Mizuno JPX-850 Forged Irons - THP Review Thread

[Jman]

Wouldnt that be a testament to the boron then, the Mizuno are a degree weaker and a 1/4in shorter as well as a complete forging instead of using a cast face which I what I believe Mizuno is referring to in the quote a few posts up??

Most will not notice a degree or 1/4", they simply won't. We've been down this road and I'll not let it go that way again. The quote was made, by mizuno, of not jacking the lofts, yet they're right there with other sets they aim that statement at. THAT was the discussion point.

As to the boron, if it was outdistancing the others, sure, but thus far they have not. Distance or launch. Ball speed tests will be done the next couple weeks.

 

[tequila4kapp]

As to the boron, if it was outdistancing the others, sure, but thus far they have not. Distance or launch. Ball speed tests will be done the next couple weeks.

I don't remember which model it was where people saw noticeable distance losses. Was it the precursor to this set? If so, that could help explain the distance claims - the boron would be offering extra distance vs the short clubs, etc.

 

[Jman]

I don't remember which model it was where people saw noticeable distance losses. Was it the precursor to this set? If so, that could help explain the distance claims - the boron would be offering extra distance vs the short clubs, etc.

Not to this set, but it was the EZ forged. A fully forged iron that lost significant distance in testing.

Different design than these though, those still exist in the line of active irons (there's a lot of them so it's hard to differentiate sometimes) so the boron doesn't have a role with that.

 

[Jman]

Now, to get this thread a bit more straightened out again.

I enjoyed them yesterday, good distance, good launch, pretty stable. Will say though that the feel at impact across the face was still a little peculiar to me in that it was so similar. Granted, I've not sat down for a long range session with these yet to really test the impact areas, but that is the early takeaway.

They set up beautifully, and the satin is a good look on them. Best badging I've personally seen them use on any of the JPX releases in terms of colors, the silver/chrome blends really well with the design in hand.

Shafts were interesting, need more long iron time with them, but they do seen to launch mid/high and had a similar feel to them as I got with the XP95 and XP105's, which is expected.

It's an interesting profile though, as to me they lean much more GE than GI.

 

[tequila4kapp]

What does the term game enhancement mean? Is it a replacement for a term like SGI or Players Club? Is it a fourth category, and if so where does it fit in the traditional SGI > GI > PC spectrum?

 

[Jman]

What does the term game enhancement mean? Is it a replacement for a term like SGI or Players Club? Is it a fourth category, and if so where does it fit in the traditional SGI > GI > PC spectrum?

In recent years we've seen more "tweener" irons as many refer to them, they sit between a players and GI profile. For me, it's players, game enhancement, game improvement, and then SGI.

Smaller profile, topline, sole, less offset, etc is why these fit there IMO. Eerily close in profile to the Pro Combos in several ways.

 

[Tadashi70]

I was going to shy away from these in my search but this look is hard to get away from. Nice and clean with some solid lines.

I like the idea of a tweener iron or game enhancement

 

[fupresti]

I was going to shy away from these in my search but this look is hard to get away from. Nice and clean with some solid lines.

I like the idea of a tweener iron or game enhancement

I think you would enjoy them Panda. Very much riding the line between GE and GI and James has stated.

 

[Tadashi70]

I think you would enjoy them Panda. Very much riding the line between GE and GI and James has stated.

I have some free time this week while in Denver and will be testing a few sticks on the monitor. Hopefully these are available.

 

[Scrap Iron]

It's early but what are you seeing on launch compared to the ez-forged or mp-54 (can't remember what you reviewed)

 

[ArmyGolf]

I never got to hit the MP54s, but I'm wondering if I would enjoy the super high launch.

 

[blugold]

I never got to hit the MP54s, but I'm wondering if I would enjoy the super high launch.

And short carries. Don't forget those. The MP54s were excellent at that.

 

[ArmyGolf]

And short carries. Don't forget those. The MP54s were excellent at that.

That bad eh? Sounds like Mizuno can't really take a step backwards then.

 

[blugold]

That bad eh? Sounds like Mizuno can't really take a step backwards then.

I only hit them on a Sim and they were 8-12 yards shorter and 4° higher launching than the VR Pro Combos I had.

 

[bobgeorge]

Thanks all, will be getting them out for the first time on Saturday with THP'ers, should be interesting as a getting to know you session.

