50 Words or Less
The Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons are bigger and have weaker lofts for higher ball flight and more spin. Strong forgiveness. Good ball speed, relative to their lofts.
Introduction
While Mizuno continues to push stronger lofts in many of their irons [learn about loft “evolution” HERE], they also offer an alternative in the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons. Their biggest, most forgiving iron is also the weakest-lofted Hot Metal. In this review, I’ll explain why that is and what type of golfer might consider putting these in the bag.
Looks
At address, the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons are similar to the standard JPX925 Hot Metal irons [review HERE]. According to Mizuno, the Hot Metal HL is about 1 mm thicker in the sole and a fraction of a millimeter thicker on the top line. From heel to toe, the Hot Metal HL is between 1 and 2 mm longer. The biggest difference is offset: the Hot Metal HL is noticeably more offset than the standard model. All in all, it’s a thicker, rounded game improvement iron.
As with the other JPX925 Hot Metal irons, I don’t care for the look of the Hot Metal HL irons in the bag. They’re not terrible, I just find them a bit clumsy looking, especially compared to the sleek designs that most OEMs are producing. Simultaneously, the cavity is too busy, and the thick surrounding frame is too bland.
Sound & Feel
The Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons is made of Nickel Chromoly, a material chosen for its speed creation. While it succeeds on that front, as I’ll discuss later, it does not compare to traditional carbon steel for feel. The feel of impact is medium-firm, and the face feels thin behind the strike.
Like the standard Hot Metal, the HL has a clicky impact sound that feels powerful and fast, but it does not convey “solid.” As is always true in this category, that’s not inherently good or bad. Some players like this more “modern” sound. However, if you’re looking for something traditional, this isn’t it.
Feedback on strike quality is above average given this club’s size. My hands knew where the ball met the face even when I wasn’t completely focused. The sound of impact becomes duller, more of a “thud,” when you miss the center of the face.
Performance
In most OEM’s lineups, the biggest, most forgiving iron is also the strongest-lofted. That’s not the case with the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons. This set is three degrees weaker than the standard Hot Metal in the 4-PW. That’s an entire club in the longer irons, meaning the Hot Metal 5I has the same loft as the Hot Metal HL 4I.
That additional loft teams with the added offset and size to produce significantly higher launch and spin than the Hot Metal, when comparing the the same club (6I to 6I, for example). If you tend to hit the ball too low to hold the green, need more launch and spin to optimize carry distance, or just want more traditional distance gaps throughout your set, the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal irons could make a lot of sense for you.
Comparing the new version to the JPX923 Hot Metal HL irons [review HERE], there are two major spec changes. First, Mizuno added a 4I to the set this year. Second, they made the stock length 0.25″ longer. But as a smart Plugged In Golf reader, you’re getting fit for your irons, so the stock lengths don’t matter to you. Final spec note: because of the large gap in lofts, combo sets with the Hot Metal HL and Hot Metal or Hot Metal Pro irons [review HERE] need to be carefully planned out.
On the launch monitor, the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons showed the same excellent ball speed as their brothers. They’re not as fast 6I to 6I because of the lofts, but they are equal when comparing like lofts. The consistency of the spin and ball speed is also noteworthy, leading to predictable distances.
The one notable limitation of the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons is shot control. With the substantial offset and wide sole, flighting the ball down requires a lot of effort. And just like the ball wants to launch high, it also wants to turn over. This is a great thing for golfers who struggle with a slice, but players who already draw the ball or want to move the ball both ways should think twice before buying this set.
Conclusion
The Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL irons take their name – High Launch – seriously. With weaker or more traditional lofts and a large body, they will be very helpful for players seeking high trajectories. As always, get fit for the right shaft and specs to get the most out of this set.
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Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal HL Irons Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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4 Comments
Interesting that Mizuno is actually going with more “traditional” lofts in this line. The stated lofts are amazingly similar to my old TM SLDR irons and the back side looks like TM’s SIM iron badging of a few years back. Getting back to lofts – these numbers are what I play currently with my blended set of Edel SMS 6 & 7 irons and Maltby TS1 8 – Pw (with a degree of variation here or there). It also reminds me how Ping does “Retro” lofts as well. All in all these irons will be just right for the golfers who need the HL capacity. Just remember what Trevino once said (paraphrased) “loft is your friend as you get older” – hence maybe that is the audience to whom Mizuno is speaking.
I believe I saw on Mizuno’s site a couple months ago that their irons were not actually changing in length but it is due to a difference in the way the R&A/USGA measure as compared to how they were doing.
While they are good looking, the backs are too busy. #007
I tried the 925 high launch irons in a fitting against a range of its competitors, from players distance through to game improvement irons. In the fitting bay, it came down to two completely different irons: Ping i530 versus Mizuno 925 HL. The Pings flew further (I suspect strong lofts contributed to this) but the Mizunos flew higher and were straighter on mishits. Once my fitter added in a KBS C-Taper Lite shaft, the Mizunos were an easy winner for me. As a 60+ golfer who is new to the game, Matt’s description of the irons being good for people needing help with trajectory and distance has proved to be really good input. Now just awaiting delivery – Mizuno says lead times are about four weeks at the moment for a custom fit in the UK.