It isn’t a stretch to say that the Mizuno Pro iron release has become a much anticipated event for not only the company, but golfers around the globe. Well, the time is once again upon us. Last time, much ado was made about the official shift of naming and placing the “Mizuno Pro” script squarely on each iron in the lineup, but it was the performance (specifically of the 225’s) which ended up blowing golfers minds.
Today marks the unveiling of the newest version of Mizuno Pro irons, this time referred to as the 24X lineup. These again consist of three different irons and the newest version of the FLI-HI as well. However, the key theme for this new iteration is refinement, in all the clubs, with the goal of creating a more complete and balanced line.
Mizuno Pro 24X Irons – “A New Age of Forging”
Before we dive into each iron within the Mizuno Pro 24X umbrella, it bears discussing this release as a whole and just what the company has sought to accomplish. While the 22X release was, and continues to be, a success for Mizuno, there was also a copious amount of feedback both external as well as internal that the company took to heart when designing the follow up.
Visually, the 22X clubs were stunning and attempted to provide something for everyone whether they be a die-hard blade user or a golfer who wanted a more sophisticated hollow body creation. The thing is, the sizing and shape got a bit muddled within certain parts of the lineup, specifically the 223’s, as for some they didn’t hit the middle ground they intended, and perhaps overlapped on what the 225’s offered.
So, what was Mizuno to do? Frankly, what they do best, they went to work refining and innovating with the goal of creating the most balanced lineup of irons (and utilities) that they have produced to date.
Mizuno Pro 241 Irons – The Classic MB
Don’t you fret golfers who live and die by muscleback irons, it wouldn’t be a Mizuno Pro release without an MB. While yes, there is only so much that you can do with a muscleback because of the minimal discretionary weight available, no one carves and massages an MB iron like Mizuno. Not to mention, historically, they continue to create some of the most playable blades on the market thanks to not being total butterknives.
This time, Mizuno started with what you will soon see to be a trend with the entire Pro 24X series, refining the shape. With the 241’s, the long irons are visually a bit smaller while the mid and longer clubs are noticeably smaller compared to the 221’s. At first you might be shocked at the concept of making an MB smaller, as we mentioned, Mizuno has always had some of the most playable blades in terms of size and will continue to be as such even with this new change.
Additionally, the rear muscle will look familiar, but different. That is due to the massaging and shifting of material on the rear of the Pro 241’s to get a slightly sharper cutout and more mass directly behind the ball. That mass in the rear pad combines with Mizuno’s attention to Harmonic Impact to get the sound of each club within certain hertz levels, and according to them, means a more solid and slightly muted impact feedback. Add in the Copper Underlay and Full Nickel Satin Chrome that may be the best in the business, and the Mizuno Pro 241 looks poised to turn heads and break hearts.
The Mizuno Pro 241 irons will be available in 3-PW (3i is RH only) with KBS Tour shafts and Golf Pride MCC Black/Gray grips for $200.00 per club. The 241’s play off a 46-degree PW and 34-degree 7i.
Mizuno Pro 243 Irons – Tour Speed Cavity
You might want to buckle up, because there is no doubt that the 243’s are the iron which has undergone the most significant change within the Mizuno Pro lineup, and rightfully so. As mentioned, previously the 223’s were a bit of an iron without a true niche within the lineup. Design wise they were beautiful, but many found them a bit larger than expected. Not to mention, within the set there were at times some gapping issues for some golfers not only when blending but also within the 223’s as a whole. What all that lead to was them not differentiating themselves from their hollow body siblings as much as intended. That changes this time.
It all starts with the shaping and the sole. As part of that focus on differentiating the Pro 243’s from its siblings, Mizuno has made the entire set visibly more compact both in blade length as well as topline. One piece of feedback on the 223’s was that they seemed a bit thick compared to expectations, so that has been addressed. Additionally, the sole now has what Mizuno is calling a “Wrap Around” to it, which allows the sole to look visually thinner while still keeping the same effectiveness. That means a more consistent design through the set, specifically where the transition of Micro-Slot versus no slot occurs.
Speaking of the Micro-Slot, it is one of the components that has been revised in the Mizuno Pro 243 with the aim of creating more consistency through the set. The 8-GW have no slot, while the 6/7 and 4/5 each have unique Micro-Slot designs with the longer irons now having a wider and longer slot. Additionally, the 4-6 irons have a thinner face and the 4-8 have a lower sweet spot and deeper CG.
This has resulted in Mizuno’s internal testing showing a slower ball speed in the 7i and an increase in speed working to the 4i. This is combined with moving the lofts stronger in the 9-GW (PW now 44-degrees). Why are they slowing, speeding up, or strengthening lofts within different parts of the set? To create consistent gapping than what was seen in the 223’s. Add in Harmonic Impact calibration along with the Copper Underlay and Full Nickel Satin Chrome finish then you have a completely different animal than last time around.
