Editor Review: Mizuno MP-64 Irons

Editor Review: Mizuno MP-64 Irons

By J13

As always, thanks to GolfWRX and Mizuno for providing these beautiful irons to me for testing. I want to get right to the review, but before I do here's a quick background on myself and the specs of the set I tested.

My Handicap: Scratch

Tested: Mizuno MP-64 (3-PW) with KBS Tour C-Taper X-Flex Shafts (Soft Stepped)

Pros: Mizuno has hit a home run with these irons. I can't stress it enough that along with Luke Donald's help they have taken a page out of the old play book and went back to the super soft feel that Mizuno is know for. My most recent set of Mizunos were the MP-68s. Thy MP-68s are certainly softer then the average forging, but the MP-64s just seem to melt at impact, i.e. a hot knife through warm butter.

Cons: There's not a whole lot to complain about with these. The only downside is that they aren't super forgiving so you have to be a solid ball striker to wield the MP-64s. Now, I don't like to put a handicap on irons like Mizuno does, but I will say that if you make consistent solid contact these irons will suit you nicely. If not, look at Mizuno's MP-H4s, which are much more forgiving.

Bottom Line: Mizuno moved forward by looking behind. They took the feel that got them to the big dance and paired that up with the latest technology in forgiveness for a players iron. This goes to show that Mizuno is listening to joe public.

The Review

Looks: The MP-64s are beautiful. Mizuno hit the nail on the head with these. They are understated -- no crazy graphics -- and set up to the ball like a players irons should. The Mizuno chrome shines like a set of 22-inch rims in a rap video. BLING!!! The satin face frames the ball extremely well and helps with alignment to the target.

Another thing I enjoyed was all compliments from fellow players then with these irons -- I've never had another set that was so well received by other players. As you can see in the pics below, the MP-64s are consistent from heel to toe with a players iron. They do have a slightly thicker topline then some others, however. It seems more noticeable in the 9 iron and PW, but again were talking slightly thicker, not thick. I really like the fact that I don't see any cavity in the long irons, something that I've seen in other players irons that drives me nuts. The soles are perfect for all types of terrain, but they seem to favor firmer conditions. As for offset, there's not a lot. You can see from the pics and from specs that it ranges from 0.106 (PW) to 0.122 (3 iron). It's very consitent throughout the set which is a plus. I know many players who want zero offset, but I personally enjoy a little relief.

Performance: Luke Donald, who never switches irons, moved to these within a week. That should be a good indicator of how well these perform. Before I get to how these get that little white ball near that tiny cup, I want to first say that I'm a believer in the importance of custom fitting -- irons will perform best if you have the right shaft. For me that shaft is the KBS C-Taper, which is a low-launch, low-spin shaft that is good for fast tempos. I had mine soft stepped, which means I had a slightly softer shaft installed in each of my clubs. This is done by putting a 9-iron shaft in a PW, an 8-iron shaft in a 9 iron, etc. I've been playing the KBS C-Taper for more than a year now and they're amazing. By pairing these up with the MP 64s, I had a set built for kings.

These irons have some of the tightest dispersion I've ever seen. For me, the ball comes off the face with a nice baby draw that hops and stops with some zip on it. These irons almost seem like they have square grooves even though I know they don't. With my 8 iron, 9 iron and PW I was able to be extremely aggressive and hit past some pins knowing that the ball would zip back. I know my grooves are fresh, but the MP-64s spin more then the other sets I've tried this year. This has been extremely helpful in shots out of the rough and will definitely take some getting used to.

Flight and Distance: These are some of the easiest player cavity back irons to flight down if needed. I can control trajectory just as easy as a blade without question, as it appears to me that the center of gravity is not buried deep in the sole of the club like most cavity backs on the market. The first ball that i hit was with the 9 iron and my reaction was, "Wow these are flying low." I loved it.

Now, for distance, there's not a lot to say here. They are on par with other sets I've played that have the same loft. Mishits just off center fly just as far as a center strike, which is great for us humble amateurs. The lofts are essentially standard for today's players irons so if your looking for irons that you can blast off into space and impress your playing partners because your PW is their 8 iron, this isn't the set for you.

Club Loft Lie Offset Bounce

3 21 59.50 .1222 38.75

4 24 60.00 .1222 38.25

5 27 60.50 .1222 37.75

6 30 61.00 .1143 37.25

7 34 61.50 .1143 36.75

8 38 62.00 .1064 36.25

9 42 62.50 .1065 35.75

PW 46 63.00 .1066 35.50

Feel: Mizuno is known for their "Grain Flow Forging" process. Words that could be used to describe the feel of the MP-64s are: astounding, fantastic, stupendous, buttery, soft, excellent, best ever, like hitting an 80 compression balata -- take your pick.

