Mizuno JPX 900 Hot Metal

[Onespeed24]

My only wish is that they had more bounce.

 

 

 

How about bending them 2 degrees weak? You'd have more bounce, normal lofts and maybe take off a smidge of offset. I'm considering these and if I were to get them I'd probably think about getting them a little weak. My i20 7 iron is 33 degrees and would be hesitant to move away from that.

 

You might want to call Mizuno and see what they have to say about the idea. Normally I'd say no issue, but that 4140 steel they use is HARD. After assembling my set I checked/adjusted loft and lie and adjusting loft was NOT easy. Fortunately most clubs were bang on the money so I didn't need to mess with them but one club needed a little tweaking and I really needed to lean on it to get just .75*. Interestingly, adjusting lie angle was much easier, sort of like a Ping. Not easy per say, but easier than loft.

 

This is not good, I intended to have mine bent 2 degrees weak upon receiving my new irons.

 

It may be hard to bend the loft on these irons but I wouldn't let it worry you. Chromoly is much more resilient and bendable than a cast club, so I wouldn't be concerned about damaging anything if that is what you're concerned with, you'll just have to be patient and put a little more elbow grease into it. I raced BMX bikes for years and there are certain components that I would only ever use Chromoly for, specifically handlebars and forks. Reason being, during a crash or hard landing the Chromoly would bend but never break. Aluminum is lighter and cast is cheaper, but they both break catastrophically when they reach the point of no return. I've bent some Chromoly handlebars pretty good but was able to walk away because they at least stayed in one piece. I've seen aluminum bars essentially shatter in the same situation and it was bad. Cast is way too brittle for applications like that, which is why it's problematic to adjust cast clubs. If you do the work yourself just know it will take a little more oomph, if you have it done at a shop I'd make sure they understand it can be done. If letting Mizuno do the work puts your mind at ease I would certainly understand that, but I'm not certain its necessary.

[AndersUK]

Happy to provide a mini-review now I’ve had the chance to game them for a few holes this weekend. Playing to around 12-14hcp.

 

Saturday didn’t turn out too good and I wasn’t hitting the ball well at all. Due to time constraints and short days I only played 13 holes. Was thinning the irons. They were spec’d ¼ inch short as recommended by the fitter. Considering Mizuno are already short these felt a little weird compared to Z745’s I was gaming before, which were standard length as per Srixon specs. It was clear I was either swinging poorly, needed to get used to them or the fit was incorrect. A slight case of buyer’s remorse set in.

 

I planned another few holes for Sunday. Again, started off poorly with bogies and doubles for the first 7 holes. I was struggling with all the clubs really. Shot a 78 last month but would be lucky to break 90 at this rate. On the 8^th, a 90* dogleg right I made an adjustment to my swing. During the fitting the pro asked me to get my right side through the ball more as I was hanging back a little and flipping. Did this on my approach shot to the green with a 5i and struck it really well. It was only 180yrds with a little helping breeze but in the UK we are playing in 5-8*C temps at the moment! I actually thought it came up short until I reached the green and saw it pin high approx. 8ft from the hole. Missed the birdy putt.

 

9^th. 189 par 3 moved forward for the winter so now 165ish. Hit a 6i, caught is well but pushed it right and ended up in the bunker. Would have rolled to the back of the green if the bunker hadn’t of caught it. Thinned the bunker shot due to a poor lie and stance. Double.

 

10^th. Got into a little trouble with the driver and managed a 9i to the front edge of the green. Got up and down.

 

11^th. 158yd par 3 and flushed a 7i pin high although pulled to the left 20ft. It also stopped dead which is encouraging. Missed the birdy putt.

 

12^th. Poor drive and ended up on an adjacent fairway. The approaching group let me take my shot first so the pressure was on. Approx. 180 yards from the flag with tall trees to carry. Flushed the 5i again. Piercing ball flight finishing pin high 9ft to the right. Missed the birdy putt.

 

13^th. 547yd par 5. Hit a good drive but a fairway bunker pulled it back 20-30 yards as it rolled through and popped out the other side. Nutted a 20* hybrid to approx. 40yards from the green. Pitched to 10ft from the hole. Missed the birdy putt.

