Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons
The JPX series of Mizuno irons aren’t exactly underrated, but when Brooks Koepka used the JPX 900 Tour to win the US Open as an “equipment free agent,” their stock skyrocketed. With characteristics of a player’s iron and JPX weighting and styling, the 900 Tour makes for an interesting club.
The Looks
While the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour is a good looking players’ club, it’s not one for the traditionalist. Those players may find something along the lines of the Mizuno MP-5 more appealing in the looks department. There’s a little more offset to the JPX 900 Tour and the matte finish with geometric lines gives it a more modern vibe. While I don’t think it looks like a forgiving game improvement club, the 900 Tour is a little more inviting.
How Does it Feel?
The Mizuno JPX 900 Tour has great balance and you can really feel the head throughout the swing. Everything’s cool there. But that’s about where the positives end in the feel department. It’s definitely subjective, but I just did not mix well with the feel at all. It felt way too clicky at impact for me, almost rocky even. It doesn’t have that “buttery” feel you want from a Mizuno when you flush one. I wrote this off to maybe being a fluke from a few mishits or something given their reputation, but I was never able to find that soft feel I hoped for. I had a hard time feeling where I hit the ball on the face unless it was the extreme toe or the bottom groove. It was tough to tell what was well-struck versus shots I “just missed.”
Again, my opinion is very subjective. I do stand pretty firmly behind it though I know plenty of people that love everything about these irons so keep that in mind. My negative “feel experience” won’t necessarily mean you want like it, but it’s definitely not what I expected from a Mizuno.
How Does it Sound?
Much like the feel, the JPX 900 Tour’s sound is very firm. The sound isn’t overly “clicky” or “rocky” like the feel was, but there’s a very firm “chop” at impact. Typically, the sound off of the club face and the turf interaction go hand-in-hand to make that “whoosh” sound when the club glides through the fairway. The Mizuno JPX 900 Tour gave me two very distinct sounds. There was a solid “chop” from the ball and and a “rip” through the turf.
On-Course Performance
Based on the how the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour felt for me, you can probably guess what my performance experience. To be fair, there were still good shots in the mix, but it was not the norm for me. I was able to flight and shape the ball as desired, but consistency and control was difficult given my feel issues. I also was digging some severe pelts out of the fairway with more than my fair share of fat shots. Bottom line: you need to bring your ball-striking A-game every round with these clubs.
Before you start getting the pitchforks out, let it be known I can handle blade irons. I’ve played various blade models for years. I just don’t feel that the JPX 900 Tour lives up to the great iron reputation that Mizuno has built around feel, sound, and performance. Just understand that that not all clubs are created equal for every golfer, and that’s fine. With that, make sure you go get fit for the right irons, because what doesn’t work for me might still work for you.
Final Thoughts
Right out the gate, I thought the Mizuno JPX 900 Tour was a great looking club, and I was intrigued to try them. After trying them out, they are a perfectly fine club and all, they’re just not for me. I’ve witnessed multiple players, in person, make magic with them. I’ve also had other better players agree with me.
It’s important to make sure you test, and hopefully get fit for, all your clubs before purchasing. At times, we all see pros using equipment, and think “man I need to try those.” After watching Brooks Koepka put on a clinic with these irons, I had my heart set on them. I picked up a set, and wanted to love them so badly, but they just weren’t right for me. Moral of the story? Do yourself and your game a favor, and go get fit. Worry not. If the JPX 900 Tour doesn’t fit you, Mizuno has plenty of other great options in their lineup. They’re one of the best iron brands in the game for a reason.
Mizuno JPX 900 Tour Irons Specs
| Club # | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft º | 21º | 24º | 27º | 30º | 34º | 38º | 42º | 46º |
| Lie º | 59.5 | 60.0º | 60.5º | 61.0º | 61.5º | 62.0º | 62.5º | 63.0º |
| Off Set “ | 0.130″ | 0.126″ | 0.122″ | 0.118″ | 0.114″ | 0.110″ | 0.106″ | 0.102″ |
| Bounce º | 2º | 2º | 2º | 3º | 3º | 4º | 5º | 6º |
| Length “ | 38.75 | 38.25″ | 37.75″ | 37.25″ | 36.75″ | 36.25″ | 35.75″ | 35.50″ |
Are you planning on doing the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Soon?
Hi Jeff,
Our 919 Tour review can be found HERE.
Thanks!
Tommy
maybe a comparison of the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour verse the Mizuno SC thank you.
Jeff,
Your best bet would be to check out the two reviews, then do some side by side testing. While both are geared towards better players, it’s somewhat of an apples to oranges comparison, and results are going to vary from individual to individual. You can check the MP-18 SC review here. The reviews will give you a general idea, then we recommending going and trying both before making any decisions.
So how do the mizunos compare to the ping 410s
We haven’t hit any of the new Ping stuff yet. Additionally, we typically don’t compare brand to brand as it’s so apples to oranges and dependent on personal swings.
If you want to see any certain Ping reviews on our site, we suggest reaching out to them via their website and social media and let them know you value our content and would love to see them covered here.
Thanks a lot for stopping by.
Tommy, I went to my local fitter last year and these ended up being the clubs that worked for me. That being said, your article is by far the best I have read regarding reviews for these clubs. There are some days where I wouldn’t trade them for anything, but there are other days when I can’t figure out where I am missing on bad strikes. As you pointed out, you can be easily punished if you have a longer layoff from practicing or weeks between a round. I will play them out until it’s time for an upgrade, but they do leave more to he desired.
James,
Thanks for the kind words. You are correct, when you are striking the ball well, they were some of the best clubs I’ve ever bagged. But yes, when you’re not playing as much as you’d like, or coming from a long layoff, they can be punishing.
Thanks again for reading!
Tommy
Can you say anything about comparing these to the 800 pro series? I’ve had mine for years and love them but it is time for a trade in , what do you think?
Too far back for me, sorry.
Just got a lightly used set and I’ve gamed MPs for 30 years formally TP irons and I’m shocked how dead they feel off the face? Tested them alongside a set of MP 64s and for feel the MPs were a different class. On a positive though the JPX performed really well and a lovely low penetrating ball flight albeit with X100 shafts fitted. Performance? Good. Feel and sound? Nothing feels like Mizuno? These don’t. 2 handicap golfer.
Sorry you can’t make them work for you. For me they’ve been a game changer. Played blades for many years, swapped to these and lowered my average score by several shots. Went from hcp 5 to 2 since last autumn.
These are just forgiving enough to deliver a more consistent lenght and dispersion pattern than blades. It has been like playing with a soft cushion behind the ball. Just love’em!
Wonderful clubs.