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OFFICIAL FORUM MEMBER REVIEW - MIZUNO JPX 900 IRONS


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Official Mizuno JPX 900 Iron Review

 

 

 

 

Severtheties             Stage 1                    Stage 2              Stage 3


Jlukes                       Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

Carolina Golfer 2      Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

yungkory                   Stage 1                    Stage 2               Stage 3

 

 

 
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Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons Testing - Stage One

 

I still feel like I'm living a dream being selected to test the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged Irons. I've played a few sets of Mizuno irons over the years and they've by far been my favorite. I had got away from them the past few years and so when the opportunity to possibly test a set that I was extremely interested in presented itself I jumped on it. I was floored when I saw that I had been selected. I want to thank MGS for the opportunity and Mizuno for always providing equipment to be forum tested.

 

 

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For those that I haven't interacted with yet, my name is Jason. I'm a commercial underwriter for a large bank in Columbus, OH. This allows me to be on here more than others as some month ends can by crazy as my sales staff works towards hitting their sales goals.  I've been a member at MGS for 3 years now and was introduced to the site by Mr. Theoo.

 

My golf game has seen many ups and downs over the years. I played on my high school golf team and was very competitive. When college came, time was a premium and I ended up not playing much. I've also gone through some career changes since then which has allowed me to play more than other times. I'm very settled in my career now which allows me to play most weekends. I do have 2 kids (2 years old and 3 months old) so any time not working or golfing is generally spent with them and my wife.

 

I do not keep an official GHIN but depending on the consistency of my play I'd fall somewhere in the 13-15 handicap range. Based on handicap alone, most would assume that the Hot Metal would fit me best, however, I've played a lot of blades back in the day including a set a Mizuno's and prefer the thinner top line. I also have a steeper swing and when the sole of the club starts to dig for me it will throw the ball all sorts of directions.

 

In terms of my actual golf game, I'd say my iron play has been the best in the past but over the past few years has taken a backseat to putting. I'd chalk this up to a lack of play and also not being properly fit. I've also lost the ability to work the ball and would love to be able to find this again. My driver still leaves the most to be desired but is headed in the right direction this year. I also have a bad habit of getting my swing off plane. When this happens I lose all distance and my shots start going left and right.

 

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My bag currently in a bit of flux.

 

 

Driver: My driver was an Tour Edge Exotics XCG7beta with a Paderson shaft, however, about a month ago the epoxy holding the head on the shaft decided it was going to break down and so now the head is loose and I haven't had a moment to fix it. In comes a Nike Vapor Fly Pro with a Mitibushi Diamana Blue shaft. This has filled a gap pretty well though I'm still holding out for an Epic Subzero.

 

 

Irons: Taylormade SLDR 4-PW with the KBS C-Taper 90. I picked these up used about 2 seasons ago. I was playing a set of Mizuno MP-67 which I LOVED, however, the lack of time being able to play and practice made these almost impossible for me to continue playing. I knew I needed something with a cavity back. I was fit into the KBS C-taper lite 110's at one point and the Taylormade irons were the closest I could find that came stock with a similar KBS shaft.

 

Wedges: I had been playing a mix of old wedges. I've been slowly updgrading these with the purchase of an Edel 58* wedge. The addition of the Gap wedge from the JPX line has been a nice addition. I just need to add a 54* wedge now and I'm eyeing the Mizuno SP-18 wedge for this.

 

Putter: So 2 years ago I entered a bunch of the masters contests that all of the online websites tend to put up. A month or so before this I had been fit by Edel at the grand opening of a new Golf Galaxy and was set to purchase one of their putters. Well just so happens that I won one of those contests and won myself a 2015 Scotty Cameron Golo 3. This has been in my bag since and I've been very happy with it.

 

 

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My hope in testing the JPX 900 Forged is to see if being property fit and getting forged irons back in my hands gives me the feel I've been missing the past couple years. As i mentioned eariler I'm also hoping to find more consistency and workability. We shall see if the Mizuno's live up to their claims of being a players iron or not.

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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Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons Testing - Stage Two

 

Hey everyone! I want to first apologize for my stage two taking so long to be posted. In an effort to not throw my 8000 excuses at you all lets just say that I've been working 70-80 hours a week for the past 1.5 months and it got to the point of being behind on everything that I took a “mental health” day today to finish this up.

 

I'm still honestly in awe that I've been able to test and play these irons since I received them. I mentioned in my Stage One that most previous to the JPX's I was playing some Taylormade SLDR irons. The Taylormade's were purchased basically for one reason and that was because I'm getting old and busy and don't have the time to dedicate to golf to be able to play the Mizuno blades that I had been playing previous to the Taylormades.

 

With all of that being said, with the state that my golf game is in currently, these clubs could not be a better fit. Let me first start by saying, in my humble opinion, the first play any golfer should start with the purchase of new irons is to get fit. Luckily for me, I'm good friends with someone I think most people know on the forums, Mr Theoo. For those that DON'T know Theoo, just know this. The guy is an endless pit of knowledge when it comes to equipment. He may not technically be a certified fitter or do it for a living but I've literally watched him fit professionals into clubs they are still playing today. He also has the knowledge of playing with me often each year so he knows the progression and tendencies of my game to apply that to my fitting.

 

I had a preconceived notion on what I THOUGHT I wanted to be fit into, however, going into the process I told Theoo to just start putting clubs together and dont tell me what they are. We simply used launch monitor data as well as feel to pick what was best. To say I was surprised by the final result would be an understatement. Below are some of the launch monitor results of my fitting with different shafts.

 

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Performance

 

At the range:

 

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Range performance is interesting to me. When I was younger and played golf in high school I would have most definitely been considered a range rat. Through that, I tend to hit the ball REALLY well and really consistent at the range and much less consistent on the course. The good news in that is in terms of comparison to other clubs, the range is the best place for me to test clubs head to head.

The exact same day that I received the notice that my clubs had arrived I texted my wife and told her she'd need to pick the kids up after work and that I'd be home late. I got to the range that first night and warmed up using my SLDR irons so I had a feel comparison. I also knew the Mizuno's were fit differently than anything I was used to. As it turns out, it was MUCH different.

The first night on the range with the Mizuno was both good and bad. The good - the couple good shots that I hit, were GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. I had played Mizuno forged irons in the past and so I was familiar but it had been a few years since I had played a forged iron, specially Mizuno's. I'll talk more about this a little further down.

The bad - the fit was so different it required required a few range sessions to get dialed in. With that being said - once said changes were made to my physical game the outcome was outstanding. With the previous irons and fit, I played a really high fade for the most part. This was okay but my eyes on a course really prefer a draw. I was basically unable to hit a draw with the previous clubs. With the Mizuno's I've been able to gain the ability to “work” the ball. This was the first biggest surprise for me.

The second surprise was distance. I'm going to go back to a previous statement I made which is to GET FIT. While I believe the clubs themselves have given me some help, I also know that a full fit is what really makes the difference. I've picked up ~10 yards per club. While I think getting fit is what makes this happen, where Mizuno sets themselves apart here is the ability to have almost unlimited fitting options with no upcharge.

The third surprise was trajectory. I've always had a very high trajectory which is fine but I live in Ohio which means weather and wind are basically unpredictable and the high trajectory can be tough to manage. I was pleasantly surprised to find a more “penetrating” ball flight with the Mizuno's. This has also created the ability to spin the golf ball more for me into greens. It's been an interesting process of learning to “control spin” but it's absolutely another nice option to have in my arsenal.

Range Score: 9/10

 

On the course:

 

I honestly couldn't be happier with these irons so far on the course. As I mentioned in my range portion, it took a couple rounds and a couple range sessions to get these dialed in but once I was able to they've performed way past what i expected. The workability of these left, right, and straight have been the biggest and most welcomed surprise.

Long Irons - I love long irons. I've always been able to hit them well and have never loved hybrids. I did go with the 4-G set so I dont have the 3 iron but with how well I hit the 4 and 5 irons I will probably order the 3 iron in the spring. As mentioned above, I've picked up about 10 yards per club and I have the ability with each to either get after it for a few extra yards or lay off a bit as well. With my previous set, I felt as though I had bigger gaps between my long irons because of the inability to “work” the ball.

Middle Irons - Picking up that ~10 yards with each club has really made my disbursement around the green so much tighter. Being able to hit a 7 iron instead of a 6 iron even just makes the game more fun I feel like. I have more control with these clubs and so I'm generally tighter to the pin creating more birdie and par opportunities. The additional spin I'm able to generate with these has also been useful. I'm used to a hit and then a 5-10 foot roll out with the previous clubs. With these it's generally hit and backup 1-5 feet. The only palace I struggled with this was having to actually fly the ball to the pin. I think my “on course” yardages have changed due to this fact as well.

Short Irons - Much of the same as the long and mid irons. I think one nice addition for me was the gap wedge included in the set. I wasn't sure if I'd like this club or not. Turns out - it's been a great addition to my set and has filled a gap that I had.

 

Course Score: 39/40

 

Subjective

 

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Looks

 

These things are absolutely beautiful. I LOVE the look of blades and always have. I am that player that says the topline can't be too thick or it bothers me. These are a perfect mix between player looks but cavity back performance. There is just a little offset that is not noticeable at all. Compared to a the previous couple years of the JPX line, the graphics are nice and don't overtake anything.

 

Looks Score: 15/15

 

Sound and Feel

 

So here is where I feel Mizuno really stakes in claim in my book. I've been able to hit MANY different clubs through the years including Mira and PXG. I will say that for me personally, when I hit a shot “in the screws”, absolutely nothing matches the buttery feel of a Mizuno forged iron. It's hard to explain but when you hit an absolutely perfect shot it feels like you hit air. The feedback through the shaft is so soft but yet receptive it's incredible. I've always been a fan of this feel and I couldn't be happier to have that feeling back in my game. Sound wise is much of the same. The sound is very muted and soft. No gimmicks or anything here.

 

Sound and Feel score: 15/15

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

I've had my eye on a set of Mizuno's for a while now ever since I traded in my last set. I've admired the JPX line for the last few years but this year's variation were the best looking for me and performance wise set themselves apart from previous models as well. I'm funny when it comes to the money aspect of this because I'm thrifty but I also appreciate and will pay for quality. The past couple variations of the JPX's were nice but not enough for me to pull the trigger. I can honestly say that even with the price tag on these I'd have purchased these in a heartbeat.

 

LOP Score 19/20

Conclusion

 

Total Score  97/100

 

I believe that having these clubs in my bag make a difference in my game. At the end of the day I believe that's what most of us golfers are looking for. I'm excited to continue testing these next spring (Ohio winter is about to take over) and really dial them in over the course of an entire summer. I've already seen in increase in GIR and other stats and the more comfortable I get with these the more results I believe I will also see.

