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.
I think I would like 85 grams ok, but 65 grams is a tough mental hurdle.
I am ball bound. I top out at 85 mph with a 7i without a ball and about 77 mph with a ball. I’m hoping Dr Kwon drills cure this.
I could use more distance, but I’m 6’, 200# and in relatively good shape for 50+ and I just feel 95 grams and graphite is giving in enough. I’m already hitting blue / R flex and F3.
If anything, I’m ballooning the ball enough already and losing distance there. I was a Titleist d3/f3 player before to keep spin off. I even tried the tour speed ball as I get all carry and no roll off the Tsi2. It seems to help actually. Going to try the avx next.
They have TopTracer.
Bridgestone Range balls.
Warmed up with my Rogue ST Max OS irons:
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Then hit the 923 HL with DG 300 R flex
felt ok but not getting the distance I wanted.
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Asked to bring out the Swing Analyzer with the 7i 923HL head.
Took 3 swings and it spits out DG 105R. Not surprised as I have been fitted in that weight of shaft before.
Here are those results:
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Spin and Launch is showing up as I got less roll out than the Rogue.
Had the fitter put in the Modus 105R and the skies opened and the Angels began to sing:
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This shaft just felt so good and love, love 8 yards of roll out. That ball is sticking to a green.
Did go back and hit my Rogue after I warmed up. I got some longer distances, but I actually got more roll out as well.
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Went back and hit the Modus 105 R after the Rogue:
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Don’t se if I’m serious about my game how I couldn’t order a 6-PW set.
Launch and Landing angles are all higher with the 923 HL
Shout to @Vosh68. I’m the golfer these are designed for and the Mizuno marketing of these irons are right on.
Hahaha … I can’t even think of a reply, other than … My Man! ?
In my non professional opinion, sounds like you may need to try an F4 shaft for the ballooning. The F3 could be not quite stiff enough. I’m hitting around 100 for my driver and about 80 with my irons and play an F4.
Looking forward to putting them in play.
100% agree! I don’t think I’m a slow swinger, getting around 170 carry with these (maybe I am? I don’t know). My trouble is ball flight. I need a little more height and these provide just that without feeling like they are huge or have a ton of offset. To be able to get more height and not lose any distance is amazing to me. I think Mizuno has a solid lineup in the 923s and I’m looking forward to hearing about others experiences, especially with the HL.
On a side note, it looks like my trip to order a set this Saturday may get pushed back. Stupid hurricane.
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Looks like the High Launch are getting lots of love! ?
Really like the look of those hybrids. What did you think? Are they overly draw biased?
when I did my G700 fitting years ago I had the same experience with the Modus105R
every shaft was pretty much the same. Put the modus in and boom. More ball speed, more launch, more spin, more distance, better descent angle.
You ordering ?
You’re welcome I’m so glad you’ve found value in the information. Please let me know if there is anything else you’d like to know or see.
5 iron is my favorite club!! It’s a point, shoot and go far club.
Those last couple are real nice numbers. 136 mph 5i is pretty legit. And over 4k spin doing it. Good stuff! And yeah, they sound great.
So a long answer to your question:
I think I’m going to CC for an Iron fitting when they get the heads in.
When I play the Rogue ST Max OS irons with a 2022 Chrome Soft, I get spin off of them. I see the ball dance on shots I hit into the green, so I really need to go somewhere that can show me spin.
I do have a set of T400 with that Modus shaft in them that I’m not using. That shaft didn’t work for me in that head.
Thinking of pulling those shafts, putting back the original AMT’s in the T400’s and have a set of 923 HL built with those Modus 105R.
Have to see if it’s worth the cost. It’s not like I’m in any hurry as my season is almost done however I’d like to do dome work with the club that I’m going to game in 2023.
Sounds like a good plan.
I’m in the same boat. Odd timing for a new release given half of the US won’t be playing much in the next 4-5 months. Doesn’t stop me from tinkering and demoing though lol
I have hit prior Gen Fli Hi’s and to my eye they also say open to me and I lost them right (fade).
the 223 version seemed to sit neutral. Lately I’ve been hitting a little pull fade as my stock shot with longer irons and this one was no different. I changed my setup and was able to hit baby draws. Even setup open and hit a high cut with it. Very cool club.
I thought the HL iron was pretty similar to my retro lofted g425 iron. The looks wowed me but performance was on par with my irons which was a good thing as I like my irons. The fli hi was fun to hit. Didn’t want to put it down.
my 6i is always my bugaboo club and could see a fli hi in that slot. So for me like a
6 Fly Hi then 7-GW combo
Thanks for the info! I’m planning to order a set of the HL 5-PW, so I’m considering adding a 4 hybrid. I love the look of the Mizuno hybrids, but haven’t had an opportunity to hit any of them. Some of the hybrids I’ve looked at look really closed at address and I feel like I’m going to hook it no matter what. I’ll see if they have any 923 hybrids to demo when I go back to order my HL’s.
