Miura CB57 Irons
As far as I’m concerned, the Miura family is as much golf royalty as Jack, Arnie, Seve, and any other great name you want on that list. Katsuhiro Miura (Miura-san) has been forging immaculate irons and wedges for decades while firmly establishing himself as one of the foremost forged irons experts in the game. After decades of clubmaking and design, the Miuras released what they believe to be the pinnacle of what they’ve been working toward since the beginning – the Miura CB57 irons. The Miura CB57 is a beautiful execution of a forged player’s iron and the ultimate example of perfection.
The Looks
The first time I saw the Miura CB57 was just the heads in pictures online. If I’m being 100% honest, I wasn’t all the impressed. Then I saw them in person in a fully-built club. Wow, was my first impression way off… Simply put, they were one of the most beautiful irons I’d ever seen. My next encounter was staring at them all day in Red’s bag at Olympia Fields. They just looked (and sounded) absolutely perfect. I was in love.
The CB57 finds itself in a unique spot in terms of looks. I wouldn’t exactly call it “small, classic blade” but the CB57 definitely has more of a player’s look. From heel to toe, the head is a hair longer and the face is a bit taller. Honestly, it’s not really that noticeable unless you set it next to a smaller muscleback. The toe is a little less rounded off, but far from square. The topline is more on the moderate side, but still in the player’s family. If you want a crisp leading edge, then the CB57 is pretty tough to beat. In fact, “crisp lines” with a smooth execution is probably the best way to describe the Miura CB57’s appearance. Overall, the CB57 still looks like a player’s club that has the aesthetic perfection you’d expect from Miura.
How Does it Feel?
Miura is known for a special forging process where they make an extra strike during forging. This process creates a tighter grain, therefore a more solid club head. The Miura CB57 is one of the most solid-feeling forged clubs I’ve ever hit. It’s hard to explain, but the club just feels really tight and forceful behind the ball. When you hit the sweet spot, the ball seems to scream off the face with a purpose. The feel is extremely pure and satisfying.
The CB57 is still very much a player’s iron and that puts a premium on good ball striking. If you deviate from the sweet spot, that pure feel degrades significantly. The balance of the Miura CB57 iron is absolutely perfect as well. Progressive weight bars in the cavity of the CB57 make the club head easy to track throughout the swing for precise club awareness.
Miura also puts an intense focus on the sole grinds of all their clubs. Different swings will be conducive to different grinds, but the radiused sole of the CB57 is finely tuned for a precise turf interaction. The CB57 doesn’t “rip” or “tear” through the turf. Those descriptors are too messy for a club like this. You can feel the club neatly and effectively manage its way through the turf on a good swing. The CB57’s slightly blunted “Y Grind” (‘Y’ after Yoshitaka – son of Mr. Miura) leading edge makes a powerful and balanced cut through the turf. Keep in mind, the CB57 is not a high bounce club so that Y grind helps reduce the tendency to dig if you get too steep.
How Does it Sound?
Based on the solid feel of the Miura CB57, I more than expected a similarly solid sound. While the sound is in fact definitely on the solid side, it’s perfect. The tone itself is somewhat unique because it has forged characteristics, but the “weight bar” in the cavity firms up the sound a bit. The end result is a firm “smack” that’s a little different than the traditional “whack” you get in a good forged blade. Think of that traditional professional blade sound you hear on TV but with a little more body and rigidity to it. In short, if you hit the ball well, your resulting sound will assure you that you just gave it a good ride.
On-Course Performance
Though the Miura CB57 is a cavity-back blade, it’s every bit of a player’s iron requiring strong ball striking. You can’t take any shots off with the CB57. A good swing will give you an impressively pure result, but if you get lazy or try to cheat the swing, the CB57 will make you pay. Stick to the basics with a smooth swing and you’ll be rewarded with some beautifully flighted shots.
