Mizuno, the Japanese golf equipment manufacturer founded in Osaka in 1906 that has been at the forefront of golf equipment design for 112 years, proud introduces its new JPX Fli-Hi as the perfect replacement for long irons.
Mizuno has been helping golfers of all abilities play better golf for longer than a century. The brand’s Fli-Hi concept has been around in both iron and hybrid form for a decade now in direct answer to every golfer’s demand for greater playability and easier ball-flighting potential at the longer end of the set.
The latest incarnation is the new JPX Fli-Hi, a club packed with clever technology to help golfers launch the ball high and land it soft from longer range. The JPX Fli-Hi is designed to slot seamlessly in, with the models from 4 to 7 designed to correspond directly to the irons they have been created to replace.
High launch and playability are the keys, with the JPX Fli-Hi’s distinctive ‘face-forward’ profile letting the leading edge glide through contact for a consistent, high ball flight. The Wave Soleplate allows the front portion of the sole to flex for increased ball speeds, especially on mishits low in the face, while the Drop Down Crown design not only assists with visual alignment at address, but also allows more weight to be shifted low in the clubhead to further assist with a higher launch.
The JPX Fli-Hi will be available at retail in February in four loft options numbered 4 to 7. In recognition of the fact that the longer the club, the trickier it is to launch for most golfers, Mizuno has incorporated a Flow COG Design into the clubheads, with weight shifting slightly according to loft. In the longer 4 and 5 models, the weight has been shifted further back for greater launch assistance, while the 6 and 7 models are slightly more front-weighted to moderate launch appropriately.
Golfers unsure as to how many long irons to replace should visit their local Mizuno Swing DNA centre where qualified fitters will be able to analyse their Shaft Optimiser readings and make their recommendations accordingly.
The JPX Fi-Hi will be available in right-hand only (for $209 each) in four loft options: 19˚ (4), 22˚ (5), 25˚ (6) and 28˚ (7).
Mizuno has also extended its JPX919 Hot Metal Series with a Pro model, targeting better players seeking compact looks with the ball speeds of Chromoly 4140M.
Last year, Mizuno unveiled the new JPX919 family of irons comprising JPX919 Tour, JPX919 Forged and JPX919 Hot Metal, with each model engineered from different base materials to help enhance performance for particular swing types. The JPX919 Hot Metal, crafted from a new high-strength metal called Chromoly 4140M, paved the way to astonishing ball speeds, and now the brand is launching a new Hot Metal Pro version of this iron with a smaller profile in response to demands from better players for Hot Metal performance benefits in a more compact form.
Available at retail from February, the JPX919 Hot Metal Pro shares all the essential design characteristics and performance attributes of the original Hot Metal model, which hailed a true benchmark in iron design, engineered for the perfect blend of ball speed and soft, controllable landing angles. High-strength Chromoly 4140M allows a new multi-thickness face that promotes astonishing ball speeds, while a seamless one-piece cup face construction ensures surprising levels of feedback even at such unprecedented ball speeds.
The head’s stability frame is open at the heel portion to enhance stability, launch and a loft-appropriate flight apex for controlled, soft-landing approaches, while re-engineered Sound Ribs generate specific vibration patterns that ensure a satisfying sensation through impact. A new, more durable Pearl Brush finish then helps to soften the head’s lines in bright sunlight.
Now all this is available in the smaller, more workable playing profile of the new Hot Metal Pro model, which features a slimmed-down top line and sole, plus reduced offset to bring Chromoly 4140M ball speed and performance benefits to players with a more traditional eye.
The JPX919 Hot Metal Pro offers a steeper transition into more compact scoring irons and wedges, with set-matching gap, sand and lob wedges available.
“There has been a noticeable shift of better players towards the Hot Metal irons,” says Chris Voshall, senior engineer at Mizuno. “We realised we could do more in that category and push the technology a bit further. The big surprise was how the ball speed and stability stayed near indistinguishable from the standard version, once we’d made the size and offset adjustment”
Mizuno has strived to “create the best products for consumers” for 112 years, and this latest addition to the JPX919 iron family adheres firmly to that original spirit and desire, while offering the best performance benefits that modern technology can bring.
For further information on the new JPX919 Hot Metal Pro ($209 per irons) plus Mizuno’s full range of golf equipment, apparel and accessories visit mizuno.com.au
