Equipment
Mizuno ST190, ST190G Drivers put woods front and center for “iron” company
Mizuno Golf is about more than just irons; that’s the message the company is keen to drive home with its launch of the Mizuno ST190 driver and the Mizuno ST 190G driver.
In announcing its lowest spinning, most technology-packed driver in company history, with the 2019 Mizuno driver, the company seeks to position itself as one that has quietly innovated in the driver space for years, highlighting milestone technologies in the Ti100, T-Zoid, MP-001, and MP-600 in discussions around the launch of its latest drivers.
With respect to the specifics of the Japanese company’s most recent weaponry, the ST190 and 190G feature a forged Sp700Ti face (10 percent stronger than 6-4 titanium) with the company’s ultra-light Cortech structure, as well as a carbon composite crown. As with the ST180 series, Mizuno applies its Amplified Wave soleplate, which deforms on impact for better energy transfer between club and ball.
The weight of the carbon composite crown, 12 grams, allowed engineers to redistribute some seven grams of weight throughout the body of the club.
The Amplified Wave Sole effectively expands the ST190’s COR area for improved balls speeds across the clubface, according to the company, and better ball speed on off-center strikes in particular.
Mizuno fine-tuned the driver’s sound via Harmonic Impact Technology, adding internal rids for a more solid sound at impact.
Getting into the differences between the two models.
Mizuno ST190
- designed for mid to low spin with maximum stability
- features a single, factory-fixed 6g backweight that adds 300gcm2 MOI
Mizuno ST190G
- Designed for low spin
- Features Fast Track adjustability: twin seven gram weights on external tracks
- Weights can reduce spin by an additional 200rpm and allow for draw/fade biases
“The ST190 marks a total change in how Mizuno approaches wood design,” says lead Mizuno golf designer Kei Tsjui. “We now start the development process with our tour players. The tour-tested molds then become our production molds. In the case of the ST190, this produced a high-speed driver with extreme low spin for the tour, but with the capability of increasing spin for lower swing speed players.”
The first PGA Tour player to game the ST190 was big hitter Keith Mitchell.
Says Mitchell: “Driving was my best category last year – I walked into testing to do ‘Cookie’ (Mizuno, PGA Tour Manager Jeff Cook) a favor, give him some numbers and leave. It turned out to be the easiest change I’ve ever made – on the one club I never thought I would switch.”
Specs and availability
The Mizuno ST190: driver will be available in 9.5 and 10.5 degree models, both adjustable by two degrees either way. 9.5 degree option only for left-handers.
The Mizuno ST190G: driver will be available in a 9-degree model only, adjustable by two degrees either way. Right hand only.
Shafts: Mizuno offers 26 shafts without upcharge. New options for 2019 include Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S, Atmos Red 5R, Atmos Red 5R2, Atmos Red 6R and Atmos Black TS 6S.
MSRP: ST190: $400. ST190G: $500
ST190 drivers will be available nationwide and in Canada in February.
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.
From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.
Specs/ Additional Details
-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)
-Original Anser Design
-PING PP58 Grip
-Putter is built to standard specs.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.
The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.
On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.
Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.
At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.
“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.
“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.
“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.”
In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.
On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.
According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.
“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.”
See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
View this post on Instagram
According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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howie
Jan 8, 2019 at 5:53 pm
If you play these black mizunos you won’t go back… and your golfing buddies won’t turn their backs to you.
simms
Jan 7, 2019 at 7:07 pm
Another driver for future EBAY sellers….unless your a single digit or better 3 or 4 yards for $500 is a big step…almost any driver from the last 6 years or so is going to work for you.
gunmetal
Jan 8, 2019 at 12:13 am
Yup.
Looks nice, though.
joe
Jan 7, 2019 at 4:49 pm
More RH only from Mizuno. Darn righties….
