Mizuno Golf offers some of the best feeling and looking irons in the sport – so much so, that their main social media hashtag is #NothingFeelsLikeAMizuno. The past two years, we’ve seen the introduction of the MP-15, MP-H5, MP-4 and MP-54 irons. Recently, at this year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews, they teased the public with their brand new MP-5 and MP-25 irons. Both sets will be available to the public in stores starting September 18, 2015.
The MP-5 is an evolution of the MP-4 iron and represents a new, modern approach to blade design for Mizuno. It features a channelback to deliver the stability of a small players cavity in a more precise package. The MP-5 sits neatly between its more traditional MP-4 muscle back and the new MP-25 in terms of playability and workability. In the video above, watch as Chris Wood of the European Tour gets his first hit with R&D’s Chris Voshall.
In the MP-5, the channelback concept was refined through a harmonization of CAD design and traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Pro to low single figure handicaps golfers are recommended for this set of irons. Again, it delivers blade like precision with cavity level forgiveness. The Channel Back design keeps thickness behind impact for blade like feel, but moves enough mass to create stability from off centre strikes.
The Grain Flow Forging process compresses and maintains a consistent grain through the iron’s neck and hosel – ensuring consistency through every club head for predictable distances and precise control. Although larger than a traditional blade, Mizuno’s craftsman’s sense of proportion and shape ensured that the MP-5 looks right at address. The thicker top line was popular amongst our panel of professionals in testing, giving ‘a more powerful look’
Unfortunately though, the MP-5 irons will be available in Right Hand Only (3 – PW) with the True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shafts as standard. The set will retail for $999 (steel) and $1099 (graphite). Make sure to go through the Mizuno Golf Swing DNA fitting to find out what shaft and set make up will best produce the results from your swing though.
The MP-25 brings Mizuno’s new Boron strengthened steel to its MP forgings for the first time. Mizuno’s MP-25 is the manufacturer’s first high ball speed iron designed specifically for better players through the use of its new Boron material, which we first saw in the JPX-850 Forged irons. In the video above, find out more about the MP-25 with Chris Wood of the European Tour and R&D’s Chris Voshall.
It took Mizuno more than six years to learn how to add the Boron material to the mix of it’s 1025E Grain Flow Forged carbon steel. The goal was to create a thinner, stronger metal that could help them make better forged irons – and they’ve done that. This set is still very MP, with a tour inspired design, but gives golfers the added ball speed and distance that they might not have had in previous MP models. The set targets professional golfers as well as low-mid handicap golfers, directly replacing the MP-54’s, which are in my bag at the moment!
The Boron injected steel billet allows the engineering of a Micro-Slot pocket cavity (3 – 6 irons) between the clubface and the muscle pad of the club which gives greater ball speeds. This is because Boron increases the strength of the iron material by 30% and allows engineers to make the faces of the forged irons extremely thin. Similar to other “pockets” found in other irons on the market, however, they are not visible to the naked eye on the MP-25’s. With this new slot, Mizuno’s testing showed that the new design flew 7 yards farther on average.
All of this new technology has been engineered without sacrificing any of the feel that Mizuno is known for. Although it might be the longest MP iron to date, you’re still getting the feel and the precise distance control that is expected of any Mizuno iron. The MP-25’s are available in both Right- and Left-hand options with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300/R300 & Project X 5.5 shafts as standard. The set will retail for $999 (steel) and $1099 (graphite).
We’re extremely excited about these new irons, especially with many of our team members playing Mizuno irons – in the bag of our team include the MP-59’s, MP-54’s and MP-32’s. Mizuno does expect the majority of their tour players to switch to one of, or a blended set of the two new MP models – both produced and grain flow forged at their prestigious Chuo Forging plant in Hiroshima, Japan. What do you think of these new irons? Let us know and discuss them on Wheepl below!
Source: Mizuno Golf
