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Mizuno 2015 Balls - ‘Dimple-clusters’ for extra airtime


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Three New Mizuno Balls Announced for March 2015

By stalling the descent, we were able to increase the JPX's overall airtime.” Masashi Tamakoshi – Head of Golf Ball Development.

 

Mizuno has revealed that its second wave of golf balls will land in Europe during Feb 2015. Accompanying the pro level MP-S and MP-X is Mizuno's new ‘dimple-cluster' concept ball, the JPX (RRP £35 per dozen).

 

JPX-Ball_Dimples-crop-300x300.jpg

 

JPX Micro-Dimple cluster for delayed descent

 

Working closely with the Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Mizuno's research team identified that the ‘descent' phase of ball flight was the least optimized by current dimple design. By adding a cluster of micro-dimples around each larger one, the collaboration found that descent could be slowed down – effectively extending airtime and distance.

 

 

“The micro-dimples have little effect at higher ball speeds generated at impact. However as the ball peaks and slows, they start to take effect. By stalling the descent phase just a fraction, we were able to increase the JPX's overall airtime.” Masashi Tamakoshi – Head of Golf Ball Development.

 

 

The MP-S and MP-X balls (RRP £50 per dozen) continue Mizuno's long standing relationship with the better player. After months of seeding both prototypes, the manufacturer is confident that it is ready for the next stage in its evolution as a credible ball manufacturer.

 

“We've been testing the new MP-S and MP-X since late September,” commented Alex Thorne, Head of Tour Operations. “This time round the younger elite players are more familiar with the Mizuno ball. We already have some highly ranked amateurs ready to put the new ball into play. The golf ball is possibly the most sensitive piece of equipment in a better players bag – so it's better to work with the players young and bring them through with our specific feel and technology.”

 

“We are also working with Chris Wood with a view to him playing the MP-X on the European Tour in 2015. There are also 5 players on the Japanese Tour committed for 2015.”

 

MP-S_12-Pack-Open-1118x799.jpg

 

Mizuno's soft touch MP-S for maximum grab.

 

MP-X_12-Pack-Open-1118x799.jpg

 

Low spinning MP-X Ball designed for Mizuno's Japan Tour team.

 

http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/blog/three-new-balls-announced-for-march-2015/

 

Yo #JustPlayBetter


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I would LOVE to extra airtime. I'd love for Mizzy to come out with a good golf ball.

Driver - Tour Edge Exotics XCG 7 Beta w/ Paderson shaft 44"

Fairway Metal - :nike-small: Vapor Fly 15* w/ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65F 43"

Irons - :taylormade-small: SLDR 4i-pw w/ KBS Tour C-Taper 90S

Wedges - :edel-golf-1: 54* and 58* Digger grind

Putter - :scotty-cameron-1: 2015 GoLo 3 33"

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Pretty cool tech.  Too bad they wont be available in the states though.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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Interesting... especially the dimples - I guess it makes sense.

 

I'm not 100% sure I'm correct, but wouldn't slowing the descent also reduce the descent angle? It may land softer if its landing slower, but the descent angle plays a big factor in stopping the ball quickly on the green. 

 

Picture1.jpg

 

FYI - this is my illustration, not Mizuno's ;)

 

It may be longer, but I'm not convinced this would necessarily be better overall ... but I could be wrong, it's happened once before ;)

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Depends if more air time = more time to balloon.  Might not be a good thing.

 

I've always wanted to try the Mizzy balls, but no availability means it's not going to happen.

Driver: :taylormade-small: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black

3w: :taylormade-small:'16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82

5w: :cleveland-small: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow

Hybrid: :cleveland-small: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black

Irons: :cleveland-small: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Wedges: :cleveland-small: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Putter: :odyssey-small: Red 7s

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I played the last generation MP-S ball and was quite impressed with the performance.

The problem Mizuno really had was pitching (no pun intended) the ball at a ludicrous price point - i.e. the same or in some cases more than the market leading ProV1/x. It had little or nothing more to offer than the best ball (by sales volume) rival. Which, if Mizuno really want to be considered as "credible ball manufacturers", means a quick reality check with what folks actually want. A European tour pro, 5 Japan tour pros and "some" amateurs simply doesn't cut it.

If they really intend to take a slice of the market share, then they need to offer the ball at a more competitive price point to tempt customers away from frankly well established brands. Even die-hard Mizuno fans will find the price and availability hard to swallow. 

