WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Aimed at the discerning better player, the Mizuno Pro S-1 is a single-piece forged muscleback blade. However, it is more than just a hunk of metal on a stick. The channel in back redistributes mass for greater stability and precise centre-of-gravity location and a re-engineered sole design enhances turf interaction.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY: Pre-sale starts on August 28. In-store availability begins on September 11. Price is $369 per iron in steel.
3 Cool Things
1. Staying on trend: The trend on the PGA Tour in muscleback blades is a more squarish-looking shape and toe. The S-1 delivers on that aesthetic, which will be welcomed by Keith Mitchell and Ben Griffin, both of whom play the company’s irons. The tour also was integral in the development of the channel back design, that takes mass from the back of the club and moves it to where it helps produce greater vertical stability and flight control.
2. Feeling fine and sounding good: Mizuno’s grain flow forged process is a hallmark of the company’s irons in which the forging process produces a grain structure that results in a pleasing feel. The S-1 is forged from a single billet of 1025E mild carbon steel and includes a thin copper underlay that further helps reduce unwanted vibrations to produce a satisfying, somewhat firm feel at impact.
This design works with the company’s venerable harmonic impact technology, which fine-tunes the feel by adjusting the club’s vibration frequencies. If you want to really geek out, they shifted the third and fourth mode frequencies higher for more responsive feedback. New software capabilities allow Mizuno to measure sound duration as well as tone.
3. Turf eater: The S-1 boasts a re-engineered sole to optimise turf interaction. Specifically, compared to its predecessor, the Mizuno Pro 241, the S-1 sole features a flatter camber, a sharper leading edge, and an additional two degrees of bounce. The result is more forgiveness for shallower attack angles while reducing the chance of digging.
