Head to Head: Mizuno MP-5, PXG 0311T and Titleist 716 AP2 irons
A few months ago, GolfWRX Members voted for the three irons they most wanted to see tested head-to-head. The winners were: PXG 0311T, Mizuno MP-5 and Titleist 716 AP2. Today, the results of my test are in.
I do a lot of these head-to-head equipment test videos on my YouTube Channel, but for this video I stepped it up. Each of the three irons were tested with the same shafts of the exact same length, and all the clubs had the same grips, lofts, lies and swing weights, courtesy of Tour X Golf fitters.
Make sure to watch the video and vote for the three irons you want to see me test in my next video. As always, post your comments and questions below.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
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In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
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19th Hole1 week agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
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Equipment3 weeks agoJason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
Tom
Oct 22, 2016 at 1:05 pm
https://youtu.be/8TBR0AcfEGc
Steve
Oct 16, 2016 at 7:11 pm
I know its a little off topic (or, out of bounds?), but I give you my impression of club testing… I walk in to a Golfsmith while killing some time. I jump in the demo booth and pick up a 7 iron (I dont recall the brand). The computer decides I am hitting the ball 195 yards and 5 yds off center. I am a 3+ hdcp that is well aware of my skills (or lack there of) and carry TM R7TPs in my bag and my 7 iron plays between 157 and 163 yds. therefore, I give little credence to reviews until I personally use a club off grass.
Ani
Oct 16, 2016 at 10:41 am
The test shows that PXG is a big loser. 1 yard longer for being 3 times more expensive. Good luck!
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 1:17 pm
with one club, imagine what the other seven will do.
Steven
Oct 15, 2016 at 8:44 am
What was the shot dispersion with each of the irons? That should be a major factor in helping decide which one is the best to put in your bag.
Uhit
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:26 pm
You can see the shot dispersion (in about the middle of the video) at 5:04 …
…the smallest shot dispersion has the Mizuno MP-5.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 3:31 pm
By site it appears to be furthest from the center.
Uhit
Oct 15, 2016 at 6:42 pm
By site he was hitting the Mizuno blade furthest from the center of the clubface…
…however, shot shape is depending from strike.
If you would flatten the lie angle around 1 degree, the draw he plays would straighten, and the shots would be dead center on line…
…good quality forged irons can be bend a few degree without problems.
Uhit
Oct 16, 2016 at 4:53 am
B.t.W.:
If you take into account, that he played the biggest draws with the Mizuno (whilst he had the least dispersion), the Mizuno shots would have been (at least) as long as the other two irons (if the draws would be as straight as with the other two irons)…
…if all is said and done, you come to the conclusion, that in perfect conditions (robot testing), the Mizuno blade would win the test in probably all categories – don´t you think?
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 1:43 pm
I’m under the impression draw shots go further. According to the data provided 0311’s had the least deviation from center line.
Uhit
Oct 16, 2016 at 6:40 pm
A big draw becomes a hook…
…a draw, that draws to the center line, is still a draw.
Draw shots only get further, if you generate a considerable part of your clubhead speed with the closing speed of your club face through impact (flipping over)…
…or deloft your club in a helpful degree.
Draw shots are generated by the user – not by the golf club.
With the same ball speed a draw is shorter than a straight shot along the intended line.
You can play draws (and fades), to gap the distance between two golf Clubs.
If you measure the lenght of the flight path, you get an idea, how far a draw (or fade) would have been (approx.) travelled as a straight shot.
Do this in our case and you will find more than a yard distance gain, if you bend the draw from the Mizuno blade to a straight line and use the clubhead speed of the PXG shots.
Greg
Oct 14, 2016 at 8:52 pm
Somewhere along the line I thought that a given shaft might not work optimally in different clubheads. For example the AP1 head may be engineered with different launch and spin characteristics than the mizuno. Therefore a player may get better performance out of a DG shaft in the titleist and a kbs might work better with a mizuno. Is this not true? And if so, would it not impact the comparison if the same shaft is used?
christian
Oct 15, 2016 at 12:38 am
Every brand offers multiple shaft choices. So your theory does not hold water.
Jim
Oct 16, 2016 at 10:26 am
Greg is right…although it’d be measured in microns…It’s more about the strength and technique of the human using the tool…
Christian’s right too..Although they were dragged kicking and screaming into doing so. We used to routinely yank perfectly good un-hit DG’s from Mizuno’s & Titleist irons to install Rifle shafts on the customer’s request Once one big OEM started offering custom shaft selections, they all had to just to be competitive.