As for dimples on dimples - I think computer modelling has gone about as far as patterns can reasonably be effective in ball flight - the greater onus still relies and player input for the shot. Call it "gimmick" if you will, but it needs a little something extra to separate itself from an already over crowded market of well established ball manufacturers. 

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I just emailed my Uncle in Iceland to see if he has them at his course. He is coming to the states in a week. Hopefully they do have them.

**May the fade be with you**

 

Driver - :taylormade-small:  SLDR 9.5 Paderson KINETIXx IMRT Green Stiff / 255 cpm
Fairway Wood - :titelist-small:  910F 3 wood
Hybrids - :callaway-small:  Big Bertha Diablo 21deg
Irons - :titelist-small:  710 AP2 4-PW Standard Lie/Flex
Wedges - :taylormade-small:  XFT 50, 54, 60
Putter - :cameron-small:  California Monterey
Ball - :wilson_staff_small:  FG Tour

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Interesting... especially the dimples - I guess it makes sense.

 

I'm not 100% sure I'm correct, but wouldn't slowing the descent also reduce the descent angle? It may land softer if its landing slower, but the descent angle plays a big factor in stopping the ball quickly on the green. 

 

attachicon.gifPicture1.jpg

 

FYI - this is my illustration, not Mizuno's ;)

 

It may be longer, but I'm not convinced this would necessarily be better overall ... but I could be wrong, it's happened once before ;)

Awesome graph skillz. :P

I think the term "slowing descent angle" is confusing. I think they are DELAYING the descent angle via increased carry? Ball loses speed, the larger dimples stop providing lift and the ball starts to descend. The smaller dimples appear as though they will kick in at lower speeds based on their size and pattern. Give the ball a little more carry before it starts to descend. The angle will depend on the speed at that point and the spin rate.

From this sense, I'm just as interested in short game performance with it. If lower speed activate the smaller dimples, to me, that would mean some effect with shorter clubs/less speed. Perhaps more carry there as well?

To me, I think the angle will provide adequate stopping power considering this looks like it will act almost like a retro-rocket to keep it in the air longer, but once the speed runs out, it then will fall. I think it will be a soft landing.

"Glute Activator"

 

*Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration.

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What's old is new again, anyone remember the Dimplet golf ball that came out in 2006: "1070 dimples: 656 small ones and 414 large."

 

I saw a write-up about them in one of the major golf magazines and bought a box, don't remember the pricing and I'd just started playing golf, so there's no way I can evaluate how well (or not) they performed.

 

They did come packaged in 3 ball plastic sleeves though, and I've still got them to keep "spares" handy on the cart - lol

 

http://www.golfblogger.com/index.php/golf/comments/dimplet_golf_ball/

What's In the Bag

Driver - :callaway-small: GBB 

Hybrids  :cleveland-small: Halo XL Halo 18* & :cobra-small: T-Rail 20*

Irons  :cobra-small: T-Rail 2.0

Wedges :ping-small: 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58*

Putter     :scotty-small:

Ball :callaway-logo-1:

Bag Datrek DG Lite  

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Hmmm, didn't even know that they made balls.

"I'd play a ladies set of clubs if it allowed me to break par."

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Titleist 17, 19, and 21 degree 818 H2 Hybrids

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It is kind of funny that they came out with this a few weeks after their star LPGA player Stacy Lewis switched to the Bridgestone ball from Titleist. BTW I did not know either that Mizuno made golf balls

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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It is kind of funny that they came out with this a few weeks after their star LPGA player Stacy Lewis switched to the Bridgestone ball from Titleist. BTW I did not know either that Mizuno made golf balls

Apparently, neither did Stacy Lewis -  :P

What's In the Bag

Driver - :callaway-small: GBB 

Hybrids  :cleveland-small: Halo XL Halo 18* & :cobra-small: T-Rail 20*

Irons  :cobra-small: T-Rail 2.0

Wedges :ping-small: 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58*

Putter     :scotty-small:

Ball :callaway-logo-1:

Bag Datrek DG Lite  

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So they said it keeps the ball in the air a "fraction" longer. What that tells me is you won't see the difference. Maybe it's measurable. Doesn't sound like you would notice by watching. Curious to see comparison numbers.

I doubt you could see it since the apex is out there, what, 200 yards away?

Does Trackman/flightscope measure how far out apex height occurs?

