Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal iron Review

Mizuno’s JPX 919 Hot Metal iron stands out as THE model for golfers demanding a good looking, reasonably compact head size in 2019

The big golf brands reckon ultimate endorsement comes from tour players using their products without being paid. Especially if they’re a big name who’s winning big events.

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When Brooks Koepka won the 2017 US Open with a set of Mizuno JPX900 Tour irons – and no contract – the Japanese company was obviously delighted.

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When he defended his title this year and captured the US PGA Championship, with the same irons, it was the icing on the cake.

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The JPX range has been a huge success on tour and in pro shops, but it’s two years old now – so they’re being replaced by, in our view, some of the best-looking irons Mizuno has ever made. They’re called JPX919, and this is what you need to know about them…

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Mass-market game improvement irons aren’t what most golfers have in mind when they think of Mizuno, but the JPX900 Hot Metal was Mizuno’s best-selling model ever, so the 919 has big shoes to fill. A seamless construction and multi-thickness face design means the Hot Metal has a 30% bigger COR area than the 900. Engineers have also tuned how it sounds through impact by redesigning sound ribs inside the top edge.

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Put all that tech together with more compact scoring irons and a beautiful pearl brush finish and Mizuno reckon they’ve created the best looking game improvement iron money can buy.

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Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal Iron Review: TG Verdict

Mizuno are renowned for their great irons, and even though the Hot Metal isn’t forged, or among our longest, we still reckon it’s a brilliant option for golfers looking for forgiving irons in 2019. It gets an Editor’s Choice Award because, where lots of game improver irons go big and chunky with masses of off set, the Hot Metal stands out as THE model for golfers demanding a good looking, reasonably compact head size.

It says bundles about its looks that Mizuno were surprised that so many decent players turned to them to experience fast face tech. Just remember, if you’re after pure power, a 7-iron loft a few degrees weaker than the strongest means the JPX919 will struggle to compete on ball speed and distance alone.

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Mizuno say:

The JPX919 Hot Metal provides a benchmark in iron design, engineered for the perfect blend of ball speed and soft, controllable landing angles. High-strength Chromoly 4140M has paved the way to a new multi-thickness face that promotes astonishing ball speeds, while a seamless one-piece cup face construction ensures surprising levels of feedback even at fast ball speeds.

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It shares the JPX919 Tour’s new stability frame, which is open at the heel portion to enhance stability, launch and a loft-appropriate flight apex for controlled, soft-landing approaches. Re-engineered Sound Ribs have been developed to hit specific vibration patterns that ensure a satisfying sensation through impact. Hot Metal features the same Pearl Brush finish as the JPX919 Tour.

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The JPX919 Hot Metal offers a steeper transition into more compact scoring irons and wedges, with set-matching gap, sand and lob wedges available engineered from a softer X30 steel and blessed with precision-milled grooves and faces for improved spin and control around the greens.

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“The most impressive thing about the JPX919 Hot Metal is the launch control and flight apex,” says Chris Voshall, Senior Engineer at Mizuno. “The extra ball speed and distance doesn’t come from low-flying bullets – we worked the design backwards from the correct landing angles. These are irons for the golf course, not just the launch monitor!” 

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• RRP: £120 per club
• Availability: 4 - LW
• 7 - iron loft: 30°
• Shaft options: KBS C-Taper & C-Taper Lite, True Temper XP115, 105, 95, Dynamic Gold, Nippon NS Pro Modus Tour 120, 105, True Temper AMT Tour White, Project X LZ (steel and graphite), Project X LZ Tour (graphite), UST Recoil 95 (graphite), KBS Tour & Tour 90, Nippon NS Pro 950GH