While the star of Mizuno’s fall show will undoubtedly be their JPX925 Hot Metal irons, they don’t (on their own) provide the total fitting picture that the company is aiming for. Almost all of us have a “last effective iron” in our set. In other words, there’s a point where performance with irons degrades enough that it suggests an alternative, usually in the form of a hybrid or fairway wood. For some of us, that last effective irons comes quicker than others. Utilizing an immense trove of fitting and robot data analysis, Mizuno’s JPX925 Fli-Hi line is designed to fill out your iron set, giving you the same confidence in the lower reaches of your bag that you have in your 7 iron in hand.
Though they are hybrids at heart, the JPX925 Fli-Hi line is designed a bit differently. The trend in hybrid design has been to stretch out their distance potential, which certainly has its benefits, but it can present some gapping and playability issues. Fli-Hi’s are considered by Mizuno to be direct iron replacements, enabling golfers to maintain consistent feel, distance, playability, and height throughout the set.
Flow Profile Design and Material Selection
Flow Profile Design is an incremental change in club head shaping throughout the set. While having multiple hybrids that are shaped the same way is great for visual continuity, it does present some challenges when it comes to producing ideal launch conditions. For example, a 3 hybrid is often much more difficult to elevate than a 5 hybrid. By widening the club head’s profile in the lower lofts, Mizuno was able to drive the weight low and back, increasing launch where it’s needed. Conversely, the higher lofts are more compact.
Each Fli-Hi head is composed of two materials, each designed for a specific purpose. The 17-4 Stainless Steel face is built for durability, while the softer 431 Stainless Steel body provides speed and the opportunity for hosel adjustments.
Wave Sole and Speed Bevel
Wave Sole is all about providing consistency so you can hit more greens, even if you’re not the most consistent ball striker. It allows the face to flex easier and creates a wider area of high performance for you to strike the ball. It’s been designed to be especially helpful on low-face impacts, which are quite common as club length increases. Speed Bevel, which is visible in the grounded club above, is an interesting addition to Fli-Hi. Mizuno has shaped the leading edge (in their words they “blunted” it) to effectively increase the bounce, which makes the club more forgiving in the turf. They did this because they noticed their customers tended to swing Fli-Hi’s with more of a descending strike, similar to how they swing an iron.
Details
Keen eyes will notice very little offset in the Fli-Hi line. Again, Mizuno intends Fli-Hi to be a direct iron replacement, outfitting them with a .355 tip diameter so you can use your iron shaft. In addition to having similar assembly dimensions, the JPX925 Fli-Hi’s are the exact same price per stick as the JPX925 Hot Metal irons. New this year is the addition of two Fli-Hi options for left handers (19 and 22).
- Available 19, 22, 25, 28 / RH and 19, 22 / LH
- Shaft: Recoil Dart ESX
- Grip: Lamkin UT+
- $150 per club
- For more information, make sure to check out their website at www.mizunogolf.com.