These have also given me a higher confidence in my iron game. I feel as though before it took me longer to figure out what I was going to hit but I've developed some versatility with these clubs and there's more of an ability to just pull the club and hit the shot. There's confidence that the shot that I want to hit I'll be able to hit with less thought and effort than before.

 

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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Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons Testing - Stage One (August 30, 2017)

 

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There is nothing I enjoy more on MGS than participating in a good forum review, but being selected to test the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons floored me. I know how much work goes into testing, and testing an entire set of irons takes that work to the next level. I am proud to represent the forum in this testing and I hope the content I provide tells you a lot about the product and encourages you to ask questions of me and other members providing testing.

 

I am going to use some of the background from a previous forum test because, well, that part of me hasn't changed! My name is Joe and I am from Central Jersey. I have been playing golf for about 21 years (since I was 12) and I am about a 4.5 handicap at the moment. I started hitting balls when I was much younger - my grandfather cut down an old 9 iron and 5 wood and gave them to me so I could hit balls in my backyard. I remember my first 9 holes being when I was about 11 years old - I shot 63 with my dad. I starting playing in County tournaments when I was about 13 years old and played varsity golf in High School. My first job when I was at the local driving range/mini golf, and all through High School I worked at golf course taking care of the carts, running bags, and eventually became the starter. I have always enjoyed being around the game of golf in any capacity and I have found that it is truly a game for life.

 

When it comes to my golf game, I would say I have quite a few strengths. I am a long hitter (Carry my driver > 270 yards), I have a okay wedge game, and I am a good putter. Time is my enemy when it comes to golf; not being able to practice and play as much as I'd like (more than once a week or so) prevents me from being consistent. I have rounds where I am pounding it off the tee, but I can't hit a GIR, and then I have rounds where I am a little wonky off the tee, but my short game saves me. Everything finally came together for me in November 2016 when I shot a personal best of -1 71, beating my previous best of +2 74. I am the type of golfer that can be extremely competitive, but I also love fun, no-pressure rounds with my buddies. A lof of the guys I golf with are not as good as me, but I do not care in the least. I enjoy playing with all skill levels and I have no problem giving advice and helping someone with their game if asked (and only if asked). I enjoy walking the course as much as possible and nothing frustrates me more than long rounds. I see no reason why an average round should take over 4 hours, no matter what the golfers' skill levels are.

 

Starting the spring I decided that I wanted to get my swing more consistent. I noticed that I was bottom-grooving a lot of my iron shots and I wasn't compressing the ball like I used to. I was training with the DST Compressor, but I just wasn't getting consistent results. It turns out that most of my problems were from an improper weight shift: I was shifting too much of my weight forward, and I had too much weight in the toes and not in the heels. This improper weight shift led to an improper shoulder turn (left shoulder diving forward), and thus so ugly misses. I have taken two lessons out of my series of five and I am already seeing results; my ball striking has improved greatly and I am hitting many more greens in regulation than I am used to! Before lessons, my miss was a big old snap hook with the driver and bottom-grooved shots with irons and wedges. Now my driver and iron miss is more of a push, and I will take that any day!

 

Even with an 8 month old son, I still keep golf in my life (big thank you to my wife for understanding how important it is to me!). I play at least once a week, and hit balls at least once a week as well. JJ Lukes has changed my life for the best and I cannot wait to share the game of golf with him!

 

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As for my gear, he is what was in my bag prior to receiving the Mizunos

 

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Bag

Sun Mountain 3.5LS - I was lucky to have tested this bag for MGS and it is everything I would want in a carry bag. It is light, comfortable, yet still has ample room for all of my clubs and any accessories or clothing I might store.

 

Driver

2017 TaylorMade M2 (10.5*, PX HZRDUS Yellow 65 6.0) - I was fit into this driver and shaft after hitting a multitude of combinations on an open air range with launch monitors. The M2 gave me the same carry as the M1, but it's MOI/design gave me more spin on mishits, which almost completely eliminated the toe hook misses I was getting with the M1!

 

Fairway

2017 TaylorMade M2 16.5* FW HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.0/TaylorMade M1 19* H - At the same time I was fit into the driver, I got fit into the fairway wood. The combination of loft from the HL head and the properties of the HZRDUS Yellow shaft give me a 3 wood that I can hit from off the tee and off the fairway without any issues at all.

 

Hybrid

2017 Taylormade M1 19* Kuro Kage - If there is any club in my bag that I am not completely in love with, it is the hybrid. It is great at filling the distance gap I need, but the consistency isn't what I'd like to see - especially off the turf.

 

Irons

Srixon 745 KBS Tour 120 - Love love love these irons. I can't stress that enough. I switched from the 545s because I realized that I wasn't getting the stopping power or precision I needed with my irons. Distance wasn't an issue, so there was no need for me to be playing an iron geared more towards distance. Great feel, beautiful looking, and didn't think I'd be kicking them out of the bag any time soon… more to come on that later...

 

Wedges

Titleist Vokey SM6 (50, 54, 60) - I had been kicking around a few different wedge brands but finally settled on the SM6's. They feel fantastic, they are versatile around the greens, and most importantly they give me fantastic distance gaps and control into the greens from anything under 125 yards out.

 

Putter

Evnroll ER2 - When I say this putter is going to be buried with me, I mean it. I have never putted better in my life in the 9 months that I have had the ER2. I feel like I can make any putt I look at, that is how much confidence it has given me. Find a putter you love, and never let her go.

 

 

Ball

TaylorMade TP5x - After trying nearly every ball under the sun over the past year, I finally settled on the TP5x. Really just everything I want in a ball for my game. Love the launch and spin with every club through the set.

 

 

 

My Iron Game

 

If there I had to pick the weakest part of my game, it would be my iron game. I don't have trouble finding the middle of the face - I am just inconsistent from round to round and I do not capitalize on my great tee shots as often as I should. Over the last few years I have changed irons more often than I would have liked. I have been fortunate to get some sets through other testing/events, while other times I sold all of my golf equipment to pay medical bills and then bought different equipment when my wife and I were out of the woods with the bills.

 

Here are the sets I have owned since 2001:

TaylorMade 320

TaylorMade r7 TP

TaylorMade Rocketbladez

Callaway Apex Pro

Srixon z545

Srixon z745

 

I am a big believer that irons are more about being consistent and precise than they are about distance. I want something that looks good, feels good, but most importantly something that I can hit a specific distance when I want (and when my swing allows haha!).

 

The Srixon 745s were doing a pretty well for me. I felt like I had a good understanding of my distances with them. If I could have changed one thing on them, it would have been to reduce the thickness of the soles. Apparently Srixon agreed, because the new 765 have a much sleeker sole and a more refined profile overall.

 

When MGS first posted the testing signup thread, I really thought I was going to throw my name in the hat for the JPX 900 Forged Irons. After doing some research on all of their offerings, I came across a graphic that showed the 900 Tours having a bigger sweet spot than both the Apex Pro Irons (which I gamed) and the Titleist AP2 irons (https://www.mizunousa.com/category/golf+content/jpx+900+tour.do). I gamed the Callaway Apex Pros, and the Srixons I was gaming were actually a touch smaller than the AP2 irons, so it was a no-brainer for me to go for the 900 Tour irons.

 

In testing the 900 Tour irons, I intend to find out if the 900 Tours live up to the hype and help the members of the forum understand if the 900 Tour would be a good option to check out the next time they are in the market for irons. I want this review to be as interactive as possible, so please post your questions in the thread and I will answer them to the best of my ability! Stage 2 will come shortly. Here are some pictures to hold you over!

 

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Stage 2

Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by jlukes (November 17, 2017)

 

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As I mentioned in my Stage 1, prior to this review I was gaming the Srixon 745 irons with KBS Tour Stiff shafts.  I had been gaming the Srixon 545 irons for about 18 months, but decided to switch to the 745s because I realized that I didn't need the extra distance from the 545s; what I needed was consistency and predictability.  I will focus a lot of my review around those components.  I also want to note that while a low single-digit handicap, I also was in the middle of a fairly significant swing change during the time I was selected for this review.   My miss lately was a snap hook and I wanted to keep my draw, but eliminate that hard left miss and even bring a slight fade into play when I wanted.  Throughout testing I experienced highs and lows with my swing and I think that actually enhanced my ability to test these irons because it allowed me to truly understand just how versatile they were.

 

When I received the PM that I was chosen to forum test the JPX 900 Tour Irons, I knew immediately that I was going to do everything the right way for a thorough review.  What that meant was I wanted to get fitted rather than just sent a shaft choice and specs that I thought would fit me.  I was on vacation for 4th of July weekend, but I knew I couldn't wait so I found the nearest place with a Mizuno shaft optimizer, kissed my wife goodbye, and got there ASAP.  The Mizuno shaft optimizer ranked my three best fits as:

  1. Project X LZ

  2. KBS C Taper Lite

  3. Nippon Modus 105

I was excited to get the results, but there was a problem: I have NEVER liked Project X iron shafts.  I was somewhat second guessing these results as I pondered submitting my details to MGS for have my order placed.  I had heard some really good things about the new LZ shafts, but didn't realize just how different they felt compared to regular Project X shafts.  With a bunch of the other guys in the testing on vacations as well, we found out we didn't have to submit our order until the end of the week.  This gave me time to go my range back home where 1) they have a full mizuno fitting cart and 2) my instructor teaches.  I played 18 the day after the 4th of July and proceeded to my fitting.  I made sure to book my fitting after completing 18 holes because I have read a lot about getting fit after the round (Michael Breed recommends it) as it allows you to find a shaft that you'll be comfortable swinging when you are tired at the end of a round and not just when you are fresh out of the car full of adrenaline.  I have around a 112 MPH driver swing speed so I always tend to get fitted into very stout shafts that I struggle loading correctly as my round wears on.  I did not want to make that mistake again and hoped this plan would work for me this time.

 

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At my fitting I spoke to my instructor/fitter about what the Mizuno optimizer had spit out for me so he went and built three 6 irons for me to hit on the range (outdoor fittings are the best).  I took a few swings with my Srixon 6 iron to calibrate distance a bit (range balls) and I was hitting a little short of the 185 flag.  I then decided to hit the Project X LZ first and proceeded to drop three straight shots within a ten foot radius of the 185 flag.  The fitter said something along the lines of “well it looks like my work is done!”  I chuckled and hit few more full swings.  I then flighted some shots down as well as hit some punch shots to see if the combination met my full needs and it did with flying colors.  It was pretty cool to see the first recommendation from the shaft optimizer producing fantastic performance.  I won't waste time talking about the two shafts that I did not select, but I will say that the C Taper Lite was a close second, while the Modus 105 was a bit too light and launched/spun a bit too much for me.  To wrap things up I hit a few more shots with 900 Tour/PX LZ 6.0 combination and I was smitten.  We confirmed that I was good for standard length, loft, and lie, I thanked the fitter and sent my order off to MGS!