The Mizuno Pro 243 irons will be available in 4-PW with GW available in RH only. They will be paired at standard with Nippon MODUS 120 (S) or 105 (R) and have Golf Pride MCC Black/Gray grips for $200.00 per club. The 243’s play off a 44-degree PW and 32-degree 7i.
Mizuno Pro 245 Irons – Tour Speed & Launch
How do you follow up the most successful iron of the previous Mizuno Pro iron lineup, and one of the most popular hollow body iron designs in golf? For this company, it would appear that it is done with care while not fearing innovation and advancement. You see, the Mizuno Pro 245 irons are both similar, and new.
The first thing done by Mizuno was as they did with the rest of the MP offerings, they made them smaller everywhere. The Mizuno Pro 245 is more compact heel to toe and also has a thinner topline with the goal of expanding the audience for these irons into even the pickiest golfers out there. Interestingly, all of the irons in the 245 set got smaller except for the GW which is a bit longer in blade length as Mizuno believes it flows within the progressive nature more smoothly.
While it may sound cliché, it really is what’s inside that counts with the Mizuno Pro 245 irons. There is now 47 grams of suspended tungsten within the 2-7 irons compared to 30g last time around. That weight is placed as low as possible without touching the sole to get the CG lower and deeper. Additionally, there is now a larger “thin sole area” which brings up the COR meaning more power is possible.
The 2-8 are laser welded and built from Grain Flow Forged 4135 Chromoly in the face and neck with a 431 Stainless Steel back. As mentioned, the 2-7 use Tungsten, but it is of note that the 8i does not to aid in the transition to the 9-GW. Those irons are also laser welded but built out of Grain Flow Forged HD 1025E bodies and a 17-4 Stainless Steel back piece with part hollow construction.
All of these things are in place to get the CG deeper throughout the whole set while also optimizing the sweet spot location, specifically in the 6-8 irons when comparing the 245’s to the 225’s. Equally important is the implementation of an all new multi-thickness CORTECH design withing the longer irons that has increased power and speed potential as well. Most interesting might be that Mizuno indicates that their testing has shown more speed in the PW and 4i while the 7i has stayed the same as in the 225’s. That is big if true because it addresses one of the only hiccups some golfers saw in the 225’s as it pertains to gapping.
The Mizuno Pro 245 irons also feature the same Harmonic Impact tuning and Copper Underlayer as the other irons in the lineup and are tied together with the matching Full Nickel Chrome Satin finish. They will be available in 4-PW with a GW and 2/3 (RH only) irons available as well. The irons are paired with True Temper DG Mid 115 (S) or 105 (R) as standard and come with Golf Pride MXX Black/Gray grips for $200.00 per club. The 245’s play off a 43-degree PW and 30-degree 7i.
Mizuno Pro FLI-HI – Tour Long Iron
Last but absolutely not least, the FLI-HI is coming back as well. The last version proved to be one of the fastest utility/long-irons out there, but that hasn’t stopped Mizuno from pushing things further. Foremost, the shaping and size is now more compact overall. This is done both physically by moving the weld line onto the face from the topline allowing a geometry change as well as removing the blasted topline, both making for a smaller look.
The Pro FLI-HI now utilizes Mizuno’s first L-Face design which wraps the face plate around to the bottom of the sole. That face is made of heat treated 4335+ Nickel Chromoly which Mizuno more affectionately refers to as Hot Metal. The body and neck of the club are also built from 4335+ Nickel Chromoly, but it is not heat treated which makes the clubhead more bendable for fitting.
You might recall that the previous version used a uniform thickness on the face, well, with the move to 4335+ and the L-Face Mizuno has also implemented a multi-thickness design on the FLI-HI to increase spin consistency and overall retention on the club. If that wasn’t enough, CORTECH is here too which was key in allowing the thinner topline and more flex lower on the face. Mizuno has also applied 23-grams of Tungsten (21-grams in the predecessor) to get the CG even lower this year.
Their testing has shown 1.3 MPH more ball speed on average with more spin and an ever so slightly lower launch angle than last time. While that is exciting news, so too is the focus on Harmonic Impact tuning in which using internal sound ribs as well as the increase in Tungsten the company sought to make the FLI-HI more muted at lower frequencies while creating a higher sound pressure to make the club at the same time feel hotter off the face.
The Mizuno Pro FLI-HI long irons are finished in a Satin Black Ion brushed look and will be available in 2 (16.5), 3 (19.0), and 4 (21.5) in both RH and LH. They will be matched with SteelFiber HLS 880 shafts in F4 or F5 as standard. The FLI-HI will come with Golf Pride MXX Black/Gray grips and be priced at $250.00 per club. The 241’s play off a 46-degree PW and 34-degree 7i.
The Details
As you can see, Mizuno has certainly not rested on their laurels with the upcoming Mizuno Pro 24X release and feel poised to create even more momentum for this flagship lineup. Though the irons will not be hitting retail until 1/25/24, however you can expect to begin seeing them on Tour’s worldwide starting now. Not to mention, be sure to stay tuned to THP for much more on the full Mizuno Pro release.
For more information, check out their website at www.mizunogolf.com.
