Mizuno MP-9 Offset?

I was in college when Mizuno released the MP-9's and didn't have the funds to buy a set. Years later, I bought a set on ebay and had them re-chromed. Played them a few times but they have spent more time in the garage than in the bag.

One thing I was always curious about is that this set seemed to have more offset than I remembered and more offset than all current models, Mizuno or otherwise.

Does anyone have the original offset specifications for the MP-9's? Or pictures of a set? I wonder if this set was bent to add offset. Maybe they were always this way.

I really like the set, but they are close to 30 years old. The MP-18's are very close in look except for the offset, which I doubt is capable of being customized without extreme effort and cost.

Thanks!

I was in college when Mizuno released the MP-9's and didn't have the funds to buy a set. Years later, I bought a set on ebay and had them re-chromed. Played them a few times but they have spent more time in the garage than in the bag.

 

One thing I was always curious about is that this set seemed to have more offset than I remembered and more offset than all current models, Mizuno or otherwise.

 

Does anyone have the original offset specifications for the MP-9's? Or pictures of a set? I wonder if this set was bent to add offset. Maybe they were always this way.

 

I really like the set, but they are close to 30 years old. The MP-18's are very close in look except for the offset, which I doubt is capable of being customized without extreme effort and cost.

 

Thanks!

I don't have the specific answer to your question, however, many clubs from that era, the '80s and '90s, have gobs of offset. It's as though the manufacturers looked at the sales numbers for Ping Eye 2, Armour 845, King Cobra et al and felt the need to bake a huge amount of offset into most of their offerings. I come across cast "players' irons" from that era in the thrifts that look kind of ridiculous to my eye due to all the offset, but that was customary at the time. Nobody bent offset into those cast sets of Cobra Baffler Blades or Nicklaus N1s, or Yamahas and I doubt someone bent offset into your MPs. Look around the hosels for telltale bending marks- there should be plenty if that was the case.

Edited to add: Some Japanese irons back then had the appearance of "reverse offset" whereby the short irons and wedges appeared more offset than the long and mid irons, though some claim that it was an optical illusion from the sizeable constant offset appearing greater as the clubs became more lofted.

Golfclubspec.com has a TP 9.

Edited to add: Some Japanese irons back then had the appearance of "reverse offset" whereby the short irons and wedges appeared more offset than the long and mid irons, though some claim that it was an optical illusion from the sizeable constant offset appearing greater as the clubs became more lofted.

I have a set of PGA Tommy Armour Silver Scot Collector 709s with reverse offset. The offset on the 8/9/PW appears pretty extreme and took a bit of getting used to. Didn't know the set was aimed at the Japanese market, thanks for that.

Otherwise great feeling clubs.

Golfclubspec.com has a TP 9.

TP9s are a different club though from MP9. TP9 was more common here in Europe as far as I can make out, and had the distinctive wingback muscle pad. Olazabal and Faldo both played them. MP9s, from the pictures I've seen, look more like what was released in Europe as the TP11 - which I think did carry a reasonable amount of offset. Pretty much any forged blade from Mizuno in that era was good stuff. People often state that the Ping Eye 2 killed the market for the traditional blades from Wilson, Hogan, Spalding and MacGregor - but at least in the UK there was quite the pincer movement, with Mizuno advancing out of the east.

Golfclubspec.com has a TP 9.

 

TP9s are a different club though from MP9. TP9 was more common here in Europe as far as I can make out, and had the distinctive wingback muscle pad. Olazabal and Faldo both played them. MP9s, from the pictures I've seen, look more like what was released in Europe as the TP11 - which I think did carry a reasonable amount of offset. Pretty much any forged blade from Mizuno in that era was good stuff. People often state that the Ping Eye 2 killed the market for the traditional blades from Wilson, Hogan, Spalding and MacGregor - but at least in the UK there was quite the pincer movement, with Mizuno advancing out of the east.

I'd agree with that. I remember a few of the better players at my club getting Mizunos or wanting Mizunos. Lots of people also played the EYE2s (perhaps even the woods more than the irons), but I think they also tended to be wealthier. I have no idea of the relative costs of Pings over Mizunos at the time because I was a teenager who could afford neither, but it seemed to be that the PINGs were pricier.