As part of the latest generation of Hot Metal irons, Mizuno have unveiled a new game-improvement iron. This is an iron that delivers an easier to launch package, aimed at those who want more height from their iron shots.

So, what’s new and how do they perform? Find out in our Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL review.

RELATED: Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal Irons: Everything you need to know!

NCG SUMMARY

These are a great option for someone who struggles to get height of their iron shots. Really forgiving and are irons that seem to work with your swing rather than against it.

Particularly easy to hit and offers plenty of control over ball flight. They produce a tight dispersion of shots to add that extra bit of comfort. Overall, the level of forgiveness makes it ideal for a higher handicapper.

PROS

Easy launch
Forgiving
Easy to hit
Consistent ball flight

CONS

Some people may prefer a slimmer clubhead

Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL Irons Review: First Impressions

The Hot Metal High Launch irons have a wider club head than the Hot Metal model. From my experiences, sometimes a thicker head can feel at bit off and slightly distracting at address, but with these irons I had no such problems. Being oversized helps golfers feel their iron will be more forgiving, have more speed, and able to gain a higher launch.

Design wise, I’m a fan. I like my irons to look sleek and smart and I think the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal High Launch irons have this in abundance. The cavity of the clubhead looks great aesthetically, looks tidy, and I love how they have colour co-ordinated each model in the new Hot Metal range. For the high launch irons, the black goes well with the silver.

NCG Verdict

This iron features the same technology as the Hot Metal Pro irons but just in a wider club head package. Having this wider club head was a big help to someone of my golfing ability, a mid handicapper, as it gave me more confidence when standing over a shot at address.

During testing, I found that they were extremely easy to launch and hit. To test the irons out I went down to the practice facilities at Scarcroft Golf club to get some data from the TrackMan.

As you see from the data above, I was able to get a record height that I was happy with, relative to my swing and level. Even on the miss hit shots, number three, I was still able to launch it fairly high. This is a real positive for mid to high-handicap golfers, as it makes approach shots with mid ot long irons a lot easier, as the high launch brings the ball down on the green much softer.

In terms of the shorter irons I was able to get a great amount of spin on my shots, which again will help massively with approach shots. Across the board, everything is fairly consistent here, which is often one of the weak points in my game. It is impressive to get this much spin from a fialry bulky iron with lots of technology in the club head.

My 7-iron data produced the most consistent data I received from the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HiL irons. What I found with all the irons I tested from this model was how good they felt and sounded. Mizuno say the irons have tour-preferred sound from its sole thickness and having a balanced stability frame.

Accuracy is something a lot of mid to high handicappers tend to struggle with in terms of their play, myself included, but I found they were pretty consistent. I rarely lost any of the shots to the right, which is my main tendency. The amount of straight shots I hit was very pleasing, and I was able to hit them on a more frequent basis.

I didn’t gain much distance, but I was pleased with how well the bad shots turned out. Having an inconsistent swing means I’m going to hit the odd miss hit from time to time so having a set of irons that can still produce competitive yardage from the bad shots is highly valuable.

I was able to see a big improvement in the accuracy of my 5-iron from these Mizuno irons, as I tend to lose control of the club in longer irons. These irons possess a multi-material construction which positions the weight in the clubhead low. This means the ball flies higher and produces a steeper landing angle when coming down into the green.

Overall, these were great to hit and testing, as it made my life easier. I felt as though the club would just take care of everything for me as long as I swung half-decently. You don’t need to have a refined swing to hit these irons, which makes them really appealing for all golfing abilities. The high launch technology also works really well.

Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL Iron Review: The Details

Available: Now for pre-order and fitting

RRP: £150

Stock Shaft: 50 options with no upcharge

More information: Mizuno Website

Max Mcvittie

A bit of a late bloomer to the game of golf, Max fell in love with the sport when he attended Saturday coaching sessions down at his local golf club after being inspired by friends and family members.

Max has remained a member of Eden Golf Club in Carlisle for a number of years now as he looks to get his handicap down into single figures. Most of his golfing career has been spent battling a permanent slice off the tee, which has led to some ugly rounds.

Having studied at the University of Sunderland, Max is starting out his dream career in sports journalism. During his time at university, he picked up valuable work experience at Reach PLC, BBC Radio Cumbria and GiveMeSport, whilst also getting work published in the Teesside Live. He also spent time working at a local weekly newspaper, Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser, as a general news reporter partially covering some local sport just north of the border in Langholm.

Max has just started his journey with the NCG working as the assistant equipment editor. He looks forwarded to reviewing the latest golf equipment, taking up an interest in reviews when buying his first golf club, a Cleveland RTX wedge.

With his bag not going under too many changes throughout the last few years, Max carries an M3 driver, M2 hybrid, a set of M2 irons, Callaway Jaws wedges and a TaylorMade Spider putter. And yes, Max is a bit of a self-proclaimed TaylorMade fan boy.