Brandt Snedeker's new Bridgestone driver paying early dividends
Equipment

Brandt Snedeker’s new Bridgestone driver paying early dividends

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Brandt Snedeker changed drivers to start 2016, and that was a big deal.

Why? The Tennessee native has been using the same TaylorMade Burner SuperFast driver for years, including in his 2015 win at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, seemingly without much thought of making a change.

However, Snedeker, a Bridgestone Golf staffer, put their new driver, the JGR, into the bag ahead of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. So far, Snedeker has been playing great golf in 2016. He finished tied for thirdĀ at Kapalua, and he's the 36-hole leader at the Sony Open in Hawaii in Honolulu.

After the winners-only event, Snedeker said he has gained somewhere around 8 yards off the tee.

The Bridgestone Golf JDR driver, which hits stores on March 4 for $300, has a trio of new features designed to offer a blend of speed and forgiveness.

The driver has what the company calls a Flex Action Speed Technology (FAST, get it?) crown which offers variable thickness -- very thin near the clubface for maximum flex at impact, thickening toward the rear for stability. The company says the crown also helps with better launch on above-center impact. A pair of internal arc-shaped ridges, dubbed SpeeDARC, offer stability for the crown and face to flex.

The company's milled face design works to reduce spin at impact. The vertical milling in the JGR face is set further apart at the top of the driver to hold spin, while the pattern at the bottom is designed to dull spin on mishits.

The JGR driver also has two adjustable weight ports, located on the heel and in the center-back of the club. The heel weight can promote a draw bias with lower ball flight and spin. The center-back port can move the center of gravity back for higher launch and increased carry distance.

The Bridgestone Golf JGR driver will be available in 9.5-, 10.5- and 12-degree options and will come with anĀ Aldila NV 2KXV Orange stock shaft.

bridgestone-jgr-fairway-wood

The JGR fairway woods use the same design as the driver, available in 15-, 18-, and 21-degree options. They'll go for $179 each.

bridgestone-jgr-hybride

The JGR hybrids use the FAST crown and speeDARC technologies, but they do not have the milling on the face so as to increase spin. They'll retail for $169 each and will be available in 19, 21, 23 and 25 degrees.

Both the fairways and hybrids have adjustable 10-gram weights managed in the soleplate, and they have the same stock shaft and yellow grip as the driver.

The JGR series comes out March 4.

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Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is the founder, owner and operator of Golf News Net.

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