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Mizuno MP-600 Driver Review

Published

16 years ago

Jan 11, 2008

Mizuno has long been known as one of the better iron manufacturers in the world. They are also innovators in the industry they have been a major part of.

There are a few little known facts about the manufacturer that include being the first company to offer a mobile workshop for the PGA Tour in 1984, and they were also the first company in the world to launch a titanium driver, the Mizuno Pro Ti-110/120. Although Mizuno offers many selections in the game improvement arena, they are known for their equipment in the low handicap area of the market. Their forged irons have been played on all of the tours and have won many majors and even more golf championships.

Their latest offering in the driver market is the MP-600 driver with Fast Track technology. Is this just another driver geared toward the better player or is it a driver that can benefit both the better player and the high handicapper? How does it compare with the other offerings that are currently out in the market right now?

Technology

The MP-600 with Fast Track technology is teeming with up to date modern advances. The CNC milled, plasma welded CORTECH™ face insert will deliver the maximum USGA allowable ball speed across the entire area of the face for explosive distance, according to Mizuno. The size of the club head is 460cc, the largest allowable volume by the USGA. This driver also possesses the classic, traditional head shape which is rare in comparison to some of the other high tech drivers that are out in the market today.

The Fast Track technology has to be the coolest feature of this driver. This 460cc Titanium driver will allow players to quickly tweak their ball flight through the use of the revolutionary Fast Track. It has two adjustable eight gram weights that the player can easily move into 15 ball flight settings to fine tune the center of gravity and achieve their ideal ball flight and shape, for maximum control. This is a twist to the moveable weight technology that is offered by other manufacturers and allows for easier and faster movement of the weight around the perimeter of the golf club.

The stock shaft that is offered with the driver is the Exsar DS3 Driver shaft. It is only offered in stiff, regular, lite, and ladies. There are custom shaft options available and they include Fujikura Fit on 360, Aldila NV and NVS, Graffalloy Pro Launch Blue and Red, UST Proforce V2, Harrison Mugen, and the Tava for the ladies. Despite not being the largest selection offered by a manufacturer today, it covers most of the neccesary bases.

The driver is offered in three lofts, 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5. It is not offered in a left handed version.

Aesthetics

Mizuno has had a history of making aesthetically pleasing golf clubs, and this one is certainly no different. The classic shape of this driver is visually appealing to the discerning golfer. If you appreciate the look of a traditional driver this will be one driver that you should try. At address it sets very square and tall. The face is normal height but appears to be deeper than it actually is. This is a classic, traditional, good looking golf club at address, something that you would come to expect from a company like Mizuno.

The deep black paint on the driver goes perfectly with the traditional shape of the head. The omission of an alignment aide was a plus for me. Just a clean, classic looking head, that sits perfectly behind the golf ball.

Performance

The driver that I received to test was the 9.5 version with the stock Exsar DS3, stiff flex shaft. The shaft weighed in at 59 grams, and had a torque rating of 3.7. This is a mid flight shaft. I was actually quite surprised by this shaft, as it performed better than expected. I am leery about some of the stock shaft offerings from manufacturers, as sometimes they are not exactly what they advertise to be. But this one felt right on. Was not overly stiff, yet not to whippy either. Just a nice comfortable flex, that if need be I could go after on and not feel like the shaft would over-flex and I was going to snipe hook it.

The sound of the driver was great. Unlike many of the offerings today, this driver does not sound like an aluminum baseball bat; it has a more muted sound to it. It took me a few balls to get used to it, as my current driver is quite loud, and ear piercing at times.

Distance from this driver was impressive. The ball flight with this set up was mid to high with fairly low spin. So I was getting a great launch angle, with a good spin rate, and apparently (according to most fitters) this is an ideal combination for maximum distance. Even on the miss hits I had, the results were very good and fairly good distance wise. I would say that it is on par with most of the better drivers on the market today with regard to the potential distance of the driver.