 

Performance at the Range

 

The first thing I wanted to do when I received these irons was to do a yardage gap test.  The JPX 900 Tours are slightly weaker lofted in most clubs than my Srixon 745s so I was concerned that I might be losing some distance at the top of the bag.  I went to my my range and hit inside on their Foresight GC2 and used the computer software to do a yardage gap analysis through my set.  For this test I was able to use my gamer ball, the Taylormade TP5x.  To complete the analysis I started with my hybrid and worked my way down through my Vokey gap wedge.  We eliminated outliers and ultimately created a three shot average for each club.  You can see the results below:

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I was EXTREMELY surprised and happy with the results - specifically at the top of the set.  Due to their blade-like appearance and weaker lofts, I was concerned that I would not get the necessary distances out of the 4 and 5 irons.  To my surprise, not only did they perform well, but I carried them 3-4 yards further than their Srixon counterparts and with much greater consistency.  Diving into the numbers, the weaker lofts actually HELPED my distance by generating more launch and thus helping my long irons have a much more desirable trajectory and apex - leading to longer and more consistent carry distances.  Unfortunately, this theory did not hold true for the 3 iron.  While I was able to hit the 3 iron pretty solid, I couldn't get the consistent carry distances I needed to consider keeping it in the bag over the hybrid.  The 3 iron had an average carry of 222 yards (not pictured) and just did not fit the gap between the 4 iron and my 3 wood properly.  The spin numbers across the board were what I expected from a cavity blade like these.  Generally with a pure blade you would see a 1:1000 relationship from iron to RPM (ie 5 iron = 5000rpm,  9 iron = 9000rpm) so I was hoping that the JPX Tours would fall close to that ratio and they certainly did.  Much of spin has to do with dynamic loft and strike, but the numbers show that the spin profile for each club is pretty consistent through the set, meaning that I would be able to have predictability through the set.  How this played out on the course would definitely be of great interest to me.  What really impressed me was the peak height.  I am a firm believer in that a high apex (with the right amount of launch and spin) is key to a good performing iron - especially since I find it much easier to flight a ball down rather than try to hoist the ball higher than the stock height.  I was really interested to see how the Jason Day-like peak height would translate outside where I could see the ball flight.

 

I spent a lot of time at the range with these irons because 1) I wanted to get a ton of information for testing and 2) Hitting these irons is addicting.  

Once I got over the enjoyment of flushing full swings (who am I kidding, I still enjoy it) started to pick out targets throughout the range, measure their distances with my laser, and then see how accurate I could be with the irons.  What I found was the 900 Tours produced an extremely repetitive and predictable ball flight.  Accuracy is the indian and not the arrow, but being able to predict how a ball will react based on the club you choose and the swing you put on it is where the real strength of an iron lies.  I never saw any crazy jumps in distance as I did when I gamed distance irons and I found the forgiveness (distance loss on hits away from the center) extremely satisfactory.  Give me an iron where I can predict the mishit and I am a happy golfer.  The 900 Tours mishit for me meant the ball was going to go about a half to a full club shorter (generally 6-12 yards) than a good strike.  I can live with that, especially because it is consistent and predictable.  I found that my lateral dispersion on the range was some of the best I have seen, and that when I wasn't hitting my target I was coming up just a bit short.

 

Hitting different types of shots (¾, knockdown, low draws, etc) were only capped by my ability.  Everything that I know my swing is capable of was executable.  I particularly loved the ability to hit a knockdown mid iron as the trajectory was enough to penetrate the wind, but it appeared to still have enough spin to hold a green.  I was excited to see how that would translate to the course and real greens.  Overall, the Mizuno JPX 900 Tours surpassed every expectation I had for them on the range.  For me to give them any less than a perfect score here would be foolish.

 

Range Score: 10 (Out of 10 points)

 

 

 

Performance on the Course

The real test of the clubs would be to see if what I saw on the launch monitor during my gapping session and what I see when on the range translated directly to the performance on the course.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will not rehash everything about consistency, accuracy, and performance on the course because it was indeed similar to what I saw on the range.  My yardage gapping was accurate, the launch and spin was everything I wanted, and I was able to play better golf because my mishits were not extremely predictable.  What I wanted to do in this section is talk about particular shots that reinforced everything I mentioned above.

 

Predictable performance: that was what I was looking for and that is what the Mizuno JPX 900 Tours deliver for me.  This was no more apparent over three 4-iron shots I played over my last two rounds.  The first shot came on a 90* dogleg right par 4 on my home course where the smartest shot is one that goes about 215-220 that leaves you right in the middle of the dog leg without about 110 yards left to the flag.  It is a short hole, but I have always struggled with it because if you go further than 220 you roll through the fairway and are in the rough on the side of mounds with terribly uneven lies.  In the past, I have tried to hit 4 iron here, but I have found that the lack of height and spin often caused me to roll through the fairway.  When I would drop back and hit 5 iron, it would leave me a blind shot over a bunch of bunkers into a small green.  However, I knew that the 900 Tour iron gave me better height and spin than previous 4 irons I've owned so I aimed at the inside corner of the dogleg and hit a beautiful, towering, baby draw of a 4 iron that landed in the middle of the fairway and only released about 2 or so yards.  I saw the shot, I executed the swing and the 900 Tour provided predictable performance with a carry of 215 yards and a nice soft landing.

 

Just two holes later I was faced with a par 3 that was playing 205 yards into about a one-club wind.  Again, I pulled the 4 iron.  I knew that if I made a good swing, the launch and spin characteristics combined with the head wind should knock about 10 yards off my shot.  I wasn't worried about hitting a low spin knuckle ball that would penetrate the wind more than expected and leave me off the backside of the green.  I made a good swing and again got another beautiful high draw.  The ball pitched pin high left of the pin and released 4 feet - leaving me 12 feet for birdie.

 

Several days later I was faced with a similar shot.  This time, I was 196 yards out, it was a little bit colder and the wind was more like a one and a half club wind.  Again, I took a standard swing with the 4 iron, produced a towering baby draw, and the ball landed pin high right of the pin and pitched about 2 feet leaving me about 15 feet for birdie.

 

Yes, I put great swings on all three of these shots - but the takeaway here is I was rewarded with identical ball flights and consistent results.

The predictability and consistency didn't stop there.  The 900 Tours really provided me with consistency in different lies as well.  With my old game improvement irons hitting shots from the light rough or a flier lie in the standard rough were often a guessing game.  Those irons were already reasonably low spinning and taking a shot out of higher grass meant 1) grass between the club and the ball and 2) contact higher on the face, which both mean lower spin.  Lower spin means potentially more distance and less stopping power.  The great thing about the 900 Tour irons is that they are very close to being a blade, meaning that the center of gravity on them is relatively neutral and, as you saw in my gapping data, the spin numbers are very true from club to club.  When faced with shots out of the rough with the Mizunos, I was not as worried about fliers.  Sure, the rare jumper still occurred, but it didn't penalize me like a jumper with a GI club would have.  I can't even begin to count the number of times I had a 7 iron or 9 iron into a green out of the rough and I still practically stuck the green because I did not experience a big drop in spin and I had optimal launch angles and apex heights.  

 

From fairway lies is where the Mizunos really outshine my previous gamers, the Srixon 745s.  The 745s, even with the V-Sole, had a very large sole.  In fact, I would argue that the 745s sole was one of the largest in its category over better player irons.  Srixon obviously agreed that the sole was too big, because they reduced it slightly in the Srixon 765 offering.  The sole of the Mizuno 900 Tour is rather slender, but in line with what you would expect to see from an iron in this category.  Because of the smaller sole, I found it much easier to hit consistent iron shots from tight fairway lies.  I did experience some digging on soggier fairways (but I dug just as much with my 14* bounce sand wedge, so it's obviously the indian), but nothing out of the ordinary.  I found the overall bounce and camber of the 900 Tours allowed me to make crisp, ball first, contact more often than not.

 

There is a little bit of perimeter weighting on the 900 Tours and I am sure that it helps a little with ball speed retention on off center hits.  Perhaps if I was a robot on a launch monitor I would be able to show real data to back up those marketing claims.  However, I am not a robot, nor do I play my golf on a launch monitor.  I play my golf on a course.  On a course where conditions vary, lies vary, and my swing varies.  What I learned over my 4 months of gaming the 900 Tours is that they doing everything I want them to do and they did not give me any negative surprised or ‘WTF' moments on the course.  If I hit it in the center with the right swing, the ball did exactly what I thought it would.  If I missed a little bit, than I would come up a bit short of my target, just as expected.  Being able to predict my miss made me more confident golfer and really provided me with a boost to my iron game.

 

Overall, on the course, the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour irons were really everything I want in an iron.  No club is point and shoot, but a club can be designed and crafted in a way that makes ball flight predictable and consistent.  And the 900 Tours give me the predictability and performance that I need.

