Equipment

Mizuno Performance Fitting System

Published

12 years ago

May 17, 2012

Rob Miller

By Rob Miller

GolfWRX Staff

In golf, the name Mizuno is synonymous with great irons. Chances are we all know a player – and probably a good one – that gamed ‘Mizzys’ growing up and hasn’t switched iron brands since. Great feel combined with classic good looks is hard to beat. Over the years, Mizuno expanded their lineup to include models for golfers of all skill levels while still staying true to its roots of function, clean looks and mostly ‘grain flow’ forgings. Through the years, Mizuno irons have been consistent Gold and Silver winners on Golf Digest’s annual Hot List.

Of course, when you have many different iron models to chose from, you need to properly fit golfer to club and shaft — not necessarily an easy task. Mizuno created their Performance Fitting System to help us out. GolfWRX is working with Mizuno to fit some of our equipment reviewers into the proper iron/shaft combo. I recently was invited to see what it was all about.

I have been through a few fittings before, but never the Mizuno Performance Fitting System. The claim is “In just a few swings, Mizuno’s Shaft Optimizer ends the guesswork by measuring five critical aspects of your swing to determine your unique Swing DNA. “ Having tried it out, I have to say it works great.

Your information is entered into Mizuno’s patented Shaft Optimizer software, which then recommends a shaft with performance characteristics perfectly matched to your individual swing.

I took about a dozen swings, but honestly as little as three is all it really took. My numbers came up and created my own swing signature which measured:

Club Head Speed: How fast the club head and shaft are moving during your swing.
Tempo: How quickly you transition from your backswing to your downswing.
Shaft Toe Down: Measures how far the shaft bends in a downward direction during your downswing.
Shaft Kick Angle: Measures how far the shaft bends forward during your downswing.
Release Factor: How and when the club head and shaft are released during the downswing

The kicker is the Shaft Optimizer is it does not care about the quality of your strike of the ball. Good contact or bad, you have a swing signature and its job is to find it.

Once the data was input by my fitter, the system gave me a few shaft suggestions, including Dynalite Gold XP and Project X 5.0.

With the Shaft Optimizer portion done, it was time to decide on clubhead / shaft combo by hitting balls at the range. I alternated between MP-59 and JPX-800 Pro heads with Project X and Dynalite. Ultimately, deciding on JPX-800 Pros with Dynalite XP S300. This choice is up to you. Next half-dozen hits off a lie board confirmed 2 degrees upright.

The length of the process varies depending on how many balls you want to hit. Being a range rat, I took my time, but you could be done easily in under an hour.

So here’s the best part. Your Mizuno fitter inputs your order directly into the system. Would you rather bag an MP-R12 50* rather than your set’s Gap Wedge? You can swap out wedges on the order screen. Rather play a Fli-Hi than your 4 iron? Done. Want a mixed set of 800 Pros and MP-59s? Mizuno can do that too (I was tempted). It’s all customizable.

Finally, Mizuno has perhaps the best turnaround in the industry. Orders are submitted by the rep on the spot and you’ll be bagging your new Mizunos within 7-10 days. In my case, it was seven on the nose. Mizuno touts this as ‘the best turnaround in the industry’.

So, how are the irons, you ask? (After all, the proof is in the pudding). Happy to say I entered new territory with my Mizunos. I shot my best score ever, 2-over par for an 18 hole round, just the third time I put them in play.

In the market for new irons? With iron models made for every type of golfer, you can perhaps find your perfect set of Mizunos– and go from custom fitting to the course in about seven days.

Look for Mizuno Iron reviews from GolfWRX very soon.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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