Mizuno MP 20 HMB Long Term Reviews Please!

Hello

Long term players irons guy here. But I'm now looking for something along the lines of 790, T200, ….

I am a huge mizuno fan and have played MP irons for 14 years now.

Now they have been out for a while can anyone give some real world reviews??

Are they that much more forgiving than say the MP20 MMCs ?? OR T100??

Do they get through the turf as good as previous MP irons??

Thanks!

interested as well!

You can't put too much stock in it, but the MPF rating is reasonably average for what it's trying to be. For me, the wide sole low bounce Mizunos do not work at all. I find the blades much more forgiving as my contact is cleaner. I'd struggle less with a wide sole with higher bounce but these just get stuck for me. For reference the much slimmer T100 or AP2 are rated as more forgiving with higher MOI.

https://www.golfworks.com/images/art/MPF_MIZUNO.pdf

I haven’t been playing them long given the winter and a car accident in December. But, I think Mizuno has found the best blend of forgiveness, distance, ball flight, look and consistency for me. They aren’t as long as the 2017 P790’s I played. They are far more consistent in distance and feel than both the 2017 and 2019 P790 I traded. I like the feel and will admit I have a soft spot for Mizuno MP irons. I have the 7-P in MP20 thinking I’d like the feel on the scoring irons better. Truth is, I’ll probably sell them since I just don’t use them.

Unlike most on here, I’m not a great player. I struggle with driver and putter. But, I’m a pretty darn good iron player and the HMB’s have balanced all the criteria important to me.

I like the hmb a little better than other hollow irons only because the distances are more consistent. I haven't compared the lofts to other hollow's, but the i500's and p790 had some hot flyers here and there. The main reason I switched to players irons in the first place was to keep the yardages more consistent. I don't need to hit 200 yard 7 irons LOL.

I

anyone else?

I've been gaming a full set for this season so far. They feel great and look great, but there have been some challenges. First, Mizuno has reduced head weights due to increasing their standard lengths. This made building an MOI matched set a bit more challenging at my preferred club lengths. The forged Chromoly was surprisingly easy to bend (compared to the JPX919 HM), but the feel of those heads is definitely different from the 1025E #9 and PW clubs. Not necessarily bad, just different. I've had some trouble with the gapping due to the change in material; the #8 iron is definitely "hotter" in Chromoly than the #9 iron using 1025E. So the stock lofts don't work for proper gapping at my swing speed.

I honestly don't understand why Mizuno chose to change the material they used when they got to the #9 and PW. I wish they would have just stuck with the Chromoly across the entire set. I would have thought they learned their lesson from the MP-H5 and the complaints/concerns when they did a similar thing with changing the materials.

I also wish they would have done a bit more in the design to more aggressively manage the CG position for the more lofted clubs. I appreciate the higher launch in the long irons, but the short irons are launching higher than I want, so I've strengthened the lofts to bring down my ball flight a bit, but they really would have benefited from a better head design to even things out. That's at least been my experience with my swing.

They’re supposed to launch higher, thats the whole point. I don’t understand why people buy things when their function is clearly represented and then complain that it functions the way it was designed.

What a snotty comment. I know exactly what the clubs are designed to do. My point was that for my swing the short irons are going much higher than would be expected when you look at the peak height of all of the irons across the set. Your short irons shouldn't be substantially higher than your long irons if the clubs are well matched. The OP asked for reviews from people actually using these irons as their gamers. What was your point in posting a completely useless comment?

My HMBs are just absolute money. Coming from a T-MB/AP2 combo. More forgiving, slightly less spin, but certainly enough spin (unlike the P790). Gapping is spot on. They love to go straight, but I can still shape the short and mid irons when I need too.

If I could change anything, I’d have the solid/1025E start earlier in the set (8 iron would be sine without the fast face) and I’d thin the sole And top line a touch, especially in the 7 iron on down to PW. I’d take a bit of offset out of the shorter irons too, but really I’m nit picking; The offset is small and they nailed having minimal offset in the long irons.

I’m a big fan and they fit my game. Why? I’m a mid single digit cap with a monster long game. My scoring opportunities are hitting greens tight with mid and short irons, and on courses under 7000 yards, it’s having a comfortable 210-220 fairway finder (HMB 4i does this very well). My missed opportunities are typically when I overwork a draw or fade and miss a green, or when my toe miss (by far most common miss for me) makes me come up significantly short and/or in a hazard. These HMBs are really point and shoot; high and straight ballflight is effortless. While I can work them right/left when I need to, I almost never hit an accidental draw/fade with them. They just go where the face is aimed and have more than enough spin to hold greens (which I didn’t get in other players distance irons I have demoed). Sole cuts turf great and has a nice thump

I’m very very happy. My toe miss loses significantly less distance than the AP2/T-MB, and my directional miss is drastically improved. They also feel safer and sound better than the T-MB (but not the AP2).

I feel they are very forgiving for the type of club they are. Very few low offset, blade looking, and TRADITIONAL lofted (46 PW is weak these days) clubs offer this much help. I haven’t found fliers I didn’t expect (of course that ball in wet rough won’t spin much...) and my gapping is spot on.

big big fan in the 15-20 rounds I’ve had them. I love them more each round I used them.

