood – one of the very best in its class.

For more on all of Bridgestone Golf’s offerings, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com .