TaylorMade’s new muscleback blade and cavity-back irons have been updated with feedback from Tour players.
Gear: TaylorMade P•7MC, P•7MB irons Price:$1,299 with KBS Tour steel shafts and Golf Pride Z-Grip 360 grips Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel Available: January 20, 2023
Who It’s For: Elite ballstrikers who want to maximize feel and control.
The Skinny: TaylorMade’s tour-inspired muscleback blade and cavity-back irons have been updated using a new forging process and feedback from golfers like Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa.
The Deep Dive: Like most golf equipment makers, TaylorMade’s game-improvement irons, like the Stealth, and better-distance irons, like the P•790, are its biggest sellers, but the irons that golfers seem to covet the most are muscleback blades and cavity-back designs made for tour pros like McIlroy and Morikawa. No brand sells many clubs like those, but they are high-profile creations and demonstrate what designers can do for the most discerning golfers, so they are essential.
For 2023 TaylorMade has updated its flagship irons for accomplished golfers, the P•7MB and the P•7MC. They have been subtly refined because the feedback from elite players who use them has been positive for two years, but thanks to a new forging process, TaylorMade claims they will provide a better feel.
These players led the way last season and relied on specific clubs to do the job.
This week’s RSM Classic is the last full-field PGA Tour event of 2022, but technically, the 2021-22 PGA Tour season ended after Rory McIlroy won the Tour Championship back in August. Summer feels like a long time ago for people who are already feeling winter’s early bite, but we can still look back and admire the great seasons that players like Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris enjoyed.
Aside from earning a lot of money and currently being ranked in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Scheffler, Thomas and Zalatoris have something in common, they finished the 2021-22 PGA Tour season ranked in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green.
Strokes Gained: Approach the Green is the best statistic out there for measuring the quality of a player’s iron game because it reveals how much of an advantage a golfer has over the field on shots more than 30 yards away from the green (which are not hit off the tee). Scheffler, Thomas and Zalatoris were marksmen last year, setting up lots of birdie chances and avoiding greenside hazards.
Below is a list of the golfers who finished the year ranked in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, along with the irons they played.
The i230 features an internal elastomer piece to reduce vibrations created at impact.
Gear: Ping i230 irons Price: $205 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shafts and Lamkin Crossline Black grips, $230 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts Specs: Cast 431 stainless steel body with tungsten tip and toe weights, internal elastomer insert and multimaterial back badge. 3-iron through gap wedge available Available: November
Who it’s For: Golfers who want a better-player’s iron that has extra stability, a softer feel at impact and more consistent spin performance.
The Skinny: Made for tour pros and good club players, the i230 takes the place of the i210 and features an internal elastomer piece to reduce vibrations created at impact, while tungsten weights increase stability and unique grooves help normalize performance in both wet and dry conditions.
The Deep Dive: Most equipment makers bring out new game-improvement and max-game-improvement irons every season, but clubs made for accomplished golfers often stick around for a while. The Ping i210 is, shall we say, venerable, having been released over four years ago. Regardless, it was still used by Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatten and Stewart Cink through most of the PGA Tour’s 2021-22 wraparound season.
Last summer, Ping quietly brought the i210’s replacement to the PGA Tour, the i230, and now the company is making it available to everyone.
New Ping G430 clubs hit the USGA’s Conforming Club lists on Monday, including three new drivers.
Historically, Ping has released a new family of woods and irons every year, and while the Phoenix-based company has often debuted new better-player irons around U.S. Open time, the clubs most recreational golfers will use come out in January. However, nothing new was released before the start of the 2022 season and the G425 drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons stayed in the line-up.
Now, however, things appear to be set to change as several new Ping G430 clubs hit the USGA’s Conforming Club lists on Monday, including three new drivers, as well as new fairway woods, hybrids and irons.
While the company is mum on the details, the clubs have some familiar markings on them that may give away some details. For instance, the three drivers are the G430 Max, G430 LST and G430 SFT. Drivers with a Max designation have been stability-enhanced clubs that are made to be forgiving on mis-hits, while LST has stood for low-spin technology and SFT has stood for straight-flight technology. So, it is probably safe to assume that Ping is sticking with the formula offering a standard, a low-spin and a slice-fighting version of its new driver.
Blending cavity-backs with musclebacks, these blades offer feel and control for elite golfers.
Gear: PXG 0317 ST Blade irons Price: $199 each in Chrome finish, $219 with Xtreme Dark finish Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel, milled face and back, adjustable swing weight. Available in 3-iron through gap wedge in chrome and Xtreme Dark finish.
Who It’s For: Elite golfers with powerful, repeatable swings who demand control and feel in a traditional iron.
