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Editor Review: Mizuno MP-64 Irons
By J13
As always, thanks to GolfWRX and Mizuno for providing these beautiful irons to me for testing. I want to get right to the review, but before I do here's a quick background on myself and the specs of the set I tested.
My Handicap: Scratch
Tested: Mizuno MP-64 (3-PW) with KBS Tour C-Taper X-Flex Shafts (Soft Stepped)
Pros: Mizuno has hit a home run with these irons. I can't stress it enough that along with Luke Donald's help they have taken a page out of the old play book and went back to the super soft feel that Mizuno is know for. My most recent set of Mizunos were the MP-68s. Thy MP-68s are certainly softer then the average forging, but the MP-64s just seem to melt at impact, i.e. a hot knife through warm butter.
Cons: There's not a whole lot to complain about with these. The only downside is that they aren't super forgiving so you have to be a solid ball striker to wield the MP-64s. Now, I don't like to put a handicap on irons like Mizuno does, but I will say that if you make consistent solid contact these irons will suit you nicely. If not, look at Mizuno's MP-H4s, which are much more forgiving.
Bottom Line: Mizuno moved forward by looking behind. They took the feel that got them to the big dance and paired that up with the latest technology in forgiveness for a players iron. This goes to show that Mizuno is listening to joe public.
The Review
Looks: The MP-64s are beautiful. Mizuno hit the nail on the head with these. They are understated -- no crazy graphics -- and set up to the ball like a players irons should. The Mizuno chrome shines like a set of 22-inch rims in a rap video. BLING!!! The satin face frames the ball extremely well and helps with alignment to the target.
Another thing I enjoyed was all compliments from fellow players then with these irons -- I've never had another set that was so well received by other players. As you can see in the pics below, the MP-64s are consistent from heel to toe with a players iron. They do have a slightly thicker topline then some others, however. It seems more noticeable in the 9 iron and PW, but again were talking slightly thicker, not thick. I really like the fact that I don't see any cavity in the long irons, something that I've seen in other players irons that drives me nuts. The soles are perfect for all types of terrain, but they seem to favor firmer conditions. As for offset, there's not a lot. You can see from the pics and from specs that it ranges from 0.106 (PW) to 0.122 (3 iron). It's very consitent throughout the set which is a plus. I know many players who want zero offset, but I personally enjoy a little relief.
Performance: Luke Donald, who never switches irons, moved to these within a week. That should be a good indicator of how well these perform. Before I get to how these get that little white ball near that tiny cup, I want to first say that I'm a believer in the importance of custom fitting -- irons will perform best if you have the right shaft. For me that shaft is the KBS C-Taper, which is a low-launch, low-spin shaft that is good for fast tempos. I had mine soft stepped, which means I had a slightly softer shaft installed in each of my clubs. This is done by putting a 9-iron shaft in a PW, an 8-iron shaft in a 9 iron, etc. I've been playing the KBS C-Taper for more than a year now and they're amazing. By pairing these up with the MP 64s, I had a set built for kings.
These irons have some of the tightest dispersion I've ever seen. For me, the ball comes off the face with a nice baby draw that hops and stops with some zip on it. These irons almost seem like they have square grooves even though I know they don't. With my 8 iron, 9 iron and PW I was able to be extremely aggressive and hit past some pins knowing that the ball would zip back. I know my grooves are fresh, but the MP-64s spin more then the other sets I've tried this year. This has been extremely helpful in shots out of the rough and will definitely take some getting used to.
Flight and Distance: These are some of the easiest player cavity back irons to flight down if needed. I can control trajectory just as easy as a blade without question, as it appears to me that the center of gravity is not buried deep in the sole of the club like most cavity backs on the market. The first ball that i hit was with the 9 iron and my reaction was, "Wow these are flying low." I loved it.
Now, for distance, there's not a lot to say here. They are on par with other sets I've played that have the same loft. Mishits just off center fly just as far as a center strike, which is great for us humble amateurs. The lofts are essentially standard for today's players irons so if your looking for irons that you can blast off into space and impress your playing partners because your PW is their 8 iron, this isn't the set for you.
