Mizuno has long been a brand synonymous with exceptional feel and classic aesthetics, yet, with the release of the JPX One range, they are looking to blend that heritage with a combination of ball speed and forgiveness in hopes of competing with some of the best drivers and fairway woods on the market.
When I first got my hands on the JPX One, the visual appeal was immediate, well, mostly. I really like the traditional shaping of the head, and I think it sits behind the ball with a familiarity that inspires confidence. The head is neither too large or small, and it boasts the kind of footprint I really like.
The black and chrome detailing on the sole gives it a premium, sleek look that fits right in with Mizuno’s design philosophy. However, I’m not so sure about the gloss navy carbon crown on these woods, and while it offers a distinctive look, I just think these woods would appeal to a much larger audience if the crown remained black like on the ST-Max model.
One design element I did find particularly useful was the new JPX logo on the top, which, positioned alongside the score lines on the face, made this fairway wood really easy to align at address. This is big for me on a fairway wood as I'm likely using that club to make sure I hit the fairway or to hit a crucial second shot into a par-5.
The tech story here is significant, albeit I found more for show, but I'll touch upon that later. The re-imagined Cortech Chamber is designed to increase face flexion across the face, helping maintain good ball speed on off-centre hits. Each head also features a wrap-around composite crown that saves weight higher in the head, and is repositioned to lower the centre of gravity for higher launch and, theoretically, reducing spin.
I thought the re-imagined Cortech chamber and MAS1C face may introduce a little more ball speed than I saw in my indoor testing using a Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor - something Mizuno was claiming this would add. While it feels as though it would compete with some of the most forgiving fairway woods, it's certainly not one of the quickest.
In my data testing, I saw an average carry of 249 yards and 154.4mph ball speed. While respectable, this is 7 yards and 3.4mph slower than the PXG Lightning Tour fairway wood I have recently tested, and I'm sure will also struggle to compete against other major fairway wood releases over the coming months.
I didn't see any signs of a lower spinning ball flight either. In fact, this fairway spun considerably more than I would look to see out of a 3-wood, sitting just over the 3500 rpm mark. The launch was certainly there -thanks to that low CG, but combined with the spin, the JPX One produced a towering, yet weak flight that was fairly difficult to control when testing outdoors, particularly when the wind picked up.
Where this club did shine was in its interaction with the ground. The new Speed Bevel sole provided a really enjoyable feeling through impact when hitting from the fairway. It glided through the turf effortlessly and actually helped a lot when hitting from tighter lies on the course, producing cleaner strikes than I anticipated given the flight issues.
Overall, this fairway wood is solid yet unspectacular. It boasts an aesthetic that will please traditionalists and die-hard Mizuno loyalists who value feel and classic looks. However, those chasing maximum distance and a penetrating flight may want to look elsewhere, as I do think you're leaving yards on the table if you were to put one in the bag.
