When you ask most golfers about Mizuno irons the general feedback is that they make fantastic irons for professionals and low handicap golfers. Mizuno has a long history stretching from the 1980’s of making forged blades that had an almost cult like following. Mizuno has not had much of a reputation for making game improvement clubs for mid and high handicappers, although they have made irons targeting this group they have not been overwhelming popular as the better player clubs have been.
Of course Mizuno has a great reputation not only with good players but also with the PGA Tour as well. Much of the MP line of irons are designed with the tour players input. However with some new offerings specifically the JPX line, Mizuno seems to be trying to take their great reputation into the game improvement arena. For mid-handicappers Mizuno is now offering the JPX-825 Pro irons which are targeted at six to eighteen handicappers. These irons give the forgiveness of game improvement irons but the feel and playability that the lower handicap golfers prefer. In addition to these irons Mizuno now offers the JPX-825 irons targeted for golfers with a handicap from ten to twenty eight.
For this review I was given a set (4-PW) of JPX-825 irons with True Temper Dynalite Gold XP S300.
Technology
The engineers at Mizuno had one goal in mind when creating the JPX-825 irons, to make they the longest and most forgiving iron that Mizuno has ever created. To do this they designed the irons to deliver exceptional ball speed and explosive distance. The goal was to create an extremely thin and hot face that was able to utilize what Mizuno calls MAX COR technology. The Coefficient of Restitution (COR) is the trampoline effect made popular by drivers to help golfers launch the the ball farther, this technology is now being brought into iron designs to help golfers get more distance from their irons.
The MAX COR is what gives these irons the largest sweet spot ever designed into a Mizuno iron. The MAX COR Ultra Pocket design is what gives the four thru seven iron a thin multi-thickness face to achieve the highest allowable ball speed for maximum distance. The MAX COR technology also provides a solid feel and easy effortless distance. The four thru seven are designed to have what Mizuno calls a Massive Sweet Spot Area for maximum forgiveness. They also include a low and deep Center of Gravity (COG) for easy launch.
The eight thru pitching wedge (PW) are designed to have a Deep Pocket Cavity design which is designed to provide the golfer with increased accuracy while still providing a extremely large sweet spot and continuing to provide a low and deep COG for easy launch.
The Gap Wedge (GW) which was not included in the set I tested is designed with Solid Power Bar Design to enhance solid feel with increased control and a large sweet spot for maximum forgiveness.
Another piece of technology which I found extremely interesting was the scientifically designed Harmonic Impact Technology which helps to provide solid sound and feel at impact. I have read studies that show that sound is instrumental in our ability to perceive how the golf club feels. Mizuno doesn’t provide much in the way of details of how this technology works, but the main comment I hear from golfers who play Mizuno clubs is that they always say how great they feel. The comment I hear this most is, “they feel like butter.” The Harmonic Impact Technology may be a big reason for that.
The irons also have a triple cut sole design which is found on all of the Mizuno irons, including the MP line, which is designed to have ideal turf interaction from any lie on the golf course. Mizuno is also on the cutting edge with their high performance fitting system which can help you identify the right shaft for your golf swing. The JPX-825 irons are also available in left handed models.
Esthetics
One thing that is always consistent with Mizuno irons is how the esthetics of the clubs are always top notch, the JPX-825 are no different. The colors are rarely overly bright and they generally look quite good when sitting in your bag. The first thing you will notice about the JPX-825 design is the two tone nickel chrome plating. The bottom of the club is done in a shiny finish, while back side of the club, more specifically the outer ring is done in a brushed nicked to give the club the two toned affect. The hosel of the club is done in the shiny finish.
The face of the club is very standard and the top line at address is larger than I prefer, but not so big that it is distracting. The grooves do not have any paint fill inside and give the club a very traditional feel. As with most game improvement irons the JPX-825 have a decent amount of offset built in. It is not an exaggerated amount, but one can certainly detect it.
