News

Mizuno MP-600 Driver Review

Published

18 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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11 Comments

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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
Dan G

Jan 24, 2008 at 7:57 pm

I think you will be very pleased with your purchase. Very solid driver.

Dan

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
james

Jan 22, 2008 at 12:40 pm

i’ve just brought this club and its a fantastic club

Reply Report comment
RJ

Jan 15, 2008 at 10:05 am

Also thanks for the review, it is very helpful

Reply Report comment
RJ

Jan 15, 2008 at 10:05 am

I thought that the stock shaft was the Fit-On 360

Reply Report comment
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……

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

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Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

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Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

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Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

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Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

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Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

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Kaneko’s Suitcase

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Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

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The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

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Niemann’s Suitcase