 

Running out of light so headed for the 18^th. Playing approx. 160-165 so I hit a 7i. Caught it a little thin. Still flew straight and ended up on the front of the green. Missed a long birdy putt lol.

 

Then ran out of light.

 

For those that have read other posts of mine will know that I have always struggled with distance control with the KBS Tour S. I am so used to seeing balls come up short or fly over the green. You will have noticed that many of my shots were finishing right of the target. This is because I inadvertently aim right of target due to pull hooks with the KBS shafted clubs! I need to correct alignment now.

 

Basically, although still higher than the fitting, a more penetrating ball flight with these sticks but this is really down to the PX LZ shaft. When you load them correctly and don’t flip they just perform. The dispersion on this shaft is SO much better than the KBS in both distance and L/R. I can hook and slice with the KBS but poor strikes with the PX LZ usually end up as milder pushes or pulls.

 

Feel and sound. This has always been important to me but I was willing to sacrifice a little for a better performing club. However, they didn’t disappoint. Although they miss some of that “solidness” associated with some of the better forged heads they were still soft at impact. More importantly they gave off that snap/whip ricochet type sound at impact, similar to the Z745 and Mizuno MP57 that I like to hit, both with KBS S shafts. You know, the sound when people turn around with that “he just hit a good one” look on their face. A cheap used set of MP57’s with KBS Tour S was my first introduction to that “wow” sound and feel at impact that I desired. Although the Z745 and MP57 are slightly more pronounced in this regard there wasn’t much in it and the Hot Metal with PX LZ did not disappoint. I am really pleased with how the Hot Metal feels and sound when flushed. Without doubt the best sounding non-forged club I have hit. I am not sure how much of this is due to the shaft though? I have gamed the 850 Forged and in comparison that felt muted as did the 900 forged. Didn’t hit the 900 Tour.

 

The cavity is going to be a PITA to keep clean but so far so good.

[Nessism]

It may be hard to bend the loft on these irons but I wouldn't let it worry you. Chromoly is much more resilient and bendable than a cast club, so I wouldn't be concerned about damaging anything if that is what you're concerned with, you'll just have to be patient and put a little more elbow grease into it. I raced BMX bikes for years and there are certain components that I would only ever use Chromoly for, specifically handlebars and forks. Reason being, during a crash or hard landing the Chromoly would bend but never break. Aluminum is lighter and cast is cheaper, but they both break catastrophically when they reach the point of no return. I've bent some Chromoly handlebars pretty good but was able to walk away because they at least stayed in one piece. I've seen aluminum bars essentially shatter in the same situation and it was bad. Cast is way too brittle for applications like that, which is why it's problematic to adjust cast clubs. If you do the work yourself just know it will take a little more oomph, if you have it done at a shop I'd make sure they understand it can be done. If letting Mizuno do the work puts your mind at ease I would certainly understand that, but I'm not certain its necessary.

 

FYI: the Hot Metal club heads are CAST.

[Z1ggy16]

I just wanted to say, I've been playing these clubs for almost 2 months now. I really like these a lot and I see myself keeping these until/if I can manage to get down near scratch. They just look so great behind the ball and the sweet spot feels very large. I'm still able to work the ball with these, despite being GI irons. I have hit lower punch shots with a 7iron that roll nicely to about 130-140 yards, or nice high baby fades with the 7i that land on the pretty green softly.

 

Other than the 5i being kiiiiind of chunky, I have no complaints at all. I still get plenty of distance but I don't sacrifice spin like I did on some of the other GI irons.

 

These are real winners right here.

[lspky_muskie]

I've managed to hit about every iron in the game improvement category in the last two months, and this seems like the best of the best and one I will not outgrow as I get better.

 

Definitely going to schedule a fitting after I get my tax refund, but will keep my eyes peeled for a deal before then.