 

Course Score: 40 (Out of 40 points)

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Subjective

 

Looks

Being part of the JPX family, the 900 Tour has a bit more flair than something from the MP line.  I have always been a chrome guy (which is probably what drew me into the Srixon line), but there is something just very classing about the sandblasted finish of the 900 Tours. The sandblasted finish is nice because there are no issues with any sort of glare at address.  On the backside of the club you get a very small cavity with some different branding.  Nothing crazy, but a little more “busy” than something from the MP family.  If I had to summarize the look of the JPX 900 Tour it is players iron with a little visible technology flair.  I really wouldn't change much about the looks of the iron. While looking at the back side might give someone some added confidence due to the look of the “Power Frame,” when you stand over the club at address you see a blade with a thin top line and next to no offset. The finish held up well and I experienced no irregular marks or dings on the clubs other than the normal wear you'd expect to see on a fully forged club

 

Looks Score: 13 (Out of 15 points)

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Sound and Feel

Mizuno irons have their fanboys raving about their unsurpassed feel and the grain-flow forging process that was at the core of this feel.  I was never one of these fanboys.  Heck, if you looked at my history on golf forums and on Twitter you would see that I often poked fun at people claiming that Mizuno's forging process was far superior to the other irons in the industry.  Well, it took me one range session to hang my head in shame and admit that these Mizuno's feel incredible.  The feel better than any iron I have hit - and I thought the Srixon 745s (and other forged irons I have demoed) felt pretty darn good.  Now most of what I equate to feel is actually sound, and therefore I have to tip my hat to Mizuno and whatever acoustics engineering they do when they create their irons as the 900 Tours feel/sound like no other forged iron out there.  Does this mean the Srixon irons feel like crap? Hell no!  But, to me, the Mizunos create a more pleasing sound/feel. And is that sound/feel due to the grain flow forging process? Maybe a little, but I really chalk it up to Mizuno just being extremely well at controlling the acoustics and vibrations in their clubs

 

Sound and Feel Score: 15 (Out of 15 points)

 

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

The Mizuno JPX 900 Tour irons retail for around $1,200 which is pretty standard for a forged players iron.  If I was in the market for new irons, these would absolutely be at the top of my list.  The only iron that would potentially sway me in another direction is the new Mizuno MP 18 Iron.  I said I was drawn to chrome and I think that is why the MP 18 catches my eye.  That being said, I would absolutely need to test the irons head to head before making any sort of decision because if the JPX 900 Tours offers a little more forgiveness, than I would still go JPX all the way.  Being that I have the JPX 900 Tours already, I wouldn't even consider switching to any other iron, even the MP 18s.

 

LOP Score: 18 (Out of 20 points)

 

 

 

Conclusion

After 4 months of testing, the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour irons are firmly locked into my bag.  How solid of a hold do they have on that spot in the bag? Well, I sold my Srixon's over 2 months ago, so that should be a pretty good indicator.  If you've made it this far in my review, I really thank you for reading.  I hope I clearly communicated just how well the 900 Tour irons provided consistent and predictable performance for my game.  Sure I may shoot in the 70s, but I think a lot of my comments in this review go across handicap ranges.  Find an iron that fits your game and gives you the ON COURSE performance you need because we all know that golf isn't played on a launch monitor.

 

The launch monitor may have showed me that the 900 Tours were going to be a good fit for me, but it wasn't until I got them on the course that I was able to truly judge their performance and accurately assess just how well they fit my game.  Great launch/spin profiles throughout the set, consistent & predictable performance on the course, good looks and an unmatched feel are what makes the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons a great fit for anyone looking for better-player's iron.

 

   Total Score: 96 (Out of 100 points)

 

 

 

All photos below were taken after 4 months of testing.  No iron covers were ever used. 

 

4 Iron

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5 Iron

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6 Iron

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7 Iron

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8 Iron

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9 Iron

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PW

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August 29th

JPX 900 Hot Metal Review  Stage One

These Things Are Hot!

 

 

Hello Friends.  I've always wanted to say that J  

 

I'm Rob AKA CG2! 

 

I've been a member here for just over a year.  I'm glad to say I've seen many old friends from other places on the interwebz come aboard here in the past 6 months or more. And I feel I've met many new ones during the past year here as well.

 

I  often saw some of the blog posts of MGS on Twitter and found them very well done and informative.  So I finally got around to checking out the website and it just felt right, from the start.   No, I wasn't a onetime poster for a signup…Although, I can see why this one might have drawn many of those!

 

My days are varied, some days you guys may wonder if I have any work to do, and get tired of seeing me post all day, then things may get crazy busy at work for a few days, and I don't get a chance to pop in as much. I'm not a big fan of those days.  But fortunately, or unfortunately, I'm about to head into that time in September. 

 

Like most here, I'm a club ho, not always in purchasing, but that is often the case. But I truly enjoy at least looking, reading and discussing anything equipment or golf related.   It's great to have such a wide range of playing ability and experiences as part of the community here.  Whether someone is a plus or 36 handicap, I value their input and feel I can learn something from just about anybody.    I certainly hope that's the case for others.  As a 17 HC, I may not be able to tell someone how to hit a hooded knock down 6 iron from 170 yards, out of the rough to a tucked pin.   But I feel I can adequately talk about most equipment and courses enough to help most members.

 

 

Current Bag Picture (minus my wedges for some reason)

 

Bag pic Aug 2017.jpg

 

 

I'm fortunate to have been able to change careers 2 years ago.   After 25 years in the hospitality industry as a Sales Director and hotel General Manager, I was offered an opportunity to be Tournament Sales Director for Billy Casper Golf Management at one of its courses in Maryland.   I am responsible for bringing charity/corporate and competitive golf outings to the course, as well as promoting it for local play in the community.   I absolutely love coming to work every day with the opportunity to sell our course and basically talk golf with every customer I come into contact with, how great is that!!

 

I have been playing golf regularly for about 25 years, and my love and interest has grown every year.  About 10 years ago, I was playing 75 rounds plus a year and had a pretty decent game and distance off the tee.   An auto accident, natural aging and some recent injuries had decreased the golf to maybe 7 to 10 rounds a year and robbed me of my length.  

 

Now, I'm learning the importance of the short game.    When I started this job a year ago I was a 26 HC, but with the opportunity to play more regularly--26 rounds to date this year--I've gotten down to a 17 to 18 most of the year.

 

Ok, Ok, I've kept you all waiting long enough for some pictures.  We'll start slow, as to not overwhelm you with beauty right away!!

 

Even the box oozes class...even when shown sideways :)

 

box pic.jpg

 

I was fit for the C Taper-Lite 110 G shaft (more on it in Stage 2)

 

JPX Shafts.jpg

 

 

As for my overall game, as mentioned above, I'm not long off tee anymore, was about 260 to 270 yards at my peak, and now I'm about 215 and occasionally get a “good one” out there to 240. However, one benefit of being shorter, I am much more accurate off the tee than I was when I was hitting it longer. 

 

Being stubborn, I haven't really moved up a tee box, I still play most of my golf from tees that are generally 6200 to 6400.  I know by choosing tees that are in the 5900 to 6000 yard range I might score a bit better, but I'm competitive my nature, and a lot of tournaments I like to play in play the above distances.   So therefore, I have a lot of approach shots in the 160 to 180 and even out to 200 on a lot of my home course holes.  As a result of that, I miss A LOT of greens, putting pressure on my wedge and putter to walk away with no worse than bogey, and salvage the occasional par.   

 

My wedge game has improved dramatically the past 15 months, which I attribute to the new set of wedges I put in play in May of 2016. It's the first time I've ever put a lot of thought into a whole wedge setup as opposed to a mixed bag of whatever I felt like buying/trying at the time.   I won't say my wedge game is excellent, but based on what I see, it's better than average.  

 

I've always considered myself a good putter, and a couple different instructors that I've taken lesson from said, I have such a natural and very solid stroke, they didn't want to mess with it at all.   The only big change is I've moved to a #7  â€“since that seems to be a universally used description—style of putter over the last 6 years or so.   The big benefit of this style for me is that it keeps the putter head very steady throughout the stroke.  With the standard blade style putters, which I absolutely love the look of, I tended to “wobble” the head on the way back or coming through.  

 

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My iron play has always been steady if not spectacular.  In addition to the shorter distance off the tee, I've lost about 2 to 3 clubs with the irons.    I used to play an 8 iron from 150, now it's either a well struck 6 iron or a 24 degree hybrid. 

 

My WITB is a revolving door.  I'm fortunate with the position I'm in, I get some incredible deals on equipment.    As I mentioned above, I love all things equipment related and love trying equipment from anybody.   As a matter of fact, I told someone in the past several months, that over the past two years, I have had at least one club in my bag from the following companies, Bridgestone, Callaway, Cobra, Cleveland, Mizuno, Nike, Odyssey, Ping, SeeMore, Srixon, TaylorMade,  Scotty Cameron, Titleist, Toulon and Wilson.   The bolded ones, also represent Irons I have played in the past two to three years from those companies, in some cases multiple models from one company.   So you can see I'm open to whatever will improve my game

 

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I was very surprised and honored to be selected as a tester for the JPX 900 Hot Metal irons.  I know how big the demand for this testing was, and it's not an obligation I take lightly.  I haven't gamed Mizuno irons since a set of MP60's about 12 years ago.   Once selected to test, I delved into as much information on Mizuno to get caught up with what's going on with them. I must say I'm really impressed with the direction they have taken this past year.  

 

There are a couple new iron offerings coming out in the next month, one by Mizuno and one by Titleist.  It will be very interesting to see how the JPX 900 Hot Metals perform over the next month to two months and see if they earn a keeper spot in the bag. 

 

These were just a few pictures since you all have been waiting so patiently.   I promise many more pictures and a whole lot of performance date will follow in the stage two and three sessions.  

 

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Note:

I've added the date above my title to show the actual date posted.  I know sometimes the reviews actually get posted much later than the Plceholders go up, so maybe it will help in letting you know when it was actually posted.

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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JPX900 Hot Metal Review Stage 2 November 21, 2017

 

 

 

Hi Everyone, So this attempt at the video intro took at least a dozen takes inside and outside.  At first it was too large, then I had a bad camera angle, then I ran into a lot of outside noise that made it un-listenable.  Then I moved indoors, tried to shorten it down, but ran into a morning where I seemed incapable of putting two sentences together. Since I haven't been to video editing school of my I phone, again several more takes.   So to paraphrase the title of one of my favorite movies, the result is  "As Good As Its' Going To Get" 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHdXB6z4rhk

 

 

 

I've been playing golf for about 40 years, took it up in High School.  I've never been better than a 13.  When I started playing I didn't have a handicap for many years, but like most I stared out shooting 105 to 120 in the very early days.  When I started playing regularly about 15 years ago, I got into the lower 20's ultimately reaching that 13 about 10 years ago. After a brief trip back to a 23 about two years ago, I'm back down to a 17 at the end of this year.  The biggest difference in my game over the years, is the loss of distance. 

 

Just through natural aging, some injuries and increasing lack of flexibility, I've lost a lot of distance, during that aforementioned 10 years.  In the early 2000's I would hit driver about 260 or 270.  A 6 iron was my 175 club.  But I wasn't the most accurate with either at that time.  So my often used phrase now is, “I don't hit it far enough to get into any trouble.”   It's a pot shot at myself, but there is a lot of truth to it as well. 

 

 

All that said, is to say I've never been a great player, no matter how hard I try or how many lessons I take. So I've always done best with game improvement irons.  Sure, there are times my ego gets the best of me and I'll venture into something more suited to a 10 handclap players range.   But I'm probably right in the wheelhouse of the type of player the Hot Metals are targeted toward.

