The Loop
Details on new Mizuno JPX 900 driver and T7 wedge
Midsummer might be a time when average golfers and retailers are all set with the clubs they’re carrying and stocking, but for the rest of the golf universe it’s time for an early look at what might be in stores later this year.
Titleist already has a win with its 917 driver even though that club likely won’t hit retail until late fall. Greg Chalmers’ victory at the Barracuda Championship came with a new 917D2 driver he put in the bag that very week.
Now, Mizuno is the latest manufacturer to debut its newest clubs on the pro tours. A new driver, the JPX 900, made its appearance on the USGA’s conforming list of drivers last week and one of its staff players, Chris Wood, has been testing the blue-headed driver in recent weeks and could have it in the bag for this week’s Open Championship.
Based on the image listed on the USGA’s website, the JPX 900 appears to include both an adjustable hosel and movable weights on the sole. There appear to be tracks for the weights in the center of the sole and on the heel and toe, as well. A fourth track on the sole features a small screw plate and seems to refer to face angle position with the words “closed,” “neutral” and “open.”
Mizuno staff player Luke Donald has put a new set of wedges in play, including a 47-degree model. While there are no details on the new club, the T7 appears to be the follow-up to the teardrop-shaped MP-T5 line of wedges, which were introduced in the fall of 2014.
A full rundown of Mizuno’s roster of new products is expected late this summer.