EDITOR Review: Mizuno JPX-800 Irons

[Goldenhawk]

Mizuno JPX-800 Irons, 4 to GW, Project X 5.0 Shafts

 

I am 41 years old, playing to a 15~16 HC. I get out about twice a month during the golfing season. But since the driving range is down the street from work, I get to hit a bucket or two during lunch twice or more a week. Thanks for GolfWRX and Mizuno for this testing opportunity.

 

Product Information from Mizuno:

 

Recommended Handicap Range is 8 to 20.

 

A serious looking iron designed to be amazingly forgiving and explosively long, the JPX-800™ is the first model to bring Mizuno’s Global JPX technology platform to the United States. The unbelievable distance of the JPX-800 irons is achieved by combining MAX COR Technology, Hot Metal™ Face construction, and an exotic pocket cavity to hit the maximum allowable limits for energy transfer. Hot Metal™ construction utilizes a new manufacturing process that increases the material’s natural strength to create an ultra-thin and multi-thickness face for maximum, consistent ball speed, while the innovative pocket cavity with external power bar design expands and extends the sweet area and lowers the center of gravity for unsurpassed forgiveness. An aggressive triple cut sole ensures solid ball striking from all types of lies, and a multi-material cavity badge provides tuned impact sound with enhanced feel and sharp looks. Simply put, the JPX-800 irons utilize the world’s most advanced Game Improvement technologies to help the serious mid- to high-handicap player score like never before!

 

Features-

 

o 4-7 irons utilize MAX COR construction which delivers the highest allowable COR and low deep Center of Gravity for amazing distance and forgiveness.

o 8-PW utilize deep pocket cavity design for maximum forgiveness and increased accuracy.

o GW & SW utilize a solid power bar design for greater control and pinpoint accuracy.

o A multi-level, multi-thickness exotic pocket cavity™ (4 – 7 iron) creates the largest MOI for the most forgiving iron in MIZUNO’s award-winning line-up.

o Massive external Power Bar design expands and extends the sweet area for maximum forgiveness across the face.

o Multi-material badge to enhance feel and deliver aggressive styling.

o Aggressive Triple Cut sole for consistent forgiveness from all types of lies and playing conditions.

o Durable double nickel chrome plated finish.

o Modified U-grooves, which conform to the Condition of Competition 2010, produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions.

 

Pros-

 

Easy to hit. Long distance. Versatile from any lie. Long distance. Clean looking design. Can I say distance again.

 

Cons-

 

No 3 iron. 8, 9 and PW can get a little “jumpy”. Lacks that Mizuno forged feel.

 

The Bottom Line-

 

Versatile set that Mizuno has made for the masses.

 

Review-

 

Thanks to GolfWRX and Mizuno for allowing me to test and review the the JPX-800 irons. Well I got out to play three 18-hole rounds and some range sessions in between the rains for the JPX-800s. I will say that the JPX-800 iron is versatile and easy to hit. The JPX-800 are cast, not forged. So they lack that forged feel and feedback that Mizuno irons are known for. About five years ago, I bagged the MX-900 iron set for 1-1/2 years and love that set. If my memory serves me right, the JPX-800 irons are just as easy to hit as the MX-900, but lack the forged feel. I used a 7 iron to get to 150 yards with the MX-900. With the JPX-800 irons, I can easily get to 150 yards with an 8 iron. So the JPX-800s are easily one club longer than the MX-900s. The test set came with Project X 5.0 steel shafts to help lower the height of the shots a bit.

 

Looks-

 

Classic chrome and satin finish that the Mizuno irons are known for. The badge is silver with blue trim. Not to outrageous as some of the irons in the market today. Quality is top notch. The set came with matching serial numbers and the Mizuno M-21 grips.

The JPX-800s have a thick top line. That doesn’t bother me. The hitting area frames well at address. The bottom flanges can be seen in the 4, 5 and 6 irons at address.

The finish of the iron heads held up well through 3 full rounds of golf and some range sessions.