I work at a golf course as the Tournament Sales Director, so this keeps me very close to the game on a daily basis.  It's probably the main reason I've improved from that 23 to the current 17.  I have the opportunity to play or practice just about anytime I choose.  In reality, that amounts to maybe one 18 hole round a week and one nine hole round, with one or two trips to the putting green or driving range. 

 

 

Current Bag

Those that have followed me on the forum, probably know that term “current” bag can be taken literally.  I do have a bit of an iron problem, and no I don't mean I need the vitamin type.  I love irons, I love new and shiny, I love the looks of them, I love all the shaft options, and I just love everything about them.  I used to be a Driver “Ho” and I still love me some drivers, but irons are where when my eyes start to wander the most.

 

 

When I was selected for the forum testing, I had a combo set of Srixon 565/765 in the bag.  They had been there all the way back to May 2017 J  when they replaced the 716 AP1's.   I really liked them and was doing very well with them, I was able to hit the 765 end very well and the 565 were so forgiving. 

 

 

Late in the season, after I was well into my Hot Metal testing, I went to the Team Titleist event for the launch of the 718 irons.  I came back from there blown away by the performance of the AP1 and in love with the looks of the AP2. So naturally I ordered a combo set of AP1/AP2.   That is what I've been testing against the JPX for the past four weeks or so.   Are you beginning to see where my problem is?

 

WITB Nov 2017.jpg

 

Performance Score 55 out of 60  

Evaluating any iron on performance is such a tricky and mostly individual thing.  When evaluating this part of any club, I simply try and focus on a simple question.  Does the club do what it's designed/promised/marketed to do?  In this case that means does it provide forgiveness--which is another subjective attribute-- but we are supposed to give our personal opinions in these reviews, so that's what I look for, does it do FOR ME, what it's designed to do?

 

With these irons slotted in the game improvement category, one might come to them with some pre-conceived expectations.  Those are, ultra-thick top line, very wide sole, ugly back of the club with a huge cavity back.  But on the positive, you expect good distance, retain some of that distance on less than perfect strikes, launch high in the air and go pretty darn straight.   With the JPX 900 Hot Metals, I saw all the benefits without any of the preconceived thoughts on the looks. (See pics below in the looks section)

 

I can give a lot—but will limit it to just some--data on yardages and such on these clubs.  I know it's already a lot to read, so loading the review up with numbers, tends to bog it down in my mind.   But yardages for me are meaningless to most of you.  I've always said what's important in iron distance is, not how far you hit your 6 iron, but knowing how far you hit your 6 iron.  I know I'm not going to reach that 175 green anymore, but if I know my 6 will go 145 to 150 consistently, then that is the important thing, and I just have to adjust my game and ego to that.

 

 

SC200 6 iron 149.jpg

 

I have to say, I was really pleased with this number above, and it wasn't just a one off.  This is from actual on course testing with real balls (ProV1X) not range balls.  And to show I'm over the ego, and that in spirit of showing that this review isn't done with just roe colored glasses, I submit the following.

 

SC200 7 iron 130 yards.jpg

 

So this 7 iron wasn't completely missed but it wasn't a cleanly struck as the 6 iron above.  You can see the smash factor is only off by .01 so not much difference, but the club-head speed was 5 mph hour less.  On solidly struck 7 irons, I've been seeing about 140, so this one came just short of the apron on a 152 yard par 3.   It was close enough to putt.

 

 

SC200 5 iron USE  This.jpg

 

 

So you've seen an average struck 6 iron, a slightly poor 7 iron, now time to put the rose colored glasses back on and see what a very well struck (for me) 5 iron did.  So take a good look at these numbers compared to the 6 iron above.   Now we see why these are called Hot Metals.  That's getting close to the distance I had 10 years ago.  Granted a 23 yard gap between two irons is not ideal.  But, it's also not the norm.  You can see the smash factor on the 5 iron is a near perfect 1.45.  It's safe to say, I don't get a near perfect smash factor on a routine basis.   However, another thing to take note of here, is the club speed of 76 is actually 3 mph less than the 6 iron.   So this just illustrates what we've all heard, making solid contact is the biggest way to pick up distance even more so than a faster swing speed.  

 

 

So I'm using three extremes here to show the performance of the club and the--inconsistency of a 17 HC J--but I think it's helpful to know the high and low end of these irons when you are considering them.  The Hot Metals definitely are capable of being among the longest irons in its segment on the market, and do offer a bit of forgiveness on less than perfect swings.  Most of my shots with the three clubs shown, fell somewhere in between.

 

Just a rundown on the ranges and averages, I had with each club.  Most of these were done with my Precision Pro Range Finder, again conducted on the course with ProV1X on different days and varying wind conditions, to give as random sampling as possible.

 

 

Iron Distance Table.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

During one of my final testing sessions, I took the Hot Metals and AP1's out on the course together.  I literally had one full bag strapped into each side of the cart.   Another advantages or working at a course, is I can cherry pick slow/down times where I can go out and practice whatever it is I'm wanting to on course without worrying about holding up other play.

 

So on this day, my plan was to tee off, play two balls from that tee shot into the green, one ball using the Hot Metals and one using the AP1, and hit the same number club from each spot.   Sparing you a hole by hole replay… (Ha) I'll give you some highlights.

 

 

On the first hole, I had 153 yards in, and hit 6 iron from both sets.    Both made the green, and both were totally playable, the JPX faded a bit more right and ended up on the right edge of the green about 30 feet from the pin, the AP1 was at the center of the green and had about 15 feet for birdie.   Both flew about the same height as far as I could tell, and it was a nice high flight that allowed for a soft landing.  Each made a nice ball mark and each stopped within 4 or 5 feet from the ball marks.

 

 

I haven't talked much about the shorter irons, one reason is the 718 irons are an AP2, so it is a bit more of a “player” iron than the JPX.  And iron for iron there is a unique gap difference, with the 8 irons there is a three degree gap from 38 on the AP2 to 35 on the JPX.  There is a two degree difference with 42 on the AP2 and 40 on the JPX 9 iron, and finally 1 degree difference in the PW 46 for the AP2 and 45 on the JPX.   With me on all that!!

 

So on the third hole I had a short iron opportunity with 114 to the pin, so I pulled the PW for both and I hit the identical, I mean, it couldn't have been more identical of a shot.  Both on the same line, same height and pretty much the same distance. The JPX was eight feet to the left pin high, and the AP2 was about six feet pin high to the left and about a yard further. 

 

 

Back to performance, the last hole I'll give you a blow by blow of was a 155 yard par 3.  Into a slight breeze, I chose 5 iron here and much like the 114 yard shot above, I made two very good passes and had two very good results, the AP2 landing slightly right and just short of the flag, and it checked up within two feet of the ball mark.   The JPX started just slightly left of that line and never moved off it, landing pin high and releasing a bit more than the AP2, rolling out about eight feet.  I believe there was an ever so slight slope in this section of the green that may have led to some of that roll. But in either case I was left with 18 to 20 foot birdie putts.

 

 

The rest of the “shootout” continued very similar to that, neither club distinguishing itself from the other in terms of distance or forgiveness.  The JPX to my un-tuned ear does have a slightly less pitched click, and is slightly more pleasing to the ear.  The feel is also tough to call, but I'll go with the few mishits I had this day, and say they were less punishing with the JPX.  

 

 

Sound, Feel and Looks

I know with this being a Mizuno review, this is where I'm supposed to write 2,000 words alone on these three characteristics.  But you'll have to make do with 311.

 

There was honestly no distinguishable feel between the two irons, remembering the AP2 end of the 718 is forged and the JPX 900 is made out of chromoly 4140m.  This is “15% stronger material than 17-4-ph steel that provides added strength for Mizuno's hottest face ever,” according to the Mizuno website.

 

I'm probably not the best person to describe when an iron feels “buttery soft” as I'm not sure I could tell you the difference between a forged club and a cast club if you blindfolded me and I was somehow able to hit a solid shot.   But I can certainly tell you when an iron feels harsh, and this one does not by a long shot.  Those seeking a soft feel will absolutely not be disappointed by the Hot Metals. Mizuno had done a great job at retaining its renowned feel in a distance iron.    I do have a bit more of a discerning ear when it comes to sound, and there have been irons in the past that I absolutely could not stand regardless of how well I hit them based on the sound, hello RocketBladez I'm looking at you.   But no worries here, the sound is a nice crisp click at impact. 

 

As for the looks, I have compared these in hand to the JPX Forged which are also being reviewed on the forum.  There was really not much difference to me in looking down them at address, the Hot Metals have an ever so slightly larger sole.  But to me the top line and the sole were like the third bowl of porridge for Goldilocks, “just right”

 

 

In the picture below the JPX sole looks slightly larger than the sole of the 718 AP1.  But some of that may be the angle or an optical illusion, as to the naked eye, they are pretty darn close.  

 

JPX Vs AP1 sole.jpg

 

 

The Cavity View. 

 

Hot Metal vs AP1 Badge USE THIS.jpg

 

 

One thing that I know is a turnoff to many player in the GI line is the cavity being visible at address.  With the Hot Metals, it's not noticeable until you get to the 5 iron.   And quite honestly that is becoming more and more the stepping off point between irons and hybrids for the higher index players.   Previous to the 718's and the Hot Metals, my iron set began at the 6 iron, as I'm very comfortable with hybrids in the 23 degree range.

 

 

But for review purposes the Hot Metals came all the way down to the 4, and the 718's I ordered the same mix, 4-P.  Not so much to compare apples to apples, but I've learned the hard way, trying to sell a 6-P set is much harder than selling a 4-P set! 

 

 

Here's a comparison of the two 5 irons in that regard.  The JPX is on the right and the AP1 on the left.  Again ignore any size difference that may appear in the picture, as in all other areas, they are almost identical in size. 

 

So the cavity is there and definitely noticeable.  But when looking at a 4 or 5 iron, I want to be bolstered with confidence, not so paralyzed to pull the trigger!

 

AP1 5 iron left JPX 5 iron 5 right.jpg

 

 

Sound, Feel and Looks 23 out of 25

 

Likelihood of Purchase 13 out of 15

The game improvement iron market is in a really strong place right now. There are so many good choices, and more on the way after the first of the year.   If I was in the market for buying a club in this category, the Hot Metal would absolutely be in my final three.  One of the big factors in the fact that Mizuno offers the largest selection of non-stock shafts available at no upcharge.  With everyone advocating that you should go get fit for irons—and you should—the fact that whatever shaft the fitter is likely to say works best for you, will come at no extra charge, well that's a huge buying decision factor.   It could save you as much as $200 or more on a set of irons.