Brian
Oct 14, 2016 at 4:41 pm
You’re right…Mizuno are works of art.
Dat
Oct 14, 2016 at 7:17 pm
like those holes in your face?
Tom.
Oct 14, 2016 at 4:39 pm
push mower cut the Mizuno in two
Dave r
Oct 14, 2016 at 4:22 pm
You know what a good golfer can hit any club they want and get the same results. Remember its not the arrow it’s the ……? . You get fitted right and it does not matter what you hit. All the top line clubs are the same the feel might be different but it’s what you prefer. The biggest issue for most is cost . What I would like to see is a pro explain why it’s important for thoese getting into golf to get fitted by someone who knows what their talking about. And explain why it’s best to spend the extra time and have this done.
duffer888
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:04 am
Shots launch higher off a mat than grass. So yes, mat does influence numbers, but it should be the same across the 3.
Most interesting thing I see is 3 different designs, pretty much same result.
Clear winner? No. PGX is longer because it had the lowest dynamic loft. PGX probably has the thinnest face as well, so ball speed is not surprising.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:53 pm
thin face & wider grooves
Uhit
Oct 16, 2016 at 5:11 am
He played the faintest draws with the PXG – if the shot shape with all three irons would be the same, the PXG wouldn´t be longer!
If you take into account, that he played the biggest draws with the Mizuno (whilst he had the least dispersion), the Mizuno shots would have been (at least) as long as the other two irons (if the draws would be as straight as with the other two irons)…
…if all is said and done, you come to the conclusion, that in perfect conditions (robot testing), the Mizuno blade would win the test in probably all categories – don´t you think?
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 2:34 pm
conditions for this test were as good as we’re gonna get. ( I have no problem with the results of the testing equipment used, benign indoor conditions,or Rick Shiels. What I think is, 1025 select Boron billet being softer that the others is a detriment.
Uhit
Oct 16, 2016 at 8:30 pm
I think Boron is not involved in this test (at least not in the Mizuno MP-5), but a human…
Boron is AFAIK used in the JPX series – except in the 900 tour.
Whether it is used in the PXG, or Titleist I don´t know, but you seem to like the idea of Boron in a 1025 steel, that is softer without it.
The 900 tour has no Boron in it because the face is thick enough…
…a blade (like the MP-5) wouldn´t benefit from Boron, because it has an even thicker face than the 900 tour on it´s thinnest spot.
Don´t know, what your argument is…
Tom
Oct 17, 2016 at 1:02 am
I stand corrected.
Tom
Oct 18, 2016 at 3:15 pm
my thinking is that the steel used in the MP 5 is softer than the others that could be a detriment.
Uhit
Oct 20, 2016 at 12:01 pm
The data show no detriment in performance versus the others…
…so, why should a softer steel be a detriment?
As long as the steel has no remaining deformation after you hit a ball, you can be pretty sure, that there is no energy loss, that could cause a measurable detriment in ball speed etc…
The ball is that much softer than a soft steel and the blade is thick enough to be not deformed during a hit, that you don´t have to worry.
Jim
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:44 am
Ya can’t change lofts to compare the clubs. 7irA is designed & ground to play with Xloft, and 7irB is designed & grounf to play with Yloft.
It doesn’t matter how “strong” anyone makes the loft of a given iron as long as they’ve been able to maintain a low center of gravity, keep it playable for the intended user(s) so that it produces the appropriate launch angle for the iron in question…
Why would anyone want 4-5 yds roll out with a 7? Using super-ultra-straight-titanium double dozen pack Slazengers from Dick’s? That’s either a bad shaft fitting, OR simply the wrong head for that player! Maybe bumping the loft changed COG too much – whatever…that’s not how irons should be “death match” – head to head tested..
GET THE ROBOT. Same shaft & length, same lie with the factory designated loft…ADJUST the robot for 1, 2 & 3 degree off center hits – both heel & toe side, alter path same way – alter clubhead release angles & do all tests with at least 3 speeds (70, 80 & 90mph)
yeah, it will take all day…but it’s the only way to “PROVE” which is best for each catagory of strike
Jim
Oct 14, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Isn’t building a “better mousetrap” the whole idea? I don’t care if an iron’s loft is 10° “strong” – as long as they were smart enough to compensate elsewhere to maintain appropriate launch & playabilty… it”s governed by rules, size limits and frankly consumer esthetics….
