Mizuno MP-63 Irons Review

Mizuno’s Diamond Muscle. Better than Cut Muscle (or Dual Muscle)? It just might be.

Mizuno MP-63 IronsA few years ago, I sold a set of Mizuno MP-60s and have been ruing the decision pretty much ever since. At the time, I thought I’d found a better fitting set for my game (plus, newer clubs are always better. Right?). Unfortunately, I haven’t found an iron with that same sweet feel that those MP-60s had. The MP-57s were very close, but the MP-52s and 62s seemed to lack the buttery feel that solid impact delivered with the 60s. Plus, that “Cut Muscle” design employed by Mizuno on the MP-32, -57, -60 and -67 made for some very good looking golf clubs.

Mizuno MP-630 Fast Track Driver Review

Mizuno is thought of for their incredible irons, but the MP-630 Fast Track driver may change some minds about what Mizuno does best…

Mizuno MP-630 Fast Track Driver HeroWhen you say the name “Mizuno” to the typical golfer, they first think of one thing – forged irons, often a muscleback or blade type material.

If this typical golfer kept thinking, they might never arrive at “drivers,” let alone drivers with adjustable weights. As popular as Mizuno is for their irons, they’re at least as unpopular for their hybrids, fairway woods, and drivers.

Unfortunately, their stellar irons overshadow an impressive woods/metals lineup, the best of which may very well be the MP-630 Fast Track driver. Read on as we shed a little light on Mizuno’s under-appreciated driver.

Mizuno MP-CLK Hybrid Review

The forged blade of hybrid clubs is here, not that that’s a bad thing

Mizuno MP-CLKWhen I think of Mizuno Golf the first thing that comes to mind is a forged iron. Mizuno for years has been manufacturing forged irons that are among the very best in the golf industry. I personally played a set of MP-32s that remain one of my very favorite sets to this day. In more recent years they have even successfully gone after the higher handicap player with the MX line of game improvement irons.

That being said, I have never been a real fan of their line of woods. Even their Tour players have rarely played their woods and almost never played their drivers, a trend that continues to this day. So when I heard I would be receiving one of their new MP-CLK Hybrids I was anxious to try it to find out if it was more like their world class irons or their often unsuccessful woods.

PING i15 Fairway Wood Review

PING’s new offering in the fairway metal market gives the lower handicap and professional a solid option that has little to no drawbacks.

PINGThe newest line of PING woods comes in the form of the i15 line. The sleek design and profile of the i15 fairway metal is right in line with the current trend you see in the bags of professionals on tour.

I’ve sampled many fairway metals over the past few years. Going from a Callaway Steelhead to a TaylorMade r7 before settling on my current Callaway X-Hot. I even tested other Callaways and a Titleist during that time. None could really shake the Callaway X-Hot as it did a great job off the tee, which is where my fairway metals get the most use.

So now comes the PING i15. With some specific design features that intrigued me I was eager to put it to use. Whether or not it could supplant the X-Hot was the big question. Read on to find out.

Mizuno MX-300 Iron Review

Whether you’re a better player looking for a little bit of extra forgiveness, or an improving player who’s not quite sure blades are the next step, Mizuno’s new MX-300 offers an ideal mix of game improvement and game enhancement.

Mizuno MX-300 HeroI’ll be honest with you, I feel like I really need to throw everything I believed about irons in the “game improvement” category out the window. Quickly. The Mizuno MX-300s changed my mind about what a game improvement iron should be and how a game improvement iron should feel. And this is coming from someone who thinks the constant Mizuno praise gets a little old sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong, there is no doubt that Mizuno is one of the top iron makers on the market, and has been so for a while. Every time I tried a set, I walked away impressed with the looks, the feel, and the performance. It’s just that Mizuno has a somewhat rabid fan base, and though their love for the forged iron maker undeniably justified, I’m the kind of person that’s maybe best described as “anti-hype” and therefore, I tend to stay away from the things everyone hypes too much. I guess I like to be different. Still, when I was given the opportunity to review the newest irons in Mizuno’s MX series, I was more than happy to oblige. I knew that I was in for a treat, especially since I remembered thinking their intention to blur the line between player’s iron and GI iron was pretty interesting back in October, when I covered their release.