Also, I'll add that I'm surprised at the size profile of these in hand, they're surprisingly close the the Vapor Pro-Combo's I just finished reviewing which are more of a GE iron than a GI setup.

Jman - How are they in size compared to the Srixon 545s? Looks, forgiveness?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[bobgeorge]

Not to this set, but it was the EZ forged. A fully forged iron that lost significant distance in testing.

Different design than these though, those still exist in the line of active irons (there's a lot of them so it's hard to differentiate sometimes) so the boron doesn't have a role with that.

Juan - is there a difference between "fully forged" and forged? I wonder how an iron can be forged when it is multi-material.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Jman]

It's early but what are you seeing on launch compared to the ez-forged or mp-54 (can't remember what you reviewed)

I reviewed EZ forged, hit both though. Not the same abnormal launch, it's high, but not to a fault (CG issue) like I still believe those were/are.

I never got to hit the MP54s, but I'm wondering if I would enjoy the super high launch.

It was not a good high in those.

Jman - How are they in size compared to the Srixon 545s? Looks, forgiveness?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Limited time with 545 in hand, these are smaller though, more GE than GI. With that, they will not be as forgiving as the 545, they just cannot by design/profile IMO.

Juan - is there a difference between "fully forged" and forged? I wonder how an iron can be forged when it is multi-material.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Who?

With the second part, one part is forged, another isn't, and they are paired together through various processes. IE forged frame and not face, or cast frame and forged face, whatever.

To the first, I will without doubt be attacked by some, but 99% will not tell a difference, fully forged, partially, cast, whatever. It's been seen time and again. But, some truly believe they can, and that's cool, the mind is powerful.

 

[bobgeorge]

Who?

With the second part, one part is forged, another isn't, and they are paired together through various processes. IE forged frame and not face, or cast frame and forged face, whatever.

To the first, I will without doubt be attacked by some, but 99% will not tell a difference, fully forged, partially, cast, whatever. It's been seen time and again. But, some truly believe they can, and that's cool, the mind is powerful.

Sorry..wrong name...thanks for all the wonderful feedback.

 

[bobgeorge]

To the first, I will without doubt be attacked by some, but 99% will not tell a difference, fully forged, partially, cast, whatever. It's been seen time and again. But, some truly believe they can, and that's cool, the mind is powerful.

I agree. I have heard of you hit balls with headphones on & can't hear the sound it is really hard to tell the difference. Even pros have a hard time doing it.

Your feedback...being smaller in profile and less forgiving that Srixon 545s or Apex makes them a "no go" for me. THP saved me a trip to Golfsmith. THANKS!

 

[Jman]

I agree. I have heard of you hit balls with headphones on & can't hear the sound it is really hard to tell the difference. Even pros have a hard time doing it.

Your feedback...being smaller in profile and less forgiving that Srixon 545s or Apex makes them a "no go" for me. THP saved me a trip to Golfsmith. THANKS!

Anytime dude, that's my job!

 

[Howzat]

Anytime dude, that's my job!

Who does it better than Jman?......no Juan. hehe

 

[Jman]

Got out today, windy as heeeeeeeeeeck, but I've got some thoughts I'm going to get up in the morning still. Several actually, a little all over the place with the thoughts really.

Grabbed these today though for now:

 

[DufferToo]

Jman,
I'm a bit concerned that you've found it hard to feel where you've impacted the clubface. We can all use forgiveness, but a detached feel especially from an OEM that promotes "feel" just seems off.

Looking forward to your additional thoughts from today's round.

 

[Jman]

Jman,
I'm a bit concerned that you've found it hard to feel where you've impacted the clubface. We can all use forgiveness, but a detached feel especially from an OEM that promotes "feel" just seems off.

Looking forward to your additional thoughts from today's round.

Will have more on this here in just a bit when I sit down to write the thoughts out (just got to work), but I played 4 different compression levels of golf balls yesterday just to test this some more. Got some pretty good feedback on it as well.

I agree with JMan on these that feedback is less than precise. Toe side misses especially feel quite nice and seem to be very forgiven. But sometimes I get that weird, "I know I toed it a bit but it felt good and it's still on track" feeling on a couple shots a round. I believe this to be due to the HIT technology that Mizuno uses to optimize sound and feel for their clubs. The badging and associated damping material improves feel on good shots and bad shots both.

