The Mizuno Pro 245 occupied a revered space in the "players distance" category, providing a powerful, hollow-bodied experience while managing to retain that sought-after Mizuno forged feel.
The successor, the M-15 Iron, arrives with a renewed focus on precise performance progression across the set. I have been rigorously testing this newest offering to see if it successfully refines the balance between extreme speed and the control demanded by the discerning player, and to see if it deserves a spot amongst the best golf irons in the game.
Beginning with the technology, the headline story of the M-15 lies in its unique progressive construction, integrating different materials in an attempt to optimize performance across the bag.
In the 4 through 8 irons, the design is defined by the Contoured Ellipse Face, which utilizes a multi-thickness forged construction supported by a hollow body. This powerful core has been put in place to optimize ball speed and consistency, featuring a Grain Flow Forged 4135+ Chromoly face paired with a stainless-steel back piece for maximum rebound.
To further enhance launch and stability, tungsten weighting (51g in the long irons and 50.3g in the mids) has been strategically suspended within the head. As the set transitions to the 9-iron and gap wedge, the construction shifts to a partial hollow 1025E Grain Flow Forged HD body with a stainless back, emphasizing control and precise shot-making.
Complementing this material progression, Mizuno’s Harmonic Impact Technology and copper underlay work to reduce sound pressure, looking to emulate the soft yet solid strike that Mizuno players instinctively recognise.
Mizuno may well be the master of aesthetics within the iron game. Obviously, it makes some stunning blades, but in truth, so do many brands. I always feel it gets a little bit more difficult to make beautiful, refined offerings as you start to increase in size and technology features, but Mizuno seems to consistently pull it off with ease.
Fairly significant increases in blade length are barely perceptible, and the tech is always where it should be, hidden.
The shelf appeal is, as always, off the charts, and the playing profile is probably the most sophisticated of anything in the players distance iron category, which I feel will once again help to put this into more low-handicap bags than much of its competition.
The overall performance of the M-15 is outstanding. The progressive CG height (getting higher into the shorter irons) genuinely positively influences the flight windows here. Often in the hollow body iron market, I find the short irons a little "poppy" in terms of launch and difficult to control.
However, with the M-15, I found it noticeably easier to keep the launch down in the shorter irons, which is a trait that better players tend to look for, and may once again help to put this iteration into the hands of some lower handicap players.
I conducted all of my testing with the Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor, and the numbers were very strong, particularly from a ball speed and consistency standpoint.
The launch through the rest of the set is plentiful considering the stronger loft set up (the 7-iron is a strong 29°). The suspended tungsten in the long irons ensures the ball launches high despite the aggressive loft, promoting easier carry distance.
However, the feel is where the M-15 truly shines. Despite the hollow and multi-piece construction, it delivers the soft, responsive feel Mizuno players crave, and crucially, this feel is incredibly consistent across the entire set.
The refined sole geometry with added bounce is also a welcome feature, which is additive to the impressive impact feel, and definitely encouraged a cleaner entry and smoother exit through the turf in my testing.
The M-15 offers a fully integrated progression of performance from long iron to wedge. This seamless flow is crucial, as the modern player's distance iron must create smooth transitions in both shape and feel throughout the bag.
In the hollow-bodied "players distance" iron market, I see this and the Titleist T250 as the top choices for the more discerning player, or possibly the player that is graduating into this iron category from some more compact forged blades, rather than coming into the category from the game-improvement end.
