Mizuno Pro 221/223/225

[in4par]

Testing these along w PXG and others next week.  Looking forward to results. 

[FWiater]

Just a FYI to anyone who has Mizuno clubs on order. They were hacked with ransomware, and there may be a slight delay in your order because of all the computers being down. They are still building clubs and special orders.
Mizuno Hacked

 

[bens197]

38 minutes ago, FWiater said:

Just a FYI to anyone who has Mizuno clubs on order. They were hacked with ransomware, and there may be a slight delay in your order because of all the computers being down. They are still building clubs and special orders.
Mizuno Hacked

 

 

1 hour ago, d.lama said:

It's killing me that my 223's are caught in that ransomware attack - the irons are supposedly at Mizuno...somewhere.

Thanks for mentioning this.  

[John Bachman]

I just saw all three sets up close yesterday. I can’t comment on their performance but while they all look good I still like my MP20 MMCs looks better than the 223s. Everyone has their own preference so I’m just speaking for myself. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by John Bachman

[Bubbly Pop]

Yep, pre-ordered mine (225's) on Jan 3rd, still not here..................just........................waiting..........................

[Quigleyd]

I have a combo of the 225s and 221s. These irons are fantastic. The gap me be a bit larger than I like at transition. But hard to look past how clean and pure they are. 

[JY56]

I have been thinking on a new set of irons after about 6 yrs with my Callaway Apexes.  I had been told I could benefit from a heavier shaft by a pro during lessons a while back and was using XP95 S.  Miz website suggested the 223 for my player profile.  I tried a few others from different manufacturers before trying the 223.  Very happy with the 223 when I tried it and of course the feel is great, so much better to me than the new Apex and ZX5's that were also on my short list.  Tried at two different locations and both had me using Modus 115S.  I suspected with heavier shaft that I should go back to a regular flex due to my age but then the optimizer came up with Project LZ 6.0, X100 and Modus 115S.  I tried all 3 and liked the Modus the best and the numbers for launch, spin, descent were good so went with that.   One of the locations where I had tried them had 1 set in stock with the right shaft, the other place where I thought was the better fitter said there could be a few weeks wait, especially with the ransomware attack.  I've bought lot's there and he said I should pick up the set in stock at the other location.  Can't wait to get out with them once I am back home.

[hartrick11]

On 2/16/2022 at 10:17 AM, bens197 said:

You’re welcome. 
 

You should definitely go ahead and book it. Worst case you’re good with what you’ve got but you’ll have that added knowledge and piece of mind. 

Well I was surrounding the right answer but the fitting was still extremely helpful. I could have honestly gone with about 5 different setups and been more than happy but ended up in a Taylormade P series combo with $ Taper. The 223 with $ taper was the runner up, but the 770/MC felt like a bit better turf interaction for my swing. Guess I won’t be losing my Mizuno virginity just yet…someday!

[bens197]

9 hours ago, hartrick11 said:

Well I was surrounding the right answer but the fitting was still extremely helpful. I could have honestly gone with about 5 different setups and been more than happy but ended up in a Taylormade P series combo with $ Taper. The 223 with $ taper was the runner up, but the 770/MC felt like a bit better turf interaction for my swing. Guess I won’t be losing my Mizuno virginity just yet…someday!

Those 770’s are pretty great.

I hope they arrive soon

[Sluggo42]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:41 AM, bens197 said:

So a quick (not really) review and (not so) brief story on the 223...

I really was looking to get into the 223 but wanted to be sure it was THE best iron of the sample.  We started with the Mizuno shaft optimizer while hitting a 921 tour head.  A few swings later and the suggested batch were: 

1) Dynamic Gold X100

2) Project X 6.5

3) $ Taper X

I have no experience with 2 or 3 and plenty with the DG, and quite honestly I wasn't very surprised.  My tempo and swing really match up well with the Dynamic Gold.  At this stage however, I really want a club that feels better as long as it performs...

So that was our starting point.  My fitter knew what I was playing and has known me for 20 years so we have a good basis of my game and how I play.  Irons have always been my achilles heel and of all the parts of my game, an iron fitting is something I need to help close that gap.

I hit a half dozen shots with my PTx Pro 7 iron to establish a baseline.  From there we had several heads to work with.

