Mizuno has always been very forward thinking with their golf clubs, packing in new features and catering to golfers looking for high performance. In this complete Mizuno Pro Series Irons review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the three models in this line: the 221 vs 223 vs 225.
- Key features that we like
- The difference between Mizuno 221 vs 223 vs 225 irons
- The most ideal golfer for each of the new Mizuno Pro Series irons
- Pricing
- How to buy your new Mizuno irons irons today
You’ll see below that some of the features in the Mizuno Pro series are common across each club and some features are VERY different and unique. Make sure you understand who each model is made for before you go out and buy your set of new irons today.
How to Buy the Mizuno Pro Series Irons
221
223
225
Mizuno Pro Series Irons Overview
The Mizuno Golf Pro series irons are a premium selection of clubs for good players looking to become better players. The concept of Mizuno Pro is to incorporate the latest technology into a sleek and simple looking design shape. Mizuno is known for using high quality materials in the development of all its irons.
Officially, the 221 and 225 replace the older series MP-20 and MP-20 HMB model lines. The 223 is a new cavity back design for those medium players who want a little bit of game improvement and a little bit of tour performance. All three Mizuno Pro Series irons are forged irons created with Mizuno’s greater precision manufacturing process. All are a work of art in their own specific way, providing both distance and forgiveness.
Despite being smaller than the old MP-20 irons, Mizuno has worked hard to keep your distance the same or better on every club.
There are some key features that are present in all Mizuno Pro irons, but you’ll see that they mostly stand alone alongside each other.
Key Features in all Mizuno Pro Irons
Grain Flow Forged HD
All Mizuno Pro golf clubs go through a one-piece grain flow forging process in Hiroshima, Japan out of 1025 carbon steel. This is a new technology platform that gives Mizuno the high quality feel compared to other golf irons on the market.
Soft Copper Underlay
All Mizuno Pro irons feature a small soft copper underlay placed underneath the nickel chrome. This gives a softness to your irons that allow you to add spin and control to your shots. This feature was big in the Mizuno TN87 clubs and was reintroduced in 2019 in the MP-20s.
Mizuno 221 Irons
The Mizuno 221 irons are a traditional muscle-back blade iron. They are forged from a single piece of 1025E pure select mild carbon steel with the Grain Flow HD forging process we mentioned above. This gives them a dense hitting area which gives distance to average golfers. Mass has been shifted from the heel of the irons into the entire muscle pad. It also has a narrower top line, but there is no loss of mass in the upper blade, which is nice.
The 221 has a wide center of gravity which I felt was consistent when I tried these irons out. The new Mizuno 221 irons are a replacement for the previous MP-20 irons. They are certainly easier to hit than the MP-20s, which average golfers will like. They are also a bit shorter and more compact in appearance, which might throw Mizuno experts off a little bit.
One big drawback about the 221s is that they, like the previous MP-20s, are only available in right-hand only.
The stock shaft for the Mizuno Pro 221 is the Project X LS. The stock grip is a Golf Pride Z-Grip.
Specs
A breakdown of the specs in the new 221 irons are as follows:
Take from mygolfspy
Pricing
The retail price of Mizuno 221 irons is $187.50 per club.
Release Date
The Mizuno Pro 221 irons were released on February 3rd, 2022.
Use the links below to buy your 221 irons today.
Mizuno 223 Irons
The Mizuno 223 irons are forged cavity-back irons. The 223 long irons are multi-material, forged from chromoly steel and offering a ton of distance. This chromoly forging uses high temperature and high pressure to create a solid, well-designed iron. The short irons, from 8-iron to gap wedge, use a similar one-piece grain forged design as found in the 221 irons.
The 223 irons have a hidden milled slot in the sole on the 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, and 6-iron. This flow micro-slot help provide faster club speed and longer distance in these medium length clubs.
The 223s are tailored for low to medium handicap golfers hitting 12 over par or less on average. The steel design offers some good control and shot-shaping capabilities. The back edge of the club has a beveled edge which makes it look like a PGA tour iron but with some extra mass.
The stock shaft for the Mizuno Pro 223 is the Nippon Modus 115 (stiff) and Modus 105 (regular). The stock grip is a Golf Pride MMC Teams (black/grey).
Pricing
The retail price of Mizuno 223 irons is $187.50 per club.
Release Date
The Mizuno Pro 223 irons were released on February 3rd, 2022.
Use the links below to buy your 223 irons today.
Mizuno 225 Irons
The Mizuno 225 irons are hollow irons with a fast-flexing face insert and small tour-ready profile that provides distance, quality, and control. They feature tungsten weights in the bottom of the club head to help provide some extra launch on the club. The face thickness is also variable on the 225s in order to promote quicker ball speeds for each club. The Hot Metal Blade design is very high quality.
The 2 through 7-iron features a 28.5g tungsten weight, while the shorter irons go without any weight placement because they don’t have any measurable benefit. The 8-iron, 9-iron and wedges do have a 1025E carbon steel face and 17-4 stainless steel cap over the muscleback area. Long story short, these features allow you to add spin on to your shots around the green.