The Skinny: Modern manufacturing techniques and classic shaping combine in this better-player’s offering that blends cavity-back long irons with muscleback blade mid- and short irons for a feel-oriented set.
The Deep Dive: PXG has always aspired to make game-improvement irons that look like the equipment you might find in the bag of a PGA Tour or LPGA professional. For example, the 0311 GEN5 P has a relatively thin topline and only moderate offset, but an internal elastomer system softens feel and helps support a super-thin face that produces extra ball speed.
The new 0317 ST irons are, however, the real thing. They are not something a golfer who shoots in the 80s or 90s has any business playing. The ST stands for super tour, and while PXG is blending the construction of the clubs within the set, these really are for single-digit handicappers, college players and professional golfers. Like the old joke, if you have to ask if you are good enough to play them, you probably aren’t.
The PXG 0317 ST irons have a thin topline, narrow sole and minimal offset. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The 0317 ST irons (0317 is the Marine Corps’ military occupational specialty code for a sniper) are made from soft 8620 carbon steel for an exceptionally soft feel at impact. The steel is forged three times to create the shape designers want, then the hitting area and back of each head are milled using a computer-controlled bit to ensure consistency from club to club. The milling process creates tiny lines you can see on the back of each head. Unlike the 0311 iron family, the 0317 ST is solid and has no elastomer inside the heads.
The 0317 ST is made for the game’s best players, but everyone wants a little help hitting long irons, so the 3- and 4-iron were designed as cavity-backs while the 5-iron through gap wedge are muscleback blades. The perimeter weighting in the 3- and 4-iron create more stability on off-center hits, but to call the clubs forgiving would be a mistake. In both head designs, the toplines are thin, the soles are narrow and there is minimal offset to allow skilled players to shape shots more easily.
The large weight in the back of the PXG 0317 ST irons allows fitters to adjust the swing weight. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The tiny tungsten weight screws that are a symbol of PXG clubs are not present in the 0317 ST, but there is a large screw in the back of each head that club fitters can adjust. Using screws with different weights allows fitters to increase or decrease the swing weight to match a player’s preferences and needs more easily.
The lofts of the 0317 ST irons are as traditional as the clubs’ look at address, with the 5-iron being 26 degrees and the pitching wedge having 47 degrees.
The JPX 923 Forged irons bring some distance, forgiveness and playability to a better-player’s club.
Gear: Mizuno JPX 923 Forged irons Price: $137.50 each Specs: Grain-flow-forged 4120 Chromoly (4-7 irons) and 1025E mild carbon steel (8-GW) with milled micro-slot. Available in left- and right-hand versions. 4-iron through lob wedge
Available: Jan. 19, 2023 (pre-sale), Feb. 9, 2023 (in stores)
Who it’s for: Accomplished golfers looking for a compact cavity-back iron that emphasizes feeling and control with some forgiveness.
The Skinny: Made for players who may have played muscleback blades in the recent past and golfers who demand control and feel, the JPX 923 Forged irons bring some distance, forgiveness and playability to a better-player’s club.
The Deep Dive: Between game-improvement irons and muscleback blades, there is a region for golfers who are improving and looking for their first set of control-oriented clubs, as well as players who may have contended for the club championship a few years ago. Clubs in this category need to look like something that a real stick would carry but with hidden technologies and benefits.
For Mizuno, the JPX Forged has filled this gap for several years, and with the release of the 923 Forged, the Japanese company tipped this club closer to the better-player’s irons that have made Mizuno so respected. Designers worked to make this version longer and more forgiving than the JPX 921 Forged it replaces, but it appears smaller in the playing position.
To do that, Mizuno starts with a single billet of grain-flow-forged 4120 Chromoly for the 4-iron through 7-iron. By forging the metal under extreme pressure three times into the shape engineers want, the grains and strands of material elongate, which Mizuno said makes forged clubs feel better at impact. There is no vibration dampener designed into this club because golfers who will consider playing it want all the feedback – good and bad – that the clubs can deliver.
The face of the JPX 923 Forged is thinner in every area than the JPX 921 Forged, which should allow the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact for increased ball speed on well-struck shots and mis-hits too. There is also a milled micro-slot in the sole that is covered by a very thin plating. The slot allows the lower portion of the face to flex more easily, which should deliver better performance on thin shots. The JPX 921 Forged had a micro-slot, but the slot in this updated version is wider.
Mizuno JPX923 Forged 4-7 irons are forged 4120 Chromoly, while the 8-PW are forged 1025E mild carbon steel. (Mizuno)
The 8-iron through gap wedge are also grain-flow-forged, but instead of Chromoly, Mizuno uses the same 1025E mild carbon steel found in the company’s muscleback blades. These scoring clubs have not been given a micro-slot.
