Bridgestone Golf J40 3+ Fairway
I’ve been on a quest to find the holy grail of 3-woods for many years. That quest may be over.
J40 3+ Fairway Design
The new Bridgestone Golf J40 3+ Fairway Wood is a “strong” 3-wood, at 14 degrees. Standard 3-woods are 15 degrees. So this one should, and does, hit the ball a bit farther than a regular 3-wood. I’m not getting any older younger and my swing speed isn’t increasing it seems, so the extra yards have come in handy.
The 190cc head is made of stainless steel with a very thin top or crown. The head is shallow in profile, meaning it is not very tall from bottom to top. The result is a longer width from heel to toe for added forgiveness.
The center of gravity of this club (CG) promotes higher launch despite the lower loft, longer carry and as a result, longer distance. There’s a cool looking weight near the heel which helps optimize the CG of the club as well, promoting low spin and helping accuracy. The weight, to my knowledge, is not removable or adjustable.
The club face on this club is square. It is not a game improvement club which helps “prevent slices.” Recommended players for this club are professionals and low to mid handicap players.
Bridgestone Golf J40 3+ Fairway
Looks and Feel
Standing over the ball this club is very aesthetically pleasing. The shape is traditional, with no crazy designs or nutty paint jobs which make the club look busy to the eye. The look is simple and clean.
The feel and feedback of this fairway are fantastic. I can really feel the ball on the club face and I swear I can feel the trampoline effect on the face. I know when I’ve hit the sweet spot or heel/toe shots.
Along with the feel, the club has a perfect sound. The pinging sound this club makes is perfect, not obnoxious. I can tell by the sound alone when I’ve hit a great shot, or a little bit of a miss-hit.
Head Cover
I usually write a few comments on the head cover in my reviews. At the time I received this club from Bridgestone, there were no head covers yet so I have no comments.
Options
The J40 Fairway comes in three lofts. See spec chart below:
| Model |
Loft |
Lie Angle |
Length |
Swing Weight |
Head Volume |
Face Angle |
| 3+ Fairway |
14° |
58.0° |
43.0″ |
D2 |
190 cc |
Square |
| 4 Fairway |
16° |
58.0° |
43.0″ |
D2 |
190 cc |
Square |
| 5 Fairway |
18° |
58.5° |
42.5″ |
D2 |
165 cc |
Square |
The stock shaft, which seems to work very well for my swing, is the Project X fairway wood shaft. Flexes are regular, stiff and x-stiff. There are roughly 100 custom shafts available.
J40 Fairway Project X Shaft
The stock grip is a Golf Pride Tour Velvet, but there are roughly 15 custom grips available.
On The Course
The first time I hit the club was on the 7th hole here on my regular Thursday course. It is a shorter par-4 which I always hit 3-wood on. First I hit the 3-wood which had been in my bag for years. I hit it absolutely perfect, dead center fairway with a slight draw. This would be a good test to compare the J40. I put the exact same swing on the J40. The ball flight was nearly identical with a slight draw in the absolute center of the fairway, 16 yards longer.
Later in the round I hit the club out of the rough and reached a par-5 in two. On the same hole, my playing partner Arnie hit the club off the tee to the same yardage his driver traveled.
Since that day this club was an instant gamer for me. The old 3-wood which I’ve had since 2006 or so is now a backup in the garage. I’ve been really enjoying the J40 3+ and have confidently blasted shots off the tee and off the fairway with fantastic results. I do have to admit though, that the club isn’t as forgiving as some and if my swing goes south the club will reflect it.
Conclusion
If you are a mid to low handicap player looking for a better and/or longer 3-wood, check out the Bridgestone Golf J40 3+ Fairway. For me it is the holy grail of 3-woods.
Related
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I am waiting for Saturday and have been waiting – however I am in a tourney Saturday will have to wait till next week to go hit this club. It’s this or the Ping G15 or K15 or Cleveland FL or maybe the Tour Edge CB4.
As far as game improvement goes I think it’s more important to get fit with the right shaft. I had a Project X in a Nike VR SRT8 Driver and it ballooned on me. So I am not sure about the stock shaft – so we shall see?
If I get this club it will have the V2 Pro Force in it. It’s the best shaft for my high angle of attack high sping swing with the longer clubs.
Which is why I am so ready to hit this 3 wood.
Although I hear good things about the Alidla RIP but haven’t hit it yet.
I will wait till January to hit the J430 Driver by the way before I hit the 445.
I am 48 and am loosing a bit of distance now and am looking to get some back!
Thanks – Great Review!
Cheers
” I’m not getting any older and my swing speed isn’t increasing ….”
How did you manage not to get any older? That would be a more important article then the club review.
Awesome Legalbgl. See, as I get older I can’t even write correctly…
Damn dude, I was hoping you had the scoop there and it wasn’t a typo!
Thanks for the review. This 3 wood will be in my bag next year. Cant wait for the Bridgestone 430 driver as well. (Can you say deeeep face)
Another fix. “The old 3-wood which I’ve had since 2006 or so is not a backup in the garage” – “is now a backup” perhaps =)
Thanks for the comments Mikez. Technically that is right, but the old three wood is a backup in the trunk of the car. But you are ultimately correct and I can see by yours and Legalbgl’s comments that it is time to bump up my brain medication…
Tony,
I used to think that you were just a shill for the equipment companies, and trying cadge some free equipment. I took your reviews with a grain of salt.
However I look at you in a new light, I took your advice and tried the Adams Idea Tec V3. I was a confirmed TM guy, but the V3 is far superior. Thanks.
I’m not worthy!!!!!!
Mike
Thanks Mike Ryan. You’re not the first to think that for some reason. I’ve even had people comment that the posts look like advertisements. I put a lot of work into testing the clubs. I usually test clubs a good month at 3-4 rounds per week for my reviews. I shoot my own pictures and spend a lot of time forming my own opinions in my blog posts, but for some reason that goes unnoticed by some who must quickly glance at the site and not really read the entire reviews.
I should post somewhere that IF I post a review, it will for the most part be positive. I try to keep the reviews in a positive light, but still provide constructive criticism if I can. If I receive products which are junk, I’ll usually decline to review them.