Mizuno’s two new iron add a handsome entry to the marketplace

Mizuno’s two new M irons are as handsome and desirable as you’d expect

By Tony Dear

We don’t really need to tell you about Mizuno’s capacity for building beautiful, forged irons aimed at serious golfers who appreciate the skilled craftsmanship and quality the Japanese manufacturer is known for.

The Osaka-based company (founded in 1906 but which has forged its golf clubs in Hiroshima since 1968) has earned and enjoys a reputation for making clubs that are not only elegant and singularly attractive but which, at impact, create as satisfying a feeling as the game can provide.

The company’s current iron listings consist of two main brands – JPX (contemporary tech, multi-materials, intended for a wide range of golfers) and Mizuno Pro (classic forgings for the most discerning). Mizuno Pro is further divided into S (Signature) and M (Modern) models. The S-1 and S-3 are made from 1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel using Mizuno’s famous Grain Flow Forging process, first patented in 1998 and which forms a tighter grain structure for better feel. In today’s parlance, they are about as “Pure” as it gets.

Because the clubs rely more on materials, style, exquisite shaping, compactness, refinement, and carefully-determined dimensions more than they do rapidly-evolving technology, the S line is updated every four years. The M irons, however, while never abandoning Mizuno’s penchant for superior feel, do allow for some complexity in their design, and are update every two years.

The new M-13 and M-15 fit the ‘M’ mold perfectly. The successor to the Mizuno Pro 243, the M-13 features three distinct constructions. The 4 and 5-irons have a Grain Flow Forged pocket cavity, and combine Chromoly 4120 (extremely strong chromium-molybdenum steel that Mizuno first used in its cast Hot Metal clubs in 2016 and which made the transition to forgings successfully in 2020) with 431 stainless steel to produce greater ball speed. The 6-8-irons feature a Grain Flow Forged Micro-slot and faces that are 0.3mm thinner than those of the 243. That increases face flex and, thus, produces greater ball speed. The solid 9-iron-GW are built from a single piece of 1025E and prioritize precision.

This multi-material (1025E/Chromoly) construction enables Mizuno to create its thinnest-ever Contour Ellipse Face at 1.37mm. The leading edges of the Triple Cut Sole are sharper than on previous models and the bevelled trailing relief promotes consistent, reliable turf interaction. Mizuno uses something it calls Harmonic Impact Technology (H.I.T.) to reinforce certain areas of the clubhead (specifically the thin top-line) and optimize the sound and level of vibration created at impact. A copper underlay also helps improve sound/feel.

It would be difficult to assign the M13 to a certain handicap range, but we are definitely looking at better players.
The M-15, likewise a better player’s club, replaces the Mizuno Pro 245 and has more of a blade look while featuring a hollow body throughout most of the set. Again there are three constructions: 4-7-irons are Grain Flow Forged from 4135+ Chromoly with a 431 steel back piece. A 51 gram tungsten weight low and deep in the long-irons increases forgiveness and creates a higher launch (50.3 grams of tungsten in the mid-irons). The 9-iron-GW use a partially-hollow Grain Flow Forged 1025E HD body with a stainless steel back for precision and easer trajectory control.

H.I.T. and the copper underlay are used in the M-15 as well, and the 4-8 irons benefit from the Contoured Ellipse Face – the latest evolution of Mizuno’s CORTECH technology (lowers spin, boosts ball speed).

The nickel-chrome satin finish of both models reduces glare and gives each a typically Mizuno-level of sophistication.

M13
4-PW, $215 per club
Lofts – 4-22˚, 7-32˚, PW-44˚
See website for available shafts
Right and left-hand
Pre-sale starts January 19^th. Available at retail February 5^th

M15
4-PW, $215 per club
Lofts – 4-20˚, 7-29˚, PW-43˚
See website for available shafts
Right and left-hand
Pre-sale starts January 19^th. Available at retail February 5^th

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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