To make its irons sound good at impact, Mizuno has studied harmonics for years and reinforced the topline of its clubs to create the type of vibrations that many golfers find pleasing. In some cases, that has forced designers to make the topline thicker, which accomplished players rarely like. In the JPX 923 Forged, the topline has more curvature, so it appears thinner in the address position while still reinforcing the hitting area.
The lofts of the JPX 923 Forged irons are stronger than those found in muscleback blades – the 5-iron is 24 degrees and the pitching wedge is 44 degrees – but by modern standards they are typical for a better-player’s distance iron.
With minimal offset, an extremely-thin topline and a narrow sole, the JPX 923 Tour is all about feel and control for shot-shaping golfers.
Gear: Mizuno JPX 923 Tour irons Price: $137.50 each Specs: Grain-flow-forged 1025E mild carbon steel. 4-iron through lob wedge
Available: Jan. 19, 2023 (pre-sale), Feb. 9, 2023 (in stores)
Who it’s for: Is your name on your bag? Are you a college golfer, a club pro or someone who has a legitimate shot at winning the A Flight at your club championship? If so, the JPX 923 Tour could be a control- and feel-oriented option for you.
The Skinny: These irons are forged and shaped to appeal to the game’s best golfers, with minimal offset, an extremely thin topline and a narrow sole. While they have some perimeter weighting, the JPX 923 Tour is all about feel and control for shot-shaping golfers.
The Deep Dive: Last year, Mizuno brought back the Mizuno Pro muscleback blades, and while the majority of golfers do not have the repeatable, powerful swing required to get the most out of them, many golfers ogled them on social media and in pro shops.
The JPX Tour irons have been one-click more playable for most golfers than the muscleback blades produced by Mizuno, and with the release of the new JPX 923 Tour, the company is keeping the focus on feel and control.
The JPX 923 Tour is forged from a single piece of 1025E mild carbon steel for a soft feel, but for the first time that steel is covered by a thin layer of copper before the final chrome plating is applied. The copper layer has been added to Mizuno Pro irons to enhance the soft feel at impact, and its addition to the JPX 923 Tour is a sign this club belongs in the Mizuno Pro and JPX families.
The JPX 923 Tour is forged from a single piece of 1025E mild carbon steel. (Mizuno)
The JPX 923 Tour has the shortest blade length, most narrow sole and thinnest topline of the five new JPX 923 irons. Mizuno designers even gave the topline extra curvature to make it look even thinner.
In addition to extra trailing-edge relief, Mizuno added more bounce to the sole of the JPX 923 Tour to help the clubs work through the turf more efficiently. The added bounce should also help fitters if they want to strengthen the loft of any of the clubs. Delofting clubs often lowers the leading edge, which can cause digging; adding extra bounce can strengthen the JPX 923 Tour irons without making them dig too easily.
Specs: Cast nickel chromoly heads. Hot Metal, 4-LW; Hot Metal Pro, 4-LW; Hot Metal HL, 5-SW.
Who it’s for: Golfers who want the looks and feel of better-player’s irons but need distance enhancement, forgiveness and spin.
The Skinny: The three JPX 923 Hot Metal irons were designed to cosmetically mix and match seamlessly so golfers and fitters can blend clubs to make a set. The offset and sizes vary, but all three have thin, fast faces for more ball speed and sound-enhancing features to go with sleek, modern looks.
The Deep Dive: For decades, Mizuno was known as a company that specialized in some of the finest muscleback blades for accomplished players and professionals. They were aspirational. Golfers with single-digit handicaps and powerful, repeatable swings loved the soft feel and control, while players who typically shoot in the mid-80s and higher yearned to be good enough to play them someday.
With the release of several JPX models of irons, most of which offered perimeter-weighted game-improvement clubs alongside a pro version for low-handicappers, Mizuno found a larger audience. The Japanese company started using different materials, such as Chromoly, stainless steel and tungsten, to get better performance and more forgiveness out of the JPX lineup without making the clubs so big that they no longer looked like the Mizunos golfers wished they were good enough to use.
Mizuno JPX Hot Metal irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)
With the release of the newest JPX Hot Metal family – the JPX 923 Metal, 923 Hot Metal Pro and 923 Metal HL – Mizuno is trying to expand its footprint across an even larger segment of the market, all while making clubs that look and feel (as much as possible) like the musclebacks used by Keith Mitchell, Luke Donald and other tour pros.
