Mizuno Pro 243 Vs Mizuno Pro 245 Irons

The new line of Pro irons from Mizuno are out.

But which ones are best for you? Let’s find out.

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons Overview

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons

“The 243 irons feature a microslot channel, wraparound sole grind and are single-billet forged.”

The 243’s are smaller in profile than the 245’s so they are more compact and have a slightly thinner top line.

Very blade-like even though they aren’t technically blades. The microslot really saves your low-face mis-hits and the increased bounce helps prevent severe digging.

The Mizuno Pro 243’s are $1,400.

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons Overview

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons

“The Mizuno Pro 245s have a hollow-body design, tungsten weighting and are grain flow forged.”

The soles are just slightly thicker than the 243’s but the top lines are definitely thicker. The 245’s also have slightly more offset.

As such, they were very forgiving. They have stronger lofts than the 243’s so they are designed to fly further – and they do. About 5-6 yards further for me.

The Mizuno Pro 245’s are $1,400.

“The Mizuno Pro 245’s are definitely for the player seeking more distance while the Mizuno Pro 243s are better for players who need more stopping power.”

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons

Category: Tour Cavity Back Irons

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons

Category: Player’s Distance Irons

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons – First Impressions

“The Mizuno Pro 243 irons follow the tradition of the Mizuno Pro 223 irons in the sense that they are both tour cavity irons that meet the demands of better players.”

The Mizuno Pro 243 irons feel immediately satisfying whether you’re teeing off on an executive course with one of the long irons or chipping in with a short iron.

They are single-piece grain flow forged in Mizuno’s legendary Hiroshima facility and feature premium appointments.

For instance, all of the irons in the set feature a copper underlay to enhance the soft feel of the mild carbon steel and chromoly materials. This allows for immediate response at impact.

You will know exactly where you made contact with the ball based on feel alone.

To further fine-tune the precise feel of these irons, Mizuno used what they call Harmonic Impact Technology.

This feature was included to mimic the feel and response of a true muscle back blade.

The Mizuno Pro 243 irons also feature a wraparound sole grind. This makes the soles appear visually smaller while providing significant relief through the turf.

Adding to the smooth turf interaction is an increase in bounce angles. There is a 1 degree increase in long irons and a 2 degree increase in the short irons.

Visually, the Mizuno Pro 243 irons look stunning. They have undergone a full satin brush which helps reduce glare and imparts a monochromatic aesthetic.

The top lines are on the thin side and the soles are well-hidden. All of this adds up to a cavity back iron that looks incredibly sleek and workable.

“The Mizuno Pro 243 irons are certainly for players who want a premium feel and the ability to work the ball from any lie.”

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons – First Impressions

“My first impression of the Mizuno Pro 245 irons was that they looked shockingly similar to the Mizuno Pro 225’s.”

In fact, I set both of them down beside each other and could barely tell the difference.

The scoring lines and hitting in the Mizuno Pro 245 irons are a little lighter in color than the 225’s; but other than that, the 245’s are as compact as the 225’s.

The good news about all that is that the Mizuno Pro 245 irons truly do look like blades even though they technically aren’t blades.

So you get that clean, blade-like look at address with the bonus of a true distance boost.

Irons 2-7 in this set have a suspended tungsten weight which allows for a lower CG without inhibiting face flex.

As a result I was getting great ball speed – 117.4 MPH with the 7-iron on average.

But in the scoring irons, you have a 1025E semi-hollow body with a 17-4 stainless steel back piece to help control the flight a bit more and get the CG a bit higher.

This provides a more solid feel, better feedback and better overall control over spin and launch.

The Mizuno Pro 245 irons also produced near-immediate distance for me. Within the first three swings I was averaging a carry distance of 170.5 yards with the 7-iron.

But what surprised me even more than the distance were the spin rates.

As a player’s distance iron, I was expecting some low spin numbers. But my average spin rate with the Mizuno Pro 245 7-iron was 5200 RPMs.

And keep in mind that these are relatively strong-lofted irons – the 7-iron checks in at 30°.

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons Selling Points

Grain flow forged in Mizuno’s Hiroshima facility
1025E mild carbon steel in the short irons
Forged 4120 chromoly in the long and mid irons
Soft copper underlay
Wrap around sole grind
Full satin brush finish
Harmonic IMpact Technology mimics the feel of true blades

Mizuno Pro 245 Irons Selling Points

Long irons are forged from chromoly
Scoring irons are forged from 1025E carbon steel
Hollow body design
Suspended tungsten weighting in the long irons
Increased bounce angle for better turf interaction
17-4 stainless steel back piece in the scoring irons
431 stainless steel back piece in the long irons
Blade-like appearance

Who Are the Mizuno Pro 243 Irons for?

The Mizuno Pro 243 irons will be best for your single-digit handicappers and scratch players. They offer phenomenal workability and feel to match.

The cavity back design does provide some semblance of forgiveness; but you still have to be an accurate striker to get the best use out of these irons.

The Mizuno Pro Family of Irons

“Included in the latest iteration of Mizuno’s Pro series are the Pro 245 and Pro 241 models.”

The Mizuno Pro 241 irons are the true blades in the family. They are single-piece forged from 1025 carbon steel and feature a muscle back design.

They also feature progressively tapered blades – wider in the long irons and narrower in the short irons.

The Mizuno Pro 245 irons feature a hollow body design and are also grain flow forged from 1025E carbon steel.

These are most likely the most forgiving irons in the new Mizuno Pro series as they tend to play the longest of the three sets.

The Pro 245’s also feature a cap of 17-4 stainless steel behind the hitting zone to push ball speeds.

Distance: 96/100

Accuracy: 98/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Feel & Control: 98/100

Mizuno Pro 243 Irons2

Overall Score: 96/100

Who Are the Mizuno Pro 245 Irons for?

“The Mizuno Pro 245 irons are for the player that really wants the look of blades with the performance of distance irons.”

I can imagine that 13-about 22 handicappers will really like these irons. Of course, as Mizuno irons, the short irons are very workable.

You can feel every nuance of your contact and get a keen sense of overall control.

But it’s the mid and long irons that really impressed me. They will be great for mid and high-ish handicappers who need help staying on the green.

They also don’t look like your typical player’s distance irons.

They aren’t as compact as blades; but everything else is blade-like. The top line is thin, the soles are compact and the offset is nearly non-existent.

The Mizuno Pro 245’s would be great for the player who isn’t quite ready to graduate to blades; but still wants blade-like feel, looks and performance.

The Mizuno Pro Family of Irons

The Mizuno Pro 225 irons have a nearly identical profile to the Mizuno Pro 245’s.

They also share the same grain-flow forging and hollow body design. But the Pro 225’s spin a bit lower than the Mizuno Pro 245’s and have a more penetrating flight.