Mizuno Pro 223

Mizuno Pro 225

Mizuno JPX Tour 921

Srixon ZX7

Callaway X Forged UT

First priority was shaft.  The DG was what I'd come to known, solid, not remarkably responsive and steady.  Pretty much the pair of daily dad shoes you wear around the house, for grocery shopping and staring at your house from the front lawn.

The $ Taper was harsh.  Perhaps I don't have the chops for this shaft but it just did not mesh with me.  Shorter in distance, thin and abrasive feel and quite honestly just not something I loved.  My presumption is this is more for a strong and aggressive tempo player who wants something more solid with a lower priority on feel.

The Project X was the biggest disappointment.  It wasn't harsh, just very meh.  I was actually thinking this could be a winner from the optimizer and help me bring spin down a little bit.  Not so much.  It felt awful and didn't really rock my world.

A couple shafts down was the Modus 115 in an X.  I took one swing and it was the perfect harmony.  The performance of the DG with the feel I am accustomed to.  The feel was great, gross weight was nice but the numbers were spot on.  

The photo below has my numbers compared between DG and Modus.  We prioritized what was important for my game and the data was supported by feel and results.  

From that point we agreed the Modus was THE shaft.  Now it was time to figure out which head to proceed with.  Took several swings with each and each had their own positives and negatives.  The 223 had the looks and the feel and gave me that confirmation bias I was looking for...but I wanted to be sure.

225...Not what I hoped for.  Numbers were not better, not longer and quite honestly did not feel great.  My intention going into this was a 4 & 5 with the 225 and the 6-P would be 223.

Mizuno JPX Tour 921...Good, just not better than the 223.

Srixon ZX7...LOOKS phenomenal. A nice throwback to the older days with squared edges and clean looks.  The design team did a phenomenal job with these irons on first glance. They fell short for me with feel and performance.  Quite honestly, it doesn't feel amazing and the numbers were slightly below the 223 in performance.  I could easily game these but they were not better than the 223's.  

Callaway X Forged UT...dude.  This was a random shot in the dark.  I am not a Callaway guy and haven't thought much of playing them.  We put them in a Modus 120 X and I gave a few swings.  A more rounded profile that Callaway is known for yet a very pleasant club to look at.  Feel...pure love.  Absolutely phenomenal.  If I were swinging blind, I would have a difficult time differentiating between the UT and the 223.  For anyone who is a Callaway fan and hasn't given these a shot in the past year, you should.  I had to stop and take break to reset because these were serious contenders.  When we got back into it, my bad swings were still better with the 223...and after 45 minutes of swinging for the first time this season, there were some bad swings and they were more prevalent with the Callaway.

After one hour of swings, it was clear that the Mizuno Pro 223 was a better club than what I already have in my bag.  

So they're on order...Mizuno Pro 223 4-PW, Nippon Modus 115 X with Lamkin ST Hybrid Calibrate grips.

Should be here in 3-4 weeks.

Thanks for hanging around...the photo is the difference between DG and Modus shafts with the 223 head.  

Ben, do you have the Ptx baseline numbers handy ? I’m curious of where they got beat…

[JoeGolfingPgh]

So my guy at the golf shop just got in touch with mizuno.  They quoted 5-6 weeks from today and I ordered 16 days ago.  They have the components just way behind from the cyber attack. 

[bens197]

2 hours ago, JoeGolfingPgh said:

So my guy at the golf shop just got in touch with mizuno.  They quoted 5-6 weeks from today and I ordered 16 days ago.  They have the components just way behind from the cyber attack. 

Thanks Joe

[bens197]

4 hours ago, Sluggo42 said:

Ben, do you have the Ptx baseline numbers handy ? I’m curious of where they got beat…

Yes...Iron 1 is the Hogan's.  

I didn't discuss in depth the comparative difference from a strictly numerical basis.  The decision to get the 223's was based on a slightly better set of numbers, better feel and a few swings outdoors.  We caught a decent 45* day and the ball flight on the 223's were more "purposeful" if that makes any sense.

I would attribute some of this to the difference in flex.  My Hogan's are Modus 120's in Stiff and the new set will be Modus 115 (yes a slightly different profile) but in an X.  

All said they were close, I still felt comfortably in what I read, felt and saw to make the change.

[Sluggo42]

16 hours ago, bens197 said:

Yes...Iron 1 is the Hogan's.  

I didn't discuss in depth the comparative difference from a strictly numerical basis.  The decision to get the 223's was based on a slightly better set of numbers, better feel and a few swings outdoors.  We caught a decent 45* day and the ball flight on the 223's were more "purposeful" if that makes any sense.

