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Mizuno MP-600 Driver Review
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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Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla
As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police on the way to Valhalla Golf Club this morning due to a traffic misunderstanding.
“Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club. The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car.
“When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car.”
Darlington also posted a video of the dramatic moment which you can view below:
Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024
There was an unrelated accident at around 5am, which is what may have caused some of the misunderstanding of which traffic was moving.
Speaking on ESPN, Darlington broke down exactly what he witnessed in full detail:
“Entering Valhalla Golf Club this morning, we witness a car pull around us that was Scottie Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police officers, placed in the back of a police vehicle in handcuffs after he tried to pull around what he believed to be security, ended up being police officers.
“They told him to stop, when he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle, and Scheffler then travelled another 10 yards before stopping the car.”
“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, attempting to pull him out of the car, before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs.
“Very stunned about what was happening, he looked towards me as he was in those handcuffs and said ‘please help me’. He very clearly didn’t know what was happening in the situation.”
“It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively. He was detained in that police vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. The police officers at that point did not understand that Scottie Scheffler was a golfer in the tournament, nor of course that he is the number one player in the world.”
Full details on Scottie Scheffler’s arrest, excellent reporting by @JeffDarlington.
— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) May 17, 2024
Due to the accident, play has been delayed this morning. Scheffler’s current tee time for the second round of the PGA Championship is 10:08 a.m.
Scheffler’s mugshot following the incident:
Scottie Scheffler’s mugshot from Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. pic.twitter.com/bcJn54Nu5x
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2024
*Update*
Scheffler has been charged with 2nd Degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief 3rd degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scottie Scheffler charges
– 2nd Degree assault of Police officer
– Criminal Mischief 3rd degree
– Reckless driving
– Disregard signals from officer directing traffic pic.twitter.com/bX8mFF2Xay— sam stone (@sam_rock_stone) May 17, 2024
*Update*
According to ESPN+, Scottie Scheffler has been released and is now on his way to the golf course.
*Update*
Scottie Scheffler arrives at Valhalla ahead of his 10:08 a.m second round tee time.
After being detained by police earlier this morning, Scottie Scheffler was released and is back at Valhalla Golf Club for his second round of the PGA Championship. pic.twitter.com/KvS5Hwo6PS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 17, 2024
*Update*
The PGA of America released this statement regarding the fatal accident, which diverted traffic at Valhalla this morning.
“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.”
Per the PGA Tour, Scheffler released the following statement.
Scottie Scheffler’s statement prior to Round 2 @PGAChampionship. pic.twitter.com/x26RFOqCIa
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 17, 2024
We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.
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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship
It was a year ago that we the north, found ourselves with toes and fingers crossed. The Oak Hill PGA Championship of 2023 finished on schedule, despite the iffiness of weather in upstate New York. It’s 75 degrees today across the Niagara Frontier, which makes it two out of three (2022 was the same way) for sultry, unseasonal weather.
Louisville is, let’s be honest, a much better bet for a May PGA Championship, and Valhalla is an exciting venue for the year’s second major championship on the men’s circuit. Brooks Koepka came in as the defending champion, and Rory McIlroy arrived as the last golfer to win a major at the Nicklaus-designed course. That was a decade ago, and lord, have things changed in the world and golf.
Day one at Valhalla offered walk-in eagles, buckets of birdies, and potential for a record-low, winner’s score. We’ll get right to the meat of the matter, with five things that we learned. After all, if you can make par from the muck, anything’s possible in the land of the horses.
Cam Smith made par from here …#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BY5ZFCiH45
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
1. X marks this spot
Xander Schauffele went head-to-head last Sunday with Rory McIlroy, at least on the practice green. By the end of the round, Rors had won for a fourth time at Charlotte, while the X Man sat scratching his head, wondering what went wrong. Fortunately for us, Xander didn’t sulk.
The San Diego State alumnus absolutely torched Jack’s track with 62. Four birdies on the front nine, were followed by five more on the inward side. Schauffele never looked as if bogey was a consideration, and he might have gone even lower. Despite winning the Covid-delayed Gold medal at the Japan Olympics (I consider it a major, btdubs) Schauffele continues to chase an initial men’s major, and the validation that it brings. If 62 doesn’t get you over the hump, who knows what will.
Cam Smith made par from here …#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BY5ZFCiH45
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
2. Scottie starts strong? Aye.
Last month, Mr. Scheffler won a second green jacket at Augusta National. Last year in Rochester, Mr. Scheffler tied for second in this event. Mr. Scheffler began play today with a walk-in eagle, a one-hop affair that never looked as if it might go anywhere but to its home. Scheffler had a few rough holes, but that’s to be expected from a new dad. Each time he made bogey, he bounced back with birdie, so he has that short memory that winners crave. Surprisingly, Scheffler failed to manage one last birdie at the reachable 18th. Perhaps that miss will motivate him in round two.
Scottie’s shot was so nice we had to see it twice ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/eR1UUsyi3a
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
3. LIV Check-In
It’s good to check in on the departed from time to time, to ensure that the fellows formerly known as PGA Tour members are doing well. It’s safe to say that some of them can still play. Defending champion Brooks Koepka posted 67 on the day, He had an eagle and three birdies on the day, with only a stumble at the 17th. He’s tied for 7th. Bryson DeChambeau made an eagle of his own, but also had a bogey, at the 12th hole. He cohabits eleventh position with Cameron Smith, who ALSO had a bogey on his card. They are one shot behind Koepka, and a fistful more behind the leader.
