The JPX 900 is redefining Mizuno’s wood category

By Nick Miller

We recently looked at the irons and wedges from Mizuno’s 2017 equipment lineup, and we didn’t think it could get much better.

We were wrong.

In addition to the irons and wedges, Mizuno is bringing its newest driver and fairway woods lineup to market as well. We know what you might be thinking — Mizuno isn’t known for their woods. Well, it’s time to change that perception, and it will change after you’ve hit the new Mizuno JPX900 driver, fairway metal and hybrid.

Two words define Mizuno’s focus with this new line: ball speed.

JPX 900 driver and metal woods

Mizuno’s design goal with their new JPX 900 wood line was to get away from the idea of just designing another family of woods that matched each other. Recognizing the importance of each individual category within a wood line, they took each element of the JPX 900 line and designed its own entity.

JPX 900 driver

Chris Wood, a Mizuno staffer on the European Tour, contributed to Mizuno’s goals with the JPX 900 driver, asking Mizuno designers to create a club that played as expected for well struck shots, but didn’t see a drop off in distance for mishits.

The result with the JPX 900 was higher ball speeds across the entire clubface like never before seen in a Mizuno driver. Put simply, the JPX 900 driver combines several design ideas to send the ball a really, really long way.

In fact, Mizuno says the ball speed of the JPX 900 driver is the fastest of anything they’ve tested, and they say they’ve tested everything.

We’ll of course be sure to test these ball speed merits ourselves, when we review driver in the weeks ahead. What I’ll say for now after getting a sneak in-hand peek with the club, is that my missed shots go farther, have tighter dispersion, and the driver makes a really good sound at impact.

Let’s jump into specifics.  The JPX 900 driver features several unique elements, including:

• 450cc head that has been engineered with stability design, producing the highest possible MOI
• Multi thickness face, cleverly strengthening key areas to enhance ball speeds and give a base for the longest possible drives
• Infinite Fast Track Technology to optimize your launch angle and spin rates for an additional 20 to 30 yards of distance. There are two 8 gram weights and three fast tracks (heel, center, toe) to help fully optimize the club and aid in fade or draw bias.
• Quick switch hosel allowing loft to be fully adjusted (or shafts to be changed) instantly. The JPX 900 is adjustable from 7.5º to 11.5º in loft.
• Face angle prop, also known as VFA (Visual Face Angle adjustment) is present on the sole and can be set to the look that suits your swing and eye.
• Harmonic impact technology that uses internal tuning forks to stay consistent no matter what your settings are. I mentioned how much I like the sound this club makes, right?

And we can’t forget about the really, really good standard shaft Mizuno put into this club …

JPX 900 driver + premium Fujikura shaft

In Mizuno’s words, a great driver deserves a great shaft. So, they added the authentic Fujikura Speeder Evolution 2 as the standard/stock shaft option.

If you’re unfamiliar with this shaft, think of it as the top-of-the-line Audi or BMW at your local car dealership. It’s that good.

JPX 900 fairway woods

I’ve always been a ‘fairway-wood-off-of-the-tee’ type of guy, but have a hard time finding different models I’m confident hitting out of the fairway. After some course time with the JPX 900 fairway wood, however, I’ve found one that instills confidence the second I address the ball.

This fairway wood provides ball speed for everyone, and spin only when you need it due to its high level of adjustability. Loft is adjustable within a range of 4 degrees, and there is a 15-gram weight that can be adjusted to increase launch and spin rates as needed.

Mizuno’s Shockwave Sole helps the clubhead to contract and expand on impact – like an accordion – creating more energy than is normal in a compact head. They’ve also used a waffle crown to remove weight from the crown of the club while maintaining strength. It’s also positioned lower in the clubhead, making launch with the fairway woods even easier.

And like the JPX 900 driver, the fairway wood comes standard with the same Speeder Evolution 2 shaft!

JPX 900 hybrid

The JPX 900 hybrid was built like a wood that plays like an iron. So, it’s designed as more of a long iron replacement than wood replacement. In appearance, it has the safety net of a wood style body, but works best when approached like an iron, which means the JPX 900 hybrid is a really great replacement option for that long iron you may struggle to hit well.

Between the Shockwave Sole and extra low mass in the clubhead, its weight distribution promotes high launch and low spin.

The JPX 900 hybrid is also Mizuno’s first adjustable hybrid, allowing enhanced fitting capabilities and on-command adjustment based on course conditions. So, don’t be afraid of giving this hybrid a try as you look for extra forgiveness and playability in your longer irons and woods.

The bottom line

Mizuno has never been known for prowess in the woods category. But after taking a long, hard look at how they could produce equipment that can compete, and beat, the major players in this category, they’ve created a viable choice for consumers demanding nothing less than the best from their golf equipment.

So, the bottom line with the Mizuno JPX 900 wood line is that the next time you’re in the market for a new driver, fairway metal or hybrid, you’d be wise to include these clubs on your short list of choices.

The Mizuno JPX 900 driver and woods hit stores on Sept. 16, but you can get custom fit before then at GolfTEC! Talk to your GolfTEC Coach to demo, get fit for and order your custom Mizuno clubs!

Also, for a more detailed look at the Mizuno JPX 900 driver, specifically, keep your eyes out for our in-hand, comprehensive review coming soon.

Related:

The 2017 Mizuno Iron Lineup

Golf Club Fitting: Shaft basics

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