A quick look at a few clubs

[Eracer]

Got to the course about 45 minutes early on Saturday, and was pleasantly surprised to see that a demo day was happening. Reps from Callaway, Nike, TaylorMade, Ping, and Bridgestone showed up. I didn't have the time to do much besides grab a few clubs and hit a few balls with each, but here are my impressions:

TaylorMade CGB Max w/45g (!!!) RE*AX Mitsubishi Rayon shaft. This club felt like swinging a ping-pong ball on the end of a feather. I was afraid that even with my 90mph swing I was going to cave in the face with each shot. Not impressed like I was with the Burner. In fact, I hated it.

TaylorMade Superquad with 65g RE*AX. OK, but I won't be buying this club. The head felt a bit heavy and "not lively". I like my TM 425 (with the same shaft) a lot better.

Bridgestone J33R with ProLaunch Blue. 420cc's of excellent! I really liked the shots I was hitting with this club. Very straight. Good trajectory, with a solid feel. Hitting my Mizuno MP500 on the course after hitting the J33 was very disappointing, and the Mizzie could get kicked out of the bag for this one. I really liked it. Funny, I've never liked a club with the PL Blue in it before. I also hit the J33 with a VS-Proto shaft. You big boys can keep that shaft...

Bridgestone J33 Forged CB irons. I am in love! I grabbed a 6-iron and a 9-iron with Rifle Flighted 5.0 shafts, and was simply floored by how sweet feeling (and laser-like) the clubs were. Interesting that Bridgestone doesn't show the Flighted 5.0 as an option on their website (they show 5.5's as the lowest flex). Nevertheless, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be looking for a set of these.

Callaway FT-i with Fuji Speeder 586 - Blecchh!

Callaway FT-5. I tested two models: the 13ºHT-neutral and the 10º-draw heads, both with the Fuji Fit-on 150 shaft. Interesting, as I hit the 10º club on a consistently higher trajectory than the 13ºHT model. In fact, the 10º draw model was launching way too high. Very, very strange. I will have to demo the 13ºHT on the course. I'd like to try it with the 150, and the E-360 shafts. The club I demoed was a freaking rocket launcher. Good feel, and every shot was (or so it seemed) a good 30 yards further than any driver I've ever hit. I'm very interested in this club.

Bottom line, my bag is going to sport a set of the J33CB's with Rifle Flighted 5.0's before too long. Period.

I'm going to demo used FT-5's with a couple of different shafts.

I may look at the J33 driver again, but if I like the FT-5, then there won't be a need, since the FT-5 seemed to be a far longer club for me.

[VtDivot]

drink the kool aid man... Bridgestone rocks.

[ualtim]

I am so glad that when I got up to the range I decided to go chip and putt instead of trying out all the clubs, I probably saved myself several hundred dollars.

Last time I demoed a bunch of new clubs last January I ended up with a complete bag make over and several long brown boxes on the doorstep that I had to explain to SWMBO.

[Crossfire]

I second the J33CB's, they felt just awesome. I was hitting them with the x100's and they were still stupid easy to hit well.
I am however scouring the bay for a 52,58* Bridgestone Westcoast wedge set up, they honestly had about twice the feel of my vokeys.
Aparently BS has some new blades coming out, after talking to the rep he said I should probably wait for them, and I could get a combo set made with J33CB's 3-7 with S300s and the new blades 8-PW with x100s.

[Fitzpatrick]

There's a J33R with a VS Proto shaft in it at the local Nevada Bob's that I've demoed a few times in my last few visits. Very, very nice, although I hit my r7 425 better (the J33R has a 9* while my r7 425 has a 10.5* loft). If the J33R had a 10* or 10.5*, I would definitely take a much closer look.

[fredcouplesfan]

The WC wedges are pretty good, you should check global golf for those. Bridgestone is a very under rated company, every club they make is excellent.