Mizuno's newly-released JPX919 irons have a tough act to follow – the previous-generation JPX900 series were hugely successful, with the Tour model finding its way into the bags of some top players who were not contractually obliged to use them.
Many of these players swung the JPX900 Tour to impressive effect, most notably Brooks Koepka - who won two majors this year (the US Open and PGA Championship) – and Eddie Pepperell, who recorded his maiden European Tour victory in February.
The JPX919 series consists of three models: the JPX919 Tour, Forged and Hot Metal.
It's going to be hard to improve on the near-perfection of the JPX900s but Mizuno has made some noticeable refinements.
Mizuno JPX919 Tour
The JPX919 Tour is the smallest iron in the range and is more compact than its predecessor, the JPX900 Tour iron.
It’s the type of iron that Tour players and low handicappers desire in order to shape shots on demand, with a level of precision elite ball strikers require. While its small head may scare a few golfers off, the Mizuno JPX919 Tour manages to be incredibly stable.
Mizuno testing shows off-centre strikes still carry close to a centred strike, which is critical for the game’s best players. Mizuno have made the JPX919 Tour’s topline thinner to replicate the grinds frequently asked for by Tour pros.
Mizuno JPX919 Forged
An emphasis on blending playability and forgiveness makes the Mizuno JPX919 Forged iron the most versatile in the range.
The Mizuno JPX919 Forged earns the title of Mizuno’s fastest-ever forged iron for ball speed. Weight has been removed from the clubface and redistributed to more beneficial areas, making the centre of gravity lower and deeper, and long and mid irons easier to launch.
Another interesting feature of the Mizuno JPX919 Forged is the new stability frame that is on display all the way into the heel on the back of the clubhead. Mizuno say their stability frame technology shores up the clubhead at impact for improved stability, and achieves a better ball flight apex with the lofted clubs for steeper and softer landings on the greens.
The Mizuno JPX919 Forged receives the same pearl brushed finish and is available in 4-GW, both right and left handed.
Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal
The Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal iron is the sole cast iron in the JPX919 series and is as close as Mizuno gets to a game improvement iron. However, making heavy and bulky game improvement irons just isn’t the Mizuno way.
The JPX919 Hot Metal irons are wider and larger than the Tour and Forged models but still retain the polished and sleak appearance that Mizuno irons are famous for.
The Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal’s brief is to maximise distance through express-range ball speeds and a ball flight with a steep angle of descent, rather than low-flying stingers that run forever but aren’t much use when trying to hold a green.
With over 15 years of international playing and coaching experience, Sydney-based Bobby Walia has toured and coached around the world and loves the natural rugged beauty of Scottish and Irish links-style courses, which he describes as “a true test of golf – you play them in whatever weather conditions are thrown at you!”.
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