Say hello to the Miura Series 1957 Limited Edition Small Blade Irons. I’ve been “working” on this review for a some time now. It has been a rough go, playing one of the world’s best irons and such. Yes, being at the top of the golf blog heap can be difficult. I’m up to the task though.
Miura Series 1957 Small Blade Irons
About Miura
Before we look at the Series 1957 Limited Edition Small Blades by Miura, we should talk about who Miura is for those who may be unfamiliar. Miura is a family-owned Japanese club manufacturer, founded by Katsuhiro Miura. Mr. Miura is a master club-maker who has been making clubs for over 50 years. The company is located in Jimeji, central Japan.
Miura has made primarily forged irons and wedges, though they are now producing other clubs like drivers and hybrids. Miura is known as one of the world’s best makers of irons. Miura uses the highest quality Japanese steel, know for its performance and feel.
Many PGA Tour pros who are endorsed by some of the popular golf manufacturers actually play Miuras, despite being paid by their sponsors. The pros simply tape over the Miura name so fans can’t easily see the real manufacturer. Keen eyed golf club aficionados are not fooled.
Series 1957 Limited Edition Small Blade Irons
The Miura 1957 Small Blade Irons are the highest performing irons made by Miura, according to the man himself, Katsuhiro Miura.
When a company whose products are such high performance states that a particular product is their best, there’s nothing much on planet earth that will outperform it. I concur. Let’s look at the specs of the Small Blades.
Material
The Small Blades are made from low-carbon, premium Japanese steel. Japanese steel is widely known for its quality worldwide. The irons are specially forged in Miura’s own forge in Himeji, Japan. These irons are not made in China.
Finish
My set is the satin nickel chrome. The satin finish is beautiful and does not produce distracting glare in the sun.
The irons are also available in Black Boron finish, limited quantities.
Technical Specifications (more on this later in the review)
|
|
#3 |
#4 |
#5 |
#6 |
#7 |
#8 |
#9 |
PW |
|
Loft (degrees) |
21 |
24 |
27 |
30 |
34 |
38 |
42 |
47 |
|
Lie (degrees) |
59.0
|
59.5
|
60.0
|
60.5
|
61.0
|
61.5
|
62.0
|
62.5
|
|
Offset (inches) |
0.11 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.07 |
0.07 |
0.07 |
0.07 |
0.06 |
|
Finished Length (inches) |
38.75 |
38.25 |
37.75 |
37.25 |
36.75 |
36.25 |
35.75 |
35.5 |
Size
The Small Blades are 15% smaller than Miura’s regular “tour” blades. Blade irons are typically known as “hard to hit” by the average golfer. Mr. Miura says, “I have a special pride in this club. That’s because it’s so easy to hit.” Once again, I concur. More in my “on the course” commentary.
Blade-a-licious! Could you hit this?
On The Course
I lit up the first time I hit one of these irons. It was the 7-iron. The feel was so amazing and the ball launched high and straight. I just thought I got “lucky” and was sure the hard-to-hit nature of blades would catch up to me. I was sure I’d hit one of those mis-hits which would sting, or make my fingers numb, or hurt. I’ve been waiting for that to happen for months. There’s something about these blades which is different. The feel is so buttery that even off-center shots feel good. I have a lot of experience with those too. A lot.
I’ve found these irons to be very easy to hit, regardless of their blade nature. In fact, they are easier to hit than several “game improvement” clubs which I’ve tried out. I realize that sounds odd. You’ll have to trust me on that.
With blades this incredible, the type of shots and ball flight a player wants to hit are all on him/her. These irons respond tremendously when I have to manufacture some kind of shot or work the ball in a particular direction. If I put the right swing on a shot, the iron will produce exactly what I’m asking it to. I can hit them low (usually as a result of being in the trees off the tee), high (to go over the same trees), or fade/draw as needed. Truly amazing.
Critique
The one critique I have is with the lofts of these irons. Across the board these are more “standard” blade lofts from years ago. These irons are not “strong” lofts. Most of the irons are at least one degree weaker than most modern irons. Many of the irons are two degrees weaker.
This can be a slight hit to the player’s confidence level as the irons will go shorter. I’ve had to adjust my numbers to make up for the lofts. Where I used to hit an 8-iron, I’m hitting 7-iron, and so on.
