Mizuno 223 Reviews

[falken19150]

My local shop had a brand new set of 223's on the rack with Nippons, so I had them gripped up and off I went. Fantastic set of irons.

[Red4282]

Im as big of a club H* as anyone, and I can comfortably say the 223s will be in my bag until they wear out. 

[LowAndLeft32]

3 minutes ago, Red4282 said:

Im as big of a club H* as anyone, and I can comfortably say the 223s will be in my bag until they wear out. 

What clubs have you recently gamed that make the 223 superior? Thanks 

[Red4282]

53 minutes ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

What clubs have you recently gamed that make the 223 superior? Thanks 

Oh geez. Lets see. Going back a fee years, JpX900 tour, Titleist 620cb, Apex MB, Apex TCB, Takomo 301cb, Takomo 101T. What makes them superior? Im not sure Id say they are superior, other than feel. But they are just the best all around package for what I want for looks, and playability. I think Titleist t100 is right there with it just with a worse feel. 

[SwooshLT]

On 3/21/2023 at 11:32 PM, SwooshLT said:

Switched shafts into $taper lite and consistency increased 3 fold..... the whole arsenal of shots are available!! 

 

Man , what a set .....forgiveness,  feel , nice looks....did I mention feel? 

 

On 7/14/2023 at 3:54 PM, SwooshLT said:

 

Not sure as to why I panicked with the 223s BUT I got extremely lucky and they were still at the shop for re-acquisition !! Just a solid, solid performing iron throughout the set range .....

 

223s are VERY nice 👌...... these are better than the Apex Pro 21 I was using and have firmly locked up the iron spot in the bag!!! Been a long , arduous journey to fill this spot which is a VERY important spot....

[SwooshLT]

On 7/16/2023 at 11:41 PM, Red4282 said:

Oh geez. Lets see. Going back a fee years, JpX900 tour, Titleist 620cb, Apex MB, Apex TCB, Takomo 301cb, Takomo 101T. What makes them superior? Im not sure Id say they are superior, other than feel. But they are just the best all around package for what I want for looks, and playability. I think Titleist t100 is right there with it just with a worse feel. 

 

Agreed wholeheartedly!!! I'm lefty so haven't hit as many options but when you factor in such playability on thin shots , the feel , powerful sensation in longer irons with Dart precision in short..... 

[SwooshLT]

On 7/16/2023 at 10:39 PM, Red4282 said:

Im as big of a club H* as anyone, and I can comfortably say the 223s will be in my bag until they wear out. 

 

What's your iron configuration? I have 4-GW and getting dialed 

[Red4282]

1 hour ago, SwooshLT said:

 

What's your iron configuration? I have 4-GW and getting dialed 

Pretty simple, 4-pw, DG120 x100. +1/2”, midsize +4 grips. 

[LowAndLeft32]

On 7/16/2023 at 10:41 PM, Red4282 said:

Oh geez. Lets see. Going back a fee years, JpX900 tour, Titleist 620cb, Apex MB, Apex TCB, Takomo 301cb, Takomo 101T. What makes them superior? Im not sure Id say they are superior, other than feel. But they are just the best all around package for what I want for looks, and playability. I think Titleist t100 is right there with it just with a worse feel. 

How does the 223 compare to 620cb

[Red4282]

1 hour ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

How does the 223 compare to 620cb

They arent all too that dissimilar l, especially in the short irons. Overall, 620 cbs will be just a smidge smaller bladelengths. Probably the main difference is in the 4-7 irons. Mizzys have the milled slot, and I find it helps with forgiveness on low strikes. The mizzys are stronger lofted as well, and they feel much softer IMO. I hover around 0-2 handicap. If i was hitting/playing everyday or something close to that I could probably play the 620s just fine. But i only get out about once a week right now so I always have a few bad swings and the 223s give me the best of both worlds.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Red4282

[LowAndLeft32]

1 hour ago, Red4282 said:

They arent all too that dissimilar l, especially in the short irons. Overall, 620 cbs will be just a smidge smaller bladelengths. Probably the main difference is in the 4-7 irons. Mizzys have the milled slot, and I find it helps with forgiveness on low strikes. The mizzys are stronger lofted as well, and they feel much softer IMO. I hover around 0-2 handicap. If i was hitting/playing everyday or something close to that I could probably play the 620s just fine. But i only get out about once a week right now so I always have a few bad swings and the 223s give me the best of both worlds.