– anyone remember the first gen ALL TITANIUM IRONS? Yeah, they hit the crap out of the ball, but were so big n clumsy they failed… Build it as best ya can! Who cares what the loft/head numbers are
PO
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:41 am
No mention of golf ball, using a matt and NO mention of proximity to the hole ? I thought it was about golf…….. The point of the game is shooting lower scores…..
MP-4
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:30 am
Exactly.
Where’s the workability test.
Where the heck is the distance to the hole data?
No mention of accuracy. lol
The game is all about how far you hit it…hah.
Glen
Oct 15, 2016 at 7:03 am
I guess you didn’t see the offline stas he showed for each club?
Dormie
Oct 14, 2016 at 3:10 pm
If you add a little human factor, he is human after all, and take out the best and worst shot of each, you see what is seen time and time again. The closer you are to a true blade on a precise strike, the closer you are to the hole, distance+line. The further you are from a precise strike with that same club, the further you will be vs. a more perimeter weighted club. And vice versa. Great test nonetheless. Data data data.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Incredible…absolutety incredible! Did ya watch the video on ur cell phone watch in line at a liquor store? PRO V1 !
Blue
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:15 am
Very Interesting. Thank you for performing the test and I think you did a nice job.
I am curious if anyone knows the C.O.R. for the three clubs? The MP5s and AP2 had a S.D. of 1.8 on ball speed however the PXGs had a S.D. of 2.7 on ball speed. The sample size is much too small and impact of human error is too great to draw any real conclusions but these S.D. numbers jumped out at me. The MP5s are the only true forged single piece of steel head. The others are multi-piece clubs and I think there is a possibility of some spring-like effect –albeit small.
I’ve play the MP5s since last fall and love them. Played the AP2 (great club too!) before and really have seen no difference in performance. I just like the Mizuno look better. Actually hit the PXG 0311ts a few times a couple days ago and didn’t see any noticeable improvement in performance –although I thought they felt softer at impact.
My simple take away is there is no discernible difference between the clubs when a good swing is put on them. Which is what I would expect in a players club. If you’re in the market, any of these are great –although the PXGs come with a hefty price. So pick what you like to look at and what sounds best to you at impact.
ButchT
Oct 14, 2016 at 9:17 am
With these results, how could anyone justify the increased cost of the PXGs?
Charlie
Oct 14, 2016 at 9:37 am
When you are trying to impress family, friends, clients, etc.
Jim
Oct 14, 2016 at 5:08 pm
Do robot tests and have it hit off center, thin, little fat… stuff that happens to humans – especially on uneven turf etc…
Mark Moser
Oct 16, 2016 at 12:46 pm
That would make more sense with a game improvement iron and not a players club as the player who will play this club is a mid to low single digit and a good consistent ball striker so miss hits will be a lot less than a 10 or 20 hdcp. If a 20 is playing these then every miss will be exaggerated.
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 4:50 pm
BAZINGA!
Joe
Oct 14, 2016 at 9:11 am
Why do so few people understand the concept of statistical significance? If you really want to prove that one club is longer than another, you need to hit more than 10 shots with each. (And probably use a robot – a human is just not consistent enough.)
I also take issue with the conclusion that any of these clubs “won” this test. This data is a real mixed bag. The PXG was the “longest”, but it also had a greater variance of distance. A player of the quality of the guy who did this test doesn’t care about 2 yards with his 7 iron. He wants to control his distance. If you care about maximizing your distance with your 7 iron, you don’t want this style of club anyway.
Jordan
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:19 am
These results are so close you’d need a crap ton of repetitions to gain anything statistically significant. The issue with that is you’ll probably get something statistically significant, but insignificant in terms of real world impact. No one cares about a club that’s 1-2 yards longer. I think the idea of this article is to show that there’s little difference between any of these clubs and you can sufficiently do that with just 10 iterations.
Blue
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:19 am
Agree. Although I don’t think he’s claiming any stat sig. My take away is there is no difference between the clubs and that is what I would expect w/a players club. Players clubs should provided consistent performance with a consistent swing. All of these clubs provide this.
Mr Muira.
Oct 14, 2016 at 8:56 am
Some guys like their girls fat, some like em skinny…pick your ball buster.
Blade Junkie
Oct 14, 2016 at 8:03 am
So basically there is no real-world difference between any of these clubs LOL. So do I buy the AP2s for £700 .. or the MP5s for £750 … or the PXGs for £2,500 … ?
