When you think player's irons, Mizuno is one of the first brands that should pop in your head. They make a great stick for better players, and they've built a reputation on catering to them.
With Mizuno's new JPX-900 line of irons, the company is releasing three sets of irons -- Hot Metal, Forged and Tour models -- that all use different materials to deliver performance for the different types of players that will use them.
JPX-900 Tour
In the Tour model, they're trying to match some of the performance (not quite game improvement) characteristics of the JPX series with their player's irons in a package appealing to a low-to-mid handicapper.
As with the MP iron line, the JPX-900 Tour irons are made from 1025E Mild Carbon steel that is forged with the company's Grain Flow process.
The irons look at the top line a little thicker than your true muscleback blade, but they're akin to the MP-25s that are fantastic. However, the JPX-900 Tours are actually smaller than the MP-25s with a reduced toe height. The sole of the JPX-900 Tours are the thinnest ever made in the JPX line, set in a geometry similar to the MP line.
Not seen to the eye over the ball is the use of what's dubbed a Power Frame, a design characteristic that increases moment of inertia for more forgiveness. The cavity-back styling was modeled after the MP-64 irons, which was also the benchmark for the sound of the JPX-900 Tours.
The JPX-900 Tours use the True Temper’s Dynamic Gold AMT S300 steel shaft as the stock offering, with more weight in the shaft going toward the scoring clubs.
JPX-900 Forged
The Forged model uses 1025E Boron-infused steel, but it takes the first generation effort further by moving away from a single-thickness face to variable thickness to move material where it can support a player most on off-center hits.
A milled pocket cavity moved 21.5 grams of weight out of the bottom of the club head for use elsewhere -- namely, into the Power Frame to improved MOI.
The 3-parts-per-million infusion of boron into the steel strengthen the alloy and allows engineers to do more with the material to improve performance -- distance and forgivness -- without compromising the forging process and the softer feel that comes from it.
This iron is the catch-all model in the series, built for the most players.
JPX-900 Hot Metal
The Hot Metal model usus a new material, dubbed Chomoly 4140M, in the thinnest cup face the company has ever produced for maximum distance. The wedges in the Hot Metal irons use X30 steel, a softer material for feel and precision.
This model is a forged iron, but it's designed for maximum distance and game improvement, making Chomoly a good material to allow for precise fitting.
The Mizuno Golf JPX-900 Tour and Forged irons are available Sept. 16 and will sell for $1,200 in either steel or graphite shafts. The JPX-900 Hot Metal irons will be closer to $1,100.