Thanks that is great feedback and along the lines of what I anticipated. By chance have you tried the PXG 0317 CB or 0311T? Thanks 

[Red4282]

33 minutes ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Thanks that is great feedback and along the lines of what I anticipated. By chance have you tried the PXG 0317 CB or 0311T? Thanks 

I have not, but I have a buddy at work that just got a set of the 0311t and loves them. Seems very t100-esque

[drscott266]

Late to the mizuno party here, but not for lack of trying. I gave 921 Forged a shot, 923 HMP, the old Hot Metal Blades, Mizuno pro 225 and could never understand the love affair. Played Titleist my whole life and just figured that was it. This season I wanted to change shafts from LZ 6.0 back to LZ 5.5 and went on eBay to get something quick while I waited for the T200/T150 combo set with LZ 5.5 to arrive. Enter the 223…. Have played 3 rounds and couldn’t be happier, the long irons are like cheating. The PW is a little chunky but well shaped in my opinion. I think iron for iron the short irons are slightly shorter than my old T100S, but long irons seem to hold up the same yardages. Unreal feel, and the wider sole seems to help me. Unsure why these work so well for me, but honestly may stay in the bag even now that I have my new combo Titleist set. 

[bombs]

Has anyone removed the black paint infill in the Mizuno Pro lettering on the 223?

I've been thinking about doing but would be awesome to see a pic before I do something that isn't easily undone. 

[cmatthews77]

Jumping in here as above poster mentioned. I’m not saying the 223 is a “superior” product to everything else. It’s just a nice unique set and sort of exactly what I needed. 
 

Is it the smallest profile ever? No, but it’s definitely a nice looking iron. 
 

I’m a low (2) handicap but I do NOT consider a great ball striker. I’m not 25 anymore. I’ve always loved the Mizuno MP iron mystique but never considered them good for me despite wanting and testing. Yet the JPX line never appealed to me even though the JPX Forged keeps getting better and better. I’ve also never wanted a distance iron. Prior set was a MB blade that I LOVE in the short irons and more forgiving in the longer irons but they were too different. 
 

The 223 do (and I know this is cheezy) literally do exactly what they’re marketed to do. Feel great and provide “help you didn’t know you needed”. The stronger 7i down helps keep my gaps proper while the short irons do everything I need. 
 

I did get the 221 PW because I liked the look/profile better and use it around the greens and the 4i in the 225. 
 

Not saying they’re the best irons on the market for everyone but they’re a great set. 

[blufblufshuv]

What's the difference between these and the JPX 923 Tours? Anyone hit both of them? 

[cmatthews77]

4 hours ago, blufblufshuv said:

What's the difference between these and the JPX 923 Tours? Anyone hit both of them? 

The Tours are a bit more blade like and I think that is where the Mizuno purists have a problem with the 223. Very similar in the short irons and 7i up the 223 are 1-2 degrees stronger lofted and have the multi-material constriction where the JPX Tour remains one piece. Tour is slightly smaller footprint. Whereas the 223 looks to my eye like a slightly smaller ZX7 at address. 
 

In theory, the one piece forged cavity product most think would be in the MP line and not the JPX line. I can’t blame them at all because that makes since historically. Their line probably goes something like:

MP 221 MB

JPX 923 Tour

MP 223 

923 Forged / MP 225

Hot Metal Pro

 

These two lines used to be super distinct and now crossover quite a bit. 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by cmatthews77

[Red4282]

5 hours ago, blufblufshuv said:

What's the difference between these and the JPX 923 Tours? Anyone hit both of them? 

Obviously finish, is one. Lofts as well. The specs are slightly different (offset, topline, bladelength) but to they eye very hard to pick out. The 8-GW is built the same, single piece forged players cavity.  
 

The 4-7 in the 223 will have a microslot milled in behind the face with an insert to help with feel. Some think, the purpose behind the slot is for faster ball speeds, and I do think thats true for some manufacturers. However, I think some oems design their “slots” for ball speed retention on mishits, and in theory better dispersion across on a wider variety of strikes, and after a year in the 223s, Id say mizuno did a pretty good job in regards to that. 

[BraddyBlades]

11 hours ago, blufblufshuv said:

What's the difference between these and the JPX 923 Tours? Anyone hit both of them? 

Having just hit both of them side by side I will say that over the ball the 223 has slightly more offset. But it is very negligible as well as any other difference at address. They look and feel pretty similar. The main difference is the loft of the 223. The 223 7 iron was flying about 183 carry for me while I was carrying the 923 Tour about 175. I’m planning on getting the 223 bent weak in 4-6 with the 923 tour 7-Pw. I think they blend really well just depends on your numbers and what you’re looking for. 

[petep5280]

I never hit these, but I'm dying to. 

