Mizuno Pro 223 Vs. Mizuno JPX 921 Forged Irons Review

Mizuno are masters of forged irons and have been perfecting their craft for over 100 years. They’ve been forging irons at their plant in Hiroshima, Japan since 1968 and both of these irons are forged.

There was a time, not too long ago when Mizuno thought their irons would not grow to be mainstream until Brooks Koepka picked up a set of JPX900’s and started dominating the world of golf, raising interest in the clubs.

The JPX921 Forged were released in 2021 and a forged players distance iron that deliver on all fronts in terms of distance, feel, control, workability and even forgiveness. They a bigger, longer and more forgiving than the Mizuno Pro 223’s.

The Mizuno Pro 223 are a testiment to the progress Mizuno have made too, it’s the first time they have released their pro range in the western market. They are smaller, more compact forged cavity back irons reserved for the best players in the game while still delivering impressive distance.

Mizuno JPX 921 Irons Overview

The JPX921 Forged irons represented the first time Mizuno were able to create a full body forged iron from the high strength, high energy  4020 Chromoly metal which is .5mm thinner than their predecessors.

They are also smaller and more compact than the JPX919’s while also being longer and more forgiving, due in part to their perimeter weighting which is toe biased for ultimate forgiveness.

The CNC milled back slot is also 6.9% wider which increases the forgiveness while the irons have a slick players shaped narrow top edge with an undercut cavity as well.

The clubs are less offset than the JPX919’s too with bevelled trailing edge that cuts the turf with ease.

They are longest forged irons ever from Mizuno while the grain flow forging and chromoly material made them an award winning set in 2021.

These are irons that deliver on all fronts for mid to low handicappers who want a bit of everything: Distance, Feel, Control, Sharp Descent Angles and Even Forgivness.

Mizuno Pro 223 Irons Overview

The Mizuno Pro 223 are smaller and more compact than the JPX921 irons but they are packing much of the same technology.

Minimal offset, a small blade and a narrow top line give a players profile suitable only for low handicappers and tour players.

The 223’s have the same Chromoly face that is super thin for fast ball speeds.

The 4 – 7 irons are grain flow forged and its also got the micro slot while include some nickel inside the chrome finish to add to the butter soft feeling.

The 8 – GW are a 1 piece construction of 1025 high strength steel which has a lower COR where it’s impact diminishes and the role of loft becomes more important.

The goal of the 223’s are to provide the forged feel, players profile and ultimate workability while also packing a lot of distance for the category to help the best players deal with the longest and most challenging courses.

Overall the 223’s can be considered the smaller brother of the JPX921’s. If you are an elite player, you will want to check out the 223’s and if you are a Mid to Low handicapper that wants a degree of forgiveness to couple the distance and feel, check out the JPX921 Forged irons.

Mizuno JPX921 Forged

Category – Forged Players Distance Irons

Mizuno Pro 223 Irons

Category: Forged Players Cavity Irons

Mizuno JPX921 First Impressions

The JPX921 irons couple incredibly sleek looks at address and with an amazing forged feel.

The Mizuno JPX921 Forged irons have a beveled trailing edge on the sole which smooths out turf interaction. This coupled with the obvious amazing feel from the grain flow forging process makes these irons so pleasing to swing.

The blades of these muscle back irons are pretty compact and there is a part of the back area that has been milled to increase stability and thin out the back wall a bit. These irons also feature the notorious  chromoly construction which contributes to the soft feel.

Mizuno Pro 223 Irons – First Impressions

A first introduction for the legendary Mizuno Pro series to the Western Markets. These are compact players cavity irons that have the profile that tour players demand coupled with the distance they didn’t know they needed.

While the pro series had been reserved for Japanese markets until now, the surging popularity that Mizuno have enjoyed in recent years has lead to their most prestigious family of irons making it to the west and they don’t disappoint.

Forged in Hiroshima, Japan, the 223’s are built with tour players in mind with their compact heads and despite the players profile, there is a ton of technology driving these irons to deliver distance, control, consistency and workability as well.

The 4 – 7 irons are built is a different way as the importance of COR diminishes and the importance of loft increases in the scoring irons.