I would attribute some of this to the difference in flex.  My Hogan's are Modus 120's in Stiff and the new set will be Modus 115 (yes a slightly different profile) but in an X.  

All said they were close, I still felt comfortably in what I read, felt and saw to make the change.

My limited time at Roger Dunn spent on the 223 vs the 225’s also proved the 223’s superior. I didn’t get a chance to really drill down on shafts, so i was using the same shaft, and just changing out the head. I really thought the 225 was going to be something miraculous, but unless one gets to spend a few hours with Ian (or someone who really gets it), one will never know what a proper combination can truly produce. So the 225 might yet be a great head, but I’ll never know without a really proper fitting. And not only that, but what if it’s actually the i525 or an Apex Pro that’s really my sweet spot, on some obscure shaft that will never get discovered because the fitter is slightly biased towards one or another.

it almost seems like a really proper fitting would take many days, and a truly unbiased fitter, with a deep deep understanding of all the different metrics, and how they all need to work together. I’d wager that Justin Thomas or any big shot pro has a really deep bench of professional fitting expertise that’s constantly chewing data looking for any and every edge available… altho they’re probably limited to whatever company they’ve signed their endorsement with…

or, maybe I’m just overthinking it all, and Billybob down at Roger Gitterdun golf shop can get me dialed in in 15 minutes. Or better yet, I can just decide for myself. Like I usually do.

but, I have noticed a real uptick in iron play since my mini-fitting, where we discovered my hogans work better at 3° down. But he was really telling me that he believed the ping irons to be hands down the best clubs built. So instantly I know he is biased towards Ping. Might be great clubs, but how can I know they’re the best for ME?

sometimes it just seems so random…

[RickyBobby_PR]

5 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

I really thought the 225 was going to be something miraculous, but unless one gets to spend a few hours with Ian (or someone who really gets it), one will never know what a proper combination can truly produce. So the 225 might yet be a great head, but I’ll never know without a really proper fitting. And not only that, but what if it’s actually the i525 or an Apex Pro that’s really my sweet spot, on some obscure shaft that will never get discovered because the fitter is slightly biased towards one or another.

A good fitter is going to be able to dial a golfer in quicker than a few hours. TXG iron fittings are booked at 1.5 hours iirc. Guys that know what they are doing will see your swing, ball flight, contact and based on what your issues are, what your goal is will have the heads to use narrowed down. They will have an idea of shaft as well. Based on whether combo they setup they will use the golfers feedback along with the numbers and ball flight to see if it’s working. They will make adjustments from there. Within the first hour or less they will have the golfer close to their best setup then it’s usually about trying to fine tune.

Many of the reps for brands are really good. The Ping rep from years ago in my area is now working with pxg on the lpga tour. He was one of the first golf employees for pxg 

5 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

it almost seems like a really proper fitting would take many days, and a truly unbiased fitter, with a deep deep understanding of all the different metrics, and how they all need to work together. I’d wager that Justin Thomas or any big shot pro has a really deep bench of professional fitting expertise that’s constantly chewing data looking for any and every edge available… altho they’re probably limited to whatever company they’ve signed their endorsement with…

While that would probably be optimal the majority of people don’t need that. That would be diving into fine tuning to the minutest of details.

Yes the tour guys have access to the tour fitters on the tour van mon-wed at an event, access to the the manufacturers facilities like TPI, ECPC, The Kingdom. But yes they will have some limit based on contract for clubs. 

5 minutes ago, Sluggo42 said:

or, maybe I’m just overthinking it all, and Billybob down at Roger Gitterdun golf shop can get me dialed in in 15 minutes. Or better yet, I can just decide for myself. Like I usually do.

Possibly but will depend on the person fitting. The guy at my local range is really good. The guy he replaces was too and he’s now the main fitter at Sawgrass.

