Equipment
Bridgestone J715 460 Driver
If you’re not a fan of companies that release several new drivers each year, Bridgestone’s philosophy could be music to your ears. The company’s new J715 460 driver is its first new model in four years.
“We want consumers to know that when we introduce a new club, it will always offer real tangible performance benefits,” said Josh Kinchen, Golf Clubs and Accessories Marketing Manager at Bridgestone Golf.
Bridgestone incorporated four new technologies into its new J715 460 driver that allow it to launch higher and spin less than its predecessor — the recipe for more driver distance.
The most important of those technologies could be the Flex Action Speed Technology (F.A.S.T) in the crown, which will help golfers launch the ball higher and faster. F.A.S.T. means that the crown is thinner near the face, and gets progressively thicker towards the rear of the club head. The construction allows the face to flex more at impact, imparting more spring-like effect to improve launch.
Since the crown is designed to add a little “give” at impact, the Flex Action technology increases what the company calls “repulsion,” which means the ball moves away from the face faster than before. Think about it like this — you can jump higher off a diving board than rock hard cement, right?
You know when it’s raining and your driver face gets wet, and you can feel the ball slip off the face and go astray? On most driver faces on the market today, this happens when it’s dry, too. When the ball slips around on the face during impact, it causes unwanted spin and amplifies the effect of off-center strikes.
Bridgestone’s power-milled face (see it magnified above) is said to reduce that unwanted slippage at impact by adding friction, which enhances the quality of compression while the ball is on the face and reduces spin by 200-to-300 rpm’s, according to Bridgestone’s robot testing.
Bridgestone also added its new Spin Flight Control Technology to the driver that allows golfers to adjust the center of gravity — golf’s hottest trend to increase distance. The J715 has two adjustable weights in its sole that allow golfers to customize CG — either more forward for less spin and more fade, or more rearward for more spin and more draw.
The J715 460 also has an adjustable hosel that can set the face angle 1 degree open or closed, and the lie angle can be set to standard, or 1- or 2-degrees upright.
The J715 driver ($399) will be in stores on Feb. 1, 2015 in lofts of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12-degrees for right-handers (9.5 and 10.5-degrees for lefties available April 1). The stock shaft is a Mitsubishi Fubuki ZT with a Yellow Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip.
See more photos and read the discussion in the forums.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Romanempire
Jan 19, 2015 at 10:21 am
I am excited for this product as I play and promote Bridgestone to the fullest. Driver down through the wedges along with the balls. They have been successful with their rise to #2 in the ball market, more importantly the gap they have built between themselves and the #3 ball company, so now they can focus on being a force in the club market. Product looks great and they are a great company!
denny c
Jan 14, 2015 at 9:58 pm
I have this driver and I love it. I wish it came with jdm tour ad mj shaft but then again i do not want to drop another 300+
jim b
Jan 7, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Love what I see and read about this club.Will probably be buying one in about two years when they are much cheaper and I recover from my daughters wedding expenses this July.Thanks & good luck.
Regis
Jan 7, 2015 at 1:25 pm
I’m hoping its distributed widely enough so I can at least demo it. By the way the photo of the crown when examined seems to show no leaves on the trees, snow on the windshield and the author wearing a stocking cap. Same here and it makes me want to demo the club even more.
Mike Honcho
Jan 7, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Did I eat too much peyote for Christmas??? Left handed??? Be still my beating, hallucinating melon.
Chris c
Jan 6, 2015 at 10:07 pm
I look forward to trying this driver. I hope that when it is actually released in North America that both weight ports remain adjustable. I had been looking forward to trying the Srixon 545 until they decided to only release a “dumbed down” version in North America.
leon
Jan 6, 2015 at 10:12 am
Nice club! I have the J40 irons and wedges in the bag but am hesitate to put the woods in. Their lie angles are way too much upright for me, plus a closed club face, man, I will keep searching the balls on the left side all day long.
Fred
Jan 6, 2015 at 11:23 am
All the J40 drivers I’ve seen sit dead straight (neutral). That’s one thing I love about them, so easy to align.
stripe
Jan 6, 2015 at 9:38 am
Would love to try it if any places had them.
Jonny B
Jan 6, 2015 at 8:40 am
This likely won’t reach the masses or sell in high numbers, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bridgestone clubs in a big box retailer – mostly seen them online or in pro shops.
I do applaud the shaft choice, I have a Fubuki ZT in my current Callaway driver and love the control it gives me. Heavier and stiffer than most stock offerings which actually will benefit the amateur golfer, help them keep it in the fairway more often.
Square
Jan 6, 2015 at 4:41 am
I’d put in the bag right now….nice!
other paul
Jan 6, 2015 at 1:55 am
Looks like a Callaway driver from the top to me…
slimeone
Jan 5, 2015 at 7:34 pm
I love Bridgestone and I’m sure this is a great driver but all this tech is old and already semi-redundant. TM just release their tech as soon as they can because they know that it gets old quickly. What is with the F.A.S.T acronym which sounds like the thick-thin face that others have been using for years? And the term “repulsion” sounds to me like COR.
I feel like Bridgestone Golf are pretty lazy and they don’t really care either way which I somehow respect. They also put out quality gear so it’s cool.