These are the best feeling irons I've ever had the pleasure of using to hit that little white ball. As I stated earlier, Mizuno went back to the playbook and got that super soft forged feeling of days past and married that with today's technology. They are a smart bunch who listen to their consumers.They certainly delivered here. There's not much more to say other than you should hit them and see for yourself. I've already had two people hit these irons at my club and order them. That's how good they are.

Overall: Mizuno created a beautiful set or irons that actually feel better then the previous few generations. If your looking for a players cavity back that can be worked like a blade but has some added forgiveness, then head to your local golf shop and grab the MP-64 six-iron demo. Better yet, if you belong to a club, have them get you a demo in so you can test it on the course. The lower lofted irons are consistent with the rest of the set. By that I mean if you can hit the 6 iron you can hit the 3 iron and get that dreaded hook machine of a hybrid out of the bag. If you prefer a combo set, these would also blend nicely with the MP-69s, which I am a real fan of, or the MP-H4s. My final piece of advice is to find a fitting station, grab the shaft optimizer and slap it on the 6 iron. The next step is waiting anxiously for the pretty Mizuno box to show up at your door step. Enjoy the pics feel free to ask any questions.

3 iron

8 iron

PW

Comparison pics

Really well done review ! I'd love to hear some comparisons on forgiveness with other players cb's

[quote name='topekareal' timestamp='1349227513' post='5741233']
Really well done review ! I'd love to hear some comparisons on forgiveness with other players cb's
[/quote]
Thanks appreciate it. Tried to do them justice. As for comparison's I wanted to keep the main review focused on the Mp 64's but will gladly answer that in this post. I was playing the Bridgestone J40 CB's and loved them but the Mizuno siren got me back. Before the J40's I was playing the mp 68's. The j40's are amazing irons but the feel of the mizuno's were just too much to resist. I wanted NOT to like them more but couldn't help it. From heel to toe they are a little shorter which I like with a slightly thicker top line and slightly thinner sole then the J40's. AS for the 68's I think the 64's feel better and offer a little more forgiveness. Sole width is a smidge thicker but not much again with a slightly thicker top line.

Bottom line is I hit just about every iron on the market (not kidding) and the J40 CB's were the sweetest irons out. But once I took the 64's out for the 2nd round as the 1st I hit the ball terribly, I was in love. I can work the ball better and they also have a lower trajectory which is always a plus for me.

Thanks for the review. I'm picking up a combo set with 53s in the 4, 5 and 6 irons and the 64s in the 7-PW. I can't wait to get them!

Side note: thanks for the explanation on soft stepping...I was never really clear on what that meant.

How do these compare to the MP53 irons? and how is the ball flight? Im looking for a lower ballflight than the MP53.

How is the turn interaction?

Is there really any difference from the 63s or really any iteration from the last couple of years? I was at the local store and they had the 63/64/69s and i lined up the 8irons and man.. Its essentially the same club .. Seems they make some cosmetic changes and change the number .. just to put a "new" iron out.. but its the same iron year after year.. Just an observation/opinion so everyone stay calm..

I was holding one yesterday and they look really good. Nice job on the review!!!

Have you had a chance to get many rounds in with them? How have they preformed on the course?

Great feedback and info...thanks so much!

Also interested to hear your thoughts on what you would pair with the MP 64s in the 3/4 iron for someone who loves the features of the MP 64s in the shorter irons, but maybe needs that bit more forgiveness in a 3/4 iron...

Thats a set I'd actually consider playing. Great job on the review.

Thanks everyone I am really enjoying these irons. Actually played my 5th round with them yesterday and hit EVERY green except 1. Now I did hit my driver well but still. I'm having a lot of fun with these and finding out that they are the most accurate irons I've used to date. So much so that I'm selling my J40 cbs. THAT should tell you how good they are as the J40s were amazing.

Mrfullwm- that will be a great combo set but also look at the mp h4's. Also hit the low irons in the 64's before you do anything they aren't crazy hard to hit.

Rocker40- These feel better then the 53's and ball flight is lower.

Zerofade- Feel is better then the 63's by a long shot and these are more forgiving. I didn't like the 63's which is why I went to the j40s after my mp68's

Scratchswinger- see above, LOVE THEM and i'm able to control trajectory a lot more then my previous set.

Topekareal- Mp H4's will be perfect for that.

Hmmmm...MP H4 in 2/3 iron and 4-PW in MP 64 sounds lovely doesn't it!!!