Being hollow, the 225s feature a COR forged hollow body design (except for that tungsten we mentioned above).
The new Mizuno 225 irons are a replacement for the previous MP-20 HMB irons. They should be picked up by a few PGA tour players this year to give them some extra legitimacy.
Like the 221s, the Mizuno 225 irons come in right-hand only, leaving lefties out in the dust. The stock shaft is the Project X IO. The stock grip is a Lamkin ST Hybrid.
Pricing
The retail price of Mizuno 225 irons is $187.50 per club.
Release Date
The Mizuno Pro 225 irons were released on February 3rd, 2022.
Use the links below to buy your 225 irons today.
What About the Mizuno Fli-Hi?
A comparison of the 221 vs 223 vs 225 Mizuno irons often get all the attention, but there is one more club in the Pro Series lineup. The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi is a long iron replacement, called a utility iron, that is offered as an alternative to a traditional fairway wood or hybrid club.
The Fli-Hi features a MASIC face that is similar to what you see on fairway woods. The body of the club is made from 431 stainless steel which is soft enough to bend on impact. 21 grams of tungsten are added into the club face for increased launch angles and more distance.
Overall, the club head on the Fli-Hi is bigger than on the other Pro Series irons. It has a wider sole and a little extra offset which gives it a deeper center of gravity and a higher moment of inertia (MOI).
The Fli-Hi is available as a 2-iron (16 degrees), 3-iron (19 degrees) and 4-iron (21 degrees) replacement.
Stock shafts include the Project X U 110-gram (steel) and HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 (graphite). The stock grip is the Golf Pride MCC Teams (black/grey).
As Mizuno tends to do, it is available in right-hand only.
Key Features
Pricing
The retail price of the Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi is $225 per club.
Release Date
The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi was released on February 3rd, 2022.
Use the links below to buy your Mizuno Fli-Hi irons today.
What I Like About These Irons
While “Grain Flow Forging HD” sounds like a terrible buzzword and “Soft Copper Underlay” could mean anything, it’s hard to put into words how high quality these irons feel. Mizuno Pro Series have always had a cult following and I think the trend could continue here, no matter whether you go with the 221 vs 223 vs 225 irons. I like that each model has a target golfer:
- 221 = Muscle-back for average golfers
- 223 = Cavity-back for low to medium handicappers
- 225 = Hollow irons for tour pros and scratch golfers
These irons in the Mizuno Pro line are quite a bit smaller than everything else new we’ve hit this year. However, they have a big sweet spot and stable flight on every shot you take. Plus, they look like works of art and are filled with quality.
I also like the new Mizuno Fli-Hi club as an alternative for those golfers who don’t like the feel of fairway woods and hybrids. It looks like a 3-iron but sounds a lot more full on contact.
What I Don’t Like About These Irons
While Mizuno has done their best, I don’t think these Pro irons have quite enough forgiveness for average golfers.
A lot of other golf brands have placed tungsten into their entire line of irons because of the universal benefit it gives players. Mizuno has only done that here with the 225s, which I feel is a mistake. The 221s could benefit from some added weight in the muscle-back. The smaller club face on these irons may also be off-putting to some golfers.
Finally, the heavier price point will turn a lot of casual golfers away. The high price in these irons is for the high quality forging process, which is very particular compared to other brands.
Mizuno Pro Iron Alternatives
If the Mizuno Pro golf clubs aren’t your thing and you can’t find a solution between the 221 vs 223 vs 225 irons, here are some alternatives to check out:
Mizuno 221 vs 223 vs 225 Conclusion
Anybody who has hit Mizuno before knows what kind of quality to expect out of these clubs. The manufacturing process is the best in golf, leading to a straight forward good golf club. The Pro series is tailored for better golfers, which is something to be aware of. The higher price point will also do that on its own.
As an upgrade to the old MP-20s, the Mizuno 221, 223, and 225 irons do a really well job.
If you don’t like your hybrid, take a look at the Mizuno Fli-Hi for an interesting long iron alternative club.
Have you tried out these clubs? Comment down below and let others know what you thought about them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Mizuno Pro Series irons (221, 223, 225) forgiving?
Out of the new Mizuno Pro Series irons, the 221 irons are the most forgiving. They have a muscle-back in the heel area which helps for distance and loft. The Mizuno 223 irons are for mid-handicap golfers who want a little bit of forgiveness in a smaller club head. The 223 has a cavity back.
Are Mizuno irons good?
Mizuno has made one of the most successful and high quality golf irons on the market for a lot of years. They are manufactured using a very high quality process in Hiroshima, Japan. Their irons are constantly rated one of the best looking and their catchphrase is “nothing feels like a Mizuno” because of its premium balance.
Which Mizuno irons are best for high handicappers?
The Mizuno Pro 221 irons are the best for high handicap golfers. They contain a standard sized cavity back that is most forgiving.