[Onespeed24]

It may be hard to bend the loft on these irons but I wouldn't let it worry you. Chromoly is much more resilient and bendable than a cast club, so I wouldn't be concerned about damaging anything if that is what you're concerned with, you'll just have to be patient and put a little more elbow grease into it. I raced BMX bikes for years and there are certain components that I would only ever use Chromoly for, specifically handlebars and forks. Reason being, during a crash or hard landing the Chromoly would bend but never break. Aluminum is lighter and cast is cheaper, but they both break catastrophically when they reach the point of no return. I've bent some Chromoly handlebars pretty good but was able to walk away because they at least stayed in one piece. I've seen aluminum bars essentially shatter in the same situation and it was bad. Cast is way too brittle for applications like that, which is why it's problematic to adjust cast clubs. If you do the work yourself just know it will take a little more oomph, if you have it done at a shop I'd make sure they understand it can be done. If letting Mizuno do the work puts your mind at ease I would certainly understand that, but I'm not certain its necessary.

 

FYI: the Hot Metal club heads are CAST.

 

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I understand the production method is cast, however, the Chromoly material is more malleable and is what allows these to be more easily adjusted than a 431 or other type of steel club. Thanks for pointing that out...

[AndersUK]

I will let you know next week how easy/hard they are to bend. I will being going for a post fitting checkup to check club gapping etc. I have measured each club on my own loft/lie machine and the lies are all over the place.

 

Spec'd Actual

4 59 59

5 59.5 60

6 60 60.5

7 60.5 61.5

8 61 62.5

9 61.5 61

P 62 63

 

The 5i loft is also 0.5* strong and the 6i 0.5* weak.

[Nessism]

Be careful judging the angles based on your loft and lie machine unless you know for a fact that it measures accurately. Most machines are lucky to read accurately to within 1 degree. On my own machine, a Golfsmith Ultimate, the angle measuring device had to be tweaked and shimmed before it was able to read accurately. Just figuring this out was a project in it's own right. At any rate, a specification gauge is the only way to truly know the angles so you might want to break yours out just in case before bending if you are looking for exacting angles.

 

When working on my own HM set one thing I noticed is that each different club in the set required a reset of the bending machines toe stop because each head seemed to require a different stop position before it sat level. This is somewhat unusual in my experience. Typically, when bending a set of Ping's for example, the toe stop will stay in the same position throughout the entire set. Bottom line is that it requires careful work to assure each club is measured accurately.

[Nessism]

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I understand the production method is cast, however, the Chromoly material is more malleable and is what allows these to be more easily adjusted than a 431 or other type of steel club. Thanks for pointing that out...

 

Sorry to nit pick but the ease or difficulty of bending is not related to malleability, it's about the yield strength and modulus of elasticity. To create a permanent bend you need to exceed the yield strength and with a high strength alloy like 4140 that takes a good bit of force. Anyone that has adjusted some 17-4 Ping's knows that it takes a good sturdy long handled bending bar and a good bit of force. This 4140 stuff is reputed to be stronger than 17-4 so it requires more force to bend. Plain and simple.

 

That business aside...I've got some rounds in with my HM's now and like them . At first I installed some 110 Recoils but I was pulling everything so those came out and 95 Recoils went in (yes, I'm getting older), and now I'm hitting them much better. For a GI iron with a spring face they have excellent feel and don't sound overly clunky. I'm digging them and plan to make these clubs my new gamers.

[jpcortese]

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I understand the production method is cast, however, the Chromoly material is more malleable and is what allows these to be more easily adjusted than a 431 or other type of steel club. Thanks for pointing that out...

 

Sorry to nit pick but the ease or difficulty of bending is not related to malleability, it's about the yield strength and modulus of elasticity. To create a permanent bend you need to exceed the yield strength and with a high strength alloy like 4140 that takes a good bit of force. Anyone that has adjusted some 17-4 Ping's knows that it takes a good sturdy long handled bending bar and a good bit of force. This 4140 stuff is reputed to be stronger than 17-4 so it requires more force to bend. Plain and simple.

 

That business aside...I've got some rounds in with my HM's now and like them . At first I installed some 110 Recoils but I was pulling everything so those came out and 95 Recoils went in (yes, I'm getting older), and now I'm hitting them much better. For a GI iron with a spring face they have excellent feel and don't sound overly clunky. I'm digging them and plan to make these clubs my new gamers.

 

Ness,

Can you tell us how the HM's compare to the Steelhead XR's and Ping G's as far as dispersion. distance and forgiveness since you previously gamed those? I was fitted for all three but haven't yet pulled the trigger but want to after the first of the year.