The 923 Hot Metal irons are all cast using a new material called nickel chromoly. Mizuno has used chromoly for several years, but adding nickel, according to Mizuno, makes the chromoly alloy 35 percent stronger. It is so strong that it is used in airplane landing gear assemblies and gears in automobile transmissions.
The Mizuno JPX 223 Hot Metal irons have thin, nickel chromoly faces. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Nickel chromoly allowed Mizuno to make the faces thinner and lighter without worrying about durability, so the center of the JPX 923 Hot Metal’s cup-face hitting area is just 2.05 millimeters thick, with the perimeter being 1.75 millimeters. That allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact across a larger area for more ball speed while also reducing weight.
To ensure the feel at impact matches what golfers expect from a Mizuno iron, even though the face is thinner, engineers reinforced the cavity area in the back of each head, especially in the toe area and under the topline, using a series of small tooth-like pieces. They help reduce vibrations that cause low-pitched tones that sound like cracking.
The standard Mizuno JPX 223 Hot Metal irons have moderate offset and soles designed to keep the head moving quickly through the impact area. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Around the Mizuno offices outside Atlanta, Mizuno designers refer to the JPX 923 Hot Metal as the fastest-stopping fast iron. That means that in addition to creating more ball speed, the JPX 923 Hot Metal produces slightly more spin, giving shots more lift and a steeper descent so shots repeatedly stop quicker for better control and consistency.
All three JPX 923 Hot Metal irons were designed to have a premium look that appeals to better players, making it very easy to mix and match the clubs with the help of a custom fitter to create a personalized, blended set.
Mizuno JPX 223 Hot Metal Pro (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The JPX 923 Hot Metal Pro has a shorter blade length than the standard model, along with a thinner topline and slightly less offset, but the Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro have the same lofts (5-iron, 22 degrees; 9-iron, 37.5 degrees).
Mizuno JPX 223 Hot Metal HL (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The JPX 923 Hot Metal HL (which stands for high launch) is a super-game-improvement club designed to maximize forgiveness and deliver more ball speed and height. It has a thicker topline, wider sole and the lowest center of gravity, but the most interesting thing Mizuno did with the JPX 923 Hot Metal Hot HL was to make the lofts 2 degrees weaker than the standard JPX 923 Hot Metal.
The Mizuno JPX 223 Hot Metal HL is the most forgiving Mizuno iron. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
Many brands make the lofts stronger in max-game-improvement irons. Still, Mizuno discovered that with lower-lofted clubs like a 5-iron, slow and moderate-swinging golfers (below 75 mph with a 7-iron) who typically buy max-game-improvement irons have trouble getting the ball up in the air with the stronger-lofted clubs. So, carry distance is reduced and overall distance is not maximized. For these players – who research showed Mizuno was about one out of every four players – adding loft created more carry distance, and for players in this category, that means more overall distance. Fitters have used the same logic for years when they recommend that slow and moderate-swinging players use higher-lofted drivers to maximize distance.
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Blue blades? Yes, but only if you’re good enough to hit these new Mizuno irons.
Last December, Mizuno released the Mizuno Pro 221 muscleback blade irons. Golfers who want forgiveness and are looking for more distance from the fairway can look someplace else, because the Mizuno Pro 221 is for accomplished golfers with powerful, repeatable swings.
Now, on the eve of the 150th British Open at St. Andrews, Mizuno has released a special limited-edition version of the Mizuno Pro 221. Your eyes are not deceiving you: They’re blue.
Only 1,221 sets will be produced, and they will be sold for $2,210 (3-iron through pitching wedge) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.
The blue plating is extremely soft, so if anyone buys a set of these irons and decides to play them, it will wear with use.
The limited-edition Mizuno Pro 221 Blue has a layer of copper over the forged steel and under the blue plating that softens feel. (Mizuno)
As with the standard Mizuno Pro 221, the clubs are forged from 1025E mild carbon steel with a layer of copper applied over the steel that softens the feel of impact. They have a narrow sole, thin topline and virtually no offset, so control-oriented players should be able to shape shots up, down, right or left.
The clubs will be available for purchase in the fall.
Many of the players on this list have won majors in the past, but a few are looking to win their first this week.
The second major championship of the men’s golf season is here, the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Weather conditions are expected to be hot for the first two rounds, with temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s, with a breeze blowing over the course. That combination should get the fairways running fast and make the greens hard and quick, so solid ball-striking and good iron play are going to be a must for anyone who wants to contend and win the Wanamaker trophy.
According to Tipico Sportsbook the players listed below are the favorites to win the PGA Championship. Many of them have won majors in the past, but a few are looking to break through for the first time. What they all have in common, however, is they are elite iron players. See which irons they are using this week at Southern Hills.