Regarding the combo set, you wrote that the 64s would blend nicely with the MP69s. I'm assuming this was a typo and you meant the MP59s, correct? If I'm not mistaken, the 69s are no more forgiving than the 64s and that, of course, would defeat the purpose of doing a combo set. LMK. Thanks for the review. You did a great job!

my guess is he meant you could use the 69s in the short irons...8-PW or so...

[quote name='topekareal' timestamp='1349378139' post='5750711']
my guess is he meant you could use the 69s in the short irons...8-PW or so...
[/quote]

Bingo. The low lofted irons aren't difficult to hit assuming your ballstriking is solid. For the purist they may want to combine this set with the 69's. This is what's great about Mizuno's new lines, they can be mix matched a million different ways and make everyone happy. For me I love the 64's and will not be mix and matching but if that's your thing you could do:

For example
mp h4's 3-5
mp 64's 6-pw
or
mp 64 3-6
mp 69 7-pw

I'm really liking example #1!

yea the 64's are low launching, probably the lowest launching iron head Ive hit.

These are on my radar now - great write up!

Great review .... Dropped my handicap from 12 to 8 this season with the jpx800 pros .... Now for the next step !

Great Review J13, Thank You!

I'm a 6.2 hcp index and come from MP69 DG S300 to MP64 KBS Tour Stiff. What a great decision. MP64 gives me the extra forgivness I need on the course. Look is awesome, feel is soft and nice, trajectory very solid and penetrating through the air (thanks KBS) and especially the long irons give me so much confidence.

The clubs are 1 week in my bag. On Wednesday I played men's golf and shot a nice 75 (was really rainy and windy here in Germany, so big result for me). Dropped my hcp from 7.2 to 6.2, thanks Mizuno.

thanks everyone. Swanry pull the trigger, you know your either going to do it now or later but you will do it haha.
Andfri and trojan keep up the good work. Always nice to get the hcp down.

On a side note something that I skipped over a bit but want to comment now is the distance control. Noticed they are VERY consistent. Because of the lower trajectory I am able to control my distance which is putting me pin high much more frequently then before. I didn't even take notice until after wednesdays round when I had so many putts pin high. Just love these irons, love them.

[quote name='J13' timestamp='1349387983' post='5751645']
[quote name='topekareal' timestamp='1349378139' post='5750711']
my guess is he meant you could use the 69s in the short irons...8-PW or so...
[/quote]

Bingo. The low lofted irons aren't difficult to hit assuming your ballstriking is solid. For the purist they may want to combine this set with the 69's. This is what's great about Mizuno's new lines, they can be mix matched a million different ways and make everyone happy. For me I love the 64's and will not be mix and matching but if that's your thing you could do:

For example
mp h4's 3-5
mp 64's 6-pw
or
mp 64 3-6
mp 69 7-pw
[/quote]
Ah, Oooops, my bad. Thanks for the clarification.

[quote name='ceasterb' timestamp='1349436584' post='5753851']
[quote name='J13' timestamp='1349387983' post='5751645']
[quote name='topekareal' timestamp='1349378139' post='5750711']
my guess is he meant you could use the 69s in the short irons...8-PW or so...
[/quote]

Bingo. The low lofted irons aren't difficult to hit assuming your ballstriking is solid. For the purist they may want to combine this set with the 69's. This is what's great about Mizuno's new lines, they can be mix matched a million different ways and make everyone happy. For me I love the 64's and will not be mix and matching but if that's your thing you could do:

For example
mp h4's 3-5
mp 64's 6-pw
or
mp 64 3-6
mp 69 7-pw
[/quote]
Ah, Oooops, my bad. Thanks for the clarification.
[/quote]

No worries. Played 9 today and love them even more. Mizuno has a winner

I played mine to tonight for the 3rd round, love them! My I20's may never leave the garage again!

well there goes that 800 bucks!

hit these 3 times and didn't love them but hit them again today and wow they are nice. Just amazing

[quote name='closetoscratch' timestamp='1349579415' post='5760689']
hit these 3 times and didn't love them but hit them again today and wow they are nice. Just amazing
[/quote]

I felt the same way the front 9 of my first round. Then once I started to dial things in I was in heaven.

[quote name='topekareal' timestamp='1349577734' post='5760605']
well there goes that 800 bucks!
[/quote]

Money well spent!!

Great review J13, I just bought the MP 64 in PX 5.5 shaft. Picking them up tomorrow. Can't wait to hit them!!!

Nano it seems like most need a range session or round to dial them in after that it's money in the bank. Enjoy and post back with your thoughts once you hit them.