When you look at the back of the club head the first thing your eyes are drawn to is the electroform badge that is done in blue and fills most of the cavity of the club head. The badge is done in Mizuno blue and has the club name inside the badge. The rest of the cavity area is filled by the badge but had a black and silver mechanical netting with the logo in the toe of the cavity. The rest of the cavity is painted black. This is a very subdued and classical look, but done to look futuristic and not quite as traditional as the blade designs. In the brushed nickel part of the cavity the Mizuno logo is engraved into the club head.
The numbering of the bottom club is large and painted in with black paint fill. The ferrel of the club is a traditional black ferrel and the steel shafts that come with the club are also not unusual. The grip is Mizuno specific Golf Pride M-31 58 Round grip, and they are black.
At address the 4 and 5 iron the back of the MAX COR Ultra Pocket can be seen just behind the top line. To some golfers this can be a distraction, but with most golfers now playing hybrids that may no longer be the case. The Pocket Cavity of the 4 iron is so large that the golfer may think that is looks very similar to a hybrid design. I did not find this a distraction while I was using the irons.
Playability and Feel
When I first un-boxed these irons and grabbed them to see how they felt, the first thing I noticed that for game improvement irons they were the heaviest that have used. Many of the irons that I have reviewed that were game improvement irons were much lighter than these Mizuno irons. This is a nice feature if you like to feel where the club head is during the swing. There is certainly a trend of lighter clubs but Mizuno seems not be going in that direction.
Without question these are the longest irons that I have ever played. I can easily confirm that there is no contest, these are definitely the longest. When I look though at the lofts of the clubs it is not a huge surprise that they are so long. Take the seven iron for example, it has thirty-two degrees of loft, that is the standard loft for a six iron. To be fair to Mizuno there has be a trend amongst all the club manufacturers to reduce the loft of the clubs, so there is less of a standard than ever before, but they are consistently lower than most of the other clubs on the market.
Even with all of that I was still very impressed with these irons because they are a nice combination of distance, accuracy and feel. The challenge for me in using them during the period I reviewed them was to understand how far I was going to hit each club. During the first few rounds I would launch the ball WAY over greens. After a few rounds I was able to better dial in my distances, but I would still have the odd booming shot from time to time. They are very forgiving as advertised, however, they are not the most forgiving I have tried. On a scale of one to ten the are a solid nine, so they still rate extremely high in the forgiveness category.
I think the feel of these clubs is really solid. Mizuno of course has a great reputation there and these do not disappoint. When I am talking feel here I am referring to more to how solid the club feels when it hits the ball. They are not really great for giving a golfer feedback on where they hit the ball on the face of the club, but that seems to be standard for most all of the game improvement irons I have tried in the past. I am not sure if I am ready to say they feel like butter, but I am comfortable saying they are very solid.
As with most other game improvement irons I would not rank them particularly high with respect to workability. I was able to draw and fade the ball, but I would not recommend you get these clubs if you are wanting to work the ball. They do hold the green about as well as most other clubs so they are middle of the pack there.
If you were to create a equation whereby you included distance, feel, and forgiveness these irons would rate extremely high, probably number one of all the clubs I have tried. Many times when I play game improvement irons I feel as though I can get 2 of these parameters mainly distance and forgiveness, but I am forced to give up feel. These JPX-825 irons do a really nice job of marrying those three ingredients to provide a very high performance set of irons.
Specifications
Club Loft Length Lie Bounce ---- ---- ------ --- ------------ 4I 22° 38.25" 60.0° -1.5° 5I 25° 37.75" 60.5° -0.5° 6I 28° 37.25" 61.0° 0° 7I 32° 36.75" 61.5° 1° 8I 36° 36.25" 62.0° 2° 9I 40° 35.75" 62.5° 3° PW 45° 35.5" 63.0° 4°
Conclusion
In conclusion Mizuno has created a set of game improvement irons that do a great job balancing distance, feel and forgiveness for higher handicap and even mid handicap golfers. The irons stay true to the simple Mizuno design of not being overly flashy but still adding as much technology as they can to help the golfer play better.
