One of the hallmarks of Mizuno irons is their legendary feel. Renowned for their buttery softness at impact, Mizuno irons provide golfers with unmatched feedback and control, allowing them to confidently shape shots and attack pins with precision. This exceptional feel is achieved through Mizuno's meticulous forging process, which involves shaping the clubhead from a single piece of high-quality steel. The result is a forged iron that delivers unparalleled consistency and performance on every swing Mizuno offers a diverse lineup of irons to suit players of all skill levels and preferenc
From the sleek and compact MP series, designed for the most discerning shotmakers, to the forgiving and game-improvement JPX series, engineered to maximize distance and forgiveness, Mizuno has an iron for every golfer. Each iron in the Mizuno lineup is meticulously crafted and engineered using the latest technology and materials to optimize performance and enhance the overall playing experience. One of the key innovations found in Mizuno irons is their revolutionary Grain Flow Forging process.
This proprietary technology ensures that the grain structure of the clubhead is perfectly aligned, resulting in greater consistency and feel throughout the set. Additionally, Mizuno's Harmonic Impact Technology fine-tunes the sound and feel of the irons, providing golfers with a satisfying sensation at impact that is uniquely Mizuno Golf
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What are the fundamental differences between a forged iron and a cast iron? The forging process produces greater consistency and quality in the metal. Casting may be a more economical way to produce clubs – a cast head costs about half as much to produce as a forged head. But the downside of casting is that when the metal is poured into the mould, it always traps tiny bubbles inside the metal structure. We can go back to the freezer; no matter how carefully you pour the water, there are always bubbles in the ice. These bubbles make the face inconsistent; two shots from almost the same place can produce different results.
Can the average golfer feel those inconsistencies in a cast head? Perhaps not if that’s the only club you are hitting – but if you hit one and then hit a Mizuno forged heads, which do not have any trapped bubbles, you will instantly tell it feels more solid and sweet. For the better player it is certainly obvious. We once tried to fool our in-house pro by giving him two identical-looking clubs to try. We told him both were made from forged carbon steel, but in fact one was cast stainless. The instant he hit it he turned to us and said: “What is that? It feels dead.”
Why does a forged head sound so different to a cast head? Because the air bubbles produced in the casting process affect sound vibration. You can think of it this way: fill two wine glasses with water, one with fizzy carbonated and the other with still. Then flick or tap the glass with a pen, or something. The sound is totally different. The fizzy water glass gives a dead ‘pip’ while the still water creates a longer ‘di-i-i-ng’. The bubbles absorb the sound. And so it is with golf clubs. Cast heads dampen the sound quickly because there is air inside the metal. Mizuno mild carbon steel forged heads, with no bubbles, produce a longer sound duration which gives more feedback.
Some of the world’s most popular wedges, including Titleist Vokey and Cleveland, are cast. What do you believe are the performance benefits of Mizuno’s forged wedges? Of course for short shots you need feel and distance control – and Mizuno's forging process enhances both. The mild carbon steel they use for forging is a softer metal, giving the golfer extra touch; the increased vibration we have just talked about, created by the more solid head, is again going to give the golfer more feel, which gives him greater information and feedback on the shot. But also the purity and integrity of the metal produced by forging allows the player to strike the ball consistent distances, which boosts confidence.
Why do cast clubs tend to be made from stainless steel while forged clubs are made from mild carbon steel? Mild carbon steel could be used for casting, but when it is melted its viscosity is high; it doesn’t flow into the mould as well, and so does not fill up the detailed part of the mould as efficiently. Molten stainless steel is more liquid, so you can avoid bumps or not filling a recess. But also 17-4 stainless steel, the famous one, is very strong, twice as strong as mild carbon steel that is used for forged heads. The strength is good for design flexibility – you can make thinner walls in cavity backs for example – but its hardness means it cannot be forged so well; the material cracks or breaks when it is hammered.
