Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Irons
Out of the whole Mizuno JPX 919 iron lineup, the JPX 919 Tour is the club designed for the low-handicap players putting a premium on feel and control. While the JPX 919 Tour is easily the “sexiest” of the 919 lineup, it’s not for everyone. There are elements of added forgiveness for a “player’s iron,” but you better be a good stick to put these in play. If you ARE a good stick, then read on to find out what makes the JPX 919 Tour one sweet forged blade.
The Looks
The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour has every bit of a modern blade look to it. No one is going to confuse these for your grandpa’s antique butter knives that have been sitting in the back of the garage since 1973. There’s also a lot of Tour-player influence in the design. One of those influences is the smaller blade length and a “lower heel profile” as preferred by the Mizuno stable of pros. Offset is minimal in the longer irons and only a bit noticeable. I wouldn’t classify the topline as razor thin, but it’s inline with most major blades on the market today. For comparison, the JPX 919 Tour topline looks to be about the same thickness at the MP-18 MB.
Looking at the “cavity” of the JPX 919 Tour, you will find the same mechanical look that has become synonymous with the JPX lines. It’s a slick streamlined look that certainly looks cool in the bag. The JPX 919 Tour is an easy trap to fall into based on looks alone, so make sure you can hit them first! It’s also worth noting that the famed YORO craftsman at Mizuno had their hands all over these irons. (That’s a great thing, trust me.) One of their major influences was making the shorter irons through the pitching wedge smaller and sharper. Though these irons still look modern, this is a clear influence of classic design that sticks around for good reason. The implementation is just more refined than the old days.
How Does it Feel?
I’ll be totally honest here – I’ve never been too fond of how the Mizuno JPX Tour irons have felt in the past. Much to my surprise, I felt the JPX 919 Tour was much better. A large reason for this might be that Mizuno dropped the boron from the steel. This made the forged metal feel too clicky in my mind. With the JPX 919 Tour, Mizuno forged each iron out of a single billet of 1025E “Pure Select mild carbon steel.” The Mizuno JPX 919 Tour brought back that signature feeling of an expertly-forged Mizuno iron. Good shots are rewarded with a responsive, yet soft and pure feel in your hands.
If you compare the JPX 919 Tour and MP-18 MB, the JPX 919 has a much different sole profile. The JPX 919 Tour is thinner toward the heel and wider at the toe. So what does this mean for feel? It means you get a much different turf interaction. The JPX 919 Tour has more of a glide through the turf as opposed to a rippping divot. Don’t get me wrong, the 919 Tour is plenty capable of digging a good trench, but a good swing will be smoother through the turf.
How Does it Sound?
Like the feel, the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour has a much-improved sound in my opinion. The older versions sounded almost “rocky” to me, even on good shots. With the JPX 919 Tour, we’re back to that forged sound we’ve always loved from Mizuno! I will say, the sound of the JPX 919 Tour is a bit on the firmer side compared to the MP-18, but it’s still a nice soft “click.” Thin and/or off-center shots sound pretty hard and will definitely let you know both in your hands and your ears. Like I said before, you need to be a good ball striker to play the JPX 919 Tour. Not all of us are Brooks Koepka out here.
On-Course Performance
Again, let me reiterate, the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour is designed for good ball strikers looking for feel and control, not for distance. While there isn’t a ton of forgiveness, there is a little help via the perimeter weighting of the JPX 919 Tour. It’s not going to save you from a terrible shot, but it will allow you for a touch more generosity in the sweet spot.
Players looking for a little cleaner track through the turf may also prefer the JPX 919 Tour over the MP-18 irons. This sole seemed to track through a little more squarely and at an even depth. Of course, this is largely dependent on the player’s swing. Don’t get things confused though, the JPX 919 Tour can still be manipulated through the turf to play different types of shots. If you’re the “shot-shaping type,” you’re still going have all the maneuverability you need. All in all, the JPX 919 Tour is designed to allow a player to have total control on every shot and it accomplishes that goal well.
Final Thoughts
Should you have the ball striking for it, the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour is a really nice club. Really, it comes down to preferences. I would argue that the Mizuno MP-18 MB, MP-18 SC, and JPX 919 Tour are all in a similar group. They each just have slight differences to address personal preferences. While I personally prefer the overall delivery of the MP-18 MB, others will prefer the total package of the JPX 919 Tour more. Or maybe you need a little more forgiveness but aren’t looking for greater distance so you go the MP-18 SC route. What I can assure you of is that if you’re a good fit for any of those irons, you really can’t go wrong. Mizuno is making some of the best irons they’e made in a long time and the JPX 919 Tour is a perfect example.
Stock Mizuno JPX 919 Tour Irons Specs
| Club # | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft º | 21º | 24º | 27º | 30º | 34º | 38º | 42º | 46º |
| Lie º | 59.5º | 60º | 60.5º | 61º | 61.5º | 62º | 62.5º | 63º |
| Length | 39″ | 38.5″ | 38″ | 37.5″ | 37″ | 36.5″ | 36″ | 35.5″ |
Excellent review. I’ve had these irons for 5 months now and I’d say your assessment is pretty accurate. For me, these irons are very playable. I also have 718 AP2’s and even with all the Tungsten Titleist builds into those irons, I feel like they are very similar to these in playability.
Oh man, I think the AP2 is MUCH more forgiving and player friendly. I like the 919 Tour a lot, but it’s for good strikers only! AP2 feels more comparable to the 919 Forged to me (I like the 919 Forged better however).
Bill Bush between the JPX tour and the AP2 I’m only interested in workability/maneuverability of the ball which is iron would you recommend all things being equal for a good ball striker thank you.
The Mizuno, but I’d consider the 919 Forged a better comparison to the AP2.
thank you
Great clubs. Got them in October and won two of the first three club competitions I played in, including the first one! Delighted with them. Our club pro does Mizuno and I went to be fitted for the forged model. Wasn’t getting the feel I liked so he put the tour head on…and wow! Have played Mizuno for 20+ years so can’t compare with the AP2…and at this rate never will be able to compare! #lovemizuno
can a 12 handicap player use these mizuno irons?
Can’t empirically say no because it depends on your game, but generally speaking, I’d say it’d be a bit of a stretch.
Would these be ok for a 3 handicap transitioning from cavity back irons?
In what sense? Likely comes down to specifics related to the user at that point, not just a handicap. They didn’t play like a cavity back when I tested them.
Excellent review man. Will surely try this out soon.