 

Performance-

 

The JPX-800 irons are advertised and built for distance. If that is what you’re looking for in an iron, then the JPX-800s is your set. The 4 and 5 irons really excel off tee shots as driving irons. This really made me wish that the 3 iron was made available for this set. The triple cut sole helps with hitting the irons out of the rough. There was little distance loss from well stuck shots out of the rough. I hit a 5 iron from the rough 175 yards. For me that was awesome. From the fairway, the JPX-800s are superb.

 

On full shots, the JPX-800s deliver the goods. The set I tested had Project X shafts in them. The shafts are a little stouter and help with accuracy. If the swing is true, the ball will go where aimed.

 

I found these irons to be very forgiving……much more forgiving than they look. If you are looking for the most forgiving iron that doesn’t look like a shovel, then this is definitely your set.

 

I found that the hot faces of the JPX-800 irons make partial and finesse shots with the 8, 9 and PW were hard to dial in. The 8, 9 and PW have a cavity cut. The GW is easier to dial in with partial and finesse shots as wells as chipping and pitching. The GW does not have a cavity cut, and is probably the reason why it’s not as “lively”.

 

The Max-COR construction that makes the JPX-800s lively, also minimizes distance loss from off center hits. If the ball is struck in the hitting area of the face, the ball will get there.

 

The GW is 49*. (I guess this is the new norm for Game-Improvement irons in the industry.) From my previous experience, I found a good deal on 54* and 60* Mizuno T-11 wedges to match the set.

 

Feel-

 

This is not a forged Mizuno set. If you are looking for that sweet forged feel, it’s not here. The JPX-800s feel different. It doesn’t feel like a run of the mill GI iron set either. The JPX-800s have a “pseudo-forged” feel on well struck shots. But the Max-COR lively face makes it hard to differentiate from off-center hits. A really bad miss (thin shot, off the heel or toe, etc.) can still be felt though.

 

Bottom Line-

 

This is Mizuno’s iron for the masses. The masses love distance and the JPX-800s will deliver on that end. But the iron is still versatile for a mid-handicapper to use. Personally, I believe that the JPX-800s are THE perfect set of irons to use for scramble format tournaments where the premium is place on distance. I will be bringing these irons to play in scramble tournaments for work.

 

Personally, it's a shame I cannot get a 3 iron for the JPX-800s. With the forgiveness built-in to the JPX-800, I think that the 3 iron would have been one awesome driving iron.

 

To address the "liveliness" issues in the short irons, get the 8 iron, 9 iron and PW in the JPX-800 Pros. But get Mizuno to make the JPX-800 Pros in the specs of the JPX-800s to make sure that there is no gapping within the set.

 

The Pictures-

 

The package that the JPX-800 irons came in.

 

 

The Project X 5.0 shafts.

 

 

The M-21 grips.

 

 

The 4 iron, 6 iron and PW.

 

 

The 4 iron.

 

 

The 4 iron at address.

 

 

The 6 iron.

 

 

The 6 iron at address.

 

 

The Pitching Wedge.

 

 

The Pitching Wedge at address.

 

 

The soles of the 6 iron (left) and 4 iron (right).

 

 

The soles of the PW (left) and 6 iron (right).

 

[MizunoMatt]

Great review!

[bryan.d]

Great review! I'm waiting on mine to come in 4-gw with DG s300 soft stepped once.

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='MizunoMatt' timestamp='1336919721' post='4905218']
Great review!
[/quote]

Thank you.


[quote name='bryan.d' timestamp='1337218367' post='4928450']
Great review! I'm waiting on mine to come in 4-gw with DG s300 soft stepped once.
[/quote]

Thank you. You will enjoy them! They should serve you well.

[caller]

This iron is so accurate that I had blue printed and ordered same set with same spec.

Used to play

Srixon i701 tour
AP1
AP2
G15

but this one just flat out perform. I actually gained 15yrds with baby draw and this thing goes high and soaring then soft landing on the green.