Once adjusted, the accuracy and confidence I have with these irons is the best of any iron I’ve played, and I’ve played far more than the average golfer ever will.
That said about the lofts… I think no irons should have numbers on them, just lofts.
Hello Turf, Nice to Know You
The way the club interacts with the turf is tremendous. Whether the lie is tight and hard or in long rough, the club’s grind and small head size produce very little resistance and interference from the turf.
#love
The small design makes sense. Less surface area produces less resistance. Plus Mr. Miura has tweaked the edges and corners of the club ever so slightly. Those slight grinds and angles help prevent unwanted interaction with the ground and keep the club’s path and angle of attack where the player is delivering it.
Simplicity
A look at the iron photo above tells a big story. Part of what makes these Miura irons so great is their simplicity. There are no funky patterns, paint jobs, dumb names, logos, or mysterious weight-looking “things” that don’t do really anything…
Shafts
Miura will shaft the irons with shafts from any of nine “recommended” shaft makers including Aerotech, KBS Tour, True Temper, Project X and more.
Final Thoughts
Miuras are not for everyone. They are not inexpensive. It’s sort of a “if you have to ask how much they are, they’re too expensive,” proposition. The market for these clubs is not the mass-sales model of the big name brands, where you find their clubs in every pro shop and big box store on the planet. The clubs are painstakingly forged in Japan, by hand. These are not cheapo mass-produced Chinese-made clubs.
Playing these Miuras is a joy. They’re tremendous. Any player who wants the highest performance and feel a golf club can produce, should look strongly at the Miura Series 1957 Limited Edition Small Blade Irons.
This product review of the Bridgestone Golf J15 Driving Forged Irons came at a critical time in my golf game and my attitude. Anyone who follows this blog and/or my social networks knows of the frustrations I’ve had of late with this beautifully infuriating game of golf. More on the timing and attitude later. First let’s take a look at the J15 Driving Forged Irons.
Bridgestone Golf J15DF Irons – click to see more
Construction
The J15 Driving Forged Irons are designed for golfers from the professional level to mid-handicap players. I fall somewhere in that range as a player who varies from a 1-4 handicap, depending on the time of year. So they should be a good fit.
The J15DF features a two-piece premium forged carbon steel design. For those of you readers who don’t know what “forged” really means, it’s one of two primary manufacturing processes irons are typically made from. The other process is called casting, producing “cast” clubs. In my opinion forged clubs tend to have a softer feel and provide more “feedback” to the player than cast. Feedback would be the feel and sound translated to the player from the club. Feedback gives the player great information with regards to the quality of contact and where it occurs on the club face. Better players can translate this feedback into how they need to adjust for better contact. Cast irons on the other hand, don’t often produce this feel. Most shots, regardless of where they happen on the club face, feel about the same.
These irons feature a “hidden” cavity between the front and the rear of the club head. This design employs “FAST” technology, or Flex Action Speed Technology. The cavity and design allows the club’s weight to be moved out toward the perimeter. Perimeter weighting (another buzz term in the golf industry) provides more forgiveness.
The sole of the club is a little narrower than game improvement clubs (clubs which are meant for higher handicap players). “Mid Sure Contact Sole” design allows the club to be consistent in the way it interacts and bounces off of the ground.
Bridgestone Golf J15DF Irons
Specs
| Iron |
Loft |
Lie
Angle |
Length |
S/W |
Offset |
Bounce |
| 3 |
20° |
60.5° |
39″ |
D3 |
3.5 mm |
2.0° |
| 4 |
22.5° |
61.0° |
38.5″ |
D3 |
3.5 mm |
2.0° |
| 5 |
25° |
61.5° |
38″ |
D3 |
3.0 mm |
2.0° |
| 6 |
28° |
62.0° |
37.5″ |
D3 |
3.0 mm |
3.0° |
| 7 |
32° |
62.5° |
37″ |
D3 |
3.0 mm |
3.0° |
| 8 |
36° |
63.0° |
36.5″ |
D3 |
2.5 mm |
4.0° |
| 9 |
41° |
63.5° |
36″ |
D3 |
2.5 mm |
5.0° |
| PW |
46° |
64.0° |
35.75″ |
D4 |
2.5 mm |
6.0° |
This club is available in right-hand only. Sorry lefties. You’re missing out. While the specs above show a 3-iron, the set I tested is a 4-PW.