Club Loft Lie Offset Bounce
3 21 59.50 .1222 38.75
4 24 60.00 .1222 38.25
5 27 60.50 .1222 37.75
6 30 61.00 .1143 37.25
7 34 61.50 .1143 36.75
8 38 62.00 .1064 36.25
9 42 62.50 .1065 35.75
PW 46 63.00 .1066 35.50
Feel: Mizuno is known for their "Grain Flow Forging" process. Words that could be used to describe the feel of the MP-64s are: astounding, fantastic, stupendous, buttery, soft, excellent, best ever, like hitting an 80 compression balata -- take your pick.
These are the best feeling irons I've ever had the pleasure of using to hit that little white ball. As I stated earlier, Mizuno went back to the playbook and got that super soft forged feeling of days past and married that with today's technology. They are a smart bunch who listen to their consumers.They certainly delivered here. There's not much more to say other than you should hit them and see for yourself. I've already had two people hit these irons at my club and order them. That's how good they are.
Overall: Mizuno created a beautiful set or irons that actually feel better then the previous few generations. If your looking for a players cavity back that can be worked like a blade but has some added forgiveness, then head to your local golf shop and grab the MP-64 six-iron demo. Better yet, if you belong to a club, have them get you a demo in so you can test it on the course. The lower lofted irons are consistent with the rest of the set. By that I mean if you can hit the 6 iron you can hit the 3 iron and get that dreaded hook machine of a hybrid out of the bag. If you prefer a combo set, these would also blend nicely with the MP-69s, which I am a real fan of, or the MP-H4s. My final piece of advice is to find a fitting station, grab the shaft optimizer and slap it on the 6 iron. The next step is waiting anxiously for the pretty Mizuno box to show up at your door step. Enjoy the pics feel free to ask any questions.
3 iron
8 iron
PW
Comparison pics
By J13
As always, thanks to GolfWRX and Mizuno for providing these beautiful irons to me for testing. I want to get right to the review, but before I do here's a quick background on myself and the specs of the set I tested.
My Handicap: Scratch
Tested: Mizuno MP-64 (3-PW) with KBS Tour C-Taper X-Flex Shafts (Soft Stepped)
Pros: Mizuno has hit a home run with these irons. I can't stress it enough that along with Luke Donald's help they have taken a page out of the old play book and went back to the super soft feel that Mizuno is know for. My most recent set of Mizunos were the MP-68s. Thy MP-68s are certainly softer then the average forging, but the MP-64s just seem to melt at impact, i.e. a hot knife through warm butter.
Cons: There's not a whole lot to complain about with these. The only downside is that they aren't super forgiving so you have to be a solid ball striker to wield the MP-64s. Now, I don't like to put a handicap on irons like Mizuno does, but I will say that if you make consistent solid contact these irons will suit you nicely. If not, look at Mizuno's MP-H4s, which are much more forgiving.
Bottom Line: Mizuno moved forward by looking behind. They took the feel that got them to the big dance and paired that up with the latest technology in forgiveness for a players iron. This goes to show that Mizuno is listening to joe public.
The Review
Looks: The MP-64s are beautiful. Mizuno hit the nail on the head with these. They are understated -- no crazy graphics -- and set up to the ball like a players irons should. The Mizuno chrome shines like a set of 22-inch rims in a rap video. BLING!!! The satin face frames the ball extremely well and helps with alignment to the target.
Another thing I enjoyed was all compliments from fellow players then with these irons -- I've never had another set that was so well received by other players. As you can see in the pics below, the MP-64s are consistent from heel to toe with a players iron. They do have a slightly thicker topline then some others, however. It seems more noticeable in the 9 iron and PW, but again were talking slightly thicker, not thick. I really like the fact that I don't see any cavity in the long irons, something that I've seen in other players irons that drives me nuts. The soles are perfect for all types of terrain, but they seem to favor firmer conditions. As for offset, there's not a lot. You can see from the pics and from specs that it ranges from 0.106 (PW) to 0.122 (3 iron). It's very consitent throughout the set which is a plus. I know many players who want zero offset, but I personally enjoy a little relief.
