Generally speaking, when you think of Mizuno forged irons, you think of the user as a single-digit handicap player -- someone who knows his way around a set of forged irons and how to use them. Well, the JPX-800 set from Mizuno attempts to bring their famous forged iron feel to the mid-to-high handicap crowd. These are a serious player iron -- designed to be both very forgiving and very long. The JPX-800TM is the first model to bring Mizuno's JPX technology platform to the United States. The distance inherent in the JPX-800 irons is the result of combining their MAX COR Technology, Hot Metal Face construction, and an exotic pocket cavity to reach the maximum allowable limits for energy transfer (COR or Coefficient Of Restitution).
The COR is the spring effect that the club possesses. Like a trampoline, it makes the ball leap off of the face like a drop of water hitting a hot oiled skillet. The USGA has set a maximum on the Coefficient of Restitution so that it doesn’t get out of hand. Without getting into the actual formula (I was told there wouldn’t be any math) club makers, like Mizuno, have pushed it to the max.
In addition, Mizuno has long been known for their metallurgy technology, and the "Hot Metal construction" utilizes a new manufacturing process that increases the natural strength of the club head material to create an ultra-strong and yet multi-thickness face for consistent ball speed. The JPX-800 also features a "pocket cavity" (which is a bit reminiscent of the TaylorMade Burner Plus irons) with an external power bar design. This design expands and extends the sweet spot and lowers the center of gravity (CG) for some pretty remarkable forgiveness. If you have ever mis-hit a forged iron, then you can appreciate what this means. Rather than feeling like you hit flagpole with a pipe wrench in 20-degree weather, you actually get some good vibes, even on those mis-hits. The sole of the JPX-800 has been triple cut (essentially, rounded off) to ensure a solid ball/club strike from all types of lies.
The set consists of a 4-iron through Pitching Wedge (PW) and a Gap Wedge (GW) for a total of 8 clubs. Shaft options are either the Mizuno Graphite Exsar IS4 (Regular flex) or the True Temper Dynalite (in Regular of Stiff flex). As is often the case with forged irons, the JPX-800 is available in Right Hand orientation only. The manufacturing process for making forged irons is very expensive (and the price of these clubs reflects that) and offering them in a Left Hand version is rarely done.
These are a striking looking club -- with clean, simple lines -- that will appeal to nearly every level of golfer. If you're a mid-to-high handicap player and would like to try a forged iron that will still give you serious game improvement features, you would do well to take a close look at the Mizuno JPX-800 Forged iron set. If you are in the low-handicap range, take a look at the JPX-800 Pro set.
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When you think of notable fairway woods, Mizuno is not a name that often comes to mind -- at least not the same way it does about their player irons. However, they do make fairway woods, and the F60 is one of those entries.
Available in 3-wood (13.5 & 15 degrees), 4-wood (16.5 degrees), 5-wood (18 degrees) and 7-wood (21 degrees) the Mizuno F60 fairway wood features a Perimeter Weight Slot (Mizuno's marketing term); when combined with the ultra-thin titanium crown, together these position weight deep inside and around the perimeter of the club head. This design is said to enhance forgiveness on off-center hits and make it easier to achieve a higher launch trajectory. The thin titanium crown is brazed to the stainless steel face (titanium is considerably lighter than steel, so this is where the weight savings comes in). The F60 uses a traditional tear-drop head shape and offers a clean profile of the type often preferred by better golfers. To address the issue of off-center hits, Mizuno uses their CORTECH head design (another catch-phrase take-off of the COR acronym) which utilizes multiple face thicknesses for maximum Co-efficient of Restitution (COR). When you can increase/improve COR on those less-than-ideal contacts, you capture more energy from the ball/club strike, and that translates into increased distance and higher initial ball velocity. The shaft options are typical with both steel and graphite available. Steel is the TT Dynamic Gold, while the graphite option is the Exsar FS3 shaft.
Overall, the F60 series is a good performer for the slightly better player. If you're a mid-to-high handicapper, keep looking as this club will likely not give you the type of performance you're after. If you're in the better player realm, however, this club -- like the Mizuno player irons mentioned earlier -- may be just what you're after.
