Gear: Mizuno JPX 923 Tour irons
Price: $137.50 each
Specs: Grain-flow-forged 1025E mild carbon steel. 4-iron through lob wedge
Available: Jan. 19, 2023 (pre-sale), Feb. 9, 2023 (in stores)
Who it’s for: Is your name on your bag? Are you a college golfer, a club pro or someone who has a legitimate shot at winning the A Flight at your club championship? If so, the JPX 923 Tour could be a control- and feel-oriented option for you.
The Skinny: These irons are forged and shaped to appeal to the game’s best golfers, with minimal offset, an extremely thin topline and a narrow sole. While they have some perimeter weighting, the JPX 923 Tour is all about feel and control for shot-shaping golfers.
The Deep Dive: Last year, Mizuno brought back the Mizuno Pro muscleback blades, and while the majority of golfers do not have the repeatable, powerful swing required to get the most out of them, many golfers ogled them on social media and in pro shops.
The JPX Tour irons have been one-click more playable for most golfers than the muscleback blades produced by Mizuno, and with the release of the new JPX 923 Tour, the company is keeping the focus on feel and control.
The JPX 923 Tour is forged from a single piece of 1025E mild carbon steel for a soft feel, but for the first time that steel is covered by a thin layer of copper before the final chrome plating is applied. The copper layer has been added to Mizuno Pro irons to enhance the soft feel at impact, and its addition to the JPX 923 Tour is a sign this club belongs in the Mizuno Pro and JPX families.
The JPX 923 Tour has the shortest blade length, most narrow sole and thinnest topline of the five new JPX 923 irons. Mizuno designers even gave the topline extra curvature to make it look even thinner.
In addition to extra trailing-edge relief, Mizuno added more bounce to the sole of the JPX 923 Tour to help the clubs work through the turf more efficiently. The added bounce should also help fitters if they want to strengthen the loft of any of the clubs. Delofting clubs often lowers the leading edge, which can cause digging; adding extra bounce can strengthen the JPX 923 Tour irons without making them dig too easily.