Mizuno use 1025 mild carbon steel in their irons and wedges. Why? Because it gives the perfect blend of hardness and feel. The ’1025′ means there is 0.25% carbon in the steel. The carbon content affects the hardness of the metal. If you go to more than 1% it gets hard, but also brittle; if you go lower than 0.1% the metal is too soft; it could deform while you play. Mizuno wanted a substance that was resilient but had feel, and which was ductile enough to stand loft and lie adjustment. And the 1025 steel was perfect.
Now Mizuno have found a new material, 1025E Pure Select mild carbon steel. So what is the difference? 1025E Pure Select is a purer metal which will give even greater consistency. Mizuno believed the original 1025 steel was a wonderful metal for a golf club, but their quest for perfection led us to look for ways to improve it by reducing unnecessary elements that occur during forging – specifically phosphorous and sulphur. On rare occasions, these can slightly affect hardness in the face. Now Mizuno have found a way to do that. The new metal is also better at minimising so-called craftsman’s marks that can be caused by bending the hosel for loft and lie alterations.
‘Grain flow’ is a Mizuno patent and trade mark(tm) What does it mean, and what are its benefits? I mentioned that Mizuno irons are forged out of metal rods, or bars. These have a natural flow of the fibre, a grain. This grain acts as a strengthener/reinforcer, improving the block’s integrity, consistency and durability. Think of it like concrete, reinforced by steel rods inside; the grain acts like the steel rods. Mizuno is the only company to arrange and control this flow to pass on a performance benefit to the golfer. They do their best to maintain this flow into the finished head. It makes the club stronger and more consistent. Mizuno achieve it by taking the bar and stretching about half of it into a narrower diameter. This end eventually becomes the hosel. But because it is a squeezing, stretching action, Mizuno maintain the flow of the grain that is trapped inside the bar. After this they put the half with the squeezed metal into the primary forging mould and then they forge it, so this hosel portion becomes the hosel and other part becomes the face – and we have minimal waste. Other companies don’t do this – they do not care about the metal’s grain. Rather than stretch the rod they pound it, hammer it. It creates lots of flash – unnecessary parts – which must then be taken out. That’s usually done by milling and grinding. The whole process cuts through the natural flow of the fibre, which makes their irons weaker and less consistent.
The Grain Flow Forging process gives Mizuno irons a one-piece construction. What are the benefits of that compared to other, welded-neck clubs? It combines material consistency and strength with a very satisfying solid feel. Their competitors haven’t the same experience in the forging of golf equipment. They’ve been forced to supply forged equipment as their tour players in particular will rarely accept a cast head. The forging houses they’ve used have tended to resort to forging their irons from two separate parts – a steel face welded to a steel hosel. Since their competitors re-introduced forged irons Mizuno started buying clubs to cut apart and check. They’ll usually find the face and hosel have been welded the together. This weld breaks the flow lines of the metal and creates an inconsistency in structure from iron to iron. Although forged they cannot compete with Mizuno’s Grain Flow Forgings on feel and consistency.
Is it true that Forged irons rust? Not completely – it still depends on the material used. But yes, the 1025 mild carbon steel Mizuno uses will rust if it comes into contact with moisture. The chrome plating offers protection in most cases, but moisture can still penetrate surface abrasions made by sand and grit. As long as you keep the clubs dry, with headcovers off between rounds, rusting won’t be a problem. Adding a touch of lubricant like standard WD40 occasionally will help too. The rust issue is a trade off for the performance of a Grain Flow Forged 1025 mild carbon steel clubhead. You have to decide if the extra care it takes to keep the irons in good condition is worth the trade off.
Finally, how has Mizuno reached the forefront of forging technology? For one thing their clubs are forged in the Chuo forging house – an exceptional facility that Mizuno has worked with exclusively for 38 years. But also they are always trying to improve: their new 1025E Pure Select steel reflects this. Today they are believed to be the champions in the forging industry, but even now they still put lots of resource – plenty engineers and lots of hours – to improve their process. That’s their general direction. They believe that in the field of business, quality is the key thing. And they do not want their competitors to catch up with them.