I know the fitting center near me had all 4 loft models to try in the Fly Hi. They had the 26* in both a Reg and Lite flex to try, not sure what flex the others were in. Figured 20* was probably F4, 23* probably F3 and 29* in F2.
This was discussed at TPC I’m not sure I can share the reasons but it is a very strategic move that has been thought out and pushed for. It makes sense to me from a business perspective. The flip side is the other half of the US is in a pretty prime golf time.
I can think of a couple reasons, but, yeah: At first blush it seems non-optimal.
For me, being up here in what might become The Great White North, soon-ish, it’s a good thing. For, despite the fact it would make no sense whatsoever for me to upgrade my clubs at my current stage of golf development, I might otherwise be tempted ?
With this release timing I’ll continue my swing development, put these on my short list of clubs to try in a fitting, and, assuming that happens, by the time I’m ready their behavior should be well-known and the supply chain should be all caught up.
As a big feel and sound player the feel and sound of a pure strike is euphoria. I am constantly chasing that feel and I honestly think it’s going to make me a better ball striker for it.
I hope everyone even marginally considering replacing their irons this cycle gets a chance to hit the JPX lineup. Every golfer should be able to experience the euphoria of flushing a Mizuno iron and becoming addicted to it ??
I’m running into this issue currently my set goes to PW the next wedge in the bag is 50°. It’s leaving a 20-30y gap. I discussed it a little earlier in the thread but I’ll be getting the set GW just as soon as it’s available individually already have a Dart shaft waiting for it.
Personally I think the 5 and 6 irons are probably my favorite clubs in the set. They are incredibly easy for me to hit and hit far. Idk if I’d skip them. I’m probably going to end up ditching 3w all together and just lean on the Fli-hi’s in the top of the bag.
I went with the T-22 48° as my next wedge. I kind of treat the clubs as the next one up from what they say, so the PW is more a 9 iron etc.
What does your gapping between PW and 48° look like? More or less than you would like? About what you expected?
I had a little epiphany yesterday. Since I bought the Rogue ST MAX OS and put them in play, I’ve:
1. Won MVP of my Tuesday Night League with the most points
2. Our Team won the Tuesday Night League Championship
3. In my first time competing, I tied for 1st place in our Club Championship in the Senior Division
And here I am thinking of replacing those Irons with another set?
Only here would someone do that….
I haven’t been on a monitor but with the very limited ShotScope data I have, a bit more than I’d like. I need more rounds to confirm.
I was not a fan of the 921HMP gap wedge. It was "clunky" around the greens when chipping and I didn’t care for the feel on full swings.
I use a 921 Forged gap wedge that I picked up on sale at the local golf shop. Much better.
Thanks for the feedback! I haven’t swung or laid eyes on the 923 HMP GW except for the pic JB posted in this thread.
I won’t use it for anything other than full swings. The T22s own greenside
Maybe consider the MP225 GW (49*)? I like that one better.
You could wait for Windmill Golf Center to offer one of their free fitting days – I bet the Mizuno guys will be there at some point. It’s a good way to compare clubs/shafts & see what’s best for you
Thanks for the info. I think you’ll like the Recoils – I know I’ll never go back to steel shafts.
Based on my own game, I’m betting the HL’s are the club that would help me the most. I tend to hit the ball lower & don’t hold greens with 5-7i as well as I think I should.
At the very least, I think I’ll see if I can pick up a HL 5i and compare it to my HM919 5i.
I’m super excited about the Recoils. They’ve felt great every time I’ve hit an iron with them and my dispersion has been really good. I ordered a set of the HL with the Recoil 95’s 5-PW yesterday, so now I just have to wait.
If you’re hitting it a little low, definitely check out the HL’s if you get a chance. They should launch higher and land softer and for me, I didn’t lose any distance to get that higher flight. I think the only thing that might hold some people up is that they are slightly larger than the Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro, though it’s really not a huge difference. The performance is there though and I think a lot of people are going to be impressed with the HL. If you do get to try them, let us know how they compare to your 919’s.
I get it.
since adding my g425 irons this year it’s helped me shave off 2 strokes (my lowest season avg ever)+9 over par According to shot scope. And I’m thinking about these ?
My "Guy" at Club Champion just texted me a photo of their testing heads.
I may have given him my schedule for the next two weeks.
That is almost exactly what I am thinking about doing but using my 5 Hybrid (Rogue -25 degree) instead of the HL 5 iron. I am definitely thinking that the HMP 7-PW will work nicely. If all goes well I will be hitting all three of the Hot Metal options on Friday in the simulator at GG.
I’ve got 5.5 rounds with the 923’s on it so I’ll put together some data on it this week but it won’t be as comprehensive as I’d like.
I would try to hit the HMP 5i before making this decision. It’s incredibly easy to hit well and get airborne and it goes far. The 5i is my favorite iron in the set.