[bens197]

4 hours ago, Sluggo42 said:

My limited time at Roger Dunn spent on the 223 vs the 225’s also proved the 223’s superior. I didn’t get a chance to really drill down on shafts, so i was using the same shaft, and just changing out the head. I really thought the 225 was going to be something miraculous, but unless one gets to spend a few hours with Ian (or someone who really gets it), one will never know what a proper combination can truly produce. So the 225 might yet be a great head, but I’ll never know without a really proper fitting. And not only that, but what if it’s actually the i525 or an Apex Pro that’s really my sweet spot, on some obscure shaft that will never get discovered because the fitter is slightly biased towards one or another.

it almost seems like a really proper fitting would take many days, and a truly unbiased fitter, with a deep deep understanding of all the different metrics, and how they all need to work together. I’d wager that Justin Thomas or any big shot pro has a really deep bench of professional fitting expertise that’s constantly chewing data looking for any and every edge available… altho they’re probably limited to whatever company they’ve signed their endorsement with…

or, maybe I’m just overthinking it all, and Billybob down at Roger Gitterdun golf shop can get me dialed in in 15 minutes. Or better yet, I can just decide for myself. Like I usually do.

but, I have noticed a real uptick in iron play since my mini-fitting, where we discovered my hogans work better at 3° down. But he was really telling me that he believed the ping irons to be hands down the best clubs built. So instantly I know he is biased towards Ping. Might be great clubs, but how can I know they’re the best for ME?

sometimes it just seems so random…

In my experience, if you're not really sure or able to answer immediately, the answer is often no.

I agree with what @RickyBobby_PRsaid about not necessarily needing more than one hour to square away a fitting.  If you're feeling as if you aren't hitting as well as you should I would say that is a better opportunity to find a club...bear with me on this...

I want the one that I can still hit well when I am not swinging well.  

Show me those results rather than the best swings many of us anchor our basis upon.  

 

[sosuHands]

My 5 - Gap 225's are finally shipped! I might see them this weekend, can't wait to start hitting them.

 

Clubs made it to the house today! Mizuno Pro 225 sure does look good in my hands, just need to have the loft and lies checked and go hit them!

Edited February 26, 2022 by sosuHands

[MikeE21]

On 2/16/2022 at 3:44 PM, Bubbly Pop said:

Yep, pre-ordered mine (225's) on Jan 3rd, still not here..................just........................waiting..........................

Quick update; Mizuno just informed me Nippon Modus 115 and Project X IO 6.0 shafts are backordered until March 31. 225 6 and 7 iron heads are backordered til end of March as well (similar with 223 6-iron heads). Ordered on pre-order date on 1/08 and will be estimated 12+ weeks from time I ordered if no more push backs. This pre-launch could not have gone any worse for Mizuno and it’s customers.

[chisag]

... It seems most of the Players Distance irons this year are smaller heel to toe with thinner top lines than the previous versions making them the hottest irons in 2022. Titleist 200, i525 while the Pro 225's are getting much of the attention. I hope to have a set of the new 2022 Cobra Forged Tecs by the first of May and post a review as soon as possible.  

[bens197]

4 hours ago, MikeE21 said:

Quick update; Mizuno just informed me Nippon Modus 115 and Project X IO 6.0 shafts are backordered until March 31. 225 6 and 7 iron heads are backordered til end of March as well (similar with 223 6-iron heads). Ordered on pre-order date on 1/08 and will be estimated 12+ weeks from time I ordered if no more push backs. This pre-launch could not have gone any worse for Mizuno and it’s customers.

Super.

Oh well...this is what it is, out of our hands I suppose...

[bens197]

4 hours ago, chisag said:

... It seems most of the Players Distance irons this year are smaller heel to toe with thinner top lines than the previous versions making them the hottest irons in 2022. Titleist 200, i525 while the Pro 225's are getting much of the attention. I hope to have a set of the new 2022 Cobra Forged Tecs by the first of May and post a review as soon as possible.  

Agreed...TaylorMade was smart to hedge their successful P790 with the P770 and capture a wider segment.

[sosuHands]

Finally made some time to get my loft & lies checked on my 225's .... turns out it was a smart thing to do. Loft & lies were all over the place for my clubs and had to be set back to standard. But now everything is fine except for that one misaligned grip on my 8 iron... but I can ignore that. Time to enjoy my new clubs! Can't wait for the weekend to go hit some practice balls and see what my new yardages are with 225s.

[MWGolf23]

On 10/7/2021 at 7:05 PM, bens197 said:

I am a little late to the dance but the 223's have my eye...my goodness.

 

@bens197I'm super late to the thread. See you got the 223s? How are you liking them? I'm going in for an iron fitting Saturday and am eyeing 223/225 combo and curious about the gapping.