If the F60 appeals to you, also consider the Titleist 909 F3 fairway wood.
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I have to admit. Until now, I have had zero experience with Mizuno. My only experience prior to writing this was picking that brand of clubs for my “Tiger Woods PGA Golf 2009” Wii game. And the only reason I picked those is that the virtual Mizuno company “sponsored” my computer avatar and paid him money to use the clubs in a tournament...
...in which I placed third. Must have been the clubs.
Interesting clubs. The tech-talk behind these is that they are “Grain Flow Forged with Hollow Technology,” and they sport tungsten weights for lower center of gravity. They have won several “Editors’ Choice” awards in golf magazine reviews, and seem to be fairly prevalent even on the tour. I just haven’t tried them during my golf career until now.
They’re light. They feel good. Unfortunately, they didn’t “wow” me like the Callaway X-22 irons even though these were much less expensive. In addition, I may have had a less than desirable experience because I swung the regular flex graphite shaft clubs. Let’s face it -- I just swing too darn fast. Overall, these are definitely the right clubs for the right individual -- and with the lightweight feel and greater flexibility, maybe they would be perfect for a player who doesn’t want to be “Captain Speedy Swing.”
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Typically, I think of Mizuno clubs as being for the lower handicappers, and this 3 wood is no exception. It's a beautiful club designed with playability in mind.
The clubhead is made from titanium with extra weight put in the sole -- 40 grams to be exact. Although the center of gravity is low, it is not pushed back like many of today's clubs. Instead, they kept it forward to help keep the spin down. This gives the club a lower trajectory with a more tour-preferred penetrating ball flight. This bad boy hits line drive rockets that cut through the wind like butter.
The clubhead is a bit compact, and it sets up with an open face. This also is more of a low handicapper trait. If you like to hit shots that stay low and run and you like to shape shots, this is the 3 wood for you.
Of course Mizuno is a very high-end respected name, and you will never get short-changed with their equipment. This 3 wood is a premier club that I'm sure you will find in many low handicappers and scratch player's golf bags.
For higher handicappers looking for a bigger head and more forgiveness, I like the Callaway FT-iZ 3 Fairway Wood.
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Mizuno engineers some beautiful clubs. This MP-CLK Hybrid is more versatile than I would expect from a company that I typically think of as an expert player's brand.
The face of the hybrid is a very hot. It is comprised of a 1770 stainless steel maraging face. Maraging steel is an alloy which is extremely strong.
The hybrid has a Drop Down Crown design with a 67-gram sole weight. The design moves the center of gravity very low. With a low center of gravity, the ball jumps off of the face and gets up in a hurry, landing soft without much roll.
The thing I like best about the hybrid is the workability. It has a streamlined shape that makes it easy to shape shots. For lower handicappers, this is a good choice. I also like the Titleist 909 H.
For higher handicappers, the Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid is a great hybrid. The club is very forgiving, and the dual rail system helps get through the rough and launch the ball high.
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This Mizuno MP 630 Fasttrack is another one of those adjustable drivers. It has the most options of any of the drivers I've seen so far. With ten different positions for two 8-gram weights, the MP630 has 45 different trajectory settings. Wow!
It's pretty easy to adjust as well. It comes with a Fasttrack tool. The screws are right there in the bottom of the driver sole. Just take the tool with you to the driving range and experiment with different settings and shots. This is a really fun toy.
Other cool qualities of this highly engineered driver include the Hot Metal Ti9 titanium clubface technology with the Coretech construction. This technology expands the COR (or trampoline effect) across the entire face, giving you more distance on off-center hits.
Finally, the head shape combined with the low weighting creates an extremely low and deep center of gravity. This helps launch the golf ball high with very little spin, resulting in longer drives.
I recommend this club to the golfers who are constantly tweaking their games. If you like to make changes and experiment, this club is for you. I don't like the looks as much as the Nike STR8 Fit Tour driver, but it has more settings. (The Nike STR8-FIT has 32 different options.)