[Nessism]

Ness,

Can you tell us how the HM's compare to the Steelhead XR's and Ping G's as far as dispersion. distance and forgiveness since you previously gamed those? I was fitted for all three but haven't yet pulled the trigger but want to after the first of the year.

 

Distance wise the Steelhead XR's win. The lofts are stronger and the face is lively. I like the fact that they have less offset than the other clubs too, especially the Ping's. Comparing forgiveness is harder. Guess I'd say the Ping because they have more bounce (a less diggy sole), and a bunch of toe weight. The HM's have a pretty forgiving face though, that's their claim to fame. They feel and sound the best too, in my opinion. Dispersion is not a club feature unless you want to talk about keeping the ball in towards the target when you miss the center of the face, in which case again, I'd have to say the Ping's first. Oh, and one other thing I like about the HM is the chrome plating. The clubs scratch up much less than raw stainless clubs. Honestly though, all three of those sets are outstanding. You can't go wrong with any of them and it's hard to say one is "better" than the others.

 

 

Forgiveness: G

Distance: Steelhead

Feel: HM

[bulls9999]

I just got done having my wife getting fitted by one of the better local fitter who has an outdoor range (I spent the afternoon hitting a large bucket of balls while she was getting fitted, the guy used the Trackman, impact tape, had here hitting about 4 different brands), then afterwards, we visited a local Golf Galaxy and was looking to test hit an iron with the Project X LZ steel shaft....should have done that while I was at the fitter for my wife, oh well....the Golf Galaxy attendant found a Project X LZ steel shaft, 5.5 flex at 115 gms on a Mizuno test cart and asked what I wanted, so I said a 6-iron head....he selected the Hot Metal 6-iron which I said fine (because I have been contemplated that set as well). When the guy handed it to me, I was like whoa, and I kind of balanced it a bit and lifted the head end a few times up and down with the butt of the shaft, and without saying anything, the attendant looked at me and said....heavy, ain't it? And I thought ugh, yes...was almost instantly put off by the heavy headed iron. Was that just my perception or, are those Mizuno Hot Metal irons 'head-heavy'? and do they seem like Ping GI irons which I've always referred to as having lead-heavy heads. That head felt like a quarter-pound of steel, not balanced at all. Then I had to check the specs on the shaft, thinking is this one of those steel-graphite hybrid shafts, but yes, it was Project X steel 115-gms, 5.5 flex.....just completely different than I imagined. Now I am contemplating an alternative choice. Are the Mizuno forged equally heavy like that?

[Nessism]

I just got done having my wife getting fitted by one of the better local fitter who has an outdoor range (I spent the afternoon hitting a large bucket of balls while she was getting fitted, the guy used the Trackman, impact tape, had here hitting about 4 different brands), then afterwards, we visited a local Golf Galaxy and was looking to test hit an iron with the Project X LZ steel shaft....should have done that while I was at the fitter for my wife, oh well....the Golf Galaxy attendant found a Project X LZ steel shaft, 5.5 flex at 115 gms on a Mizuno test cart and asked what I wanted, so I said a 6-iron head....he selected the Hot Metal 6-iron which I said fine (because I have been contemplated that set as well). When the guy handed it to me, I was like whoa, and I kind of balanced it a bit and lifted the head end a few times up and down with the butt of the shaft, and without saying anything, the attendant looked at me and said....heavy, ain't it? And I thought ugh, yes...was almost instantly put off by the heavy headed iron. Was that just my perception or, are those Mizuno Hot Metal irons 'head-heavy'? and do they seem like Ping GI irons which I've always referred to as having lead-heavy heads. That head felt like a quarter-pound of steel, not balanced at all. Then I had to check the specs on the shaft, thinking is this one of those steel-graphite hybrid shafts, but yes, it was Project X steel 115-gms, 5.5 flex.....just completely different than I imagined. Now I am contemplating an alternative choice. Are the Mizuno forged equally heavy like that?

 

The heads aren't heavier than any others. Sounds like you should have tried the stock Nippon 105 shafts if you like a lighter feel.

