What's new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Jack Backhouse brings you the low down on Mizuno's Pro 221 irons
Are the new Mizuno blades really as hard to hit as they look? Find out in our Mizuno Pro 221 irons review.
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NCG SUMMARY
These irons are as small and traditional as any set of blades on the market, they are simply stunning to look at.
I love what Mizuno have done resizing the short irons so that the 8-PW are smaller than the previous model.
This is perfect for players who need no more distance and want little to no help with their miss-hits, but instead are focussed on feedback and precision.
PROS
- Smaller more refined shaping
- Beautiful to look at
- Feel brilliant and soft on good contact
CONS
- Practically no forgiveness
- More ‘traditional’ weaker lofts will mean less distance than most modern irons
Mizuno Pro 221 irons: First Impressions
Mizuno are famous for their irons, specifically their player’s irons. There is a long history of Mizuno blades that are all exceptional to look at, and the Pro 221 irons are no different. These small, compact, muscle-back heads will strike fear into the heart of the nervy ball striker on a cool morning.
Mizuno Pro 221 irons review
I’ve had these irons sitting in my garage for a while, and whilst I will regularly pick them up to admire the craftsmanship, I reflect on last weekend’s ball-striking performance and swiftly put them back down again. They have a compact blade length, have a thin top line and are intimidating to look at, which is everything a blade should be.
Once I mustered up the courage to go try the Mizuno Pro 221 irons, I’ve not taken them out of the bag since. I love how the short irons are so small, giving you the feeling that you’re wielding a surgical tool for precision rather than a big clunky sledgehammer.
All the irons feel so soft on a centred strike, giving you the impression you are never out of control. This is thanks to Mizuno building in a thin copper underlay underneath the nickel chrome.
Considering that the Mizuno Pro 221 irons have lofts that are 3 to 4 degrees weaker than many of the irons on today’s market, I am pretty pleased with the distances I achieved. You aren’t buying these irons for distance, so this shouldn’t really be a factor, but they are not weak by any stretch of the imagination.
You can see that there are some shots with the 5 iron that are close to the shots of the 7 iron; this is because you do see a drop-off in the distance when you hit a poor shot. You really feel it in your hands too.
Personally, I would rather see the distance drop off for poor strikes, than have the distance randomly jump on really good strikes. I think it’s so important for good iron play that you know exactly how far a club can go and work back from there. My issue with a lot of irons is that you occasionally hit really long shots that you weren’t expecting, which is really bad for low handicappers.
I’ve used these irons on the course for a few rounds and have had pretty good success. Yes, I do hit poor shots that finish short of the target and rattle my fingers numb, but that’s because I didn’t make a swing worthy of these Hiroshima-forged irons. On good strikes, distance control is generally a dream with the Pro 221 irons, and you can shape the ball in a controlled fashion too.
I don’t think that these irons are just for the elite ball striker, like I originally did. If you are a player looking for something other than distance and want more predictable precise results, the Mizuno Pro irons are a great choice.
If you find the long irons too hard to hit on test, you can make these irons into a split set with other heads from the Mizuno Pro series. Mizuno even have a nifty split set calculator to show you what lofts the set will have to make the gapping perfect. You also get the choice of 23 custom shafts which is the best custom range of any brand.
These are in my bag for the foreseeable future, and it will take something pretty special to come out and replace them!
The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £165 per iron
Right-handed lofts: 3i = 21° 4i = 24° 5i = 27° 6i = 30° 7i = 34° 8i = 38° 9i – 42° PW = 46°
Featured shafts: 23 shaft options available
More information: Mizuno Website
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