Miura Ramps Up Launch Activity Under New Ownership

Japanese clubmaker Miura has begun to show its new colors under Howard Millstein with the new ICL-601 driving iron and a bevy of new club selections.

Miura Ramps Up Launch Activity Under New Ownership

The Japanese clubmaker has begun to show its new colors under Howard Millstein.

By Tony Dear


miura driving iron

Six months after New York developer Howard Millstein invested heavily in Japanese clubmaker Miura, the company known for making some of the finest forged irons in the world introduced its MG Collection to the North American market.

Already a favorite in Japan, the MG Collection consisted of woods and irons that certainly upheld Miura’s well-known reputation for quality, but suggested Millstein was taking the company in a slightly different direction, i.e. building clubs that might appeal to mid-handicaps as well as the company’s established audience of low-handicappers and professionals.

The current speculation is that Miura is preparing some significant launches for 2018, but this year’s introduction of the MG Collection continues with the recent addition of the ICL-601 Driving Iron.

Normally, the very words “Driving Iron” would be enough to scare off anyone with an index above three or four. But this is a driving iron that might buck that trend.

With a SUS304 Stainless Steel body and Carpenter Steel face, the ICL-601 is a multi-material construction with an inner cavity (ICL stands for “Inner Cavity Long iron”). Inner cavities or hollow clubheads have been in the news lately of course following PXG’s lawsuit against TaylorMade, which, PXG claims, infringed on patents associated with the foam-filled cavity in its 0311 irons.

PXG says its irons might cave in if not for the Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) inside the clubhead, but a combination of the cavity’s size and the clubhead’s construction prevents that from happening in the ICL-601.

“The inner cavity design is not new for Miura,” says Hoyt McGarity, President of Miura Golf. “It was first introduced in the IC-2003. Modern technological advances have allowed us to improve on the original design. This is accomplished by integrating a 455 Carpenter Steel face (as found in our PP-9005 G) and the use of the variable weighting system found in the Hayate woods.”

The variable weighting system is basically a replaceable weight screw found on the sole of the club. The 23-degree model comes with an 8g weight, making it roughly the same weight as a typical 4-iron.

The ICL-601 has significant offset making it much easier to square the clubface than if it had a straight neck. The sole is wide with minimal bounce, and the topline thick enough to raise the eyebrows of the typical mid-handicapper who might actually consider giving it a swing.

As with other forged irons, the loft and lies are adjustable meaning you can match it to your existing set. “The ICL gives Miura traditionalists the opportunity to add technology to their game, while maintaining the quality and feel of a Miura forged club,” says Jason Rutkoski, Miura Golf’s vice president.

And though many more low-handicappers will purchase an ICL-601 that their mid-handicap counterparts, the man with the 10-12 index might be surprised at what the ICL-601 could do for his long game.

$370
Available in: 18°, 20°, 23°.
miuragolf.com


Also from Miura

PP-Neo Utilities

Part of the Passing Point (PP) series of clubs, the PP-Neo Utility features floating weight technology (FWS) which repositions 35-gram of weight effectively, optimizing the club’s center of gravity. A matte black crown coating makes the club head appear smaller and more compact.
$389
Available in: 21°, 24°,

miura


PP-W01 Wedges

“Miura” and “casting” are terms not usually used in the same sentence, but the PP-W01 is indeed a cast club made using a sophisticated process that, in recent years, has improved to a level that satisfies Katsuhiro Miura, patriarch of Miura Golf. A 30mm-wide flange makes sand explosion shots far easier than with “normal” wedges, and the undercut cavity makes the PP-W01 more forgiving than typical blade wedges. Despite its game-improvement features, Miura insists its quality and performance have not been compromised.
$249
Available in: 48°, 52°, 56°

miura pp wedge


PP-9005 Genesis Irons

The Genesis, true to Millstein’s new philosophy at Miura, is designed for golfers of all skill levels.
The quality of construction is definitely Miura, but the look is Millstein-inspired. Miura clubs certainly weren’t technology-free before his arrival, but the emphasis was always on good looks and forged feel. Forgiveness, it could be said, was somewhat low-priority.

There are enough technologies at work in the Genesis, however, to make it a forgiving iron that will appeal to a much wider range of golfers than Miura typically attracted. The body is forged while the thin Carpenter Steel face produces impressive ball speeds. The smooth sole grind produces easy turf interaction, and the nickel chrome satin finish makes the Genesis impressively durable. yields durability.
$345
Available in: 5-iron through Pitching Wedge

miura pp genesis iron


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