When a company like Mizuno Golf decides to use the tag line “History in the Making” for their newest MP iron designs, it goes without saying that the golfing world collectively stops to pay attention.
For those unaware, MP has and always will stand for “Mizuno Pro”. For whatever reason, stateside we seem to either overlook that fact or just not know it at all. Perhaps part of that is the changes that typically take place from an engraving perspective when the previous models have made it here, you see, overseas they have maintained the “Mizuno Pro” script on the irons while here that has typically been absent come U.S. release time.
Well, that changes with the new Mizuno Pro 221, 223, and 225 iron releases. However, that most definitely isn’t the only thing changing.
“Mizuno Pro”
Ask an avid golfer to tell you the first thing that pops into their minds when you say Mizuno MP irons. I would bet copious amounts of money I don’t have that the words “classic”, “tradition”, “art”, “sleek”, “clean”, and even “buttery” would be said. Therein lies the misunderstanding of just what the Mizuno Pro line actually is for the company.
Several THP’ers, myself included, have been able to sit down with Chris Voshall, Mizuno Golf’s Product Manager, many times in 2021 and there has been one constant to his message with this coming release, that the overall concept of the Mizuno Pro is oft misunderstood.
You see, this line has always been cutting edge as far as pushing the boundaries of what irons can be, yet it is the JPX that often gets that attention. The Pro releases instead get hit with the idea of being functioning pieces of art and beauty above all else for most consumers. The thing is, they just hide the technology incredibly well, so people at times have overlooked it. Make no mistake though, the Mizuno Pro iron releases are about evolving and advancing, as Chris Voshall describes it, “The true essence has always been to make history, not be stuck in it.”
So, with all that in mind, the new Mizuno Pro irons are coming, lets take a closer look at the 221, 223, and 225 irons, shall we?
Mizuno Pro 221
“The Ultimate Muscleback” is what Mizuno Golf is calling the new 221 irons, and it’s hard to argue with them when it comes to MB’s as they have pretty much been the standard for decades now. The 221’s come from looking at all the company has done in this style of iron before and evolving them both visually and in terms of overall playability.
There is an overall beveling in play here that has allowed for Mizuno to make the 221’s look even more compact in practically all regards, best part is this beveling technique meant no loss of weight/mass in the upper part of the iron heads. They have also taken feedback from Tour and beyond to heart with the decision to have the 221’s get progressively more compact into the scoring irons.
These remain a Grain Flow Forged iron from Hiroshima, Japan and the copper underlay is alive and well with the 221’s which should make many rejoice. As always, these beautiful blades are aimed at the shot makers of the world who demand both precision and workability without sacrificing feel and feedback. Another nice touch is the combination polished chrome on the body of the iron with satin finish on the face to offer the best of both worlds visually.
The Mizuno Pro 221 irons will be available in 3-PW in RH only. They will be paired with ProjectX LS shafts and Golf Pride Z-Grip full cords as stock options. Pricing will come in at $1,499.95 USD.
Mizuno Pro 223
The 223’s are the irons which have taken the biggest leap in the coming release. These are being called an “Elite Players Cavity” by the company and the premise here is that these irons present everything that the best ball strikers in the world need to compete on modern layouts, but they never thought to ask for. If that doesn’t perk your ears up, I don’t know what will.
Mizuno Golf’s Director of R&D, David Llewellyn has this to say about the 223’s:
“The good way to look at the new Mizuno Pro 223 is that we shrunk the HMB technology platform to the profile of one of our small player’s cavities – comparable to the MP-62, MP-64 or MP-18SC.”
That is some big talk for sure, and exciting might be an understatement. The 223’s are the shape and frame of a classic players cavity iron but with massive, new technology hidden internally, particularly in the 4-7 irons. While the 8-PW remain Grain Flow Forged 1025E Carbon for absolute precision, the 4-7 are Forged Chromolly with a hidden Microslot making the faces even thinner than what the JPX921 Forged were, but in an even more player driven profile.
Mizuno Golf considers the 223’s a distance creating iron that is a true Tour sizing, in fact, even with all this new tech the 223 is smaller than MP-20 MMC irons were. This was done knowing if they were to get them into hands and in bags on Tour, they had to have the right size. These are finished in the sleek Mizuno satin and do possess the soft copper underlay as well.