Seems like that's the number to use if it were available, along with the descent angle to make comparisons.

"Glute Activator"

 

*Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration.

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I doubt you could see it since the apex is out there, what, 200 yards away?

Does Trackman/flightscope measure how far out apex height occurs?

Seems like that's the number to use if it were available, along with the descent angle to make comparisons.

 

Descent angle is directly related to spin rate. For every 1000rpm increase in spin, the descent angle will increase by 7 degrees (Trackman). Spin rates are directly related to which club is used - the higher loft imparts more spin. On tour, most players max height is the same for all clubs so the only difference to descent is the angle - the rate of descent is good old gravity (which Mizuno can do nothing about!)

Hang time or flight duration is dependant on max height and the distance travelled to reach it - a driver will normally on tour be around 6.5 seconds duration - long drive hitters may hang around 8.5 seconds.

So for a ball to loiter in the air longer, the dimples have little to do with this - it's still all down to the launch characteristics of the player input. Nice try Mizuno, but you can't argue with physics (Callways old slogan I believe lol)

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Descent angle is directly related to spin rate. For every 1000rpm increase in spin, the descent angle will increase by 7 degrees (Trackman). Spin rates are directly related to which club is used - the higher loft imparts more spin. On tour, most players max height is the same for all clubs so the only difference to descent is the angle - the rate of descent is good old gravity (which Mizuno can do nothing about!)

Hang time or flight duration is dependant on max height and the distance travelled to reach it - a driver will normally on tour be around 6.5 seconds duration - long drive hitters may hang around 8.5 seconds.

So for a ball to loiter in the air longer, the dimples have little to do with this - it's still all down to the launch characteristics of the player input. Nice try Mizuno, but you can't argue with physics (Callways old slogan I believe lol)

Dimples provide lift. Different patterns, depths, sizes will provide lift differently at different speeds and resulting spin rates. I think the smaller dimple clusters are designed to provide lift at certain speeds. The speed of the ball is never constant. That is why different dimples could provide different amounts of lift at different speeds, much like landing flaps on an airplane. We don't let gravity crash them as it sees fit. We control the descent.

"Glute Activator"

 

*Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration.

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Dimples provide lift. Different patterns, depths, sizes will provide lift differently at different speeds and resulting spin rates. I think the smaller dimple clusters are designed to provide lift at certain speeds. The speed of the ball is never constant. That is why different dimples could provide different amounts of lift at different speeds, much like landing flaps on an airplane. We don't let gravity crash them as it sees fit. We control the descent.

 

Dimples are primarily used to reduce drag, but they also provide a certain amount of lift based on spin rate . This is also how it is possible to move the ball in it's flight by controlling spin - fade and draw is a result of sidespin for example. Ball speed and spin is a direct result of clubhead speed and angle of attack - dimples do not increase ball speed nor do they create spin - 2 of the 3 main ingredients of ball flight. Oddly enough they do not control initial launch angle either - the third component of ball flight. You are right that ball speed is never constant - it too is on a losing battle with gravity the moment it leaves the club face, the same as spin. The only way possible way to control descent as speed inevitably decreases would be to increase spin, which by the laws of physics is impossible. To say that some dimples react to varying ball speeds and spin is not entirely true, since you cannot alter the dimple configuration in flight either - even if small dimples aid low speeds, the larger dimples that help or hinder flight models are still present. That is why most performance balls use relatively similar dimple sizing and spacing (and depth) - the resulting dimple pattern may be arranged so that the "bite" (like a "wing") to the airflow is achieved no matter what the ball orientation at address or what direction you intend to move it in flight. In most cases, these slightly smaller dimples are to allow the dimple arrangement over the cover of the ball surface and do not provide any supplementary function whatsoever. 

If Mizuno have indeed altered the parameters of ball flight with a few simple dimples, then I'd like to see some data to back these claims. The very fact that anybody (even their own tour staff) are reluctant to put these balls into play seems to say more about their design than physics ever can.

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I'm thinking of another example in F1 race cars and their wings all over them. (Hey, Ping is too!)

 

They only activate at certain speeds to alter diffusion creating the downforce for traction. That is how I envision these to work, except in the opposite manner providing additional lift with the intended diffusion at certain speeds. I'm not talking about them morphing into another shape mid-flight.

