New Mizuno JPX923 irons inspired by more than 350k fittings!

The new Mizuno JPX923 irons.

Iron kings Mizuno reveal five new Mizuno JPX923 irons with a model for everyone from slow-swinging club golfers to elite pros.

After fitting 350,000 golfers into a family of seven different irons, Mizuno say they haven’t quite had enough models to cover off every single type of golfer. It’s a problem the company’s engineers and fitters have solved with the five-iron JPX923 family.

Though Mizuno irons have grown in popularity on tour recently thanks to fewer equipment contracts, the brand’s fitters have spotted club golfers are trending towards more moderate swing speeds. And as we’ve said many times before, slower swing speeds aren’t well suited to flighting shots for maximum distance and stopping power, particularly at modern strong lofts.

“We’re constantly evolving the JPX series using the unique swings we capture every year on the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer,” says Bill Price, Director of Fitting at Mizuno. “We’re seeing an increase in the number of players with slightly slower swing speeds being fitted – and a trend to more shaft lean”.

RELATED: Best Irons 2022

To counteract the trend, Mizuno increased bounce on all five JPX923 models and introduced a new, more lofted JPX923 Hot Metal HL (high launch), to specifically benefit lower-speed players.

Just like their predecessors (JPX919 and JPX921), the five JPX923s are designed to help all golfers get more from their game. Whether you’re an elite tour pro or slow-swinging amateur – or anywhere in between – there’s a JPX923, and one of 50 custom shaft options, to suit you.

The JPX923 Hot Metal models hit stores by the end of this month, while the Tour and Forged are due to arrive in February 2023. There will also be a new JPX Fli-Hi hybrid to complement the JPX irons and help players who prefer a hybird to a longer iron.

RELATED: Which Mizuno iron is best for me?

Here’s our guide to deciding which will benefit your own game.

Mizuno JPX923 Tour iron

RRP 185 per club | Category Players’ iron | Forgiveness rating 2/5 | 7-iron loft 34º

Mizuno’s most played tour iron, the JPX923 Tour is one-piece forged from 1025E mild carbon steel. This shallow cavity back is aimed at elite amateurs and pros, with a narrower topline and sole width, and a more rounded trailing edge for cleaner turf interaction.

The 6-GW have noticeably shorter blade lengths, which bring extra precision to important approaches. A super thin copper underlay elevates feel to levels similar to the brand’s MP-22 models. Modern players typically choose this family for its straighter hitting capability over the more workable MP-22 family.

Mizuno’s view “The goal with the JPX923 Tour was to engineer a compact, players’ cavity back that looked and felt like a muscleback at impact. With the copper underlay and new topline, the model is right there,” Director of R&D, David Llewellyn, says.

FULL REVIEW: Mizuno JPX923 Tour

Mizuno JPX923 Forged iron

RRP 185 per club | Category Players’ distance iron | Forgiveness rating 2.5/5 | 7-iron loft 30º

A mid-sized grain flow forged cavity back that delivers a brilliant blend of ball speed, stability and feel to a wide audience of players. The 4-7 irons are forged from a single billet of Mizuno’s third-generation, springy 4120 chromoly steel. And thanks to craftily thinning the face (from 2.6mm to 2.2mm), golfers can expect extreme ball speeds from its compact profile.

To maximise feel, consistency and precision in the scoring irons, the 8-GW are forged from 1025E mild carbon steel (like the JPX923 Tour), each head is also more compact, with a shorter blade length than its predecessor.  

Mizuno’s view “The JPX923 Forged pulls off two impressive achievements. First, it feels more solid even though it’s faster from the face. Second, it looks sleeker, with a thinner topline and narrower sole, even though it’s more forgiving,” Director of Product, Chris Voshall, says.

FULL REVIEW: Mizuno JPX923 Forged

Miuzuno JPX923 Hot Metal Pro iron

RRP 150 per club | Categories Players’ iron / Mid-handicap | Forgiveness rating 2.5/5 (players’ iron) 3/5 (mid-handicap) | 7-iron loft 28.5º

All three JPX923 Hot Metal models are made from Mizuno’s new nickel chromoly material, which is 35% stronger than the original Hot Metal. Mizuno say the 4335 nickel chromoly, which is both springy and strong, lets their engineers reduce face thickness by 8%. It means the thinnest, highest energy part of the face can be extended by 18%, which delivers additional consistency to shots hit off centre.

By using a cup face construction, golfers can expect high launch, with controllable landing angles and good stopping power, even though lofts are slightly stronger than previous models.

Mizuno’s view The Hot Metal Pro is a players’ speed cavity that’s compact, with minimal offset. It’s for consistent ball-strikers seeking maximum ball speed. Typically the model falls into the hands of low to mid-handicap golfers.

FULL REVIEW: Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal Pro

Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal / Hot Metal HL iron

RRP 135 per club | Categories Mid-high handicap / Moderate speed swingers | Forgiveness rating 3.5/5 | 7-iron loft 34º

By analysing the swings of 350,000 golfers, Mizuno realised there’s a trend towards slower speeds. The research led them to develop a higher lofted JPX923 Hot Metal Pro HL (High Launch) model, which targets moderate speed players and those with aggressive shaft lean.

The JPX Hot Metal family has always targeted mid-high-handicap players, so expect a larger profile with additional hosel offset and wider soles.

All three models are cast, not forged like the Tour and Forged, which explains the lower cost. For this generation the 7-iron lofts are 0.5º stronger than previous models, with the HL being 2.5º weaker (in the 7-iron) to help maximise spin, stopping power and carry distance at moderate speeds. 

Mizuno’s view The JPX923 Hot Metal is a forgiving speed cavity for mid to high-handicap players, the HL is a high launch version for slower speed players.

FULL REVIEW: Mizuno JPX923 Hot Metal / Hot Metal HL

Mizuno JPX Fli-Hi Hybrid

RRP £150 per club | Availability 4-7 (right-hand only)

Using the JPX Fli-Hi you can replace your strongest lofted irons for more practical distance gaps at the longer end of the set. Weight is located internally on the back side to encourage a draw bias in addition to higher launch. The JPX Fli-Hi can be included within a custom iron set, with the same shafts. 

The Fli-Hi’s wider footprint and material construction deliver an even more playable, high-flying alternative to their predecessors. A 17-4 stainless steel face and 431 SS body deliver an upgrade in ball speed, while the bendable hosel allows for adjustments in lie angle.

The clubs feature a lighter crown which allows for a higher ball flight, while a re-engineered Wave Soleplate increases the effective high ball-speed area of the Fli-Hi’s clubface to deliver more consistent ball speeds.

The hybrids have beem designed to correspond directly to the irons they have been created to replace and feature a graduating profile from fairway wood to hybrid. The 20-degree model (4-iron) has a wider fairway type profile, moving towards a tighter hybrid type shaped 29-degree model (7-iron) with a deeper face.

With a deeper centre of gravity than the replaced iron, the JPX Fli-Hi produces more predictable launch and spin rates, thereby more reliable distance gaps between clubs.

Mizuno’s view “We see a lot of players with moderate swing speeds who hit many of their longer irons the same distance – they just don’t have the clubhead speed or consistency of strike to launch the stronger lofted clubs,” Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s Director of Product, says. “The JPX Fli-Hi is designed to give those players more practical distance gaps and consistency of flight.”

READ NEXT: Best Hybrids 2022

BECOME A TODAY’S GOLFER MEMBER: Unlimited access to premium content and exclusive rewards!