ON THE MONEY ?
Bryson DeChambeau for eagle! #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Gz24VikAGQ
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
4. Sahith and Tony at Schauffele’s heels
Both Finau and Theegala represent a special sort of athletic golfer. Their power and their charisma blend to draw golf fans to their groups. Let’s be honest, too, and say that they don’t look like the traditional professional golfer. As much as Tiger Woods did in the 1990s, they have the power to bring greater diversity to the sport.
In terms of their play today, well, only Xander was better. Finau had a clean card, with six birdies and twelve pars. Theegala had seven birdies, ten pars, and one bogey. Each combined power and finesse to insert themselves squarely in contention, ahead of round two. How will they, and Xander as well, manage the afternoon putting surface on Friday? That’s the great unknown!
SAHITH. THEEGALA. ?
This hole out puts him in a tie for the lead early at the #PGAChamp.
? @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/s3vLZNBQI7
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 16, 2024
5. All those other guys are here!
Rory, Tom Kim, Collin, and Viktor are all at minus-three or lower. Valhalla may not be a traditional golf course, but it is the type of course that the world’s best play well. McIlroy currently sits at minus-five, tied with Robert MacIntyre, Kim, and three others in fourth position. Maverick McNealy finished fast to reach the same figure, as did Tom Hoge. Morikawa closed with birdie to join the sextet at five below. Both Scheffler and Morikawa finished their rounds late on Thursday, meaning they should see smoother greens on Friday morning. If someone is a betting soul, wiser wagers could not be placed on better names than those two, two-time, major champions. Rory will tee off in Friday’s afternoon wave but, hey, he’s Rory, and he won going away last week at Quail Hollow, a course not unlike Valhalla.
The 2020 PGA Champion is making moves.
A solid approach shot from Collin Morikawa ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/DpD7QNfbSM
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
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Morning 9: Tiger 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue | Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation
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norberto bajandi
Jun 17, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I have in me Mizuno Ti-110 and I have read it’s the first Titanium Driver ever made.Am I lucky?.Yes sure I am.
Charlie
Dec 22, 2008 at 10:11 pm
It’s helpful when reviewers and especially commenters mention their SS and/or typical driving distance, along with the shaft they choose. I know that custom fitting is ideal, but for most of us it’s nice to know what shaft MIGHT work better for us. Thanks.
Al
Jan 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Just got back from the range with the new 10.5. Perfect ball flight for me and very easy to hit. I like the set up and the sound.
Al
Jan 28, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I received my 10.5 today and will be at the range tomorrow. I have hit the 9.5, so I will report on the 10.5 and see how they compare.
Dan G
Jan 24, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I think you will be very pleased with your purchase. Very solid driver.
Dan
Al
Jan 24, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Hit this club today and was very impressed. Great look, sound, and control. I moved the weights and it did have a significant impact on ball flight. I’m buying this one.
james
Jan 22, 2008 at 12:40 pm
i’ve just brought this club and its a fantastic club
RJ
Jan 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
Also thanks for the review, it is very helpful
RJ
Jan 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
I thought that the stock shaft was the Fit-On 360
Dan
Jan 14, 2008 at 2:10 pm
In comparing this driver to other drivers in the similar market, such as the superquad, I feel that it is on par if not better than those drivers. The spin rate was better for me with the MP-600 than the superquad, and the TP460. Very similar spin rates to my tour issued TP 425 that was made for me by the Tour Dept. at TM. So in seeing that the MP-600 is basically off the rack, to have similar spin rates is outstanding.
This driver is geared toward the lower to mid handicap player. It is not a forgiving high MOI driver like the sumo sqaured or the Titleist D1. Those drivers are geared toward the higher handicap player and are much easier to hit and gain better performance results than the MP-600. I am not saying that no high handicapper will enjoy this driver, all I was saying is that they could be better off with something that is designed to help a non-repetitive swing and off center hits (which is what alot of the square and high MOI drivers are aimed at doing).
The weight system is good and one of the neat things about the driver. IF you are looking for the 8 gram weights to massively change your ballflight it is not going to happen. But if you want to slightly modify some spin (reduce a hook, enhance a slight fade…etc.) then they will help. These weights will not dramatically change the ballflight, which is true for most all of the moveable weight technology drivers.
Hope that helps……
ColinMB
Jan 14, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Nice review, I only wish you could have compared it to something else…. anything like perhaps a superquad which is aimed at a similar market.
One thing I like about this driver that I don’t think you mentioned is the standard shaft length! In an age where OEM’s are pushing harder to handle, longer shafts, this one is the standard 45″, is it not?
I’m curious for what reasons did you find the club to not be a higher handicapper’s type of driver. Do the weights not compensate well for a slicer? Or is it simply punishing on misshits?
Also I’ve heard the weighting system might be too insignificant to truly adjust ball flight. You mentioned ‘spin’ adjustments, but did -you- find the weighting system move your ball from draw to fade adequately?
Thanks again for the review.