Mizuno JPX 800 Pro

[anotherday]

Demo'ed the Pro's this weekend and loved them. Mizuno wasn't on my list either. Pros just felt right.

I don't know what people are saying about ugly clubs. I get the mental aspect of an ugly club and everything.. but these aren't particularly ugly. I think they look good. Preference I guess..

I was able to knock a 6 iron from the rough to the green and it felt really good. The club got through the rough smoothly.

For me, it is between the Adams CB2 and the JPX 800 Pro.. CB2 because I've heard such great things.. however when I tried them at the store I just couldn't get a decent swing on them. Distances between the two were comparable but the mental aspect of it is leaning toward the JPX because I've hit it on a course and know that it performs well.

Another club I liked was the CG16. Super strong lofted and probably more in a SGI category.

Good luck with your choice. =)

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Waiting for delivery of my JPX-800 Pro's from Mizuno through Golfsmith. I ordered 7 iron - PW all .5" long and 1* flat. That 1* flat was from my teacher when I was fitted by him for my Fusions in 2005 (based on my size and how I SHOULD swing). The .5" long was based on the Golfsmith guy's measurements of my hand to floor. Since Mizuno's are all .25" shorter than most irons, I'm not worried about the .5" extra he talked me into. But the lie has me worried. I did some digging and find that the JPX-800 Pros are already much flatter than my Fusions and any current Callaways. So, Golfsmith and I are trying to change the order to standard lie while it is process. Not sure how that is going to work. Note: I only ordered 7 iron - PW. Ordered two wedges separately.

Question are:

1. Since Mizuno are flat, should I order by lie number or is there a reason they should be different/flatter than my old clubs? For example, standard Mizuno 7 iron is already 1* flat compared to the standard Fusions. But they become even fatter through the set until the 9 and PW standard Mizuno is 2* flatter than the standard Fusions.

2. Is there a reason these "better player" irons get flatter than other manufactures' clubs as you drop down through the set?

I also switched from a set of Fusions that I purchased new in 2005 and my specs for them were +.25", and 2deg up. I just fell in love with the JPX-800 pro irons when I hit them at a large demo days.  I had been working with a pga instructor weekly for a couple months prior to my purchase, and I had totally reworked my swing and thought I was ready for some new sticks since I was working weekly with my instructor and practicing daily. The Mizuno rep fit me by trying different shafts and lengths and then he measured my hands and wrist to floor measurement. He them gave me what my specs should be,.... He said regular length, 2deg flat, and midsize grips. Even though I trusted the Mizuno rep I thought that my specs had to be off since I had been playing +.25 and 2deg up on my Callaway fusions. When I took my specs the next day to my local golf shop who was hosting the demo days I asked if he would mind refitting me just to be sure there wasnt something odd going on with my swing at the time even though I was making great contact and hitting the JPX-800 pros wonderfully. He then set up a JPX-800 pro 6 iron with the specs that the Mizuno rep had stated and I then hit several balls with it. In the end he said that the specs that Mizuno suggested were pretty close to his. He suggested 3 deg flat instead of the 2deg flat that Mizuno stated but he said that was just a minor difference between the two and that if needed at a later time he could easily adjust the lie on them. I just found it so odd at how my specs have changed so much from the Fusions to the JPX-800 pro irons. I had disk replacement in my upper neck a year after getting the Fusions and then laid off playing for a few years. So when I started back playing,.... I made a point to get with a good instructor weekly and practicing what he taught me on a daily basis. So,... in the end maybe my swing change is what changed my specs so dramaticly, but I still cant figure out how I changed my lie angle by 5 degrees. Another odd thing, was that I hit it a little farther with the JPX-800 pros as opposed to the Fusions. My instructor attributed that to me making more solid contact with irons that fit me.

But in the end,.............. I love the look, feel and sound of my JPX-800 pro's.

[rustyredcab]

UPDATE:

Played my JPX-800 Pro's for six rounds now. Getting the feel for new distances. 14 greens in regulation Saturday -- that's very good for me. Really only missed two greens with an iron in my hands.

So here's my review:

1. Straighter than my old Fusions in part because they set up better -- more square for my eye. The flight is also straighter -- sometimes a little fade, mostly dead straight, almost never a draw and I never feel like a snap hook is possible. This could be the shaft fitting me well (stock XP S300) as much as the heads being awesome.

2. About the same distance as the Fusions. 5-iron may be 10 yards shorter. Fusion long irons could be nuked on occasion (sometimes without warning) which was not always a good thing. A well hit lay-up Fusion 5-iron (my 180 club) could go 175-205 yards. Mizuno 5-iron is consistent and is not randomly going 205 yards.

3. Much easier to control height of ball-flight and adjust distances. For example, I can hit a low PW 90 yards or a full high wedge 115 yards and I can jump on that wedge and hit it 130 with a medium-high flight. Perhaps this is what better players rave about when they talk about forged irons. From inside 130 yards, I have lots of club and shot options. I've already learned that there is no reason to jump on any of these clubs. On a bet I could hit my PW 145 yards but, what is the point of that?