 

Overall Score 91 out of 100

 

Final Thoughts

I haven't touched on the shaft at all in this review other than the above mention in the likelihood of purchase.  Like the three others who participated in the review, I went through a full iron fitting with the Mizuno shaft optimizer.  It came back with three choices, and I had the best numbers with the C-Taper Lite 110 which surprised me.   As I'm not a very fast swinger of the club, and I have always known the C-Taper brand to be for fast swing speeds.  But I do have a rather quick and strong transition according to the fitter.  And the lighter weight 110 grams allows me to swing the shaft just as fast as the other shafts that came out as a fit, which were the project X LZ and the Modus3 Tour 105. I've been very pleased with the shaft. 

 

 

I will end this review by saying, I had my lowest round in several months with these, an 88 just last week.  It was a day I drove the ball just ok, but I felt really dialed in with the irons and the results showed.  I will keep these in play over the next few months, and check back in with more thoughts after doing so.

 

As always, please feel free to post any questions, add any comments or tell me what you did or didn't like from the review.  If there was something you were looking for and I didn't cover it, or you decided to skip over some of these 3,000 plus words—and I wouldn't blame you one bit—let me know what it is and I'll be glad to try and answer it for you.

 

Thanks to Mizuno and MGS for the opportunity to participate in this testing, I hope it's been helpful.

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Review

First and foremost, I have to say mahalo to MGS for giving me another opportunity to test for the forums. I'm also currently testing the Vice Pro+ feel free to hop over if you want to see another one of my reviews! https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/20588-official-forum-member-review-vice-propro-plus-golf-balls/?p=318466 stage 2 coming soon!

 

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About the reviewer

My name is Kory and I am fortunate to have called Hawaii my home for the past 18 years. I've been playing golf since I was about 5 years old, through my adolescence, and a bit after high school. I've never really played competitively, but did play on my high school team – mostly just to practice for cheap. Golf has always been more of a leisure/family activity for me, and at my best I was consistently shooting between 82-85. I quit playing regularly in about 2006, and between then and May of this year, had played maybe 2 rounds and mixed in a few range sessions. A friend of mine called and called and called until I finally agreed to come out and play with them. Let's just say that since that day, I can't stop thinking about golf and wanting to play.

 

My story today

Re-writing this from my Vice review, because some interesting things have happened to my game. The strongest part of my game is still the driver. When I can get it out of the middle, I can get near 300 total yards, but I'd say my average is more like 260. Seriously, get fit for your driver if you haven't already.

In my last review, I said that my iron play and wedge play were horrible. So, I've been putting work in, mostly on my wedges, because I'm still a decent ball striker, but I am a little inconsistent. Wedges, there was no in-between, it was only bad. I will say that the gap between my strengths and weaknesses has come closer, but it's not entirely that my iron/wedge game has improved.  More on this in Stage 2.

 

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WIMB: 2017 Update 3

 

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My bag has had a slight update since my ball review. Thanks to fellow MGSer chisag, I put a Spider Tour Black in my bag. Had a slight breakup with the ER7, it was more me than the putter, I think the grip was just too large for me.

 

Driver: Callaway Epic 10.5* with stock HZRDUS T800 6.0 55g. I feel like I was lucky to get along so well with the T800, since it was a no-upcharge shaft. The closest competitor was the PX Yellow, but the results weren't enough to warrant the upcharge, and my fitter surprisingly agreed.

 

3w: Callaway XR16 15* with Fujikura Speeder 565 FW stiff flex. The face on this feels like it should be illegal. The ball just rockets off the face, it's ridiculous. Off the turf or tee, I'm absolutely in love with this club.

 

Irons: Nike Vapor Pro Combo – I bought these used off the rack, honestly just because I loved the look of them. After my JPX 900 fitting, they were immediately benched, and they're pending sale. I had them in TT XP95s and hit them decent, but the feeling just doesn't come close to the Tours.

 

Wedges: 52, 56, 60* MD3s all with DG Wedge flex shafts. I love the look of these. I used to not really care for the alien pods, but after I stopped trying to hit full wedge shots, and going to ¾ swings, the results are just insane. I'm starting to get my feel back on shots around 50 yards out, and I'm hoping for the results to show on my scorecard.

 

Putter: TM Spider Tour Black. The ER7 got the boot. It wasn't at all the putter, it was an issue with me. The Winn grip they use is just too thick for my hands, I guess they're a little on the small side :x. I was rolling the Spider Tour while I was killing time one afternoon, and I wasn't sure if the putter was amazing, or the greens at the shop were rigged. I saw a pretty sweet deal on the trade forums from Chisag, and I just had to have it.

 

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The Irons

When I saw the thread pop up, and the mods asked what irons you thought would be best for you, it took me some time before I decided on the Tours. I watched a million different videos and reviews on them and thought about my current game. I didn't necessarily need or want more distance, and I'm a very aesthetics-driven person (club ho) so the Hot Metals were unfortunately immediately out, even though my handicap might suggest that I should game them. There was a lot of back and forth struggle between entering for the Forged and the Tours. I liked the idea of getting some help from the forged, but I struggled with the aesthetics, and the top line was a little thicker to my eye. The Tours were of course insanely beautiful, and checked every box imaginable, but did I actually have the game for them? In the end, I chose the Tours because I feel like I could grow into them, the jacked lofts of the Forged would take some getting used to, since I've played more traditional lofts my entire life.

 

My expectations are that these should be the most buttery smooth irons I've ever hit (spoiler alert: they f***ing are!) and while they are more bladed, should still give me some help when I don't absolutely strike it out of the middle, due to some of the perimeter weighting. I want to feel what #nothingfeelslikeamizuno feels like, or if it's just hype (spoiler 2: it's not). Coming from my first forged iron with the Vapor Pro Combos, how much better could it be?

 

In my testing, I also want to see how much merit there is to selecting clubs based on your handicap. I'm convinced its absolute trash, and there are reasons why us mid-high handicappers are where we are, beyond iron forgiveness. My 12 hdcp is not my iron play, and I'm set on proving that to myself, by playing something that should outclass me.

 

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Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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JPX 900 Tour – Official MGS Forum Review by YungKory

 

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     My previous gamers were Nike Vapor Pro Combos, 5-PW, but as you can see from the picture above -- those are long gone now. Those irons were not fitted, and if you're playing something off the rack, I highly recommend getting a fitting. The one thing that the two have in common is that they're labeled as “players” irons. To some folks, that can be a daunting word, players. As someone who plays off of a 12, I wouldn't consider myself a player in the slightest (in terms of golf *wink*) and to be honest, when I was picked, I was a little nervous. Constantly asking what I had gotten myself into, I scheduled a fitting and that was how this adventure began.

 

     When we were selected to participate in the forum test, I asked Shawn if we were required to get fit. He said no, but we all felt that it just wouldn't be right not to. I immediately called my friend's store who is one of the top fitters on island, and booked the earliest appointment I could (sorry to the other guys who had to wait a couple of extra days, I appreciate your patience!). The Mizuno Shaft Optimizer is probably one of the coolest and most-useful tools for someone like me who has been away from the game, and who hadn't played too many rounds in the year (before I got the Tours). The optimizer gave me 3 shafts, but my fitter hid the results from me at first. He said that folks will have biases towards certain ones and it can subconsciously affect how they swing, so to truly find the best, he would just hand them to me and ask that I not look at the labeling. Further, he also said that when people see the rank they also form a bias and it can skew the results. The results were:

 

1.       NS Pro Modus3 105 S

2.       KBS Tour 120 R

3.       Project X LZ 5.5

 

     My “swing DNA” suggested I have a very smooth transition, and you can judge for yourself later in the videos I post from the range, whether that is an accurate statement. As I mentioned previously my fitter had me do a “blind” test of sorts by not telling me what I was swinging, and of the 5-6 shafts I hit during my session, I kept going back to the feeling of what I would eventually select, and he would agree that I was getting the best results with, the NS Pro Modus Tour 105 in stiff flex. This shaft feels so effortless for me to take back and through and has really opened my eyes to the “feel” aspect of club selection. At the beginning of the year, I wouldn't be able to describe to you how one shaft feels compared to another, but now every club I pick up I find myself comparing what I feel in my hands, arms, and shoulders at the top of my swing – it has been eye opening!

 

     Such a great feeling shaft, leading into a clubhead that my eye absolutely loves, this pairing of NS Pro Modus and JPX 900 Tour has been magical for me. Imagine my iron game was one of those teenagers crying for attention, so they constantly lash out and do messed up stuff. Then, they get sent to spend an afternoon with some hardened criminals and turn their sh*t around right away – that was what happened to my iron play. “Scared Straight” the new title of my ball flight!

 

Performance

 

At the range:

 

      The day after I got them in (FedEx delivers late to my house) I immediately took them to the range for a photo session and their maiden voyage. My veins were itchy since the last time I took a hit of #nothingfeelslikeamizuno and I needed my fix. The first strike lifted me back to the clouds, and I knew right then that they were something special. Beyond just feeling amazing, the irons perform beautifully as well.

       My accuracy has definitely improved, but I would credit the fitting more than the irons for that. Previously, my shots would tend to start a fraction to the right, and with my 900 Tours being 1-degree upright, I think that's what is helping me start the ball on target. My miss is consistently a ball that cuts, but it seems to have been minimized switching to the 900 Tours. My regular shape is actually drawing a couple of yards, which when you've been playing a fade your entire life, is a breath of fresh air.

       Distance since switching to the 900 Tours has increased slightly as well. They're not long by any means, and the lofts are more traditional with the 7i playing at 34-degrees. I believe that overall, this iron is just more playable than my Vapor Combos were. Not to discredit that set, but the 900 Tours just seem to be more consistent all around for me.

        Trajectory for me has been consistently mid-high, which I like. I wouldn't say they necessarily help me get the ball in the air, but I know as long as I put a good swing on the ball it is going to fly the way I want it to.

        Control, playing off of a 12 currently, is not something that I'm doing on every shot. However, I am able to flight the ball lower if necessary, but I'll touch more on control in the performance notes.

 

SOUND WARNING. The day I was filming was rather breezy. Filming was done by my girlfriend on her iPhone X so there's no dead cat on the mic to dampen the wind. Turn your speakers down and adjust after. Enjoy!

 

4i DTL. This shot just doesn't happen for me with a hybrid and I'm glad I ordered it with the set. My previous set was 5-pw with a 4h but I couldn't hit the hybrid into the green to save my life. It was basically a rescue club and I had a huge gap from 3W to 5i.

 

 

7i DTL.