Options
A club fitting would help in the setup decision making process without a doubt. I recommend making sure your shafts, lofts, lengths, and lies are all set for your swing. If you already know your specs, you can actually order your exact setup online at the Bridgestone Golf J15 page.
There are well over 20 shaft options available. I ended up with the True Temper Dynamic Gold Pro S300, the stock shafts. They’re fantastic.
The J15DF online configurator offers a choice of 14 grips. The model I’m gaming is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet. While they seemed a bit hard at first, I’ve grown to really like them. I’ll be reviewing the grips in a separate article later.
On The Course
From the first club I hit on the range (still remember it was a 7-iron), to the last one I hit yesterday, I’ve been thrilled with these irons. I have the opportunity to play many of the world’s best irons from most of the major brands, many custom made. None of those other irons but the J15DF’s have come close to the feel and control I grew accustomed to with my hand forged set of Hogan irons from nearly 15 years ago. The feel is butter.
Unlike the old school irons though, these are easier to hit and much longer. I’ve enjoyed very solid iron length and accuracy since putting the J15DF in the bag. The control these irons offer is tremendous. Whether I want to hit a low driving punch 5-iron like I did a few days ago on the par-3 11th to eight feet, or hit a high fade with a 7-iron, these clubs respond.
That high fade with a 7-iron came yesterday, probably my shot of the month. It was my 2nd shot on the 510 yard par-5 7th. I was 184 out and needed to carry the shot over some front bunkers and have it release to a back-right pin. The shot was one of the most pure shots I’ve ever hit and the ball landed within inches of my intended landing spot over one of the bunkers. It released up a slope in the green and finished at 12 inches from the hole for a tap-in eagle. That came at a time when my partner and I had just been pressed on the front nine. #winner
There are many stories I could tell like the 7-iron above, and with the J15DF’s in the bag there will surely be many more.
Critical Timing
I mentioned the critical timing in my opener. You see, I’ve been struggling so much with my game I was close to quitting. Not just for a week or two, or for the winter, but forever. I’d had it. Then the J15DF’s came in for review. I was very close to declining the review and quitting. Out of respect for Bridgestone and how great they’ve been to HOG over the years I decided to do the review. The J15DF irons gave my game a badly needed spark. They talked me off the proverbial golf cliff.
Now that I’ve become excited about hitting quality iron shots again, winter looms unfortunately. I’ll be trying to get in as many rounds with these irons as I can until the snow flies.
Conclusion
Bridgestone may be better known for their golf ball products, but you’d be making a mistake if you didn’t check them out before making an iron buying decision. The Bridgestone Golf J15DF irons provide ultimate distance, control, and feel for golfers of mid-level handicaps and better. I know exactly where I’m hitting it on the club face because of their fantastic feel and feedback. I know if I execute shots well with these clubs, the results will be tremendous.
I’m not sure what’s more fun, setting up my golf club glam shot photo shoots, or testing great golf clubs. Today we are getting a first look at the new Bridgestone Golf J15 Driving Forged Irons, or J15DF.
Bridgestone Golf J15DF Irons – click to see more
I will start testing these irons soon, and post a review when I’ve got enough rounds with them to give a proper evaluation. Translation: I’m not going to hit three 7-irons on the driving range and rave about how great they are…
Bridgestone Golf J15DF Irons
A look at new Titleist AP1 AP2 CB and MB irons this fall
click image to see larger version
|
|
Titleist AP1 710 irons
|
Titleist AP1 AP2 Irons
|
Titleist AP1 710 irons – back
|
Titleist AP1 & AP2 Irons
|
|
Titleist AP1 710 irons – Topline
|
Titleist AP2 710 irons – Topline
|
Titleist AP1 and AP2 710 Irons
|
Titleist AP1 and AP2 710 Irons
|
|
Titleist MB 710 Irons – Back
|
Titleist MB 710 Irons – Topline
|
Titleist CB Irons – Topline
|
Titleist CB Irons – Back
|
|
Titleist AP1 710 irons – Address
|
Titleist AP2 710 irons – Back
|
Titleist MB 710 Irons – Address
|
Titleist CB 710 Golf bag
|
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
