Mizuno

Pro 223

What it does: Although it strongly resembles a players cavity-back iron, this design makes a more brazen push towards distance. Notably, the long and middle irons are forged from a variant of chromoly steel – the same metal at the root of the company’s Hot Metal game-improvement iron – to boost distance and to spread out the distance gaps in the clubs where the gaps tend to be more compressed.

Why we like it: Legend has it that Mizuno founder Rihachi Mizuno required the company’s baseballs to bounce precisely to his eye level – 4 feet, 5 inches – when dropped from a height of 16.5 feet, or they were rejected. Such dedication to precision continues in this iron. Consider the hidden milled slots in the soles of the 4 through 7-iron. Those slot shapes are distinct for each iron­ – the slot on the 4-iron is wider and deeper to enhance distance. The slots on the 5 and 6-iron are slightly T-shape to provide a measure of heel-toe weighting, and the slot on the 7-iron is as thin as possible to smooth the transition to the one-piece forgings used in the 8 and 9-iron and pitching wedge. Some might say this set is ahead of its time. We say it’s a potential template for players irons right now.

7-iron loft 32 degrees; PW Loft 46 degrees

Reviewer profile

“A ball-strikers dream. A really authoritative pop at impact but very easy to control the clubhead through the turf. If you like to shape shots, it’s your club.”

– Player comment

GOLD
Checked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked StarUnchecked Star
Performance
Checked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked Star
Innovation
Checked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked StarUnchecked Star
LOOK・SOUND・FEEL
Checked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked StarChecked Star
Demand