The Mizuno Pro 223 will be available in 4-GW and as stock paired with Nippon MODUS shafts and Golf Pride MCC Teams grips. The 223 will be available in both RH and LH with a price of $1,499.95 USD.
Mizuno Pro 225
Following up what might still be the most eye-opening hollow body iron design on the market is not an easy task, but Mizuno Golf truly believes they have evolved that design into something even more enjoyable. This is the next Hot Metal Blade and will be the most playable iron for the widest segment of golfers in the new MP offerings.
The biggest thing is that these aren’t as big anymore, in fact, they are smaller in profile than the previous version and the CORTECH face is now allowing for even faster ball speed potential. The irons are Grain Flow Forged in Hiroshima, Japan like the rest of the Mizuno Pro offerings and have that soft copper underlay as well. Although these are smaller, the company is adamant that these are still about ball speed and playability for low to mid handicaps, but still in that MB style appearance so many loved. Not to mention, the satin finish looks stunning.
These aim to stand alone as a full 4-GW set, or as long iron replacements. The stock setup for the 225’s will be ProjectX IO shafts and Lamkin ST Hybrid grips. Pricing will come in at $1,499.95 USD.
Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi
Yes, you read that right, the Fli-Hi in its driving iron type design is back and my how things have changed. The name of the game? Ball speed.
The new Fli-Hi is designed specifically to be played with a graphite shaft, this is a big aspect to the design because it allowed Mizuno Golf to treat it as a standalone entity as opposed to being tied to having to flow into the three iron sets. There is little doubt that the creation of the HMB design has helped create this design change as those flow into the iron sets seamlessly.
With this iteration, there is a longer heel-to-toe length, slightly increased offset, and a wider sole than what the 225’s have. All of these add up to more perimeter weighting, more stability, and more overall playability into these low lofts than a traditional shaped iron. The biggest story, however, is the integration of MAS1C into an iron face, this is a metal typically only used in fairway woods. What does that mean? Speed. A lot of speed.
These are presented in a “blackout” ION plated finish and have gone through Mizuno’s H.I.T. (Harmonic Impact Technology) to ensure the sound is satisfying and in line with expectations consumers have for Mizuno. The Pro Fli-Hi will be offered in 2-4 iron (16.5°, 19°, 21°) with either a Project X U (110g) or ProjectX Smoke Black RDX HY (80g) shaft and Golf Pride MCC Team grips. Pricing will be $224.95 USD.
The Mizuno Pro’s are Coming
The new Mizuno Pro lineup will be available at retail on February 3, 2022. Feedback is sure to come flying in as soon as people begin getting them in hand. Be sure to keep an eye on the THP Community as a handful of our members will have the sets in hand as well. Do the new Mizuno Pro irons catch your attention? What do you think? Jump into the conversation below and on the community to let us know!
That’s really the only time I would use it is off the tee. Dare I Homer to…. The iCrossover ?
And the 2 Fli-Hi!!!! I’m not sure why I hit anything else off the tee… I’ve never hit a 2-iron or 3-iron this good. Freaking amazing to say the least. So so good.. If you don’t have one – go buy one now.
Maybe the best feeling clubs I’ve had I don’t know how the sounds come through for anyone on their device, but I was putting kind of a lazy thump on them all day yesterday and the solid soft experience with them is just delightful.
What shafts did you order?
I was fit into the Project X LS 6.5’s
Glad these are working out!
Nice! I got the PX LZ back in August and it took about 30 days after being told 6-8 weeks. 2-3 weeks isn’t bad at all on a custom order.
I’ve leaned on them incredibly hard, especially off the tee, and they’ve allowed me to have success.
And the best overall?? I’ve noticed I’m not swinging as hard in comparison with my other clubs. I have more in the tank later in the round now and it’s very evident.
Super happy with these irons.
Love love love my 2 Fli-Hi! Probably the best "purchase" I’ve had in a long while.
Wow… as they say ‘ball don’t lie’. Those numbers are very different from the Honma/Miura. How many more rounds did you have on those? Good point about your mobility too. I bet you get back to moving well and get some more rounds on them it’ll shake out. Jarring to see though.
Maybe some head to head tests are in order?
