- The Mizuno Pro line features three new models.
- It’s the most tech-rich MP release ever.
- Available for pre-order (release Feb 3).
We’re running a few months behind but it’s finally Mizuno MP … excuse me … Mizuno Pro time. Typically, this is a discussion that’s as much about the artistry of design—clean flowing lines, precise shaping and the Mizuno tradition—as it is technology and performance.
Not this time.
Bucking Tradition
The demographics of golf have changed. We’ve talked about the influx of new golfers before. As it relates to Mizuno, those new golfers don’t carry with them much of a golfing memory. There’s at best minimal awareness of Mizuno’s traditional role in the market. The lines between iron brands and metalwood brands are fading and, with that, Mizuno sees an opportunity to start fresh.
Instead of dwelling on history, Mizuno hopes to make it. That means you’ll see less emphasis on Mizuno icons like Nick Faldo. You’ll hear much less about Mizuno traditions and all that days of yore stuff.
To be sure, Mizuno loyalists aren’t likely to lose their affinity for the brand but, inside Mizuno, the launch of Mizuno Pro is viewed as a start of a whole new ball game.
Ironically, the Mizuno Pro brand itself isn’t new. The line is steeped in Mizuno tradition. It’s been a signature franchise in Japan to the point of exclusivity. Within Mizuno, that’s led to contradictions, confusion, unnecessary duplication and probably a fair amount of frustration, too.
After several years of fighting, Mizuno USA won what I suppose you could call a font battle and so Mizuno Pro, with its distinct script logo, is now part of the global line.
So yeah, there’s plenty of history with the Mizuno Pro brand but don’t expect Mizuno to dwell on it. The company intends to focus on its strengths while speaking to new golfers in a way that it perhaps hasn’t in the past.
Not history. History in the making.
With that said, even a modernized Mizuno leans on the strengths of its existing playbook. So, as it has done countless times before, Mizuno is rolling out three new iron models. As is the Mizuno way, the Mizuno Pro 221, 223 and 225 irons can be mixed and matched. Mizuno understands that will always be the temptation, and it’s certainly not frowned upon, but each model has been designed to stand on its own. You don’t need to bundle to get the most out of the Mizuno Pro line.
Before we move on to the individual models, now is as good a time as any to mention that the feel-improving copper underlayer found in the MP-20 continues across the Mizuno Pro line. Does it guarantee Mizuno will have the best-feeling irons on the market next season? No. That’s entirely subjective but it certainly won’t hurt the cause.
Mizuno Pro 221
The Mizuno Pro 221 is a blade, which means it’s inherently light on technology. Forged from a single piece of grain-flow forged 1025e, if the idea is to escape tradition, the 221 is the one model in the Mizuno Pro iron lineup that defies the objective.
What are you going to do?
That’s not to say nothing has changed. Most notable in the design is that Mizuno stole a bit of mass from the heel areas to thicken the muscle pad behind the impact zone. The result is a more muted sound that was preferred in player testing.
Like others, with the Mizuno Pro 221, the company leverages a progressive center of gravity design. The idea is to create more penetrating trajectories as lofts increase to suit better players who typically prefer flatter trajectories in their scoring clubs.
221
Mizuno has also done a bit of reshaping. The Mizuno Pro 221 is shorter heel to toe and generally more compact than the MP-20. The beveling on the topline is a bit more aggressive which should make it appear less blunt at address.
A low-glare satin mirror finish completes the looks
Mizuno Pro 221 Specs
I would describe Mizuno Pro 221 lofts as traditional. Not in the historical sense, of course, but by modern standards a 34-degree 7-iron and 46-degree pitching wedge qualify as weak lofted.
The stock shaft for the Mizuno Pro 221 is the Project X LS. The stock grip is a Golf Pride Z-Grip.
Very much in line with Mizuno tradition, the Mizuno Pro 221 is offered in right-hand only. Retail price is $187.50 per club.
Mizuno Pro 223
Mizuno describes the Mizuno Pro 223 as offering what PGA TOUR players need but what they’d never ask for. Translated: We’re talking about an iron with a compact footprint but not lacking in distance-boosting technology and forgiveness.
As always, forgiveness requires a bit of context. Mizuno puts the target audience at 12-handicap golfers and below while suggesting you could think of the Mizuno Pro 223 as a better player’s JPX Forged. The Mizuno Pro 223 is significantly smaller. Between shape and performance, it’s a bit like shrinking the MP-20-HMB to a size that will appeal to Tour pros without abandoning above-average recreational golfers.
