© Bridgestone Golf

The Bridgestone JGR Driver falls into the max-game-improvement category and retails for $300 (MSRP). This baby replaces the old J715, but it still comes fully loaded with the latest and greatest technologies in Bridgestone's portfolio, like the FAST crown, which is capable of flexing upon ball impact, for launching the ball higher and increasing the ball speed. FAST stands for Flex Action Speed Technology (the flexible crown thing) and acts in a spring like fashion for boosting launch. Besides the state of the art FAST feature, the Bridgestone JGR also comes with an improved milled-face design, which makes for an excellent combo of forgiveness and distance, especially when it comes to off center hits or mis-hits. Another thing I must mention here is the speeDARC technology, that provides you with a very stable base, promoting increased ball speeds and impressive launching angles, the highest the company ever achieved in a driver until now. There's also a Spin Control technology incorporated into the Bridgestone JGR's built, which provides you with total control over spin and trajectory.

After taking this baby for a test-drive on the golf course, I must declare that I was totally impressed by it in terms of distance. The Bridgestone JGR is a monster, offering excellent contact and carry all across the face, a face that carries far and provides awesome roll-out, being one of the longest drivers I ever tried until now in its category (max game improvement, that is). In terms of accuracy and forgiveness, the Bridgestone JGR is fairly easy to hit and offers excellent consistency, from your first swing. The shots take of linearly, with next to nothing side-spin and the driver offers top notch correction, even for the worst miss-hits. When it comes to feel, the Bridgestone JGR is impressively stable through the entire swing, and the ball literally jumps off the face, offering an exciting impact, even on minor miss hits. In terms of playability, this driver offers a medium high, consistent and penetrating ball flight, capable of cutting easily through the wind, while its traditional shape that sits comfy and squarely is definitely a confidence booster. Bottom line, the Bridgestone JGR Driver is among the best, if not the best in its class, being perfect for any higher handicapper looking for a max game improvement piece of gear at a decent price.