I need to admit that the brand new Mizuno JPX 925 Solid irons have me slightly blended up.
Not that I’m confused about whether or not the golf equipment are any good. Mizuno’s JPX line has been a prime performer in MyGolfSpy testing since Scorching Steel turned a factor. I’m additionally not confused over during which class the JPX 925 Solid belongs.
It’s most actually a participant’s distance iron.
What’s complicated is the place it belongs on the participant’s distance continuum.
Like its predecessor, the Mizuno JPX 925 Solid is compact for a participant’s distance iron however Mizuno is touting forgiveness that rivals game-improvement irons. Alternatively, the JPX 925 chassis is noticeably bigger than a participant’s blade or cavity-back however Mizuno tells us it sounds and feels extra solid blade-like than even a Mizuno Professional 243.
Conversely, its ball pace and MOI are in the identical neighborhood because the TaylorMade P790 or PING i530 regardless of its noticeably smaller chassis.
And don’t get me began on the skinny (for the class) sole and topline.
After our assembly with Mizuno, it appears the JPX 925 Solid is a multi-piece participant’s distance iron that’s a single-piece forging designed for ball pace that sounds, feels and performs like a blade whereas on the identical time being forgiving and workable.
Yet another factor: For a corporation not vulnerable to hyperbole, Mizuno is saying the efficiency improve within the JPX 925 Solid over the 923 Solid is probably the most dramatic it’s seen because the JPX Solid line started greater than a decade in the past.
See why I’m confused?
Mizuno JPX 925 Solid: New from the neck up
Mizuno launched the brand new JPX 925 Scorching Steel lineup final September however the solid member of the family was conspicuously absent. That was on account of a deliberate fall launch for the JPX 925 Solid in Japan.
From the bottom up, the Mizuno JPX 925 Solid could be very completely different from its predecessor, the 923 Solid. Particularly, it isn’t a one-piece billet forging anymore. Mizuno is utilizing a wholly new manufacturing course of with the 925 Solid.
As talked about, the 923 Solid was a one-piece forging. The 8-iron by means of hole wedge had been single-piece 1025E Pure Choose Delicate Carbon Metal forgings whereas the 4- by means of 7-irons had been Grain Movement Solid 4120 Chromoly. Mizuno would insert a milling device by means of a micro-slot within the sole to create a variable-face thickness for these longer irons. From that strategy, one of the best Mizuno might do was skinny the candy space all the way down to about 2.3 millimeters.
For the 925 Solid, Mizuno makes use of new, multi-million-dollar forging equipment and a brand new course of to make the face even thinner. As a substitute of forging the complete head, Mizuno now could be single-billet forging the neck, face and topline and welding on a 431 chrome steel sole piece.
With this new building, Mizuno can now mill the again of the clubface straight relatively than by means of the micro-slot within the sole. Meaning Mizuno can get much more aggressive, to not point out artistic, with that milling.
“We’re now at 2.1mm thickness in the impact zone, dropping down to 1.5mm around the perimeter in the flex zone,” Chris Voshall, Mizuno USA Golf Product and Advertising and marketing Supervisor, tells MyGolfSpy. “That’s a 30-percent decrease in face thickness. When you can go that much thinner, that means a massive jump in performance.”
Bang-squish-squeeze
Forging is extra concerned than merely pounding the snot out of a molten hunk of metallic till it seems to be like a golf membership. As with all different manufacturing know-how, the forging course of is evolving. That new equipment we talked about is a primary instance. Mizuno makes use of a hammer press and a hydraulic press to forge its irons. The JPX 925 Solid makes use of an up to date and rather more subtle hydraulic press for the secondary forging.
The brand new machine permits Mizuno to differ the strain at completely different closing dates whereas compressing the top.
“We’re now able to control the pressure down to where we get to the face,” explains Voshall. “Once it starts to compress, we can control how it compresses and the pace at which it compresses. That allows us to get a much thinner face.”
If it helps, consider the previous hydraulic press as a bang-bang machine. The brand new hydraulic press is extra of a bang-squish-squeeze machine.
Mizuno JPX 925 Solid: The science of really feel
Any seasoned membership designer can inform you a cast-iron crafted poorly with unhealthy geometry can really feel like scorching rubbish. Conversely, a forged iron well-crafted with clever geometry can really feel simply as candy as one of the best forging.
Golfers have a singular, to not point out subjective, vocabulary when describing really feel. Buddah or buttery-soft are effusive, constructive phrases. Squishy? Not a lot. Stable and scorching are good feels however clanky, clicky and clacky aren’t. Neither is their non-alliterative synonym, tingy.
Stable, nevertheless, isn’t the identical as scorching. Neither is it the identical as buddah. Irrespective of the way you describe it, what we name “feel” is straight associated to vibration and sound.
“Vibrations are great,” says Voshall. “But if they don’t last very long, you won’t feel very much. If they last for a long time but at the wrong frequencies, it can feel like crap for a long time.”