I do think that Mizuno has a good offering for game improvement irons but I feel they will struggle against competition in this space from Adams and TaylorMade because they have not integrated any hybrids into this set. I believe golfers looking for a complete set of irons will want a 3 hybrid to be included and many of Mizuno’s competitors in this space are willing to offer this. This set is better designed for a golfer who would rather customize their bag with hybrid or a 5 wood.
In my overall opinion I would highly rank these clubs to most golfers who are looking to graduate from their first set of irons into more a players iron. So in essence their first serious set of irons. These irons will make the transition easier for golfers who are wanting to switch from game improvement irons to a low handicap golfers set of irons. I also will say that if you like bragging to your friends about how far you hit your seven iron these clubs are outstanding for this. I am a half club to a full club longer with these irons so they can easily do some ego boosting when standing on par three tees with your golfing buddies.
I got a set of these just after Christmas this year and I am really excited about them. Being in the midwest I haven’t had a chance to use them except at the range on a mat, but the results are very promising so far. I find the clubs to be very classy looking and am looking forward to lower scores this season! š
I really like the way these are looking. Thanks for the in depth write up.
I played around with these at Dick’s sporting goods the other day and I really enjoyed the way they felt. Very nice feel to them and I love the look. If I had the $$ I’d definitely get a set.
I would like to know how these differ from JPX 800 pros.
Like the style – would love to hear the discussions that took place about the blue badge – black background and all that. As for your comments about distance, once you learned to club down a couple clubs to accommodate their lofts, did they play pretty consistent for you? Or, that occasional booming shot, was that more on the shorter irons?
Hi Old1964,
I was able to learn to hit them more consistently by adjusting over time. They were consistent for the most part. The booming shot was on a few par 3’s at my club. You know the ones where you play there so much you walk up there with the same club every time, I would launch it over the green. Once I noticed it, I was fine.
I have a set and I think they are beautiful clubs. However, I found them to be a little hard off the face. I also found them to feel a little heavy. I checked the 7 and 9 irons on my swingweight scale for my different sets and this is what I found:
Mizuno JPX 825———-D4 (stock R300 shaft)
Mizuno MP 59————D3 (stock S300 shaft)
Callaway Razr X———-D2 (stock uniflex shaft)
Ping G25——————D1 (stock regular shaft)
So it’s no wonder the JPX 825 feel heavy!!!
Great review. I picked these up a few weeks ago to replace 710 AP1’s. I like the Titleist but wanted some additional forgiveness and everything I read said the JPX 825’s were forgiving.
Along with the 825’s, I tested the 712 AP1’s, TM Rocket Bladez, Ping G25, and Nike Coverts. Based on the Trackman results, I hit the 825’s further and with tighter dispersion than the others. I liked the look at address so I went with them.
I played my first round with them and I’m not sure I like the sound. I’m used to my AP1’s and the sound on the 825’s is different. In terms of distance, they are longer than the AP1’s and are also more forgiving. I kept the AP1’s and will do a side by side one day, but overall I’m very happy with the 825’s.
I just went through a fitting and surprisingly the 825’s won! I’m a 6 but my iron game is definitely my weakest link. II compared the AP1, AP2, Rocketbladez and tour, Ping I25 (currently using G10’s), and the Calloway’s.
It came down to the 825’s and AP1’s. Both were awesome clubs and I really struggled but the spin rate was a little high on the AP1 which might cause them to Balloon in the Oklahoma winds.
What was said in this review is right on. I added 1 degree loft to offset some of the trajectory issues and 1 degree upright which matched the AP1’s lie. Weight was definitely a little heavier and the I25’s felt extremely light.
What a surprise. i would have guessed the 825’s would come in last and be quickly discarded, but all the others were discarded except the AP1. Plus, a little lighter on the wallet than the AP1’s which makes the wife less upset.
