For both Fairway Wood and Hybrid Mizuno has focused on creating a design that allows golfers to play with increased launch with minimal effort, with speed, power and a slight draw bias.
To provide a high draw flight bias Mizuno used their X-Axis design, an expanded toe located carbon composite window, with heel located sole weight that combines together to create a reliable draw bias.
This X-Axis design allows for an internal weight to be inserted deep inside the head of the driver to create a high draw bias flight. By adding this internal weight both the fairway and hybrid are suitable for golfers who play with moderate swing speeds who need elevated launch to reach the distance that they require, as well as controlled landing angles.
To generate an even higher launch for the hybrid an ultra-thin, lightweight waffle carbon crown is used to create a lower centre of gravity.
When designing both of these clubs Mizuno had to think about the different types of faces they could use to maximise the distance that they can generate, while still maintaining the stability that has been built in.
For the fairway wood Mizuno chose to use the high-strength SAT 2041 beta titanium face. The material used to create this face is a titanium alloy which allows for much more flexibility throughout the face. This flexibility generates higher ball speeds, however this level of flex is also matched by the strength that alloy provides. When compared to the ST180 and ST190 fairway woods, both featuring 1770 Maraging Steel faces, the SAT2041 Beta Ti compound was proven to be 17% stronger.
With the hybrid on the other hand, Mizuno went with a maraging steel face, MAS1C, but designed it to be a staggeringly thin 1.8mm - Mizuno’s thinnest hybrid face ever. This thin face boosts golfers strokes with added distance as it provides incredible ball speeds. Infact Mizuno have announced that the ST-220 Hybrid creates the highest recorded ball speeds from centre strikes that they have ever recorded from a hybrid.
Wave Technology has been a staple with Mizuno metalwoods, and the clubs in the ST-X 220 series are no different.
If you aren’t familiar with this technology, a series of ridges are used in front of the crown that allows for the lower section of the face to flex when a ball strikes the lower side of the face. This flexing means that even on mishits high ball speeds can still be generated. Being able to generate high ball speeds, even on lower face shots, is excellent for strikes directly from the turf.
Mizuno has used what they call “Harmonic Impact Research” to match the sound of the club with its performance. This system has been used before on several previous designs to identify and isolate the different vibration patterns that are created by each golf club when striking a ball. These vibration patterns are used to create the sort of sound that many elite players would associate with what is considered the preferred “solid” shot.
Mizuno have also created new ST-220 drivers to pair with the fairway wood and hybrid clubs.
