While there has been much anticipation and discussion surrounding just when we would finally be able to discuss the new JPX iron lineup from Mizuno, fret no more, the time is finally here.
It has been enjoyable to watch Mizuno really find their groove in recent release cycles, that may seem strange at first when talking about a company renowned for their iron releases, but it’s true. The company has doubled down on producing irons and wedges worthy of the Mizuno name, which has brought the JPX line back to club designs that aren’t trying to be something the company isn’t. When you combine the massive success and popularity of JPX and particularly the Hot Metal design which amassed significant market share with the Mizuno Pro lineup you have the most complete alternating iron release cycle in golf, period.
But this day is about JPX923 irons specifically, so let’s get into it!
Mizuno JPX923 Irons
The tagline surrounding the new JPX923 series from Mizuno is “Engineered for Custom” and this whole premise is based in the data which the company has collected through fittings as well as their Shaft Optimizer. What that showed them is there are trends with golf, and specifically the golfers moving to Mizuno. First, there is an overall tendency of golfers to put more shaft lean on than ever, which has a direct effect on the playable bounce and loft of the club at impact. Second, there are more lower clubhead speed golfers going out to get fit, and they are finding that the modern trends in “game improvement” irons have left them behind. Mizuno has realized that the JPX lineup is the perfect playing ground of innovation to address those things.
What that has led to is the broadest iron release we have ever seen from Mizuno Golf. Yes, the Forged and Tour options return in the JPX923 lineup, but the biggest story is perhaps once again Hot Metal, and in this cycle, we are getting three designs. So yes, you read that right, in all, the JPX923 iron release is comprised of five iron models.
Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal
The Hot Metal has been a revelation in golf, Mizuno applying Chromoly was nothing short of an absolute game changer both for the company as well as golfers. This year, there is an important change there as the company is introducing Nickel Chromoly. According to the company, the material itself is 35% stronger and with that brought a sizeable jump in speed to the table, so much so that the designers were able to switch focus from fighting for speed to dialing in feel and stopping power. This 35% strength jump means the faces can be made 8% thinner, which is an incredible jump. Better yet, they found that this inclusion of Nickel added strength but not at the cost of bendability for fitting adjustments, a true win-win.
Material isn’t all that has changed however, under the hood of the Hot Metal 923’s is a new CORTECH multi-thickness face with a new seamless face cup design that brings a 360 Face Cup to a level which quite possibly has not been done before in terms of complexity and versatility. Add in a variable sole thickness aspect and “V-Chassis” feature which helps to bring the sound of a new (quite literally hotter, Hot Metal) material back to where a Mizuno iron should be and you can see clearly that this is no refresh, this is much more.
The JPX923 Hot Metal consist of the Hot Metal, Hot Metal Pro, and new Hot Metal HL. The Pro is everything that golfers have come to expect, design wise it takes what the 921 established as a true modern iron with massive playability and imbues into the design all the new material and technological aspects while keeping a size which will appeal to a broad range of golfers.
Meanwhile, the Hot Metal is more forgiving than its sibling offering more blade length, a slightly thicker topline, and more offset. With all that comes a notable jump in playability and forgiveness while still producing copious amounts of ball speed. Here, the new Nickel Chromoly looks to shine with Mizuno’s testing, showing staggering ball speed potential.
However, the biggest story is the Hot Metal HL, a direct answer from Mizuno to all the fitting data they collected which showed a massive gap in the market for players who swing at slower speeds. Essentially, the trend with irons has been more speed, and lower spin, which also equates to lower launch. The issue there is for some golfers all those things can actually be a bad combination. Where is Mizuno drawing that line? Well, according to their data 1 in 4 golfers swings a 7-iron at 75 MPH or less, so it is that realm which the slightly larger (more offset, blade length, topline) HL’s come in. According to Mizuno, they have cracked the code of creating an iron that offers more launch and controlled spin where these golfers need it (long irons) while still keeping the distance which they all desire.
Mizuno JPX923 Forged and Tour
The follow up to what has been nothing short of a rockstar designs for Mizuno, the Forged and Tour are indeed back with the 923’s. While there is a plethora of irons in this class which talk about forged this, and forged that, most are only applying that to one portion of the design. Mizuno on the other hand, is using a one-piece billet forging to create these irons. Why is this a big deal? For Mizuno, it means maintaining design integrity with continuously flowing grains throughout the head, and that means a feel for which they are renowned.