Mark Donaghy
Oct 14, 2016 at 6:49 am
I think this was a great head to head test. I’ve watched Rick do many of these and he is usually very honest / balanced in his findings. He was not pushing any of these clubs. What it show me was that there is very little between all three, which is what I would have thought from the start. Some of you purists out there will quibble about the details ad infinitum, but to me a lot of this will come down to an individual’s preference for visual looks, feel and brand loyalty. The Mizzy guy will always pick Mizzy. I think if a club is fit properly to the player, the margin of difference is very little in terms of distance, flight and dispersion.
erkr
Oct 14, 2016 at 12:17 am
Pretty similar data I must say.
He didn’t hit so many shots so, just hitting the PXG slightly harder/better can explain the difference in club and ballspeed.
I’d like to hear more about the differences in how they feel and how they play (high/low trajectory, perfor on Mishima etc)
Gary
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:10 pm
To be fair the Mizuno chosen to be run against those other two should have been the JPX 900 forged
Jason Schneider
Oct 14, 2016 at 9:48 am
Why? The mp5s are a better iron
Blue
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:28 am
The JPX 900 forged perimeter weighting is more similar to AP2 and PXG.
Tom
Oct 18, 2016 at 11:56 am
https://youtu.be/8TBR0AcfEGc not cracked up to what they made out to be.
Tom.
Oct 14, 2016 at 1:49 pm
“A few months ago, GolfWRX Members voted for the three irons they most wanted to see tested head-to-head. The winners were: PXG 0311T, Mizuno MP-5 and Titleist 716 AP2. Today, the results of my test are in”
Brian
Oct 14, 2016 at 4:45 pm
I thin the JPX 900 Tour would be more appropriate than the forged.
lhex
Oct 13, 2016 at 10:44 pm
robotic testing will justified everything!
its good to see a dual cavity irons can produce a very close number with a muscles back design iron
nice head to head test men,
Philip
Oct 13, 2016 at 9:23 pm
Since club lofts are tweaked to maximize the characteristics of the club design bending the AP2 and MP-5 7i from 34 to 32 degrees in order to match the PXG club will definitely have an effect on the results. In addition after the lofts were adjusted, the bounce for the PXG stayed at 7 degrees, whereas the bounce for the MP-5 was just 1 degree and the AP2 would have been 3 degrees (if same bounce as prior model since the website not longer lists bounce). I wouldn’t call them identical clubs and the sample size is just oo small for any meaningful conversation – but that it just me.
Dave S
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:04 pm
Always club test truthers.
Craven
Oct 14, 2016 at 10:24 am
I agree about strengthening the lofts. To be fair, he should have repeated the test with the PXG weakened to 34 degrees. Would it have suffered in performance? Then again, looking at the numbers, the differences are far too small to deem the test statistically significant. In essence, they are all the same. Choose whichever one suits your eye or wallet.
Dan
Oct 14, 2016 at 11:39 am
This makes sense to me. Also can explain why the Mizuno was hit a touch higher on the face. impact conditions with 7° bounce versus 1° biunce can definitely change.
Tom.
Oct 14, 2016 at 12:49 pm
https://www.mitchellgolf.com/news/bending-golf-clubs-facts-fallacies/
dan
Oct 13, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Decent “attempt” at a controlled experiment.
Either way it only shows that it just doesn’t really matter which clubs you use.
So you’re telling us that a true blade is slightly (and I mean very marginally slightly) less forgiving than a hollow iron and a CB with tungsten?
Is anyone actually surprised by this??
Find a shaft that fits you and a head that suits your eye and flail away.
Uhit
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Where does your conclusion come from?
In the video at 5:04 you see, that the Mizuno MP-5 blade has the smallest dispersion circle, which corresponds (at least in my book) with most forgiving.
In this test, the Mizuno blade wasn´t struck as well as the others (3-4 mm higher above center than the other two – on average) – and (despite this) it had the smallest dispersion!
In my opinion it also shows, that you should grab the golf club, that looks and feels the best and get fitted – forget the bells an whistles and what the majority tells you.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:57 pm
Uh huh… Bob. I’ll take the red circle for 100
/
Uhit
Oct 15, 2016 at 7:03 pm
You know, you can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant…
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 1:21 pm
roflmao
John
Oct 13, 2016 at 9:04 pm
When your 7 iron launches like a 6 iron it is time to go to a weaker shaft. Playing a c taper 130x with those numbers is a joke.