While not disregarding your comments, and I say this with peace and love(thx Ringo!), perhaps this is in play here:
"Confirmation Bias, the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. This biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information. Existing beliefs can include one’s expectations in a given situation and predictions about a particular outcome. People are especially likely to process information to support their own beliefs when the issue is highly important or self-relevant.
Confirmation bias is one example of how humans sometimes process information in an illogical, biased manner. Many factors of which people are unaware can influence information processing. Philosophers note that humans have difficulty processing information in a rational, unbiased manner once they have developed an opinion about the issue. Humans are better able to rationally process information, giving equal weight to multiple viewpoints, if they are emotionally distant(Victory Cup…)."
You hit a 7-iron further than I hit my driver.?
Hey we all have our strengths. You got good looks, and I got a little speed.
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Let’s see, let’s see!!!
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I have to assume you’ve never actually seen me, to be this mistaken.
Went to the range just to test things out (mostly my body) and nailed a bunch of shots with clubs 4-PW. Sure, I had a miss-hit or two, but overall it was a confidence inspiring session. Picked out targets on the range very well and surprised myself with some of the distances. I’m also learning to shape shots and, while I have a long way to go to be proficient, feel like I’ll be able to add those shots to my repertoire with some more practice.
Special shout-out to @OldandStiff and @Jeff Spicoli for helping make up my mind on blending the sets at the 5/6i. I really love these new clubs and will finally put them in play on the course on Wednesday.
Glad to hear the first outing went well and you’re going to get them on course! And that you’re recovering well enough to do both. Love it.
Love hearing this. How’s that 6i?
I’ll need to practice with it some more but it felt great. Not sure if I’d prefer a 223 6i but I’m happy with my choice. Used the 6i for my shot-shaping practice and I’ll continue to do so. Those 223 long irons are fantastic though! Only hit 7i for my fitting so this session was eye-opening.
I’ll have to use the holidays as an excuse to get something like a Shot Scope to give me stats.
If you’re not chasing distance, but want tech forgiveness, does this combo fit the bill?
Have you had a chance to see or hit them in person? I own both sets. Honestly if you haven’t seen the 225 scoring clubs you will be pleasantly surprised. They are smaller than people would think. I posted pics comparing them a few pages back. The more I have hit both I just don’t feel that I am giving up anything with the 225s and I’m picking up a bit of distance and forgiveness. That is no slight to the 223s in any way. They are absolutely great irons for that category.
i haven’t hit either club, so I have no reference for distance. If loft adjusted to the 223’s, do you think there would be any distance gapping issues? I’m somewhat concerned the 225’s will fly farther and cause gapping issues between the 7-6 iron switchover.
1000% Fli-Hi. I recommend a 2i or 3i though.
I vote Fli-Hi. I choose 223 over 225 for my long irons. It’s whatever you need though. Different flights and turf stuff.
Love those beauties.
UST Mamiya Recoil Darts in January ?
HAve a great time! Can’t go wrong with any Mizzy set of irons.
3 Fli-Hi is definately the correct choice here. I bent mine to a 2.5 Fli-Hi. Best decision ever!
lol I don’t know if I can wait till then
Have you tried much before? The Mizuno carts here don’t have ? for graphite in my range, but I tried the MMT 125TX with the JPX Tours and had a pretty good time.
never really tried anything. But I am also old and stiff and have had a few back surgeries and get some hand pain . So thinking with the extra pop the 223 have and some graphite for the hands it maybe a good combo for me
Set will be 223 PW-8, -1*, and 225 7-4, +1*. Fit shaft was the KBS Tour Lite, Stiff. It was an immediate fit as soon as I swung the club. Tried several others before and after, but nothing performed as well. My current gamers have Project X LZ. Numbers weren’t even close.
This was my first time hitting both clubs. Have to say, I was thoroughly impressed with the 225’s. Definitely longer due to the stronger lofts, but the feel was much softer than I expected. The 223’s definitely had a softer impact feel and sound, but the determining factor was the increased ball speed from the 225.
We decided to increase the lofts because my spin rate on flushed shots was in the 4,700 range, some lower. Spin was easily 5,100 with the 223’s. I’m not chasing distance, but believe this setup will add 5 yards maybe more per club.
Merry Christmas to me!
most very hard to make decisions when everything isn’t out