[bombs]

On 4/10/2022 at 1:21 PM, COmedic said:

223’s are fantastic. I ordered a 4-G set. The only club I don’t love in the set is the gap wedge. I feel like it should go further. Otherwise the long irons are easy to hit, long, and more explosive feeling than the 8-G, however I love the pure forged feeling of the short irons as well. I feel like the distance gaps are on the longer side in the short irons than I prefer, however it’s working out great for me so I’m gonna keep rolling without messing with lofts. Overall love the set, great balance of distance, precision, and forgiveness. Would recommend!

 

Gap wedge should be 1* strong.

Boys at TXG had to bend it to get it to gap better. 

[bombs]

On 8/26/2023 at 5:44 AM, BraddyBlades said:

I’m planning on getting the 223 bent weak in 4-6 with the 923 tour 7-Pw.

 

What is the logic for this combo?

[BraddyBlades]

5 hours ago, bombs said:

 

What is the logic for this combo?

More forgiving long irons. 

[COmedic]

8 hours ago, bombs said:

 

Gap wedge should be 1* strong.

Boys at TXG had to bend it to get it to gap better. 

223’s didn’t stay in my bag much longer after this post. One of those sets I really wanted to like, but I hate they followed Srixon with large gaps in short irons. Also the stock shaft was not a match for me, but that could have been changed.

[bombs]

8 hours ago, COmedic said:

223’s didn’t stay in my bag much longer after this post. One of those sets I really wanted to like, but I hate they followed Srixon with large gaps in short irons. Also the stock shaft was not a match for me, but that could have been changed.

 

"stock shaft"

Well there's your problem. 

 

 

 

[shackmangolf]

I am about 2 months into my 223 journey. I came from PXG Gen 2 P's and then Gen 5 T's. 

 

Hands down the 223's are the best irons I have ever hit. They are softer and more forgiving than the PXG's. After playing PXG for 7 years,  I will never go back.

 

Few specifics

- The 4-7 irons are incredibly forgiving with the copper weights 

- The 8-PW need to be bent a degree strong to maintain consistent gapping. But they are incredibly precise tools for the job.

- These (and the srixons) are the best value for the money. Especially on the used market. 

 

I am a 4 handicap. I can work these either way. The offset is perfect. The sole is perfect for the turf interaction for my swing. 

 

Well done Mizuno.

[bullrambler]

I've played quite a few sets of Mizuno irons over the years. Starting with MP-14, True irons, MP 57, JPX 921 HM Pro, a bunch of wedges, a couple of putters, a three wood and a driver. Before I choose the recently acquired Pro 223 (4-Pw). Before I got the Pro-223 I was looking at 3 sets and comparing them on the Launch monitor. There was the JPX 921 Forged, the JPX 921 Tours and the Mizuno Pro 223. All of these ones are on sale now so it's good to save a few bucks on a new set. I was comparing them to the JPX 921 Pro irons with Project X LZ 5.5 which I played for one season (and liked the kick point). There were times when I thought I could hit a LZ 6.0 but never had a chance to try one. Anyways On the Launch monitor I hit the Pro 223's 10 yards further. And I perferred the Modus 115 stiff shaft. So I'm just waiting for nicer weather to hit them outside. I wanted a matching Pro 223 Gap wedge too but they were no longer available. It would be nice if Mazuno would keep these in stock for a few years - like Ping does. I like a matching set so I'll probably hunt for one and if that doesn't work out I'll use a 50* S23 wedge. i've used the the 54* S 23 and really like the KBS High-Rev 115 shaft.

[1puttTUT]

1 hour ago, bullrambler said:

I've played quite a few sets of Mizuno irons over the years. Starting with MP-14, True irons, MP 57, JPX 921 HM Pro, a bunch of wedges, a couple of putters, a three wood and a driver. Before I choose the recently acquired Pro 223 (4-Pw). Before I got the Pro-223 I was looking at 3 sets and comparing them on the Launch monitor. There was the JPX 921 Forged, the JPX 921 Tours and the Mizuno Pro 223. All of these ones are on sale now so it's good to save a few bucks on a new set. I was comparing them to the JPX 921 Pro irons with Project X LZ 5.5 which I played for one season (and liked the kick point). There were times when I thought I could hit a LZ 6.0 but never had a chance to try one. Anyways On the Launch monitor I hit the Pro 223's 10 yards further. And I perferred the Modus 115 stiff shaft. So I'm just waiting for nicer weather to hit them outside. I wanted a matching Pro 223 Gap wedge too but they were no longer available. It would be nice if Mazuno would keep these in stock for a few years - like Ping does. I like a matching set so I'll probably hunt for one and if that doesn't work out I'll use a 50* S23 wedge. i've used the the 54* S 23 and really like the KBS High-Rev 115 shaft.

 

I have a 223 gap wedge I'm not using...if you're a lefty lol

[bullrambler]

Oddly enough I'm left handed but use right hand golf clubs.