One of the more lamented losses for golf geeks was the demise of Bridgestone’s Tourstage brand. Tourstage had a certain mystique about it. For one thing, it was a Japanese domestic model (JDM) which saw limited release in other Asian and European markets but was never released in the United States. It was pricey, which added to its exclusivity, and the extensive range of golf clubs was designed mostly for the better or elite golfers. If you had a set of these bad boys in your bag, it gave you instant credibility.
But Bridgestone already had a wealth of brand names on the market besides Tourstage (New Wing, Precept, Rexstar and a couple of others). This made it a nightmare to market and virtually impossible to build a global brand. So they dropped all the other brands and sought to build consolidate their golf products under the Bridgestone Golf brand, which meant the loss of some of the more eccentric and interesting products.
But the word’s just hit the Internet about Bridgestone Golf’s new Tour B line of clubs, which includes three drivers, a line of fairway woods and hybrids and two forged irons. Hallelujah!
The driver line includes three models designed to fit a wide range of players: XD-3 (455cc head, deep face with neutral shot shape and medium launch angle), XD-5 (460cc head, shallow face with slight draw bias and high launch angle) and XD-7 (445cc head, pear shape with fade bias and low launch angle).
All three versions feature “Flex Action Speed Technology”—a flexible crown and stiff sole—that allows the top of the face to bend away from the target and leads to higher-launching shots with less spin. Plus, the milled clubface reduces spin on low misses. Players can tweak face and lie angle while two weight ports in the sole are used to alter CG location for shot shape and spin rate adjustment.
The drivers come with six interchangeable weights ranging from 2 grams to 12 grams, and choice of premium aftermarket shafts from Fujikura, Mitsubishi, UST Mamiya and Aldila. All this tech won’t come cheap. Expect to pay premium prices for these big dogs.
The XD-F fairway metals will feature shallow faces for ease of use off the turf and the XD-H hybrids will have compact heads that are the preference for elite golfers. The fairway metals will come in 15- and 18-degree lofts, while the hybrids will be available in lofts of 18, 21 and 24 degrees.
The real excitement will be provided by the two forged irons—The X-blade is a traditionally designed forged muscleback and the X-CB a forged cavity back. Even the nomenclature is a throwback to the Tourstage line, which is sure to have some recall among the cognoscenti.
The X-CB has a slightly wider sole to promote better turf interaction and less digging, while the narrow-soled X-Blade should improve shot shaping versatility. Both models feature minimal offset and additional mass behind the hitting area for improved feel at impact. Stock shafts include steel options from Nippon, KBS and True Temper, and a graphite option from UST.
Both irons will be manufactured for Bridgestone by forged iron giant Endo (as were the Tourstage irons before them) so expect both irons to feel buttery smooth at impact to go with playability and shot-shaping control.
Bridgestone says both irons will offer a variety of shafts as no-cost upgrades, as well as premium shafts that will be available with additional upcharges. We can expect the Tour B line in the country by March so watch this space.