 

 

8i droppin bombs on greens  B)

 

 

Range Score: 10/10

 

On the course:

 

     Like I mentioned previously, I wasn't sure if I had the game for these irons. In my last two rounds, that thought hasn't crossed my mind a single time, and I'm honestly playing the best iron game of my life. Anyone who carries a handicap is there for a reason in my eyes. If you think it is because you can't hit your irons, then you might want to rethink the 900 Tours. If you're like me, and you struggle on/around the green, then I would say to consider them, at least in the short irons with a combo set.

      Long Irons – I've never really been a strong long iron player. When I came back to playing I actually remembered my junior/high school days where I struggled with anything longer than a 5i, and even that was sketchy. Revisiting my first range session with the 900 Tours, the first 4i I swung I striped one dead straight down the range. I was so happy that I took a picture of the ball mark, a little heel-side and maybe a fraction up, but it was leagues above what I was doing with the hybrid. While I'm able to hit them well, I wouldn't say no to a little more help in this department, and the 3i is definitely not gameable except off the tee. My next set will be a combo of whatever the next big Mizuno release is for sure, probably 4-5 in something with more help, then 6-PW in a similar head to the 900 Tours – something bladey but still has a bit in the back that gives me that little extra confidence.

      Mid Irons – For my distances and the length of courses I'm playing (~6500 yards) these are usually the clubs I'm hitting into greens. Although my distance off the tee suggests I should be playing further back, until I improve other aspects of my game and get my handicap down, I'm sticking with the 65-6700 range. The flight is absolutely what I like to see, a mid-high flight but not so high that balls are Olympic high-diving out of the air. My ball marks on the green normally have a “backstop” to them and you can tell they came in at some sort of angle. The spin I am able to get usually puts my ball within a foot or two of my ball mark, exactly where I want it. Distance control has been great, and I'm hitting more GiR than ever before and having some decent birdie looks, definitely makeable.

      Short Irons – Again, I'm having great success controlling distance with these, and have reliable stopping power playing the Tour B XS. If the strike was there, I know it's going the distance I intended, nothing more.  They're flying a little bit higher in comparison to the Vapors, but still not nose-diving out of the air. The main triumph with these irons is being able to zap the flag with the rangefinder, swing, and have a predictable distance once I select the club.

 

Course Score: 40/40

 

Performance Notes:

  •  Buttery-soft feeling, instantly get the ball in the air vs a climbing-then-parachute-out-of-the-air flight
  •  Easier to hit and game than my previous Nike Vapor Pro Combo. Could be credited completely to the shaft being fit for me (NS Modus3 105 S vs TT XP 95 Regular).
  • Miss hits aren't punished too much outside of the longer irons. A miss-hit mid or short iron will normally result in a club's worth of distance (10 or so yards for me) lost at most, where a missed 3i is basically a full swing putter (never tried that but I'd be willing to bet)
  • They don't feel like they require insane clubhead speed to perform, the clubs do the work for me, and I don't need to make an extra effort. I'm not a long hitter by any means, I carry my 7i around 165y, and driver speed is between 102-105, but it feels like all I need to do is swing my swing, and the club gets it there
  • Easy to keep under trees if I find myself needing to play a low shot to get back in position. I'm sure a better player who can command the ball would have no issue cutting or drawing. I can cut the ball to a certain extent, but not confident enough to attack a pin if it were tucked back-right.

Subjective

 

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Looks

  • The shape is absolutely beautiful. I love the smaller blade length
  • There's not much offset, which is great for my eye because offset is usually off-putting for me and I feel like I'm going to hook one across my body, or hit it incredibly fat.
  • Graphics are muted, I like the placement of the logo within the small cavity, and the JPX 900 on the toe side of the back. Everything is tied together with a beautiful satin finish. You don't catch any glare, and they just look as soft as they feel
  • Compared to other products, it doesn't get much nicer than this for me. The only irons I prefer the look of now are the MP-18s obviously, both the SC and the blade models
  •  Mizuno did, however, put one of my grips on crooked!

Looks Score: 14/15

 

Sound and Feel

 

     Okay, when they say #nothingfeelslikeamizuno, they mean it. I'm a skeptic in every sense of the word when it comes to stuff like that, but honestly these are the best feeling clubs I've hit in my entire life. Coming from Ping Eye 2, to Nike forged irons, and now here, is like shaking a baby's hand vs. a mechanic whose been in the shop for 50 years and doesn't know what lotion or moisturizer is. Feel across the face is noticeably different, the Tours let you know when you've missed. These irons are so soft feeling that when you pure the ball it's like you haven't struck anything, feels like a practice swing! The sound is soft as well, not quite sounding like you pulled a zipper down your windbreaker quickly. I've never felt or heard anything like these in any of the clubs I've gamed in the past. It's hard for me to express in words how they sound, but I'll just say that I'm not put off by the sound they produce, so I won't take any points away.

 

Sound and feel score: 15/15

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

     I can say with 100% absolute certainty that I would purchase these clubs, but probably in a 4-PW configuration, and I would strongly consider a combo in the 4 and 5i, just for some extra help/confidence. From the soft feel to the performance, and even down to the way they look (yeah, I'm that kind of person) they check all of the boxes for me. Maybe it was meant to be, but I was actually at the pro shop looking at these exact irons a week or so prior to the application thread

 

LOP Score: 17/20

 

Q&A:

 

  • Reserved for questions from fellow spies, I'll answer them in an edit and reply to the post when I've answered them

 

Conclusion

 

Total Score: 96/100

 

     I'd like to thank MGS for the amazing opportunity, and Mizuno for making such an outstanding product. I thought #nothingfeelslikeamizuno was some marketing crap, but I have come to realize that it is the truth. The results I'm seeing out of these on the course is helping me play the best golf of my life, at least from an iron play perspective. While my handicap might suggest that I should play something less player, I am completely confident with gaming these aside from the 3i. Once I fix my putting skills (or lack thereof) you will see that 12 in my profile drop, I promise. If you're around the same handicap and you feel like you strike the ball well – that is you don't chunk/duff shots, shank the ball often, etc. do not be scared to try to game these, maybe consider a combo with the Forged in the longer irons if you struggle sometimes. I wish I could've gotten a gap test done like @jlukes and I had discussed, but I couldn't find the time between actually playing, practicing, and living life. Hopefully if you're reading this, you enjoyed the review, and if you have any questions for the 900 crew, please fire away! We really enjoy interacting not only with each other, but with the rest of the spies on the boards. This has been an absolute blast to do and I hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed testing. Until my next review - a hui hou!

 

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Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Seriously excited about this!!

 

In my :titleist-small: cart Bag:

Driver:    :cobra-small: King F9 9° - LH - Atmos Blue TS 6 Stiff
Woods:   :cobra-small: King F9 - LH - 3/4 Wood - Atmos Blue 7 Reg
               :srixon-small: Z U85 2 Iron
Irons:     :titelist-small: T200 4 Iron AMT White S300
  :titelist-small: T100S - LH - 3-48* - AMT White S300
Wedges:               Indi FLX- LH - 52° 56° 60° - True Temper Spinner Wedge shafts
Putter:    :rife-putters-1: 2 Bar Hybrid
Ball:        :titelist-small: Pro V1x

Testing: Haywood CB/MB Combo Iron Set, 4-7 Cavity backs, 8-PW Muscle Backs, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 Stiff, 2 Degrees stronger lofts.

Tracked By: :Arccos:

Follow me on Twitter @ham12_hampton and on Instagram @Nunfa0 

 

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Just went with a buddy of mine yesterday as he said he was "going to test a lot of irons" to see what he wanted. First set he grabbed was the 900 Forged Tours and that was all she wrote. Didn't try anything else, said they felt too good. I'm curious to hear what everyone else thinks of them.

Driver:            :cobra-small: Aerojet 9* | Hzrdus Black Gen 4
Fairway:         :ping-small: G410 3W 13* | Alta CB 65
Hybrid:           :titleist-small: TS2 18* | Tensei AV Blue 70 S
Hybrid:           :ping-small: iCrossover 20* | Kai'li White 80
Irons:              :taylormade-small: P790 5-PW | DG S300
Wedges:         :titleist-small: Vokey SM9 | 52, 56, 60 | DG S200
Putter:            :L.A.B.: Link.1 | Accra x LAB

--- LAB Golf Link.1 Review ---

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Looking forward to this!!

 

MDGolfHacker

TSssWhat's In This Lefty's Bag?

Driver: :titleist-small: TSR2 11° Project X HZRDUS Black 4G 60g 5.5 Flex

Fairway Woods: :cobra-small: F8 3W Project X Even Flow Blue 75g shaft

Fairway Woods: 

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSR2  18° Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 Shaft

Irons: :titelist-small: 2021 T200's 4-GW AMT RED shafts Regular Flex

Wedge: :cleveland-small: Tour Satin RTX 4 Wedges in 52° and 56° 2 Dot

Putter: :nevercompromise-small: Gray Matter TDP 2.2 32.75"

Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Three 5

Ball:  :titelist-small:  PRO V1 / :srixon-small: Z*Star

RangeFinder:918457628_PrecisionPro: In search of new range finder

Social Media:

Facebook:   MD Golfhacker
Twitter:        @mdgolfhacker
Instagram:   mdgolfhacker

 

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For some reason I feel I should not be reading this thread at work............

I think once the testers start posting pictures it will become a NSFW thread.

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Great start Rob. Thanks for linking your stage so I didn't have to hunt it.

 

Do you plan on playing a round or two from forward tees so you can keep the hybrid in the bag and play more Mizzy shots?

 

 

Sent from carrier pigeon using MyGolfSpy

In my ATumSBM.jpg Pisa, riding on a hXf3ptG.jpg 3.5+

:ping-small: G410+
:755178188_TourEdge: EXS 5W
:cobra-small: King F7 Hy

:ping-small: i500 5-GW
wxW5hk4.jpg Equalizer 56/60
:ping-small: Heppler Ketsch

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Great start Rob. Thanks for linking your stage so I didn't have to hunt it.

 

Do you plan on playing a round or two from forward tees so you can keep the hybrid in the bag and play more Mizzy shots?

 

 

Sent from carrier pigeon using MyGolfSpy

Definitely in the plans as well as I played a few holes the other day with the 5 iron all the way down...well until I to less than 5 iron distance...ha

 

I definitely like the feel of them and they launch very high with these shafts.    Oh am I allowed to say that prior to Stage 2  :D

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Great start so far!!!  Now excuse me while I go clear our my browsing history.

:taylormade-small: SLDR 10.5 Oban HB

:taylormade-small: R11s Rip Phenom

:Hogan: Ft. Worth Black Irons

:cleveland-small: 588 RTX Rotex 2.0 54

:cleveland-small: CG10 58

:EVNROLL: EV 5.3 Duo

 

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Great start so far!!!  Now excuse me while I go clear our my browsing history.

