Brand History bridgestone #7

Bridgestone launched its first domestically produced golf balls in 1935.

The price per ball was 1 yen. (One ball is worth about 1,600 yen today.)

Compared to the starting monthly salary of 90 yen for university graduates at that time, it was a very expensive ball.

This is the third MTN III model.

MTN stands for the initials of the Ozaki brothers—Masashi, Tateo, and Naomichi.

There are no major changes between the first model and the Limited Edition (second model).

However, the Pro Model has a round sole and a shorter face length.

The actual lie angle is so flat that shots are likely to go right, but the golf club is designed to look upright.

Meanwhile, its goose neck helps draw the ball.

These two contrary design concepts reflect the demand from Masashi, also known as Jumbo, who wanted to play better on U.S. courses.

The legend of J's began with this driver.

This is a tournament model that was praised by Jumbo.

As there was no conception of a low center of gravity (CG) at that time, J's Metal has a sweet spot in the center of its deep face.

This makes it difficult to get the ball in the air. Its HM-70 shaft is also extremely hard.

That is why the 11.5°, 12.5°, and 13.5° types were added to the lineup in the following year.

Bridgestone launched a set of composite irons with a titanium face embedded into a beryllium copper body.

With a CG that had not been achieved with a single material, this model offers a wide sweet spot for easy-to-hit shots.

Due to the high demand for beryllium copper clubs and their exquisite copper color, TB-1 is still popular.

This is an advanced model of J's Metal.

It is redesigned for amateur golfers, who had difficulty using its predecessor, but satisfies advanced and professional golfers as well.

The CG is centered like J's Metal.

This model comes in two types: R-type, the mid-size head used by Jumbo, and P-type, a pear head that looks like a persimmon club.

The JB-Model is one of the models used by Jumbo in his prime.

This is a set of professional cavity irons supervised by Naomichi Ozaki.

It became popular among different age groups for the soft impact feel of its forged soft iron and the soft color of its nickel-boron plating.

Along with its look, this semi-goose neck model makes it easy to capture and hit the ball with a strong trajectory.

This is a model improved from the legendary golf club MTN III.

The shape is ideally arranged for each club number.

The head with a relatively low CG is a strong weapon for professional and advanced golfers who use long irons for pin-point shots to conquer golf courses.

This model is said to have a well-laid design with a relatively thick sole and a simple back face due to its low CG concept.

This is Bridgestone's first titanium driver.

The manufacturing method was changed from casting to forging to increase the head size to 230 cc.

The sweet spot is about 60% larger than that of its predecessor.

This is a masterpiece used and preferred by many female professional golfers.

The World Stage Metal was chosen by Jumbo as a tool to challenge the world.

It features one of the largest stainless steel head sizes (225 cc) and a larger sweet spot.

It comes in two heads: deep type for advanced golfers and normal type for average golfers.

There are also two shaft types to support a wide range of golfers: HM-80 and HM-50.

The latter is aimed at average players.

This is called one of the legendary masterpieces.

The Titanium, which has low specific gravity and high rigidity, is precision-jointed to the cavity of the soft iron forged irons.

This model was developed based on an unprecedented concept of achieving both a pleasant feel at impact and a soft cavity touch.

The limited-edition model, with "JUMBO" engraved on the sole, sold out immediately, regardless of its high price of 500,000 yen, and is still popular.

The TourStage series debuted as an advanced J's series to bring a breath of fresh air to professional golf tours.

The 255-cc deep face, following in the footsteps of the World Stage, is employed to satisfy advanced golfers, making it easy to imagine a delicate shot and offering precise distance and directional stability as well as a solid feel and sound at impact.

Many professional golfers replaced J's with the TourStage.

The bulge of the Pro 230 titanium head was changed from 10° to 8°.

The CG, set deeper than that of the previous model, maximizes the effect of the bulge.

It was used by many professional and advanced golfers, drawing attention in the market.

The origins of the model names for the three marquee pro players representing Bridgestone at the time are as follows.

MR-23 (the Shigeki Maruyama model): "23" is the number worn by Maruyama's favorite basketball player, Michael Jordan.

MB-32 (the Nobumitsu Yuhara model): "32" comes from "Mitsu," the last part of his first name. ("Mi" means "three" in Japanese and "Tsu" sounds like "two" in English.)

HM-55 (the Hajime Meshiai model): "55" was named after his nickname "Meshiai Go Go." ("Go" means "five" in Japanese.)

These models were supervised, designed, and used by the above corresponding golfers.

The BIIM series was built for all golfers to enjoy going on the offensive.

Its huge head provides a high moment of inertia (MOI).

With an appropriate spin rate provided by positioning an extra weight, this model is user-friendly for all golfers.

The Joe Spec and Forged irons are designed with specifications for Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki to compete on U.S. tours.

The face is made of "as rolled int.d.β titanium" to produce overwhelming repulsion.

This model sets a short CG distance in its large 285-cc head for enhanced operability and is equipped with a deep face to maximize its repulsive force.

Used by sponsored professionals, and even non-sponsored professionals such as Tsuneyuki Nakajima, this is considered one of the legendary models.

It was manufactured by Endo Manufacturing and was highly praised.

This series was launched for senior golfers.

It achieves an ideal trajectory and maximized repulsion, targeted at golfers with low-to-moderate swing speeds.

This model features a face made of neo β titanium and a 45.5-inch shaft for driving performance.

The irons employ the power loft specifications to achieve the distance of a club one number lower.

This model was designed based on the overseas golf experience Toshimitsu Izawa had in his prime.

Izawa won four tournaments using this set of irons in 2001.

