JPX 919 Hot Metal Iron Proves “Nothing Feels Like a Mizuno”

Mizuno’s recently launched JPX 919 irons are making a name for themselves. Golf Guide guest writer Joe Steffensmeier recently took the 919 Hot Metal iron out on the course to see if they lived up to the hype.

TECHNOLOGY

The 919 Hot Metals are made from a high strength 4140M chromoly. This material creates a high strength face, but is still able to be bent at the hosel for fitting purposes. That, coupled with a seamless cup face design, has enabled Mizuno to create irons that feature the highest ball speeds of any Mizuno iron ever. The irons aren’t all about distance, though. To help golfers hold more greens, a steep descent angle was a goal of Mizuno with these irons. Incorporating a stability frame into the irons was Mizuno’s answer to that problem.

APPEARANCE

While the 919 Hot Metals will not be mistaken for a player’s iron in terms of size, they are slightly smaller in size than the competitions’ game improvement irons. They are rather simple and elegant in appearance, lacking any colorful badging. Mizuno has used a new finish on the 919 Hot Metals aimed at softening the lines of the clubs in high sunlight. The finish is also claimed to be more durable than previous iterations.

Standing over this club, you get a strong sense of confidence. The club frames the ball nicely, letting you know that mishits will be forgiven without appearing too thick or bulky. The pearl finish is everything that Mizuno claims it to be. Looking down at the ball with the 919 Hot Metal behind it, you feel like you can’t help but hit a good shot.

FEEL

There is a tagline that states “Nothing Feels Like a Mizuno”. After hitting these irons, I can’t argue that. When I put a good swing on it and found the center of the face, it felt as smooth as could be, almost like there wasn’t even a ball there. On my off center strikes, I was pleasantly surprised to find almost a perfect balance between providing enough feedback to know where the ball was struck, but not so much feedback that they felt harsh. Of the various brands and models of clubs that I’ve played in the past, these are right up there with the best of them in terms of feel.

RESULTS

I will start by saying that to date, I have only been able to hit these irons indoors on a simulator. As a result, I can’t yet confirm whether or not Mizuno’s claim of steeper descent angles into the greens will be realized. Having said all that, initial testing in the simulator was very positive. Solid strikes were beating my current gamer irons by about 5-10 yards consistently. Off center strikes were comparable to my current irons from a distance standpoint. However, where they separated themselves was in direction. My mishits did not travel as far offline as with my current irons. More testing will need to be done to determine whether or not I replace my current irons with these, but so far it is a strong possibility.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For anyone looking for a new game improvement iron, I’d strongly recommend giving the Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal a thorough try. Mizuno seems to be overlooked all too often because they are overshadowed by the more popular brands. However, their irons take a back seat to nobody in terms of performance. After all, if they are good enough for the two time defending US Open Champion, they should be good enough for anyone.