4. I really want to hit the sweet spot and I find that I swing easier and better in an effort to try and hit that sweet spot more often.

5. Bad swings are still bad swings. These are not magic clubs that correct for my many flawed swings. I find really thin shots produce worse results that really thin shots did with my Fusions. I'm sorry to say that the sample size is large enough for me to know this.

5a. Swings do not need to be perfect to get great results. I did not think I had the game for Mizuno forged clubs. These are forgiving enough for my game. A good swing is enough for these clubs to make you feel super.

6. It could just be the greens and weather these last few rounds, but I think these clubs spin less than my Fusions on full iron shots. It could also be the easy swing I am using compared to the harder swing I used when hitting my Fusions. A full 7-iron, well hit with my Fusions would land and release about 12 inches. These release much more -- maybe even 12 feet. But the Fusions are in the garage so I have not tried them on the same day head-to-head. And I hit the Mizuno's much lower on purpose. I've never been a spin-it-back guy. If they do spin less, I is OK with me.

7. Range balls feel rock-hard with these clubs. I never noticed the hardness of the range balls at my home course with my Fusions. These Mizuno's are nice enough that I feel like using range balls is a crime. Kind of how I would feel cutting sticks with my good kitchen knife. I do not know if the soft feel of the Mizuno's translates to wear from hard range balls, but it feels like it must.

8. The flatter-than-others lie seems fine. My dirt marks, matt marks, and ball flight indicate that the clubs fit well. I am fitted 1 degree flat on my Fusions and bought these 1 degree flat before finding out that standard lie Mizuno's are flatter than other brands' standard lies.

Bottom line: I love these irons and expect they will serve me well for years. If my ball striking improves, I expect I'll love them as much or even more. If my ball striking wanes, I expect they will offer enough forgiveness to remain in my bag. They seem perfect for a guy who's handicap flutters around 7-11 and harbors hope of being a consistent 3-5 before age reverses any downward.

[B-Con]

So here's my review

If you also [url=http://thesandtrap.com/products/mizuno-jpx-800-pro-iron-set-4-pw-aw]post it here[/url], more people will be able to find it.

[Scotchd]

I too just bought a set of JPX800 Pros, 4-AW, with DG S300 shafts (I almost bought Project x 5.0's (or 5.5's), but there was a $15 upcharge - another $100 bucks! *sniff*). I have played two rounds with them so far - both better than earlier rounds this season.  I got the New Decade Grips.  They are *awesome*.  I've used Lamkin Permawraps and Wynn Excel's before these (plus whatever comes on Cleveland wedges and irons), and these are the best so far.  Lamkin's were also very good, though, too.  Wynns seemed to wear out quickly, and were a little "squishy" feeling.  Probably should not have gotten the squishy Excel grips, then.  But hey, it was college, I was experimenting...

I tested Burner 2.0, Callaway X-22's, and Ping G15's and the JPX-800 regular alongside the pros before I bought (outside at a range, probably 100 balls hit with each over the course of 2 weeks).  I am a 15 handicap USGA.

Length:

The Burner 2.0's, X-22's and JPX-800 reg's were longer than the Pros.  The 2.0's and X-22's were quite a bit longer - 7 iron was going 160+ and 6 iron would regularly reach 180, sometimes 185.  Crazy long (for me, at least).  On most courses, though, I don't need that much extra distance, so the extra length was not a big seller to me.

The Pro's for me are about 155 for a 7i and about 165-170 for a 6i.  Twice I hit a 5 iron into a green 180 away, and twice I found my ball 10 yards past the hole - so the length is good on the pros (much better than my old set of Cleveland TA4's), just not crazy long.

Feel:

Pro's were the best.  JPX regulars, Callaway and G15 were actually pretty good too.  Burners felt a little "stiff" for me.

Accuracy:

They were all really good, in general.  The 2.0's were a little harder to keep on line, but I suspect that was because the club length and lofts are a little higher than the other sets (i.e. I was comparing 7i accuracy, but in realy the 2.0 was a 6 iron-ish comparable, so was a little less accurate).  The Pros gave me a little "less" on off center hits than the rest of the sets, but not penalizingly so (I still had a lob wedge into the green).

Overall:

They were all good clubs.  I don't see how anyone can go wrong with any of the new irons out there.  I had borrowed a set of MX-300's for 3 weeks prior to buying, and I think that familiarity gave the edge to the Mizunos.  I have to say, the MX-300's are remarkably close to the 800-pros.  Very close.  If you can get those used, or at a discount, it might be worth it, but most pro shops won't fit the MX-300, since Mizuno won't customize an order for those anymore.  Weak!

I was very close to getting the JPX-800 regular line, figuring I could use the extra forgiveness.  Callaway X-22 (and Razr's) were also very close 2nd place.