[bulls9999]

True, the guy just picked up the Project X LZ steel shaft and grabbed a head out of the cart that happened to be the Hot Metal 6-iron head (and I thought, well, OK, because I was curious about both). But are you saying the Nippon 105 shaft will make the club feel 'lighter' than with the Project X 115-gm shaft? Would it not make it feel that much more head-heavy?

 

I just got done having my wife getting fitted by one of the better local fitter who has an outdoor range (I spent the afternoon hitting a large bucket of balls while she was getting fitted, the guy used the Trackman, impact tape, had here hitting about 4 different brands), then afterwards, we visited a local Golf Galaxy and was looking to test hit an iron with the Project X LZ steel shaft....should have done that while I was at the fitter for my wife, oh well....the Golf Galaxy attendant found a Project X LZ steel shaft, 5.5 flex at 115 gms on a Mizuno test cart and asked what I wanted, so I said a 6-iron head....he selected the Hot Metal 6-iron which I said fine (because I have been contemplated that set as well). When the guy handed it to me, I was like whoa, and I kind of balanced it a bit and lifted the head end a few times up and down with the butt of the shaft, and without saying anything, the attendant looked at me and said....heavy, ain't it? And I thought ugh, yes...was almost instantly put off by the heavy headed iron. Was that just my perception or, are those Mizuno Hot Metal irons 'head-heavy'? and do they seem like Ping GI irons which I've always referred to as having lead-heavy heads. That head felt like a quarter-pound of steel, not balanced at all. Then I had to check the specs on the shaft, thinking is this one of those steel-graphite hybrid shafts, but yes, it was Project X steel 115-gms, 5.5 flex.....just completely different than I imagined. Now I am contemplating an alternative choice. Are the Mizuno forged equally heavy like that?

 

The heads aren't heavier than any others. Sounds like you should have tried the stock Nippon 105 shafts if you like a lighter feel.

[North Butte]

You can only feel the whole club. It would be very hard for a club with a heavier shaft NOT to feel heavier than a lighter shaft, given the exact same head. What you are calling head-heavy is not just the weight of the head itself. The shaft matters.

[Nessism]

True, the guy just picked up the Project X LZ steel shaft and grabbed a head out of the cart that happened to be the Hot Metal 6-iron head (and I thought, well, OK, because I was curious about both). But are you saying the Nippon 105 shaft will make the club feel 'lighter' than with the Project X 115-gm shaft? Would it not make it feel that much more head-heavy?

 

 

As North Butte says, you can't separate the shaft from the head. With a heavier shaft the swingweight goes up and the total weight goes up. The total weight is more important than the swingweight by far too. Try some lighter shafts. Understand though, not all shafts are weighted the same. Taper tips are typically constant weight which means each shaft in the set weighs the same. Unitized, or .370" shafts, get lighter as they get shorter. No worry though with those Mizuno's, they are taper tip heads.

[bulls9999]

Alright, I'll take you're word for it... I'll just have get fitted and try several clubs/shafts of interest and see where it all falls out in regards to what performs (and feels) good for me. I'm just saying, it took me by surprise when I was handed that iron from the fitting cart after it was screwed onto the shaft, it just felt weighted strange. Thanks for your patience and response.

 

True, the guy just picked up the Project X LZ steel shaft and grabbed a head out of the cart that happened to be the Hot Metal 6-iron head (and I thought, well, OK, because I was curious about both). But are you saying the Nippon 105 shaft will make the club feel 'lighter' than with the Project X 115-gm shaft? Would it not make it feel that much more head-heavy?

 

 

As North Butte says, you can't separate the shaft from the head. With a heavier shaft the swingweight goes up and the total weight goes up. The total weight is more important than the swingweight by far too. Try some lighter shafts. Understand though, not all shafts are weighted the same. Taper tips are typically constant weight which means each shaft in the set weighs the same. Unitized, or .370" shafts, get lighter as they get shorter. No worry though with those Mizuno's, they are taper tip heads.

[AndersUK]

Mine are heavy but I am not sure where the weight is. There are a few other anomalies I have found too.

1. As previously posted the lies and lofts are not accurate.
   
2. Mine were ordered ¼ inch short yet the 35.5” PW (now 35.25”) is 0.5 inch shorter than the standard 35.5” PW I have in other sets including Z745, MP33 and S55. The fitter has checked and confirmed the lengths are correct. I have also put a 35.25 inch Mizuno SW against a SW from other brands and it does appear a little shorter when it should be the same length. The point being that in the short irons I have clubs that are 0.5” shorter than I am used to rather than the 0.25”.
   
