“Sizzling Steel has grow to be a monster,” says Mizuno’s Chris Voshall, Mizuno USA Golf Product and Advertising and marketing Supervisor.
It’s onerous to overstate what the introduction of the Sizzling Steel franchise has meant to Mizuno however to place issues in perspective, it’s value stepping again in time.
For all its prowess within the participant’s iron class, there was a very good run the place Mizuno wasn’t thought-about a severe participant in game-improvement house.
Exhibit A
That may be my earliest digression ever.
Anyway …
In 2017, Sizzling Steel’s first yr in the marketplace, it accounted for 3.51 % of {dollars} spent on irons. Its share has grown steadily with every launch.
In 2020, Mizuno had bit greater than an 8.5 % share of the iron market. By 2023, that quantity had elevated to 12.5 % with 9.71 % coming from JPX product. Most of it (7.19 % of the market) was Sizzling Steel.
In full context, Sizzling Steel by itself is sort of all of what the totality of Mizuno iron gross sales was.
Even with that success, I’d be inclined to explain the JPX Sizzling Steel household as a little bit of an anomaly within the game-improvement house. Most of what you’ll discover within the class are loft-jacked, overtly tech-rich designs that leverage quite a lot of supplies and various cream fillings.
By comparability, Mizuno has typically been extra wise about lofts (the JPX 923 Sizzling Steel HL was among the many first to supply weaker lofts) and, whereas Sizzling Steel may maintain its personal performance-wise towards practically something in the marketplace, Mizuno did what it did with out pulling any of the levers rivals use to juice their designs.
Whereas everybody else was utilizing multi-piece, multi-material designs, Mizuno’s JPX Sizzling Steel relied solely on single-piece development.
With the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel, that modifications.
Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel – 3 fashions
As with the JPX 923 line, Mizuno is providing three distinct flavors of Sizzling Steel. You get the middle-of-the-road customary JPX Sizzling Steel, the extra player-centric Sizzling Steel Professional and the extra forgiving, slower swing-friendly Sizzling Steel HL.
As was the case final time round, the three fashions share a typical platform and customary expertise. What’s true for one is true for all three. Solely the dimensions and specs (size, loft, and many others.) differ.
What JPX 925 Sizzling Steel brings to the desk
The abstract of JPX 925 advantages consists of extra consistency throughout the face (improved forgiveness), extra velocity from the middle and better launch.
So, with that, let’s take a look at what Mizuno has finished to reinforce the efficiency of its best-selling iron household.
New CORETECH
Your briefest of refreshers: CORETECH is Mizuno’s face expertise that brings with it the industry-standard goal of preserving extra ball velocity over extra of the face.
You would possibly recall that JPX 923 Sizzling Steel was the primary time Mizuno used Nickel Chromoly 4335+ as its materials of alternative. The unwritten rule with any new materials is to take a conservative strategy to engineering. “We maximized efficiency with one foot within the ensure that it doesn’t break camp,” explains Voshall.
The precise space of concern was what Voshall calls the hinge piece within the decrease portion of the JPX 923 Sizzling Steel face. Erring on the aspect of warning, Mizuno made the hinge a bit thicker than was maybe vital or ideally suited and, with that, it left some efficiency on the desk.
Two years faraway from JPX 923, Mizuno’s confidence in Chromoly 4335+ has grown and it feels it may be extra aggressive in the way it leverages the supplies.
That confidence manifests itself in a brand new strategy to a variable-thickness face design. The up to date topology consists of areas Mizuno name flex zones which are simply 1.2 millimeters thick. Comparable areas of the face have been 1.9mm thick final time round. Areas across the perimeter have been thinned as nicely.
The rule of thumb in face design is that thinner is quicker. By thinning each the candy space and the perimeter, Mizuno is ready to ship a bit extra velocity.
The variable-thickness idea can be baked into the only. Thicker areas present energy the place it’s wanted whereas thinner areas work to enhance low-face efficiency in comparison with JPX 923 Sizzling Steel.