The cavity-back design of the CB57 starts become most noticeable in shot shaping. Playability is more subtle and “stable” than a thinner muscleback blade where you can effortlessly rip a ball low and hard around a 90º corner. Don’t get me wrong, a good shot shaper will still be able to comfortably draw, fade, or cut the ball and adjust trajectories on command. If you’re a big shaper of the golf ball, you’ll still be able to move the ball left and right, up and down. Ultimately, if you’re a good iron player, the CB57 has the premium performance you expect out of a Miura.
Final Thoughts
It wouldn’t be realistic of me to tell you that I connected with the Miura CB57 right out of the gate. In fact, before sitting down to write this review, I had tried three different sets of shafts to get properly dialed in with them. Once I got the shaft right, I had that “wow” moment I’ve only experienced with a Miura before. It was like a switch flipped and everything just fell into place. I audibly muttered, “oh man, what a club” as I watched my shot in the air. It’s a hard feeling to describe, but a handful of good shots make you realize these are special clubs. If you’re a strong iron player and want to invest in some elite clubs, the Miura CB57 is a great option. Hit a good shot with a Miura iron and you’ll understand why I consider the Miura family to be golf royalty.
Special thanks to Chip Usher at Usher Golf for support on this review.
Stock Miura CB57 Specs
| Club # | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft º | 22º | 24º | 27º | 30º | 34º | 38º | 42º | 47º |
| Lie º | 59º | 59.5º | 60º | 60.5º | 61º | 61.5º | 62º | 62.5º |
| Weight (g) | 243 | 250 | 257 | 264 | 271 | 278 | 286 | 295 |
Very accurate review of these irons. I made the switch to these irons from the titleist 712 mbs I had been playing for a number of years. Index dropped from a 3 to a 1.2. Excellent turf interaction like the mb’s. They don’t dig but glide through the turf and they give me a bit more height and distance into the greens given my swing speed is starting to drop off a bit. A wisp more difficult to flight down than the mb’s but again my goal was to get more height into the greens.
Barry,
I think it’s most likely the shaft combined with the irons giving you that difficulty to flight the ball low. I don’t really know of anyone else that finds the head tending toward a higher flight based on the head.
Bill
Which do you prefer the CB57 or CB501?
Thanks for the quick reply. Well I have the opportunity to get a set of CB57 and the Mizuno MP18 SC. which would you choose in regards to feel and consistency?
10/10 times the Miura
Gio,
It just dawned on me that I was mistaking your comparison question for the MC-501. I have in fact hit the CB-501 plenty! We have a review for them on the site if you search for it.
I think the CB57 is more forgiving and launches the ball a little easier so I prefer that one, personally.
Thanks, and sorry for the confusion!
Bill
Hey Bill, I always enjoy your reviews. I’m interested in these and the CB-501’s. Which one to your eye has less offset? Also which do you think would suit a steep digger type swing better? Thanks!
I can’t tell you I think offset is much of an issue in either of them, especially considering the second part of your question. That’s the major differentiator in my mind, and I’d say the CB57 is more likely to accommodate that swing than the 501.
Yeah point taken. What is it that makes you say the CB57 would be better for digger? Sole grind/width?
I don’t know grind so much, but at the time they made it, the CB57 was supposed to be their most versatile yet. I would say more the sole width and and the CG of the club.
I was shopping around for an alignment stick a few days ago and saw a set of CB57 on the display along with Epon & Honma iron set. It was love at first sight so I had to take them home. Work got in the way so I didn’t get a chance to try them out in the range but was able to play a round last weekend. WOW is all I can say.
I’ve always gamed Mizuno’s MP Series and most will agree they are top notch, but Miura’s consistent distance and accuracy is exceptional! This is I can say, I’d never go back.
I’ve played these for 2 years now and love them. Got a virtually unused set off eBay for 800$. I’m technically slightly out of the range of the target market as I generally shoot 85-90 but they have massively improved my ball striking. I’m losing strokes because of my inconsistent driving and wood play. I was playing Mizuno JPX EZ before which are low spin, shovels and bombers and these have really improved my course management and control. Just check your ego and play smart and smooth. It feels so good to hit a mid iron into a green and watch it one hop and spin and stick. Love these clubs.