To create a players-distance iron, you need a face material strong enough to create the thin, fast-flexing faces required in this category—perhaps something like the chromoly steel alloy used in the roll cages of race cars or M16 rifles. That’s exactly the kind of steel Mizuno uses here. The alloy allows Mizuno to create a thinner, hotter face in a relatively compact, better-player shape. This also created new opportunities for designers to produce a face that’s 16 percent thinner in the center. The face also has a 45 percent larger area that yields the fastest ball speeds since the JPX 919 Forged, Mizuno’s previous model in this category. Making the face thinner has benefits other than just adding ball speed. A thinner face equals weight savings, which allowed Mizuno’s designers to create a lower, deeper center of gravity, especially on the long irons, to help get shots airborne without sacrificing forgiveness. In terms of shape, this iron trends back toward better-player preferences, including a thinner topline and a beveled, narrower sole for improved shot-making opportunities. Plus, there might not be enough o’s in smooth to describe the sweet-feeling experience at impact. Read more >>