Very nice, that's good to hear. I'm getting fit today for some new irons and I really hope the MP 20s work out for me.

Did you have any thoughts or try blending the HMB with the MMC or MB in the lower clubs? I think my ideal setup would be HMB in 4-6 and then 7-PW in one of the others, but we'll see this afternoon.

They are built to blend, but to be 100% honest, I love the short irons. Really love them. They do fly a tad higher than I would like but distances are very consistent and spin is perfect.

If you do blend, you could bend the HMBs one weak if you felt like you had gaps, but honestly it won’t be much of an adjustment, if any, especially if you go MMC.

Ended up just going with the full HMB set. Just loved hitting them and liked the idea of just keeping the set all the same. Can't wait and thanks for the feedback!

Sounds like the fitting went well!

I think you will be happy; the set progresses well. The long irons 2-4 are longer and not as tall, the short irons aren’t as long and are much taller.

and best part about the short irons is they spin well

let us know how they are when you get to play them.

It did thanks, he put me into lighter shafts than I currently have and my dispersion instantly improved, and very dramatically. I'd been playing shafts that were too heavy for me, apparently. Came down to the HMB and the Srixon 585 and honestly both performed very well and either would have worked. I went with the HMB because I like the look of the clubs much more and quite honestly have just always wanted some Mizuno irons, so I'm happy they performed well for me.

I really really like the srixon 545/65/85s in the long and mid irons. Almost got some and had a set of the 545s awhile back but the shafts were a poor fit so I sold rather than reshafting.

I feel the 585s (during a demo) are a touch more forgiving than the HMBs, but the sole is so wide compared to the HMBs (especially in the short irons) and that was a deal breaker. I wanted a sole more like my AP2s and TMBs.

Turf interaction is vital for all handicaps, but as my cap has dropped and my iron play improved, it became so much more obvious how important that turn interaction is. The HMBs are much thinner and perform better. It’s interesting how much that impacts scoring, and often overlooked. I’d take the thinnest sole I can get in a forgiving package; for that nothing could top the HMBs

I only have the HMBs in the long irons, but I played a set of P790s for a year and I would take the HMBs as a full set over the P790s. I agree with earlier post about yardage consistency. I definitely got an occasional trampoline ball with the P790s. And the feel is much better with HMB. P790 feel was pretty good for a hollow body but doesn't compare with Mizuno.

Also, Mizuno is generally less expensive with better stock shaft options. I have always had good quality control with Mizuno as well. (Can't say the same with TM).

I agree completely. Loved how the 585s felt but the sole is very wide. Much preferred the HMBs when they went through the turf as compared to the 585s. Didn't notice it as much when hitting on the mat to get launch numbers, but when I took them out to the grass to hit it made a difference for me.

Yes. This. You MUST hit irons on grass at some point during any selection process. So vital.

Hmmm...so the sole is thinner than Z585...probably thinner than 545 as well, correct? Interestin, HMBs seem wide in pics, but maybe that's because I always see them next to the MP20 Blades and MMCs.

The HMB sole in the mid and short irons is a bit wider at the toe and creates that illusion I think. For me, the v-sole isn’t a great fit, and having had the 545s the total sole width is absolutely thicker than the HMBs in the scoring clubs. The HMB has some a grind that makes the trailing edge very thin, which makes the sole play more blade like to me. Yes, next to the blades especially they look massive, but the sole players far more like my t-mb/AP2s than my 545s (or p790s I’ve hit on grass) ever did. That’s a big plus for me.

I've played MP4s in 6-P for a long time now and have swapped out many different long irons to combo: Tzoid FliHi, 64s, 54s, H4s, and now HMBs.

I am a huge Mizuno stan but there are definite pros and cons to this iron:

Coming from H4, these are 2* stronger, and also more penetrating by design so they definitely go further. I originally had them bent weak to fit normal MP std lofts, but since went back to 4* gaps (22* 4i or "HMB std") because A they go freakin far and B it gives me better gapping at the top of the bag. More distance for sure, but they still fly plenty high enough to stop on a green, and they are easier to flight down than a FliHi or H4 so they are better off the tee if you need to punch one out there.

Forgiveness wise, because they do not launch as high as an H4 or GI club, there is less backspin (which straightens out the ball). So directionally these are less forgiving, but still retain ball speed, especially low on the face. I guess this is where the "blade" aspect fits in. They are workable, but by association, harder to control directionally (at least compared to an H4 or FliHi.) Don't get me wrong they are not baby blades bad, they do launch higher than a regular iron, but just do not expect JPX forgiveness in this blade package.

Looks wise these are the best looking irons in years, especially when you consider they are somewhat GI. Absolutely perfect. I personally lick them clean after rounds.

Sound/feel wise these are not amazing. I am pretty picky on sound, I prefer the thud of an MP4, and the forged H4 and FliHi were very soft feeling as well. The HMB has a muted crack to it, similar to a UDI, that I am not in love with (except when I stick a green from 200+).