When I had custom fitting and went thorough about 200 combination of head/shaft/swing weight chages and my best fit was JPX 800.

looks like shoevel but Mizuno have done a great job hiding the mass and also with grinds that can play in various turf condition.

Face is hot and can tell you distance control in long and wedges are off sometimes due to very forgiving face but overall saving strokes are appearent.

[MadGolfer76]

Nice. I just talked my dad into a set of those with GS-95's. He picked up better than a full club throughout his irons. JPX 800 are huge.

[simonmax]

You may not be able to get the 3 iron, but you can buy a jpx fli-hi hybrid or, as they call it, direct long iron replacement. It's designed to follow on the standard iron length's of any of the jpx series. In essence it's a 3 iron. I used to hate it (was a hook machine), but a few extra hours on the range has made it one of he easiest clubs in the bag! Trust me, if I can hit it then anybody can....

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='simonmax' timestamp='1338186076' post='4988088']
You may not be able to get the 3 iron, but you can buy a jpx fli-hi hybrid or, as they call it, direct long iron replacement. It's designed to follow on the standard iron length's of any of the jpx series. In essence it's a 3 iron. I used to hate it (was a hook machine), but a few extra hours on the range has made it one of he easiest clubs in the bag! Trust me, if I can hit it then anybody can....
[/quote]

The JPX Fli-Hi Hybrid just doesn't suit my eye. I'm sure it is totally functional, but it has that weird shape I don't care for, just like the Ping G15 and G20 hybrids. Now the new MP-650 hybrid....that I really like. I'd like to get one to test.

[mozgolf]

WTF a set of scramble irons. Pull out a different set each time you play a scramble, now that's a recipe for success!

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='mozgolf' timestamp='1338211761' post='4988542']
WTF a set of scramble irons. Pull out a different set each time you play a scramble, now that's a recipe for success!
[/quote]

Actually, I've been gaming the JPX-800s up until yesterday. Been playing with my younger cousin and his friend where this 41 year old needed the distance to keep up.

[Vykter]

I'm playing with the JPX-800 Pros and am curious if there's increase in distance using the JPX-800s. I love the feel of the Pros and have already gained a club in distance from my Callaway FT-ibrids, but I'm always chasing ways to improve. Have you had a chance to play with the Pros?

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='Vykter' timestamp='1342203650' post='5269586']
I'm playing with the JPX-800 Pros and am curious if there's increase in distance using the JPX-800s. I love the feel of the Pros and have already gained a club in distance from my Callaway FT-ibrids, but I'm always chasing ways to improve. Have you had a chance to play with the Pros?
[/quote]

I have tried the JPX Pros. You cannot put a lazy swing on the JPX Pros. I have not done a side by side comparison. But looking at the specs between the JPXs and the JPX Pros, the Pros have weaker lofts. Based on that, in stock configuration, the JPX Pros may play anywhere from 1/2 to a full club shorter than the JPXs.

[flyersfan25]

Awesome review! Just got finished with a fitting today and these are the clubs I went with, they felt a lot better than my old Ping G10s.

Got 2 degree upright lie with R flex shaft. First time being fitted, wish I would have done it a while ago, would have never even thought to try these clubs if I wasn't fitted for them. Now comes the hard part, waiting 7-10 days for them to come in to the shop

[Spaulding S.]

Got fit for jpx 800s about 3 weeks ago. 2 degs flat,kbs stiff flex shafts, and golf pride multi compound grips. I came from 20 years of hitting off the rack clubs- lastly Nike slingshots. I'm still having to get used to hitting clubs that fit me and not having to compensate my swing for the clubs not fitting in order to get the proper ball flight. I've played two rounds with them and have hit them fairly well on the course. On the range, though, I really struggle to hit them consistently and it is pretty frustrating. I'll be back out and hitting them a lot more because I really want to love them, but am pretty frustrated on the range. A lot of duffs, fat shots, weak slices, etc. Those types of mis-hits were a thing of the past for me, but they are rearing their ugly head with the 800s. Obviously, it is the Indian, not the arrow and a lot of my swing flaws that were covered up with the sgi irons of my past are now exposed. I'm perfectly okay with that as I want to improve my swing and am taking a few lessons to get the bugs worked out.