He also became the World Cup champion in 2002 in a team event with Shigeki Maruyama.

This legendary model provides forgiveness in a high-pressure situation, maximizing the player's performance.

The TourStage X series was developed with Bridgestone's technologies by scientifically analyzing driving distances and impact feels.

To meet the specific needs of professional and advanced golfers, this model comes in two head sizes and two head repulsion coefficient types: the Pro Spec type, for advanced players, and the high-repulsion type, for athlete players.

This model is famous because it was used by Ai Miyazato in her prime, when she became Japan's first high-school age professional golfer after winning a tour championship.

She then competed for a money title in Japan.

The Turbo Rubber near the center of the sole reduces unwanted vibrations at impact to minimize energy loss and increase driving performance.

This model was targeted at players in the baby boomer generation.

The woods adopt a carbon composite construction.

The synergy effect of different materials optimizes the three key elements for driving (initial velocity, launch angle, and spin rate) to achieve a high trajectory.

The irons have the Turbo Rubber S installed in the cavity, which reduces unwanted vibrations at impact.

The power loft and the low CG design significantly increase driving performance.

This gear is suitable for golfers seeking greater driving distances.

With the TourStage New X-Drive design for professional and advanced golfers remaining, this model introduces a head with a low CG to help draw the ball.

The head speed of the driver is about 43 m/s, allowing golfers who want to use a professional model to achieve high trajectory shots.

Its upright design also makes it easy to draw the ball and ensures directional stability, helping generate a high trajectory like professionals do.

"Hit the ball far without straining."
"Need a comfortable feel for stable shots."
"Feel the shot with all five senses."
To meet these latent needs of target golfers for equipment, this model adopts the new concept Human Harmonized Design technology.

It satisfies the five senses unique to golfers, allowing users to swing comfortably without straining for greater driving performance.

Bridgestone launched the PHYZ series, instead of ViQ, to compete against XXIO.

This new series was launched as a global strategic model.
It is intended to offer an appropriate product for each golfer.

The first lineup is the J series.

J815 became a huge hit, with an unorthodox design featuring a red crown.

This model created an industry buzz as Bridgestone appointed PGA golf stars Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar to promote it.

Equipped with Bridgestone Group science technologies, this driver achieves easy addressing, good feel at impact, and operability that athlete golfers want for their desired driving performance.

It comes in three different heads—round, pear, and shallow—to fit a wide range of golfers.

The Power Milling hidden inside the face creates an optimum spin rate for each situation.

The new JGR series is equipped with the Boost Power Technology.

The Boost Power Rib Design effectively enhances the rigidity of the sole to increase the crown bending, generating a higher initial velocity and higher trajectory.

The Boost Wave Crown bends like a wave using the Power Slit and the Wave Power Slit to increase the initial velocity and launch angle for greater driving performance.

This series is equipped with advanced Boost Power Technology.

The metal string (Power String) embedded in the carbon crown speeds up the bending back of the crown for an increased initial velocity.

This prevents the head from twisting, for a straight impact.

The sole has a T-shaped rib (the Power T-Rib) to enhance the bending effect of the crown face for a higher initial velocity and straight-line stability.

A new construction called SP-COR (suspension core) is engineered to control the repulsion of the face.

This model features higher sole rigidity, sole stiffness, and crown bending to produce a high initial velocity and high trajectory.

Metal strings were redesigned as a hexagonal lattice structure called a honeycomb string.

This anti-bending honeycomb design increases the bending rate to achieve an untwisted trajectory with a high initial velocity and high launch.

The SP-COR (suspension core) and the Adjustable Cartridge 2.0 (weight) also enhance forgiveness and control performance, allowing users to hit the ball as they imagine.

This model features the New SP-COR construction, a successor to SP-COR (suspension core) for controlling the repulsion of the face.

The Boost Power Technology and the Power Milling ensure a high initial velocity and high launch.

B1 employs the Adjustable Cartridge 3.0 for a wider adjustment range with the weight movable to five positions.
It allows users to set the weight according to their swing type.

B2 adopts the D.B.D (Draw-Biased Design) to increase the MOI.

These models are designed uniquely for golfer types.

The B Series from Bridgestone has been expanded with the addition of the B3 SD and DD models.

By adopting a carbon monocoque body, surplus weight is strategically redistributed to optimal positions.

It has become possible to select a model tailored to your preferred shot shape.

Additionally, a 40g-class shaft has been included in the lineup, resulting in a lightweight model with a total weight in the 280g range.

The SD model places a 40g weight on the back face side, enabling stable, straight shots without deviation. Meanwhile, the DD model positions a 40g weight on the heel side, creating a draw bias that facilitates high-draw shots.

By using a flat sole that effectively utilizes the bounce and adopting a semi-large design, the sense of security has increased.

By increasing the face thickness towards the sole, it becomes easier for the ball to rise due to the low center of gravity design.

Furthermore, by making it a dual pocket cavity and reducing the weight by 11g (for #5), it achieves a lower center of gravity, allowing for a larger head, resulting in a more forgiving model.

The new carbon monocoque body further evolves Bridgestone's unique monocoque structure.

By generating excess weight and optimally placing weights exceeding 40g in the best locations, the tolerance has been improved.

The new SP-COR, which effectively controls the CT value, expands the high-speed area supported by a single point. It enhances the rebound properties at the toe and heel with a thinner face, and through boost power technology, it makes the sole rigid while keeping the crown flexible, thereby strengthening rigidity control by altering the layering of carbon.

Additionally, due to the power milling design, the milling (grooves) on the toe and heel are twice as rough compared to the center!

It suppresses spin on off-center hits and enhances straightness.