Anyways, these are still in the bag, mostly due to looks but the performance is very good. I can work on my directional misses with my 4/5i, but I don't think there is a club out there that exists that will look as good and be more forgiving without flying too high.

please post a clip of you licking them clean after a round I gotta teach my dog that trick!

I like everything that you wrote here. It sounds like we have similar games and handicaps. If my driver is off, I resort to hitting a 4 iron, knowing I'll get 210-215 off the tee. My miss also tends to be towards the toe. I currently play Mizuno JPX 850 forged with C-Taper Tour 130X shaft. While I like these clubs, and they fit my game well, I want something that will just be slightly more forgiving on hits towards the toe. Not necessarily in direction, because it doesn't typically affect that, but in distance. Hitting a club off the toe in my current setup will drop by distance by about two clubs.

My only worry with these, is that I hit the ball pretty high, even with the clubs above. Hopefully I can find a shaft that will keep that flight down, but the spin up. It's pretty windy where I live, and something that launches unnecessarily high will kill me. I would like to investigate some of the newer graphite shafts, like the UST Recoil 125, as I'm starting to get tondonitis in my left wrist for some reason. However, I know my fitter doesn't have these in his Mizuno fitting kit. When I spoke with him the other day, I believe the heaviest he had was 95g, and that probably won't cut it. I did set up a fitting for this coming Wednesday though. So, I'm pretty excited. I haven't gotten new irons in about 5-6 seasons (whenever the JPX 850 forged came out). I don't necessarily need new clubs.... but again.... I love the hollow blade concept, and they look amazing. I wouldn't be opposed to a combo set either.... like 4-7 HMB and 8-PW MMC.

I have the 3-6HMB the rest MMC, I really like them. No issues with turf interaction as people seem to focus on this a lot with regards to the MP20s. Not to clicky, haven’t had issues with flyers. It’s nice hitting an iron from far out into the green when everyone else is using hybrids.

1 Handicap. Been playing multiple Mizuno irons over past 20 years. I've been playing a MP H5 1 iron past several years with an Aerotech SteelFiber shaft. Hit my 1 iron 3-5 times every round and just love it.

My 16 year old daughter is an 8 handicap and powerful player for her age. Last Christmas I got her the MP20 HMB 2 iron with an Aerotech SteelFiber shaft. She hits it 220-235 off tee here in CO (5000 ft Altitude) and just mashes it. She amazes many of my friends that I play with who are low single digit handicaps and her 2 iron is right up there in distance with their 3 irons. Our country club is a a traditional tight fairway tree lined course. Long iron off tee and playing a lot low screaming punch shots out of trees essential.

Big fan of Mizuno long irons. Have a 15 year old MP Fli Hi 3 iron and that and my MP H5 1 iron that will always stay in my bag and are 2 of my favorite clubs. All I can say is if you watched my daughter strike the MP20 HMB 2 iron you'd be impressed and if you're a single digit handicapper you may want to give them a serious look if interested in a driving or long iron. Highly recommend SteelFiber shafts in them - very soft feeling. My previous ball flight with original Project X 6.5 shaft in my 1 iron flew great but it sure felt harsh.

I would expect most players to look at other models for their 5-PW, but for low irons these MP 20 HMB irons look great and are long.

2 years ago I got my daughter the MP 18 FLI Hi 3 iron. She never liked it. Mizuno messed up with that club. My 2004 FLi Hi 3 iron club head is noticeably bigger than MP 18 FLi Hi. Love my 2004 Fli Hi. Had a few friends who were also very disappointed with MP 18 Fli Hi and ditched them after one season. Mizuno definitely got it right with newer MP20 HMB.

I got a full set of the HMBs. I Picked these over the P-790s. I have about a dozen rounds with them, and am really happy with my decision. As others have commented, the HMBs are more consistent, and I dont think go as far as the P790s, but I liked the consistency over a couple extra yards. Additionally, the P790 long irons are much more offset than the HMBs and I didnt like the offset.

I just ordered a full set, 2-p. I've played Mizuno MP-4s since 2015, but I usually shoot in the low 90s. I never planned to get another set of irons, but after trying these and seeing how good they look, I decided it's time. I'll follow up with a review in the next few weeks.

Just a quick comment about hitting the ball high as that describes me as well. I went with a heavier shaft and I don't hit the ball any higher than I ever did with any other club. And, in fact, found that it was easier for me to even flight the ball down when I needed to. My dispersion is noticeably better and I probably hit them a few yards farther than I did my MP 15's.

Have had my HMB's since October and absolutely love them. This is my 5th set of Mizuno's and, as soon as I saw these clubs, I really didn't even consider anything else.

Agree with above. These go high for me, but I’m a high ball hitter. They are higher than my AP2s with standard 130g x100s, but not miles higher, just a smidge higher. They launch the same as my T-MBs with AMT x100s.

They don’t go anywhere near as high as when I hit my buddy’s G700s with ping AWT X-flex. Those go to space.

High is relative; these go high for me, a high ball hitter, but I can flight them down. I’d argue they go a tad higher than most players cavities, but nothing like those big SGIs out there.