Mizuno irons have always been highly regarded and coveted by golfers who place feel high on their wants list. New Mizuno Pro series blends that soft and responsive Mizuno feel with some of the latest tech for all-around performance.
With the release of the Mizuno Pro 241, 243, and 245, there is an iron for just about any golfer. I was hitting these irons on a very cold (about 18 degrees) range, so the carry and ball speed numbers are probably not the most optimal, but the signature Mizuno Feel was impressive! For the full review please check out the Club Junkie Podcast below and on any podcast platform.
Mizuno Pro 241, 243, 245 irons review
Mizuno Pro 241 irons
If you are a highly skilled player or just love blades, the 241’s compact size and single-piece forged construction should lure you in. I think the shape of the 241 is great with a little more of a boxy and sharper toe. Mizuno has really improved the look of the short irons over the past few iron generations, and the PW flows well with the set, not looking too large. The added bounce is welcome for steeper swings or players who play in softer conditions.
Mizuno also created more of a progressive set with flighted long irons for softer landings and more penetrating short irons for added control. The 241 are compact irons, but less intimidating than I expected when I took them out of the box. Feel is absolutely textbook Mizuno with a soft, yet solid feel even with less-than-ideal range balls.
Launch was higher than I initially expected but then remembered the more traditional, weaker lofts. Distance wasn’t long by today’s standards but it was very consistent. Solid strikes launched through the same window and travelled the same distance every time; mishits were predictable in their distance loss. I was hitting the 241’s pretty well, and my misses weren’t too extreme but you do notice a little larger variation in distance between well-struck and toe misses.
While the launch is high, this is a blade and it allows skilled players to flight the ball down, hit it high, or right and left very easily. I also noticed that the 241 is a little more forgiving than you might expect. Now, you aren’t going to get away with hitting it anywhere on the face, but slight misses will still probably get to the front of the green. We are stuck on mats here so no way for me to really test turf interaction yet, but the added bounce should give steeper swing players or soft conditions some added playability.
Mizuno Pro 243 irons
Right out of the box, these seemed a little chunkier than the previous 223 from all angles but address. I loved the look from address as they are a little more rounded and softer than the 241. These might have the widest sole out of the three models, but there is some trailing edge relief that should allow the iron to get through the turf quickly and without added digging.
I liked that the 243 was the highest-launching iron for me and was a little surprised with that since they are a couple of degrees stronger than the 241. I don’t hit a high ball, and the 243 was giving me the best visual window of the group to hit high shots that land soft on the green. The slightly large blade size gives you a little more confidence that you don’t have to be surgically precise like the with the 241, and if you do miss a little, you won’t be penalized for it. Shots off the toe, my usual miss, still carried good ball speed and stayed on line better than I expected.
For more of a players cavity design, the 243 was a very straight iron on most misses. Now if you got far from the center, you would be able to see some distance drop off and more movement to the shot. Strikes made lower on the face still elevated and you didn’t see a huge difference in the launch window on those. The 243 also gave you a little sense of speed with the 7 and 4-iron, not 245 speed, but you felt like the iron was helping add a little to the shot with the longer irons.
Sound and feel were very good as you would expect with a Mizuno Pro iron. Center and close-to-center contact gives you this soft and solid thud as the ball leaves the face and the 243 retains a good amount of that even slightly outside of center. More extreme misses are met with a decent click, but the longer irons are slightly more dampened than the short irons due to the insert behind the face.
Mizuno Pro 245 irons
This is the iron where I think Mizuno made the biggest improvement from the 225. Sound and feel are very subjective, but I felt like the 245 offered a more muted sound and softer feel than its previous version. While the hollow body design doesn’t offer the solid feel and responsiveness of the 241 and 243, it does give the player plenty of both. The face definitely gives the sensation of the ball jumping off it for added speed, but it doesn’t feel uncontrolled.
From my range session with them, the performance delta between good and poor struck shots was small and tight. Center shots left the face quickly and for me flew a little more penetrating and boring into the sky. These have the strongest lofts of the trio, but you still won’t have any issues getting the ball in the air, even with the long irons. The look of the 245 is also really good, giving you that more players compact look and little offset that promotes confidence and comfort.
I loved how straight and far mishits flew with this iron as the hot face was able to make up for my lack of perfection. My shots that were further off the toe than I care to admit still stayed in play as gentle draws instead of big hooks that smaller irons would produce. Striking the 245 a groove or two low also didn’t penalize you with a screaming ball six feet off the ground that runs forever, the iron was still able to elevate that shot and provide enough lift to hit the green and hold it. This iron is going to fit a wide range of players and combo up nicely with the 243 for some added help in the long irons.
In conclusion, Mizuno really upgraded the Pro iron line without disrupting the DNA of the design. Added playability and forgiveness in the 241 will open that iron up to golfers looking to work the ball around the course. At the same time, the 243 will fit a wider range of golfers who love compact irons but need a little added distance and forgiveness. Players who fit into the 245 will love the performance they expect from a hollow body iron and experience soft feel and sound that you don’t always get with those types of irons.