All of that is a part of the bigger goal to offer peak COR (or no less than near it) over as a lot of the face as attainable. Mizuno’s knowledge suggests the brand new Sizzling Steel and Sizzling Steel HL are among the many best possible within the {industry}. Warning letters from the USGA would appear to help the declare.
Sizzling Steel Professional is a little bit of an exception among the many three. Whereas it nonetheless affords loads of velocity, the candy space isn’t fairly as giant due to the smaller face.
An even bigger face means a much bigger trampoline.
(Secret) tungsten
Despite the fact that I’m all however obligated to say it, tungsten itself just isn’t usually all that notable. Apart from, producers are very happy to notice it for me. Seldom is a chance missed to stamp “tungsten” on a head. I swear, it seems like a licensing situation the place should you use tungsten it must be credited the place everybody can see it.
Getty’s picture guidelines are much less restrictive.
Anyway …
Mizuno’s strategy is totally different in that, within the curiosity of conserving issues as clear as attainable, it determined to forgo denoting the tungsten wherever on the top, however I swear it’s there.
That is all simply the actually lengthy solution to let you know that the JPX 925 4-7 irons characteristic inside tungsten weights.
The ripple in Mizuno’s implementation is that the burden is explicitly low-ish and ahead as a substitute of low and again. True to the Sizzling Steel philosophy, Mizuno is searching for to extend launch with out dropping spin beneath wise ranges.
Playability remains to be the objective.
With the addition of tungsten, Mizuno is realizing a few different advantages. The primary is elevated inertia (MOI). The tungsten weight additionally works to drag the CG nearer to the hosel (nearer to middle) which helps make the brand new Sizzling Steel simpler to show over.
If you wish to name {that a} little bit of relative draw bias, that’s in all probability superb.
Improved really feel
Even with its solid fashions, Mizuno emphasizes really feel. So whereas Nothing Feels Like a Mizuno is usually the stuff of its cast lineup, JPX Sizzling Steel shouldn’t really feel clangy. On the similar time, Mizuno doesn’t wish to fill Sizzling Steel with goo to dampen really feel solely.
Very like Marky Mark, Mizuno desires to you are feeling the vibrations, however in a great way (and with a correct pair of pants on).
With regards to really feel, a very good little bit of what we expertise comes all the way down to geometry. Within the case of the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel, its in regards to the placement of help buildings that work to tune sound. Particularly, Mizuno has leveraged a sequence of ribs to offer rigidity alongside the topline and a soundbar that runs by means of the middle of the again cavity.
We’ve lined the science of really feel earlier than however the normal concept is that should you can efficiently goal the fascinating frequencies for the fitting period, golfers are prone to say your irons sound and really feel good.
In case you’re in search of the precise enchancment, it’s that Mizuno has lessened sound stress within the frequency vary from 6,000-9,000 Hz .
And whereas that feels just like the type of factor that needs to be on a check, the one factor that issues is that Mizuno says the brand new JPX Sizzling Steel feels extra stable and scorching and fewer tingy than earlier than.
Appears
All three Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel fashions provide clear strains. You received’t discover any ornate multi-color cavity badges. There’s minimal stamping and the one notable change is a small splash of colour within the nook of the cavity badge.
The usual Sizzling Steel has white. Sizzling Steel Professional is black and Sizzling Steel HL has blue accents.
The intent isn’t to bling something out. Mizuno simply needed to make it a bit simpler for fitters to search out and pull heads in the course of the becoming course of.
Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel – Spec modifications
With the 2025 fashions, Mizuno has made a number of spec modifications all through the Sizzling Steel lineup.
Stronger lofts
With the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel, the 9-iron and pitching wedge are half a level stronger. Sizzling Steel Professional is half a level stronger within the 7 to hole wedge. And whereas I suppose it’s technically not a loft change, Mizuno has added a 4-iron to the Sizzling Steel HL providing and dropped the lob wedge.
It’s a small change meant to deliver Sizzling Steel nearer to what loosely passes for industry-standard lofts.
Extra upright
Equally, Mizuno has made its inventory lie angles .5 levels extra upright throughout the board. Likewise, irons are .5 extra upright. They’re nonetheless a bit flatter than most.
To an extent, none of that is significantly essential since you possibly can bend Sizzling Steel anyway you need them.