 

Notice the Ping clubs, the Driver is touted with the turbulators providing less turbulence. The FW they say the turbulators are for alignment. They don't even put them on the hybrid. That's all about clubhead speed and the effect that can be seen with those wings/dimples/whatever we want to call them.

 

Balls used by pros will always be about contracts and tee up money.

"Glute Activator"

 

*Please accept my contributions of participation and intellectual property sharing as substitute for monetary renumeration.

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Hmmm, didn't even know that they made balls.

Theres a lot of things they make that people in the states dont know about.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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I'm with Jas, the pricing is madness. I'm a Mizzy iron player, I was seduced by a premium Mizuno ball...and then I looked at the price tag and realised I don't buy brand-new ProV1's because they're too expensive, I'm not shelling out the same or more for a ball whose performance is unreviewed and unconfirmed.

They seem to have Patrick Reed levels of confidence that they'll succeed as I only saw one retailer knock £1 off the RRP throughout the whole of last year/the first year they're onsale. It never looked like they were flying off shelves and yet the price didn't waver.

MGS have spoken about how the golf ball market is a waste of time for most golf companies, (though I reckon Cobra could sell a few orange balls) it looks like Mizuno are doing their level best to enter the top-tier.

At least the less than premium ball looks like it's had some thought put into it this time.

Last years entry level ball could have been a stone for all the attention and marketing it got.

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  • 1 month later...

I've picked up previous generation tour mizuno balls when they're on sale, but no way is their full price acceptable.

 

I found the ball to be on a par with the other tour level offerings from the major manufacturers. But not as long lasting as my prefered pro v1 x.

 

The ball that may be of interest is the cheaper JPX, I was given one of the D201 balls from last year and for a cheap ball (£14.95 a dozen) I thought they were very good indeed.

 

If I get a chance to pick up 3 of the jpx balls I'll do a little review, but they aren't that widely available even in the UK in pro shops.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm not sure if the are available here in Oz but am going to see if I can source some and will review them if I can get them.  Hang flex men I will prevail!

My Bag

 

Driver:  :ping-small: G25 Stiff shaft
3 Wood:  :mizuno-small: JPX 850 16 degree. Fujikara Orichi 65 gram stiff shaft
Hybrids: 3 & 4 :mizuno-small: JPX 850 Fujikara Orichi 65 gram regular shafts
Irons:  :mizuno-small: MP- H5 3 - 6 iron dynamic gold XP 115 gram stiff soft stepped
Irons:  :mizuno-small: MP 54 4 - PW dynamic gold S300
Wedges:   :mizuno-small: MP T4 52 degree,  :titelist-small: :vokey-small: 56 degree 10 degree bounce, :titelist-small: :vokey-small: 60 degree 10 degree bounce.
Putter:  :ping-small: ZB S

 

Evil prospers when good men do nothing.

 

Honorary member Texas BBQ Curtin Circa 2015 

 

 

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Pretty smart of them not releasing in the States... One word- Titleist.

Its not because of Titleist.  Its more the fact that, just like with putters and golf shoes, Mizuno is a small company and simply doesnt have the resources to invest in the marketing campaign that would be needed to break into these markets.

Titleist isnt the problem, the money and resources of Nike and Taylormade are.  Whats funny is, people who have actually tested the Mizuno MP-S and Pro-V1 side by side say that Mizuno is better.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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Its not because of Titleist.  Its more the fact that, just like with putters and golf shoes, Mizuno is a small company and simply doesnt have the resources to invest in the marketing campaign that would be needed to break into these markets.

Titleist isnt the problem, the money and resources of Nike and Taylormade are.  Whats funny is, people who have actually tested the Mizuno MP-S and Pro-V1 side by side say that Mizuno is better.

 

Titleist have pretty big resources too - especially when you're talking golf balls. 

Mizuno is not the small company you alluded to though - their profits regularly top $1 billion and believe it not the revenues are higher in the States than in Europe (but are both way behind the Asian market).

What is baffling though (as explained earlier) is the price point of the Mizuno balls in a well established market. It's not that their balls are any better or worse than any of the market leaders, it's that they're too costly. A marketing strategy that is quite frankly ludicrous - given that their own tour players struggle to find a spot for their ball either, it makes it almost insane.

Shame on you Mizuno - the MP-S should be at least Â£10 /dozen cheaper to attract any attention. And in testing, I rate it below the ProV1 anyway. Get back to us when you can pitch it a price point that is easier to swallow.

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