Kiven J. Molina Blogs: FIRST LOOK – MIZUNO JPX-900 TOUR IRONS

Friday, August 12, 2016

FIRST LOOK – MIZUNO JPX-900 TOUR IRONS

Continuing one of the best late summer/ early fall traditions in golf, Mizuno has officially announced the JPX-900 Tour, the first of what will ultimately be 3 new additions to its JPX line.

Being JPX

As Mizuno fans are no doubt aware, the JPX designation is generally reserved for the company's game-improvement offerings. Those waters were muddied two years ago by the JPX-850 Forged, with the release of the JPX-900 Tour, it's possible that not even Mizuno knows the difference anymore.

As for where the JPX-900 Tour fits in within the larger Mizuno lineup... The 900 Tour will be the most player-centric of the new offerings. Given its vintage Mizuno styling (it screams MP), it shouldn't come as any real surprise that the selling points echo those of other more traditional Mizuno designs - perhaps with a few subtle twists.

“The 900 Tour is a really surprising iron. Feel wise, it’s a genuine throwback Mizuno – incredibly pure at impact. But the straighter lines and reinforced framework are very current, giving the 900 Tour a really playable look and the ability to perform from off center strikes.” Chris Voshall, Senior Club Engineer.

Here are the JPX-900 Tour's key selling points:

Pure Feel - More specifically, Mizuno says the 900 Tour offers the purist feel of any iron in the JPX lineup. You can chalk that up to the decision to use boron-free 1025E mild carbon steel (the material used in most Mizuno MP irons). While Boron (found in the JPX-850 forged, MP-25, and others) has its benefits (hotter faces), the knock on it is that it detracts from the generally buttery Mizuno feel. That shouldn't happen here, and our expectation is that the 900 Tour will be the best feeling JPX iron ever.

Forged in Japan - Does this actually matter? It's a question that has led to plenty of debate, but if you think forged in Japan is better than forged anywhere else, then this is a detail you won't want to overlook.

Compact Profile - The JPX-900 Tour is, by design, a shotmaker's iron. Toplines are thin, soles are narrow, and the overall footprint is minimal - especially so by JPX standards.

Mizuno PowerFrame Technology - the story of the JPX-900 Tour isn't wildly different than that of the PING iBlade. With the 900 Tour Mizuno is challenging the notion that workability and forgiveness are polar opposites. The PowerFrame helps boost MOI without having to resort to larger blade sizes. The end result, in theory, is an iron that still looks and plays like a blade, but offers the forgiveness typically reserved for a cavity back.

The JPX-900 Tour is being billed as the most solidly feeling, player-centric design in the 2017 JPX line (which also includes the JPX-900 Forged and JPX-900 Hot Metal), and will no doubt appeal to the discerning eye of purists and better players alike.