Longer lengths*
On paper, the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel iron household is ¼” longer than the earlier fashions. The precise size is similar.
One of many goofy issues within the golf gear {industry} is proprietary rulers will not be unusual and wi,th that, not everyone agrees on the right way to measure. Beforehand, Mizuno used its personal ruler. With JPX 925, its measuring the USGA manner so whereas precise lengths are the identical, the revealed numbers have modified.
The exception is the wedges which are literally barely shorter with JPX 925 Sizzling Steel.
Talking of wedges …
In prior iterations of Sizzling Steel, Mizuno took a common strategy to wedges. There was a single Sizzling Steel wedge design that break up the distinction (kind of) between the person fashions.
This time round, Sizzling Steel and Sizzling Steel HL have distinct wedge choices. It ought to make issues a bit extra seamless for the man who prefers set-matched wedges
JPX 925 Fli-Hello hybrids
For golfers who want slightly additional assist, significantly on the lengthy finish of the set, Mizuno will once more provide Fli-Hello hybrids as direct long-iron replacements. And identical to final time, they’re priced the identical because the irons they substitute.
Designed to be a like-for-like swap, Fli-Hello hybrids will usually be outfitted with the identical shaft as the remainder of your Sizzling Steel iron set (although be at liberty to go in a unique route should you’re so inclined).
Progressive shapes
Probably the most noticeable change from prior fashions is the footprint of the JPX 925 Fli-Hello hybrids. The 925 fashions are designed to circulate higher which finally implies that they get progressively extra compact from entrance to again as you progress up in loft. With that, not solely do you keep away from bigger shapes the place they’re not vital however the spin profiles of the Fli-His are actually nearer to that of the irons they substitute.
Pace Bevel sole
JPX 925 Fli-Hello hybrids provide what Mizuno calls “Pace Bevel.” What we’re speaking about is a tweak to the modern geometry that creates a bounce floor that helps the membership transfer by means of the turf. Stated one other manner, Pace Bevel makes Fli-Hello hybrid a bit extra pleasant to unfavorable assault angle swings related to iron play.
Improved Wave Sole
On metalwoods, each producer has expertise designed to enhance velocity on low-face impression. On Fli-Hello, it’s Wave Sole. With the JPX 925 Fli-Hello, Mizuno has improved Wave Sole efficiency to protect extra velocity on low impression.
Lastly, Mizuno has made a small beauty change to the rating strains to higher body the ball at handle.
JPX 925 Fli-Hello choices
JPX 925 Fli-Hello hybrids can be found in 4 lofts: 19, 22, 25 and 28 levels. The precise iron every replaces is dependent upon which Sizzling Steel set you’re sliding it into however, broadly, consider Fli-Hello as an choice to switch something from a 4- to 7-iron. That offers you loads of flexibility to take Fli-Hello deep into your set and never pay by means of the nostril for the privilege.
Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel and Fli-Hello specs, pricing and availability
The inventory shafts for the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel are the Nippon NS Professional 950 NEO (metal) and UST Recoil Dart ESX (graphite). The inventory grip is the Lamkin UT+.
Inventory shaft choices for the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel Professional are the Dynamic Gold 105 (metal) and Mitsubishi MMT (graphite). The inventory grip is the Lamkin UTX+ (twine).
The inventory shaft choices for the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel HL are the Dynamic Gold 95 (metal) and UST Recoil Dart ESX (graphite). The inventory grip is the Lamkin UT+.
The inventory shaft for the JPX Fli-Hello is the UST Recoil Dart ESX, although the expectation is that almost all golfers will select to match their iron shafts. The inventory grip is the Lamkin UT+.
Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel irons can be found in right- and left-handed. Left-handed choices within the JPX 925 Fli-Hello hybrid are restricted to 19 and 22 levels
Retail worth for the all the things within the JPX 925 Sizzling Steel household (together with Fli-Hello) is $150 per membership.
Pre-sale for the Mizuno JPX 925 Sizzling Steel begins Sept. 5. Full retail obtainable begins Sept. 19.
For extra data, go to Mizunogolf.com.
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