Material wise, the 923 Forged is using a billet of 4120 Chromoly in 4-7 and 1025E in 5-GW. After forging, the iron heads are back milled which places a micro slot into the head allowing for the flex that Mizuno wants in the design without them having to do any welding which would disrupt the grain flow of the material. While the 921 Forged was an iron that truly broke the mold for the players segment with the application of Chromoly, the 923 has seen refinement allowing for a thinner face which increases the overall speed and more importantly rebound area than in the 921. It is the same refined look which golfers with a picky eye fell for last time around, with feel, flight, and speed refinements. Not to mention, YES, there are left-handed heads.
The 923 Tour are just what the name implies, these are true one-piece forged players cavity irons which come from a solid billet of 1025E. The lineage of these irons are part of what has put Mizuno’s JPX line on the rocket ship it seems to be riding from a popularity standpoint as they brought the traditional players iron to a modern design and refinement which of course won Major Championships along the way. With the 923 Tour, the refinement continues. Yes, the copper underlay is present here and makes for truly impeccable feel/feedback but also a lot of massaging to the shape was done. In the 6-PW, it is now shorter heel-toe and the topline is not just thinner, but also cambered more making it look much thinner than previous versions. Additionally, work was done with the weight pads in the rear to optimize the feedback and create a modern Tour iron which might just have no rival.
The Details
As you can see, Mizuno has been hard at work with the new JPX923 iron release and they’ve left no stone unturned to create a five iron lineup that will offer something for everyone. While some will point to the evolution of Mizuno as a company showcasing the JPX, it is more that the company has truly built a direction for JPX within what the Mizuno is.
The new JPX923 Hot Metal irons will hit retail on 10/13/22 with a price tag of $1,095 for an 8 piece set or $137.50 per iron. The JPX923 Forged and Tour following early next year on 2/9/23 with a price tag of $1,500 for an 8 piece set or $187.50 per iron.
For more information, check out their website at www.mizunogolf.com.
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I’ll know more when I’m able to get out. 2 jobs 5 days a week kills my golf time.
I also have the 95’s. I’ve been playing graphite for the past 8 years. Recoil 680 F4, then Catalyst 80 6.0 and now the 95’s. IMO, they feel nothing like steel, they’re pretty smooth and not harsh at all.
What is your decent angles ? That spin and launch angle seem on the low end and that is with a 7i. If you play a 5 and 6i you’d be in the high 2000’s low 3000’s in spin, no ?
If I’m remembering correctly, descent angle was low 40’s, like 41 or 42 on well struck shots. The HL got me in the 44 range. I actually think on course, the numbers will be a little better. I do play a 5 and 6 iron and you’re right, there’s not enough height or spin to really hold a green in most cases. If I’m hitting an approach with those, I usually plan to land it short and let it run up on the green. I wish I had a driving range close by that tracked data like that, so I could see what my irons were doing across the board.
Based on the data you’ve been posting, it looks like you’re swinging faster than me. Every time I go demo irons with the Recoils, they keep telling me I need the F4. That the F3 would be too soft and it would hurt my dispersion. Seems like it’s doing pretty well for you though and looks like you’re swinging faster. Are you getting any fliers or noticing any dispersion issues?
I am actually noticing some dispersion issues when I really get after it. I’m going to be putting the recoil dart 90s in as soon as possible. They have tighter dispersion for me.
Really great info, thanks for sharing the data. The numbers seem strange to me though. The HM 7i is over half a club stronger and spins less than the HL, yet they both go the same distance? That would typically tell me your clubhead speed is too low but then you’re hitting them 175 yards. There’s something missing or off, just not sure what. Either way, I’d take the numbers of the HLs over the others 8 days a week assuming dispersion is good. Not sure if you already mentioned this but how would you compare the 3 size-wise? I like what I’ve read about the HLs so far but a big chunky head really throws me off. A lot of golf reviewers talk about a thicker top line giving golfers confidence but it does the exact opposite for me.
I gotcha. I felt like I was on the edge between the two, but after hitting a bit, I’m always directed towards the F4, so I was just curious. Dispersion was pretty good for me with the F4, so I’m going to stick with that.
Yeah that is me as well. I find that often I sit right in between regular and stiff flex. I’m either most comfortable in a regular that feels a bit on the stiff side or a stiff that plays a bit soft.
The Recoil Dart 90s hit that sweet spot of a Regular flex that plays a bit stiff. So when I really go after one I’m not losing a bunch of accuracy and spraying the ball around.
I’m not in the market for irons, buuuuut…no loss of distance between Hot Metal HL and Hot Metal, even with the different loft? Color me interested!
