Mizuno MP-29's question

dpatti · January 12, 2014

I've been told the mizuno mp 29s are the best iron mizuno ever made.

What is so specially different about them?

Is there anything like them on the market today?

lumberman2462 · January 12, 2014

Best is very subjective. I played them and they were great clubs. I moved up from MP-14s to the 29s and wore them out before I went to 32s.

There were some suble head shape differences that were more apparent on the shorter irons.

I think the biggest thing Mizuno had going is that their quality control improved dramatically from the early 90s up through 2000. I had plenty of lead tape on my two sets of 14s. A few strips here and there on the 29s and no tape on the 32s.

dpatti · January 12, 2014

Didn't the 29s have a softer feel than all the others? I remember they were 25% more expensive than 14s because they err supposed to be softer.

Sabaka · January 12, 2014

I play both sets and the differences are:

1) The MP-14 has a much lower CG and a slightly longer blade length. They feel softer and more forgiving.
2) The MP-14 has a little more boxy look at address. The MP-29 has a more pleasing rounder toe look to it.
3) The MP-29 is easier to flight shots and work left to right, a byproduct of the CG being higher and closer to the face.
4) The BIGGEST difference though is the MP-14 has a constant offset in the 7-P irons, and another constant offset in the 3-6 irons. The MP-29 has a reverse progressive offset, meaning the offset in the 3 iron is less than the offset in the PW. Most iron sets are the opposite, with the higher offset in the longer irons.

The urban legend of the MP-29 being softer probably stems from the fact that they are the American replica of the famed TN-87, which had a copper underlay which most believe gave them a superior softer feel. The differences frankly are negligible. I also have a set of TN-87's and without doubt the MP-14's are softer feeling. Not even close really. The TN-87's are only slightly softer feeling than the MP-29's.

4puttz · January 12, 2014

The 29's were 2* stronger in the short irons. They had a slightly larger head in the short irons and had a dual plating process which is another reason they cost more.

lumberman2462 · January 20, 2014

[quote name='4puttz' timestamp='1389578162' post='8449473']
The 29's were 2* stronger in the short irons. They had a slightly larger head in the short irons and had a dual plating process which is another reason they cost more.
[/quote]

I'd forgotten about the loft differences. I do remember that the 29s looked -- [i]to me[/i] -- to have a little flatter lie in the short irons even thought they were the same spec as my previous clubs. Probably attributable to the shape of the head.

I still have my set somewhere in my garage.

Golfergreat · January 20, 2014

I still have asset in my basement. They were very soft at impact. Feel like the older titleist 680's that had wood dowels in the bottom of the shafts. The MP29's as stated above do have more offset as they get shorter. The sand wedge has lots of flow in the neck with big offset. The VIP sw from that era also had that big offset. I love the toe shape of the MP29's, the new Ping 55's have that shape now.

Oldplayer · January 23, 2014

The 29's are my favorite mizuno blade. The feel and performance are excellent and the looks are great also. I have a set of tn-87's for good measure also and agree with another poster that they are very similar in feel. They are pretty rare though so make a good collector.

Forged4ever · August 7, 2014

[quote name='lumberman2462' timestamp='1389531713' post='8445761']
I think the biggest thing Mizuno had going is that their quality control improved dramatically from the early 90s up through 2000. I had plenty of lead tape on my two sets of 14s. A few strips here and there on the 29s and no tape on the 32s.
[/quote]LMAO!!

THIS is how ya know if someone played the 14's, LMAO

If someone tells ya that they played the 14's and doesn't mention that their weights were all over the map or that they didn't use a ton of tape, they either didn't play em or they couldn't play, LMAO

I played 3 sets over 8 years and never had less than 5-6 irons that were light and needed tape, lol.

But damn, once you had them dialed in, the 14's were the best Mizzy irons that I've played.

I'd take the 33's second and the 87's third.

Anyway, great point LM!!

Regarding the 29's, those were nice iron, basically the retail version of the 87's, minus the copper inlay and the first Mizzy iron with a beveled leading and trailing edge.

The 29's and 87's were an almost identical copy of the Hogan Personals which led many to believe that Tommy Nakajima either played or had a set of Personals close by when he designed the 87's.

Oh yea, the copper inlay had nothing to do with feel and everything to do with assisting in better securing the chrome finish to the iron, though far be it from me to tell some what they feel, LMAO.

I played two sets of 87's across five years and noticed no difference in feel, though I don't know what butter or marshmallows feel like either

Have a great day Gals & Gents

Fairways & Greens My Friends,
Richard

trbgolfer · August 7, 2014

MP-14's were my first set of blades - I re-shafted them twice - literally played the chrome off of them and yes, SW's were everywhere. I still have the 1 iron nor nostalgia sake and my son actually plays the PW with his set of 57's. 14's are really my standard, as far as, blades go. I have a set of Saqra 1150's that in some way's remind me of them - a similar boxy 9/PW and slightly thicker top line but every time I see a set of MP 14's for sale - I'm tempted

lumberman2462 · August 7, 2014

[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1407409465' post='9877457']
[quote name='lumberman2462' timestamp='1389531713' post='8445761']
I think the biggest thing Mizuno had going is that their quality control improved dramatically from the early 90s up through 2000. I had plenty of lead tape on my two sets of 14s. A few strips here and there on the 29s and no tape on the 32s.
[/quote]LMAO!!

THIS is how ya know if someone played the 14's, LMAO

If someone tells ya that they played the 14's and doesn't mention that their weights were all over the map or that they didn't use a ton of tape, they either didn't play em or they couldn't play, LMAO

I played 3 sets over 8 years and never had less than 5-6 irons that were light and needed tape, lol.

But damn, once you had them dialed in, the 14's were the best Mizzy irons that I've played.

I'd take the 33's second and the 87's third.

Anyway, great point LM!!

Regarding the 29's, those were nice iron, basically the retail version of the 87's, minus the copper inlay and the first Mizzy iron with a beveled leading and trailing edge.

The 29's and 87's were an almost identical copy of the Hogan Personals which led many to believe that Tommy Nakajima either played or had a set of Personals close by when he designed the 87's.

Oh yea, the copper inlay had nothing to do with feel and everything to do with assisting in better securing the chrome finish to the iron, though far be it from me to tell some what they feel, LMAO.

I played two sets of 87's across five years and noticed no difference in feel, though I don't know what butter or marshmallows feel like either

Have a great day Gals & Gents

Fairways & Greens My Friends,
Richard
[/quote]

I just remembered I misspoke in my earlier thread. I went 14, 14, 29, 33 and then 32. Can't leave out the 33s....played some good golf with those blades and that was the last set of irons I bought and got the 1 iron.

I didn't know about the copper underlay business. I do remember a short period of time in my 14-29 transition that I still carried the 3 & 4 irons from my 14s and the rest 29s.