The Mizuno JPX923 forged was one of the best irons Mizuno had released for some time in my opinion, so when I heard its successor was heading my way, I was intrigued. I took the Mizuno JPX925 forged out for a thorough test to see what it had to offer…
The main technology story is the ‘Contour Elipse Face’ which is essentially a multi-thickness face that has been designed to optimize ball speed across the entire face, to ensure consistent performance even on off-center strikes, and Mizuno feels that this is the key to a fairly unique feel/performance combination. The longer irons (4-7) are forged from Chromoly 4120 to blend strength and malleability to maximize speed and adjustability, while the shorter irons (8-GW) are forged from one piece of 1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel with more focus placed on precision, control, and feel at the bottom end of the set.
Looks wise, there isn’t much not to like. Mizuno has been consistently making some exceptional-looking products for some time now, and the JPX925 Forged very much sits among them. Down behind the ball, you very much feel as if you are looking at a ‘players’ or one of the best low-handicap irons based on the size and shaping of the head, but it is far from an intimidating look and the proportions are excellent. It's neat but not scary, and the traditional Mizuno satin chrome finish adds to the already sophisticated aesthetic.
Having been a real fan of the 923 version, I was keen to see if the performance of the 925 could live up to the extremely high standards already established and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed.
I can only describe the first few shots as a strange experience. As a pretty experienced PGA Professional who tests an awful lot of clubs, I get an almost instantaneous idea of iron performance at strike purely from feel, putting together a usually very reliable picture of distance and flight from the strike sensation, but the feel and performance here didn’t quite compute in my brain!
The softness of the impact leads you to believe you could be striking a pure forged blade, like the Mizuno Pro 241, but a glance over to the launch monitor data tells a very different story. Exceptional ball speed, and as such distance output is a surprising outcome from a club that feels so beautifully delicate at strike. For context, these irons sat very close to some of the very best compact distance irons in terms of ball speed and carry, thanks partly to the lofts (the 7-iron comes in at 30°), but with an incomparable depth of strike.
The new triple-cut sole - whereby the whole geometry has been altered in conjunction with significant leading and trail edge relief - works extremely well and having put it through its paces on a variety of ground conditions, I can testify to its versatility.
Once I got my head around the fact that my hands were telling me a different story to the data, I was extremely impressed by the JPX925 Forged irons. I honestly don’t believe there is another iron out there that can deliver the speed and distance that they produce with anything even close to the same feeling at strike.
Following up a huge success is often tricky but Mizuno has absolutely nailed it here for me. Any golfer looking for a distance boost without compromising feel should look no further.
The Mizuno JPX925 Forged are available at an RRP of £200 per iron and come with stock shaft offerings of Nippon N.S. Pro Modus Tour 105 in steel and Mitsubishi MMT 85 in graphite. Mizuno is offering numerous custom shaft and grip options in addition to this as you would expect.