Yeah, I had the guy at the PGA SS scratching his head with the numbers lol. Maybe it’s hitting off the mat? I feel like I’m getting a little more spin than that on the course, but it’s definitely still low. That’s why I was looking at the HL, hoping to get a better launch and more spin. Dispersion was good with all three, but I would probably say HL was best. They were all really good in that regard.
In regards to the clubhead size, the HMP is the smallest, then HM, then HM HL. If you compare them side by side, you can tell a difference. The HMP really does look great at address and to me, personally, it looks the best. Slimmer top line, a little thinner sole, and just a little more compact than the others. The HM has a little thicker top and sole, but it’s not bad. The HL is definitely a bit thicker, top to bottom and has more offset. I really like the slimmer look of the HMP, but Mizuno does a really good job of hiding the extra bulk on these. The transition from the satin finish to the chrome on the topline makes it look a little thinner than it is. The same goes for the sole. If you look at the sole, it’s rounded at the back, so part that interacts with the turf is smaller, if that makes sense. If you think you’ll benefit from the higher launch and spin of the HL, I would definitely take a look. You may find that it’s a little larger than you like, but you may also be surprised, like I was, at how well Mizuno hides the extra bulk.
The Recoil Darts sound like they will be a hit once released. My concern is getting fliers and dispersion with regular flex. Going to stiff flex in steel helped dispersion and mostly stopped the fliers. I can really get after it with the Recoils in F4 and it’s stable and dispersion doesn’t change much. They did have a Recoil ESX F3 at the PGA SS, but I didn’t try it. I hit that in the 921 HM’s awhile back and was impressed and how good they felt in those, though. That shaft had a higher launch, but I’m not sure about going to lighter weight. They don’t offer that in F4 so that’s another concern.
I was expecting to lose some distance with the higher launch, but it’s actually what I need. I’m getting similar carry distances between the HM and HM HL, but the HM has more rollout, so total distance was longer. I’m trying to hold more greens from further out, so based on the numbers, the HL should fly higher, land softer, and stop faster. I really hope that translates to the course. If it does, I should be able to go out with my current yardages and hopefully find more GIR.
If you dont want to pay for a fitting, go to a retail store and try the shaft optimizer from Mizuno if you would like.
Or buy off the rack. If you want them, get them.
https://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/index.php?threads/mizuno-shaft-optimizer-3d.8930347/
It’s so much easier having a 9 iron into a green from 160 out than a 7 iron. I feel like I’m going to be playing some good golf with these weapons in my hands.
#17 at Windmill in the cold and rain yesterday. Poor drive had me in the right rough 180 to the middle.
Got a case of the huh’s in my swing and hit out on the toe…still 177 pin high.
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@That post – there’s obviously some big differences between your two iron sets. Ball speed is much faster, with the corresponding difference in launch/spin. My question is how much, if any, difference are you seeing in height and landing angle into the green? I’m going to guess it’s pretty similar because ball speeds like that should influence height to pretty large degree.
I played Windmill Lakes on Friday. Tough track! I managed to stay in the 80’s but barely. Those 400+ yard par 4’s keep getting longer and longer the older I get. Glad to see the HMP’s got you just off the green in regulation.
Yeah, the difference in feel and on course performance between the two sets couldn’t be wider. As mentioned earlier I’m able to feel much more confident over the ball when I have a JPX iron in my hand. The miss hits aren’t as punishing and they feel incredibly good when struck well.
Based on what I saw yesterday on course I feel like the JPX irons are launching into a slightly higher window but kind leveling off only 10ish feet higher than my old set. I do feel like they are landing a bit softer and I’m definitely holding more greens. Here is a quick comparison of GIR yesterday vs my average (90 rounds with old clubs).
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It’s a drastic improvement. Maybe a lot of it has to do with being able to use shorter irons firing into greens bc I’m hitting these 923s so far? Whatever it is I can dig it!
I’ve got one more SIM video to drop then I’ll transition into on course ShotScope data. I will play 3 rounds this week in hopes of the ShotScope data kinda ‘settling in’.
I’ll ask again if anyone has some specific things they want to know or see on video? On course or at the range? I was blessed with this incredible opportunity and I’m here to serve this community with whatever I can to get you in these amazing irons ?
I’ve never done a full fitting for irons, but I’ve always tried to at least go hit them on a launch monitor or something to see how they feel and make sure I’m getting results like I would expect. If you decide to just order a set, Budget Golf has a 90 day guarantee. If you get them and don’t like them, you can return them and get something else. Edwin Watts and PGA Superstore also have 90 day trial periods like that, if you have any close by.