3. I noticed the weight of the club during the fitting but didn’t think much of it. However, the clubs I received feel even heavier with the same 120g PX 6.0 LZ shaft. The 5i and PW both come in between D0-D1 with a total weight of 438 and 473 respectively. This is heavy; 13-16g heavier than my Z745’s with 120gm KBS tours. I can only assume they have added weight to the head to counter the weight of the midsize grip?
   
4. The ball flight is MUCH higher than what I was getting during the fitting. This is visible ball flight BTW.
   

The clubs feel and sound great but they have taken some time to get used to. I am beginning to doubt the accuracy of the clubs I have received vs the one I tested.

[Nessism]

I rebuilt my HM's twice now using different shafts and didn't have any issues with anything during the build. The swingweights turned out right where I was expecting and I even built my set 1/4" longer than Mizuno standard. I weighed each club and compared against my set of Callaway Steelhead XR's and there is nothing funny going on with total weight either.

 

Midsize grips are about 13.5 grams heavier than a standard grip. If the swingweights are still in the D range that means that someone added head weight to offset the grip weight to some extent. That might explain the heavy overall club weight as mentioned by AndresUK.

 

Mizuno measures their irons the same way as Ping; shaft length is measured without a grip installed. The final club length to the end of the grip cap will vary depending on what grips you install.

 

With my set I don't notice an overly high ball flight, but then I'm a low ball hitter.

[jrwingate6]

Mine should be coming in this week. I had them ordered 1 degree weak, 2 degree's upright and .5 inches longer.

 

I will have Golf Galaxy check them for proper loft/lie and report the findings.

[mooseman76]

Nessism, do you still have any of your Ping G series irons? If so could you post a few side by side pics with them? I've hit the JPX 900 forged and really likes them but didn't get a chance to try the hot metals. Both can be had for a steal right now with the make an offer deal posted in the classifieds.

[Nessism]

Nessism, do you still have any of your Ping G series irons? If so could you post a few side by side pics with them? I've hit the JPX 900 forged and really likes them but didn't get a chance to try the hot metals. Both can be had for a steal right now with the make an offer deal posted in the classifieds.

 

Sorry mooseman,

for the first time in years I don't have any G-series irons right now. I can tell you that the HM's are a smig smaller. Not tons mind you, but they do have a smaller footprint. Less offset too. HM's just plain look more sporty.

[North Butte]

 

for the first time in years I don't have any G-series irons right now?

 

Say it ain't so!!!

[Dustinb812]

Just ordered a 4-PW from Carls Golf Land $700... Hope they keep me warm outside when my wife kicks me out of the house. :telephone:

[mooseman76]

Man, wish I could make up my mind on these or the JPX 900 forged while I can still get them cheap. I've been waiting for the Ping I200 to come out but keep reading these posts and feel maybe it's time to move on from Ping.

[jrwingate6]

Man, wish I could make up my mind on these or the JPX 900 forged while I can still get them cheap. I've been waiting for the Ping I200 to come out but keep reading these posts and feel maybe it's time to move on from Ping.

Just do what I did. Go Hot Metal in 4-6 and Forged in 7-P. They have the same lofts so they are a perfect pairing.

[Nessism]

I'm starting to stack up some round with these clubs and getting to know them better. One thing I've noticed is that when you nut the ball it goes far, particularly with the shorter irons. I can hit the 9 iron 150 yards without forcing it. Feel is not forged soft but very nice. And these are the first spring face irons I've used that don't sound horrible when you miss the center of the face. Mizuno has got that part right. Durability is very good too. Much better than a raw stainless steel head which scratches up much easier. So far so good...

[randyfitz]

I am torn between these and waiting on the new M2's. Feel like the M2's will be a little more forgiving.

 

My main attributes I'm looking for are forgiveness and distance.

[ttm27]

Can't go wrong with the hot metals. Call discount dans ... they will take good care of you!

[randyfitz]

If you find a good deal on eBay, can local shops bend these to 2 up? How much would that cost?