Moreover, when faces get as skinny as they’re on the JPX 925 Solid, tingy very a lot comes into play. Single-piece forging and geometry let Mizuno hold tingy beneath management.
“By forging that topline, we control the geometry of the area underneath,” Voshall explains. “That’s the area that causes tingy so reinforcing that area delivers a more solid feel.”
Moreover, Mizuno has recognized sound frequencies that result in tingy – roughly the 6,000 to 7,000 Hertz vary. The strengthened topline in addition to the diagonal sound bar throughout the again of the cavity assist mitigate these vibrations.
“This is going to sound and feel more solid and more blade-like than even the Mizuno Pro 243 does,” says Voshall. “The 243 doesn’t have as much reinforcement. This one feels softer throughout the set.”
Triple soles and gravity facilities
The brand new hydraulic press additionally opens up new mass property doorways for the JPX 925 solid. CG distance is a primary instance.
CG distance measures the space between the clubhead middle of gravity and the shaft axis. The shorter it’s, the extra management you need to “work” the ball. The farther it’s, the upper the COR and the bigger the candy spot. You usually have to decide on one or the opposite.
“With the new construction and the welded-on back piece, we can strategically control the geometry,” says Voshall. “We can bring the CG distance closer to the shaft axis while still boosting the sweet area. It’s more controllable and more forgiving. If you can pull both off, then you’ve engineered something better.”
The JPX 925 Solid additionally has a triple-cut or V-shaped sole, one thing Mizuno couldn’t do on earlier iterations. Since face milling now could be carried out from the again relatively than by means of the only, Mizuno can add bounce on the vanguard, cut back camber within the center and aggressively bevel the trailing edge.
“It’s a sole that will enter and exit the turf cleaner,” says Voshall. “It’s also going to allow us to have a more uniform effective sole width.”
The 7- to 8-iron sole transition has historically been a bit hinky. Mizuno’s new building methodology permits for a lot thinner soles all through the set and a smoother 7- to 8-iron transition.
“We’re increasing COR, we’re increasing ball speed and we’re adding forgiveness,” says Voshall. “But we’re making a sole that plays thinner than it ever has before, one that’ll enter and exit the turf quickly.”
JPX, Mizuno Professional and the irons market
You may’t name right this moment’s irons market a increase however you’ll be able to’t name it a bust, both. If something, the market is in a little bit of a stagnant decline. OEMs need to defend their market share whereas additionally attempting to steal slightly bit out of another person’s sandbox.
“Custom orders are way up but stock orders are way down,” says Voshall. “Two years ago, everybody had one on the rack and 10 in the back. Now everyone’s running lean on inventory and relying on quick custom turnaround.”
Mizuno has at all times had a cult following however as not too long ago as 2020 it was a reasonably small cult. The MP-20 line had a 2.6-percent market share that yr whereas the JPX 919 was at 3.3 %. A yr later, the JPX 921 line began a market shift for Mizuno, grabbing an 8.7-percent share all by itself. By 2023, Mizuno owned a 12.6-percent market share in irons with the JPX 923 holding a virtually 10-percent share all by itself.
Early returns for 2024 present Mizuno’s market share hovering at 13 % with JPX making up almost 80 % of that complete. JPX by itself has a much bigger iron share right this moment than all of Mizuno did in 2020.
What does that imply? It means solid, Tour-level blades are good however JPX buddahs the bread.
Mizuno JPX 925 Solid: Specs, worth and availability
The JPX 925 Solid loft matrix isn’t the strongest within the participant’s distance class however it’s barely on the stronger facet with a 30-degree 7-iron. Mizuno has weakened the lofts barely on the 9-iron, pitching and hole wedges for higher gapping and transition.
Mizuno is doing one thing uncommon by providing a blacked-out JPX 925 Solid at launch. Normally, OEMs will launch a black model of an iron a yr later to provide the road a second-year gross sales increase. Mizuno, nevertheless, is marching to the beat of its personal drummer.
The blacked-out end is what Mizuno calls a premium PVD. The end goes proper over the smooth white satin, a rougher end that permits the PVD to stick higher. The face is a lighter grey because of a face blast so it received’t present affect marks.
The usual JPX 925 solid irons come inventory with the KBS C-Taper gentle shaft and the Golf Pleasure MCC grip in black/grey. The blacked-out mannequin comes with the Dynamic Gold Tour Situation Mid 115 shaft in Black Onyx and the black/grey MCC grip.
As at all times, Mizuno has one of the intensive no-upcharge shaft collections within the enterprise.
The chrome Mizuno JPX 925 Solid irons run $200 per membership and will likely be obtainable for lefties and righties. The blacked-out model is right-handed solely and runs $215 per membership.
Presale begins Jan. 23. They’ll hit the shops Feb. 6.
For extra data, go to the Mizuno Golf web site.
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