[gravedigger]

I dont game them but you cant go wrong with this set.. I was between them and AP2s and went the other route but sometimes wonder if I should have got the pros..

[mlecuni]

hi,

My local dealer got a Mizuno irons box, with all the heads and shafts. I played MP53 and JPX800pro both with project, nippon ns and kbs shafts. The JPX800pro are more forgiving, and i played them better with the kbs shaft. Thoses clubs are also more forgiving than my previous MX25.

Bye bye

[beachgolfer]

I'm a 25 HC that plays 2-3 times per week with 3 month old JPX-800 PROs and I dig them. I knew there would be a learning curve but, I'm glad I got them. Hope this helps.

[motteler621]

Was at a tournament recently and I stood on a par 3 for awhile watching players come up and hit. Charles Howell III plays the mizuno jpx pros so they must be a pretty decent iron. Actually when I was watching what the players had I saw a guy with Ping G15 irons and was a little surprised, then the next group came up and the guy had Ping G15 irons and so did the next guy,lol, but at the same time alot of players had blades.

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

UPDATE:

Played my JPX-800 Pro's for six rounds now. Getting the feel for new distances. 14 greens in regulation Saturday -- that's very good for me. Really only missed two greens with an iron in my hands.

You hit 14 greens at a 9 handicap!?..Jesus dude thats impressive.

With that being said I also have the pro's and I love them.  These things are loooooooong!  Been hitting by Pitching Wedge 145 on a controlled swing, hit it over 150 easily if I get aggressive.  Can't remember last time i had more than a 8 iron into a par 4, and these things are pretty forgiving too, with decent enough feedback.  You really can't go wrong with these clubs.

[k14]

Originally Posted by tmf9

You hit 14 greens at a 9 handicap!?..Jesus dude thats impressive.

With that being said I also have the pro's and I love them.  These things are loooooooong!  Been hitting by Pitching Wedge 145 on a controlled swing, hit it over 150 easily if I get aggressive.  Can't remember last time i had more than a 8 iron into a par 4, and these things are pretty forgiving too, with decent enough feedback.  You really can't go wrong with these clubs.

Thats what I am concerned about. I hit my current burner 09 PW about 135-145 and have a big enough gap to GW as it is (hit that about 100-110). I was fitted for the JPX's on Saturday and on the launch monitor I was hitting it consistently 10 yards longer than my burner 6i. If the JPX's are longer still I will have a problem. I only just got some callaway jaws 56 and 60 wedges but maybe I will have to go to 50-54-58 to try and allievate the distance gap. At the moment I really struggle inside 125. I'd rather have 155 so I can hit a full 8i or 9i than be 115!

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by k14

Thats what I am concerned about. I hit my current burner 09 PW about 135-145 and have a big enough gap to GW as it is (hit that about 100-110). I was fitted for the JPX's on Saturday and on the launch monitor I was hitting it consistently 10 yards longer than my burner 6i. If the JPX's are longer still I will have a problem. I only just got some callaway jaws 56 and 60 wedges but maybe I will have to go to 50-54-58 to try and allievate the distance gap. At the moment I really struggle inside 125. I'd rather have 155 so I can hit a full 8i or 9i than be 115!

With the pros you can get 4-GW i hit a full GW like 130-135 with them.  My problem is the distance between my SW and GW. (Hit the SW about 110)

[Shindig]

With the pros you can get 4-GW i hit a full GW like 130-135 with them.  My problem is the distance between my SW and GW. (Hit the SW about 110)

What's the loft on your SW? If you go from a 50 degree cavity-back iron to a 56 degree blade-wedge, you're going to have some distance gaps. Also, what shaft is in your wedge and irons? The shaft in the wedge might be heavier and/or a different flex.

[GaijinGolfer]

Great irons.  They have much of the feel of a forged blade but are much more forgiving.  If I were in the market for a new set of irons, these are probably what I would buy.

[k14]

Originally Posted by tmf9

With the pros you can get 4-GW i hit a full GW like 130-135 with them.  My problem is the distance between my SW and GW. (Hit the SW about 110)

Yeah I think I might get my 52 bent to 51 or 50 first and see how that works out.If I can't bridge the gap I may have to spring for the GW though. I'm being tight cause I was fitted for the NS Pro 970 shafts which are pretty expensive. 4-PW cost me $1600NZD (~$1300USD), so another $250 for 1 club seems excessive when I can get the callaway offerings off Rockbottom for under $100 shipped.

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by Shindig

What's the loft on your SW? If you go from a 50 degree cavity-back iron to a 56 degree blade-wedge, you're going to have some distance gaps. Also, what shaft is in your wedge and irons? The shaft in the wedge might be heavier and/or a different flex.

Yeah its 50 and 56 like you said but i guess im kinda stuck with it.  If I get a 54 then i got the same diffrence between between my SW and LW.  I''ve basically just learned how to take off some distance on my GW and hit it 120 lol