After changing the weights on the fast track to get my desired set up and preferred ball shape, I then started to mess around with the settings to see if I could create some different ball flights and such. This was actually the fun part of the review as I got to mess around a little bit and try and hit some different shots. This did manipulate the spin of the ball a little bit and if you are looking for a driver that will allow you to fine tune your spin rate or desired shot shape, this could be one to check out.

Conclusion

Should you buy this driver or not? That is not really for me to tell you, all I can do is give you my opinion on the driver and hope that helps or answers some of the questions you might have had about it.

If was going to purchase a new driver, this driver would be on, or right near the top of my list. It accomplishes everything that I look for in a driver. It has the adjustability aspect, great distance, appearance, and quality, that as a former professional, I expect from my current golf clubs. This is a forgiving driver, but definitely is a better player’s driver, in my opinion. I am not sure that a higher handicap player would reap the benefits of a driver like this. But if you are a mid to low handicap golfer looking for a quality driver at a reasonable price, this might be the ticket.

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SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips

Published

17 hours ago

May 6, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”

“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”

Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.

According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”

CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.

“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.

Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history

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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar

Published

18 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Ronald Montesano

Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.

It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place

The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.

This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.

With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.

360° and in!

A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024

DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four

It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.

It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.

.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024

PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella

Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.

64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.

.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024

PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win

Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.

The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.

Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063

8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024

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Morning 9: Pendrith’s maiden Tour win | Morikawa back with former coach | Brooks victorious

Published

19 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour gives us yet another breakthrough winner.

1. Pendrith wins first PGA Tour title

AP Report…”Taylor Pendrith took advantage of Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.”

“Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. After having to chip twice from the rough and already looking stunned, Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.”

“Pendrith two-putted for birdie on the 18th, holing a 3-footer for a 4-under 67 and 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old Canadian won in his 74th career PGA Tour start.”

Full piece.

2. Koepka takes LIV title in Singapore

S.I.’s Bob Harig…”Brooks Koepka became the first player to win four times as part of the LIV Golf League, shooting a final-round 68 at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore on Sunday to beat Cam Smith and Marc Leishman by two strokes.”

“His timing wasn’t bad, either.”

“A few days after offering concern about his game in light of a poor Masters performance, Koepka stepped up and won the LIV Golf Singapore even to give himself a boost heading into the defense of his PGA Championship title in two weeks.”

“The year’s second major begins on May 16.”

Full piece.

3. Otaegui wins Volvo China

AP report…”Adrian Otaegui overturned a five-shot deficit to win the Volvo China Open on Sunday, the Spaniard’s fifth tour title.”

“Otaegui had been trailing the in-form Sebastian Söderberg after Friday’s round – Saturday’s was cancelled because of thunder and lightning – and he shot 7-under 65 in his final round to win by one shot from Guido Migliozzi, who finished runner up with a 67.”

Full piece.

4. ICYMI: Teen Kim makes the cut

Guardian report…”English teenager Kris Kim became the youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour in 11 years after a birdie at the last saw him get through to the weekend of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas with a shot to spare.”

“Amateur Kim, the son of former LPGA player Ji-Hyun Suh, made a second-round four-under-par 67, which included a run of five birdies and one bogey over his front nine.”

“At 16 years and seven months he became the youngest player to make the cut on tour since 14-year-old Guan Tianlang at the 2013 Masters, and, according to the PGA Tour, the fifth youngest in history.”

Full piece.

5. Winner in a rainout

AP report…”Scott Dunlap was declared the 36-hole winner of the Insperity Invitational when rain washed the final round Sunday, giving Dunlap his first PGA Tour Champions title in nearly 10 years.”

“Devastating rain in the Houston area previously washed out the opening round Friday. Players managed to play 36 holes on Saturday, and Dunlap posted a 2-under 70 to take a one-shot lead over Joe Durant and Stuart Appleby.”

“That proved to be the winning score when rain soaked The Woodlands Country Club. It was the second 36-hole event in the last three weeks on the PGA Tour Champions because of weather. The other was in the Dallas area.”