Ping i15 Driver Review

Are you an i-Guy?

The i15 driver: back in blackThere’s just something about an all black driver that evokes fast cars and sunglasses. You know, it’s just a cool thing that makes you feel good. There’s a reason rock stars are so partial to black.

PING has presumably given the i15 driver its rock star livery for a reason (read: “performance”). The i15 is “tour-style,” which is marketingese for “you better have game.” While that is really overstating the level of skill required (it’s much more about shot shape and solid contact than handicap), the i15 is clearly the more demanding and higher performing of PING’s two new drivers. Finding the one that’s the best for you is the real secret. So (as PING’s website asks) “are you a G-Man or an i-Guy?” According to the site, the G-Man desires “maximum power and forgiveness,” while an i-Guy seeks “traditional look and feel.” Frankly, I’m probably more of an “H” guy myself… I need some forgiveness (a little “G”) while also being able, on my better days, at least, to take advantage of some “i” qualities.

The early buzz about this driver was that “hackers need not apply.” Guys talked about this driver the way they talk about muscleback clubs… “We’re not worthy!”

After all that talk, I had a certain level of concern that this driver would be too much for me, particularly on those days when my swing is not at its best. But after several rounds and couple small buckets of range balls, I can say that you shouldn’t be afraid to try this driver provided you make reasonably good contact on most swings and don’t fight a fade. Forget that “traditional look and feel” bit, it’s more accurate to say that the i15 is for players looking to work the ball off the tee.

Mizuno MP-58 Iron Review

The MP-58 provides a solid option not only for the mid level handicap player but for the scratch player as well.

MizunoMizuno irons have long adorned the bags of many good players around the world. A large percentage of the near-scratch guys at my club are playing them and have consistently raved about them. In fact one of them just replaced an old set of MP-32s with a new set of MP-67s, never considering another brand. When I had the opportunity to review a set of Mizunos, I jumped at the chance.

The MP-58s were actually a good fit since my last set of Mizunos (yes, I also have had them in my bag) were the T-Zoid Pro IIs – a pseudo-cavity backed club. With the advancement in technology, though, this set was bound to be slightly more forgiving and consistent: two traits any golfer is looking for in a set of clubs they buy.

The biggest question that remains, though, is whether the MP-58s can give you the playability that a one-piece forged muscleback does? Sure, I was a previous Mizuno owner but I currently sport the Titleist 695 MBs. Taking them out side by side was the best and most sure way of answering that question. So what was the result? Read on to find out.

Titleist 710-Series AP1 Irons Review

Titleist’s improves on an already great set of irons with the new 710 AP1.

Titleist AP1 HeroLike a sports car (or any vehicle for that matter, I guess) evolves as model years pass, so has Titleist’s Advanced Performance irons. The newer models might look pretty similar at first glance, and in some ways, they are, although there are loads of significant updates that shouldn’t be overlooked. As you know, more weight here, less offset there, and some added horsepower under the hood can make a world of difference.

In 2008, Titleist broke their own mold a bit with the release of the AP1 and AP2 irons. Never before had the (in Alan’s words) “traditionally traditional” Titleist released irons with more visible technology and with that they stirred quite a buzz. Fast forward to August of 2009 where we learned that Titleist had done some fine-tuning and enhancement to both the AP1 and AP2 irons. Luckily, I had the chance to give the Titleist 710 AP1 irons a spin.

TaylorMade R9 Iron Review

The R9 are said to be longer, more forgiving, have a better feel, and be more workable than any other game improvement club on the market. Do you believe the hype?

TaylorMade R9 Iron HeroTaylorMade seems to have made it its mission in recent years to reinvent what the phrase “classic golf club” means. For example, they have taken the pear-shaped driver and morphed it into a geometrical tinker toy that looks both modern and classic at the same time. Now, their researchers and designers have turned their attention to creating a classic/modern iron.

Given the success of the r7 line, the expectations for the TaylorMade R9 line could not be much higher. Is it possible for a club to gain 10% of distance over the already long r7? Can the R9 improve its forgiveness while incorporating several characteristics of a classic golf club? Can a game-improvement club have a soft feel? Since the initial announcement, the forum has been buzzing with golfers interested in whether the R9s can truly live up to those expectations. Read on to see some the answers that I found to those questions.