Sounds pretty damned good to me.
Mizuno’s greatest departure from tradition with the Mizuno Pro 223 brings with it significant risk. While the 8-PW are grain-flow forged from 1025E, the 4- to 7-irons are forged from chromoly steel and outfitted with microslots.
My goodness.
Mizuno took a similar risk when it incorporated boron into the MP-25 design. A healthy number of Mizuno loyalists would tell you that, as good as the 25s were, they lacked the traditional Mizuno feel. It’s certainly possible that some will perceive chromoly as not feeling as good as 1025e. It’s also possible that mixing materials will create a lack of continuity of feel throughout the set.
223
It’s too soon for me to say, of course, but it’s something we’ll be looking at and fully expect our readers to share their thoughts about once the Mizuno Pro line hits retail on Feb. 3.
The upside of forged chromoloy is that it allows Mizuno to thin the faces of the Mizuno Pro 223. By comparison, they’re a bit thinner than JPX921 which allows Mizuno to introduce a bit of speed into the middle of an MP family—something it hasn’t really done before.
Mizuno Pro 223 Specs
By comparison to the 221, Mizuno Pro 223 lofts are a bit more modern. They’re two degrees stronger in the long and middle irons. The stronger lofts work with the speed benefits of the chromoloy to produce more distance while still keeping trajectories well within the playable range. It’s a bit like what Titleist has done with the T100s in that I suppose you could describe the Mizuno Pro 223 as a player’s distance iron that tilts to the player side of the equation.
For lefties, Mizuno is offering a full set of Mizuno Pro 223s instead of pre-bundling a SEL set like it did with MP-20. This, too, is a bit of a return to Mizuno’s tradition of making the middle option in a three-iron lineup available in left-handed.
The stock shaft for the Mizuno Pro 223 is the Nippon Modus 115 (stiff) and Modus 105 (regular). The stock grip is a Golf Pride MMC Teams (black/grey).
Retail price is $187.50 per club.
Mizuno Pro 225
The Mizuno Pro 225—the second generation of what was the HMB—addresses some of issues of the original. In my experience, there were some guys who loved the performance of HMB but, coming from more conventional Mizuno designs, struggled to adjust to the larger footprint at address.
To that end, the Mizuno Pro 225 features a compact, more Tour-like profile that should be most noticeable in the mid and short irons.
Your brief summary of the benefits of the Mizuno Pro 225 is this: Smaller and faster.
It still offers hollow-body construction but it’s been slimmed down enough to almost pass for a blade.
Like the HMB, the Mizuno Pro 225 features a grain-flow forged chromoly construction (face and neck). We can debate whether multi-material construction truly qualifies as forged but, for its part in the discussion, Mizuno believes that if you’re going to mix cast and forged pieces, it should be a forged piece that makes contact with the golf ball.
Because it’s nearly impossible to write about irons without a mention of the “t” word, the Mizuno Pro offers increased tungsten weighting in the 2- to 7-irons (there’s no practical benefit to tungsten in the scoring clubs). The additional mass provided by the tungsten allows Mizuno to drive centers of gravity lower and deeper which results in higher-launching long and middle irons. Think of it as making the irons easier to hit in a way that works sensibly with the stronger lofts.
Compared to the HMB, the Mizuno Pro 225 offers thinner faces which bumps up the COR (more speed). That makes perfect sense in the new world of Mizuno Pro where it’s no longer effectively a tech-less iron franchise.
That’s not to say Mizuno is chasing distance but it’s not shying away from it. Mizuno is at its best when it’s getting more out of smaller irons. More compact than their predecessors, the evolution to the Mizuno Pro 223 and 225 should allow Mizuno to keep up in a way that modernizes the brand without betraying it.
Mizuno Pro 225 Specs
As you should reasonably expect, the Mizuno Pro 225 offers the strongest lofts within the Mizuno Pro family. With wider soles and tungsten weighting, the higher trajectory should overcome any loft-jacking concerns.
The stock shaft is the Project X IO. The stock grip is a Lamkin ST Hybrid.
Available in right-hand only. Retail price is $187.50 per club.
Mizuno Pro FLI-HI
Rounding out the Mizuno Pro iron lineup is the Mizuno Pro FLI-HI utility.
The significant upgrade in the new design is the inclusion of a MAS1C face. Metallurgy typically doesn’t resonate with our readers but the point here is that Mizuno is using the same material it typically uses in its fairway woods to get a little bit more speed out of a utility or what it calls a DLR (direct long iron replacement).