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Ever heard of a "Quad-Cut" groove? Wow, it sounds like it could put spin on a bowling ball! Mizuno says it allows them to control the width, depth, and draft angle and shoulder radius of each groove. This, of course, gives the wedge an incredible grab, and makes it extremely easy to spin your golf ball on the green.
In addition, the MP T-10 features a one-piece "Grain Flow Forged" construction. This gives the wedge an incredibly soft (yet solid and consistent) feel. This wedge has the softest impact feel of any wedge that you will hit.
This is a player's wedge. The best thing about it is the ability to play a wide range of shots and be very creative around the greens. Whether you want to hit a super lob shot or a low checker, this club will provide you with the goods to pull it off.
What I don't like about the wedge is it might be too precise. When hitting bunker shots, it slices through the sand almost too well.
I would recommend this wedge for low handicappers and good players. It's very comparable to my favorite: Vokey's Spin Milled Oil Can Wedge.
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Well, isn't this interesting? Mizuno, the king of "Players" clubs, is sticking their big toe in the game improvement department. Let's take a look at what they've come up with.
These MX-1000s were developed with a super COR and a massive MOI. They construct these bad boys by plasma-welding a thin steel face to the stainless steel body. This technology provides for a COR that reaches the legal limit. COR (Coefficient of Restitution) is the spring effect or trampoline effect.
In addition, the irons have a hollow construction that allow designers to move the weight to provide a huge MOI and a low center of gravity. The leading edge is aggressively beveled, and it has an "electroformed" medallion in the back cavity.
I like these clubs because they are designed for "game improvement," but they don't look like your typical oversized hacker's club. They are built with an incredible amount of technology, but on the down side, they come with the typical Mizuno high price tag. Before you buy, I would take a look at the Adams Idea A7 OS Hybrid Iron Set. This is my favorite hybrid iron set, and the price is a lot more affordable.
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Earlier, I did a couple reviews on some beautiful new Mizuno Irons: the Mizuno MP-58s and Mizuno MP-68s. This Mizuno MP Wedge is the perfect complement to either of these sets.
The Mizuno MP Series Wedge is a winner of Golf Digest "Recommend" Wedges. Well, there you go, I can just stop writing now -- you don't really need me going on and on lavishing praise. I will just give you some specs to consider, though.
It has the 1025 select carbon steel. This is the premium in all of the accomplished players' clubs today. This material gives the club a solid, consistent feel. The face has U-grooves which spin the heck out of the ball when hit from around the greens. The sole is designed to reduce drag from the turf.
In Amazon's description of this club, they advertise, "The MP Series line is designed for players of all abilities." I'm going to respectfully disagree. This is a beautiful wedge but should only be in the hands of an advanced player. The face is forged with a tour preferred look. A higher handicapper would be much better suited with a forgiving cavity back wedge like the HiPPO HWT Wedge. This wedge is also forged, but it is cavity weighted to be more forgiving and give the novice more confidence.
However, if you have a set of Mizuno irons already, then you obviously know your way around the links. You will love this Mizuno MP Wedge. Enjoy.
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Feast your eyes on these new Mizuno irons. I think Mizuno makes the most beautiful irons of all the major club makers. But buyer beware, these clubs are blades designed for exceptional players.
The MP-68 irons are Mizuno's latest and greatest tour quality clubs. It looks to be shaped from the classic MP-33 iron which is extremely popular. However, these irons have the most recent technology packed into this high performance blade. These bad boys have "3D muscle technology" which is the product of computer optimization. This moves the center of gravity location lower and deeper in the face than any other blade Mizuno has ever made. This, in addition, provides the MP-68 to have stronger lofts than previous blades.
The MP-68s have a "patented grain flow forged 1025E pure select mild carbon steel," which gives the club a soft but solid feel. They have modified U-grooves with provide a lot of spin on the ball and give you the ultimate in workability.
Finally, the MP-68s has a rolled leading edge and trailing edge. This gives the iron a better contact with the turf, and the flattened mid-sole gives you more accurate ball striking.
I would certainly recommend these clubs to any low handicapper (if you think you can handle them). However, if you are little intimidated, you might take a look at the MP-58s. This is a very similar design, but with its cavity back design it is more forgiving.
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