Performance: Luke Donald, who never switches irons, moved to these within a week. That should be a good indicator of how well these perform. Before I get to how these get that little white ball near that tiny cup, I want to first say that I'm a believer in the importance of custom fitting -- irons will perform best if you have the right shaft. For me that shaft is the KBS C-Taper, which is a low-launch, low-spin shaft that is good for fast tempos. I had mine soft stepped, which means I had a slightly softer shaft installed in each of my clubs. This is done by putting a 9-iron shaft in a PW, an 8-iron shaft in a 9 iron, etc. I've been playing the KBS C-Taper for more than a year now and they're amazing. By pairing these up with the MP 64s, I had a set built for kings.
These irons have some of the tightest dispersion I've ever seen. For me, the ball comes off the face with a nice baby draw that hops and stops with some zip on it. These irons almost seem like they have square grooves even though I know they don't. With my 8 iron, 9 iron and PW I was able to be extremely aggressive and hit past some pins knowing that the ball would zip back. I know my grooves are fresh, but the MP-64s spin more then the other sets I've tried this year. This has been extremely helpful in shots out of the rough and will definitely take some getting used to.
Flight and Distance: These are some of the easiest player cavity back irons to flight down if needed. I can control trajectory just as easy as a blade without question, as it appears to me that the center of gravity is not buried deep in the sole of the club like most cavity backs on the market. The first ball that i hit was with the 9 iron and my reaction was, "Wow these are flying low." I loved it.
Now, for distance, there's not a lot to say here. They are on par with other sets I've played that have the same loft. Mishits just off center fly just as far as a center strike, which is great for us humble amateurs. The lofts are essentially standard for today's players irons so if your looking for irons that you can blast off into space and impress your playing partners because your PW is their 8 iron, this isn't the set for you.
Club Loft Lie Offset Bounce
3 21 59.50 .1222 38.75
4 24 60.00 .1222 38.25
5 27 60.50 .1222 37.75
6 30 61.00 .1143 37.25
7 34 61.50 .1143 36.75
8 38 62.00 .1064 36.25
9 42 62.50 .1065 35.75
PW 46 63.00 .1066 35.50
Feel: Mizuno is known for their "Grain Flow Forging" process. Words that could be used to describe the feel of the MP-64s are: astounding, fantastic, stupendous, buttery, soft, excellent, best ever, like hitting an 80 compression balata -- take your pick.
These are the best feeling irons I've ever had the pleasure of using to hit that little white ball. As I stated earlier, Mizuno went back to the playbook and got that super soft forged feeling of days past and married that with today's technology. They are a smart bunch who listen to their consumers.They certainly delivered here. There's not much more to say other than you should hit them and see for yourself. I've already had two people hit these irons at my club and order them. That's how good they are.
Overall: Mizuno created a beautiful set or irons that actually feel better then the previous few generations. If your looking for a players cavity back that can be worked like a blade but has some added forgiveness, then head to your local golf shop and grab the MP-64 six-iron demo. Better yet, if you belong to a club, have them get you a demo in so you can test it on the course. The lower lofted irons are consistent with the rest of the set. By that I mean if you can hit the 6 iron you can hit the 3 iron and get that dreaded hook machine of a hybrid out of the bag. If you prefer a combo set, these would also blend nicely with the MP-69s, which I am a real fan of, or the MP-H4s. My final piece of advice is to find a fitting station, grab the shaft optimizer and slap it on the 6 iron. The next step is waiting anxiously for the pretty Mizuno box to show up at your door step. Enjoy the pics feel free to ask any questions.
3 iron
8 iron
PW
Comparison pics
Edited by zakkozuchowski, 03 October 2012 - 01:35 PM.
