Mizuno JPX825 Driver Review

2013 Drivers Test

Testers immediately noticed the abundance of triangles on the crown and headshape. James wasn’t a fan and felt the face aimed left. Kit was impressed with the performance, saying it felt solid on both well struck shots and mishits. Graeme found it easy to align, but struggled to stop it going right while Joel launched it high with lots of spin. Chris said it reminded him of the old Titleist 907 D2.

Better Players Driver Test Nov 2012 – Key Comments

JR: To me, this would be better suited to a mid-handicapper. I really had to fight it heading left, and this would be a big worry for most better players.
DW: Not overly convinced by the look of the crown at address, but it did deliver a very high and straight ball flight on a regular basis.
CS: I have no problem with more blingy designs, and the busier crown does appeal – though it might put the purists off a touch.
MR: This was just the pick of the bunch for me, due in part to the sensational consistency and distance on offer. I loved the loftier trajectory too.

Mizuno's irons have long been heralded as the stand-out product in the company’s equipment arsenal – but their latest woods look set to become a serious rival in that respect.

The new JPX825 woods have replaced the JPX800 series which have been in the line-up for the past two years – and while the older model delivered the goods in terms of performance, the blue crown didn’t prove as big a hit with golfers more used to seeing black, grey and, nowadays, white behind the ball.

So, the new woods have been designed with a stealth-like black crown – and this is a huge improvement on initial inspection. In fact, the vast majority of the clubhead is black, including the face, with just a few flashes of Mizuno blue remaining on the sole.

The drivers have been designed to suit the game-improver who couldn’t care less about workability and a penetrating ball flight, but simply wants something that delivers impressive distance on a towering ball flight. Game-improver drivers can sometimes look bulbous, which obviously inspires confidence,but at the same time doesn’t tick the aesthetics box. But somehow, the JPX825 driver manages to inspire confidence and look fantastic. It’s certainly the best-looking JPX or MX driver Mizuno have done.

Away from the aesthetics, the technology is just as impressive – the five-piece Titanium head construction helps to launch the ball high, but with low spin while the Hot Metal face (which first appeared in the MX700 wood range) offers good distance even on mis-hit shots. The high launch can be explained by a thin crown which is just 0.5mm and has allowed engineers to fix a heavy weight deep within the clubhead, bringing the centre of gravity right down.

If you’ve previously stayed clear of Mizuno woods, we suggest this a very good time to start taking them into consideration. These promise to be huge favourites, especially at this very competitive price point.