[Goldenhawk]

[quote name='Spaulding S.' timestamp='1344825099' post='5458582']
Got fit for jpx 800s about 3 weeks ago. 2 degs flat,kbs stiff flex shafts, and golf pride multi compound grips. I came from 20 years of hitting off the rack clubs- lastly Nike slingshots. I'm still having to get used to hitting clubs that fit me and not having to compensate my swing for the clubs not fitting in order to get the proper ball flight. I've played two rounds with them and have hit them fairly well on the course. On the range, though, I really struggle to hit them consistently and it is pretty frustrating. I'll be back out and hitting them a lot more because I really want to love them, but am pretty frustrated on the range. A lot of duffs, fat shots, weak slices, etc. Those types of mis-hits were a thing of the past for me, but they are rearing their ugly head with the 800s. Obviously, it is the Indian, not the arrow and a lot of my swing flaws that were covered up with the sgi irons of my past are now exposed. I'm perfectly okay with that as I want to improve my swing and am taking a few lessons to get the bugs worked out.
[/quote]

The JPXs are forgiving and should make your transition into them fairly easy. Give it about two weeks to get used to them.

[Spaulding S.]

Getting used to them. My biggest struggle is that i am hitting behind the ball. Went to the range today and worked on a Michael Breed drill of placing the ball six inches forward of where it would be in my stance and setting up to the "normal" ball placement, then reaching to hit the ball. Really has helped to get me to stay on line and not break my hands at impact and to stay in the groove and not over the top.

[asab22]

Got fitted for a set of these a couple months ago with the PX 6.0 shafts and loving them so far. Only complaint I have is the M-21 grip that they come with which looks to be a Golf Pride VDR grip are very slick down here in the heat and humidity of Louisiana.

[burgosity]

I got fitted for a set earlier this year 1 degree upright with KBS tour stiff shafs soft stepped. This things are crazy long. I'm sure it's the lofts are jacked up compared to the Pong G2 irons I was plaing before this set. They got bumped out of the bag by a set of Miura CB's for the summer, but they're going right back in this fall.

[devinaschultz]

I bought these irons out of shear enthusiasm for the Mizuno name and classic feel. I should have been tipped off to what I was in for when I demo'd them on the range though.

I was not hitting the ball well with anything the day I demo'd them, but thought it must have just been me. I bought the irons to replace my old Ping I-10's which don't have as much forgiveness as I'd hoped these would. Though the JPX 800's were more forgiving and definitely higher flying than my Pings (with AWT Stiff shafts), the weighting of them is off. My Pings are weighted D3 as these are, but you can definitely tell they are heavier, and noticeably in the toe area of the head. Adams CB3 D3 weighting is also noticeably lighter and distributed in a way that it is easier to square the head coming through.

You definitely notice the massive top line, but the overbearing weighting in the toe is what really makes these difficult to get square at impact. With three sets of irons I've always had a nice 3-5 yard draw with anything longer than an 8 iron. With these I was hitting a 10 yard fade, at the same lie specs as my other irons. I also noticed the distinct absence of a forged feel (these are not forged as most Mizunos), and the sound they make at impact is more like the crack of an older wood than an iron (not very pleasing to me). The length on these irons is great, and though the Dynalite Gold XP S-300 feels a bit softer than say a KBS equivalent, they still are a solid offering though I would beware of purchasing without a solid demo period and making sure they feel as you want before buying.

[James Thomas]

Thanks for the review, Goldenhawk. I've been looking to upgrade from my old Cobra FP's, so I bought a set of Mizuno jpx-800's (4-GW) on eBay today for just under $230. The pics show them to be in great shape but I obviously don't know for sure yet. I hit some jpx-ez's at Dick's this weekend but just couldn't justify spending $900 on clubs right now. This set I bought will be my first time hitting Mizuno's. I'll let you know what I think once I've gotten them in and hit them a few times.