Would loved to compare with the 825 Pro but I’m a lefty and they don’t make them in LH
I purchased a set of the 825’s and have played two rounds with them. These irons are the best feeling most accurate I have ever played. I haven’t picked up a great deal of distance over my old irons but the accuracy is off the scale. All I have to do is just point them at the target and pull the trigger. I literally couldn’t hit a bad shot with them. My previous irons were the 712 AP2’s and these Mizunos out perform them in all ways. I played blades for years and the 825’s feel as good or better when the ball comes off the face. I expect them to just play better and better as I get used to them and let my swing go. I am a leftie and my handicap varies from a twelve to a fourteen. You won’t be disappointed on purchasing these irons.
Question for Jebeka & WBHFani52,
I’m a fellow LH golfer. So after 2 years since your reviews of the JPX 825’s do you still own them? Are the clubs “keepers”?
The top line looks a little thick forme. I still use my MX 23s, but I’m going to try these clubs.
I got a second hand set (lh) of the 825s last year. 70+ rounds in, I can’t imagine playing without them. I’m a 12ish handicap and the long irons 5-7 have got me there (when I make a good swing). I recently found the four iron to complete the set and am elated. I’ve actually thought about buying a back up set of these……
Owned a set of 825s now since 2013. As an occasional but mid handicap golfer I wouldn’t trade these for anything (the taylormade P790 does excite me though). There is no other club out there with the same feel.
I love my set but Iām wondering if Mizuno makes a JPX825 sand wedge.
Hi all, I’ve been reading the reviews about Mizuno 825 irons I’ve had a Titleist 731 mb I’m getting too slow for them regular shaft 825 s for me
I’ve had my JPX 825 irons for about 10 years, so I have a fairly decent amount of experience with them. I played to a 16hc at my prime at 62 years old when I first bought them. I also have the JPX 825 3 and 4 hybrid, the 3 and 5 woods and the driver. When I do my part and have a nice grooved swing (I have a moderate to slightly slower swing speed), the 825 is STILL a very viable iron. If you find them in good condition, they are worth every penny. I’ve played them about 100 rounds. Here’s what I have to say about them:
1.) Looks–stunningly beautiful to my eyes…even 10 years later.
2.) Accuracy–9/10. I’ve had two eagles with the 8 iron from 120 yards out because I can trust the distance I hit these irons.
3.) Forgiveness–7/10. What I mean is that because I can work these (a hook around a tree bough, a fade on a dogleg in the fairway, etc). The lean toward a player’s iron, so I would not rate them highly on forgiveness…only moderatley so.
4.) Feel–9/10. I don’t have the skills or the swing to consistently hit a blade in the sweet spot, but when I have, I can say that this iron has similar sound and that buttery feel.
5.) Distance–7/10. This is where I differ from Mizuno and the author, respectfully, is I would not consider these “distance” clubs. At my prime as a senior, I hit my 5 iron at about 145-150 (again moderately slow swing speed).
My PW was 85-98 yds full swing. My 7 iron 125-130. (A golfer with a fast swing speed could hit this 200 yards with the right, stiff, shaft).
Comments: Though I am “only” a 16, I LOVE using the 4 iron out of the rough for precision shots or for scrambling under tree boughs, etc. If there is one shot I’m very good at…it is scoring shots from 150 yds in. I just am inconsistent with my short chips and puts, though I practice those the most. I’m a genius one day and struggle on another one…perhaps much like you. Additionally, the 3 and 4 hybrids are money. So is the 3 wood and driver. I’m not long with the driver, but I can usually get it in the fairway and I feel confident with it. Oddly, I’ve never been able to feel confident with the JPX 825 5 wood. I’m wondering if I might have too flexible a shaft. I have regular stock graphite shafts on my irons. I cannot recommend the JPX 825 irons enough. If you are a 5-18 handicap or so, these irons are still money, and if you can get them in good used condition you will only pay a couple of bills and smile all the way to the tee box! Highly recommended!