Each year consumers are inundated with new iron sets and it can get extremely confusing as to what set will work best for what type of golfer you are. Mizuno has taken a unique approach into the idea by having a larger amount of options to fit just about any player out there, but one type of golfer always seemed to be left out of the bunch in our opinion, from the Mizuno line of irons and that was the golfer looking for maximum forgiveness without sacrificing a lot of the feel and performance that Mizuno irons are synonymous with. In the inaugural issue of THP: The Magazine, we got a chance to take a look at the Mizuno MX-1000 irons and came away extremely impressed and wanted to be able to do a full review for our readers of the website as well.
Technology
The new MX-1000 Hot Metal irons were developed with a super high COR and a massive MOI for AMAZING DISTANCE AND FORGIVENESS. The Hot Metal construction of the MX-1000 is created by plasma welding a thin, hot, ES230 maraging steel face to a high tech stainless steel body. This exotic construction delivers COR numbers that reach the legal limit, which results in incredible distance for your iron shots. Moreover, Hollow Technology construction with internal extreme MOI weighting creates a super low and deep COG, which delivers an easy, high and straight ball flight. The MX-1000 with Hot Metal technology is the longest and straightest iron we have ever developed, and it is sure to take your game to a whole new level.
*Hot Metal construction provides amazing distance and forgiveness
*Hollow Technology construction with optimized internal weighting for maximum forgiveness and an easy, high launch
*Two-toned durable double nickel chrome plated finish and finely detailed electroformed medallion
*Modified U-grooves; which conform to the Condition of competition 2010, produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions.
*Aggressively beveled sole design for maximum forgiveness and consistent playability from all types of lies.
Looks
The MX-1000 irons look different than just about any Mizuno iron before them. They offer a slightly larger club head, closer to that of most Game Improvement (GI) irons and a thicker topline as well. The finish is on the clubs is a wonderful anti-glare satin look that has no issues at all in the sun light. The sole of the club is beveled towards the cavity and shows off the classic Mizuno logo and the iron number. Inside the cavity is where this club separates itself from almost every Mizuno we have seen previously. Black and yellow color scheme matching that of the MX-700 driver we reviewed last year the MX-1000 irons are seemingly more busy than most we have come to enjoy from this brand over the years. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different than those classic and elegant looks we have come to expect from this line of clubs. The overall package is a great blend of classic lines and edges with a modern twist that wreaks of technology.
Performance
Forgiveness and performance, is it possible to have this kind of blend in a GI iron? Mizuno believes that you can with what they are billing as their “longest and straightest” iron to date. On the range we found the creative thoughts behind the MX-1000s to be true as these irons offered a nice high ball flight and were straight as an arrow. As a single digit handicap golfer that plays different irons each week, I still prefer the straight ball rather than having the ability to move it left and right, but with this set, I had no issue producing draws and/or fades with each shot. Something we do not see often with GI irons and was a very pleasant surprise. In the hands of the testers, more than 80% (out of 14 golfers) said that they were getting more distance with the MX-1000 irons than that of their current set. I was not one of them however. I did not see a distance increase, but did not see a decrease either.
The feel is where the Mizuno irons shined in my hands as the clubs offer incredible feedback and perhaps unlike any other GI set I have previously tested in that regards. As is expected with most Mizuno irons, they offer an incredibly soft feel at impact and tremendous feedback on your missed shots. Where they differentiated themselves from many other Mizuno irons is that when you do miss, the added forgiveness is incredibly helpful and keeps the shots on line like the best of them.
One of the local testers that tried the MX-1000 irons out on the course was kind enough to post his findings on the irons both on the actual course and the range before the round. Click here to check out his forum post in which he details his thoughts on feel, performance, forgiveness, and more.
Course Performance
I was able to put these in my bag for multiple rounds as well as countless range sessions and each time out, I try and find something wrong with them to no avail. The MX-1000 irons from Mizuno offer a rare blend of forgiveness and feel that we just do not see very often. Feel is a very subjective topic, but when you have almost every person that tries the set come back and say “These feel incredible”, you know you are onto something.
The ball flight is extremely high, but it was not one in which the ball falls out of the sky and loses distance because of it. We found the flight to be perfect for the forgiveness and performance that these clubs offer. The irons were fitted with the True Temper GS95 shaft and it works in perfect harmony with the club head to produce a shot selection that would make just about any golfer happy. One issue that myself and a few others had with the clubs was the stock grip. It was a little too slick for what some liked, but that is an easy and inexpensive fix.
During my testing I was able to transition to these clubs nicely from other sets that we have been testing and the biggest reason for that was the forgiveness. The weighting that these offer really work hard to square the club face up at impact and when it simply cannot happen, the added forgiveness keeps the ball as straight as you can expect from an iron.
Overall
Mizuno really has come to the market with a 2010 lineup that is as strong as any out there. There is an iron for just about every golfer in their stable and the MX-1000 we believe was the last puzzle piece missing for those golfers that wanted to experience incredible feel without sacrificing the forgiveness that they need when their game is off just a little bit. Combining feel, performance, and forgiveness in one package is never an easy thing to accomplish, but Mizuno has been able to do just that. The retail price is going to be about $1000, so it is on the higher end. For more information on this set or any other set in their lineup, check out the Mizuno website at www.mizunousa.com.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