I’ve hit the reverse of that. I’ve been demoing the 923s with the Recoil 95 and awhile back I hit the 921s with the Recoil ESX F3. The ESX is lighter and feels lighter, but not in a way that really threw me off. According to the UST website, the F3 is 64g, so it’s a good bit lighter than the 95s. Still, it felt really stable and I could make a normal full swing and got pretty good results. Ball flight was higher and I got a little more distance and it felt great. If it was available for the 923s in F4 I would give it a shot against the 95s and see how they compare, since it should give a higher ball flight, which is what I’m after. If you’re looking at F3, I would go demo both and see which one provides the best numbers and feel.
Love them. What realistically should I expect different from the the 923 version.
I worry about the lofts being stronger.
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are the 923 .5* stronger? 1/2 of a degree
Coming from the 2019 P790 the 923 HMP are about 10-15 yards longer club vs club, spin a lot less, and sound 1000X better. The lofts on the 923 HMP are a tad stronger than the 921 HMP but not jacked! I feel you will see some distance gains of course but it should not be drastic.
The 923 HMP starts to get 1/2 degree stronger at the 7 iron, 1 degree at 8 iron, 1.5 degrees at 9 iron, and PW vs the 921 HMP
A lot of stores will do "free fittings" they will have the fitting cart and let you try some iron shafts and head combos. We have a couple of practice facilities and the PGA Superstore here that will do that. It isn’t a true fitting but it will give you an idea of dispersion, distance, spin, and so on. I used the PGA SS data to buy my irons.
I know my LGS does that for off-the-rack stuff. I don’t know if you can do that with stuff off the fitting cart. I may ask, if I think about it, but, for the cost of a full set of irons, I’d pay the additional 10% or so it would incur and get fitted properly.
The Mizuno Shaft Optimizer is free at stores if available and gives someone access to a fitting cart info.
I have the Recoil 680’s in my Maltby DBM’s and prefer the 95’s in the 923’s.
Understood, but I expect I’ll try different irons. (Though, right now, my short list is pretty short.)
You can use the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer with any iron.
6i has historically been my least consistent iron from my old set. I’m not sure exactly why but I’m just never comfortable over it and end up with very inconsistent strikes. That shows up on the video.
It’s like a switch is flipped when I start swinging the HMP. I’m getting much more consistent ball flight. Dispersion was right but they all went that way.
Because this was the first club I hit I wasn’t putting the same speed of swings as I did later on so 6i yardage was shorter than 7i.
I hit the HL vs the HM 7i demos today with the same Recoil 460 F3 shaft and on my best shots both carried 143 but the HL had a little more spin which I like and need.
I couldn’t figure out how to change the monitor to show descent angle which I was bummed about. I was really surprised though that the normal HM didnt go farther. Then again I need launch and spin so perhaps the HL is just a better fit for me.
Going to do more testing with the HL at our outdoor demo place against my G425 irons.
They did sound and feel very nice for a cast iron.
You’re the second or third poster who’s experienced that, I think?
Since I know that you and I are in the same place with clubs, if I could get 143 with a 7i and more spin, it’ll be tough to not be serious about picking up a set of HL’s
One thing you will notice though compared to your Rogue irons is the offset. I picked up a Rogue Max OS at Galaxy the other day and I didn’t think I was that big of an offset noticer but it had way too much for my eye. The HL wasn’t too bad at all. I need to look at the specs but I would say about the same if not a little less than my G425 irons.
I will be watching closely: not only is your 7i distance similar to mine, but I’m also gaming G425 irons!
I had Hot Metals in 917 and 919 and I freaking love their Gap Wedge. It’s so good.
Good to hear! It’s still kinda early for ShotScope distances but it’s starting to look like I’m going to need one.
View attachment 9123370edit- changed graphic to include todays round (gained 7y with the 50)
It’s really good. Presents to the ball just like the rest of the set, but performance is kind of between the heat of the Hot Metal and the softness of a traditional milled wedge. Straddles that gap perfectly.
Sounds perfect!
Can you bend your 50 to 48 to make it a true GW gapping for the set?
I probably could yes. But it’d be missing the ‘hotness’ of the Nickel Chromoly and that seems to be a game changer with these irons. It would also mean my wedge with a 50° stamped on it wouldn’t be a 50 anymore and that would drive me insane. ?
That’s the wrong kind of crazy for this game dude.