[MWGolf23]

Getting an iron fitting on Saturday. Strong likelihood I'll get the best fit for a 223/225 combo. Coming from a MP18 MB/SC combo, I'm curious of a 221 PW-7 or to 8 then 225 6 (7)-4. Big jump in lofts and wondering if anyone has done a 221/225 combo similar to this? I really enjoy my blades PW-8. The 223s are the perfect blend for me but I like the aesthetic continuation of 221 to 225. The 223s just lose the blade look from the bag!

Edited March 3, 2022 by MWGolf23

[MWGolf23]

26 minutes ago, sosuHands said:

Finally made some time to get my loft & lies checked on my 225's .... turns out it was a smart thing to do. Loft & lies were all over the place for my clubs and had to be set back to standard. But now everything is fine except for that one misaligned grip on my 8 iron... but I can ignore that. Time to enjoy my new clubs! Can't wait for the weekend to go hit some practice balls and see what my new yardages are with 225s.

@sosuHandsWhat are your yardage gaps?

[MikeE21]

15 minutes ago, MWGolf23 said:

Getting an iron fitting on Saturday. Strong likelihood I'll get the best fit for a 223/225 combo. Coming from a MP18 MB/SC combo, I'm curious of a 221 PW-7 or to 8 then 225 6 (7)-4. Big jump in lofts and wondering if anyone has done a 221/225 combo similar to this? I really enjoy my blades PW-8. The 223s are the perfect blend for me but I like the aesthetic continuation of 221 to 225. The 223s just lose the blade look from the bag!

Seeing a lot of threads of people comboing the 221s and 225s. If you go to Mizuno’s website in the Mixed Set recommendation page, they recommended bending 225 7-iron 1 degree weak, 221 8-iron bent 2 degrees strong, and 9-iron bent 1 degree strong and PW standard. 

I almost did this too for aesthetic reasons, but eventually just did all 225s since I don’t want to reduce bounce especially with blades in Northwest weather conditions which plays mostly soft throughout the year and afraid with reduced bounce increase risk of digging into the turf.

[bens197]

4 hours ago, MWGolf23 said:

@bens197I'm super late to the thread. See you got the 223s? How are you liking them? I'm going in for an iron fitting Saturday and am eyeing 223/225 combo and curious about the gapping.

So they're on order...Placed two Wednesdays ago and I expect them to get here maybe, by May 1st?  That's just a guess but If I keep my expectations low, them arriving early will feel nice.

Quite honestly, I did not like the 225.  I didn't care for the feel and the 7i vs 7i matchup, the numbers were eerily similar.  I just may not be the intended target for the 225's so I just went 4-P in 223.

Your mileage may vary so please don't let me dissuade you from trying a certain makeup.

4 hours ago, sosuHands said:

Finally made some time to get my loft & lies checked on my 225's .... turns out it was a smart thing to do. Loft & lies were all over the place for my clubs and had to be set back to standard. But now everything is fine except for that one misaligned grip on my 8 iron... but I can ignore that. Time to enjoy my new clubs! Can't wait for the weekend to go hit some practice balls and see what my new yardages are with 225s.

@chisagis one who is a staunch advocate for doing this.  I plan to do it myself when mine arrive sometime in the next few weeks.  If not for anything, just piece of mind.

[chisag]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

So they're on order...Placed two Wednesdays ago and I expect them to get here maybe, by May 1st?  That's just a guess but If I keep my expectations low, them arriving early will feel nice.

 

... Sweet! Thankfully you are old enough and smart enough to enjoy the anticipation. That is sorta lost on many but I love the anticipation and waiting for new clubs. That said, I can't wait to hear how they work for you. 

[bens197]

9 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Sweet! Thankfully you are old enough and smart enough to enjoy the anticipation. That is sorta lost on many but I love the anticipation and waiting for new clubs. That said, I can't wait to hear how they work for you. 

For certain...There is definitely the element of anticipation because quite honestly, my first set of Mizuno's is special.  

 

And let's not kid ourselves, having 4" of snow on the ground in 18* mornings makes it a liiiiiiitttllllleeee easier...:)

 

 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, bens197 said:

And let's not kid ourselves, having 4" of snow on the ground in 18* mornings makes it a liiiiiiitttllllleeee easier...:)

 

... Prolly about the same waiting time frame for my '22 Forged Tecs. You know the ole don't hate the player hate the game, but after trying to work thru this speed training set back I will have played 9 days in a row today and I need a weekend break. 88* yesterday which is ideal for me with the low humidity but dropping waaaay down to 68* today with 15mph winds so I know you feel bad for me.