The body of the Mizuno Pro FLI-HI is cast from 431 stainless. The key point being that the material is soft enough to bend. Twenty-one grams of tungsten complete the package.
The obvious point of comparison is to the Mizuno Pro 225 long irons.
On a comparative basis, the Mizuno Pro FLI-FLI is longer from heel to toe, has a wider sole and more offset. Basically, it’s bigger. With that comes a slightly higher and deeper center of gravity along with higher MOI.
Bottom line: it should be easier to hit and should play quite a bit differently than the Mizuno Pro 225 at similar loft.
In my opinion, the HMB at DLR lengths were among the best-feeling clubs in the utility space. The Mizuno Pro FLI-HI seeks to build on that by leveraging complex construction and internal geometry to produce a more pleasing feel. All the tech in the world doesn’t change that fact that, regardless of the font, every Mizuno iron needs to feel like a Mizuno iron.
The Mizuno Pro FLI-HI features a black, ion-plated finish. It’s available as a 2- (16 degrees), 3- (19 degrees) and 4- (21 degrees) iron replacement. Stock steel shaft builds are the same length as the Mizuno Pro 225. Graphite builds are a quarter-inch longer.
Stock shafts include the Project X U 110-gram (steel) and HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 (graphite). The stock grip is the Golf Pride MCC Teams (black/grey).
Retail price for the Mizuno Pro FLI-HI is $225. Available in right-hand only.
Mizuno Pro Iron Availability
Available for Pre-Order Now. For more information on the Mizuno Pro iron lineup, visit Mizunousa.com.
*We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.
Pete
2 months agoHard to love Mizuno as a lefty…. but tried the 223’s and they are really good, so I think I have to get them!
Nick
5 months agoI would have loved to add the 225s to my fitting session. Such a shame Mizuno is leaving the Lefties out in the cold…. again.
John Bachman
7 months agoI’ve owned 9 sets of Mizuno irons over my golfing life. Far more than any other brand. I currently play the MP20 MMCs but still have my MP33s. My MMCs are one of the best feeling and consistent irons I’ve ever hit. Something does confuse me. I always hear how the are making irons more compact. Putting the 33s next to the MMCs I find they are virtually the same size. I’m likely playing Mizunos the rest of my life but really don’t see the need to upgrade.
Drew
7 months agoI’m a long time mizuno fan, still gaming a set of mp-32’s and probably wouldn’t trade them in for anything. Still the fact that mizuno continues to disrespect left handed golfers in 2021 is ridiculous. More left handed golfers each year. Wake up already Mizuno
Nick
5 months agoTotally agree. Might make it hard for me to even look at anything else from them.
Kevin Price
7 months agoRetired my MP-4s after 20 years with 4 sets of shafts. Last year, moved to a set of MP-20s. Amazing set of irons. Once I dialed in the correct shaft. As a senior golfer I realized I could use some help in the upper irons so I have pre ordered a full set of 223s with my desired shafts and am looking forward to blending the two sets to fit my game. Mizuno makes the best feeling irons in the business bar none. Will never play another iron ever.!!
bill
1 month agoAmazing you used MP 4s for 20 years, since they were introduced in 2013
Will
7 months agoAlways beautiful looking irons. Have played their 1025 forged for years; also immediately noticed the feel, when they started using boron in their demos; definitely not the same. Many say you can’t feel the difference, don’t agree, it’s a personal thing. Just like striking a putt with a 1 piece carbon steel blade, then trying an insert blade – you can feel it. They will sell…
WYBob
7 months agoI was wondered what drove Brooks Koepka into selecting the Srixon ZX7 (while he was still a “free agent”). after he had so much success with the Mizuno JPX 919. The ZX7 is an ENDO single-piece 1020 carbon forging. I fear Mizuno is losing its way by trying to incorporate Boron, now Chromoly into its Grain-Flow Forging MP irons. It also explains the need for the copper underlayer to try to achieve the proper Mizuno feel. I am sure glad I kept my set of MP57’s as a backup set. IMHO- Mizuno should keep the MP product line a pure single piece forging line, and do their mad scientist schemes with the JPX line.
BobbyWhy
7 months agoThe TN-87 had copper underlay. It’s not new. The 221 is only that and chrome, like always, in the blade. The Chromoly is for the forgiving club, also to help with ball speed. Quit pretending to know.
