Mizuno irons are so good that it could simply change the name of it's models every couple of years and re-release them, and they'd still look and perform really well.
So when the Japanese manufacturer decides to make bigger changes to the development and makeup of their irons, you know that they've done exhaustive testing to ensure that they are going to help you improve on the course.
The 'Forged' line of the JPX iron range has long held the middle ground in the series, as it gives you a sleek appearance and excellent feel with a little more help than the Tour model. For the new JPX921 series, Mizuno are heating things up...
What's It All About?
The JPX921 Forged is the first iron of this type to be crafted from Mizuno's Chromoly steel - after it was first used in the Hot Metal irons - and the brand says that this has provided their fastest ball speeds ever produced from a forged iron as it allows the clubface to be up to 0.5mm thinner than their previous models.
Additional weighting has also been added towards the perimeter of the club head, particularly in the toe, which creates a 'Stability Frame' to give you a little better forgiveness on off-centre strikes.
The Forged irons still feature a sleek, compact profile however, with a shorter blade length and reduced offset to give the look and feel of a classic forged iron, particularly as you move down the set towards the scoring clubs.
The Test
I hit the JPX921 Forged using Trackman 4 and Titleist Pro V1x balls in my simulator at Mercedes Benz, LSH Auto. I wanted to collect data on the numbers produced by the irons as well as reporting on the sound and feel.
Do they provide a similar soft feel and workability to the Tour model, but with a little extra forgiveness for single-figure golfers?
Mizuno JPX921 Forged Iron Review
Looks and Feel
The Forged iron looks equally as sexy as the Tour model, with a slightly larger head shape but the same pearl brushed steel which looks much better than shiny steel as it reduces glare in the sun.
It's more compact than the JPX919 model with a little less offset too, whilst a bevelled trailing edge helps to underline the sleeker look.
These irons feel fast and soft (and yes, you can have both) and I really enjoyed using the lighter Nippon shaft, which was similar to those I used for many years whilst playing on Tour. Add to this a multi-compound Golf Pride grip and these irons were becoming the perfect fit and feel for a golfer like me.
Performance
Numbers-wise, the Forged irons didn't perform much differently than the Tour model but a closer look at the data shows that they flew straighter on average, and with a little less right to left spin so perhaps I wasn't having to work quite as hard to get them going.
With the 5 iron, the ball speed and launch were a little higher but there's still not a great deal of forgiveness if you really mi-hit one, with the carry distance dropping right down to around 150 yards which would miss most greens short.
Throughout the set the overall carry yardages for these irons were around 5 yards shorter than I would ideally like, but for a Forged iron that has relatively standard lofts (for example, the 7 iron is 31 degrees) I was pleasantly surprised.
It turns out I was getting the accuracy and feel that I wanted and only losing a few yards carry. The blade didn’t want to turn over through the strike as much as the Tour model and I could feel more stability.
Sophie's Numbers
Mizuno JPX921 Forged Iron Verdict
All in all, the JPX921 Forged irons looked beautiful and performed really well. They suited me a little better than the Tour model, although I'd say that the longer irons were still a little thin for me and they aren't the easiest to strike consistently. I would certainly look to have the short irons feature in the bottom of my bag from wedge up to around 6 iron.
Even though the lofts are still a little stronger than a normal forged Mizuno iron, the spin rates were still plenty high enough to get the stop on the greens, and I think this gives you a little more confidence, especially when hitting into tight greens if the greens are firm.
This accuracy, combined with decent carry numbers, is enough to convince me that these irons would be great for someone who is looking to drop down from a cast cavity-back iron to a forged model, but who isn't brave enough to go for a full blade.
Pros
- Looked slick at address
- Sounds and feels like a Mizuno should
- Very accurate
Cons
- Low lofts which aren't to the liking of some golfers
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