Gear: Bridgestone 220 MB, 221 CB, 222 CB+ irons
Price: $1,050 with Nippon PRO Modus3 Tour 120 steel shafts (220 MB, 221 CB); $900 (222 CB+) with Nippon PRO 950 GH steel shafts.
Specs: Forged stainless steel
Available: December 2024
Who it’s for: Elite ball strikers, tour players and college golfers (220 MB); low single-digit handicap golfers seeking feel and control with a touch of forgiveness (221 CB); single-digit handicap players who want more height along with classic-iron looks.
What you should know: Bridgestone is reentering the iron and wedge market with forged offerings for accomplished golfers, ranging from a classic muscleback blade to a better-player’s cavity back to a dual-cavity iron for golfers with powerful, repeatable swings.
The deep dive: In North America, Bridgestone is best known as a leading golf ball brand and the maker of the Tour B X balls played by Tiger Woods. However, the Japanese company had stopped offering clubs in this market several years ago, focusing its club sales in Asia.
Now, Bridgestone is returning to the iron and wedge category with the launch of the 220 MB, 221 CB, and 222 CB+ irons, along with the BRM2 wedges.
The 220 MB is a pure muscleback iron designed for players with powerful, repeatable swings. It prioritizes control and precision over power and forgiveness. The club features traditional lofts, with a 5-iron at 26 degrees and a pitching wedge at 46 degrees. Of the three models, the 220 MB has the thinnest topline, narrowest sole and least offset.
The 221 CB offers a cavity-back design and, like the 220 MB, is forged from a single piece of stainless steel. Its 4-iron and 5-iron incorporate a dual pocket-cavity design that lowers the center of gravity, helping players hit higher, softer long-iron shots. The 6-iron through pitching wedge have varying center-of-gravity locations to optimize spin and improve control on approach shots.
The 222 CB+ is the most forgiving of the three irons, featuring a dual pocket-cavity design throughout the set, not just in the long irons. This lowers the center of gravity and increases launch angles across all clubs. Bridgestone also added a slightly thicker area in the center of the face to soften feel. The 222 CB+ has a wider sole, which helps the irons glide more easily through the turf, particularly for players with steep swings.