KK
Oct 13, 2016 at 9:25 pm
3 to 5 yards of roll-out with a 7 iron is pretty good.
Someone
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:00 pm
Why are you getting roll out with your 7i? That’s an approach shot that shot come down relatively close to steep and settle. If I’m hitting a 7i into a green, the last thing I’m looking for is roll out. If I’m hitting a 7i as hard as I can to eke out some extra distance with a rollout, I’d rather play the 6i.
Charlie
Oct 14, 2016 at 8:28 am
Agreed. But with a push draw, it’s difficult to go softer without hooking the ball. My swing is a lot like his. I can understand why he plays that shaft.
Dylan
Oct 13, 2016 at 8:47 pm
I’d say Mizuno gets the win here, a straight up blade against two players cavity back irons? And it performed only slightly worse off of mis-hits? Very impressive Mizuno, you should be proud.
gwillis7
Oct 13, 2016 at 9:55 pm
agree, Mizuno did fantastic and I would imagine it would be the least forgiving. seems pretty dang forgiving for a blade.
I wish the ping i-blades would have been in the competition!
Jack
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:41 pm
I would agree. His clubhead speed was actually lower for the MP5. I don’t think clubs affect clubhead speed really? That’s really the golfer. The dynamic loft was also higher on the MP5 as well. With it being the same loft, that is really not a consistent strike. I don’t believe that if the Mp5 was swung the same way there would be really much difference at all.
And this is because Rick is a pretty good golfer. I would imagine that the MP5 would perform worse on off center hits compared to the other two. Making this test not as useful as it could have been. Rick should probably try delofting the Mp5 more when he was testing then it would have been fairer. What made him deloft and swing the other two clubs 1 mile slower than the PXG we don’t know. And apparently neither does he. But really this tells me once you rule out the loft differences the three clubs are really quite similar.
Tom
Oct 16, 2016 at 2:42 pm
From Mizuno Corp. Traditionally irons have fallen into blade or cavity type categories but Mizuno insist the MP-5’s are neither, but rather a revolutionary “Channel Back”… end that quote!
R
Oct 13, 2016 at 8:11 pm
Rigged to the moon
Matt
Oct 13, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Hardly seems fair that the PXGs were hit on the screws and the Mizzies were all bonked. Delivering half a club extra of dynamic loft with MP-5s as well, probably the high hits causing deflection (also explains the low spin). NEW TEST! Account for strike this time.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:38 pm
250+ think it’s fair compared to the 53 hat don’t.
Uhit
Oct 13, 2016 at 6:25 pm
Interestingly the Mizuno blade had the least dispersion and the other numbers were very close, despite the Mizuno blade was hit on average on the least favourable position on the club head (within the tested bunch of three golf clubs).
3 to 4 mm higher hit point on average on the clubface of the Mizuno blade in comparison to the others, which could indicate that the mat could have been hit (slowing the golf club down) and / or explaining the higher average launch angle.
Tom
Oct 13, 2016 at 8:13 pm
so now the “mat” comes into question on testing?
J
Oct 13, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Ball contact does come into question, which is what he’s implying. Contact higher on the face=higher launch with less spin and lower ball speed. No need to be pejorative, it’s an astute observation that could affect the results.
Uhit
Oct 14, 2016 at 6:05 am
Thank you. You are spot on!
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 4:09 pm
look at and compare AoA data provided for more info.
Uhit
Oct 16, 2016 at 4:49 am
Think about it…
…you can hit off center strikes independent of the AoA…
Tom
Oct 19, 2016 at 8:32 pm
I’m thinkin if the if the sole of the club came into contact with the mat, the club would have skipped and contact would be lower on the face. Why didn’t it happen on the other two? Does Rick Shiels that poor of a swing?
Someone
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:03 pm
He’s saying that the mat comes into play if it is hit, whilst the others were cleaner strokes on the ball with mat interaction after hitting the ball. Hitting the mat first could cause the ball to bounce up a tad and hit higher on the club face.
Uhit
Oct 14, 2016 at 6:14 am
In any case, I wouldn´t have expected that the pure Mizuno blade would have the least dispersion AND the other numbers in the same ball park.
My conlusion is – according to the provided data – that the simple blade in this test has no obvious disadvantage in comparison to the high-tech irons…
…which really surprises me (as a gear head), but not really as a Golfer, who loves look and feel.
Tom
Oct 14, 2016 at 9:09 am
SOOooo user error?