The 4 – 7 irons have a Forged Chromoly face that is only 2.4mm (The JPX921 Forged is 2.6mm) thick and works with the Microslot inside the bevelled back edge to offer fast ball speeds, flex and a better rebound.

The 8 – GW have a 1 piece, 1025 mild carbon steel, grain flow forged construction and sport wider soles and longer blade as loft becomes more of a determining factor and these precise irons offer high launch, distance a steep descent angle for stopping power on the greens.

There is a microlayer of copper underneath the Nickel Chrome coating which lends to tour level feel and the irons have been accoustically primed to sound perfect on impact.

These irons are reserved for the better players only and with the compact shape it is very unlikely that mid handicappers will feel comfortable with these irons.

Mizuno JPX921 Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Good accuracy
  • Forgiving
  • Played longer
  • Great feedback
  • Toe bias
  • Milled back

Cons:

  • Pricey
  • Heavy
  • Fewer long iron options
  • Not for beginners

Mizuno Pro 223 Irons Selling Points

  • Players Cavity Back Irons Aimed At Tour Players
  • Enhanced Ball Speeds For Extended And Longer Courses
  • Fast Chromoly Face
  • Microlsot Tungsten Weighting For Launch And Distance
  • More Workability In The Scoring Irons
  • Long And High Launching With Excellent Stopping Power
  • Forged In Hiroshima & Crafted For The Best Players

Who Are The JPX 921 Forged Irons For

For starters,  these irons would work great for any player who wants to emphasize precise feedback and feel as a low handicapper and beyond.

We can’t emphasise enough that you’re not going to want to invest in these irons if you’re just starting out with golf. These are performance irons through and through for the better players.

While the JPX921 Forged irons do give impressive distance the compact heads and points of design emphasis will be lost on beginners who will struggle to find the sweet spot consistently, if they don’t find the higher price point off putting enough already.

The JPX921 irons did play more accurate around the pin and were more forgiving than many forged Irons with their toe bias weighting.

Perfect for single digit handicap pin hunters around the world.

The JPX921 Family

The JPX921 Forged irons are joined by the JPX921 Tour and JPX921 Hot Metal irons.

The JPX921 Tour irons produce surprisingly straight shots for tour-grade clubs. They have sleek, compact heads and feature the same grain flow forging construction.

The JPX921 Hot Metal irons are the most forgiving in the family with a Cup Face design that preserves ball speed around the perimeter.

Distance: 93/100

Accuracy: 95/100

Forgiveness: 89/100

Feel And Control: 96/100

Overall Score: 94/100

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Who are the Mizuno 223 Irons for?

The Pro 223’s are for the best players on tour and low single digit handicappers. Dont be fooled by the cavity back design, these irons offer the workabilty, control and consistency that will suit only the best golfers around.

This is the first time that Mizuno have released their pro series in the US and UK markets and are reserved for those who like the best craftsmanship and the buttersoft feeling of the grain flow forging process from Hiroshima, Japan

The Mizuno Pro Family of Irons

The 223’s are the upgrade to the MP-20 MMC irons but they are smaller and more compact with a faster face thanks to the Chromoly face and microslot.

The Irons can be considered a smaller version of the very popular JPX921 Forged irons which have thicker faces and are more forgiving.

The Mizuno Pro 225 is a hollow body players iron that is going to be longer and more forgiving than the 223’s but more workable than the bigger JPX921 Forged. The 225 are premium irons that have nailed the shape with distance brief of the players distance iron market.

The Mizuno Pro 221 are forged blades that don’t back any extreme bells or whistles but offer those better players all the forged feel and workability from the legendary Japanese forging process. Partly due to the lofts, they will be shorter and more owrkable than the 223’s

The Miuno pro set is aimed at the better players, offering the upmost quality. The 225’s will offer the best performance for most golfers and the a combination of more forgiving long irons with the Pro series short irons will suit many elite level players.

Distance: 93/100

Accuracy: 95/100

Forgiveness: 92/100

Feel & Control: 97/100

Overall Score: 95/100

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