Bridgestone J40 445 driver - Click for more images
This product review is going to be a little different than my standard format. I’m teaming up with a local pro and buddy, who will remain anonymous. This is to protect his relationship with his equipment sponsor, who does not happen to be Bridgestone Golf. In fact, he puts his other driver’s cover on the 445 just in case. Why do I need to include him? Because I only had the opportunity to hit the J40 445 driver three times. After my friend the pro hit it on the range, he took it from me and refused to give it back. I’m not kidding. He won’t let me have the club back, despite how badly I’d like to try it more and see if it could earn a starting position in my club lineup. My J40 3+ fairway found an instant starting position and if the driver is close to as good, it would too.
About The J40 445
What does the 445 mean in the name? That’s how many CC’s or cubic centimeters the head is. 99.9% of the drivers out there right now are at the max allowed cubic centimeters which is 460. Be reducing the size a bit, Bridgestone has increased the stability of the club and reduced the aerodynamics.
The club is made from 6-4 titanium with the weight moved to the perimeter. There is also a stainless steel weight in the heel. This helps with accuracy and forgiveness, and gives the club a low center of gravity for a mid to high launch angle. The club also produces less spin, once again helping in the accuracy department.
Target Player
This club is made for mid handicap to professional players. The face is a square setup, so the 445 is not a “game improvement” club (a club which will help reduce slicing). The club wouldn’t be suited for high handicap players or beginners.
Bridgestone J40 445 Driver - click to zoom
Looks
Standing over it, the J40 445 is aesthetically pleasing. No crazy lines or designs to distract the eyes. Just a nice, classic shape with a black finish which isn’t overly glossy.
Pro:
“I grew up playing smaller persimmon heads. So the smaller classic shaped head on this golf club fits my eye better compared to 460cc drivers.”
Feel & Feedback
I can’t really say much about the feel of the club, having only hit it three times, during an actual round of golf. I was impressed though, with the responsiveness of the face. I could feel the spring effect and sense the ball’s position on the face.
Pro’s comments:
“The first thing I noticed with the J40 445 was how fast the ball came off the face. I could feel how hot the face was. Compared to my other driver it was a marked difference. Even though I hit many shots on the toe at first, the club corrected them to a slight draw which started out right of target and ended up in the fairway. Even toe shots were hot.”
Me:
Tell me about the feedback you get in feel and/or sound.
Pro:
“The sound isn’t obnoxiously loud like other drivers. It is more round and deep of a ping sound. I can tell instantly where the ball is contacting the face and I can sense the position of the head and club face in my swing.”
Me:
You can tell what position the club face is in during a swing? I’m just trying to return any part of the club head to the ball, let alone knowing the face angle…
J40 445 Driver Rear - click to expand
On The Course
Having now played about 10-15 rounds with my pal the pro when he’s using the J40 445 driver, I can say this. I’ve stopped taking him on as an opponent and started taking him on as a partner. Hell, in our last big team match he was killing it. His driving and both our putting helped us each win about 1/2 the cost of a new J40 445 in one wager.
My buddy, and club stealer, is knocking his drives about 10-20 yards past me right now. I either need to get to the gym, or get myself a J40 445 driver as well.
Specs / Models
| Loft |
Lie Angle |
Length |
S/W |
Head Volume |
Face Angle |
| 9.5° |
59.5° |
45.0″ |
D2 |
445 cc |
Square |
| 10.5° |
59.5° |
45.0″ |
D2 |
445 cc |
Square |
| 12° |
59.5° |
45.0″ |
D2 |
445 cc |
Square |
Shaft Options
There are roughly 80, yes 80 different shafts available for the J40 445 from Bridgestone. These include offerings from UST, Royal Precision, Mitsubishi, Graphite Design, Graffaloy, Fujikura and Aldila.
The model used for this review was the Project X 6.0 (9.5 degree loft) as seen above.
Grip Options
There are 10 grip options from Bridgestone, including those from Winn, Lamkin and Golf Pride.
J40 445 Driver Head Cover - click to zoom
Head Cover
The head cover does its job, protecting the club. It doesn’t look too bad either, though I’m not big on the sock style covers. They lose their elasticity over time.
Conclusion
The J40 445 combines great performance, great looks, fabulous feedback and longer distance. At least that’s what my buddy who stole mine tells me. I hope to get a chance to put one in my own bag soon to match my J40 3+ fairway.
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