One Day At A Time
Jan 7, 2019 at 4:26 pm
Trying like Hell to be honest and transparent in 2019… so take this fwiw…
I handle a lot of donated clubs. Always trying to get clubs to kids, and often get 10 Adult clubs for every USKG/TourEdge/XYZ junior club. In 2016, one of the younger outside staff guys swung my 905r w/o asking and w/o knowing you don’t do that, it hit the pavement, so now I’m needing a new stick and a week later a Callaway fti 6 w/ a real fuji speeder walked in. Yeah, square headed, TINGY, and if my ST180 launched at 11 spun at 24, the cally launched at 14 spun at 31. But, in early 2017 I needed to knock out my pat, and from January 1 to April 4 I hit 90% (+/-2%) of my fwys over a 120 shot sample size. On April 4 2017 I’m plotting along and the wind kicks up to 20, gusts 27. On side by side holes I hit it 205 v 330. I was educated enough to be dangerous regarding spin OTT and about a month after the only time guys say “Now you never have to play golf again!” , the ST180 was showing up ahead of time for reasons unknown. I volunteer to be the guinea pig for a driver fitting in our Teach The Teacher program and in short time the youngest assistant pro I’ve worked with had made the most INCREDIBLE W.O.O.D. adjustment to my lead hand @ address and I see 160 ball 11.5 launch and 2224 spin. Deuces to the launch monitor , I want to watch it fly outside. It’s 253 to the net, and generally speaking your apex has to be high and if you carry the net you carry it 280. I’m swinging it at 107, so I don’t need to tell you how unlikely I was to do that, and how immediately I scribbled ST-180 tensei blue gp tv full cord on the DOG’s Christmas list. And in the entire year of 2018, I struggled off the tee so much that I would give it away to the first person that wanted it. I’m absolutely the guilty party, the Mizuno ST-180 is and was a truly best kept secret for for guys that can’t hit it left to save their lives, and admittedly I did hit the best drive of my post-arthrodesis life to date with it on the nastiest par 5 I know of in DFW, but I will NEVER ever EVER ditch a fairway finding four cylinder for a driving range heat seeking missile ever again.
Until someone asks me to hit the stick that Ping is dropping in March.
And unless the Titleist TS starts curving off the face of the Earth, I am looking forward to seeing it in my bag in 2028, just like the 905r was a welcome sight for an entire decade of golf.
Mower
Jan 7, 2019 at 8:38 pm
Can’t believe he didn’t even do the courtesy of a TLDR summation!? No internet etiquette.
BAR
Jan 7, 2019 at 9:41 pm
Honestly. I had to skip read and have no idea what he’s on about.
HeyJude
Jan 8, 2019 at 12:36 am
Didn’t know hieroglyphics was a thing again.
joro
Jan 7, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Looks a lot like the 180 kept it is Black. Love the 180, and even like the Blue.
jonas
Jan 7, 2019 at 2:25 pm
I hear they are working on an even better driver called the S&X69oo prototype model… it’s a beast !!!
smz
Jan 7, 2019 at 2:22 pm
I’m still shopping for 2018 drives at vastly reduced prices. If I can’t make last years models give me fantastic performance, then there is something rotten in the state of Denmark. 2017 models are okay too.
dat
Jan 7, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Look really good, finally ditched the blue! Excellent array of shaft options and adjustments for a reasonable price! Unheard of so far this year!
JP
Jan 7, 2019 at 11:37 am
Mizuno going with a cortech face is too similar to Wilson’s new Cortex driver.
Forged MB
Jan 7, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Except for the fact that Mizuno had the Cortech face well before the Wilson Cortex was even a thought and the Mizuno is actually getting your play. Don’t see any CORrelation at all.
See what I did there? 😉
JP
Jan 7, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Wilson the guilty party then. Copy that.
Scheiss
Jan 7, 2019 at 8:26 pm
It is a stupid name for a driver. Wilson really didn’t think it thru (see what I did there, about Cortex?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortex
Benjamin Kaiser
Jan 7, 2019 at 11:22 am
They look really nice!
Max
Jan 7, 2019 at 11:20 am
So, at first I thought Mizuno waiting to release this driver at the same time as Taylormade, Callaway and PING was a mistake and that it would be overshadowed by the big boy offerings. But, after seeing the lackluster new releases from Taylormade and Callawy, I think it might work out for Mizuno. These drivers look soooo good and the stock shaft offerings are far far superior to the other’s.