Uhit
Oct 14, 2016 at 3:20 pm
The given data show 3 to 4 mm higher (on average and above center) golf ball strike positions on the club face of the Mizuno blade in comparison to the other two tested golf clubs…
…what could it be?
Have you an argument against the given data, or what do you want?
Golfy Golferton
Oct 13, 2016 at 6:06 pm
Anyone getting redirected to pipview for some stupid gift card or is it just me,
Read it was a problem with this site
Someone
Oct 13, 2016 at 11:04 pm
I’m having the same problem. It only happens on golfwrx…their site must be generating hits or one of their ads has an embedded code.
TitleistJunky
Oct 13, 2016 at 5:37 pm
I think the better test would be the distance and accuracy on off center hits. Pure shot for pure shot there really shouldn’t be a difference with any club considering all these equal factors.
CashMoney
Oct 13, 2016 at 5:06 pm
How much did Parsons pay you for this, Rick? Man have you sold out to fame, or what, now that you have found yourself on videotube.
JThunder
Oct 13, 2016 at 10:20 pm
Maybe I don’t get your comment; are you suggesting PXG “won” this shootout? 1 yard more distance at 170 yards is 0.5%. Another 10 balls and that averages to 0 most likely.
Bob Parsons wouldn’t pay anyone a penny to prove his irons fly 0.5% further than irons 1/3 the price.
J Zilla
Oct 14, 2016 at 1:45 am
Pay for what? At best, PXG barely outperformed clubs that cost a third less. Based on cost vs performance ratio, PXG got slaughtered in this head to head.
MIZUNOnumeroUNO
Oct 13, 2016 at 5:04 pm
MY WHOLE LIFE IS A LIE
CashMoney
Oct 13, 2016 at 5:06 pm
The best answer, evah!
Forsbrand
Oct 14, 2016 at 5:11 am
Ha ha ha genius!!
Hippocamp
Oct 13, 2016 at 4:58 pm
There is no way that, with 10 strikes per club, any of those differences lie outside the margin of error. To say that PXG *won* is going way beyond what the data can support. In fact, the performance of the three clubs seems to be incredibly similar.
JThunder
Oct 13, 2016 at 10:11 pm
I would go so far as to say the data is “identical”, if 30 balls were hit with each, that slight variation would likely shrink more.
Also, I’d say the clubhead speed and attack angle of the PXG suggest it was being hit with more confidence/aggression – and while that would be interesting to note, it does suggest the results would be even closer (as if the Mizuno were being “swept” but the PXG “driven” … even so, only the slightest difference.)
I’d be interested to see any 1 of these heads hit with 12 different shafts – weights, flexes, etc.
JD
Oct 13, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Walls closing in on all the Mizuno folks out there…
Tom.
Oct 13, 2016 at 4:55 pm
I see we already have a Mizuno players vote….roflmao
MakeTigerGoodAgain
Oct 13, 2016 at 4:54 pm
The only true blade in this comparison is the Mizuno. Thought the golfwrx readers would vote for some better matching irons to be compared. So not your fault Mr. Shields. In that respect the Mizzy did surprisingly well! Seems like perfect strikes all the way so not much in between those clubs. Would therefore be interesting to see the difference in length on off center hits.
Matt
Oct 13, 2016 at 6:56 pm
Dude, check out the strike average again. PXG was way closer to center than Mizuno. If he was nutting those MP-5s I guarantee they’d spin more than those hollow pieces of junk.
Tom
Oct 15, 2016 at 2:35 pm
Don’t think so; PXG has wider grooves. Good thing MP 5’s have a large sweet spot…..coulda been really disastrous.
JThunder
Oct 13, 2016 at 10:17 pm
I would think the whole point was to compare a more-or-less “true” muscleback (not blade) to irons with more “tech”, but unlike OTR, making all the specs identical. OTR, most MBs are weaker lofted, sometimes shorter shafts, and often heavier and stiffer shafts that their GI/SGI counterparts.
I’d have liked to see MB/CB/GI/SGI, all spec’d the same. That would be way more interesting, but all such comparisons not likely to win much favor from advertisers and sponsors… These “differences” in numbers are so small as to be considered nothing; another 10 balls with each and that 1 yard difference between the AP2 and PXG might disappear. And that 1 yard difference on 170 yard shot is less than 1%…
Tom.
Oct 13, 2016 at 4:36 pm
Ewww this is gonna be good