The JPX Hot Metal franchise has proven a popular one in the retail market offering strong ball speeds and high levels of forgiveness all wrapped up in a Mizuno bow that evokes feelings of quality and craftsmanship. Mizuno is now releasing its latest iteration of the JPX line and I have been thoroughly testing the new Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal iron range, which also includes the Hot Metal Pro and Hot Metal High Launch. Looking to sit amongst the best golf irons in the game, here are my thoughts…
Firstly to understand the technology here, we must understand the Mizuno thought process. Essentially, Mizuno felt that it had already pushed distance output as far as possible by reaching the USGA limits for COR, so the goal for the new JPX925 family was to maximize forgiveness. This target was addressed by increasing the surface area on the face that provides the highest ball speed, sounds simple right? Well, a number of things have been implemented to achieve that.
Firstly, it has re-engineered a multi-thickness face that gets as thin as 12 sheets of paper in places, and it has also changed the shape of the face to cater to the most common mishits in golf. Basically, the heel section of the face has become shallower as heel strikes generally occur lower on the face, and the weight saving there has been used to make the toe deeper as, you guessed it, toe-struck shots are often high on the face.
Along with a Seamless Cup face, multi-material construction including Nickel Tungsten in the longer irons, and variable sole thickness to help with face flexion, we have a couple of things to help with feel and sound. Firstly a ‘Balance Stability Frame’ has been introduced to improve control and forgiveness which Mizuno also says it gives a tour preferred vibration and sound. Alongside that, we also have some new ‘Acoustic Sound Ribs’ across the top edge and a sound bar to remove tinny/clicky frequencies.
In terms of the looks, I am a little ambivalent about the Hot Metal irons from a shelf appeal, or 'in-the-bag' point of view. While the shaping looks great, and the branding is relatively subtle, there is quite a lot going on visually. The sound bar in the cavity is quite obtrusive and the back just looks a touch fussy to my eye. I also don’t personally enjoy mixing up finishes on irons which Mizuno has done here. I like a high gloss chrome finish, and I like a brushed satin finish more, but I don’t need to see both in one iron. However, these visual preferences are always subjective and some people may really enjoy the contrast and see it as a visual feast.
In the playing position, however, they are genuinely excellent. The heightened toe makes them look a little more upright than they actually are, which as a right misser, is a look I love. The profile is excellent as you would expect from Mizuno and they frame the ball beautifully. Moderate levels of offset and a manageable top line complete a really tidy address look.
I tested the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal irons at Saunton Golf Club using my FullSwing KIT launch monitor and TaylorMade TP5 golf balls on a pretty blustery day. The overall results were pretty good from a data perspective, delivering strong distance numbers (which I expected based on design and a 28˚ 7-iron loft), however, I did note two or three outliers in the session that dropped a good 500rpm in spin, popped up in ball speed, and carried around 12-15 yards further than the others from the same clubhead speed input.
The tight links turf I was hitting off certainly wasn’t producing flyers so it was something to think about. When using some of the best compact distance irons, I am always hyper-aware of the hot, thin faces and looking out for ball speed and carry consistency as a key parameter so this did catch my attention.
All of the intangibles such as sound, feel, turf interaction, and workability were present in abundance and made the JPX925 Hot Metal iron a pleasurable one to test. The acoustics in particular were a standout feature for me here. Mid-low handicappers seeking a little boost to their current yardage will certainly enjoy what is on offer with this iron.
The Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal irons will be available in 4-SW for both left and right-handers, with a stock shaft offering of Nippon NS Pro 950 NEO in steel and a UST Recoil Dart ESX in graphite. The stock grip is a Lamkin UT+ and they are being sold at an RRP of $150/£150 per iron.