I do take slight exception to the fact that these aren't credited for being a one piece forging with a hot face, which is the whole point of the boron. Sure it's probably a minuscule difference in ball speed, but where other companies are taking a forged frame and neck and attaching a non-forged maraging steel face and calling them "forged", Mizuno tried to push the boundaries of the one piece forging with a thin face by adding boron. I, for one, applaud the effort to get the most out of what they're renowned for--soft feeling, gorgeous, one piece forgings. We can debate feel and forging and casting all day long, but I've hit the Z545, Apex, and the 850F pretty extensively. I really, REALLY wanted to like the Apex when they came out and to get a set. But I thought they were one of the worst feeling "forged" irons I'd ever hit. The 545 feel pretty good for having no badging/rubber. But the 850F feels better across the board, to me, and still offers distance, solid forgiveness, and a great look at address and in the bag.

What you're referencing though in terms of feel is all personal, you have to remember that. My job (IMO) is not to relay the personal in terms of comparative "softness" etc because that comes back to the individuals actually going out and hitting the irons and making the decision themselves. For me, its all on performance, do they do what they say, do they do it well, what feedback do they give in relation to pure strikes, etc. Perfect example is with the Apex, to me they are one of the best feeling sets out there at impact and in terms of feedback, to you they aren't, hence why I avoid the idiosyncrasies of the personal when at all possible.

 

[Jman]

Now, though it was windy as heck yesterday, the sessions that I've had these out have definitely given me some feedback and thoughts.

• They're extremely good looking irons, the brushed chrome finish looks good and finally Mizuno has gotten it right with the badging, yes its a more modern aesthetic look than what you get out of the MP series, but that is traditionally what the JPX line has been.
• The profile still surprises me, its more compact IMO than the 800 and 825 Pro's I've spent time with before. The topline is smaller than expected, much more GE than GI, and the sole is as well. The smaller amount of offset combined with this actually gives them a level of demand at address I wasn't expecting. As I've said before, much more in line with the Vapor Pro Combos size wise and I was honestly expecting something more Apex like.
• Not a progressive set, so the look is the same throughout the set, the offset and build stay pretty uniform throughout.
• Plush is the word I come to at impact. I will not get into the "they feel forged" trap because what that feels like is subjective to the user, I will say though there is a dense tone at impact, no high click. They feel good in that aspect.
• One area I tested further though was in feedback across the face, I used 4 different compression level balls and focused on going heel, toe, center, and high/low with them. Frankly, there was not much difference in feedback from pure shots to misses, it all blended together a bit just as my initial session indicated. I will add though, that the lowest compression ball I used felt like a marshmallow off the face with almost no sound and no vibrational feedback (Lady Precept), the higher the compression, the more the feedback got a bit more noticeable (Nike RZN Black).
• They launch well, the XP115 is an interesting feeling shaft, in a good way. More heft than the XP95 or XP105 obviously, but the same constant feel through the swing. Had no issue launching any of the irons through the set, in fact I hit a couple 4i and 5i yesterday just because that were definitely mid-high flights, a good thing to see in long irons. Scoring irons got up in a hurry, but not to a point of fault like with the lines last year, no distance loss was seen.
• Flighting was no issue into the wind, played several easy knockdowns, but that is technique and IMO can be done with any set.
• Distance, well, its there. These are as long for me as my Apex are, I'm hitting those same numbers with the 8i being a 165 range club and it was seen repeatedly both via laser and SC100 yesterday. Its good distance, with a good flight and launch. Is it the Boron? Maybe. Still haven't gotten to really test the ball speeds yet on these with an extended session, but early indications are that they do as claimed in terms of distance, which with this profile/size is very very intriguing and a bit surprising to me to be honest.
• As forgiveness goes, don't miss bottom groove, hahahaha. Seriously though, high and low saw the most altered flight while dropping the expected distance. Heel and toe strikes though kept a very good line, not a ton of the toe-draw or heel-fade that is seen, distance loss on theses shots seem average, but I really need a more calm day on the range to fully clarify that.
• Turf interaction is good, they have a sizeable bevel on the sole that really seemed to help prevent digging for me, I could get really aggressive down and they cleared through well, no major twisting or shuttering so far.

Early thoughts, but thoughts nonetheless.