I had a few other pics that looked nice, except they came out inverted...ha  Still learning the new I-Phone 7 picture mode I guess.  I'll do better for stage 2...and who knows maybe drop another picture or two in the interim, if you all ask nicely  :rolleyes:

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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a friend of mine just got a set of these (Hot metal 4i,5i, Forged 6-PW). They were true beauties. A little more offset than I was expecting but these are the JPX and not the MP line.

 

(While I usually like no offset, I find I can adjust to different offsets pretty quickly.) 

 

He shot 4 under on 9 holes when I played with him. Obviously the clubs

Bag: Bennington Quiet Organizer 9-Lite (link)

Cart: :Clicgear: 3.5+

Driver:  :cobra-small:  F9 speedback, Accra iWood

Woods:  Sonartec GS Tour 14*, Fujikura Six S
DI:  :titelist-small:  T-MB 2 iron, KBS Tour-V 120 X,
Irons: :Miura: PP-9003SN 4-GW, Nippon 1150GH Stiff
Wedges: :Miura: 1957 K-grind SW, LW, Nippon 1150GH Stiff
Putter: :odyssey-small: EXO Indianapolis (link)
Ball: :Snell: MTB
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a friend of mine just got a set of these (Hot metal 4i,5i, Forged 6-PW). They were true beauties. A little more offset than I was expecting but these are the JPX and not the MP line.

 

(While I usually like no offset, I find I can adjust to different offsets pretty quickly.) 

 

He shot 4 under on 9 holes when I played with him. Obviously the clubs

I haven't been under par. But I did win my 2nd round match in the playoffs two weeks ago. Tomorrow I play in the quarterfinals, against the defending league champion. So they will get s good test for sure.

 

I've never minded a little offset. Don't like a ton of it. But these seem subtle enough to me.

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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August 29th

JPX 900 Hot Metal Review  Stage One

These Things Are Hot!

 

 

Hello Friends.  I've always wanted to say that J  

 

I'm Rob AKA CG2! 

 

I've been a member here for just over a year.  I'm glad to say I've seen many old friends from other places on the interwebz come aboard here in the past 6 months or more. And I feel I've met many new ones during the past year hear.

 

I had often seen some of the blog posts of MGS on Twitter and found them very well done and informative.  So I finally got around to checking out the website and it just felt right, from the start.   No I wasn't a onetime poster for a signup…Although I can see why this one might have drawn many of those!!

 

My days are varied some days you guys may wonder if I have any work to do and get tired of seeing me post all day, then things may get crazy busy at work for a few days and I don't get a chance to pop in as much, I'm not a big fan of those days.  But fortunately or unfortunately I'm about to head into that time in September. 

 

Like most here, I'm a club ho, if not always in purchasing, but that is quite frankly the case, at least in looking and reading about, and discussing anything equipment or golf related.   It's great to have such a wide range of playing ability and experiences as part of the community here.  Whether someone is a plus or 36 handicap, I value their input and feel I can learn something from just about anybody.    I certainly hope that's the case for others.  As a 17 HC, I may not be able to tell someone how to hit a hooded knock down 6 iron from 170 yards, out of the rough to a tucked pin.   But I feel I can adequately talk about most equipment and courses enough to help most members.

 

 

Current Bag Picture (minus my wedges for some reason)

 

attachicon.gifBag pic Aug 2017.jpg

 

 

I'm fortunate to have been able to change careers 2 years ago.   After 25 years in the Hospitality Industry as a Sales Director and Hotel General Manager, I was offered an opportunity to be Tournament Sales Director for Billy Casper Golf Management at one of its courses in Maryland.   I am responsible for bringing charity/corporate and competitive golf outings to the course, as well as promoting it for local play in the community.   I absolutely love coming to work every day with the opportunity to sell our course and basically talk golf with every customer I come into contact with, how great is that!!

 

I have been playing golf regularly for about 25 years, and my love and interest has grown every year.  About 10 years ago, I was playing 75 rounds plus a year and had a pretty decent game and distance off the tee.   An auto accident, natural aging and some recent injuries had decreased the golf to maybe 7 to 10 rounds a year and robbed me of my length.  

 

Now, I'm learning the importance of the short game.    When I started this job a year ago I was a 26 HC, but with the opportunity to play more regularly--26 rounds to date this year--I've gotten down to a 17 to 18 most of the year.

 

Ok, Ok, I've kept you all waiting long enough for some pictures.  We'll start slow, as to not overwhelm you with beauty right away!!

 

Even the box oozes class...even when shown sideways :)

 

attachicon.gifbox pic.jpg

 

I was fit for the C Taper-Lite 110 G shaft (more on it in Stage 2)

 

attachicon.gifJPX Shafts.jpg

 

 

As for my overall game, as mentioned above, I'm not long off tee anymore, was about 260 to 270 yards at my peak, and now I'm about 215 and occasionally get a “good one” out there to 240. However, one benefit of being shorter, I am much more accurate off the tee than I was when I was hitting it longer. 

 

Being stubborn, I haven't really moved up a tee box, I still play most of my golf from tees that are generally 6200 to 6400.  I know by choosing tees that are in the 5900 to 6000 yard range I might score a bit better, but I'm competitive my nature, and a lot of tournaments I like to play in play the above distances.   So therefore, I have a lot of approach shots in the 160 to 180 and even out to 200 on a lot of my home course holes.  As a result of that, I miss A LOT of greens, putting pressure on my wedge and putter to walk away with no worse than bogey, and salvage the occasional par.   

 

My wedge game has improved dramatically the past 15 months, which I attribute to the new set of wedges I put in play in May of 2016. It's the first time I've ever put a lot of thought into a whole wedge setup as opposed to a mixed bag of whatever I felt like buying/trying at the time.   I won't say my wedge game is excellent, but based on what I see, it's better than average.  

 

I've always considered myself a good putter, and a couple different instructors that I've taken lesson from said, I have such a natural and very solid stroke, they didn't want to mess with it at all.   The only big change is I've moved to a #7 –since that seems to be a universally used description—style of putter over the last 6 years or so.   The big benefit of this style for me is that it keeps the putter head very steady throughout the stroke.  With the standard blade style putters, which I absolutely love the look of, I tended to “wobble” the head on the way back or coming through.  

 

attachicon.gifJPX Full Set Top.jpg

 

My iron play has always been steady if not spectacular.  In addition to the shorter distance off the tee, I've lost about 2 to 3 clubs with the irons.    I used to play an 8 iron from 150, now it's either a well struck 6 iron or a 24 degree hybrid. 

 

My WITB is a revolving door.  I'm fortunate with the position I'm in, I get some incredible deals on equipment.    As I mentioned above, I love all things equipment related and love trying equipment from anybody.   As a matter of fact, I told someone in the past several months, that over the past two years, I have had at least one club in my bag from the following companies, Bridgestone, Callaway, Cobra, Cleveland, Mizuno, Nike, Odyssey, Ping, SeeMore, Srixon, TaylorMade,  Scotty Cameron, Titleist, Toulon and Wilson.   The bolded ones, also represent Irons I have played in the past two to three years from those companies, in some cases multiple models from one company.   So you can see I'm open to whatever will improve my game

 

attachicon.gifJPX 7 Iron Badge.jpg

 

I was very surprised and honored to be selected as a tester for the JPX 900 Hot Metal irons.  I know how big the demand for this testing was, and it's not an obligation I take lightly.  I haven't gamed Mizuno irons since a set of MP60's about 12 years ago.   Once selected to test, I delved into as much information on Mizuno to get caught up with what's going on with them. I must say I'm really impressed with the direction they have taken this past year.  

 

There are a couple new iron offerings coming out in the next month, one by Mizuno and one by Titleist.  It will be very interesting to see how the JPX 900 Hot Metals perform over the next month to two months and see if they earn a keeper spot in the bag. 

 

These were just a few pictures since you all have been waiting so patiently.   I promise many more pictures and a whole lot of performance date will follow in the stage two and three sessions.  

 

attachicon.gifJPX GW badge.jpg

 

Note:

I've added the date above my title to show the actual date posted.  I know sometimes the reviews actually get posted much later than the Plceholders go up, so maybe it will help in letting you know when it was actually posted.

 

Fantastic start!! You are a very lucky man working where you do and talking golf all day.

 

In my :titleist-small: cart Bag:

Driver:    :cobra-small: King F9 9° - LH - Atmos Blue TS 6 Stiff
Woods:   :cobra-small: King F9 - LH - 3/4 Wood - Atmos Blue 7 Reg
               :srixon-small: Z U85 2 Iron
Irons:     :titelist-small: T200 4 Iron AMT White S300
  :titelist-small: T100S - LH - 3-48* - AMT White S300
Wedges:               Indi FLX- LH - 52° 56° 60° - True Temper Spinner Wedge shafts
Putter:    :rife-putters-1: 2 Bar Hybrid
Ball:        :titelist-small: Pro V1x

Testing: Haywood CB/MB Combo Iron Set, 4-7 Cavity backs, 8-PW Muscle Backs, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 Stiff, 2 Degrees stronger lofts.

Tracked By: :Arccos:

Follow me on Twitter @ham12_hampton and on Instagram @Nunfa0 

 

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Nice one Rob.

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

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Fantastic start!! You are a very lucky man working where you do and talking golf all day.

Thanks. People often say  "living the dream" so casually,  but I can say it and really mean it. I honestly love going to work every day.

 

Plus I can tell my boss that the time I spend on  MGS  is research related to the job!!  Keeping in tune with what players do and don't like about courses and golf outings

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Well done stage1 CG2!

 

MDGolfHacker

TSssWhat's In This Lefty's Bag?

Driver: :titleist-small: TSR2 11° Project X HZRDUS Black 4G 60g 5.5 Flex

Fairway Woods: :cobra-small: F8 3W Project X Even Flow Blue 75g shaft

Fairway Woods: 

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSR2  18° Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 Shaft

Irons: :titelist-small: 2021 T200's 4-GW AMT RED shafts Regular Flex

Wedge: :cleveland-small: Tour Satin RTX 4 Wedges in 52° and 56° 2 Dot

Putter: :nevercompromise-small: Gray Matter TDP 2.2 32.75"

Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Three 5

Ball:  :titelist-small:  PRO V1 / :srixon-small: Z*Star

RangeFinder:918457628_PrecisionPro: In search of new range finder

Social Media:

Facebook:   MD Golfhacker
Twitter:        @mdgolfhacker
Instagram:   mdgolfhacker

 

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