LOLBOB
6 months agoLOL.
Chromolololo?
Robert Yoakum
7 months agoThis is the first time I have see someone mention that people didn’t like the feel of Mizunos after they started adding Boron. My first set of brand new irons was the 2016 JPX EZ forged irons. I was so dissapointed that they didn’t feel like my used JPX 800 irons that I sold them after half a season due to the Boron. I have since moved on to New Level Golf irons. However, these Mizuno blades do look fantastic but not for me.
Frank W
7 months agoLoving the 225’s, may just have to finally pull the MP20 – MMC’S out of the bag. Cannot wait to hit the demos. Slightly smaller but largely better is always a good thing.
James
7 months agoI’m not a senior yet but in my 40s when kids I had to say goodbye to my Mizuno blades. Tried the HMB and couldn’t get along with them. Too soft on the edges; they looked like MP-20s that got stung by a bee. Playing PXG 0311T/P combo now & it’s gotten me some forgiveness while still looking clean at address. I like them a lot but the T short irons are only marginally more forgiving than blades (though significant distance improvement).
This 225 has my attention. Also look at T100s and T200. More forgiving than people think.
MarkM
7 months agoWOW those 221s are ridiculously awesome looking. I could see a set of those in my bag with a 225 6-iron (@27°) instead of the 221 5 … rockin!
Nick
7 months agoWho designs these clubs? There is a loft difference of only 5 degrees between the three club sequence from the 3 iron to the 5 iron but there is a 10 degree loft difference between the 9 iron and gap wedge.
The higher lofted clubs are the scoring clubs where it is more likely the ball is hit straight making more precise distances more important than the lower lofted clubs where the average golfer is just happy to get the ball on or near the green.
A typical set would be as follows: Gap wedge 53, P wedge 50, 9 iron 46, 8 iron 42, 7 iron 38, 6 iron 34, 5 iron 30, 4 iron 25, 3 iron 20 and 2 iron 16.5.
This not only provides more equal distance carry particularly for the higher lofted clubs but also makes it easier to get the ball in the air.
Steve M
7 months agoIf loft was the only thing that influenced launch you might be right… But it’s not 1965 anymore, and golf club design has progressed.
Brandon
7 months agoMaybe a typical set from 1965 has lofts like that. Nobody is producing a 50 degree pitching wedge, and they haven’t for years.
Paul
7 months agoNick is absolutely right. When golfers talk they are sincere about what would best suit all parts of their game. Long irons with a generous loft look pretty good at address. Too worried about top-line anxieties…imagine wiping out long-iron phobia with loft angles.
Mark Hagenbach
7 months agoIs the blade length in the 225 a bit longer than the 223 & 221?
Great informative article!
Mike
4 months agoYes. +1mm in short irons vs 223 and nearly 4mm vs 221.. Starting at the 6 iron, the 225s are +2mm to almost +3mm vs 223 and 5mm to 6mm longer than 221s.
Top lines are bigger too, but they aren’t like game improvement irons though and it’s hard to tell.. 223s are interesting though as the top look is 5mm thick exactly through the entire set. Doesn’t progressively get thicker like the others
They have measurement comparisons on their website if you Google Mizuno Pro 225.
Corey
7 months agoI’ve been gaming the MP-18s in a mixed set for over two years now. Looks like I may be upgrading soon. These looks amazing!
Barry R
7 months agoI just bought a set of the Mizuno JPX-921 Forged last spring. Now they hit me with these. Looks like I’m going to be selling some “old” irons here soon. These 225s just look far too good to not have in the bag.
Matt D
7 months agoThose Mizunos are lit! Nice! Love the look of the 225s but the loft is bit strong for my taste. Bring them back a couple degrees, I’m golden.
James
7 months agoThe standard bounce is really low. I suspect they went to 30 degrees to win some fitting bay wars but the design leaves plenty of room to go one or two degrees weak (which also reduces offset) without the bounce getting too high. Smart choice by them.
Shawn
7 months agoJames You made me go back and look at the bounce on the 225, Why would there be so little bounce on those compared to the other 2 models?
David
7 months agoWow! Do these look choice…
10 handicap. Senior. Was a 2 when I was younger and played more often. Any suggestions?
vincent schiavo
7 months agoGet your grandkids to fall in love with the game and you’ll end up playing as much golf as you can handle!
murrat
7 months agoGuess I won’t be upgrading from my mp-20 SEL set. ***sigh of disappointment***